The Standard - 2015 April 23 - Thursday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 67  3 Sections  32 Pages  P18  THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015  www.manilastandardtoday.com  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

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Comelec seeks poll alternatives

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Dalia Pastor on Interpol wanted list

JAPAN TAKES SWIPE AT CHINA

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Take five. Students of Nuru Central Elementary School from Upi, Maguindanao, who will compete in the Aliwan fiesta street dance contest, take a rest after rehearsing the Niguyaya dance at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Wednesday. DANNY PATA

Wizards tame Raptors

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Children at the Crossroads

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Palace hits tabloid for calling PH submissive

By Sandy Araneta THE Palace lambasted a depiction in a Chinese tabloid that described the Philippines as the United States’ “cute little submissive” and said Wednesday this was a sign of insecurity.

“We don’t understand where this insecurity of the Chinese towards us is coming from. Where do we have the wherewithal to compete against China as a superpower?” said presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda.

Lacierda said the ongoing Balikatan joint military exercises were part of the country’s agreements with the United States.

He said these exercises not only improved military coordination but also contributed to the country’s ability to respond to natural calamities such as super typhoon Yolanda, during which American troops came to the country’s aid.

“So, we recognize where they are coming from. We recognize that China wants to make their own comments, that’s their opinion. But we are not bound by their opinion, and we certainly do not agree with how they described us,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda also dismissed talk that the Balikatan exercises was made in light of the territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea. “I suppose anytime of the year you conduct the Balikatan exercises, they will always some comments to make,” said Lacierda.

But the country has been holding the Balikatan exercises regularly for many years now, he said.

The timing in and of itself should not be a cause for suspicion for any country, he added.

The quarrel between the Philippines and China over the disputed territories in the South China Sea turned into a war of words last Tuesday, with the Philippines calling China “a big-time squatter” as a result of its reclamation in disputed areas and a Chinese mouthpiece calling the Philippines a “cute little submissive” of the United States.

Armed Forces spokesman Joselito Kakilala said China was not only stealing territory but also eliminating the maritime food chain systems of the present and next generations of Filipinos.

“These artificial walls of sand that China is building eliminates centuries-old pristine coral reefs in our exclusive economic zone,” Kakilala said.

“It spells not only environmental disaster in relation to climate change but also denies the livelihood of the next generation of Filipinos,” he said.

Kakilala said the most hard hit by the maritime destruction caused by China were Filipino fishermen who depend on fishing.

“Our fishing industry will be adversely affected because we’ve no more coral reefs and fishing grounds to depend on,” Kakilala said. With Macon Ramos-Araneta

Protest over fuel prices. Members of the transport group PISTON protest along Elliptical Road in Quezon City on Wednesday against the government’s alleged failure to regulate fuel prices. MANNY PALMERO

Japan PM takes swipe at China’s ‘use of force’

By Florante S. Solmerin and Sandy Araneta JAPANESE Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a veiled attack at China as he expressed “deep remorse” Wednesday for Japan’s World War II aggression at a summit attended by Asian leaders, but stopped short of repeating previous apologies in a move that risks angering Beijing and Seoul.

“We should never allow to go unchecked the use of force by the mightier to twist the weaker around,” Abe said at the Asia-Africa Summit in Jakarta that was also attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Beijing and Tokyo are at odds over the sovereignty of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, which Japan administers and calls the Senkakus but which China claims as the Diaoyus.

China is also locked in territorial disputes in the South China Sea with several countries, and tensions are particularly high with the Philippines.

The mayor in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) town in Palawan said he was worried about China’s aggressive behavior in the Spratly Islands and the threat to Filipino troops stationed in Ayungin Shoal, but said an armed confrontation was unlikely.

“Of course we are worried too for our safety. [But] is China ready to spark a third world war with... the United States and its allies just because of these islets? I don’t think so,” Mayor Eugenio Bitoonon said in a phone interview with The Standard.

Bito-onon said they too are watching the developments between Manila and Beijing

regarding the massive reclamation that the Chinese are undertaking in the Spratlys, including some reefs located within the KIG. In Camp Aguinaldo, military spokesman Brig. Gen. Joselito Kakilala said they were worried that if China sealed off the area, they would be unable to resupply Filipino troops on the BRP Sierra Madre, which is grounded in the Ayungin Shoal.

China’s Navy and Coast Guard have tried to block resupply missions to Ayungin before, Kakilala said.

He also reiterated AFP chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr.’s call on China to stop its reclamation activities and to respect the 1992 Code of Conduct of Parties and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Reacting to Senator Francis Escudero’s suggestion that a diplomat and not a military official speak on the issue, Kakilala said Catapang cannot help worrying about the implication of China’s activities on national security.

“The AFP chief of staff merely supported the President who also raised this concern in public. General Catapang believes that the massive reclamation must be made known to all including the international community. He is con-

cerned about its direct implication on our troops who... safeguard our territories in the KIG,” he added.

Earlier, Escudero said he believed the Foreign Affairs Department should issue statements on China’s aggressive behavior so as not to further strain relations between Manila and Beijing.

Kakilala said the Armed Forces respected Escudero’s advice and would await guidance from their commander-in-chief, President Benigno Aquino III. On Monday, at the start of joint military exercises with the United States, Catapang gave an assessment of what was happening in the West Philippine Sea as Beijing is rushing to reclaim coral reefs located within KIG. He urged China to stop these massive reclamations for the sake of peace and stability in the region and to avoid the destruction of the marine biodiversity inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

The Palace said Wednesday that China’s disputed nine-dash line policy would affect other countries and not just the Philippines.

“If you recall, the President has already mentioned this a number of times. South China Sea covers a number of countries and the nine-dash line that China holds applies not only against the Philippines. It applies to all the neighboring countries,” said presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda.

“What do we profit from dealing with China when there are other borders, other countries that also have a stake in the South China Sea? Hence, for that particular reason, we have adopted an approach which is multilateral,” said Lacierda.

Lacierda said that the Philip-

pines has engaged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a committee of nations in the same region, as well as resorting to international arbitration as an acknowledgement that “we are all bound by international law.”

“And all of us should respect the international law as an arbiter of conflicts between nations,” the Palace official said.

Lacierda declined to comment on the likelihood that the Navy would deploy its Hamilton-class cutter to protect Filipino fisherment in the disputed areas such as the Panatag Shoal and the Ayungin Shoal.

At the Jakarta summit, China’s President Xi made no mention of regional tensions but called for a “fair” global financial system, as Beijing increasingly wins support for its new regional development bank in the face of US opposition.

Attention will again focus on Abe’s choice of words about the war when he heads to the United States this weekend on a week-long trip, during which he will address a joint session of congress.

Abe’s Jakarta speech was just his latest move that risks inflaming regional tensions—it came after he this week sent an offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, the supposed repository of the country’s war dead including 14 infamous war criminals.

And on Wednesday, more than 100 Japanese lawmakers visited the shrine, which China and South Korea view as a symbol of Japan’s unwillingness to repent for aggressive warring, drawing a swift rebuke from Seoul, which expressed “deep disappointment and regret.”

—With AFP

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Comelec seeks alternatives

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan WITH only a year, two weeks and three days to go before the 2016 polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is considering using only the 23,000 optical mark reader (OMR) machines that are the subject of a public bidding, under a centralized setup, a spokesman for the agency said Wednesday.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said this “central count optical system” would bypass the need for the old 81,000 precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines, after the Supreme Court nullified a negotiated contract with Smartmatic-TIM to have them refurbished and repaired.

“What we plan now is to use the machines that are still in the bidding process. We are considering using the 23,000 OMR units for a central count optical system,” Jimenez said.

The CCOS would entail transporting ballots from a group of precincts to a designated voting center where they would be scanned and tabulated.

He said that even before the Supreme Court stopped the refurbishing contract, the Comelec was already considering alternatives to using the PCOS machines.

“What we will do is just to activate those contingency plans that we have laid out before,” he said.

Another alternative was to bid out the contract to repair the 81,000 PCOS machines, but with time running out, this was unlikely, he said.

“There’s a very slim possibility that we could actually bid out the refurbishment,” he said.

“If we are to start it now, there will be time for that. After all, the original refurbishment contract was actually slated to run only five months,” he said.

He said the Comelec has not yet decided on which plan to implement for the 2016 elections. – With Sandy Araneta, Macon RamosAraneta and Maricel V. Cruz

Private meeting. Before leaving for Jakarta on Wednesday to attend the Bandung Conference to be held in Bandung and Jakarta, Vice President Jejomar Binay said he will have a private meeting with President Joko Widodo to ask him to spare the life of Filipino drug convict Mary Jane Veloso.

ERIC APOLONIO

Maid faces imminent execution in Indonesia FILIPINO maid Mary Jane Veloso faces imminent execution in Indonesia, but relatives say her only crime was to fall victim to international drug gangs who are threatening to kill them if they speak out.

Echoing horror stories told by hundreds of other Filipinos in jails around the world, the 30-yearold single mother claims she was duped into ferrying narcotics.

She insists she would never have gambled her life and two sons’ futures on a bag of heroin. But she is one of several foreigners whose executions for drug crimes are drawing closer in Indonesia.

Veloso believes, according to her parents, that she was tricked by a criminal gang as she desperately sought work overseas as a maid.

Her father Cesar, 59, said those involved in setting up his daughter had repeatedly contacted him and other relatives to warn them against going public.

“My daughter’s recruiters have been threatening us... they

threatened to kill us one by one,” the father said as he cried and his grandsons sat silently next to him during an interview in Manila.

On Wednesday, Malacañang said the government will go after Veloso’s recruiter.

“This is a law enforcement operation,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda told reporters.

“We have identified who was the recruiter and, certainly, we will go after the recruiter who caused a drastic change in the life of Mary Jane Veloso.”

Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is now in Indonesia for the Asian-African Summit in Banding, said he was optimistic Veloso will be saved from the firing squad. He said he will appeal to Indonesian President Joko Widodo to spare Veloso’s life.

“Let us pray for her,” Binay, the Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers Concerns, told reporters before leaving for Indonesia.

Veloso lived in a poor farming region about three hours’ drive

north of Manila. Life became increasingly tough after she broke up with her sons’ father and had to provide for them alone.

She flew to Malaysia after being promised a job there, but was told on arrival that the only work available was actually in Indonesia, her parents said.

While in Malaysia, the drugs were secretly sewn into her suitcase, according to her parents.

Veloso was arrested five years ago at Yogyakarta airport with 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her suitcase. She is on death row with others including two Australians and a Frenchman whose legal appeals are all but exhausted.

Veloso fell prey to a common scam, according to Garry Martinez, chairman of overseas workers’ rights group Migrante, which has been organizing near-daily protest rallies for her in Manila.

There are roughly 10 million Filipinos working overseas— many as maids, laborers and in other lowly paid professions—be-

cause there are so few job opportunities at home.

With many coming from poor farming areas and lacking in street smarts, they are easy pickings for international crime gangs on the hunt for drug mules, Martinez told AFP at a recent rally.

“The ones who are victimized by the drug syndicates overseas are already often the victims of illegal recruitment or maltreatment,” he said. “They are already vulnerable.”

The drug syndicates are generally run by Africans, according to Migrante and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Five Filipinos have been executed in China since 2011 for drug trafficking, Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose told AFP. There are another 41 currently on death row overseas, almost all in China and Malaysia, and more than 800 others in jails abroad serving lesser sentences for drug offenses, he said. AFP, with Sandy Araneta and Vito Barcelo

67 Pinoys rounded up in Sarawak

Orientation. Yedda Romualdez (left), wife of Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, is welcomed by Barangay chairmen from Tanauan, Sta Fe, and Babatngon in Leyte during the last day of the Orientation on Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Solid waste Management and Climate Change Adaptation and Team Building sponsored by the Office of Civil Defense of the Philippines and the Office of Rep. Romualdez held at the Staca Bay Gardens Conference Resort in Compostela Cebu. VER NOVENO CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

AT LEAST 67 Filipinos were rounded up in Miri, Sarawak, following Malaysia’s crackdown on illegal immigrants, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.

The agency said a team from the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur had been dispatched to the area to help the Filipinos, but did not comment on the crackdown. It said it would wait for a report from the consulate team

in Kuala Lumpur.

The Borneo Post said the arrested Filipinos consisted of 56 Suluks, seven Badjaos and four Yakans from Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi.

The paper quoted Sarawak’s Immigration Enforcement Chief Gary Belayong as saying that the Filipinos were found hiding on a two-story house in Kipkomo on Monday by Malaysian authorities.

“All were Filipinos from the Southern Philippines.

Most of them did not have proper documents,” Belayong said.

He said the Filipino illegals were now staying in housing areas to avoid detection.

Only recently, three Filipinos were killed during a crackdown against illegal immigrants in Malaysia.

Malaysia’s crackdowns have moved the Philippine Embassy to urge the authorities to treat suspected illegals humanely. Vito Barcelo

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SC stops curriculum order

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court stopped the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Wednesday from implementing its memorandum that excludes from the curriculum for college Filipino and Panitikan as core courses.

In its full court session held in Baguio City Tuesday, the SC issued a temporary restraining order enjoining the CHED from implementing its Memorandum No. 20, which prescribes the new General Education Curriculum (GEC) for college, and reduces the GEC to a minimum of 36 units and excluded Filipino as a subject in the core courses and deleted Panitikan (Literature) as a core subject.

SC spokesperson Theodore Te said the TRO is effective immediately, and the Court directed the

respondents CHED to comment on the petition filed by several professors from various universities and colleges seeking to enjoin the implementation of CHED Memorandum Order No. 20.

“Acting on the petition for review on certiorari with prayer for TRO and writ of preliminary injunction, the Court resolved, without giving due course to the petition to . . . issue a temporary restraining order, effective immediately and continuing until further orders from this Court, enjoining the respondents from implementing and enforcing the provisions of the Commission on Higher Education Memorandum No. 20 Series of 2013, insofar as it excluded from the curriculum for college Filipino and Panitikan as core courses,” the Court declared.

The petitioners – National Artist for Literature and University of the Philippines Professor Emeritus, Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera, and Alliance of Concerned Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio, Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Fernando Hicap and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon – earlier argued that CMO No. 20, Series of 2013 violates five constitutional provisions.

The provisions include those on the national language, Philippine culture, nationalist education, and labor policy, contained in Article XIV, Section 6; Article XIV, Sections 14, 15, 18; Article XIV, Section 3; Article II, Section 17; Article XIV, Section 2 and 3; Article II, Section 18; and Article XIII, Section 3.

The group said CMO 20 disregards the pronational language spirit of the Constitution and its emphasis on nationalism and cultural awareness as core values of Philippine education, and the Constitution’s pro-labor provisions that gives workers the right to participate in policy-making activities.

The petitioners claim that they were never consulted in the crafting of the assailed CMO. The group also lamented that the assailed CMO violates Republic Act 7104 or “Organic Act of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino/KWF/ Commission on the Filipino Language”, Republic Act No. 232 or Education Act of 1982, and Republic Act No. 7356, otherwise known as “Organic Act of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts/NCCA.”

Getting there. Workers endure the scorching midday sun as they continue to work on the Skyway extension on Andrews Avenue in Pasay City. EY ACASO

Complex raps eyed vs SAF 44 suspects

By Rey E. Requejo THE bloody Mamasapano incident was not a “massacre” nor a simple misencounter, but a “complex crime of direct assault with murder,” according to special task force of the Department of Justice.

In its 225-page report, the Joint National Bureau of Investigation-National Prosecution Service Special Investigation Team made this conclusion as it recommended the filing of charges of direct assault complexed with murder against 90 suspects in the Mamasapano incident.

The charges are to be filed against members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and private armed groups who were identified by principal witness “Marathon” as responsible for the killing of the 35 police commandos in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January 25.

The special investigation team also endorsed the filing of the crime of theft against the 90 suspects for the taking of the firearms, other fighting equipment and various personal belongings of the SAF commandos.

“In the team’s appreciation of the facts and available evidence, the incident was not a ‘massacre’, as graphically described by the Senate, nor a simple ‘misencounter’, as clinically suggested by the MILF. Rather the complicated truth is somewhat in between these two extremes,” the report stated.

Climate exec starts global trek

By Sandy Araneta GOVERNMENT climate change negotiator Naderev “Yeb” Saño resigned from the Climate Change Commission and started on Wednesday a journey to climate change hotspots around the world to press for an accord at a United Nations summit later this year.

CCC vice chairperson Secretary Lucille Sering said Saño tendered his irrevocable resignation last March 27 and he announced it himself on Wednesday.

“But as far as we have gathered, he is reportedly being groomed to head Greenpeace,” Sering said.

“No formal acceptance of his resignation yet as it has just been forwarded to the Office of the President,” she added, noting that Saño served as the chief negotiator in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and was chairman of the UNFCCC’s Long Term Finance Work Programme.

In a statement, Saño said he is joining OurVoices, a multi-faith campaign focused on climate change, to lead the so-called “People’s Pilgrimage” to Paris in time for the United Nations

Climate Change Summit.

Saño said he hopes his “People’s Pilgrimage” will put pressure on delegates to reach agreement at the UN Conference on Climate Change in December.

“It will take a huge amount of effort and an unprecedented amount of political will to arrive at an agreement in Paris,” Saño told AFP. He was speaking during the first leg of his journey, a 10-kilometre (6.2-mile) walk to the monument of the Philippines’ national hero Jose Rizal in Manila on Earth Day, an annual campaign involving thousands of environmental groups worldwide.

Asked if he was hopeful of a climate deal this year, Saño said: “I don’t think we can gauge that today. Our fate is in the hands of a few people.

The challenge is to make them listen.”

Delegates to the conference will try to achieve, for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, a binding and universal agreement on climate climate.

Saño next month will leave the Philippines from Tacloban for the tiny Pacific island of Vanuatu, which was flattened by Super Typhoon Pam in March.

Kids for the Earth. Children play a traditional game during a “gadget-free” art and play camp sponsored by the Center for Disaster Preparedness, Plan International and the Association for the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia at the Quezon Memorial Circle on Wednesday. MANNY PALMERO

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Sandigan airs woes over Janet hearings

By Rio Araja

THE Sandiganbayan is urging the Supreme Court to allow Janet Lim Napoles to attend hearings on her “pork” cases at the anti-graft court, instead of the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City where she has been serving a 40-year sentence for serious illegal detention.

“The court, through the Presiding Justice, wrote the Honorable Supreme Court en banc, through the Chief Justice, for an authority to bring the person of Napoles from the Correctional Institute for Women to the Sandiganbayan,” said the anti-graft court’s Third Division clerk of court Dennis Pulma.

The anti-graft court’s Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang cited logistical and security concerns why associate justices would prefer to hold court proceedings at their chamber.

“The court is citing logistics and security reasons. Because if the arrangement would be that justices will conduct the hearings inside the premises of the CIW, voluminous records would be an issue,” Pulma raised.

He said they are hoping for a favorable response from the Supreme Court today before Napoles’ scheduled bail hearing on Friday.

Makati’s Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda earlier found Napoles guilty beyond reasonable doubt of serious illegal detention filed by Luy, and ordered her immediate transfer to the women’s jail facility.

The Sandiganbayan earlier junked the plea of Napoles to stay in Taguig.

Napoles is facing plunder and graft charges before the anti-graft court’s First, Third and Fifth Divisions for her involvement in the P10-billion pork barrel fund scam.

Protest art. Members of the Kalikasan Peoples Network for Environment storm the gate of the Department Environment and Natural Resources office in Quezon City to demand President Aquino’s resignation and deliver to him the “people’s ultimatum” on the environment during the 2015 Earth Day celebration. The group displayed a tableau depicting President Aquino dumped in a trash can as a form of protest. MANNY PALMERO

Witness program now a political tool—solon

By Maricel V. Cruz A SENIOR member of the House of Representatives on Tuesday stressed that the “proper court” and not the Justice department must implement the “Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Program” under Republic Act No. 6981.

In pushing for the passage of his House Bill 4583, Leyte Rep. Sergio Apostol said that the current Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act recognizes the secretary of the Justice department as the final arbiter concerning implementation of the program.

HB 4583 titled “An Act amending Republic Act No. 6981, otherwise known as The Witness Protection, Se-

Dalia Pastor placed on Interpol watch list THE International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has included Dalia Guerrero Pastor, widow of international racing champion Ferdinand “Enzo” Pastor in its watch list of wanted persons.

Interpol said Dalia, 29, is “wanted by judicial authorities of the Philippines for prosecution or to serve a sentence.”

She was described as a Filipino with blonde hair and green eyes whose date of birth is on Sept. 9, 1985.

At least three of her photographs had been posted, citing her charges of parricide.

Supt. Joel Pagdilao of the Quezon City Police District had sought Interpol’s cooperation to go after Dalia.

He believed she could have left the country through backdoor channels.

Branch 91 Judge Lita Genilo of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court issued an arrest warrant on Dalia, directing the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation and local police to enforce her order.

“The court is convinced that the [Department of Justice’s] finding of probable cause to indict accused

Dahlia Guerrero-Pastor of the crime of parricide was duly supported by substantial evidence,” the court’s order read.

Businessman Domingo “Sandy” de Guzman and self-confessed gun-for-hire killer, PO2 Edgar Angel, were slapped with murder charges.

Dalia was charged with parricide for assisting in the killing of Pastor while onboard his truck van along Visayas Avenue and Congressional Avenue on June 13 last year.

Last Feb. 26, the Department of Justice recommended the fi ling of criminal charges against De Guzman and Dalia.

Assistant State Prosecutor Susan Villanueva had said that while there was no direct evidence pointing to Dalia and De Guzman as direct participants, there was still “interlocking circumstantial evidence that would point to their connivance in the commission of the crime.”

Pastor’s father, Tomas, accused his daughter-in-law of having a relationship with De Guzman for two years.

Rio Araja

curity and Benefit Act.” Apostol lamented that the WPP was built on ‘political control’ because the department is under the control and supervision of the executive branch of government.

“When cases that the DOJ is prosecuting conflict with the interests of the executive and its officials, the implementation of the program is detrimentally affected. Any applications that risk undermining the government will likely be rejected,” Apostol, a House deputy speaker, said.

R.A. 6981 was enacted into law principally to encourage an individual who has witnessed or has knowledge of the commission of a crime to testify before a court, a quasi-judicial body, or

an investigating authority, by protecting him/her from probable reprisals and from unavoidable economic dislocation, Apostol recalled.

Among other vital amendments, HB 4583 provides that “the proper court, instead of the Justice department, shall formulate and implement a ‘Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Program,’ hereunder referred to as the Program, pursuant to and consistent with the provisions of this Act.” Apostol also proposes to provide that “the proper court may call upon any department, bureau, office or any other executive agency to assist in the implementation of the Program and the latter offices shall be under legal duty and obligation to render such assistance.”

N OT I CE O F M E RG E R N o t i c e i s h e r e by g i ve n t o a l l m e m b e r- c o o p e r a t i ve s /s t o c k h o l d e r s a n d c r e d i t o r s o f : M E T R O S O U T H C O O P E R AT I V E B A N K ( M S C B) I D C B l d g ., K a l ay a a n c o r. Z a p o t e S t s ., M a k a t i C i t y

C O N S O L I DAT E D C O O P E R AT I V E B A N K (C C B) C B D S B l d g ., R . M a g s ay s ay S t ., D i g o s C i t y ( D av a o D e l S u r)

and B ATA A N C O O P E R AT I V E B A N K ( B C B) C a p i t o l C o m p o u n d , B a l a n g a C i t y, B a t a a n that pursuant to separate General Assembly Resolutions of MSCB, CCB and BCB to merge/consolidate the three coop banks, the application for Merger has already been f iled with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) in September and October 2014 and the evaluation from the t wo agencies is on- going.

The sur viving bank is the Metro South Cooperative Bank, but will change its name into 1 Cooperative Bank (proposed n a m e s u b j e c t t o a p p r o v a l o f t h e C o o p e r a t i v e D e v e l o p m e n t A u t h o r i t y (C D A) a n d t h e B S P) . A b o v e a l l , w e r e m a i n a s a C o o p e r a t i v e B a n k b u t w e w i l l t a ke a d v a n t a g e o f t h e b i g g e r c a p i t a l a n d r e s o u r c e s t o r e s p o n d t o t h e d i v e r s e n e e d s o f o u r m e m b e r- s h a r e h o l d e r s a n d c l i e n t s a n d t o o u r l o c a l c o m m u n i t i e s .

A t t h i s t i m e , t h e r e i s n o t h i n g y o u n e e d t o d o . Yo u c a n c o n t i n u e t o c o n d u c t y o u r b a n k i n g t r a n s a c t i o n s w i t h y o u r C o o p Bank as you always have.

While ample discussions were made during the aforesaid separate general assemblies, we are always ready to respond t o a n y q u e s t i o n o r c l a r i f i c a t i o n t h a t y o u m i g h t s t i l l h a v e r e g a r d i n g t h i s m e r g e r. A t t a c h e d i s t h e s t a t e m e n t o f p u r p o s e o f the Merger for your c onvenience.

We will c ontinuously update you of developments as the merger proc ess c ontinues, more so if there are major issues or concerns.

I f y o u h a v e a n y q u e s t i o n s , p l e a s e c o n t a c t u s b y v i s i t i n g t h e c o n s t i t u e n t b a n k s , o r b y t e l e p h o n e n u m b e r s 0 2 . 8 9 7- 6 6 0 0 ( M S C B) ; 0 8 2 . 2 3 7- 0174 (C C B) ; a n d 0 47.7 91 - 4715 ( B C B) .

We sinc erely appreciate your ongoing suppor t and patronage. We value your relationship and look for ward to ser ving you for many years to c ome.

S i n c e r e l y,

I S AG A N I B . D A B A Chairman, MSCB

R E N E L I A V. E S T I O KO Acting President, MSCB

T E R E S I TA L . G U I R I TA N Chairperson, CCB

PAT E R N O R O M E O F. PAT R I M O N I O , J R .

President, CCB

B E N I G N O P. A N D R E S Chairman, BCB

PA U L F E R N A N D O C . S O M B I L O N M a n a g e r, B C B

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A6 2 senators twit Drilon over wrong ‘example’

By Rio N. Araja SENATORS Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Ramon “Bong”Revilla Jr. have slammed Senate President Franklin Drilon for citing them as examples to justify the use of aliases by Mohagher Iqbal, peace negotiator of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Both expressed disappointment and anger over Drilon’s erroneous comparison.

“Being public officials, we have legalized our names,” Estrada said. He said their surnames—strada and Revilla—are not aliases, but their names in real life.

Their names are also the same name they had used in the showbiz industry, he added.

“Drilon should check his facts and our history.

There is no parallelism between me and Iqbal.

There is no parallelism between President (Joseph) Estrada and Iqbal.

There is no parallelism between Revilla and Iqbal,” Estrada’s statement read.

“We are not using aliases. Since I ran for public office, I have been using Jinggoy Estrada on my official documents, my licenses, and passport.”

As early as 1987, he said he had already legalized his name of Jinggoy Estrada upon becoming a politician.

He also hit government’s peace panel negotiator, Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer, for even mentioning his father, former president and Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito, for using his alias of Joseph Estrada in the legal peso bill.

“If I may, kindly inform Ms. Ferrer, Joseph Estrada—that’s my father’s legal name based on court order,” he said.

The use of alias of Iqbal, whose real name is Datucan Abas, has raised doubts on the sincerity of the MILF to convince lawmakers to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, critics said.

Revilla said a Cavite lower court had allowed him to use Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and to drop Bautista. “I had my name changed to Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., legally. It was approved by a court in Cavite,” his statement read.

news editorial@thestandard.com.ph

PNP’s P1.8-b jeep deal stinks, says lawmaker

By Maricel V. Cruz

A retired police general turned lawmaker has sought a congressional probe of allegedly irregular purchase of P1.86 billion worth of patrol jeeps for the Philippine National Police.

In House Resolution 1978, partylist Rep. Samuel Pagdilao asked the House committee on public order and safety to investigate an alleged rigging of the bidding process involving some PNP officials and the supplier of the patrol jeeps.

Pagdilao, the committee vicechairman, asked the House panel headed by Negros Occidental Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer to invite during the public hearing the officials of the PNP Bids and Awards Committee and the car company supplier.

Pagdilao said in his resolution that the Columbian Motors was

the only bidder allowed to participate in the bidding process by the PNP Bids and Awards Committee, which did not announce the date of the pre-bid, technically disallowing other interested parties to join the bidding.

“The bidding for the PNP single cab patrol jeeps obviously favored the Columbian Motors which supplied the PNP Mahindra Bolero brand. It brings back to public mind of the corruption ridden purchase of Raven I Helicopters and patrol boats which has tainted the integrity of the PNP,”said Pagdilao, the com-

mittee vice chairman.

“There is a need to establish clear cut policy that will discourage some unscrupulous individuals or group from rigging biddings and prevent a repeat of similar incidents in the future,” Pagdilao stressed.

The lawmaker said there were possible irregularities in the acquisition of the Mahindra Bolero particularly the technical qualifications that helped the supplier to qualify for the acquisition process.

Pagdilao said the Bids and Awards Committee also divided the acquisi-

tion process of the 1,865 units of patrol jeeps into two tranches.

The first tranche consisted of 930 patrol jeeps with a budget of P920 million and the second tranche was for 945 units with a budget of P945 million.

“The House committee should recommend proactive guidelines on the acquisition of equipment of the police organization in relation to the PNP reorganization and modernization law,” Pagdilao said.

PNP had expressed readiness to answer questions hounding its acquisition of multi-million peso patrol jeeps.

PNP data showed that the procurement contract involved 1,021 single cab patrol jeeps worth P918.9 million.

The new patrol jeeps would be in addition to 560 units that the PNP acquired through a bidding held in 2014.

Charity chief. The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s Board of Directors welcomes the agency’s newly-appointed chairman Erineo S. Maliksi (third from left), who is shown receiving his appointment paper from PCSO Vice-Chairman & General Manager lawyer Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II at the agency’s head office in Mandaluyong City. With them are (left to right) PCSO Directors Florencio G. Noel, Betty B. Nantes, Mabel V. Mamba, and Francisco G. Joaquin III. JOSEPH MUEGO

Payanig lot stirs up trouble for four Cabinet members

By Rio N. Araja FOuR Cabinet officials—Cesar Purisima (Finance), Florencio Abad (Budget), Gregory Domingo (Trade) and Leila de Lima (Justice) —have been sued before the Office of the Ombudsman for graft over alleged participation in the sale of a private land in Pasig City known as Payanig property.

Also implicated were Chairman Andres Bautista, and Commissioners Richard Roger Amurao, Ma. Ngina Teresa Chan-Gonzaga and Vicente Gengos Jr. of the Presidential Commission on Good Governance, and Rosalie de Leon of the Privatization Council.

The four Cabinet members were accused of ordering the PCGG officials to sell a

184,891-square meter land in Barangay ugong, Pasig.

The complainant, the Blemp Commercial of the Philippines Inc., represented by its president Richard Singson, said PrC, headed

by Purisima as chairman, directed the sale on April 20, 2015.

The land, identified as the PCGG Payanig Property located at the corner of Ortigas, Meralco, and Dona Juana Vargas Avenue was announced for sale for a floor price of P16,450,553 in various newspapers through a bidding invitation.

Blemp, a private company, claimed to be the actual owner of a huge covering a 160,000-square meter lot, including the disputed property, under Transfer Certificate Title No. 337158.

Hosed down. Firemen try to put out the fire that killed one person

and rendered 150 homeless at Brgy. Old Balara in Quezon City.

MANNY PALMERO

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news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Baguio to demolish waterways structures

By Dexter A. See

Something to do. Tinabon Abad, 40, weaves a mat at an evacuation center in Shariff Saidona Elementary School in Maguindanao. She sells her handiwork to augment her family’s income. MARk NAvALES

Mayor to Mangyans: Leave th land by 30 or be evicted

By Robert A. Evora

PUERTO GALERA, Oriental Mindoro—The mayor of this town stands firm on his decision to evict 47 Mangyan families from their highland village to make way for a P66-million dump.

In coordination with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Mayor Hubbert Christopher A. Dolor gave the Mindoro tribesmen, led

by Ciriaco Bibo, an ultimatum until the end of this month to vacate the village and transfer to

a nearby mountain as their relocation site.

Mayor Dolor stressed that his decision is backed by Republic Act No. 9003, entitling the local government to provide for an ecological solid waste management program to ensure the

local folk’s public health and the town’s environment.

Bibo however said the natives would not leave the mountain sitio because it is their ‘lupang ninuno’ (ancestral land).

The mayor however said that when the municipal government bought the land in 2008 from its private owner, sitio Lapantay was not an ancestral domain.

The Iraya Mangyans refused to sign a resolution endorsing the proposed Categorized Waste Disposal Facility/ Sanitary Landfill located on a

10.4-hectare Mangyan village and a coconut farm at sitio Lapantay, Bgy. Villaflor.

A total of 4,000 young coconut trees planted by the natives are already numbered, scheduled for cutting by a private contractor as soon as the April 30 ultimatum passes.

“Ito pong mga itinanim naming mga punong niyog ay bigay pa sa amin ng gobyerno at hindi pa namin lubos na napapakinabangan tapos puputulin na lang basta nila. Di po kami pumapayag,” says Tison Candava, another Iraya Mangyan.

BAGUIO CITY—The city government has ordered government agencies here to work out the demolition of illegal structures clogging waterways and causing flooding during the rainy season.

“It is high time for the city government to send a clear message to individuals encroaching in waterways,” Mayor Mauricio Domogan said.

Domogan added that the city environment and parks management office, city buildings and architecture office, the city engineer’s office and city legal office should work with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Public Works and Highways in identifying the illegal structures.

The mayor also directed the anti-squatting committee to already implement the demolition of a structure built within the easement of the Balili river. A court has lifted the temporary restraining order that it issued temporarily prohibiting the removal of the said structure.

Baguio City’s limited land area causes squatters to build their structures illegally, often along major river systems.

“The onset of the rainy season is just around the corner.

We should act now so we can reduce flooding incidents around the city,” the mayor said.

He called on barangay officials to be vigilant of the illegal construction activities of squatters in their respective areas so these could be prevented.

Workers, youth restore quake-damaged tower

By Macon R. Araneta THIRTY skilled workers and out-of-school youth from Boholhelped restore the Dauis Watchtower, part of the Dauis church damaged during the October 2013 quake that hit Bohol, Cebu and neighboring islands.

The workers and youth were trainees of Escuella Taller de Filipinas’ satellite training program for conservation, restoration and masonry construction.

At the turnover of the watchtower and the graduation of the satellite training program in Dauis town, Senator Loren Legarda commended the graduates for sharing their acquired skills to contribute to restoring historic structures.

“To the students of Escuela Taller’s satellite program, not only are you lucky for being scholars of this institution. You are also blessed because you have been given the chance to hone your skills to be utilized for a noble purpose,” said Legarda.

The senator also thanked the Spanish government for bringing Escuela Taller to the Philippines through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the people behind Escuela Taller.

The preservation of our heritage, the senator noted, is a continuing challenge. She cited the concept of adaptive reuse where heritage structures are restored and used for a new purpose instead of destroying them.

Testing the waters. A girl dips her feet into still water in Mandaue City. Garbage and even carcasses have been reported floating on this pond. RALPH PIEZAS

A8

OPINION [ EDI TORI A L ]

A MORE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE TALK about leaving a legacy upon retirement.

Former Commission on Elections Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. certainly left a problem at the agency. Shortly before he stepped down, Brillantes led the commission in approving a P268.8-million deal with Smartmatic for the refurbishment of the 80,000 precinct count optical scan machines it had first acquired from the same company for use in the 2010 elections.

The PCOS machines are supposed to be repaired and upgraded in time for the May 2016 national polls.

The Supreme Court however shot down the deal as contained in Comelec Resolution 9922 and the Extended Warranty Contract Program 1, because the poll agency failed to justify its resort to direct contracting.

Petitioners of the case argued that the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion in approving the deal, which was anomalous and scandalous.

They also said the poll body seemed to be rushing to tap Smartmatic for the contract.

The Comelec now is entertaining several options on how to prepare for the elections given the Supreme Court’s decision. It could bid out the refurbishment of the 82,000 – it says there is still time because the process is supposed to last only five months.

Another option is to use new machines altogether – 23,000 of them – which are now still in the bidding process. Under this set-up, though, many precincts would share a single machine. The Comelec spokesman has said this would slow down the counting Yet another scheme would entail transporting ballots from a group of precincts to a designated voting center. A manual scenario would be when voting is manual with automated transmission of votes. An extreme scenario is having no elections at all, which some doomsayers have mentioned to spook the people.

The poll body assures us it has enough time to put in place any of these alternatives, just as soon as it obtains the final decision of the Supreme Court.

This is reassuring for now, given that we have little over the year before citizens troop to the polling centers again. We will see, in the next few months, whether Comelec can be as confident as it sounds.

It is easy to get swept up into the election frenzy, which is expected to intensify as October, the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy, nears. There is bound to be another circus as the campaign season begins.

Through all this, we should remember that more fundamental than who will get elected is how they will win, or lose. With equal interest and intensity as we watch the national and local races, let us ensure that the manner in which votes are cast, counted and canvassed will truly reflect the people’s will.

INEVITABLE DECLINE LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES IT’S practically inevitable: All Presidents since 1986 have experienced drops in popularity as the end of their terms approaches. The current Chief Executive is no exception to this phenomenon.

For instance, the wildly popular Cory Aquino, upon her assumption to the highest office in the land, could get away with declaring a revolutionary government

to basically do whatever she wanted. Nearing the end of her tumultuous reign, Cory could not even summon up a fraction of the early crowds of supporters that were a hallmark of her rallies when she took on the task of calling for the extension of lease of the US military bases in the Philippines – a job that her government miserably failed to accomplish.

Cory’s successors, for various reasons, suffered the same fate. Fidel Ramos was hobbled by the first Asian currency crisis, which wiped out the economic gains that

his term had ushered in.

Joseph Estrada, while he failed to complete his term, quickly turned from a popular populist leader upon his election into a bad parody of himself, until he was ousted for his alleged involvement in the illegal numbers game of jueteng, among other sins.

And Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was helpless to reverse the perception of her term as corruption-riddled, which caused her survey numbers to dip into negative territory.

President Noynoy Aquino seems to be suffering the same fate of his predeces-

I see no reason why Aquino’s numbers would improve in the coming days.

sors, for yet another reason entirely. The second Aquino has been stuck with the “noynoying” tag, which has led to the widespread belief that he has done nothing of significance after unreasonably raising expectations that he could deliver everything

from good governance to basic infrastructure as he enters the sixth and last year of his term.

Of course, like other Presidents before him, Aquino is fighting the waning of his once-stratospheric popularity with everything that he’s got. And like those who went before him, he seems doomed to fail.

Aquino’s reason for resisting the decline has to do with ensuring that he stays out of jail when he steps down. This is why he repeatedly declares these days, when he attends even the most insignificant of public functions, that he is not a lame duck and that his power to make his chosen successor win in next year’s

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OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A9

VIEW FROM MALCOM ATTY. HARRY ROQUE JR.

HAS OUR COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS MADE A DIFFERENCE?

elections remains undiminished.

The reality, as survey after survey has shown, is that Aquino is just barely keeping his head above the waters of negative acceptability and popularity. And there is nothing that he can do, it seems, to reverse the trend.

It is significant that Malacanang seems to have abandoned the strategy of pretending to ignore the results of the surveys which show an irreversible decline in his popularity. Where once the palace shrugged

Standard TODAY Manila

off survey data with dismissive statements about just continuing to do the work of governance, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma now says that “there is significant room for improvement and... [a] need to continually ascertain the needs of our people.”

What Aquino seems hell-bent on doing is to continue making public appearances to prove that he is still working, very much in control and the possessor of game-changing endorsement powers. If subsequent

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surveys show that Aquino’s poll numbers are continuing to plumb new, unfamiliar depths despite his efforts, I expect the campaign to further intensify.

There is no other option for Aquino, really. But history and the “stickiness” of the popular perception that he is a failure as President are against him.

I see no reason why Aquino’s numbers would improve in the coming

HANOI, Vietnam—I am in the capital of Vietnam as a resource person in a seminar on “National Human Rights Commissions: Experiences from the Region” sponsored by the Konrad Adenaer Stiftung. I accepted the invitation because of a long desire to evaluate the affectivity of our own Commission of Human Rights since its establishment through the 1987 Constitution 28 years ago. This invitation finally gave me to the opportunity to finally conduct this long-delayed study.

The starting point has to be the very high expectations of the people that the CHR will help promote and protect human rights in the country when they created it in the Constitution itself. Its first head, Chairperson Mary Bautista, should be credited for safeguarding the independence of the constitutional body from political interference. Congress then took the appointment of the Chair and the Commissioners of the Commission should be submitted for conformation to the Commission on Appointments.

Rightfully so, the Supreme Court ruled that Chairperson Bautista and her commissioners were not among those public officers whose appointments needed confirmation by Congress. This insulated the chair and members of the Commission from political interference.

The Constitution enumerates the powers of the Commission. These include the power to investigate, the power to issue summons, cite in contempt and power to ask assistance from any branch of government. Here, we have a serious obstacle in the task of evaluating the performance of the Commission. For while the courts and the DOJ whose performance may be measured in terms of case disposal and/ or its conviction rate, the CHR can only investigate but has no power to prosecute.

In the case of Carino vs. Commission of Human Rights, the Supreme Court defined the full extent of the Commissions’ investigative powers: “The function of receiving evidence and ascertaining therefrom the facts of a controversy is not a judicial function, properly speaking. To be considered such, the faculty of receiving evidence and making factual conclusions in a controversy must be accompanied by the authority of applying the law to those factual conclusions to the end that the controversy may be decided or determined authoritatively, finally and definitively, subject to such appeals or modes of review as may be provided by law. This function, to repeat, the Commission does not have.”

It is this lack of prosecutorial powers

Continued on A10

Continued on A11

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OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

MY 65 YEARS AS A JOURNALIST Conclusion But, KBS, the foremost radiotelevision at that time, had a problem. Initially, voting at KBP was one vote per station. Naturally, since KBS had some 46 stations at that time, we controlled the voting. I had pushed for each station have one vote, not by network.

Benedicto opposed my plan, so I had no recourse but to resign.

Teodoro Valencia, then the foremost newspaper columnist and a Marcos supporter, succeeded me. That’s what made me think that KBS was actually owned by the Marcoses. I knew this since Benedicto and Buddy Tan had to report to Malacañang every now and then.

Anyway, I became general manager of the government station GTV-4 since KBS was running not only the government station, but Channels 2, 9 and 13 as well.

I became disillusioned and I soon submitted my resignation to Benedicto who tried to persuade me to stay on at a higher pay. I told him that money was not the issue; it was my belief in press freedom.

Money was not the issue; it was my belief in press freedom.

Thus, for about three years after the assassination of the late Ninoy Aquino I tried to practice my profession when I joined the partnership of Dizon, Paculdo, Jurado, Jurado (that was me) and Vitug Law offices. But the partnership broke up when my late brother Desiderio P. Jurado was appointed to the Court of Appeals and Joe Vitug became associate justice of the Supreme Court.

After the 1986 People Power revolution, my good friend Rod Reyes, a former Manila Times newspaperman, who succeeded in infiltrating a drug cartel and exposing it, planned to put up a newspaper. He approached me to become part of the newspaper to be publicized by Manuel “Manda” Elizalde, who was then on self-exile in Costa Rica. When he returned, we made the Elizalde & Co. and Tanduay Rum building along Ayala Avenue the Standard’s first office. That was in Feburary 1987.

In spite of offers to join other publications, I stayed on with the Manila Standard. This makes me perhaps the oldest opinion writer now. As I said, I believe in the Standard’s vision and goals, and I like working for every management that has ever taken over the newspaper.

When I exposed the nonpromulgation of the case against Juan Ponce Enrile who was charged of rebellion with murder by the Cory Aquino government, a non-existent case because rebel-

TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO lion already included murder. I was cited for contempt by the Supreme Court – not as a journalist but as a lawyer, who is supposed to be an officer of the court? The reason I had to expose the nonpromulgation of the High Court’s decision was my discovery that I found out that a Supreme Court associate justice was holding the case since it would mean the dismissal of the Enrile case.

I never revealed by source, a Supreme Court associate justice. The case was supposed to have been a landmark decision so much so that it was one of the questions in Bar examination on Legal Ethics, title In Re Jurado.

My sources at the Supreme Court were many. When I exposed a senior justice whose trip to Hong Kong with his entire family of 27 was funded by a known Binondo drug dealer, I was against cited for contempt until I revealed by source. I never did. I’m perhaps the only journalist who was cited for contempt twice by the Supreme Court.

In my battle with the Supreme Court, the Manila Standard stood by me all along. That is one of the reasons I never left the publication.

I have been charged with 17 libel cases and had to apologize four times upon request of my publisher. In fact, when I was named Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Manila Standard, I was also subpoenaed simply because my name was in the masthead. I had to quit my position since I was subpoened for something I was never a part of.

They say it’s a badge of honor, but I never felt comfortable with those cases against me. The venue at times of the court were in the provinces.

When Martial Law was lifted and freedom of the press was restored, being the only living member of the 365 Club at Hotel Intercontinental, I became active at its chairman. I envisioned the 365 Club to be a freewheeling venue for those who would like to say their piece on the economic and political issues of the day.

And I succeeded when the 365 Club was featured by no less than The Wall Street Journal as the only one of its kind in Asia where people of all political persuasions could take coffee and express their opinions freely without fear.

In my sunset years, I have passed on the torch to businessman Boy Reyno, who is a regular.

I became its chairman emeritus.

Chairman emeritus is also my position at the Manila Overseas Press Club having been its president and the oldest MOPC member.

I love doing what I’m doing.

And I will be 88 this year. If I had retired early, I would have been sick or dead by now.

DESTRUCTION OF HISTORICAL BUILDINGS WHAT could have motivated Governor Leonard G. Mayaen of Mt. Province to demolish and destroy a perfectly preserved historical building? I could not think of any rational reason except perhaps to get a kickback from the construction of a new provincial capitol building. Two years after the demolition of the American era building, there is still no construction to replace the old one.

No specific date is known when the capitol building was built but construction soon started after the creation of the old Mountain Province by the Philippine Commission in 1908. It was American provincial Governor Samuel Cane who supervised the construction.

It is therefore safe to say that the building was over 100 years old. It is almost criminal to demolish the capitol building and must not go unpunished. The Philippine Historical Commission should conduct an exhaustive investigation to determine who were responsible and file charges if warranted. Let us also hope that the PHC was not remiss in its duties with regard to the demolition of the building. It is not only the provincial capitol building of the province that have been vandalized and destroyed.

The historical sign in the old Constabulary barracks which was constructed at the same time as the capitol building was also destroyed when an officer, after being told that there was buried treasure behind the sign, destroyed the historic sign to search for the reported treasure. As far as I know, no treasure was found and no investigation was ever conducted to punish the officer concerned. It seems that the only solution that people can think of these days is to demolish old structures and build bigger buildings to meet burgeoning bureaucracies.

Nobody seems capable of coming up with alternative solutions to satisfy new realities while at the same time preserving important cultural heritages. We see this happening,

all over the country. We see a lot of old buildings disappearing because of the “tagpi-tagpi” mentality. We keep on adding to the original building until it becomes unrecognizable.

Wooden buildings do not last very long in the tropics because of high humidity and termites.

This is why historical buildings used by Emilio Aguinaldo during the first Philippine republic have probably all disappeared.

Several years ago, I visited Malolos and still saw some of the old buildings used as government offices during the Malolos Republic. Needless to say, the buildings were badly in need of restoration and are probably gone by now. Even the carriage used by Emilio Aguinaldo during the Malolos inauguration which is being kept in the Malolos church was also deteriorating when I saw it last because it had been basically left to the elements.

In the Cordilleras however, wooden buildings can last a lot longer if maintained properly. In Baguio for instance, there are still turn-of-the-century (20th) wooden buildings that are still in use. The Bell House in Camp John Hay is one of them. It was constructed around 1905 and is perhaps the oldest wooden structure still in use in the city. When Camp John Hay was still under the Americans, it was maintained well. It was reserved for high-ranking American government officials both military and civilian. It is said that a lot of important decisions were made there during the Vietnam War. President Fidel V. Ramos also used it during his visits to the Summer capital. It is still there and open to tourists but the maintenance is not as good anymore. Many of the old wooden cottages are gone. The old library and movie house are still there but no longer in use.

The old Commander’s quarters is still being used but maintenance is poor.

What we are seeing now is a lot of new construction with little planning. Soon, if left unchecked, the forest will also disappear—replaced by commercial buildings. Brent School is another place to visit, The Ogilvy building constructed in 1909 is still in use as classrooms and offices. In fact, Brent School has a number of old wooden buildings. One is the chapel nearing 100 years still looking new and sturdy. Another is a wooden building constructed by the Japanese during the war as a rice storage facility. It is now a computer room but left exactly the same as when the Japanese left.

Tourists who come to Baguio want to go to the strawberry farms of La Trinidad or the BenCab Museum along Asin road but for those interested in the old Baguio, there are still some of it left. There is the old Casa Vallejo Hotel, the first hotel in Baguio constructed in 1911, it is now called Hill Station. The old session hall along Governor Pack road which is blocked by squatters is now a bed and breakfast inn. There is also the post office constructed by the last American Mayor James Halsema in 1931 which is hard to recognize because of the many add-ons to the building.

There is Teacher’s Camp which is now an affordable lodging for tourists instead of training public school teachers as it used to do. Because Baguio is no longer what it used to be given the unrestrained urbanization and the worsening traffic, many tourists who come to the City take trips to the interior of the Cordilleras to enjoy the breath taking view while traversing Halsema road.

Many also go to Sagada to experience the old town which to the credit of the people and the municipal government, have preserved the place for tourists to enjoy. In spite of the destruction of the historic capitol building, there is still a lot to enjoy in the Cordilleras.

hands and warn darkly that a “no election” scenario is in the offing, like a child who has been denied some coveted candy.

After all, it’s perfectly possible that Comelec itself is to blame for the fix that it’s in, when it delayed action on the refurbishing contract until the very last minute – or at least mere months before the retirement of former Chairman Sixto Brillantes. It stands to reason that Smartmatic, right after the 2013 elections, sought approval for the contract, to give itself time to inspect and fix its PCOS machines.

But the poll agency didn’t

appear to have any sense of urgency about the matter. It was as if the Brillantes commission fully intended to present the public (perhaps with the cooperation of Smartmatic itself) with a fait accompli, a situation where there was nothing any more that could be done about the deal.

If a new bidding for the refurbishing contract is required, Comelec should do that, double quick. It should no longer pine for the time when it was getting everything it wants and having its contractor provide it – especially since Brillantes is no longer there.

DUTY CALLS FLORENCIO FIANZA

Inevitable... From A9 days, despite his denials and Johnny-come-lately activity.

It’s just not going to happen. *** The decision of the Supreme Court voiding the government’s P268.8 million contract between the Commission on Elections and its favorite technology provider Smartmatic to repair and refurbish the controversial Precinct Court Optical Scan machines should spur the poll body to look for other ways to ensure that next year’s electoral exercise will continue as scheduled. There is simply no reason why Comelec should just throw up its

T H U R S D AY : A P R I L 2 3 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

MINORITY REPORT DANILO SUAREZ NOT discounting the power of prayer, the execution of Filipina OFW Mary Jane Veloso seems inescapable considering that Indonesia has made a seriously hard stand to arrest its increasingly severe drug problem, and has vowed not to give in to international pressure in meting out its tough drug laws.

Despite this foreboding scenario, however, we join in supporting the optimistic view that the Indonesian court should reconsider its decision due to the merits of Veloso’s statement of innocence that she did not knowingly agree to act as a courier, and that her recruiter underhandedly placed the drugs in her luggage. China has similarly done the same and several Filipinos have been executed due to drug related cases. Like Indonesia, it has also refused to listen to our government’s appeals for clemency, underscoring the argument that it needed to enforce its laws to arrest the incidence of illegal drug trade in the country.

According to the latest data from the Department of Foreign Affairs, about 787 Filipinos are facing drug-related cases around the world. There are 116 cases in the Americas, 104 in Europe and 244 in the Middle East and Africa, but the majority, 343 of which are in Asia. This reflects the seriousness and gravity of the illegal drug epidemic. Notwithstanding the merits of Veloso’s case, we should emulate what these countries are doing to discourage the drug trade in their

REVISITING THE DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG OFFENSES jurisdiction. While it is true that the death penalty did not entirely eradicate the drug problem in these countries, it has nevertheless offered a strong deterrence. In the Philippines, the severity of the drug epidemic can be readily surmised just by realizing that 60 percent of our inmates are incarcerated due to drug related offenses. Further supporting this concern is the advisory given by the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) under the section “Drugrelated Crimes” in its “Philippines 2014 Crime and Safety Report”: “Production, trafficking, and consumption of illegal drugs are issues of concern...

Transnational organized crime groups both exploit under-staffed and underresourced law enforcement and a weak judicial system to establish clandestine drug laboratories and import wholesale quantities of methamphetamine to supply the domestic market...Regionally, the Philippines is an identified source of methamphetamine for Guam and a transit point from Africa to Southeast Asia (emphasis mine).”

This cancer continues to grow and root itself in the very foundations of our society while simultaneously, boldly mocking the weight of our criminal justice system. Having said this, I strongly feel that we need to draw on both China

and Indonesia’s iron-hand approach to arrest this menace. Even in our own national experience, no one can deny the high deterrent psychological effect of the execution of Lim Seng during the Marcos administration when capital punishment was still being enforced in the Philippines. Lim Seng was a Chinese drug lord that was tried and sentenced to die by firing squad in December 1972. His execution was a good example which put terror in the hearts of other big-time pushers during the time.

The concept of capital punishment in the Philippine context has had a varied history. Many Filipinos oppose it due to religious and humanitarian arguments, while its proponents view it as an effective way of deterring crimes. Although I do not subscribe to the opinion that the death penalty is the only solution to the problem of the drug menace in our country, I am firmly convinced of the fact that its absence has emboldened many local and foreign operators and syndicates to perpetuate and broaden their activities here. As a result, many of our countrymen have directly and indirectly fallen victims to this scourge.

Indeed, the life of every individual is priceless and valuable, but we should not hesitate to choose the ruin of one to deter the ruin of greater populace.

FLORIE’S LEGACY AMONG the people who genuinely touch our lives are teachers; if we are lucky, we will have at least one who will leave an indelible mark in our memories that last a lifetime.

I was fortunate to have the guidance, twice in my life, of Professor Florinda de Fiesta-Mateo, Ph.D., of the University of the PhilippinesDiliman College of Mass Communication. She was my thesis adviser in the undergrad and recently one of the panelists at my dissertation proposal defense.

When I was a Communication (major in Journalism) senior at CMC, the teacher handling the thesis subject was Ma’am Florie. Only six years older than we were, she was younger than most of our other professors and not only pretty, but also kind and accommodating without sacrificing her dignity or gravitas, even at that early stage of her career.

Our college was rather more quantitative rather than qualitative in its research approach then, and I had poor, almost non-existent, math skills. We had to employ statistics to analyze data and I had no idea how to go about doing that.

In consultations that surely took up a lot of her time, Florrie patiently guided me and other students in our individual researches as we sought to produce papers that were of value to scholarship by adding to the fount of communication knowledge.

From helping me create a the-

POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE oretical framework and research methodology to teaching me how to use the chi-square test and crafting a proper survey instrument, she was there for me every step of the way until I proudly presented the College with my hundred-page the thesis, bound in maroon, the final requirement for graduating with a bachelor’s degree.

Years after that, I returned to CMC to pursue a doctoral degree. Last November, Florie agreed to be one of the panelists at my dissertation proposal defense, despite not having much time to go over my draft.

She had only one request – that the defense be scheduled at 8:00 in the morning, because she had a chemotherapy treatment at 11:00.

Florie had, for several years, been quietly batting cancer. A private person, she told few people of her condition. I did not have the privilege of taking doctoral classes under her because she had taken a leave from teaching to undergo treatment during the time I was taking coursework.

But the moment she felt strong enough, she came back to school and took up her many academic duties again. She taught, sat on theses and

dissertation panels, conducted research and wrote papers.

At my defense, she looked as vibrant and beautiful as she did almost thirty years ago when I was an undergrad. Her comments were measured, insightful, profound, and easy to understand, providing strong directional guidance for my research.

It was with shock that I received the news of her passing last Apr. 18.

Her keen mind and kind heart, now still forever; what a loss, what a great and dismal loss not only to family and friends and her immediate community, but to the world in general, that has lost another knowledgemaker and –bearer, another gentle soul who sought to ease the lives of others.

There are tributes to her everywhere - on television, in newspapers, online. That is because many of us now working in media were her students, and loved her, and will miss her, and are grateful for all that she unselfishly gave us throughout thirty years of service at UP. In our work, in our minds, in our hearts, she will live on. That is Florie’s immortality. In our research, in our writing, in the critical processes of our mind, in our service to others, is Florie’s legacy. *** Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Blog: http://jennyo. net

A11

Has... From A9 that leads to the perception that the CHR has not lived up to the public’s expectations. In fact, while the Commission’s mandate to investigate is provided in the Constitution itself, its findings are not binding on the prosecutor whose functions are only spelled out in the Administrative Code. This means that despite the constitutional mandate of the commission, the prosecutor can completely ignore the findings of the commission.

Current practice is to treat complaints filed by the CHR only as complaints similar to those filed by police agencies or the victims directly. Prosecutors do not even accord the Constitutional Commission any presumption of regularity in their findings that there is a violation of human rights in a given case.

I have personal experience in this regard. I filed complaints of multiple murders for the so-called Tanauan massacre, a CHR investigation, where police agents killed a Barangay Captain and his family allegedly because the victims were the suspects in the RCBC Tanauan robbery who allegedly engaged police authorities in a gun fight. The forensic evidence showed that all the shots fired came from outside the house and directed at the victims who were inside the house. The conclusion thus is that there was no gunfight: only a police massacre. And yet despite this forensics evidence, the public prosecutor refused to file the information against the police. Ironically, the case happened when DOJ’s Leila De Lima was CHR chairperson. To date, the Petition for Review to compel the filing of the information for murder has gathered dust in the office of Secretary De Lima.

The CHR’s lack of prosecutorial powers means that its effectiveness cannot be measured in terms of number of convictions arising from its investigations. Instead, we can only measure how many investigations it has conducted from the complaints that it had received from the public. Moreover, the only other measure possible is how many of the cases it has investigated have actually resulted in cases filed in court.

My initial findings are startling. It appears that while the CHR’s visibility depends on the news worthiness of its Chair, which peaked when De Lima was its Chair, this public perception has no relation whatsoever in the agencies effectiveness. Note the statistics: From 19992004 the number investigations averaged approximately 81 percent of complaints filed, with a record high of approximately 99 percent in 2001.

Recently, however, the percentage of complaints investigated has considerably decreased. From 2007-2013, the average is only approximately 38 percent of complaints filed with the CHR, with a record low of 16 percent in 2012.

Out of the complaints investigated, however, the percentage of cases filed for prosecution or administrative action has remained consistent, albeit hovering around an average of 41.75 percent through the years 1997-2013, reaching 88 percent in 2012, the highest yet.

Simply put, while De Lima gained national attention during her stint at CHR, the Commission’s performance substantially declined during her term. Fortunately, the CHR recovered reaching the highest percentage of their investigations resulting in administrative cases or cases filed in court under its current Chair, my very good friend Etta Rosales.

What conclusion can we derive from the statistics? Well, apparently, the CHR did very well when led by either criminal litigators or by human rights advocates.

The CHR’s prime were during the leadership of Mary Bautista, a criminal litigator, Aurora Recina, a former Judge and Prosecutor, Dr. Purificacion Quisumbing, an internationally recognized expert in human rights, and and Etta Rosales, a veteran human rights activist.

It was at its worst when led by an election lawyer.

Sec. 4. Substitution of Chairman and Members of the CBOC. – In case of non-availability, absence, disqualification due to relationship, or incapacity for any cause, of the Chairman of the CBOC, a ranking lawyer of the Commission shall be appointed as substitute.

Republic of the Philippines COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS Manila IN THE MATTER OF ADOPTING COMELEC RESOLUTION NO. 9476 DATED JUNE 22, 2012, ENTITLED “RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CAMPAIGN FINANCE AND DISCLOSURE IN CONNECTION WITH THE MAY 13, 2013 NATIONAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS AND SUBSEQUENT ELECTIONS THEREAFTER”, AS AMENDED BY COMELEC RESOLUTION NO. 9558 DATED NOVEMBER 23, 2012, FOR PURPOSES OF THE MAY 8, 2015 RECALL ELECTIONS FOR MAYOR IN THE CITY OF PUERTO PRINCESA, PALAWAN, PURSUANT TO COMELEC RESOLUTION NO. 15-0284 DATED 07 APRIL 2015. x----------------------------------------x

LIM, Christina Robert S. PARREÑO, Al A. GUIA, Luie Tito F. LIM, Arthur D.

Acting Chairman Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner

Whenever necessary, however, the CBOC, by majority vote, may direct in writing the detail of policemen or peace officers for their protection or for the protection of the election documents and paraphernalia, or for the maintenance of peace and order, in which case said policemen or peace officers, who shall be in proper uniform, shall stay outside the room but near enough to be easily called by the CBOC at any time.

The Provincial Election Supervisor of Palawan is hereby authorized to appoint/designate the substitutes for the Chairman and Members of the CBOC, and shall, within twenty-four (24) hours from issuance of the appointment of a substitute, inform in writing the Office of the Executive Director of the Commission of such appointment and the reason for such substitution.

Sec. 18. Safekeeping of transmitted election returns received from the Board of Election Inspectors. – The CBOC shall place the election returns received from the Board of Election Inspectors in ballot boxes which shall be locked with any available and sturdy lock, tie, rope or band and wrap sturdily the outer lid of the ballot box with packaging tape, and affix their signatures on the tape extending to the a part of the ballot box;

Sec. 5. Secretary of the CBOC. – The City Superintendent of Schools or any representative of the Department of Education shall act as Secretary of the CBOC, unless otherwise ordered by the Commission.

The Secretary shall prepare the minutes of the CBOC by recording therein the proceedings and such other incidents or matters relevant to the canvass.

The said ballot boxes shall be kept in a safe and secured room before, during and after the canvass. The door to the room shall be locked with the keys thereof kept by the members of the CBOC.

Sec. 6. Notice of meetings of the CBOC. – Not later than May 3, 2015, the Chairman of the CBOC shall give written notice to all members thereof and to each candidate in the recall elections, of the date, time and place of the canvassing which shall be held, unless otherwise ordered by the Commission, in the session hall of the Sangguniang Panglunsod. Any request for change of canvassing venue shall be coursed through and acted upon by the Provincial Election Supervisor of Palawan.

RESOLUTION NO. 9961 WHEREAS, the Commission on Elections (Commission) promulgated the following Resolutions in Connection with the May 13, 2013 National and Local Elections: (a) Resolution No. 9476 dated 22 June 2012, entitled “RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CAMPAIGN FINANCE AND DISCLOSURE IN CONNECTION WITH THE MAY 13, 2013 NATIONAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS AND SUBSEQUENT ELECTIONS THEREAFTER”; (b) Resolution No. 9558 dated 23 November 2012, entitled “IN THE MATTER OF AMENDMENTS TO RESOLUTION NO. 9476, ALSO KNOWN AS THE RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CAMPAIGN FINANCE AND DISCLOSURE”.

WHEREAS, the Commission promulgated Resolution No. 15-0284 dated 07 April 2015, setting the date of the Recall Elections for Mayor in the City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan on May 8, 2015, and Resolution No. 9942 dated April 07, 2015, entitled “CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES AND PERIODS OF CERTAIN PROHIBITED ACTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE MAY 08, 2015 RECALL ELECTIONS FOR MAYOR IN THE CITY OF PUERTO PRINCES, PALAWAN PURSUANT TO COMELEC RESOLUTION NO. 15-0284 DATE 07 APRIL 2015.

NOW THEREFORE, the Commission on Elections, by virtue of the powers vested in it under the Constitution, the Omnibus Election Code, and other election laws, RESOLVED, as it hereby RESOLVES, to ADOPT the abovementioned pertinent Resolutions for purposes of the conduct of the May 08, 2015 Recall Elections subject to the Calendar of Activities and Periods of Prohibited Acts promulgated for the said recall elections, and the area of its applicability, which is the whole City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Let this Resolution be published in two (2) daily newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines. The Deputy Executive Director for Operations shall furnish the Regional Election Director of Region IV, the Provincial Election Supervisor of Palawan, the Election Officer of Puerto Princesa City, the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, the Secretary of Justice, the Secretary of the Department of Education, the Provincial Governor of Palawan, the City Mayor of Puerto Princesa City, with a copy of this Resolution.

SO ORDERED.

CHRISTIAN ROBERT S. LIM Acting Chairman

Notices of the canvassing shall be posted in the Office of the City Election Officer, as the case may be, and in three (3) conspicuous places in the building where the canvass will be held.

Similar notices shall also be given for subsequent meetings unless notice has been given in open session. Proof of service of notice to each member, and candidates in the recall elections shall be attached to and form part of the records of the proceedings. If notice is given in open session, such fact shall be recorded in the minutes of the proceedings.

Failure to give notice of the date, time and place of the meeting of the CBOC is an election offense under Section 261 (aa) (1) of the Omnibus Election Code.

Sec. 7. Convening of the CBOC. – The CBOC shall meet at 6:00 o’clock in the evening of election day at the designated place to receive the election returns and to immediately canvass those that have already been received. It shall meet continuously from day to day until the canvass is completed and may adjourn only for the purpose of awaiting the other election returns.

The proceedings of the CBOC shall be open and public.

Sec. 8. Absence of a regular CBOC member. – In case of the absence of a regular CBOC member, the member present shall first verify whether notice has been served on the absent member. In case no such notice was sent, one shall be immediately served on the absent CBOC member. If the latter cannot be located or his whereabouts are unknown, he shall be substituted. These facts shall be recorded in the Minutes of the CBOC. As soon as the absent member appears, the substitute member shall relinquish his seat in favor of the regular CBOC member.

The watchers shall have the right to guard the room.

Sec. 19. Sub-Canvassing Committees. –The CBOC may constitute ten (10) Sub-Canvassing Committees (SCC) to enable them to complete the canvass within the period prescribed herein. The SCC shall be composed of three (3) members, consisting of a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, and a Member Secretary, all of whom shall be designated by the City Election Officer (CEO). All the candidates shall be notified in writing by the number of the SCC to be constituted so that they can designate their watchers in each committee. The SCC shall be under the direct supervision and control of the CBOC. The names of the members of the SCC and the ERs assigned to them for tabulation shall be properly recorded in the minutes of the proceedings.

In no case shall casual employees or employees of the Offices of the Provincial Governor, City Mayor, Punong Barangays or the corresponding Sangguniang Panlungsod be appointed/designated to serve as member of any SCC. Sec. 20. Reception and Custody Group.- The CBOC shall constitute a Reception and Custody Group (RCG) for the reception and safekeeping of Election Returns. For this purpose, the City Election Officer shall provide the RCG with the Project of Precincts (POP) of the city.

The RCG shall determine which of the Election Returns of the precincts listed in the POP have already been submitted, or which are yet to be submitted by the BEIs, to the end that the ERs from one (1) precinct is canvassed only once. The RCG shall maintain a record showing the: 1. Time and date of receipt; 2. Corresponding precinct number of the ERs; 3. Serial number of the envelop and paper seal; and 4. Condition of the envelope and paper seal.

The RCG shall submit to the CEO a list of the precincts, the ERs of which have not yet been submitted to enable the latter to obtain the ERs in accordance with the rules.

In no case shall casual employees or employees of the Office of the Provincial Governor, City Mayor, Punong Barangays or the Sanggunian be appointed/designated to serve as a member of the RCG.

Sec. 9. Prohibited degree of relationship. – The Chairman and members of the CBOC shall not be related within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to any of the candidates whose votes will be canvassed by said CBOC, or to any member of the same CBOC.

Sec. 21. Tabulation Group.- The CBOC shall constitute a Tabulation Group, which shall be under the direct supervision and control of the CBOC. The Tabulation Group shall be under the direct supervision and control of the CBOC which shall be composed of three (3) members.

Sec. 10. Prohibition against leaving official station. – During the period beginning election day until the proclamation of the winning candidates, no member or substitute member of the CBOC shall be transferred, assigned or detailed outside of his official station nor shall he leave the said station without prior authority of the Commission.

Such authority may be granted by the Provincial Election Supervisor of Palawan. In either case, a written report shall be submitted to the Law Department.

The Tabulation Group shall compute the sub-total of the SOVP prepared by the SCC. The names of each tabulator in the Tabulation Group and the SOVP assigned to them for tabulation shall be properly recorded in the proceedings.

Sec. 11. Feigned Illness. – Any member of the CBOC feigning illness in order to be substituted on election day until the proclamation of the winning candidates shall be guilty of an election offense.

Sec. 22. Canvassing procedure. – The CBOC shall comply with the following rules:

Sec. 12. Incapacity of regular CBOC member. – In case of sickness or serious injury of a regular CBOC member, a medical certificate shall be required attesting to the incapacity of said member. Upon submission of the medical certificate, a substitute shall be appointed. Said medical certificate shall be recorded in and form part of the Minutes of the CBOC.

b) The RCG shall, after recording all the data required, place all envelopes containing the ERs received by it inside an empty ballot box.

In no case shall casual employees of the Offices of the Provincial Governor, City Mayor, Punong Barangays or Sanggunian be appointed/ designated to serve as member of the Tabulation Group.

a) The CBOC, shall, through its RCG, receive the ERs and maintain a log of all ERs received and canvassed.

When the ballot box is already full or when there is no more ERs to be received, the RCG shall lock the interior cover of the ballot box with any available and sturdy lock, tie, rope or band, close the ballot box, wrap sturdily the outer lid of the ballot box with packaging tape, and affix their signatures on the tape extending to the a part of the ballot box. The RCG shall submit the locked ballot box to the CBOC for assignment to the SCC, together with the list of precinct numbers of the ERs contained therein. For this purpose, the RCG shall maintain a record of the ERs submitted to the CBOC.

Sec. 13. Quorum. - A majority of the members of the CBOC shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and a majority vote of all the members thereof shall be necessary to render a decision.

AL A. PARREÑO Commissioner

LUIE TITO F. GUIA Commissioner

ARTHUR D. LIM Commissioner --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Republic of the Philippines COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS Manila GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS LIM, Christina Robert S. FOR THE CITY BOARD OF PARREÑO, Al A. CANVASSERS IN CONNECTION GUIA, Luie Tito F. WITH THE MAY 08, 2015 RECALL LIM, Arthur D. ELECTIONS FOR MAYOR IN THE CITY OF PUERTO PRINCESA, PALAWAN, PURSUANT TO COMELEC RESOLUTION NO. 15-0284 DATED APRIL 7, 2015. x----------------------------------------x

Acting Chairman Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner

Promulgated: April 21, 2015

RESOLUTION NO. 9963 The Commission on Elections (Commission), pursuant to the powers vested in it by the Constitution, Republic Acts No. 6646, 7166, 8189, the Omnibus Election Code (B. P. Blg. 881) and other election laws, RESOLVED to promulgate, as it hereby RESOLVES to promulgate, the following General Instructions for the City Board of Canvassers In Connection with the May 08, 2015 Recall Elections for Mayor in the City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan: Section 1. City Board of Canvassers. - There shall be a City Board of Canvassers (CBOC) in the City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, for purposes of the recall elections for Mayor therein.

Sec. 2. Supervision and control. - The Commission shall exercise direct supervision and control over the CBOC and may motu proprio relieve at anytime, any member thereof for cause and designate the substitute.

Sec. 3. Composition. - The CBOC shall be composed of the City Election Officer or a representative of the Commission, as Chairman, the City Prosecutor, as Vice-Chairman; and the City Superintendent of Schools, as Member.

Any member of a privately-owned or operated security, investigative, protective or intelligence agency performing identical or similar functions.

With respect to the other members of the CBOC, the Commission shall appoint as substitute the following in the order named: the City Auditor, the Register of Deeds, the Clerk of Court of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities nominated by the Executive Judge, or any other available appointive city officials.

I. COMMON PROVISIONS

Promulgated: April 21, 2015

f)

Sec. 14. Powers of the CBOC. – The CBOC shall have full authority to keep order within the canvassing room or hall and its premises and enforce obedience to its lawful orders. If any person refuses to obey any lawful order of the CBOC or shall conduct himself in a disorderly manner as to disturb or interrupt its proceedings, the CBOC may order any peace officer to take such person into custody until adjournment of the meeting. In the absence of any peace officer, any other competent and able person deputized by the CBOC in writing, may execute such order.

Sec. 15. Right to be present and to counsel during the canvass.

- Every candidate has the right to be present and to counsel during the canvass: provided, that, only one (1) counsel may argue for each candidate. They shall have the right to examine the returns being canvassed without touching them, make observations thereon, and file their challenges in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission. No dilatory action shall be allowed by the CBOC.

c) Upon receipt of the ballot box containing the ERs, the CBOC shall examine the condition of the ballot box and its lock/seal.

The Secretary shall record in the minutes the condition and serial numbers of the ballot box and the plastic security seal, as the case may be. d) The CBOC shall open the ballot box to ascertain that the precinct numbers indicated in the envelopes being retrieved correspond to the list submitted by the RCG.

Sec. 16. Watchers. – Every candidate shall be entitled to two (2) watchers, to serve alternately, in the canvassing center.

e) The Secretary shall record in its Minutes the quantity of envelopes received and their condition and serial numbers; the condition and serial numbers of the paper seal; and the corresponding precinct numbers of the ERs.

The citizens’ arm of the Commission, and civic, religious, professional, business, service, youth and other similar organizations collectively, with prior authority of the Commission, shall each be entitled to two (2) watchers to serve alternately.

f) The CBOC shall assign to the SCC the ERs. It shall likewise provide the SCC with a Statement of Votes by Precinct (SOVP) (CEF No. 20A) and enter in the Minutes the serial numbers of the ERs assigned to them.

A person convicted by final judgment of any election offense or any other crime, or related to any member of the canvassing CBOC within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, shall not be appointed as watchers.

g) Before opening each envelope, the SCC shall exhibit the same to the counsel and watchers present.

A watcher must know how to read and write Filipino, English, or any of the prevailing local dialects.

Under no circumstance shall barangay officials including barangay tanods be appointed as watchers.

The watchers shall have the right to: a)

Be present at, and take note of, all the proceedings of the CBOC;

b)

Stay behind the Chairman of the CBOC, near enough to be able to read the election returns/certificates of canvass without touching them; and

c)

File a protest against any irregularity noted in the election returns/ certificate of canvass and get from the CBOC a resolution thereon in writing.

Watchers shall not be allowed to participate in the deliberations of the CBOC. Sec. 17. Persons not allowed inside the canvassing room. – During the canvassing, it shall be unlawful for any of the following to enter the room where the canvass is being held or to stay within a radius of fifty (50) meters from such room: a)

Any officer or member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines;

b)

Any officer or member of the Philippine National Police;

c)

Any peace officer or any armed or unarmed person belonging to an extra-legal police agency, special forces, strike forces, or civilian armed forces geographical units;

d)

Any barangay tanod or any member of the barangay self-defense units;

e)

Any member of the security or police organizations of government agencies, commissions, councils, bureaus, offices, instrumentalities, or government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries; or

h) After the envelope is opened, the SCC shall retrieve the ERs and exhibit the same to the counsel and watchers present. i)

The SCC shall examine the condition of the inner paper seal and the Secretary shall record in the Minutes the condition and serial number of the paper seal.

j)

The SCC shall break open the inner seal, unfold the ERs and exhibit the same to the counsel and watchers present.

k) The SC secretary shall record in the Minutes the condition and serial number of the ERs. l)

If there is no objection to the inclusion in the canvass of the ERs, the SCC shall proceed to canvass the ERs by entering in the SOVP the votes obtained by each candidate as they are read. For purposes of accomplishing the SOVP, the SCC Chairman shall divide the copies of the SOVP between the SCC Vice-Chairman (one (1) copy) and the SCC Secretary (two (2)copies),who shall accomplish the same while the SCC the Chairman reads the votes.

For purposes of preparing the Statement of Votes, the following terms shall mean:

 Sub-total Sum of all votes obtained by each candidate when all the columns of a set of Statement of Votes are filled. The sub-total shall be recorded in the last column indicated in the Statement of Votes;

 Page partial total Sum of votes obtained by each candidate appearing in a set of Statement of Votes when some columns are not filled at the time of adjournment. This shall be recorded on the box immediately after the last entry of votes at the time of adjournment/suspension of canvass.

When all election returns have been canvassed and the columns of the Statement of Votes are not filled, the page partial total shall be considered as the sub-total;

 Provisional total Accumulated total of all votes obtained by each candidate appearing in all accomplished sets of Statement of Votes at the time of adjournment, for the purpose of releasing results to the media and other interested parties;

 Summary of Statement of Votes

Listing of all sub-totals reflected in each set of Statements of Votes shall be recorded in the Summary of Statement of Votes.

 Grand total

shall be close by wrapping sturdily the outer lid of the ballot box with packaging tape, and affix their signatures on the tape extending to the a part of the ballot box.

5) The serial number and the quantity of the remaining unopened envelopes shall be recorded in the minutes.

6) Furnish the Commission in Manila by the fastest means of communication a provisional total of the votes canvassed so far for each candidate, and make available the data contained therein to the mass media and other interested parties.

Upon resumption of the canvass:

Sum of all sub-totals of votes obtained by each candidate as listed/ recorded in the Summary of Statement of Votes.

1) The Secretary of the CBOC shall verify and enter in the minutes the condition of the ballot box;

m. Immediately after the Election Returns has been canvassed, the SCC Chairman shall write/mark on the upper right hand corner of the word “CANVASSED” and affix below it his signature, and the date and time of canvass. Thereafter, the ERs shall be returned to its envelope.

2) The CBOC shall then, in the presence of the of the watchers, open the ballot box, retrieve the partially-filled Statement of Votes By Precinct and the unopened envelopes containing the election returns not yet canvassed, and proceed with the canvass until all election returns are canvassed.

n. After all the columns of the SOVP are filled, or there is no more ERs to be canvassed: 1. The Vice-Chairman and Secretary of the SCC shall compare the entries contained in their respective copies. If there are discrepancies in the entries, they shall refer to the corresponding ERs and make the necessary corrections on the SOVP. 2. If there are no discrepancies, the SCC shall: i

Print/write their names in the SOVP below the space intended for the names and signatures of the members of the CBOC they are representing.

ii.

After the members of the SCC have affixed their signatures above their printed names, they shall submit to the CBOC the SOVP they have prepared, together with the ERs.

iii. The CBOC, upon receipt of the SOVP prepared by the SCC, shall affix their signatures above their printed names on the SOVP, and forward the SOVP, together with the canvassed ERs, to the Tabulation Group, o) Upon receipt of the SOVP and ERs, the Tabulation Group shall: 1.

Using an adding machine with tape, or a calculator with tape or a computer, add all the entries in each column in the SOVP prepared by the SCC;

2.

Verify the accuracy of the entries in the adding machine tape as against the entries in the SOVP. If the entries are the same, enter the sub-total in the space provided. If the entries are not the same, make the necessary corrections, re-compute as provided in item 1, and enter the correct sub-total in the space provided;

3.

Authenticate the adding machine tape, or calculator tape, or computer printout, by affixing their signatures above their printed names at the back thereof, and attach the same to the SOVP;

4.

Affix their signatures above their printed names and imprint their thumbmarks on the certification portion of the SOVP; and

5.

Forward to the CBOC the signed SOVP together with the canvassed ERs.

p) Upon receipt from the Tabulation Group of the SOVP and ERs, the CBOC shall: 1.

2.

Inform the watchers present that the CBOC will commence the preparation of the Summary of Votes obtained by each candidate; Using another set of Statement of Votes, prepare the Summary Statement of Votes (CEF 20-A-2) by entering therein: i. ii.

The serial number of the SOVP containing the sub-total; and All the sub-totals for each candidate contained in the SOVP prepared by the SCC and tabulated by the Tabulation Group;

3.

After all the columns have been filled or there is no more SOVP to be received, affix their signatures above their printed names and imprint their thumbmarks on the certification portion of the SOVP prepared by the SCC and tabulated by the Tabulation Group;

4.

Place, in the presence of the watchers, the SOVP prepared by the SCC inside the ballot box;

5.

Place, in the presence of the watchers, the canvassed ERs inside a separate ballot box. When the ballot box is already full or if there is no more ERs to be placed inside, the interior cover of the ballot box shall first be locked with any available and sturdy lock, tie, rope or band, then close the ballot box, wrap sturdily the outer lid of the ballot box with packaging tape, and affix their signatures on the tape extending to the a part of the ballot box. The locked ballot box shall be kept and preserved in a secure room under the custody of the Chairman of the CBOC; and

6.

Follow the above procedure until all the ERs have been canvassed and the sub-total have been entered in the summary of votes.

q) After the summary of votes has been completed, the CBOC shall forward the same to the Tabulation Group. r)

Upon receipt of the summary of votes, the Tabulation Group shall: 1.

2.

3.

4.

Compute the grand total by adding all the sub-totals; Record the grand total of votes obtained by each candidate; Accomplish the certification portion by affixing their signatures above their printed names and imprinting their thumbmarks thereon; and Forward the summary of votes to the CBOC.

s) Upon receipt of the summary of votes, the CBOC shall: 1.

2.

3.

4.

Verify the accuracy of the computation made by the Tabulation Group; If the computation is accurate, affix their signatures above their printed names, imprint their thumbmarks on the certification portion of the SOVP received from the Tabulation Group. If the computation is not accurate, return the SOVP to the Tabulation Group for re-computation; Prepare the certificate of canvass and proclamation, and thereafter affix their signature and thumbmarks on the certification portion thereof; and Distribute the Certificate of Canvass and Proclamation, together with the corresponding SOVP retrieved from the ballot box mentioned in item (p) (5) above, as well as the summary of votes, in the manner prescribed hereunder.

If there is an objection to the inclusion of the ERs in the canvass, the SCC shall forward the objection, including the ERs, to the CBOC for ruling. The CBOC shall determine whether the grounds for the objection are among those enumerated under Sections 234, 235, and 236 of the Omnibus Election Code.

t)

If the ground for objection is not among those enumerated under Sections. 234, 235, and 236 of the Omnibus Election Code, the CBOC shall rule to include the ERs and return the questioned ERs to the SCC for re-canvass.

u) If the objection to the inclusion of the ERs in the canvass is among those enumerated under Secs. 234, 235, and 236 of the Omnibus Election Code, the CBOC shall defer the canvass of the ERs involved. v) If the objection is on the basis of manifest error: 1.

2.

The ERs shall be set aside; and Proceed in the canvassing of the other ERs.

Sec. 23. Adjournment of the CBOC. – Each time the CBOC adjourns, and before placing the canvassing forms in the ballot boxes before vacating the canvassing area, the CBOC shall make a total of all votes canvassed, so far, for each candidate using the following procedure: 1) When all the columns of the SOVP are not completely filled up, the Tabulators shall indicate the page partial total of votes obtained by each candidate and close the same by affixing their initials. The SOVP shall be placed in the ballot box provided in No. 4 hereunder.

2) When all the columns of the SOVP are filled, the Tabulators shall indicate the sub-total.

Sec. 24. Discrepancies in election returns. - In case it appears to the CBOC that there exist discrepancies in the other authentic copies of the election returns from a polling place or discrepancies in the votes of any candidate in words and figures in the same Election Returns and in either case the difference affects the results of the election, the CBOC shall not canvass the election returns and shall submit the matter to the Commission which shall proceed as provided in Sec. 236 of the Omnibus Election Code.

In case there exist discrepancies in the votes of any candidate in tally (tara) as against the votes obtained in words or in figures in the ER, the votes in the tally (tara) shall prevail Sec. 25. Canvass to be completed at earliest possible time. - Subject to reasonable exceptions, the CBOC must complete its canvass within thirty-six (36) hours.

Sec. 26. Submission of the minutes of the proceedings of the CBOC. – Within forty-eight (48) hours from the termination of canvass, the membersecretary of the CBOC shall submit to the Law Department of the Commission on Elections in Manila by registered mail a certified copy of the minutes of the proceedings of the CBOC and shall notify by telegram the same department of the date and manner of transmittal of the minutes, indicating therein the registry receipt number.

Sec. 27. When the Election Returns are delayed, lost or destroyed. - In case the copy of the ERs intended for the CBOC is missing, the CBOC shall immediately obtain then same from the BEIs concerned, or if the ERs has been lost or destroyed, the CBOC, upon prior authority of the Election Officer, may use any of the authentic copies thereof or a certified copy of said ERs issued by the Commission, and forthwith investigate the case and immediately report the matter to the Commission.

The CBOC, notwithstanding the fact that not all the ERs have been received by it, may terminate the canvass and proclaim the winning candidate elected on the basis of the available ERs if the missing ERs will not affect the results of the election, as can be determined from the number of registered voters.

Sec. 28. Material defects in the Election Returns.- If it should clearly appear that some requisite in form or data have been omitted in the ERs, the CBOC shall call the BEI concerned by the most expeditious means to effect the corrections: Provided, That in case of the omission in the ERs of the name of any candidate and/or his corresponding votes, the CBOC shall require the SCC concerned to complete the necessary data in the ERs and affix therein their initials: Provided further, That if the votes omitted in the ERs cannot be ascertained by other means except by recounting the ballots, the ERs shall be set aside and such fact shall be reported to the Commission which shall proceed as provided in Sec. 234 of the Omnibus Election Code.

Sec. 29. When Election Returns appear to be tampered with or falsified.

–If the ERs submitted to the CBOC appear to be tampered with, altered or falsified after they have left the hands of the BEIs concerned or otherwise not authentic, or were prepared under duress, force or intimidation, or prepared by persons other than the members of the BEIs, the CBOC shall use the other copies of the said ERs. If necessary, the copy of the ERs inside the ballot box which upon previous authority given by the Election Officer, may be retrieved in accordance with Sec. 220 of the Omnibus Election Code. If the other copies of the ERs are likewise tampered with, falsified, not authentic, prepared under duress, force or intimidation, or prepared by persons other than the members of the CBOC, the CBOC itself or any candidate affected shall bring the matter to the attention of the Commission which shall proceed as provided in Sec. 235 of the Omnibus Election Code.

Sec. 30. Pre-proclamation cases allowed. – For purposes of the May 08, 2015 Recall Elections for Mayor in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, preproclamation cases shall be allowed on matters relating to the preparation, transmission, receipt, custody and appreciation of the election returns.

However, this does not preclude the authority of the canvassing body motu proprio or upon written complaint of an interested person to correct manifest errors in the election returns.

Any objection to the election returns shall be specifically noted in the minutes of the CBOC. Sec. 31. Issues that may be raised in pre-proclamation controversy.

The following shall be proper issues that may be raised in a pre-proclamation controversy.

1.

Illegal composition or proceedings of the CBOC.

2.

The canvassed ERs are incomplete, contain material defects, appear to be tampered with or falsified, or contain discrepancies in the same ERs or in other authentic copies thereof as mentioned in Secs. 233, 234, 235, 236 and 243 of the Omnibus Election Code.

3.

The ERs were prepared under duress, threats, coercion or intimidation, or they are obviously manufactured or not authentic; and

4.

When substitute or fraudulent ERs were canvassed, the results of which materially affected the standing of the aggrieved candidate.

Sec. 32. Pre-proclamation controversies: How commenced. - Questions affecting the composition or proceedings of the CBOC may be initiated in the CBOC or directly with the Commission. However, matters raised under Secs. 233, 234, 235, and 236 of the Omnibus Election Code in relation to the preparation, transmission, receipt, custody and appreciation of the ERs shall be brought in the first instance before the CBOC only.

Sec. 33. Procedure in the disposition of contested Election Returns.

– The following procedure is mandatory and shall be strictly observed by the CBOC: 1. Any candidate, political party or coalition of political parties contesting the inclusion or exclusion in the canvass of any election returns on any of the grounds authorized under Article XX or Sections 234, 235 and 236 of Article XIX of the Omnibus Election Code shall submit their oral objection to the chairman of the CBOC at the time the questioned return is presented for inclusion in the canvass. Such objection shall be recorded in the minutes of the canvass.

2. Upon receipts of any such objection, the CBOC shall automatically defer the canvass of the contested returns and shall proceed to canvass the returns which are not contested by any party.

3. Simultaneous with the oral objection, the objecting party shall also enter his objection in the form for written objections prescribed by the Commission. Within twenty-four (24) hours from and after the presentation of such an objection, the objecting party shall submit the evidence in support of the objection, which shall be attached to the form for written objections. Within the same period of twenty-four (24) hours after presentation of the objection, any party may file a written and verified opposition to the objection in the form prescribed by the Commission, attaching thereto supporting evidence, if any. The CBOC shall not entertain any objection or opposition unless reduced to writing in the prescribed forms.

4. The evidence attached to the objection or opposition, submitted by the parties, shall be immediately and formally admitted into the records of the CBOC by the chairman affixing his signature at the back of each every page thereof.

5. Upon receipt of the evidence, the CBOC shall take up the contested returns, consider the written objections thereto and opposition, if any, and summarily and immediately rules thereon. The CBOC shall enter its ruling on the prescribed form and authenticate the same by the signatures of its members.

3) A provisional total shall be made available to mass media and other interested parties.

6. Any party adversely affected by the ruling of the CBOC shall immediately inform the CBOC if he intends to appeal said ruling. The CBOC shall enter said information in the minutes of the canvass, set aside the returns and proceed to consider the other returns.

4) The remaining unopened envelopes and SOV containing the page partial total shall be placed in the ballot box provided for the purpose which

7. After all the uncontested returns have been canvassed and the contested return ruled upon by it, the CBOC shall suspend the canvass.

Within forty-eight (48) hours, therefrom, any party adversely affected by the ruling may file with the CBOC a written and verified notice of appeal; and within a non-extendible period of five (5) days thereafter an appeal may be taken to the Commission.

8. Immediately upon receipt of the notice of appeal, the CBOC shall make an appropriate report to the Commission, elevating therewith the complete records and evidence submitted in the canvass, and furnishing the parties with copies of the report.

9. On the basis of the record and evidence elevated to it by the CBOC, the Commission shall decide summarily the appeal within seven (7) days from receipt of said record and evidence. Any appeal brought before the Commission on the ruling of the CBOC, without the accomplished forms and the evidence appended thereto, shall be summarily dismissed.

10. The decision of the Commission shall be executory after the lapse of seven (7) days from receipts thereof by the losing party.

11. The CBOC of canvassers shall not proclaim any candidate as winner unless authorized by the Commission after the latter has ruled on the objections brought to it on appeal by the losing party. Any proclamation made in violation hereof shall be void ab initio, unless the contested returns will not adversely affect the results of the election.

12. The CBOC shall at all times indicate the date and time of receipt of any: a. Written objection b. Opposition c. Evidence d. Notice of appeal Sec. 34. Contested proceedings; period to appeal. – Parties adversely affected by the ruling of the CBOC on questions affecting the composition or proceedings of the CBOC may appeal the matter to the Commission within three (3) days from the date of the ruling.

Sec. 35. Manifest error. – (a) Where it is clearly shown before proclamation that manifest errors were committed in the tabulation or tallying of ERs during the canvassing, the CBOC may motu proprio, or upon verified petition by any candidate, after due notice and hearing, correct the errors committed.

There is manifest error in the tabulation or tallying of the results during the canvassing where: 1. A copy of the ERs was tabulated more than once; 2. Two or more copies of the ERs of one precinct were tabulated; 3. There was a mistake in the copying of the figures from the ERs into the Statement of Votes; 4. ERs from non-existent precincts were included in the canvass; 5. There was a mistake in the addition of the votes of any candidate. (b) In order to correct manifest errors, the following procedures shall be complied with.

1. The order for correction must be in writing and promulgated.

2. Any candidate aggrieved by the said order may appeal the same to the Commission within twenty-four (24) hours from the promulgation.

3. Once an appeal is made, the CBOC shall not proclaim the winning candidate, unless the votes are not affected by the appeal.

4. The appeal must implead as respondents the CBOC concerned and all parties that may be adversely affected.

5. Upon receipt of the appeal, the Clerk of Court of the Commission shall forthwith issue summons together with the copy of the appeal to the respondent.

6. The Clerk of Court of the Commission shall immediately set the appeal for hearing.

7. The appeal shall be heard and immediately be decided by the Commission En Banc.

Sec. 36. Duties and functions of the CBOC. –

The CBOC shall:

(1) Canvass the election returns for City Mayor of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan; (2) Upon completion of the canvass: (a)

Prepare/accomplish the Certificate of Canvass of Votes And Proclamation of Winning Candidates (CEF 24), with the corresponding Summary Statement of Votes (CEF 20-A-2); and

(b)

Proclaim the winning candidate for Mayor in the City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Sec. 37. Certificate of Canvass of Votes and Proclamation of Winning Candidate for Mayor of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan – The Certificate of Canvass of Votes and Proclamation of the Winning Candidate for Mayor of Puerto Princesa City (CEF 24) shall be prepared in eight (8) copies and distributed as follows: 1) The first copy to the Secretary, Sangguniang Panlunsod, Puerto Princesa City; 2) The second copy to be kept by the Chairman of the City Board of Canvassers; 3) The third copy to the Election Records & Statistics Department, Manila; 4) The fourth copy to the City Treasurer of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan; 5) The fifth copy to the Regional Election Director of Region IV; 6) The sixth copy to the Provincial Election Supervisor of Palawan; 7) The seventh copy to the winning candidate for Mayor of the City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan; and 8) The eight copy for posting on the bulletin board of the city hall.

The first three copies shall be individually folded and placed in the proper security envelope together with a copy of the Statement of Votes by Precinct.

Sec. 38. Effectivity. – This Resolution shall take effect after its publication in two (2) daily newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines.

Sec. 39. Dissemination. – The Education and Information Department shall cause the publication thereof in two (2) daily newspapers of general circulation and furnish the Regional Election Director for Region IV, the Provincial Election Supervisor of Palawan, the City Election Officer of the City of Puerto Princesa in Palawan, the Department of Justice, the Department of Education, the Department of Finance, the Puerto Princesa City Superintendent of Schools and the Puerto Princesa City Treasurer with copies of this Resolution.

SO ORDERED.

CHRISTIAN ROBERT S. LIM Acting Chairman

AL A. PARREÑO Commissioner

LUIE TITO F. GUIA Commissioner

ARTHUR D. LIM Commissioner

( S T- A p r. 2 3 , 2 0 15 )

T H U R S D AY : A P R I L 2 3 , 2 0 1 5

A14

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Safety of Palaro bets assured Republic of the Philippines

Pambansang Pangasiwaan ng Patubig (National Irrigation Administration)

UPPER PAMPANGA RIVER INTEGRATED IRRIGATION SYSTEMS Division III

Maharlika Highway, Cabanatuan City 3100 Tel. No. (044) 463-1346

INVITATION TO BID NO. DIII- 04-2015 The National Irrigation Administration, Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS) Division III, Maharlika Highway, Cabanatuan City, through the CY 2015 Regular Infra funded projects under N.E. Congressional District III intends to apply the hereunder Approved Budgets for the Contract to payment of the corresponding contract below. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

1. a. Contract ID b. Contract Name

: :

c. Location d. Scope of Works

: :

e. ABC f. Contract Duration

: :

2. a. Contract ID b. Contract Name c. Location d. Scope of Works e. ABC f. Contract Duration 3. a. Contract ID b. Contract Name

: : : : : :

DIII-CDIII-08-2015 Repair of Scoured Outlets @ Lat. A, Improvement of Canals & Installation of Steelgates (Zone II) Sta. Rosa, N.E. Gabion Works, Earthworks and Steelgates 3,585,315.04 90 cal. days

c. Location d. Scope of Works e. ABC f. Contract Duration

: : : :

DIII-CDIII-09-2015 Construction of CHB Canal @ Left Side PBRIS Sta. 13+671.21, 14+076.21, 14+875.21 & 12+253.65, Improvement of Canal & Roadways (Zone I) Cabanatuan City, N.E. Construction of CHB Lining, Structures and Earthworks 11,594,505.66 150 cal. days

4. a. Contract ID b. Contract Name c. Location d. Scope of Works e. ABC f. Contract Duration

: : : : : :

DIII-CDIII-10-2015 Repair of Radial Gates @ DC-2 Sta. 15+881 Cabanatuan City, N.E. Major Repair of Radial Gates 1,576,798.73 45 cal. days

5. a. Contract ID b. Contract Name

: :

DIII-CDIII-11-2015 Repair of Scoured Embankment @ DC-2 Sta. 6+870 & Sta. 7+855, and Construction of Concrete Lining Lat. AM & AM-3 (Zone II) Cabanatuan City, N.E. Gabion Works & Concrete lining 9,435,141.67 150 cal. Days

c. Location d. Scope of Works e. ABC f. Contract Duration

: :

DIII-CDIII-07-2015 Construction of CHB Canal @ Left Side PBRIS Sta. 19+488 & 17+700, Canal Lining @ Lat. F,Thresher Crossing, & Improvement of Canals (Zone I) Sta. Rosa, N.E. Construction of CHB Canal, Structures, Canal Concrete Lining & Earthworks 5,414,747.26 120 cal. Days

: : : :

DAVAO DEL NORTE—Delegates and guests of the Palarong Pambansa 2015 are very safe, as there is no clear and present threat to disrupt the holding of the

By Peter Atencio games from May 3 to 9.

Regional Peace and Order Council 11 (RPOC-11) chairman, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte assured the safety of over 15,000 athletes and visitors from all over the country attending the national games that will be staged mainly at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex in Tagum City, this province.

During the RPOC-11 meeting in the City, Duterte revealed that the threat level on the weeklong Palaro is only 3 in a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest threat level.

However, the RPOC-11 chair insisted on implementing maximum security measures despite the low threat level.

“The reaction of government is always the same be it 1 or 10 ang security threat. I expect nothing but I am prepared for everything,” Duterte said.

He has also called on the New People’s Army and other armed groups to stay away during the duration of the games.

Duterte, however, assured that if there is any threat at all, it will

The National Irrigation Administration, Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS) Division III Office now invites bids for the above-named project. Bidder should have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last two (2) years with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed project. The description of an eligible bidders is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

certainly not come from the NPAs, since it is not their character to create chaos during such kind of events.

The mayor further pledged that Davao City will lend security and medical support, in addition to the P1-million financial sponsorship they provided earlier to Davao del Norte, in order to help fuel the success of the Palaro.

Davao del Norte is hosting the 2015 edition of the largest schoolbased games supported by the Tagum Agricultural Development Company Inc. or TADECO, Damosa Land, Davao Packaging Corporation, Davao International Container Terminal, Inc. and Pearl Farm Beach Resort.

Governor Rodolfo del Rosario acknowledged Duterte for his backing and for being on top of the security and safety plan for the national games.

“I am personally at ease that we will be able to provide unparalleled safety to everyone,” he said heaving a sigh of relief. “With the backing of the whole Davao Region, there is no reason for us to fail.”

Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

Roxas Boulevard Corner Pablo Ocampo, Sr. Street Manila 1004

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorship, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (70%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

InvItatIon to BId for tHE ProCUrEMEnt for tHE varIoUS InforMatIon tECHnoLoGY (It) EQUIPMEnt rELatEd ProJECtS for tHE aSSEt InforMatIon ManaGEMEnt ProGraM (aIMP)

Interested bidder may obtain further information from UPRIIS-Division III Office, Cabanatuan City and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below April 27, 2015 to May 8, 2015 from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm and May 11, 2015 from 8:00 am – 10:00 am for contract IDs DIII-CDIII-07-2015, DIII-CDIII-08-2015, DIII-CDIII-09-2015, DIII-CDIII-10-2015 & DIII-CDIII-11-2015 .

1.

The DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE (DOF), through the Government of the Philippines under the General Appropriations Act for CY 2015, intends to apply the sum of Eighteen Million Pesos (PhP 18,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Procurement for the Various Information Technology (IT) Equipment Related Projects for the Asset Information Management Program (AIMP) (the “Project”). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

A complete set of Bidding Documents (BD’s) may be purchased by the interested Bidders from the address below upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount shown below:

2.

The DOF, through its Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC), now invites Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) registered contractors to apply for eligibility and to bid for the Procurement for the Various Information Technology (IT) Equipment Related Projects for the Asset Information Management Program (AIMP). Bidders should have completed, within three (3) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project which is equivalent to at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC for 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 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (R-IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. However, only those who have purchased the Bidding Documents shall be allowed to participate in the pre-bid conference and raise or submit written queries or clarifications.

4.

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 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

5.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the SBAC Secretariat and inspect the Bidding Documents at 7th Floor EDPC Building, BSP Complex, corner Pablo Ocampo, Sr. St. Roxas Boulevard, Manila starting April 23, 2015 during office hours.

CONTRACT ID NOS. DIII-CDIII-07-2015, DIII-CDIII-08-2015, & DIII-CDIII-10-2015 DIII-CDIII-09-2015 DIII-CDIII-11-2015

AMOUNT Php 5,000.00 Php 15,000.00 Php 10,000.00

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) www.philgepsgov.ph and the website of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) www.niagov.ph provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The Pre-Bid Conference to be held at the Conference Room, NIA-UPRIIS Division III, Cabanatuan City at 2:00 pm, April 27, 2015 shall open to all interested parties. Bids must be delivered to the address below. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable form and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on April 23, 2015 at the General Services Division, 7th Floor EDPC Building, BSP Complex, corner Pablo Ocampo Sr. St., Roxas Blvd., Manila upon payment of a non-refundable fee provided as follows:

The significant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown below: ACTIVITIES 1.Issuance of Documents

CONTRACT ID NOS.

Bidding DIII-CDIII-07-2015, DIII-CDIII-08-2015, DIII-CDIII-09-2015, DIII-CDIII-10-2015, DIII-CDIII-11-2015

DATE AND TIME

Lot No.

ABC

Non-refundable fee

April 27 – May 8, 2015, 8:00 am – 5:00pm May 11, 2015, 10:00 am

1

AIMP Business Intelligence Platform Project

PhP 15,000,000.00

PhP 25,000.00

2

Test and Development Environment for the AIMP

PhP 3,000,000.00

PhP 5,000.00

2.Deadline for payment DIII-CDIII-07-2015, DIII-CDIII-08-2015, of Bid Docs, Reciepts DIII-CDIII-09-2015, DIII-CDIII-10-2015, and Submission of Bids DIII-CDIII-11-2015

May 11, 2015, 12:00 nn

3.Opening of Bids

May 11, 2015, 2:00 pm

DIII-CDIII-07-2015, DIII-CDIII-08-2015, DIII-CDIII-09-2015, DIII-CDIII-10-2015, DIII-CDIII-11-2015

6.

The schedule of bidding activities is as follows: ACTIVITIES

The NIA-UPRIIS Division III Office, Cabanatuan City, reserve the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process and to reject all bids at any time prior to Contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

7.

JOSE ARIEL G. DOMINGO BAC Chairman NIA-UPRIIS Division III Maharlika Highway, Cabanatuan City 3100

SCHEDULE

Posting of Invitation to Bid

April 23, 2015

Issuance and Availability of Bid Documents

Starting April 23, 2015

Pre-Bid Conference

April 30, 2015, 10:00 am

Request for Clarification

May 2, 2015 (by email)

Issuance of Supplemental Bid Bulletin

May 5, 2015

Deadline for Submission of Bids

May 12, 2015, 9:45 am

Opening of Bids

May 12, 2015, 10:00 am

Bids must be delivered at the 7th Floor, EDPC Building cor. P. Ocampo Sr. St., Manila on or before May 12, 2015, 9:45 am. The bidders shall drop their duly accomplished eligibility requirements, technical and financial proposals in two (2) separate envelopes in the bid box located at the 7th Floor, General Services Division, EDPC Building, cor. P. Ocampo Sr. St., Malate Manila. All the Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the Instructions to Bid (ITB) Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on the date indicated above at the DFG Conference Room, 4th Floor DOF Building. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend.

“LATE BIDS SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED.”

(Sgd.) JOSE ARIEL G. DOMINGO Chief, Operations & Maintenance Section Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee Noted by: (Sgd.) JOSELITO A. MANGUNAY Division Manager, NIA-UPRIIS Division III Noted by:

(ST-Apr. 23, 2015)

Particulars

The Bidding Documents may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the PhilGEPS and the website of the DOF, provided that the Bidders shall pay the non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

Prospective Bidder shall submit their duly accompanied forms as specified in the BD’s in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC Chairman. The first envelope shall contain the technical component of the bid, including the eligibility requirements. The second envelope shall contain the financial component of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid as determined in the bid evaluation and post-qualification.

Submit your bids and for further information refer to:

(Sgd.) REYNALDO D. PUNO Department Manager, NIA-UPRIIS

Young generation of athletes expected to shine

8.

The DOF reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

9.

For further information, please refer to: Lilia R. Tan, Head - SBAC Secretariat Department of Finance SBAC Secretariat, General Services Division 7th Floor EDPC Building, BSP Complex P. Ocampo, Sr. Street corner Roxas Boulevard, Manila Telephone No.: 526-8475 Telefax No.: 525-4227 Email Address: ltan@dof.gov.ph

(TS-Apr. 23, 2015)

(Sgd.) GIL S. BELTRAN Undersecretary and DOF-SBAC Chairman

A NEW generation of young athletes is expected to shine in the coming 2015 Palarong Pambansa at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex in Tagum City, Davao del Norte from May 3 to 9.

Officials of the Department of Education said this after they noted that 2014 marked a year of triumphs and remarkable feats for the games.

Last year, they noted decade-old records were broken in athletics and swimming.

Luzon led the assault on the records through its champions from the National Capital Region and Region 3.

NCR’s sprint athlete, Jomar Udtohan turned heads as he broke three meet records in the 100M (13.1s), the 200M (21.8 s), and the 400M (48.7 s) dash.

Also, Bryan Pacheco from Central Luzon wowed the crowds through his throwing skills as he achieved a new record of 15.32m in the shotput category. Pacheco even outdid his old 2013 record in the Javelin Throw, making 62.47 meters.

NCR’s elementary students also dominated the Olympicsized pool with Imee Joyce Saavedra’s time of 2:16.72, breaking the 2010 record in the 200m freestyle division.

Seth Isaak Martin broke the 1998 record of 1:07.56 by 3.5 seconds in the backstroke division.

So falls to Anand FIVE-TIME world champion grandmaster Viswanathan Anand frustrated overnight leader GM Wesley So in the fifth round of Shamkir Chess 2015 in Azerbaijan.

It was Anand’s first win after four draws, dragging So out of the lead in 45 moves of a Ruy Lopez.

According to analysts, Anand’s winning opportunity came with a pawn sacrifice on the 39th move.

World champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway took the solo lead with four points after he outclassed Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France in 49 moves of an Uncommon Opening.

So dropped to second with 3.5 points, while Anand went up to third with three points.

T H U R S D AY : A P R I L 2 3 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Bayless gets Arum’s nod

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

AS most boxing media expected, the Nevada State Athletic Commission yesterday chose Kenny Bayless, considered by most as the top referee in the world, to serve as the third man in the ring when undefeated pound-for-pound No.1 Floyd Mayweather Jr. battles eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on My 2.

Bayless has worked five fights of Mayweather and seven of Pacquao’s.

The judges chosen to work the fight are veteran Dave Moretti, Glenn Feldman and Burt Clements, best remembered as the controversial judge, who worked the first fight between Pacquiao and Mexi-

can legend Juan Manuel Marquez.

He publicly admitted in a post-fight interview that he made a mistake in scoring the first round, 10-7, for the Filipino and not 10-6, as the two other judges John Stewart and Guy Jutras had done after Pacquiao dropped Marquez three times in the opening round.

The scoring error resulted in Clements’ turning in a 113-113 scorecard, enabling Marquez to salvage a draw instead of a split decision win for Pacquiao, who won the next two fights by close decisions. Marquez stunned the Filipino southpaw in their fourth encounter with a crushing sixth-round knockout.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum praised the NSAC on the assignment of officials and told Lance Pugmire of the LA Times “it couldn’t be better.

Moretti and Clements are tremendous judges, honorable guys, and Glenn Feldman is terrific, has a very good reputation. These are extraordinarily good officials from the standpoint of competency.”

Arum welcomed the appointment of Bayless, describing him as “the best referee in the world. If I had to choose the most fair, able ref-

eree, he’d be the guy I’d pick.”

Bayless will earn $10,000 in the mega-buck encounter that is expected to earn around $400 million, with both Mayweather and Pacquiao enjoying huge paydays based on a 60-40 split in favor of the American.

Pacquiao’s Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach earlier pleaded for a referee, who will preside over a fair fight for both boxers.

Roach told ABS-CBN reporter Dyan Castillejo two weeks ago: “I know all the referees. I know the good ones and I know the great ones. I think they all respect me and Manny enough to give us a fair fight. That’s all that I’m asking for. Whoever referees the fight , all I’m asking is please give us a fair fight and let the best man win and I think they’ll do that.”

Haitian-born Canadian professional boxer Adonis Stevenson (left), the president of the World Box Council Mauricio Sulaiman (center) and US former professional boxer Larry Holmes pose with the belt that will be delivered to the winner of the fight between Filipino Manny Pacquiao and American Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 2. AFP

Bernardos lead Palawan net tourney ACTION in the Palawan PawnshopPala wan Express Pera Padala regional age group presented by Technifibre resumes tomorrow after a month-long break with siblings Denise and JT Bernardo bannering the UP Los Baños leg at the College Country Club inside UPLB in Laguna.

The five-day event drew a huge field coming from various towns and nearby provinces, all raring to compete again and resume their chase for top honors and ranking points in the country’s premier age-group circuit sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop.

Denise Bernardo joins top seed Bettina Bautista, No. 2 Blanche Lagrisola, third ranked Miles Vitaliano and fourth seed Arianne Nillasca in the girls’ 16-and-under division while JT Bernardo heads the 10-unisex cast that includes Patrick Salvacion, Magnus Gnilo, Luis Salvacion and Kidlat Estogero.

Over 200 players have signed up for the event, sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association, forcing the organizers to tap the Baker Tennis Club and the Maktec Tennis Club as the other venues.

Harris ties Thai ace at helm AMARICAN Paul Harris bounced back strong from a missed cut stint last week with a sizzling start at the back, shooting a four-under 68 and catching Thai Poosit Supupramai at the helm at the start of the $60,000 ICTSI Sherwood Hills Classic at Sherwood Hills Golf Club in Cavite yesterday.

Harris actually missed wresting the solo lead with a last-hole bogey on No. 9 but his 36-32 card proved a lot better than his disastrous opening 83 that led to an early exit in last week’s ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational, which kicked off a two-week Asian Development Tour swing in the country.

Supupramai, on the other hand, scorched the frontside with three birdies then added three more at the back to negate his bogeys on

Nos. 11 and 17 for a share of the lead with Harris, one stroke ahead of another Thai Thammanoon Sriroj, American Josh Salah and Japanese Masaru Takahashi.

Sriroj birdied two of the last four holes to fire a 35-34, Salah missed joining Harris and Supupramai on top with a bogey on the ninth, while Takahashi rallied with three birdies in the last four holes for a closing 33 to stay within sight of the joint leaders in the early going of the 72-hole championship sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. Filipino Arnold Villacencio, who snapped a long 27-year title spell at ICTSI Summit Point last year, turned in an impressive 33 start but wavered with three bogeys against two birdies at the back to lead the 70 scorers, who in-

Petalcorin...

From A16

“It’s an important fight for Randy,” said Maniatis of his ward, who is coming off a comfortable 10-round decision over veteran Tommy Seran.

Maniatis said the 23-year-old Petalcorin, who

cluded ADT Order of Merit leader Hsieh Chi-hsien of Taiwan, Aussie Kevin Marques, Singapore’s Mitchell Slorach and local bets Orlan Sumcad and Nelson Huerva.

Charles Hong, who nipped Micah Shin to rule this ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour event last year, fought back with two birdies in the last six holes to salvage a two-over 74 and stay within the cutoff line after a poor start of 38 and two bogeys at the back.

Cassius Casas, winner of two local events last year, and Frankie Minoza, seeking a first big win in a long while, carded identical 71s to join six others at 12th, including Taiwanese Tommy Mu, Kiwi Campbell Rawson and Darren Tan, Englishman Nick Redfern and Rey Pagunsan and Ric Depilo.

is also a southpaw, has a record of 22-2-2 with 17 knockouts and won the WBA Interim title with a rousing seventh-round TKO of Panama’s Walter Tello last Aug. 28, 2014.

He said trainer Renie Gabawa is “very happy” and pointed out “randy is 100 percent fit.”

Co-manager Manangquil picked the sparring partners of Petalcorin and mapped out his training program. Ronnie Nathanielsz

A15 LOTTO RESULTS

6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M+ 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

AlejandroGavino; TweddellLanni pairs top DURING the Holy week games on Wednesday, April 8 SYLVIA LOPEZ and Thursday, April ALEJANDRO 9, 2015 both played at the Tweddell residence, Lynn Gavino and myself topped the Manila Pen and on Bataan Day our gracious host Cris Tweddell topped with our visitor from Texas, Charlie Lanni.

I will feature a deal which is very unusual. Imagine my partner was dealt all thirteen cards in spades starting from the Ace to the deuce.

Here is Board 17: North ♠ ♥10875 ♦98432 ♣8654 West East ♠ ♠ ♥ AKQJ ♥ 96432 ♦ AKQJ ♦ 10765 ♣ AKQJ10 ♣ 9732 South ♠ AKQJ1098765432 ♥ ♦ ♣ My partner Lynn Gavino was sitting South and was the dealer. Gavino bid straightaway seven bid.

West doubled the contract and was passed.

Results for the 5 tables that played were: 7NT redbl by W and made 2,280 7♠ dbl by ♠ and made 1770 7♠ by ♠ and made (at two tables) 1510 6♠ dbl by ♠ and made 1310 -oOoMy previous column last Thursday was incomplete. I repeat the account of the final match Lavazza vs. Diamon. Board 27.

Sometimes a hand looks trivial, but suddenly a trill arises and unveils the harmony.

The Bocchi’s 6-4 two suiter major is more than enough to open in any position, not only in third, but it needs to be ready to undervalue it if the partner doesn’t give the suitable responses. After the 1♠ response by Madala, it becomes very enticing a jump to game or at least an inviting 3♠, but it wouldn’t be any harmonic.

The matter is simple: to get game, North needs that South has at least good 9-10 points by heads; if South actually had such values, he shouldn’t pass, therefore needn’t neither jumps nor invites.

Madala’s 2NT response has a well outlined shape: he’s balanced and has at least a little hearth support, hardly less than Qx. Hampson led ♣K; Greco took and switched to diamond, cashing ace and king, then played spade; Bocchi took and cleared trumps, then played hearts by heads, and not even he needed to trump the third hearth. Well sung. Norberto and Agustin.

West North East South Hampson Bocchi Greco Madala Pass Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass 2NT Pass 4♠ All Pass North ♠ KQ73 ♥AJ9864 ♦J3 ♣2 West East ♠65 ♠842 ♥753 ♥Q10 ♦10974 ♦AK862 ♣KQ107 ♣AJ6 South ♠ AJ109 ♥K2 ♦Q5 ♣98543 In the other room the auction was different. Diamond, in south, opened 1♦ (conventional), Platnick responded 1♥ and Zia entered the auction with 1NT, hindering opponents, who never found the spade fit and ended in 4♥. It was a worse contract because it now needs the trump finesse. Zia led diamonds and cashed even the club ace, then played spades. Platnick started hearths by knave; Zia must cover: because his 1NT he couldn’t longer hide his points, then, at least, hides his ten (Zia always does hide something to opponents).

Now Platnick tried the finesse to ten, failing.

Comments to: sylvia.alejandro@yahoo.com

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK T H U R S D AY : A P R I L 2 3 , 2 0 1 5

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

REUEL VIDAL A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

TORONTO—John Wall scored 26 points as the Washington Wizards surprised the Toronto Raptors 117-106 to take a 2-0 lead in their best-ofseven series.

Bradley Beal scored a playoff career-high 28 points and Marcin Gortat added 16 and eight rebounds for the Wizards.

The Wizards finished the regular season 17-24 on the road, but the postseason is their time to shine. With this victory, they improved to 7-1 in their last eight playoff games on the road.

DeMar DeRozan and Lou Williams, who was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year on Monday, paced Toronto with 20 points apiece.

In the other Eastern Conference game Tuesday, LeBron James tallied 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics 99-91 Tuesday to seize a 2-0 lead in their first round playoff series.

James committed six of Cleveland’s 18 turnovers but came through down the stretch.

“I’ve been in this moment before and a lot of our guys haven’t,” said James, who also passed Jerry West for seventh on the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring list.

“I felt like it was important for me to put a staple on the game the best way I know how and that’s to be aggressive.

It’s very important for me to be there for my team when needed.”

Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets beat the Dallas Mavericks 111-99 to take a 2-0 series lead in the only Western Conference playoff game.

Kyrie Irving followed up his 30-point playoff debut in game one with 26 points for the Cavaliers, while Timofey Mozgov and Kevin Love chipped in 16 and 13 points, respectively.

Isaiah Thomas once again led the Celtics with 22 points. But it wasn’t enough for the underdogs to grab homecourt advantage in the series. They will host game three on Thursday. AFP

Wizards,

Wall tame Raptors for 2-0 lead

Barako Bull bringing another 7-foot import Petalcorin

By Jeric Lopez FROM one 7’2” giant to another.

Given the privilege to have another import with no limit on height, Barako Bull will make full use of that incentive and get another reinforcement, who can tower over the rest.

After having the efficient Solomon Alabi for the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association

Commissioner’s Cup, the Energy Colas are set to sign another 7’2” behemoth in Liam McMorrow for the season-ending Governors’ Cup next month.

The Canadian McMorrow played for the Iowa Energy in the NBA D-League and played college ball at Tennessee Tech. His previous stint was in the National Basketball League in Canada, where he is a

force for the Halifax Rainmen.

Initially, Barako Bull wants the steady Alabi, who can drop a solid double-double on a nightly basis and can protect the paint well with his length, to still be its reinforcement for the third conference.

However, Alabi decided to forego the chance of playing again for the Energy Colas as he went back home with his girlfriend set

Bayless gets Arum’s approval TURN TO A15

Petalcorin

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

to give birth next month.

Barako Bull is looking to have a better campaign in the Governors’ Cup after bowing out of the quarterfinals right away in both the two conferences thus far.

Another club, which still have the same privilege of having an import with unlimited height, will stick to its dominant force for the second straight conference.

faces fight of his life

WORLD Boxing Association light flyweight champion Randy Petalcorin faces what his Australian co-manager Peter Maniatis described as “the fight of his life” against China’s Ma Yi Ming in his first title defense on Friday.

Maniatis and co-manager Jim Claude Manangquil of General Santos City said Petalcorin had sparred a total of 118 rounds and right now weighs exactly 108 pounds, which is the light flyweight limit.

Maniatis said Petalcorin would have some light training on Wednesday as he prepares for what Maniatis said would be “a coming out party for the talented southpaw.”

Maniatis described the 34-yearold southpaw Ma, who has a record of 12-5 with 7 knockouts as a hard guy to beat. Turn to A15

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

B1

THURSDAY: APRIL 23, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS WEF meeting. Finance Secretary

Cesar Purisima (inset) sees Asean as the hub of intra-Asian trade, buoyed by having the third largest population and labor force, ten years from now. Purisima (seated, second from right) joins a panel moderated by Pauline Chiou, anchor at CNBC Asia, at the World Economic Forum in Jakarta discussing Asean’s global impact.

The panel also included Indonesian Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro, Flextronics International chairman H. Raymond Bingham, The Godrej Group chairman Adi Godrej and Serge Pun & Associates chairman Serge Pun. WEF

Ruling creates risks—Maynilad STATE-RUN Metropolitan Waterworks & Sewerage System’s reinterpretation of its concession contract has put at risk the country’s economic, investment and job creation programs, west zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. said Wednesday.

“The rule of law must prevail, not the whim of a few persons. It was on a whim that this present issue on water rates started, with our contract being questioned and reinterpreted 17 years following its signing, and after we have fulfilled the MWSS mandate to improve the delivery of water services in the west zone. It must end with respect for the law and contracts,” Maynilad chief finance officer Randy Estrellado said in a statement.

Maynilad issued the statement after MWSS announced it would not implement an arbitral award won in December 2014. The company, which serves the western half of Metro Manila, is facing a possible reduction of a rate increase won from an arbitration panel after Manila Water Co., which serves the other half, lost a similar case with another panel.

MWSS directed Maynilad to increase its rate by only P0.64 per cubic meter, instead of P4.06/cu.m., foregoing the corporate income tax component which, according to the arbitral award, was allowed under the agreement drafted and signed

by the government.

“There is no reward for MWSS’ stance, which is an all-downside proposition, with the whole country paying the price. When government officials seek new foreign investments, they will have to explain why a valid contract and a final and binding arbitral award were not respected by a government agency,” Estrellado said.

Then a foreign investor decides not to invest because of this risk, job generation, among other things, suffers, he said.

Estrellado said the arbitral award was final and binding, and the government itself waived its right to appeal. “This is Section 12.5 of our concession agreement.

This again is another clear proof that MWSS does not honor its contract. We have a runaway regulator and the national government must step in to correct the situation,” he said.

Maynilad, a joint venture of First Pacific Co. of Hong Kong and Marubeni Corp. of Japan, said it would review capital spending plans amid the rate dispute with the regulator.

Planned spending is about P10 billion ($226 million) annually over the next five years, said Estrellado.

“We will ensure that services to existing customers won’t suffer but beyond that and on expansion to areas not served or underserved, we have to study that very well,” Estrellado said in a phone interview.

“There could be delays.”

MWSS said it would uphold the decision on Manila Water and scrap the tax part of Maynilad’s tariff increase.

“Sometimes it’s not fun to do business in the Philippines,” James Lago, head of research at PCCI Securities Brokers Corp. in Manila, said by phone.

“The regulator wants to appear populist when it shouldn’t be that way. It could implement the two opposing decisions since the dynamics of the two zones are different as manifested by the difference in rates. That’s the spirit of arbitration you submit yourself to,” Lago said.

Maynilad is 53-percent owned by Metro Pacific, a unit of Hong Konglisted First Pacific, and 20 percent owned by Marubeni. DMCI Holdings Inc. holds 25 percent. An appeals panel in December ruled the company isn’t a utility and therefore may charge customers for part of its corporate income tax. A separate appeals panel classified Manila Water, a unit of Ayala Corp., as a utility.

MWSS ordered both companies to reduce rates in September 2013,

rejecting their separate petitions to increase bills. It directed Manila Water to cut its basic water charge by 29 percent and Maynilad by 4.8 percent.

At the end of 2014, 92 percent of Maynilad’s service area has 24-hour water with minimum pressure that’s more than enough to bring water to the second floor of buildings. It’s committed to raising coverage to 94 percent this year and to 100 percent by 2020, Estrellado said.

Sewerage coverage is targeted to rise to about 27 percent by 2017 from the current 11 percent, and to 100 percent by 2037, when its franchise agreement with MWSS ends, he said. Maynilad’s franchise includes the capital of Manila and extends to some parts of Cavite province, servicing 9.7 million people, according to parent Metro Pacific’s website.

On appeal, an arbitration panel in December ordered an increase for Maynilad while the other panel upheld the rate cut for Manila Water though at a lower figure. The regulator deferred implementation of Maynilad’s increase because it wanted to wait for the ruling in Manila Water’s case, leading Maynilad to demand payment for lost revenue.

Maynilad on March 30 said it served the Philippine government a notice of arbitration seeking compensation for revenue lost due to delays in rate adjustments. Revenue losses were 3.44 billion pesos from January 2013 to Feb. 28, it said.

“We really have to think twice

Broadcast networks switching to digital technology

By Darwin G. Amojelar BROADCAST companies have started building their digital infrastructure to convert their transmission networks from analog technology, ahead of schedule.

ABS-CBN Corp., GMA Network Inc., ABC Development Corp. and Radio Philippine Networks filed applications with the National Telecommunications Commission for

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

approval to convert their networks into DTT from analog.

The NTC and the Information and Communications Technology Office were finalizing the migration plan for DTT service. In December last year, NTC issued the final implementing rules and regulations for digital TV, adopting Japan’s ISDB-T. ABS-CBN proposed to operate the existing ultra high frequency

channel 23 TV station in Metro Manila using Japan’s Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial standard.

The plan of ABS-CBN is to put up a transmitter at the existing site of its analog service in Quezon City and new transmitter sites to cover SFN network in Guiguinto in Bulacan, Silang in Cavite, Makati City and Mandaluyong City that will cover 95 percent of the area

with fixed antenna reception.

“The transmission is designed so that fixed reception, for 99 percent time availability is achieved with Metro Manila area,” ABS-CBN said.

The Lopez-controlled network said it would spend P600 million this year to expand the coverage of its DTT service. The network recently launched its TV set-top box called TVPlus.

about the wisdom of continuing to spend on our commitments when our counterparties are not willing to honor theirs,” Estrellado said.

With Bloomberg

PSe comPoSite

index

Closing April 22, 2015

8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

7,833.03 13.91

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing APRIL 22, 2015 46

P44.225

45

CLOSE

44 43 42

HIGH P44.175 LOW P44.265 AVERAGE P44.213 VOLUME 585.100M

P500.00-P650.00 LPG/11-kg tank P38.95-P44.55 Unleaded Gasoline P27.70-P31.00 Diesel

oPriceS il P today

P35.35-P41.98 Kerosene P23.70-P24.40 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Wednesday, April 22, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

44.2900

Japan

Yen

0.008358

0.3702

UK

Pound

1.492600

66.1073

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129032

5.7148

Switzerland

Franc

1.046792

46.3624

Canada

Dollar

0.814332

Singapore

Dollar

0.740357

32.7904

Australia

Dollar

0.775074

34.3280

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653224

117.5113

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266674

11.8110

Brunei

Dollar

0.737626

32.6695

36.0668

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000077

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.030893

1.3683

UAE

Dirham

0.272257

12.0583

Euro

Euro

1.073600

47.5497

Korea

Won

0.000924

0.0409

China

Yuan

0.161249

7.1417

India

Rupee

0.015883

0.7035

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.275065

12.1826

New Zealand

Dollar

0.769823

34.0955

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032140

1.4235 Source: PDS Bridge

THURSDAY: APRIL 23, 2015

B2

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

MST BuSineSS Daily STockS Review Wednesday, april 22, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 104 63 2.49 4.2 18.48 31.6 9.5 890 1.01 99.4 1.46 30.5 94.95 137 361.2 59 174.8 1700 127.9 3.26

2.5 66 84.6 84.5 45.8 1.97 2.03 12.02 23.55 6.3 625 0.225 78 0.9 18.02 76.5 95 276 45 107.6 1200 66 2.65

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

PB Bank Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

7.85 70.8 116.40 105.20 46.05 2.36 2.15 15 22.35 7.71 777.00 0.430 97.1 1.01 18.16 76.90 95 328 46.85 159.2 1400.00 69.00 3.09

35.6 1.6 1.04 1.41 7.92 14.6 62.5 10.08 29.15 1.04 10.72 8.44 9.79 5.43 9.54 1.06 8.61 18.06 67.9 14 0.0076 13.24 3.12 0.395 168 8.65 34.1 2.3 1.63 24.4 16.2 7.62 250.2 3.87 9 9.94 3.03 2.22 1 4.72 1.65 6 201.6 1.67 0.122 2.01 143.4 4.28 0.670 1.39

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group Century Food Chemphil Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Concepcion Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) EEI Euro-Med Lab Federal Res. Inv. Group First Gen Corp.

First Holdings ‘A’ Ginebra San Miguel Inc. Greenergy Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp.

Lafarge Rep Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Phoenix Semiconductor Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

42 1.67 1.1 2 11.52 18.92 199 35 62.75 1.73 13.38 19.480 11.40 7.83 9.60 1.82 17.6 27.8 93 14.20 0.4500 14.06 6.1 0.590 216.00 9.47 36.50 2.55 2.52 26.25 24.8 7.600 264.80 4.02 9.70 11.32 4.00 2.36 2.7 5.10 3.05 6.45 199.2 1.68 0.166 2.10 218.6 4.5 0.66 1.45

0.45 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 1.4 1.6 600 7.390 14.18 4.25 0.144 818 5.3 46.6 3 4.43 0.59 12 0.580 4.22 4.5 3 0.036 1.23 0.450 2.26 66.7 1.5 709.5 1.13 0.93 85.2 0.200 0.173

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor `A’ ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp `A’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings Filinvest Dev. Corp.

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Keppel Holdings `A’ Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

LT Group Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Minerales Industrias Corp.

MJCI Investments Inc. Pacifica `A’ Prime Media Hldg Prime Orion Republic Glass ‘A’ San Miguel Corp `A’ Seafront `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries

0.470 57.85 24.65 1.35 7.10 0.26 0.28 770 8.07 14.46 4.30 0.280 1230 6.20 71.90 5.5 8.69 0.81 14.98 0.64 4.83 5.05 3.4 0.0410 1.360 0.920 2.44 69.50 2.83 918.00 1.17 0.89 100.30 0.3850 0.2280

47 5 1.66 2.36 15.3 20.6 125 32 65.8 4.57 23.35 21.6 12.98 9.13 12.34 2.89 17 31.8 109 20.75 0.820 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 12.5 79 3.95 4 33.9 90 13.98 292.4 5.25 13.04 14.5 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.68 7.86 8.1 253 3.28 0.315 2.68 226.6 5.5 1.3 2.17

High

Low

FINANCIAL 8.2 6.4 70.8 70.5 116.00 113.50 106.00 102.70 46.1 45.9 2.31 2.30 2.20 2.04 15.74 14 22.35 21.8 7.82 7.36 777.00 777.00 0.460 0.420 99 96.25 1.04 1.04 18.14 18.14 77.85 76.90 95 94.5 327 325 47 46.5 162.5 159.2 1376.00 1375.00 69.00 68.70 3.08 3.06 INDUSTRIAL 42 41.9 1.6 1.6 1.1 1.08 2.04 2 11.5 10.68 18.8 18.6 180 146 35 33.2 62.75 62.5 1.76 1.72 13.9 13.28 19.700 19.4 11.40 11.36 7.95 7.74 9.60 9.46 2.2 1.8 17.9 16.5 28.2 27.3 94 92.3 15.00 15.00 0.4500 0.4400 14.06 14.00 6.18 6.05 0.580 0.580 215.20 211.20 9.8 9.5 33.00 33.00 2.6 2.54 2.55 2.53 26.2 25.25 25.3 24.1 7.900 7.560 265.00 263.20 4.16 4.09 9.80 9.50 11.56 11.30 4.00 3.98 2.43 2.31 2.77 2.51 5.05 4.98 2 1.7 6.4 6.4 200 199 1.7 1.61 0.166 0.164 2.11 2.09 219 215 4.5 4.48 0.66 0.64 1.46 1.41 HOLDING FIRMS 0.470 0.460 57.85 55.25 25.50 24.70 1.35 1.35 7.12 7.11 0.27 0.25 0.28 0.27 772 765 8.12 8.05 14.66 13.94 4.35 4.35 0.290 0.275 1280 1247 6.12 6.12 72.00 70.45 5.5 5.5 8.81 8.43 0.81 0.78 15.12 14.88 0.67 0.65 4.83 4.76 5 5.1 2.75 2.75 0.0400 0.0400 1.580 1.460 0.960 0.880 2.55 2.41 69.55 68.60 2.88 2.88 925.00 903.00 1.21 1.21 0.86 0.85 100.30 99.20 0.4000 0.3750 0.2320 0.2150 PROPERTY 8.860 8.780 10.80 10.00 0.85 0.81 1.290 1.290 0.250 0.245

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

7.4 70.8 114.60 103.40 46 2.31 2.09 14.98 22.15 7.82 777.00 0.455 99 1.04 18.14 77.80 95 327 46.6 160 1375.00 68.90 3.06

-5.73 0.00 -1.55 -1.71 -0.11 -2.12 -2.79 -0.13 -0.89 1.43 0.00 5.81 1.96 2.97 -0.11 1.17 0.00 -0.30 -0.53 0.50 -1.79 -0.14 -0.97

1,428,300 6,710 4,744,090 1,683,010 104,200 23,000 60,000 2,036,100 1,407,200 68,100 150 3,940,000 2,178,330 90,000 5,000 48,710 1,300 1,110 115,300 772,160 90 8,270 14,000

42 1.6 1.09 2.01 11.2 18.8 174 33.2 62.5 1.76 13.86 19.580 11.38 7.95 9.50 2.13 17.8 27.5 93.5 15.00 0.4400 14.00 6.1 0.580 211.60 9.8 33.00 2.55 2.53 25.4 24.8 7.780 265.00 4.09 9.59 11.50 3.98 2.35 2.57 5.00 1.85 6.4 199.1 1.64 0.164 2.10 217 4.5 0.64 1.46

0.00 -4.19 -0.91 0.50 -2.78 -0.63 -12.56 -5.14 -0.40 1.73 3.59 0.51 -0.18 1.53 -1.04 17.03 1.14 -1.08 0.54 5.63 -2.22 -0.43 0.00 -1.69 -2.04 3.48 -9.59 0.00 0.40 -3.24 0.00 2.37 0.08 1.74 -1.13 1.59 -0.50 -0.42 -4.81 -1.96 -39.34 -0.78 -0.05 -2.38 -1.20 0.00 -0.73 0.00 -3.03 0.69

5,795,500 50,000 2,804,000 1,294,000 23,800 31,500 250 376,400 155,710 368,000 1,062,400 7,977,200 5,000,600 18,522,100 1,091,900 1,159,000 273,300 6,335,000 76,270 200 190,000 44,300 139,000 2,000 945,790 258,500 1,600 28,000 14,000 3,145,800 454,100 126,300 204,230 9,000 1,797,800 6,300 77,000 284,000 802,000 126,400 150,000 1,000 2,270 36,000 2,100,000 742,000 1,775,510 79,000 1,754,000 45,000

0.470 57.85 25.50 1.35 7.11 0.27 0.27 767 8.06 14.54 4.35 0.285 1280 6.12 71.10 5.5 8.5 0.79 14.96 0.67 4.78 5.1 2.75 0.0400 1.510 0.890 2.42 69.20 2.88 915.00 1.21 0.85 99.20 0.3800 0.2300

0.00 0.00 3.45 0.00 0.14 1.92 -1.82 -0.39 -0.12 0.55 1.16 1.79 4.07 -1.29 -1.11 0.00 -2.19 -2.47 -0.13 4.69 -1.04 0.99 -19.12 -2.44 11.03 -3.26 -0.82 -0.43 1.77 -0.33 3.42 -4.49 -1.10 -1.30 0.88

130,000 929,870 7,429,000 5,000 20,800 240,000 280,000 266,390 1,329,100 27,837,400 2,000 900,000 152,840 5,000 2,414,010 500 2,737,700 1,059,000 7,117,900 111,000 27,903,000 60,000 2,000 1,000,000 317,000 17,414,000 34,000 282,530 3,000 310,810 22,000 50,000 11,500 11,850,000 360,000

-42,875.00 438,120.00 -35,911,212.00 -67,782,076.00 55,200.00 117,360.00 -3,457,145.00 -18,800 116,550.00 -50,050.00 99,412,784.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

40 6.15 5.4 5.6 1.54 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.98 1.09 2.25 1.87 1.8 4.88 0.180 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 3.6 20.6 1.02 7.56 1.96 8.59

29.1 4.1 4.96 2.8 0.89 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.445 0.85 1.4 1.42 1.19 2.75 0.090 0.39 2.57 21.35 1.64 3.08 15.08 0.69 3.38 1 5.69

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ Cebu Holdings Cebu Prop. `A’ Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

Empire East Land Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld Corp.

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp.

Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 15.82 0.1460 4.61 99.1 12.3 9 1700 2090 8.41 1.97 119.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 2.85 2.2 3.2 1.97 2.46 15.2 0.62 22.8 6.41 4 14 3486 0.710 2.28 48.5 90.1 11.6 0.87 10.2 0.490 1.6

1.97 32.5 1 0.6 9.61 0.0770 2.95 46.55 10.14 5.88 830 1600 5.95 1.36 105 0.012 0.036 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.69 1.1 2 0.490 1.8 8.7 0.34 14.54 3 2.28 4.39 2726 0.380 0.32 31.45 60.55 7.59 0.63 6.45 0.305 1.04

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp.

Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ.

DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp.

Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown MG Holdings Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 12.8 1.2 1.73 10.98 4.2 0.48 0.455 0.475 0.023 0.026 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 8.65 9.43 6.98 0.61 0.78 5.99 1.08 0.330 0.2130 0.2160 0.014 0.014 3.660 20.2 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Benguet Corp `B’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

Philex `A’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. `A’ Semirara Corp.

TA Petroleum United Paragon

70 553 525 118 120 12.28 111 1060

33 490 500 101 101.5 6.5 101 997

1047 76.9 84.8

1011 74.2 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ First Gen F First Gen G Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred A SMC Preferred C

High

Low

Close

39.90 4 5.2 6.48 0.92 1.22 1.04 0.155 0.470 0.880 1.40 1.78 1.40 5.33 0.122 0.4700 7.21 29.70 1.76 3.20 19.30 0.8 7.24 1.040 7.870

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

39.95 39.30 39.50 4.09 4.01 4.01 5.21 5.18 5.21 6.49 6.49 6.49 0.93 0.91 0.92 1.23 1.22 1.22 1.03 1.02 1.03 0.155 0.151 0.152 0.470 0.455 0.455 0.880 0.880 0.880 1.40 1.38 1.39 1.80 1.75 1.80 1.43 1.40 1.43 5.49 5.27 5.49 0.126 0.121 0.121 0.4700 0.4600 0.4600 7.2 6.7 6.7 30.00 29.40 29.90 1.76 1.76 1.76 3.24 3.21 3.21 19.46 19.08 19.10 0.8 0.8 0.78 7.18 6.84 6.84 1.040 1.000 1.010 7.860 7.630 7.830 SERVICES 6.72 7.11 6.78 6.79 61.45 63 60.5 60.5 1.03 1.03 1.03 1.03 0.690 0.680 0.680 0.680 11.34 11.48 11.04 11.10 0.1120 0.1140 0.1110 0.1110 3.3 3.49 3.26 3.49 81.65 82.25 81.6 82.25 10.18 10.18 10.18 10.18 7.00 7.04 6.93 7.00 995 995 990 995 2180 2200 2160 2172 6.25 6.29 6.20 6.24 1.54 1.47 1.45 1.46 106.4 107.4 105.9 107 0.014 0.014 0.014 0.015 0.225 0.233 0.225 0.230 1.2500 1.2600 1.2500 1.2500 2.55 2.67 2.42 2.49 8.79 8.90 8.62 8.64 2.00 2.07 1.99 2.07 1.3 1.49 1.31 1.32 2.27 2.29 2.27 2.29 0.680 0.680 0.670 0.670 2 2 2 2 9.62 9.72 9.29 9.39 0.360 0.365 0.360 0.365 18.4 18.42 18.4 18.4 4.50 4.50 4.50 4.50 3.05 3.01 3.01 3.01 14.56 14.62 14.50 14.62 2902.00 2902.00 2862.00 2900.00 0.610 0.610 0.600 0.610 1.570 1.560 1.520 1.550 39.30 39.50 39.20 39.45 84.00 84.00 83.00 83.60 9.52 9.95 9.50 9.90 0.67 0.67 0.66 0.67 6.68 6.7 6.52 6.7 0.355 0.355 0.330 0.355 1.310 1.440 1.290 1.440 MINING & OIL 0.0057 0.0055 0.0055 0.0055 2.73 2.66 2.66 2.66 8.04 8.08 8.04 8.06 12.50 13.00 11.60 12.70 6.5100 6.9800 6.9800 6.9800 1.07 1.06 1.04 1.06 0.89 0.9 0.89 0.9 8.09 8.17 7.88 8.08 1.92 2.06 1.92 1.96 0.380 0.385 0.370 0.375 0.230 0.232 0.229 0.229 0.243 0.236 0.236 0.236 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0160 0.0150 0.0150 0.0150 4.2 4.28 4.16 4.25 20.1 20.8 19.56 20.8 3.8 3.84 3.71 3.75 0.7300 0.7200 0.7200 0.7200 2.100 2.110 2.090 2.100 0.0130 0.0130 0.0130 0.0130 5.50 5.47 5.25 5.38 6.62 7.28 6.81 7.1 1.95 2.2 1.93 1.95 0.015 0.016 0.015 0.016 160.70 161.60 160.10 161.50 4.28 4.46 4.3 4.45 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 PREFERRED 63.3 62.2 61 61 525 525 525 525 525 522 522 522 110 120 115 120 120 119 119 119 1.07 1.09 1.08 1.09 110 111 110.9 111 1060 1139 1065 1065 1100 1100 1100 1100 1045 1045 1044 1045 76.1 76.4 76.1 76.4 85.5 85.3 85.3 85.3 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.890 4.020 3.830 3.910 SME 8.9 9.03 8.82 8.9 8.3 8 7.01 7.5 72.75 72.45 69.1 72.45 8.58 8.59 8.14 8.4 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 127.8 127.9 127 127.3

-1.00 0.25 0.19 0.15 0.00 0.00 -0.96 -1.94 -3.19 0.00 -0.71 1.12 2.14 3.00 -0.82 -2.13 -7.07 0.67 0.00 0.31 -1.04 0.00 -5.52 -2.88 -0.51

11,790,200 3,130,000 47,300 1,500 10,268,000 45,000 45,000 24,340,000 1,760,000 11,000 1,699,000 57,910,000 2,051,000 52,347,600 4,060,000 460,000 939,400 1,523,300 137,000 40,000 21,567,900 889,000 509,800 788,000 8,292,200

-65,167,905.00 882,560.00

1.04 -1.55 0.00 -1.45 -2.12 -0.89 5.76 0.73 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.37 -0.16 -5.19 0.56 3.57 2.22 0.00 -2.35 -1.71 3.50 1.54 0.88 -1.47 0.00 -2.39 1.39 0.00 0.00 -1.31 0.41 -0.07 0.00 -1.27 0.38 -0.48 3.99 0.00 0.30 0.00 9.92

412,400 48,520 13,000 213,000 8,837,800 24,330,000 330,000 559,610 3,400 88,900 2,650 82,705 225,700 262,000 2,845,670

12,120,000 103,000 180,000 1,048,000 14,000 407,000 15,000 260,000 11,000 3,325,500 30,000 6,000 25,000 18,000 257,300 96,160 5,468,000 4,197,000 406,100 1,128,360 3,704,900 897,200 897,200 1,180,000 226,000

-3.51 -2.56 0.25 1.60 7.22 -0.93 1.12 -0.12 2.08 -1.32 -0.43 -2.88 0.00 -6.25 1.19 3.48 -1.32 -1.37 0.00 0.00 -2.18 7.25 0.00 6.67 0.50 3.97 0.00

443,000,000 18,000 366,400 1,900 20,000 6.98 816,000 142,000 9,700 23,967,000 -5,966,220.00 3,150,000 3,670,000 10,000 6,600,000 2,100,000 1,563,000 -5,191,400.00 4,011,600 19,083,854.00 667,000 18,750.00 16,000 752,000 -170,110.00 100,000 171,600 3,803,800 -4,626,439.00 1,286,000 40,100.00 31,200,000 314,270 5,880,783.00 382,000 70,750.00 18,000,000 -10,000.00

-3.63 0.00 -0.57 9.09 -0.83 1.87 0.91 0.47 0.00 0.00 0.39 -0.23

387,230 20 1,630 39,390 11,000 22,000 12,840 55 1,130 3,700 148,850 21,340

1,197,600.00

23,500.00 -1,565,890.00 -9,181,880.00 -56,877,888.00 -256,310.00

MST

0.7 59.2 31.85 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 800 11.06 84 5.14 0.66 1380 6.68 72.6 5.29 9.25 0.9 18.9 0.73 5.53 6.55 9.66 0.0670 2.31 0.84 2.99 87 3.5 934 2.2 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 10.5 26.95 1.99 2.07 0.375

Close

6.01 12 0.91 1.29 0.192

8990 HLDG 8.770 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 10.94 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.83 Araneta Prop `A’ 1.290 Arthaland Corp.

0.265

Trading Summary FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS PROPERTY SERVICES MINING & OIL GRAND TOTAL

SHARES 19,180,052 67,811,774 121,500,843 215,943,832 74,908,983 546,365,722 1,050,580,106

8.800 10.60 0.82 1.290 0.250

0.34 -3.11 -1.20 0.00 -5.66

886,920.00

1,294,920.00 -14,808,176.00

-109,325.00

45,450,240.00

-76,300.00 596,480.00

-372,180.00 -16,810.00 434,375.00

8,057,096.00 13,201,602.00 10,211,574.00 -34,429,407.00 2,429,930.00 -60,000.00 16,800.00 -24,132,410.00 663,725.50 -3,000.00 -612,514.00 3,090.00

-65,970,226.00

-38,882,770.00 1,239,900.00 123,049.00 27,473,046.00 38,130.00

392,377.00

-377,932.00

210,000.00 -2,881,888.00 292,460.00 130,000.00

-25,364,523.00 45,183,195.00

-19,854,590.00 -1,447,397.00 76,723,438.00

-12,711,850.00 30,600.00 -77,719,865.50 -5,548,108.00

38,170,082.00

22,627,990.00

97,500.00

-2,687,284.00

-84,732,070.00 26,350.00

10,099,600 10,470,907.00 31,000 -1,000.00 632,000 5,000 520,000

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

10.96 15 88 12.88

2.4 3.5 13.5 5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

Double Dragon Makati Fin. Corp.

IRipple E-Business Intl Xurpas

T op g ainerS VALUE 1,211,405,078.77 1,618,326,922.117 2,110,259,372.69 1,508,329,430.92 1,156,363,777.35 255,815,397.24 7,904,613,570.59

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,832.15 (down) 7.46 INDUSTRIAL 12,294.26 (down) 58.60 HOLDING FIRMS 6,945.71 (up) 12.90 PROPERTY 3,166.88 (down) 10.78 SERVICES 2,125.82 (down) 4.69 MINING & OIL 14,647.68 (up) 208.85 PSEI 7,833.03 (down) 13.91 All Shares Index 4,478.99 (down) 7.09 Gainers: 75; Losers: 108; Unchanged: 41; Total: 224

-1,122,290.00

-61,609,160.00

4,040.00 -15,355,266.00

-68,000.00 3,086,978.00 107,670.00 -8,476,990.00

55,207,400.00 -5,041,907.00 -1,068,930.00

8,639,884.00

14,500.00

7,398,319.00 7,200.00

1,071,608.00 -159,304,630.00

-1,054,780.00 4,394,460.00 52,271,163.50 -5,810,431.00 -3,896,250.00 -3,896,250.00

-3,831,755.00

-1,243,000.00

0.51

236,000

0.00 -9.64 -0.41 -2.10

236,600 43,300 300 4,560,000

62,828.00 -7,300.00

-0.39

28,700

574,373.00

-6,781,763.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Euro-Med Lab

2.13

17.03

Roxas and Co.

1.85

-39.34

Prime Media Hldg

1.510

11.03

MJCI Investments Inc.

2.75

-19.12

Yehey

1.440

9.92

Chemphil

174

-12.56

First Gen F

120

9.09

Makati Fin. Corp.

7.5

-9.64

Philex `A'

7.1

7.25

Liberty Flour

33.00

-9.59

Benguet Corp `B'

6.9800

7.22

Primex Corp.

6.7

-7.07

Philodrill Corp. `A'

0.016

6.67

Manila Mining `B'

0.0150

-6.25

MEDCO Holdings

0.455

5.81

AG Finance

7.4

-5.73

Calata Corp.

3.49

5.76

Starmalls

6.84

-5.52

Ginebra San Miguel Inc.

15.00

5.63

Harbor Star

1.46

-5.19

THURSDAY: APRIL 23, 2015

B3

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market extends losses

New Pampanga store.

Philippine Seven Corp. recently opened a new franchise store at the PTT Station in Sto. Cristo, Mexico, Pampanga in a bid to achieve its expansion target of 500 stores in 2015. MCCART Co., the store’s franchisee, joins the expanding family of entrepreneurs who have come to take part in the success of the 7-Eleven franchise system. Shown are the crew of the new outlet led by store manager Catherine Alexis Matuba (center) as they welcome customers.

Maybank PH posted P1-b net profit in 2014

By Julito G. Rada

MAYBANK Philippines Inc., the local unit of the Maybank Group of Malaysia, said Wednesday net income jumped 144 percent in 2014 to hit a record P1 billion from P409 million in 2013, led by branch network expansion.

The bank said in a statement it was the first time profit breached the P1-billion mark, since it started operations in 1997, boosted by growth in core businesses and one-off gains from strong and consistent performance in the past three years.

It said the growth was achieved amid intense competition and challenging market conditions.

Maybank’s net income translated into a return-on-average equity of 9.5 percent in 2014, up from 4.2 percent a year ago.

“2014 turned out to be an eventful year for MPI as new milestones and breakthroughs were achieved against a business environment that remained challenging not only for MPI, but the whole banking industry as well,” said MPI president and chief executive Herminio Famatigan Jr. “We beat the industry’s performance by posting faster growth rates, which was reflected by the expansion of our core businesses,” he said.

MPI said aside from above-in-

dustry net interest margin, which improved to 5.01 percent by managing down the cost of funds, the strong growth in net interest income was led by the continued growth of loan book.

Loans rose 32 percent yearon-year to P49 billion from P38 billion. Consumer loans climbed 44 percent and commercial loans grew 24 percent.

“Both our retail and corporate lending businesses performed well last year. On top of this, our treasury team also boosted our profit with the positions they took allowing us to realize significant interest income from investments and placements,” Famatigan said.

The bank, however, was not spared from lower trading gains last year that impacted most of the local banks, dragging its noninterest income. But the strong growth in net interest income allowed MPI to post a healthy

growth in operating income, which rose 26 percent to P1 billion.

MPI was able to bring down total interest expense by 20 percent even with the 4-percent growth in total deposits.

MPI said it remained well-capitalized with a capital adequacy ratio of 16.7 percent as of end-2014, above the Bangko Sentral’s 10 percent minimum requirement, while its Tier 1 capital stood at 15.6 percent.

Famatigan said MPI was poised for further growth in the Philippines, banking on the sizeable infrastructure investments and aggressive expansion of branch network.

“We remain committed to our long-term aspiration of being one of the top 10 most profitable banks in the Philippines and the top five players in key consumer and enterprise financing segments,” Famatigan said.

BDO Leasing’s income rose 7% to P129m in Q1

By Julito G. Rada BDO Leasing and Finance Inc., a subsidiary of BDO Unibank Inc., said net income in the first quarter rose 7 percent to P129.7 million from P121.4 million a year ago, on the back of sustained expansion in business portfolio.

“Loan and lease portfolio went up by more than P2 billion to P24.4 billion, resulting in a 14 percent year-on-year jump in total revenues to P605.9 million from P533.8 million in the same

BDO Leasing sees profit rising 14% in 2015.

period last year,” it said.

BDO Leasing vice chairman and president Roberto Lapid said the first-quarter growth followed

a strong expansion in 2014.

Net income in 2014 jumped 20 percent to P504 million from P420 million in 2013, driven by increased lease and loan portfolio to P23.6 billion coming from key industries such as construction, real estate, mining and healthcare.

Lapid said during the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting fullyear net income in 2015 would likely reach P575 million, up by 14 percent from P504 million in 2014.

He said the company would tap more businesses in key provinces

with additional funding coming from the increase in its shortterm commercial paper license from P15 billion to P25 billion.

BDO Leasing provides customers direct leases, real estate leases, sale and leaseback arrangements as well as receivables factoring.

It also provides operating leases through wholly-owned subsidiary BDO Rental Inc. BDO Leasing is among the industry’s dominant players in terms of total assets, capitalization and profitability.

STOCKS fell for the fourth day amid thin trading, as investors await first-quarter earnings data and developments overseas.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, dropped 13 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 7,833.03 on Wednesday. The gauge fell 3.7 percent from a peak recorded on April 7, but was still up 8.3 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also lost 7 points, or 0.2 percent, to settle at 4,478.99, on value turnover of P7.9 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 108 to 75, while 41 issues were unchanged.

GT Capital Holdings Inc., the investment company of tycoon George Ty, advanced 4.1 percent to P1,280, to become the biggest gainer among the 20 most active stocks. Property developer Megaworld Corp. climbed 3.6 percent to P5.49.

Alliance Global Group Inc., the parent company of Megaworld, rose 3.5 percent to P25.50. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the country’s second largest lender, added 2 percent to close at P99.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong shares closed 0.3 percent higher Wednesday, tracking a surge in Shanghai and extending its recent rally on hopes for further economy-boosting measures by China. The benchmark Hang Seng Index added 83.36 points to 27,933.85.

In mainland China, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index jumped 2.44 percent, or 104.87 points, to 4,398.49.

The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China’s second exchange, gained 2.74 percent, or 59.53 points, to 2,234.46.

Tokyo’s benchmark index closed above 20,000 on Wednesday for the first time in 15 years as hopes for strong Japanese corporate earnings overshadowed a weak lead from Wall Street.

The Nikkei 225 index added 1.13 percent, or 224.81 points, to finish at 20,133.90. It last closed above the psychologically important level in April 2000.

The last time the Nikkei was at that level Sony’s groundbreaking PlayStation 2 was in stores, the Dot-com bubble was collapsing and Bill Clinton still occupied the White House.

Attention now turns to the start of Japanese earnings season with many firms set to report bumper fiscal-year profits.

“Since the Nikkei is a simple average of 225 (companies), what’s behind its rise are expectations for higher corporate earnings,” Toshihiko Matsuno, senior strategist at SMBC Friend Securities, told AFP. AFP

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BUSINESS

Automotive dialog. Delegates of the 22nd meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Automotive Dialogue pose during a break at the Dusit Thani Hotel at Ayala Center in Makati City. The dialog theme “Integrating SMEs into the Automotive Global Value Chains” is aligned with the Philippines’ 2015 APEC priorities of mainstreaming SMEs into global and regional production networks. DANNY PATA

MRT 3 repair gets P1.2-b budget

By Jennifer Ambanta

Gardenia investing P1b in Laguna factory

THE Budget Department said Wednesday it allocated P1.2 billion for the rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3.

The amount will be released to the Transportation Department to cover the rehabilitation and the capacity extension of MRT 3, amid complaints among commuters over congestion and technical problems in the line.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the rehabilitation of the line had been long delayed, “but the release of funds to rehabilitate the MRT 3 will go a long way in improving not only the capacity of the mass transit system but the overall user experience.”

The fund, chargeable against the 2014 supplemental budget, will cover not only the rehabilitation and the capacity extension of MRT 3, but will also replace the existing signaling system.

It will also fund the rehabilitation of escalators and elevators at MRT 3 stations.

“With the rehabilitation of the MRT-3 in the offing, we can now offer not only better transport services to the public but also alleviate their concerns over safety and security. This, in turn, may help ease the traffic situation in the metro as motorists can now take the public transport system instead of using their vehicles to drive to their destinations,” Abad said.

The funds allotted to the rehabilitation of the MRT-3 was part of the P22.47-billion supplemental budget, which was passed in December 2014.

The supplemental budget also funded the construction of a new Bohol provincial capitol

By Othel V. Campos

building to replace the old one damaged by an earthquake in 2013.

It also funded fishports, lighthouses, and seawalls by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority and the implementation of the North Triangle relocation plan by the National Housing Authority.

GARDENIA Bakeries Philippines Inc. will roll out the first phase of its P2-billion expansion program that will create a new line of bakery products this year.

The first phase of the program will involve the construction of a new P1-billion bakery plant at Laguna International Industrial Park in Binan, Laguna.

Gardenia Philippines president Simplicio Umali said the new plant would be capable of producing 6,000 loaves an hour.

The company already has five plants operating at the Laguna industrial park. The new plant will augment the production of three bread plants, a pandesal bun plant and snacks plant all located in the industrial complex.

It also operates a bread plant in Tarlac that manufactures an average of 2,000 loaves a day.

Another plant costing P1 billion may be located in the Visayas-Mindanao area. It will be another bread/loaf plant that will support its Cebu operations and may come on stream in five years.

Gardenia Philippines produces 500,000 of combined loaves and pandesal buns a day.

Sta. Lucia to raise P6b to expand real estate projects

By Jenniffer B. Austria STA. LUCIA Land Inc., the property developer controlled by businessman Exequiel Robles, said it plans to borrow P6 billion to expand real estate projects across the country.

SLI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the board authorized the company to issue debt

instrument worth P6 billion for land bank acquisitions, acceleration of ongoing projects and funding of new projects.

SLI said it was poised to capture the country’s remarkable economic performance, with plans to accelerate expansion outside Metro Manila.

SLI recently signed 16 joint venture agreements in Davao,

Rizal, Pasig, Batangas and Laguna for a total of 142.33 hectares of land. It also acquired properties in Batangas and Iloilo covering 34.53 hectares.

The company said following the acquisition of new properties, the board also approved the development of new housing projects in the said areas.

The company recently formed a

wholly-owned unit called Sta. Lucia Homes Inc., a contractor company whose sole purpose is to offer construction services to the SLI group’s over 120,000 lot buyers.

The company said more than 60,000 lots buyers nationwide have yet to build their houses.

SLI reported an 83-percent increase in net income to P548 million in 2014 from P300 mil-

lion in 2013, as real estate revenue jumped 80 percent to P1.44 billion from P801 million.

Majority of the growth came from the sales of Colinas Verdes Residential Estates (San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan), Monte Carlo Tower - Sta Lucia Residenze (Cainta, Rizal), Greenmeadows (Pavia, Iloilo) and Ponte Verde (Davao City).

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BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

PSE should not have allowed Calata IPO WHEN I first read in 2012 that a company called RUDY ROMERO Calata Corp. was on the verge of making an IPO (initial public offering) of stock, I developed a feeling that there was something wrong somewhere. The feeling was reinforced by the media stories that pushed the line that Calata Corp. was the No. 1 company in the field of distribution of agricultural supplies.

What in the world is Calata Corp. and who is Joseph Calata, billed as the company’s chief executive officer? Perhaps I had been careless in my monitoring of business-world developments, but I had never heard of that person or his company. It was the first time that I had been stumped by the identities and situations of a domestic businessman and his corporation.

But the thing that clinched my feeling that things were not quite right was the claim, blithely echoed by the business media, that Calata Corp. was the largest distributor of agricultural supplies in this country. How did that come about, I asked myself. Did that happen while we were all asleep?

The first indication that my feelings of disquiet about Calata Corp. were probably not misplaced was the market behavior of Calata Corp.’s stock in the days immediately following the IPO. From an offering price of – if my memory serves – P6 per share, the Calata stock zoomed to a peak figure of just over P100 per share very shortly after the IPO before setting back to the IPO price just as shortly thereafter. I realize that the relative narrowness of the Philippine stock market makes stock manipulation an everpresent possibility, but the behavior of Calata Corp.’s stock over so short a period was a real phenomenon. Not bad for a company and a stock that many knowledgeable Filipinos had not heard of!

The maintenance of stability and integrity in the capital market is the responsibility of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange, and an investigation into the Calata stock’s market behavior was initiated by the SEC and the PSE in the wake of the suspicious quick run-up and even quicker rundown of that stock. All that came out of the investigation was that a number of brokerage houses and employees were meted out fines and reprimanded.

Had the Calata affair happened in the US or some other major country, the retribution would have been far more severe, given the clear signs of conspiracy and manipulation. But, then, as they say derisively, this is the Philippines. Slaps on the wrist are the norm in most such instances.

Truth to tell, PSE dropped the ball at the very start. Adjudging a company to be in generally sound condition is not the same thing as giving it the go signal to offer stock to the public. Only the seasoned and financially solid companies should – nay, must – be allowed to make an IPO. Calata Corp. should not have been allowed access to the PSE listed-stocks board at the time that it was allowed.

Which brings me to the second indication of possible trouble with Calata stock down the road. Calata Corp.’s capital structure left much to be desired. It was, in my view at least, inadequately capitalized for a company that was about to make an IPO. As the Bureau of Internal Revenue indicated in its announcement of a tax-evasion charge against him, in his income tax return for the year covered by the charge sheet, Joseph Calata declared equity of P600,000 in Calata Corp. To any financial analyst, that is not adequate for a public stock offering intended to raise an enormous amount of money from the investing public.

Many investors are gullible and vulnerable to extravagant marketing claims. It is for this reason that the SEC and the PSE were established.

They are mandated to keep companies and stock brokerages honest and watchful for the interest of the investing public.

The BIR is asking Joseph Calata to pay P140 million representing unpaid back taxes, only two years after his company’s IPO. How is the investing public likely to regard Calata Corp. stock in the wake of the BIR’s action? Had the PSE done a better job of due diligence on Joseph Calata and his corporation, his tax-paying habits would have been brought to light.

And so I say again, PSE should not have allowed Calata Corp. to do an IPO. PSE dropped the ball in that instance.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

BUSINESS CLASS

SSS in Batangas.

The Social Security System opened its third branch in Lemery, Batangas to serve its 25,000 members from the area and nearby municipalities. Located at the ground floor of Xentro Mall along Ilustre Avenue, the SSS Lemery branch will cover the towns of Agoncillo, Alitagtag, Balayan, Calaca, Calatagan, Lemery, Lian, San Nicolas, Sta. Teresita, San Luis, Nasugbu, Taal and Tuy. Shown cutting the ribbon are (from left) SSS president and chief executive Emilio de Quiros Jr, Representative Eileen Ermita-Buhain, Agriculture regional director Vilma Dimaculangan, SSS Lemery branch head Jessica Agbay and SSS vice president for Luzon Josie Magana.

Gabon oil lifts PetroEnergy

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Nabas, Aklan-PetroEnergy Resources Corp. and its joint venture partners expect to wrap up the drilling campaign in Gabon in the west coast of Africa by November this year that will bring production to 25,000 barrels a day, an executive said Wednesday.

Current oil production at Etame marine concession in Gabon is at 18,000 to 19,000 barrels a day.

“We are expanding. Currently, we are producing 18,000 to 19,000 barrels of oil per day. We just recently completed two new platforms in Southeast Etame and Central Etame, where oil production should slowly go up to 25,000 barrels of oil a day by close of 2015,” PetroEnergy vice president Francisco Delfin Jr. told reporters here.

Delfin said the total cost of the expansion of the two platforms and the drilling of two wells at the Gabon concession reached $525 million, with PetroEnergy contributing $13 million.

PetroEnergy holds a 2.525-percent participating interest in the Gabon concession.

He said the consortium had recovered about $323 million of the expansion cost while the

increased production would lift PetroEnergy’s revenue stream.

PetroEnergy owns 2.525 percent of the Etame petroleum service contract 93 in Gabon.

Houston-based Vaalco Energy is the operator while the other consortium members are Sojitz Etame Ltd., PanOcean Energy Gabon Corp. Sasol Petroleum West Africa Ltd. and Energy Africa Gabon SA .

“Our revenue stream from Gabon provides us with funds to do more ventures in RP and renewables,” Delfin said.

PetroEnergy said it was also

keen on the West Linapacan redevelopment in service contract 14 c2 in northwest Palawan.

“The service contract has undergone some structure shift in terms of operatorship. It was the DOE who sort of transferred the operation to Philodrill from the previous operator. So now, we’re working with Philodrill Corp. to map out a good development plan for West Ginapatan because we believe that among the offshore oil fields in Northwest Palawan. It is the one that has the highest chance of being commercial,” he said.

PNB taps foreign bank to sell insurance stake

PHILIPPINE National Bank, controlled by billionaire Lucio Tan, is considering selling a minority stake in its life insurance unit to a foreign partner.

PNB, the nation’s fifth-biggest bank by assets, is working with HSBC Holdings Plc on the plan, president Reynaldo Maclang said by phone Wednesday.

PNB Life Insurance Inc. is one of the few local insurers without a foreign partner, he said.

Shares of PNB, which has a market value of $2.2 billion, have fallen 2.8 percent this year.

PNB bought a minority stake in the life insurer in October 2009 and now owns about 80 percent, according to the insurer’s website.

The remaining shareholding is owned by other investors including Tan, who has a 10 percent stake.

PNB had a total of 657 branches and 878 ATMs strategically located nationwide as of end-2014.

The bank said net income in 2014 grew 5 percent to P5.5 billion from a year ago, on the back of a double-digit growth in interest income.

PNB’s total consolidated resources expanded 9.2 percent to P625.4 billion as of end-2014 from a year ago. The bank said it continued to improve asset quality as non-performing loans ratio decreased to 0.92 percent from 1.39 percent in 2013. Bloomberg

THURSDAY: APRIL 23, 2015

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BUSINESS business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

Engineering excellence.

Manila Water Foundation and the Science Department signed a memorandum of agreement that formalized their partnership for the first run of the Manila Water Foundation Prize for Engineering Excellence at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel. Shown sealing the agreement with a handshake are Science Secretary Mario Montejo (second from left) and Manila Water Foundation chairman Gerardo Ablaza Jr. (third from left).

With them are Science undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara (left) and Manila Water Foundation president Ferdinand dela Cruz (right).

EU lifts threat of fishing ban

By Vito Barcelo

THE European Union has lifted its warning issued against the Philippines and South Korea in 2014 about fishing regulation, after both countries improved their legal systems to tackle illegal fishing.

The European Commission, the administrative body of EU, said in a statement it revoked the yellow card warning issued to the Philip-

pines in June 2014, regarding measures to fight illegal fishing.

The EC issued the “yellow card” formal notice to the Philippines on

REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS

LUNGSOD NG MAKATI Bids and Awards Committee J.P. Rizal St. corner F. Zobel St., Makati City Tel. No. 870-1000 Fax No. 899-8988 www.makati.gov.ph

INVITATION TO BID NO.

1.

NAME OF PROJECT AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

IMPLEMENTING OFFICE

APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT (ABC)

1

18 units Brand New Patrol Motorcycles (71Hp) for the use of Makati City Police Department

OM

P7,859,988.00

2

16 units Brand New Patrol Motorcycles (27.6Hp) for the use of Makati City Police Department

OM

P3,920,000.00

3

Summer In-Service Training of Teachers under Project TEACH

DEP-ED

P7,499,920.50

4

Cakes for Birthdays of Senior Citizens, Golden Wedding Anniversaries and Centenarians for year 2015

MSWD

P4,852,282.75

The MAKATI CITY GOVERNMENT, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites interested bidders to apply for eligibility and to bid for the above projects, with Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) indicated, inclusive of all taxes, such as, but not limited to, value added tax (VAT), income tax, local taxes and other fiscal levies.

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at Bid Opening.

2.

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

3.

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 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

4.

A complete set of Bidding Documents will be available one (1) day after posting / publication of the above projects up to Closing Date (before the deadline of the submission of bids),weekdays only from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount stated on the issued order of payment to the City Government of Makati Cashier.

5.

The BAC will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on April 30, 2015 (02:00 P.M.) at PiodelPilar Conference Room, 21st floor, New Makati City Hall Building, F. Zobel Street, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City to discuss Eligibility Requirements and the Technical and Financial Components of these projects. However, only those interested Bidders who have purchased the Bidding Documents are allowed to raise and submit queries or clarifications regarding the Bidding Documents.

6.

Deadline of Submission of Bids shall be on or before May 12, 2015 (02:00 P.M.), atPio del Pilar Conference Room, 21st floor, New Makati City Hall Building, F. Zobel Street, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City.

Opening of Bids shall be on May 12, 2015 (02:00 P.M.), at Pio del Pilar Conference Room, 21st floor, New Makati City Hall Building, F. Zobel Street, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City.

7.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the said address. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8.

The MAKATI CITY GOVERNMENT reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, or to reduce the corresponding ABC and Terms of Reference (TOR), without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please visit or contact:

(Sgd.) MS. VISSIA MARIE P. ALDON Chairperson (TS-Apr. 23, 2015)

BAC SECRETARIAT OFFICE Makati City Government 9th Floor, New Makati City Hall Building F. Zobel Street, Brgy.Poblacion, Makati City Tel. No. 870-1000 loc. 1331; Fax No. 899-8988 website: www.makati.gov.ph

June 10, 2014 and advised the country to fulfill its commitment in deterring and preventing IUU fishing to avoid the possibility of being identified as a non-cooperating country in the international fight against IUUF. A yellow card is one step before trade sanctions will be imposed.

“Today, the European Commission has revoked the warning yellow card issued to the Philippines in June 2014 regarding measures to fight illegal fishing. The EU acknowledges Philippines’ efforts to partner up with us in fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,” the EC said.

European Commissioner for environment, maritime affairs and fisheries Karmenu Vella said the Philippines has taken responsible action, amended its legal systems and switched to a

proactive approach against illegal fishing.

The European Commission said Korea and the Philippines had carried out appropriate reforms of their legal systems and were now equipped to tackle illegal fishing.

EU is the world’s biggest fish importer. The Philippines exported P9.4 billion (165 million euros) worth of fish products to the EU in 2013.

“Achievements made by the Philippines include the adoption of a new Fisheries Code with a deterrent scheme of sanctions, the improvement of the traceability and catch certification schemes, reinforced cooperation with Papua New Guinea for inspection and control and coverage of the activities of the long distant fleet operating beyond Philippines waters,” the statement said.

EU ambassador to the Philippines Guy Ledoux said the recognition meant the “identification” procedure that had started with a yellow card in June 2014 was stopped, the yellow card revoked, after the good work done by the Philippines government and Congress.

The Agriculture Department welcomed the EU decision and committed to put an end to unsustainable fishing practices which compromise not only the country’s marine resources but also the longterm livelihood of around 1.8 million fishery stakeholders.

“The department is pleased with this development as it formally recognizes the government’s serious efforts to prevent and eliminate all forms of fisheries resource abuse,” said Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala.

Japanese companies explore PH

By Othel V. Campos J APANESE companies are exploring investment opportunities in the Philippines, as they seek new destinations for investments outside China.

Members of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry met Wednesday to exchange views and discuss business opportunities between the two countries.

The PCCIJ said the Philippines was now getting more attention from Japanese small and medium enterprises as well as real estate investors.

Most members of PCCIJ shared notes on economic and market updates particularly

The Philippines is now getting more attention from Japanese small and medium enterprises.

on foreign direct investments.

The PCCIJ sad the tourism activities between Japan and the Philippines had started improving since the Japanese government implemented measures that relaxed temporary visa processing.

The PCCIJ became an affiliate member of PCCI on June 9, 1976.

The group has also become a window for investment opportunities to the Philippines

by Japanese companies.

Chairmanship of the group has been shared among Filipino and Japanese members.

The current president is Kan Shigematsu who is the managing director of the Philippine National Bank in Tokyo.

The group now has 27 corporate members that include Philippine companies like the Philippine Airlines, ABSCBN, Philippine National Bank, Metrobank and ASJAyala System Japan while Japanese companies are mostly SMEs that are interested to go into partnership with Philippine counterparts.

It also has eight individual Filipino and Japanese members.

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WORLD

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Remorse, but no apology from Abe JAKARTA—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed “deep remorse” Wednesday for Japan’s World War II aggression at a summit attended by Asian leaders, but stopped short of repeating previous apologies in a move that risks angering Beijing and Seoul.

However, there were also signs of a thaw with China, with Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping shaking hands as the summit in Indonesia got under way and a Tokyo official saying that the ground was being laid for the pair to meet on the sidelines.

A new meeting would be a significant step towards easing long-running tensions over Tokyo’s wartime past and territorial disputes.

The leaders have only met once before, at a summit in November last year in China, where they shared an awkward handshake, but have never had a formal sit-down.

The speech by Abe, a strident nationalist, at the Asia-Africa Summit in Jakarta was being closely watched for clues about a statement he is due to make later this year marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Observers are waiting to see whether he will make direct reference to his country’s “colonial rule and aggression” and express “remorse” and apologize, as previous premiers did on the 50th and 60th anniversaries.

He suggested in a TV interview this week he will not repeat a formal apology in that statement.

For China and South Korea, which suffered under the yoke of Japan’s imperial ambition, Abe’s language is a crucial marker of Tokyo’s acceptance of guilt for its march across Asia in the 1930s and 1940s, which left millions dead.

AFP

Crash site. Nepalese rescue workers gather at the site of a bus accident in Jhyaprekhola in Dhading district, some 25 kms from the capital Kathmandu, on April 22. Seventeen Indian pilgrims were killed when a bus swerved off a highway in central Nepal and plunged 300 meters down a mountain, police said. AFP

No concessions to HK’s pro-democracy activists HONG KONG—Hong Kong’s government Wednesday announced a road map for leadership elections that offered no concessions to the city’s democracy camp—prompting a backlash from opposition lawmakers and warnings of more street protests.

Deputy leader Carrie Lam said the first-ever public vote for the post of chief executive in 2017 would be held in “strict compliance” with a ruling by China’s National People’s Congress last August.

That ruling stated that candidates for chief executive must first be approved by a loyalist committee, a decision that sparked more than two months of mass rallies which paralyzed the city towards the end of last year.

Activists branded Beijing’s framework— universal suffrage based on preselected candidates—as “fake democracy”.

Analysts warned that protesters would likely mobilize once more if the bill is passed in the coming months.

Student leaders have already mooted the idea of an “Occupy Legco” movement to take

over the legislature if the bill goes through.

“We are totally disappointed with the political reform package,” said Joshua Wong, the teenage face of the protest movement.

He added that it was the “responsibility of the young generation” to oppose elections which stuck to Beijing’s restrictions.

The small number of tents that have remained on a road next to the government headquarters since the end of last year’s protests have swelled in recent weeks.

Lam said that voters in 2017 would choose from two to three candidates selected by a 1,200-strong nominating committee.

That committee would reflect the current make-up of the pro-Beijing election committee, which up until now has chosen the city’s leader, she said.

AFP

‘Bully’ PM apologizes for pulling waitress’ hair WELLINGTON—New Zealand Prime Minister John Key publicly apologized Wednesday to a waitress who labeled him a “schoolyard bully” for repeatedly pulling her ponytail on visits to her cafe.

As women’s groups expressed outrage, Key said he now realized his behavior was inappropriate but insisted he was merely “horsing around,” not acting maliciously.

“It was all in the context of a bit of banter that was going on,” he told TVNZ, saying he apologized and gave the woman two bottles of wine when he

realized she had taken offense.

The unnamed Auckland waitress recounted her story in an anonymous column on left-wing website thedailyblog. co.nz, saying the conservative leader’s actions reduced her to tears.

She said Key persisted in tugging her hair on at least half a dozen separate occasions, even though she had clearly signaled her displeasure and once warned his security detail she would punch him if he continued.

At one point, Key’s wife Bronagh told him “leave the

poor girl alone,” the woman wrote, saying that the prime minister gave the impression “that he just didn’t care”.

“He was like the schoolyard bully tugging on the little girls’ hair trying to get a reaction, experiencing that feeling of power,” she said in the blog.

The waitress said Key eventually got the message and stopped tormenting her in late March, telling her he had not realized how upset she was at his behavior, which lasted for several months.

“Really?! That was almost

more offensive than the harassment itself,” she wrote.

Key won a third term in office last year and is normally renowned for his political radar, enjoying 49 percent support in opinion polls even after seven years in power.

Quizzed on whether he had acted appropriately, the 53-year-old said he had visited the cafe for years and had a fun relationship with staff, including practical jokes.

“It’s a very warm, friendly relationship. In that context you’d say yes, but if you look at it now, no,” he said. AFP

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Branch 140, Makati City IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR ADOPTION OF CARLO JAY ENRIQUEZ DE LINO AND CHANGE OF NAME FROM CARLO JAY ENRIQUEZ DE LINO TO CARLO JAY DE LINO CARPIO,

SP. PROC NO. M-7759

SPOUSES REYNALDO G. CARPIO AND LOURDES D. CARPIO, Petitioners. x----- -------------------x

ORDER This is a petition for adoption filed by petitioners REYNALDO G. CARPIO and LOURDES D. CARPIO, praying that after due notice, hearing and publication, judgment be rendered declaring Carlo Jay Enriquez De Lino as the legitimate child of the petitioners and that his name be changed to Carlo Jay De Lino Carpio.

Petitioners allege that they are of legal age and residing at 2509W One Rockwell, Rockwell Drive, Poblacion, Makati City. They were married on November 16, 1967 at St. Pius X Chapel, Manila. They have two (2) biological children, namely Anne Marie, who was born on September 23, 1968 and Christine, who was born on November 14, 1969.

The adoptee Carlo Jay Enriquez De Lino is the nephew of petitioner Lourdes. He is already of legal age and was born on June 14, 1989 to Carlos De Lino and Norma Enriquez. His parents were married on March 3, 1982. They have another biological child, Cheryl Joy. The adoptee’s biological father, Carlos De Lino, is the brother of petitioner Lourdes. He died on March 9, 2012.

The adoptee, his biological mother and sister, and the biological children of petitioners had executed their respective Affidavits of Consent.

Petitioners also allege that the adoptee started living with them on April 16, 1992. He was then three (3) years old when his care and custody was entrusted to them upon the separation of the adoptee’s parents. Since then, he was treated like a real child of the petitioners and as a real brother of the petitioners’ biological children. They provided for all his material and emotional needs.

Petitioners further allege that they have all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications to adopt under the law.

Finding the verified petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the same is set for hearing of June 25, 2015 at 8:30 in the morning at the Session Hall of Regional Trial Court, Branch 140, 10th Floor, Makati City Hall, at which place, date and time, any or all persons opposed thereto may file their opposition.

The Court Social Worker is hereby ordered to prepare and submit a report on the adoptee, his biological mother and sibling, and the adopters and their children within sixty (60) days from receipt of this Order pursuant to Section 12, paragraph 5 of A.M. No. 02-6-02-SC. The Petitioners are directed to coordinate with the assigned Court Social Worker for the conduct of the required home and study reports.

The petitioners are also directed to furnish the Office of the Solicitor General with a copy of the petition and its annexes.

Let copies of this Order be furnished the Office of the Solicitor General, Philippine Statistics Authority, the Local Civil Registrars of Makati City and Bulacan, Bulacan and the Social Worker of the Regional Trial Court, Office of the Clerk of Court, Makati City.

The petitioners are also directed to publish this Order in a newspaper of general circulation once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks to be chosen by raffle, all at their expense.

SO ORDERED. Makati City, February 12, 2015.

(TS-Apr. 16, 23 & 30, 2015)

(Sgd.) CRISTINA F. JAVALERA-SULIT Judge

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ceSAR bARRIoqUInTo EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world

Wild weather slams Sydney SYDNEY—A storm-tossed ship stuck outside Sydney Harbor with 2,500 passengers on a “cruise from hell” was Wednesday finally able to dock as the city and surrounding areas endured a third day of chaos wreaked by heavy rain and high winds.

Thailand could lose $1b on EU import ban BANGKOK—Thailand on Wednesday warned it risked losing nearly $1 billion a year if the European Union makes good on a threat to ban fish imports from the kingdom unless it does more to halt illegal fishing.

The world’s third largest seafood producer was left redfaced Tuesday when Brussels issued it with a “yellow card” for failing to clamp down on illegal fishing, saying fisheries monitoring, controls and punishments were inadequate and had to be brought up to international standards.

A “red card” and eventual import ban of fish would follow if the kingdom failed to clean up its fishing industry within six months, the EU Commission warned.

Thai Agriculture Minister Petipong Puengbun Na Ayudhya told reporters Wednesday that a ban could cost the country up to 30 billion baht a year ($927 million) in European sales—a shortfall the economically shaky nation can ill afford.

“I am confident that our private sector, fishermen and our fisheries operators are aware that if we fail to solve this problem our fishing industries will be faced with several problems,” he said.

Thailand’s fishing industry accounts for 40 percent of the country’s food exports and is a mainstay of the economy. Its prawn industry is the world’s largest.

But its image has been battered by allegations of ships using human trafficking victims and slave labor, as well as taking illegal catches—practices critics say successive governments have turned a blind eye to.

AFP

Chaos in the city. Storm clouds are seen over Sydney as the city battles cyclonic wind gusts and non-stop

downpours on April 22. Heavy rain and high winds battered Sydney and other areas for a third day, causing widespread chaos, with emergency services dealing with nearly 10,000 calls for help and a “cruise from hell” finally docking. AFP

Australia’s biggest city and regions to the north and south, including the Central Coast and Hunter Valley, have been battling cyclonic wind gusts and non-stop downpours since Monday, with emergency services dealing with nearly 10,000 calls for help.

Three elderly people died in the country town of Dungog on Tuesday, trapped in their homes as flash floods surged through, and police have grave fears for two others missing after a car was swept away by raging waters in Maitland, New South Wales on Wednesday.

“We’ve got a general idea where that vehicle is, but we’re unable to get to it due to the rising water,” local police Inspector Brian Tracey told reporters.

New South Wales state Premier Mike Baird asked the communities worst affected to “hang tough”.

“The weather still remains dangerous and the conditions are dangerous so this is not a time for complacency,” he said, although a severe weather warning for Sydney was later lifted.

“Every community can have this assurance that we will do everything possible we can to help them get back on their feet.”

A handful of homes have been washed away by fast-moving floods, with countless others damaged by falling trees and power lines, which have also crushed cars.

The Insurance Council of Australia said it had received 19,500 claims, with losses estimated at Aus$129 million (US$100 million) from what has been described as a once-in-a-decade storm.

AFP

At least 10 dead in tribal fight over pig SYDNEY—At least 10 people died and several others were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds after a tribal fight over a stolen pig in Papua New Guinea, local media reported Wednesday.

The clash, in the highland province of Hela, erupted between the Wapiago and Tapamu clans, Assistant Police Commissioner Teddy Tei told PNG’s Post-Courier.

Provincial police commander Mark Yangen said a girl aged six and a 60-year-old woman were among those killed.

“The fighting started over a pig. The suspect (who allegedly stole the pig) was arrest-

ed, then the owner of the pig came up with a gun and shot two guys, the relatives of the guy who was stealing the pig,” Yangen told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“From then a fight flared up and four men were murdered at the scene... and two on the other side of the group.”

He did not say when the fight started or explain the other deaths.

Pigs are seen as the most important livestock in the Pacific nation. They are kept not just for income but also as key cultural status symbols, and are central to initiation rites and marriages.

Tei said the pig’s owner, a local councilor who was not identified, and several other people were blamed for starting the fight, which saw school classes suspended and women and children fleeing to a nearby district over safety fears.

He called on the alleged attackers to come forward.

“If they fail to surrender to police, I will come and look for them,” Tei said, while Hela deputy provincial administrator Kope Waiko pleaded for a halt to the fighting.

“We are all acting like pigs if we kill each other just for pigs,” he told the Post-Courier.

AFP

Migrant crisis. Rescued migrants and their children wait to disembark from

the Italian Navy vessel Bettica as they arrive in the Sicilian harbor of Augusta on April 22 . European governments came under increasing pressure to tackle the Mediterranean’s migrant crisis ahead of an emergency summit. AFP

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BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

LIFE

CHILDREN AT THE CROSSROADS JUN DE LEON DOCUMENTS WAR

Renowned photographer Jun de Leon, whose forte is fashion and commercial photography, spent a week in Cotabato taking pictures not of models in long gowns, but the war in the South, and the world around it.

The result is a profoundly raw and touching portfolio of images that will be on show at SM Aura from April 24.

De Leon writes poetically of this photographic journey:

GET MORE CONTENT! INTERACTIVE PRINT

7 days in Cotabato. More than a thousand raw photos.

2 military camps, Afghan the biggest MILF camp and almost all the evacuation sites.

I expected to find anger, sadness, arms stretched out begging for alms. Instead, I discovered resiliency and strength of spirit. And quiet hope....

I entered with just my cameras and a burning desire to understand, conscious of only one thing: War is obscene.

And in the children captured, I found a beauty of soul that nothing can destroy, unsullied even by the ravages of war.

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84 edited photographs narrowed down to a 46-photo snapshot of hearts that mirror Norombai’s. I looked into that heart and found within it a dream too large for it to carry alone.

What do you see in Norombai’s heart? And in yours? #Cotabato #savethechildren

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THURSDAY : APRIL 23 : 2015

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LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE E D I TOR

glweekend @ gmail.com

BOOST YOUR CREATIVITY AT TUSCANY AT MCKINLEY HILL’S SUMMER ART SESSIONS

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his summer, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls is inviting all aspiring artists and art enthusiasts to an exciting art affair filled with fun, worthwhile learning, scrumptious treats and great music!

Launched in partnership with Manila Workshops and Memory Crafters, Tuscany at McKinley Hill’s Summer Art Sessions is a weekend arts and crafts workshop series happening every Sunday beginning April 19 and will run until May 10, from 1PM – 5PM. Summer Art Sessions is open to all arts and crafts enthusiasts and will be led by some of Manila’s finest artists, who will be sharing their knowledge and expertise in a variety of workshops to be held at several restaurants in Tuscany, the burgeoning dining strip in McKinley Hill situated along Upper McKinley Road.

Fun and exciting art activities await those who will register including workshops on the basics of doodling with WeeWillDoodle founder Nelz Yumul at Lucky’s Burger Bar, and Basic Paper Cutting by Hey Kessy at Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes.

Those who are into calligraphy can take part in the Basic Brush Calligraphy class of Mimai Cabugnason, also known as Sharkmaine in the art scene, at Marciano’s, while those who would like to learn how to do their own rubber stamps can go to the Rubber Stamping class by Manila Workshops at Sophie’s Mom.

More fun art workshops await aspiring artists at the Summer Art Sessions including an Acrylic and Oil Workshop by The Artologist at the Sauceria. Meanwhile, Do-It-Yourself guru Nica Cosio will be sharing lessons on how to spruce up one’s own tote bag at her DIY Tote Bag Designing class happening at Sophie’s Mom. Aside from fun and learning-filled art classes, sumptuous dishes and treats will also be served during the workshops. Moreover, Josh Villena of pop band Autotelic will be serenading participants during the first edition of the workshop series on April 19.

Those who would like to join the Tuscany at McKinley Hill’s Summer Art Sessions can register now by logging on to Manila Workshops at manilaworkshops.com or by calling 0926-6167720.

Registration fee of P2,000 per session is inclusive of food, art kits and materials. Limited slots are available per workshop.

Those looking to join Basic Paper Cutting workshop by Hey Kessy can register by visiting www.heykessy.com. While those who want to take part in the Acrylic and Oil Sessions by The Artologist can register by sending an email to theartologist@yahoo.com and by calling 09165673351.

For more information on Tuscany Summer Art Sessions, please call the call the Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Concierge at 709-9888, 709-0888 or 09178380111 or visit www.megaworldlifestylemalls.com.

Megaworld Lifestyle Malls is inviting all aspiring artists and art enthusiasts to Tuscany at McKinley Hill Art Sessions, a weekend arts and crafts workshop series happening every Sunday beginning April 19

ATTENTION FOODIES AND FILM BUFFS There’s still time to catch the films showing at the Spanish Foodie Film Festival, which runs until Sunday, April 26, at Cinema 3, Greenbelt 3.

TRAVELING EXHIBITION

BOTONG FRANCISCO: A NATION IMAGINED WITH A DOCUMENTARY FILM

BY PEQUE GALLAGA

10 to 30 April, 2015 Art Gallery of the People’s Museum and Library Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya After reaching thirteen destinations since its launch in 2013, the traveling exhibition “Botong Francisco: A Nation Imagined” is now on display at the Art Gallery of the People’s Museum and Library in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, from April 10-30, 2015.

The show features 25 reproductions of Botong’s paintings from institutional and private collections. Accompanying these images is a film produced by Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI), and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Peque Gallaga on Botong’s vision and artistry.

This outreach initiative of AFI’s Arts and Culture Division is a traveling version of the museum exhibition held last December 2012 to March 2013 in celebration of Botong Francisco’s centennial birth anniversary at Ayala Museum in Makati City. The exhibition showcased over 40 actual paintings by Botong supplemented by a short film that captured his large-scale works and murals commissioned for public buildings. The film had also been selected for inclusion in the documentary category at the 2013 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

An exhibition catalogue with the same title was also published for this exhibition. Together with the film documentary presentation in each site, the exhibition catalogue also forms part of the educational component for each site. Copies are donated to partner venues for their reference centers and library.

By partnering with malls and centers of education such as universities, museums, and tourism councils, Ayala Museum believes that the life and legacy of the artist will be widely promoted, particularly to students and general audiences outside Metro Manila, where its main building and exhibition spaces are based.

Ayala Museum will collaborate with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) in presenting this traveling exhibition in five NHCP-sites: Rizal Shrine, Fort Santiago, Intramuros, Manila from May 6-31; Museo ng Katipunan, San Juan, Manila from June 5-30; Museo ng Mabini, Tanuan, Batangas from July 3-29; Barasoain Church Historical Landmark, Malolos, Bulacan from Aug. 6-31; and President Ramon Magsaysay House, Zambales City from Oct. 7 to Nov. 3. This partnership with NHCP was initiated with the presentation at the Aguinaldo Shrine, in Kawit, Cavite City, as part of their Christmas celebration in December 2014.

“Botong Francisco: A Nation Imagined” exhibition catalogue and film by Peque Gallaga are now available for sale at the following Fully Booked branches: The Fort (BGC), Alabang Town Center, Rockwell, Greenhills-Promenade and Cebu.

FREE ADMISSION

MUGARITZ B.S.O. Felipe Ugarte & Juantxo Sardon (2011) April 23, Thursday • 12:00nn April 26, Sunday • 1:30pm

EL SOMNI DEL CELLER DE CAN ROCA The Dream Franc Aleu (2014) April 24 Friday • 4:30pm April 25 Saturday • 2:15pm

3055 JEAN LEON Agustí Vila (2006) April 24 Friday • 12:00nn April 25 Saturday • 4:30pm

COOKING UP A TRIBUTE Luis González & Andrea Gómez (2014) April 23 Thursday • 2:15pm April 26 Sunday • 6:00pm

EL POLLO, EL PEZ Y EL CANGREJO REAL The Chicken, The Fish & The King Crab José Luis López-Linares (2008) April 26 Sunday • 3:45pm

TABA, EL JUEGO EN LA MESA Taba, The Game on the Table Pep Gatell & Eloi Colom (2013) April 24 Friday • 4:30pm April 25 Saturday • 2:15pm

NERUA, UN VIAJE A LA ESENCIA Nerua, A Journey To The Essence Iván Miñambres (2013) April 23 Thursday • 12:00nn April 26 Sunday • 1:30pm

FILIPINO FLAVOURED FILMS NAMETS! Jay Abello (2009) April 24 Friday • 2:15pm

REKADOS Paolo Herras (2006) April 23 Thursday • 4:30pm April 25 Saturday • 12:00nn

THURSDAY : APRIL 23 : 2015

LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE E D I TOR

glweekend @ gmail.com

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PROMISES FITZ OCAMPO “All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster’s autobiography” – Federico Fellini Filipino visual artist Fitz Ocampo paints from deep-seated emotion and presents the intimate details of her life through banal yet extremely poignant imagery in “Promises”, her 5th solo art exhibition at the ArtistSpace of the Ayala Museum.

SABEL, LOVE AND PASSION - A MUSICAL THEATER PRODUCTION WORLD PREMIER GALA 30 April Thursday 8:00pm at THE THEATRE at SOLAIRE Inspired by the beloved subject of National Artist Benedicto Cabrera, SABEL, LOVE AND PASSION essays the story of a dynamic young woman who loved, above all, to dance. From the depths of her depression to the glory of her personal triumph, it was dance that helped hold her life together and ultimately regain her soul.

SABEL, LOVE AND PASSION is a highlight of BenCab: 50 Creative Years, a yearlong celebration of BenCab’s artistic milestone.

THE WORKS In the exhibition, Ocampo’s paintings reveal uncanny tableaus of wedding garments and articles, stuffed toys and flowers – objects associated with relationships and motherhood. While these objects are often used to portray bliss from love or innocence, Ocampo sets these familiar subject matter against stark canvasses and harsh lighting, to deliberately bring out the shadows and to ultimately tell her story – the story of a woman who has endured the pain of broken promises (hence the title) and how new promises – the commitment of a mother to her daughter and her renewed commitment to her Faith – were borne to give way to a more colorful life. Her images are very telling: A torn wedding gown, wedding shoes thrown in the waste basket, a set of forlorn stuffed mother, and child teddy bears. The face of the artist’s daughter, which is the only bright image among her works. The artist’s life unravels from the works by simply looking at them.

TECHNIQUE The artist’s approach to painting carries a semblance of the European art style Expressionism which appears in the way the artist distorts reality to evoke moods or ideas and her use of strong contrasts and shadows. On the other hand, her up-close-and-personal slant to creating artworks, which she relates is her way of healing, bring to mind works of Frida

THE GIST’S SUMMER 2015 MIXTAPE

BY ED BIADO We’re almost halfway through the Philippine summer and one of the few things keeping us going is listening to songs that evokes images of the beach, road trips and relaxing with a huge glass of fruit shake. That’s the great thing about music—it has the ability to transport us to a different place and time to escape, if only for a moment, the harsh reality that we’re dripping sweat all over town.

So for your summer listening pleasure, both in the city and wherever your wanderlust takes you this vacation season, The Gist prepared this compilation of hot summer-ready songs that will keep you feeling cool and breezy (or in some instances, hot and bothered).

“Love Me Like You Do” (Ellie Goulding) If you’re making a video of your summer adventures, this song is a candidate to set it against.

It has toned-down moments

and a sing-along-worthy chorus and a lot of quirkiness that Ellie Goulding has become known for.

“Desire” (Years & Years) Years & Years are really bringing house back and I cannot be more pumped up. This song pulls inspiration from all the classics and is distilled to fit the current pop landscape. I love the energy and the breezy summer undertones.

“Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)” (The Weeknd) The Weeknd has a very specific musical style and this song puts that to good use. It’s sexy and incredibly sensual. In summer, the slow-burning and airy track is ideal for lounging around in the early evening.

“Jealous (Bent Collective Remix)” (Nick Jonas) The album version is quite urban but this remix is made for the dance floor. Whether you’re in a

Kahlo, who narrated her life through the use of perplexing symbols in her paintings. Ocampo is quoted saying: “Now, I paint again as a form of healing.

I paint again to celebrate my daughter and our life together. Painting is my life journey towards my own healing.”

ABOUT THE ARTIST Ocampo began painting at the young age of eleven. She dreamt of pursuing a career in the arts but was compelled to take a degree in business due to circumstances.

After earning a degree in Management at Ateneo de Manila University, she spent years helping out in the family business but felt the need to follow her dream of being a painter. From 2006 to 2012, she enrolled at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, USA and took several drawing and painting classes through the school’s overseas online Fine Arts program. Since then and through the help of family and friends, she has joined in group shows, mounted a number of solo shows and won various recognitions for her talent, an honorable mention from an art contest sponsored by the IAF International Art Festival in New York and a finalist of The Artist’s Magazine 31st Annual Art Competition 2014.

ADMISSION IS FREE. Exhibition runs from April 24 to May 6, 2015.

“Haunted (Michael Diamond Remix)” (Beyonce) Think late-night encounters after one too many cocktails. Beyonce really knows how to turn the heat up and this remix, used in the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack (the third song from the album on this list), is a whole lot sexier and more flirtatious than the original.

Two words: Summer. Fling.

“Glass & Patron” (FKA Twigs) Drag culture is the star in the music video for this highoctane cut. It could’ve been a baby-making song if not for its somewhat creepy vibe. It does, however, all the elements of a great summer theme: explicit lyrics, frenetic instrumentation and crazy dance moves.

club in the city or a bar on the sand, this will make you want to grind up against somebody hot.

“Stronger” (Clean Bandit) Minimalist and fresh, playing this perky song on a summer morning can almost guarantee that the rest of the day will be amazing. Give it a try.

“Jubel” (Klingande) This is an old-ish song but it still sounds fresh, thanks to its sunsetsessions construction. There’s also the fact that it’s pretty obscure and not a lot of people know it exists— an undiscovered gem.

“Bitch I’m Madonna” (Madonna) Though it’s not quite inspirational, there’s a generous serving of feel-

good moments in this Madonna track. The beats can easily get you in a party mood, making it a suitable tune to play while you’re preparing for a night-out.

“Love Me Harder” (Ariana Grande and The Weeknd) Even if you’re not an Ariana fan, you can’t deny that this is actually really good. The hints of electro and stomping basslines are obviously The Weeknd’s contribution so you don’t really have to think of it as an Ariana song.

BONUS: “Here’s To Never Growing Up” (Avril Lavigne) I was amazed at how effective this song was in amplifying the “festival” feel of the TV commercial for a local cola brand.

The clip really encapsulates the millennial idea of a perfect summer. So props to the ad agency for coming up with the idea and using this Avril song.

SCAN THIS ICON TO LISTEN TO THE GIST’S SUMMER 2015 MIXTAPE ON SPOTIFY THE PLAYLIST SUBSTITUTES SOME THE TRACKS MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE DUE TO AVAILABILITY RESTRICTIONS.

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LIFE

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

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A GUIDE TO WHAT’S ON AT THE CINEMA THIS WEEK AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

THE DUFF

While the Avengers are on a hiatus from fighting hostile enemies, Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) create a dormant peacekeeping program named Ultron. However, their plan backfires when the self-aware artificial intelligence decides that humans are the real enemy.

R13 In this teen comedy film, Mae Whitman plays Bianca Piper, an intelligent teenager who strives to conform to societal standards of beauty after someone makes her realize that she’s the DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) of her group. Throughout her journey to erase her DUFF tag, she finds someone who loves her just the way she is.

DAY OF THE MUMMY

THE LONGEST RIDE

PG

Jack Wells (William McNamara), who sets out to obtain the famed diamond named Codix Stone, joins a group of archaeologists out to explore the tomb of cursed king Neferu in Egypt only to find himself in a horrifying experience when the mummy of the king returns from the dead seeking human victims.

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FAST & FURIOUS 7

PG In the seventh installment of the Fast & Furious film series, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), and the rest of the crew find themselves being chased by Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) who seeks revenge for what happened to his brother Owen Shaw.

INSURGENT

PG In this second installment in The Divergent trilogy, Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) race against time to find answers while being hunted down by Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet), the leader of the Erudite faction. Tris faces one challenge after another as she unlocks the truth about the past and ultimately, the future of her society.

KID KULAFU

PG Before there was Manny Pacquiao the eight-division world champion boxer, there was Emmanuel Pacquiao the young boy in General Santos City who collected empty Kulafu bottles and was later introduced to boxing when he discovers his natural talent for the sport. This biopic focuses on the life of Manny (Robert “Buboy” Villar) before fame, fortune, and championships; at the time when the young pound-for-pound champion was struggling to help his family.

MISS MEADOWS

R13 An American drama film that follows the life of Miss Meadows (Katie Holmes) a prim and proper elementary school teacher who arrives in a new town every year.

Behind her candy-sweet exterior and impeccable manner hides a gun-toting vigilante who goes out of her way to avenge the wrongs inflicted on society.

R13 Based on the bestselling novel of the same name written

by Nicholas Sparks, the film tells the story of the star-crossed love affair between Luke Collins (Scott Eastwood), a former champion bull rider hoping to make a comeback, and Sophia Danko (Britt Robertson), a college student who is about to start her dream job in New York City. Their conflicting paths and ideals test their relationship but they are inspired by the enduring romance of Ira (Alan Alda) with his beloved wife.

THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER

G Eleven years since 2004’s The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, this sequel, based on the Nickelodeon television series SpongeBob SquarePants, follows the adventures of SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) as he teams up with Mr. Krabs’ (Clancy Brown) nemesis Plankton (Mr. Lawrence) to get the Krabby Patty secret formula back from diabolical pirate Burger-Beard (Antonio Banderas).

WHILE WE’RE YOUNG

R13 A comedy-drama that follows the lives of childless middle-aged married couple Josh Shrebnik (Ben Stiller) and his wife Cornelia (Naomi Watts) who become friends with young hipster couple Jamie Massey (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried) after all their friends start having children. The older pair enjoys the company of the younger pair only to later realize that the latter might not be trustworthy.

YOU’RE MY BOSS

PG Airline marketing head Georgina (Toni Gonzaga) has to work with her boss’ assistant Pong (Coco Martin), but with her bossy demeanor and his laid back attitude, the two don’t get along.

They then swap positions in hopes of sealing an important deal for the company. Going through this change plus their adventures together, the two fall in love with each other, not withstanding their differences.

COMPILED BY BERNADETTE LUNAS

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER IN POST-APOCALYPTIC ‘MAGGIE’

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et in the near future of a post-zombie apocalypse, the independent movie thriller Maggie stars legendary action film star Arnold Schwarzenegger as a stoic, protective father and farmer, who refuses to give up his 16-year-old daughter Maggie, portrayed by Abigail Breslin, when the teenager becomes infected with the walking dead virus – only to confront the true horror and heartbreaking decision he must make before his daughter turns to one.

Says Schwarzenegger, “This is something very new for me, and for the zombie genre. It was so different I didn’t just want to star I wanted to produce, which I normally never do.”

Based on an original screenplay by first-time screenwriter John Scott 3, which made the industry’s 2011 Blacklist for best unproduced screenplays, Maggie marks the feature film directorial debut of renowned graphic designer, commercial and title sequence director, Henry Hobson, as well as the first time Schwarzenegger has starred in or produced a low-budget, independent film.

“When my team brought me this script and told me it was on the Black List, meaning it is one of the best scripts that hasn’t been made, I was intrigued,” said Schwarzenegger. “You’re used to seeing me play the ‘ubermensch’, the action hero bullets can’t seem to hit. In Maggie, I am the everyman, a stoic farmer dealing with the most basic concerns - protecting his family, and savoring every last second with his daughter.”

“In a sea of zombie projects, Maggie stood out.

Instead of echoing the huge global crisis being shown in other zombie projects, Maggie is small scale with a father and daughter in a no name town. Allowing the audience to see themselves in that situation and ask what would I do? The slow turn shines a light into what it means to be human,” said Hobson. “Using it as a disease much like cancer, but with the twist of it being deadly, the stories’ dark progression is marked by the fracturing family life. When everyone around you is touched by it, it becomes difficult to offer the human level of empathy and sympathy. I was intrigued by showing what that could do to a family and their community. How do you support your neighbor when you are terrified of the impact of who they are harboring? I loved the small town setting; the close-knit locale means that the pain of alienation is more real and foreboding. The script painted a picture that was more Days of Heaven than 28 Days Later.”

“At its core, it is a film about a father protecting his daughter”, said Schwarzenegger. “We’ve seen the zombie hordes and machine guns in other movies – it all seems like an unbelievable future.

Maggie makes the disease real by shrinking the world of the movie to focus on one family, in the middle of nowhere, on their wasted farm. When I read it, I knew I had to do it. It is more vulnerable than any role I have played, more real, more emotional.”

Maggie opens May 6 in theatres nationwide from Pioneer Films.

KAPUSO STARS TOUR LUZON Kapuso fans from both North and South Luzon had more reasons to be merry last weekend when some of GMA Network’s sought-after stars joined the annual celebration of the Pistay Dayat and Magayon festivals.

On Saturday, April 18, Bb. Pilipinas 2015 candidate Winwyn Marquez headed to Albay to grace the Ginoo ni Daragang Magayon at the Albay Astrodome.

While on April 19, Sunday All Stars mainstays Aljur Abrenica and Glaiza de Castro were in a Kapuso Fans’ Day in Lingayen, Pangasinan as part of the Pistay Dayat festivities at the Capitol Plaza.

Meanwhile, more Kapuso stars were seen in Pangasinan particularly in San Carlos City and Manaoag onApril 20 and 22.

Joining San Carlos City’s Mango Bamboo Festival were Mark Herras, Louise delos Reyes, Julie Anne San Jose, and Julian Trono, while spicing up the latter’s Manaoag Town Fiesta are Mark, Louise, and Tom Rodriguez.

To know more about the Network’s regional events, follow GMA Regional TV on Twitter and Instagram via @ GMARegionalTV. GMA Network’s presence is felt in Pangasinan when some of its stars joined two local festivals.

The Kapuso stars seen in the province include Winwyn Marquez, Mark Heroism Louise delos Reyes, Julie Anne San Jose, Glaiza de Castro, and Aljur Abrenica

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a farmer whose daughter Abigail Breslin is infected with the zombie virus in Maggie

Maggie is a post-apocalyptic film set when the zombie virus has spread like wildfire

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

DAILY EXPRESS REUNION ON MAY 9

The cast and crew of Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady The Musical read the script before plunging into intensive rehearsals for the musical’s run in May

PETA KICKS OFF SEASON WITH NEW MUSICAL

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alanghita Productions, in partnership with the Philippine Educational Theater Association (Peta), will kickstart first season with Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady the Musical from Carlo Vergara’s one-act play and graphic novel of the same title.

It revolves around the story of two sisters named Mely and Viva, who both yearn to fulfill their dreams.

Their sibling relationship and rivalry become more complicated due to an unsettled past and a budding romance, all in the context of

an ongoing war between the superhero and supervillain teams.

Being a maid is tough enough, but when Mely lands a job under a group of superheroes, she steps up to the unique challenge for the sake of her family.

The musical takes us through the journey of the characters as each tries to find his/her place in the world where superheroes and supervillains exist.

Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady brings back the artistic team behind Zsazsa Zaturnnah ze Muzikal, a massive success

with its multiple stage runs (and a screen adaptation later).

Vergara’s story (he is also the creator of Zsazsa Zaturnnah”), along with the music of Vincent de Jesus (Himala the Musical, Batang Rizal, Juan Tamad), will be brought to life by director Chris Martinez (Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, Kimmy Dora, Temptation Island…Live!).

The cast is composed of talented artists with different theater backgrounds: Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Bituin Escalante and Frenchie Dy, Kim Molina and Natasha Cabrera, Markki Stroem and

Hans Eckstein, May Bayot, Astarte Abraham, Giannina Ocampo, Jeff Flores, Chesko Rodriguez, Caisa Borromeo, Nar Cabico and Domi Espejo, Red Nuestro, Vince Lim and Mikoy Morales, Elliot Eustacio, Red Concepcion, Kakki Teodoro, Raf Bravo, Gab Pangilinan, JC Santos, Brian Sy, Rhenwyn Gabalonzo and Josh Cabiladas.

Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady opens on May 7 and will run until June 7 at the Peta Theater Center.

For ticket inquiries, please call Ticketworld at 891-9999.

PINOY TALENT SEARCH FINALISTS IN ‘ASIA’S GOT TALENT’ Jetstar, the official airline sponsor of Asia’s Got Talent, invites every Filipino throughout the world to come and visit the specially created microsite (www.JetstarAGT.com) and watch a video of the Velasco Brothers, finalists in the 2009 edition of Pilipinas Got Talent, as they represent the country in the very first Asia’s Got Talent and compete with other acts from countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.

Coming so close to winning the talent search title in the Philippines six years ago, the brothers take their act to Singapore with a much improved repertoire, combining an inspired acrobatic dance routine (both solo and coordinated) this time around to compete for the much coveted regional title.

The brothers, whose grandfather pioneered acrobatic shows and performed the first circus act in the Philippines, vow to give it their all in the competition. Apart from helping bring honor to the country, the Velasco Brothers also dream

Jetstar Asia surprised the contestants by flying in their families to Singapore for a much needed moral support in their Semi Finals performance

of reviving the circus company and creating their own Cirque Du Soleil someday.

Find out more about the Velasco Brothers as they are featured online on the Jetstar/Asia’s Got Talent microsite until April 27 as one of five participants in the video of the week. Find out how Jetstar, in an effort to connect the contestants with their families, has organized a surprise visit for the brothers by flying in other members of their family to Singapore for a much-needed moral support and confidenceboost in the Filipinos’ quest for stardom.

Here’s more: Watch the video of the week, answer three questions, and be one of the

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 43 45 46 48 50 53 54 55 57 58 60 65 66 67

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Clydesdale comment 6 Fog or steam 11 Popular movie 14 Listlessness 15 Snow shelter 16 Huge Japanese volcano 17 Bumper mishaps 18 Junta plots 19 Realty ad item 20 Glitches

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Hardhat’s support DOWN (hyph.)

1 Beatty of films He really kneads you 2 Hydrocarbon suffix Medium’s session 3 Quaint lodging Nth 4 Destroy completely Diver’s find 5 Whispers loudly Leave the dock 6 Country parson Golfer Sam — 7 Thrilled Foul callers 8 Positive sign Gardner of mystery 9 Dinny’s rider Ice hockey great 10 More optimistic Vaccines 11 Uta of film Carpe —!

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 12 13 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 30 31 34 36 37 38 43 44 47 49 50 51 52 53 55 56 59 61 62 63 64

Sir — Newton Musical Mel Weirdos Railing support Thought on Video-game pioneer Act glad Earnestly Crestfallen Danger Snakes lack them Mrs. Charles Intended Family of lions Dieter’s lunch Fitting Roof edge Moray catchers Hamster’s kin More peculiar Binchy of best-sellers Bungled Service road Pittsburgh river Cultured fellow However, for short London lav Thunder Bay prov.

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The Velasco Brothers performed an acrobatic stunt on Asia’s Got Talent 2015 Semi Finals 1 and wowed the audience with their breathtaking act

lucky winners of a free trip to Singapore which also comes with a front-row seat to the Grand Final of Asia’s Got Talent, the first ever pan-regional edition of the global hit Got Talent format.

Considered as one of the biggest talent competition in the world, Asia’s Got Talent features some of the region’s most incredible artists as they perform jaw-dropping, mindblowing, and breathtaking performances.

Winners will be provided with Jetstar flights, accommodation and tickets to the Asia’s Got Talent Grand Final Performance show (Episode 9) in Singapore.

Former employees of Philippines Daily Express, a daily that surfaced on May 7, 1972, will hold their 43rd Reunion May 9 at the Great Eastern Hotel on Quezon Avenue.

Organized by the Daily Express Family of Employees Association( DEFEA) , whose Chairman and President are Neal H. Cruz and Mary Jane C. Ortega respectively , the event will bring together employees of the different departments of the newspaper, which existed from 1972 to 1987.

Registration will start at 4 p.m. followed by a program, a raffle draw, games, and merienda y cena.

Still active in media are Jun Engracia and Recah Trinidad of Inquirer; Ching Alano, Ricky F. Lo, Millet Mananquil, Rosalinda Orosa,and Federico Pascual of the Philippine Star; Diego Cagahastian, Pat Sigue of United Daily Press, Evelyn Diao of Filipino Mirror, Enrique P. Romualdez of Malaya, former Press Secretary Marcelo Lagmay, Monica Feria, Resty Perez, Vic Agustin, Vir Lumicao, Weng Ocfemia, Jenny Santillan Santiago, Yvonne Chua ,and Atty. Mel Mauricio, to name just a few.

Dr. Jeepy Perez III of the Commission on Population, Vice-Mayor Babes Evangelista of Candaba, Pampanga, Chito Villanueva, Fred Gabot, Jun de Leon, Leslie Santos, Manny Goloyugo, Noli Yamsuan are also former Daily Express employees.

For details call Jojo Ventura at 0917-425-9268 or AH Reyes at 0916-292-6036.

T H U R S D AY : A P R I L 2 3 : 2 0 1 5

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Rhian Ramos takes the part Marian Rivera left in The Rich Man’s Daughter

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RHIAN RAMOS TAKES OVER MARIAN RIVERA’S ROLE From C8

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The Trial is now available on Sky pay-per-view. The movie stars Richard Gomez and Gretchen Barretto along with John Lloyd Cruz and Jessy Mendiola

fter Kapuso primetime queen Marian Rivera announced her withdrawal from the upcoming primetime drama series The Rich Man’s Daughter, the network announced that Rhian Ramos will now play the role of Jade Tanchingco in the said series.

The actress expressed her excitement on being part of the groundbreaking series and she looks forward to the challenge of playing the role of Jade, “Nagpapasalamat po ako sa GMA sa tiwalang binigay sa akin na gampanan ang role na Jade sa teleseryeng The Rich Man’s Daughter. I look forward to the challenge of portraying the character.”

She will be joined by Glaiza de Castro, Luis Alandy, Katrina Halili, Mike Tan, Chynna Ortaleza, Sheena Halili, and Gloria Romero.

The Rich Man’s Daughter also stars Pauleen Luna, Paolo Contis, TJ Trinidad, Charee Pineda, Stephanie Sol, Al Tantay, Glydel Mercado, Tony Mabesa, and Eva Darren.

It will premiere in May on GMA Telebabad.

HHHHH The country’s biggest stars are sure to heat up your summer as Star Cinema brings its award-winning masterpiece, The Trial, to your cable TV sets. Starring John Lloyd Cruz, Gretchen Barretto, Jessy Mendiola, and Richard Gomez, the film spices up your viewing experience with its heart-melting drama that’s guaranteed to pull heartstrings and move its viewers to tears.

The Trial airs in both standard and high-

definition through SKY Pay-Per-View for SKYcable and Destiny Cable digital subscribers until April 30.

The film follows Ronald (John Lloyd Cruz) – a mentally challenged student, as he goes through a treacherous and traumatizing police investigation that led to a series of court hearings on the rape allegations filed against him by his teacher Bessy (Jessy Mendiola). In the hopes that he is proven innocent, his developmental psychologist, Amanda (Gretchen Barretto), and his lawyer, Julian (Richard Gomez), face an uphill battle when the witnesses and the evidence are stacked against him.

Recognized as one of the best films to come out in the past year, the cast of The Trial took home awards in two categories at the Philippine Movie Press Club Star Awards for Movies 2015. Sylvia Sanchez and Gretchen Barretto both won the Movie Supporting Actress of the Year award, while John Lloyd Cruz tied with Piolo Pascual for the Movie Actor of the Year award.

Intensify the summer heat with this explosively dramatic movie, only on SKY. Enjoy unlimited viewing of this genredefining film for only P149 –commercialfree via SKY PAY-PER-VIEW. SKYcable subscribers can also get instant access to this pay-per-view offering by logging onto www.mysky.com.ph/the-trial. Once subscribers complete the fast and easy registration process, they can watch the film on

their TV within the airing period.

SKYcable subscribers can watch the intrigue unravel on the following channels: Ch. 245 (HD) and Ch. 89 (SD) for those in Metro Manila, CAMANAVA, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan (San Jose Del Monte); and Ch. 703 (HD) and Ch. 23 (SD) for those in Cebu, Baguio, Iloilo, Bacolod. Davao, General Santos, and Dumaguete. Destiny Cable subscribers can tune-in through Ch. 245 (HD) and Ch. 89 (SD).

Only SKYcable provides quality home entertainment with the widest-range of standard and high definition digital channels, with over 190 channels and other topof-the-line services such as flexible subscription options via SELECT; iRECORD that records, pauses, and rewinds live TV; as well as real-time coverage of live concerts and sporting events via FREE VIEW and PAY-PER-VIEW. To subscribe and to know more about SKYcable, log on to www.mysky.com.ph, or call the 24-hour customer service hotlines at 02 381-0000 for Metro Manila, CAMANAVA, and Rizal; 046-484-4701 for Cavite; 049-534-1555 for Calamba and Binan, Laguna; 02-520-8560 for San Pedro, Laguna and Carmona, Cavite; 044-693-5877 for Bulacan; 032-421-1818 for Cebu; 082-3055456 for Davao; 074-442-4841 for Baguio; 034-432-0051 for Bacolod; 033-300-1210 for Iloilo; 035-225-1010 for Dumaguete; and 083 301-3134 for Gen. Santos City.

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ENTERTAINMENT SOURCE FOR MOVIE FREAKS WITHOUT WANG 2

BY NICKIE WANG Who can’t get enough of huge screens, digital surround sound, the smell of popcorn and hot dogs and that comfortable feeling lounging in the theater seat, sipping soft drinks whilst watching the latest release at the movie house?

That’s what you get out of paying more than P200 at a Cineplex in pursuit of a larger than life cinematic experience. But that figure is just the price you pay for the ticket. It does not include the snack and your drink and the cost of travelling to the movie house.

And watching a movie at the theater is exclusive to those who can afford it and since it is usually a group activity, you tend to spend more than what you usually allot for yourself when going out alone.

The point is, the theater is expensive because there are fixed and variable costs involved, which theater owners need to cover – facility, maintenance, manpower and whatnot. That means you are not paying so much for the movie itself. Consequently, watching movies at the theater is a pricey

pastime that if you’re just a minimum wage earner or just a member of the society’s middle class, this hobby is definitely not suitable for you.

However, with the advent of technology and internet connection that’s crazy fast, watching movies is possible and you can do it in the comfort of your home with just a few clicks and keystrokes on your computer, you can gain access to movie archives which collect all kinds of movies ranging from mainstream blockbusters to independently-produced, and from art films to classic titles. It’s an alternative, convenient and frugal way to watch a film without coughing up hundreds of pesos for one single movie at a cinema. Besides, the World Wide Web offers a vast variety of films movie freaks have the option to choose whatever genre they feel like watching. While there’s no shortage of free media, one can even have an option to rewind, fast-forward and pause the movie if the need arises, a kind of function not available of course when you’re in the movie house.

Some websites also offer a catalog of over a thousand films

Downloading movies has become a habit to many movie fanatics. Downloadable titles include Avengers: Age of Ultron , Batman vs. Superman, and the new version of Star Wars

¼w ith the advent of technology and internet connection that’s crazy fast, watching movies is possible and you can do it in the comfort of your home with just a few clicks and keystrokes on your computer

that you can search by genre, newly added, most reviewed, and most popular. At the same time, you can read a synopsis

and even reviews of the film.

Don’t you think it’s a more interesting and engaging way to enjoy your favorite flick?

You would be surprised even YouTube, which known to host a cosmic number of viral videos and homemade footage, now offers movie on demand service for mainstream movies whether they are local, Hollywood or foreign. But amid a legal deal with content producers, there are still occasions, though when a popular flick already made its way to the video-sharing site while the movie itself is still being exhibited commercially.

Now, if you feel guilty that you support piracy by watching copyrighted content on video-

sharing sites such as YouTube or Torrent perhaps, there are plenty of websites where you can watch free movies safe (for your computer or TV), and are legal for you to use like those that fall under public domain, which means it’s free to be downloaded. In that way, you can burn it onto a CD or save it in your hard drive and presto, you can share it with people who have the same kind of interest in movies.

Now, if you feel guilty that you support piracy by watching copyrighted content on video sharing sites such as YouTube or Torrent perhaps, there are plenty of websites where you can watch free movies safe (for your computer or TV), and are legal for you to use like those that fall under public domain, which means it’s free to be downloaded. In that way, you can burn it onto a CD or save it in your hard drive and presto you can share it with people who have the same kind of interest for movies.

The only challenge in watching movies online, you have to wait for popular movies to have their DVD or Blu Ray versions because that’s the only time they can be made available for streaming or download. And if you’re that patient, you would see the advantage of just sitting at the comfort of your own home enjoying a “do-it-yourself ” kind of movie entertainment rather than having a trip to a cinema in a crowded mall.

T H U R S D AY : A P R I L 2 3 : 2 0 1 5

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Christian helps customers with their shopping

Christian as a cashier

Christian at the free blood pressure reading booth

Christian shopping at Watsons

CHRISTIAN BAUTISTA MAKES THE ‘SWITCH’ SIMPLY RED ISAH V. RED Customers at Watsons at SM Mall of Asia last Saturday had a memorable shopping experience, and why?

Who would they see at the cashier’s counter but Christian Bautista who made a special appearance that day..

The newest celebrity ambassador for Watson’s Switch and Save campaign made the “switch” from singer to store assistant for a day, as he greeted shoppers and helped them with their purchases.

“I tried everything, I went from staff, cashier, bagger, gave samples and helped them choose the products, which gives them the best value. I even learned how to properly take blood pressure because Watsons also offers these services regularly,” Bautista told The Standard during a quick chat while he was on a break.

So how was it making the “switch” today from singer to store assistant?

“It was fun! An entirely different experience for me. “At first they were like, ‘Si Christian ba yun?’ and they were trying to make sure it was me, maybe its because of the uniform and the glasses? (laughs) Bautista said it was a welcome break from his hosting duties, promoting his new album, called Soundtrack and readying himself to be the singing mentor for the latest iteration of

the artista search Starstruck on GMA. “Nagulat nga ako when I was asked to be a mentor. I was thinking: ‘Eto na pala ’yung phase ng buhay ko ngayon. Na kuya na ako.’

It’s the giving-back stage.”

He said he was very happy to be the new face of Watsons, “I was actually very happy that they got me since I’ve been a regular customer of Watsons for quite some time now. I’m the only single guy in the group and these guys, Tessa (Prieto-Valdez), Iya (Villania-Arellano), and Patty (Laurel-Filart) are my friends. I’m happy to be with a brand that I respect and trust.”

As one of the country’s most popular singers both here and abroad, Bautista was the perfect choice to promote Watsons oral care line, which he says fits him quite well since he is very particular about oral hygiene.

“Being a singer, I’m very particular about my oral hygiene. So it is quite timely that I’m part of Watson’s Switch and Save campaign, kase When I sing or talk to the press or the fans, your breath should really smell good.”

MAKE THE SWITCH AND SAVE!

“What I love about the Switch and Save campaign is that you get quality products save 30 to 80 percent. It’s nice to know that you don’t have to spend too much on your personal essentials when you shop at Watsons. As a singer I make sure to stock up on mouthwash, toothpaste, charcoal toothbrushes and breath strips and other essentials. I find all these at Watsons, which offers all of these, and these are not just any cheap alternative,

they are good quality that can match those branded items,” he said.

Bautista’s choice essentials include Watsons Charcoal Toothbrush that helps remove bacteria with bristles that clean deep in between teeth and the gumline; Watsons Tartar Control MouthWash to help kill germs that cause bad breath, and prevents tartar for a cleaner mouth; Watsons Breath Strips to keep his breath always smelling fresh and Watsons Dental Floss as dentists recommends flossing at least once a day to achieve optimal oral health; and too keep him looking clean

‘What I love about the Switch and Save campaign is that you get quality products save 30 to 80 percent.

It’s nice to know that you don’t have to spend too much on your personal essentials when you shop at Watsons’ – Christian Bautista, singer-actor

he also makes sure he brings a Watsons twin blade razors for that smooth shave.

From personal care items, beauty essentials, and even medicine, Asia’s leading personal care store now offers a wider variety of products under its own label, giving smart shoppers the choice to save as much as 80 percent without compromising on quality.

With such irresistible deals, the campaign has caught the attention of a several celebrities who have made the Switch and Saved including Tessa Prieto-Valdes, Patty Laurel, Iya Villania and Christian Bautista.

Just like the Watsons’ celebrity ambassadors you too can maximize your purchasing power allowing you to spend more on the things you really want in life. It’s definitely a lot easier to enjoy what life has to offer when you choose to Switch and Save the Watsons way.

Watsons Label believes that with more value from hard-earned money spent on quality affordable products, every Filipino gets more savings to enjoy the other important things in life with their loved ones.

Like Christian, watch out for the other ambassadors Tessa, Patty, and Iya to make their surprise appearances at the Watsons stores nearest you. Drop by any Watsons stores and enjoy more savings with the “Shop to Save” promo. Get a free P300 coupon with a minimum single-receipt purchase of P1500 from the participating Watsons Label products and exclusive participating brands.

Promo will run until May 20.

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