The Standard - 2015 May 19 - Tuesday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 91  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  TUESDAY : MAY 19, 2015  www.manilastandardtoday.com  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

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Poe: Honesty better than experience

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Pinoy nurse convicted for 2 UK deaths

RAILROADING OF BBL BLASTED Next page

Voting on the BBL. Lawmakers raise their hands during the section-by-section voting on the Bangsamoro Basic Law on Monday. MANNY PALMERO

Rockets complete comeback

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Mactan’s Michelin magic

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Pro-govt MNLFs warn of more war A PRO-GOVERNMENT faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) warned Monday that war in Mindanao will continue unless the government ends its colonial policy toward the south.

MNLF central committee chairman Abul Khayr Alonto said the passage of an undiluted Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is key to ending 43 years of conflict in Mindanao.

“The BBL based on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro is our best chance to attain peace with justice and to build a truly genuine autonomy in the Bangsamoro territories.

The Bangsamoro cause is beyond personalities, politics and families. It is the conviction of the souls of the Bangsamoro people, and the BBL passage addresses the historical and social injustices that gave rise to the Mindanao war,” he added.

He warned lawmakers that enacting a diluted BBL will only be “a waste of money” as he pushed for the adoption of a federal parliamentary form of government for the Bangsamoro territory.

“A federation can enhance national unity in diversity, strengthen the mechanism of transparency and accountability in good governance, and usher in a truly equitable development, progress and prosperity in the Philippines,” Alonto said.

Alonto said Congress has the option of crafting a law similar to the formula used when Singapore declared independence from Malaysia to “finally and grudgingly separate the Bangsamoro from the Philippines.”

Another option, Alonto said, is “remedial secession” similar to the restoration of sovereignty and independence of the people of Kosovo.

“All options above stated are through completely peaceful, nonviolent, and democratic processes. There is no need for the Philippine government to wage war on the Bangsamoro from hereon,” he said. – PnA

All or nothing. Groups favoring the Bangsamoro Basic Law mass at the gates of the House of Representatives to proclaim they want no watered-down version of the proposed law. MAnny PAlMero

BBL railroading slammed

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon ramos-Araneta

CRITICS of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) denounced Monday what they described as the railroading of the draft law through the House of Representatives, where the 75-man ad hoc panel backed down on its vow to strike down eight unconstitutional provisions after meeting with President Benigno Aquino III on Sunday.

Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat, the most vocal critic of the BBL, slammed the decision by the panel chairman, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, to put the “working draft” that he prepared to a vote without incorporating many of the amendments proposed by other panel members.

The panel began voting Monday on Rodriguez’s draft, which removed only two of the eight provisions that lawmakers identified as unconstitutional, and leaving six of them intact.

Reports said that the meetings between the President and lawmakers were held in Malacañang Friday and Sunday, and included leaders of parties belong to the pro-administration bloc, deputy speakers, Rodriguez, as well as vice chairmen of the ad hoc panel.

Another meeting was held Sunday night, with lawmakers finalizing the second draft to incorporate additional changes.

A spokesman for the President said Monday he was not aware of the meetings.

“I was not in any meeting and what I know about the meetings is only what I have read from published reports,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., in a text message to The Standard.

“Consultative meetings are held to clarify issues in legislative matters so that both branches may work to achieve common objectives, in

this case, the furtherance of the peace process in Mindanao,” Coloma added.

In the House, Lobregat complained that the panel as a whole had not authorized the chairman or the vice chairman to act as members of the technical working group that was supposed to consolidate all the proposed amendments to the bill.

“So why are you now changing the rules (in the middle of the game)?” Lobregat demanded.

House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares said only Rodriguez and his vice chairmen were allowed to propose amendments to the Palace-supported bill, and that the technical working group was not convened to consolidate all the proposed amendments as agreed.

“That’s beside the point,” Rodriguez replied.

Voting on the Rodriguez draft then began after Misamis Occidental Rep. Henry Oaminal, vice chairman of the ad hoc panel, made a motion to vote it. Thirty-seven members voted in favor of the motion; 16 voted against it.

The Rodriguez draft restored six of the eight provisions that lawmakers over 48 previous hearings deemed unconstitutional, and aligned it more closely to the Palacebacked version of the measure.

The BBL seeks to create a new autonomous region in Mindanao to replace and expand the Autono-

mous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and is the product of peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The draft law came under fire after the Jan. 25 massacre of 44 police commandos by Muslim rebels, including fighters from the MILF. Removed from the Palace-proposed bill was a provision that required the national government to coordinate military movement in the region with the Bangsamoro government. Another provision removed was one giving the Bangsamoro government the primary power to discipline its own officials.

The bill’s provisions creating the Bangsamoro’s own special bodies such as a Commission on Human Rights, Civil Service Commission, Commission on Elections and Commission on Audit were reworded to make them regional offices of their existing constitutional bodies.

The Rodriguez draft retained the Palace proposal to grant the Bangsamoro chief minister operational control and supervision over the Bangsamoro police.

The “opt-in” provision that critics called “creeping territorial expansion” was kept in the draft, but reworded to limit the petition for inclusion in the Bangsamoro to the fifth and 10th year following the BBL’s passage.

Critics said the leaders of the panel decided to retain the contentious provisions after they met the President in Malacañang.

Rodriguez denied there was any connection.

“It was a dialogue for us to tell the President that these are our proposed amendments. It was an exchange of ideas. We impressed on him that certainly, there has to be changes to the bill to get the support of the members of the ad hoc committee.”

President Aquino III had earlier

remined Congress not to dilute the bill too much since it could be rejected by the MILF. Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday again questioned the Palace deadline for passing the BBL. “Why is this being rushed? This is very important,” Marcos said in yesterday’s hearing on the BBL. This was the same question everybody was asking all over the country, he said.

He called the President’s target date a “political deadline” that did not really exist anywhere else.

“We have waited for 43 years for peace. We can wait for months, surely,” Marcos said.

Marcos said the stakes were too high for Congress to pass a faulty BBL. This, he said, would result in bigger problems for Muslims in Mindanao and for the region.

He said that after hearing the positions of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the consensus he gathered was that the MNLF leaders was to view the government’s peace agreement with the MILF in the context of its earlier agreements with the MNLF. “This is not out of pride, but mostly from the concern that the fruits of such long and bitter war... were somehow ignored,” Marcos said.

MNLF leaders also made clear that they were left out of the peace process. They also said that agreements between the MNLF and the government were ignored, he added.

“The Framework Agreement, the Comprehensive Agreement and draft BBL were written as if the Tripoli Agreement and the Jakarta agreement did not exist. And that is why were are trying now to incorporate what gains have been made from the MNLF in representing the Bangsamoro people to the present day. This will require a great deal of examination in our discussions,” Marcos said.

– With Sandy Araneta

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PNoy’s net worth increases to P68m

Ready for school. Staff of Station 10 of the Quezon City Police District prepare classrooms at the Ramon Magsaysay High School in Quezon City for the reopening of classes next month. Manny PalMeRo

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III’s net worth reached more than P68 million in 2014, according to his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

His total assets reached P68,311,644 as of Dec. 31 last year and he had no liability— meaning he had no debts during the period.

His real properties were worth P32,669,827.

Aquino’s SALN revealed he had a residential lot in Tarlac City that was acquired for P718,200, a residential house and lot in Quezon City (acquired for P24,310,760), a

commercial lot in San Juan City (acquired for P7,016,906), an agricultural lot in Tarlac (acquired for P113,750), an agricultural lot in Capas, Tarlac (acquired for P2,818), and a residential lot in Antipolo (acquired for P507,393).

His personal properties included the following: a motor vehicle acquired for P3 million, cash on hand and in banks worth P30,088,988, receivables of P552,829, and other assets worth P2 million.

The President’s personal assets were worth P35,641,817.

He declared he had only one

relative in his SALN: Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV. Reports said Aquino declared a P54.9-million net worth in 2010 and P65.13 million 2011 and 2012. His salary has been pegged at P120,000 a month.

“The increase (of Aquino’s net worth in 2013 to 2014) is attributable to the President’s salary, interest income and a 1/5 share from property inherited from the Sumulong side of his family,” deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said in a text message to reporters. Sandy araneta

Poe: Honesty more important AMLC admits not noticing Jinggoy wealth THE Anti-Money Laundering Council on Monday told the Sandiganbayan it did not raise any red flags on Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada’s bank records before the P10-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund issue in 2013.

Orlando Negradas, the council’s bank investigator, said they did not monitor Estrada’s bank accounts during a hearing at the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division.

He made his statement even as Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the National Bureau of Investigation will intensify its hunt for the alleged dummies of Vice President Jejomar Binay—including Gerardo Limlingan and Eudeviges Baloloy who have been cited for contempt for defying the Senate’s subpoenas to appear before its inquiry on the alleged corruption in Makati City.

She said she expected the Senate to seek the NBI’s assistance in going after Limlingan, Baloloy and 13 other people.

Limlingan, Binay’s alleged bagman, Baloloy and the 13 others were ordered arrested by the Senate’s Blue Ribbon Committee after a recommendation by a subcommittee led by Senator Aquilino Pimentel III. Negradas said an investigation of Estrada’s alleged ill-gotten assets had just been initiated when the Office of the Ombudsman wrote them on Oct. 11, 2013, requesting an investigation.

He said the Ombudsman was then building up charges against Estrada.

“Meaning, nothing from the suspicious transaction reports regularly sent by the banks to the AMLC database triggered the necessity to investigate?” asked Alejandre Dueñas, Estrada’s counsel.

According to Negradas, a newspaper report published in July 2013 was the “triggering point” in initiating the investigation.

Even the sworn affidavits of the whistle blowers had served as the AMLC’s guide on who to investigate, he said.

When asked by Dennis Buenaventura, the lawyer of Janet Lim-Napoles, Negradas also told the anti-graft court that the AMLC did not find any suspicious transactions on Napoles’ bank accounts.

He said they found questionable transactions on Napoles’ bank accounts over the fertilizer fund scam that became news in 2006.

Despite all those, the AMLC did not conduct a probe. Rio n. araja, Rey e. Requejo and Macon Ramos-araneta

By Macon Ramos-araneta

SENATOR Grace Poe, who is being wooed to run for higher office under the ruling Liberal Party banner, lashed back at Vice President Jejomar Binay Monday by saying the country needs “an honest leader” more than experience and competence.

Quizzed if she felt being alluded to when Binay said on Sunday that the issue in this coming election particularly for the presidency is experience and competence, Poe replied: “I do not deny that compared to the many others, my experience in the government is brief.”

But she said honesty was more important than experience and competence.

“You know, they supported... President Cory (Aquino) whose first qualification was her being honest. I personally believe that it is not the length of service that should be the basis but the quality of service and honesty,” Poe said.

Binay, who is running for president under the opposition United Nationalist Alliance, said Sunday the country could not

afford to elect an inexperienced leader in 2016 because many of its problems today were caused by the lack of experience and competence.

Poe said her answer to Binay was simple: honesty coupled with excellent service.

“That’s just a simple answer. Compared to him, I have short government service,” said Poe. Poe, who was chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board before running for senator as an independent candidate in 2013, said she tried to accomplish much during her brief stint in government service.

Asked if she thought Binay possessed the qualities of an honest leader, Poe simply cited the allegations of corruption against him.

She said the Vice President has yet to adequately explain the charges, including allegations of hidden wealth, being hurled against him.

The Court of Appeals recently froze 242 bank accounts that the Anti Money-Laundering Council has linked to Binay.

Binay said only five of the accounts were under his name, and denied having amassed billions of pesos.

“As for me, he can prove (his innocence) if he appears and explains the accusations against him,” stressed Poe. Binay has refused to accept any invitations to appear before the Senate Blue Rib-

bon subcommittee that has launched a long-running investigation against him.

Poe said if she seeks the presidency, she would be comfortable with Senator Francis Escudero as a running mate, noting that the two of them went around the country together in the 2013 campaign.

“He helped us fight during the time of FPJ,” said Poe, referring to her father, the late Fernando Poe Jr., who ran for president in 2004 but lost to former President and now Pamapanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo.

Escudero on Monday said he has no plans as yet for 2016.

“Although Senator Poe and I would sometimes talk about it, sometimes seriously, sometimes in jest—like her I have not decided yet,” he said.

Whether he runs or not, he would support Poe and not Binay, with whom he fell out with after he opted to run as an independent candidate under the administration coalition in the 2013 elections.

He said many things have happened between then and now, including his exclusion from Binay’s party in the 2013 senatorial elections.

Escudero had backed Binay’s vice presidential bid in 2010.

In a separate interview, Senate President Franklin Drilon said Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas III should still be the Liberal Party’s bet for the highest position in the land. – With Rey e. Requejo

Fault line. Volcanologist Renato Solidum Jr. points at a map showing the areas endangered by a fault line in Metro Manila that could trigger a killer earthquake. Manny PalMeRo

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Court: Nab Veloso’s recruiters

By Rey E. Requejo A NUEVA Ecija regional trial court ordered on Monday the arrest of the two recruiters who allegedly duped Mary Jane Veloso to serve as a drug mule of a West African drug syndicate and smuggle narcotics into Indonesia in 2010.

Search for justice. Workers and relatives of the Kentex factory workers who were killed in the worst industrial accident in the country in recent memory picketed the Department of Labor and Employment in Manila to call for the criminal prosecution of the firm’s owners and its subcontractor. EY ACASIO

Padaca charged for not filing SALNs

By Rio N. Araja THE Ombudsman on Monday indicted former Isabela governor Maria Gracia Cielo Padaca for failing to filed the required Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) from 2008 to 2010.

According to the Commission on Appointment Profile and Investigation Report and the certification issued of the Human Resource Department of Isabela provincial government, Padaca was not able to file her SALNs within the deadline set by the law.

Padaca, who was also an elections commissioner from 2012 to 2014, denied the accusations and claimed

that “she was surprised upon being informed by the Human Resoure Department that only her SALNs for 2004 and 2006 were on file.”

The Ombudsman ruled that “under Section 8 of RA 6713, all government officials and employees are mandated to submit their SALNs stating the required information on or before April 30 of every year” and that the “salutary purpose of requiring public officials to submit their SALN is aimed at curtailing and minimizing the opportunities for official corruption, as well as at maintaining a standard of honesty in the public service.”

“It strains belief that from 2007 to 2010, respondent not once tried to obtain a receiving copy of the SALNs

which she supposedly accomplished and transmitted to HRD” as “it is customary, nay essential, as a hallmark of sound records-keeping, not to mention that it is in accord with human experience, to obtain a copy bearing the date and time of receipt cum acknowledgement of the receiving office/employee, for one’s own files of all vital public documents which public officials and employees are required to submit,” the Ombudsman’s decision read.

“It is difficult to fathom how respondent would be unfamiliar with such a practice or that she has not altogether adopted this procedure given her lengthy stint in government service.”

Judge Nelson Tribiana of RTC Branch 37 in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija issued the warrant of arrest against defendants Ma. Christina P. Sergio and Julius Lacanilao who were charged with large-scale illegal recruitment by Veloso’s family.

Tribiana did not provide for bail for Sergio and Lacanilao while Prosecutor General Claro Arellano said the two will be presented to the court, where Tribiana is expected to determine where the accused will be detained.

“Most likely, they will be committed to the provincial jail of Nueva Ecija,” Arellano said, in an interview.

Last May 7, the Department of Justice has approved the indictment of Sergio and Lacanilao for large scale illegal recruitment, a non-bailable offense.

“Finally, with the existence of the three complainants filed by Lorna Valino, Ana Marie Gonzales, and Jenalyn Paraiso, it is beyond dispute that the illegal recruitment undertaken by both respondents are committed in large scale. Hence, the charges against them should be qualified,” read the 18-page resolution penned by Assistant State Prosecutor Mark Roland Estepa.

However, the DOJ earlier said both suspects will undergo preliminary investigation with respect to the human trafficking and estafa complaints filed against them since the other complainants failed to subscribe to their respective affidavits.

“After an assiduous examination of the records of this case, we find that the evidence presented at this stage of the proceedings is insufficient to establish the exploitative purpose of complainants’ recruitment abroad,” Estepa said.

“With respect to the aforesaid charges, the undersigned finds that the evidence submitted by complainants in connection with the charge of violation of Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code is insufficient to charge them in court. Hence, the same should be subjected to further preliminary investigation,” he added.

Sergio and Lacanilao, whom Justice Secretary Leila de Lima claimed were former international drug couriers-turned drug courier recruiters, were accused of duping Veloso into smuggling 2.6 kg of heroin to Indonesia in guise of a new employment.

Napoles asks court for privacy

By Rio N. Araja JAIME Napoles, the husband of accused pork barrel fund scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles, has asked the Court of Tax Appeals to conceal his and his wife’s mugshots since the court has not even determined probably cause to warrant the issuance of an arrest order.

Jaime made the request in a letter he wrote the tax court a week after the government filed 14 tax cases, amounting to P61.18 million, against him and his wife by the Department of Justice.

Jaime was held liable for

P16.47 million in income tax deficiency while Janet was accused of having a tax liability amounting to P44.66 million.

The couple also invested in various corporations including Jimmy’s Bar, Grill and Restaurant Corp, Asia Prime Energy Development and Supply Corporation, Asia Star Power Resources Corporation, RLG Solutions Corporation, Solution Strategies Asia, Manila Polo Club.

The couple were charged for income tax liabilities for the years 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, but the BIR claimed

the Napoles couple purchased several properties, vehicles, insurance policies and club shares during this time.

These properties include apartments at the City & Land Mega Plaza and The Discovery Centre in Ortigas Center in Pasig City and land in Bayambang, Pangasinan and in Kidapawan City.

They also purchased 24 insurance plans, a Ford Lincoln Navigator worth US$5,408, Honda Civic and a Porsche Cayenne.

On March 30, DoJ resolution found probable cause to indict the couple for tax evasion.

Getting ready for school. As the Department of Education launched its annual “Brigada Eskwela” on Monday, members of the Manila Public School Teachers Association march along España Boulevard in Manila to protest the DepEd’s k-12 program. DANNY PATA

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IN BRIEF Military open to Customs plan THE Armed Forces of the Philippines is open to a proposal of the Bureau of Customs to use the warehouses of Camp Aguinaldo as temporary storage for container vans as a means to ease port congestion.

The AFP spokesman said Customs has to make a formal request so that both agencies can discuss how their possible collaboration.

Earlier, BOC chief Alberto Lina floated the idea of using the compound of the AFP’s Logistics Command.

Several years ago, the government toyed with the idea of privatizing or leasing certain military prime assets including portions of Camp Aguinaldo but it was shot down by the administration.

Florante Solmerin

NBI on-line. International beauty titlist Venus Raj files an application for an official clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation during the launching of the NBI Clearance On-line on Monday at the agency’s gymnasium. DANNY PATA

Pinoy nurse convicted for two deaths in UK A FILIPINO nurse in Manchester, England was convicted of killing two patients and poisoning 19 others, the news organization British Broadcasting Corp. reported on Monday.

The nurse was identified as 49-year-old Victorino Chua, a father of two who was arrested in January 2012 for the deaths of elderly patients at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport over the seven-month period between June 2011 to January 2012, the BBC reported on its website.

Chua was convicted of killing Tracey Arden, 44, and Derek Weaver, 83, but was found not guilty of the murder

of Arnold Lancaster.

After killing Arden and Weaver, Chua was found to have injected insulin into saline bags and ampules that were later used by other nurses on other patients at the hospital.

The most compelling evidence found by the police were letters Chua wrote where he was “an angel turned into an evil person” and “there’s a devil in me,” who had things he

would “take to the grave.”

It took the Manchester Crown Court jury 11 days to reach the guilty verdicts for the crimes which the police described as their “biggest case in a decade.”

It took the Manchester police three-and-a-half years to solve the crime after 7,700 police actions, 659 witnesses, a 28,100-page prosecution file and 16,000 items of unused evidence material.

The police said every incident of poisoning at the hospital only had Chua as the common denominator and prosecutors claimed Chua became angry with his patients’ families and

when they questioned his professionalism he decided to take it out on his patients.

Another nurse, Rebecca Leighton, was initially arrested for the crime in July 2011, but the charges were dropped two months later.

But Chua’s defense lawyers argued that Chua was charged only because of the “huge pressure” to arrest someone for the crime and the prosecution could not even establish Chua’s motive for the crime.

Chua’s lawyers claimed Chua was a great nurse and his patients loved him but the authorities later found the letter at his home.

Seair, Skyjet suspended THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has ordered the suspension of the air operator certificate of budget carrier Seair International Inc. and leisure airline Magnum Air (Skyjet) Inc. effective Monday, May 18, 2015.

CAAP cited various safety “observations” following a recent visit by the European Union Assessment Team, which conducted an audit of several airlines from April 16 to 24, 2015.

CAAP Director General William K. Hotchkiss informed Avelino Zapanta of Seair and Capt. Teodoro Fojas of Magnum Air of the suspension order due to various safety shortcomings.

Hotchkiss signed on Friday May 15, 2015 a letter informing the two airlines of the AOC suspension, saying that the results of an assessment visit and investigation made by his office require that the issue be given immediate corrective action.

Eric Apolonio

Comelec offsite hubs in the works

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE Commission on Elections on Monday said it would soon install off-site registration and validation centers in shopping malls nationwide.

The move came about after Comelec chairman Andres Bautista found out that almost 5-million Filipino voters have not yet taken their biometrics five months before the agency closes the voters’ registration.

Bautista noted that registered voters who failed to have their biometrics data taken until October 31, 2015 will have their names deactivated from the list of voters, in pursuant to the Republic Act 10367 or the Mandatory Biometrics Registration Act of 2013.

“May we remind our citizens that this elections is different because if you do not have your biometrics taken, you will not be allowed to vote in may 2016,” Bautista warned.

He said that as of the Comelec latest data, there are 4.7-million registered voters who have yet to have their biometrics registered.

“We are already talking with mall owners so that we can provide more accessible registration venues,” Bautista added.

Voters’ biometrics data include the registered individual’s photograph, fingerprint, and signature.

During the election day, voters must validate their biometrics which will be captured by a Voter Registration Machine handled by a Comelec authorized operator, before individual can cast their votes.

The registration period for new and old voters started May 6, 2014 and will end on October 31, 2015.

Under the biometrics system, voters information such as picture, fingerprint, and signature are recorded on Comelec database to pave the way for the purge of the voters’ list.

On hold. Leisure airline Skyjet (Magnum Air) is one of two airlines whose air operator certificate the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has placed under suspension for safety “observations. The other carriers is Seair International. ERIC APOLONIO

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Task force to expose fire traps

By Vito Barcelo and Joel Zurbano

Workers’ groups on Monday pressed for the Department of Labor and Employment to create a tripartite task force to pinpoint factories that have been violating labor laws and prevent a similar incident in Valenzuela that caused the death of 72 workers and exposed the unsafe conditions many other workers find themselves in.

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said his group submitted the proposal to Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz calling for the outright closure of factories found violating labor laws.

“The lives of Kentex workers are the heavy price for the complete breakdown of government’s

labor laws enforcement and for the employers’ patent disregard to the mandatory laws on wages, social protection benefits and the statutory basic workplace safety guidelines,” Tanjusay said.

The militant Partido ng Maggagawa echoed the TUCP view, saying there are may other sweatshops and possible firetraps in Va-

lenzuela and elsewhere.

PM spokesman wilson Fortaleza demanded the immediate prosecution of the owners of Kentex Manufacturing and its subcontractor CJC Manapower Services in connection with the factory fire.

The TUCP official said the factory workers’ deaths depict the abominable culture of indifference among many public servants and profit-oriented employers to enforce existing guidelines that uphold workers’ basic rights and well-being.

Tanjusay said that Baldoz should form a tripartite “Task Force Valenzuela” (TFV) to conduct a surprise sweep and unannounced inspection of factories and plants in the City of Valenzuela to crack down on sweatshops. “we believe that it now becomes

imperative to verify employer compliance with all existing labor laws and safety standards, fire and building structure standards and to determine compliance with all other city requirements for the issuance of business permits and operational licenses,” he said.

“Justice must now not just be for the Kentex dead and their families but also for the countless workers nationwide who labor under the same pakyawan system or through unregistered and unregulated labor manning agencies, to be deployed without any statutory benefits, least of all minimum wages, into firetraps where their lives are sacrificed on the altar of profits,” Tanjusay said.

The TUCP said firetraps abound in Valenzuela, and the inspections

should begin in the very factory neighborhood where the fire occurred and with those firms also serviced by the unregistered manning agency.

The inspections should also cover those firms that undertook voluntary self-assessments of their labor standard compliance. It is never the best way to enforce labor or safety standards by relying on the mere “say-so” of a very selfinterested employer and factory owner, he said.

Representatives for Kentex gave out an initial P13,000 to survivors and families of the victims as assistance in the wake of the fire, PM said.

But PM said justice for the footwear workers cannot be served by giving P13,000 in assistance to the families.

Phoenix, Eastern set pump price pace

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Against K 12. Members of the Suspend K to 12 and the Manila Public School Teachers of the Philippines conduct a signature campaign calling for the immediate suspension of the K 12 program of the Department of Education. DANNY PATA

Friend Trip: MMDA launches car-pool mobile applications

By Joel Zurbano ThE Metro Manila Development Authority on Monday launched a mobile application allowing carpooling among friends in the social media or people living within the same area and going to a common destination.

The mobile app “Friend Trip” is a free gadget application which will allow Facebook users and those living within the same street, village, subdivision or compound to travel via as a group.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said the project aimed to help ease traffic congestion and curb pollution in Metro Manila. he added the volume of cars and other private vehicles going around town will surely be reduced if mo-

torists and commuters will make use of the mobile app. “we believe Friend Trip will resonate deeply to millions of Facebook users who form part of majority of the riding public,” said Tolentino, adding that it is also the only carpooling handy application that does not involve any monetary transactions.

The public can avail of the mobile application by signing up via Facebook and entering their phone numbers.

The application finds who among their Facebook friends are already using the app. From here, they can choose between being a driver or a rider.

Tolentino said the Friend Trip application only recognizes one’s Facebook friends so that he/she never has to ride with strangers. he added the application gives an option to users to have the MMDA record all their trips.

Two small firms raised the prices of gasoline by as much P0.35 per liter and diesel by P0.15 per liter starting Tuesday to reflect the movement in world oil prices last week.

Phoenix Petroleum Philippines and Eastern Petroleum Corp. issued separate advisories of the price hike. other oil firms have not issued advisories as of press time.

Phoenix Petroleum said the price increase “reflect the continued increase in the prices of refined petroleum products in the international market.”

Phoenix Petroleum raised the price of gasoline by P0.35 per liter and diesel by P0.15 per liter but Eastern raised gasoline prices by P0.30 per liter and diesel by P0.10 per liter. oil prices went down on Friday last week after climbing up earlier in the week. oil prices have been going up recently as traders expect that spending cutbacks will result to curb US crude oil production.

Last May 12, the oil companies raised the price of kerosene by P1.25 per liter, diesel by P1.10 per liter and gasoline by P0.50 per liter.

Prosecution rules revised

Back to school soon. Armed with brooms and dust pans, policemen join the cleanliness campaign Brigada Iskwela, a yearly tradition to prepare public schools for the opening of classes every June.

MANNY PAlMero

ThE Department of Justice has revised the rules of procedures to speed up the handling and resolution of administrative complaints filed against prosecution officials and employees.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima issued Department Circular No. 010 dated March 25, 2015, copy of which was furnished the media last week, which streamlines the process of going after misfits in the National Prosecution Service.

De Lima’s circular adopted the revisions to the Rules of Procedure of the Internal Affairs Unit of the NPS that rationalize the procedure in the handling of administrative complaints.

It also gives “the head of an office” the prerogative to motu propio initiate administrative action against subordinates. rey requejo

T u e s d ay : m ay 1 9, 2 0 1 5

A7

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Butuan still lacks firemen, trucks

By Alvin T. Guanzon

Setting it free. Local environment officials of Dolores town in Eastern Samar release a “pawikan” (sea turtle) they rescued this year. MEL CASPE

Archbishop warns Catholic faithful against fake priest

By Sata Susanne D. Fabunan

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas on Monday warned the faithful against a fake priest going around Pangasinan towns offering to administer the sacraments in exchange for cash.

“Please be informed that we have sought the assistance of the Philippine National Police in Mangaldan to apprehend a certain Right Reverend Eduardo Roxas who has been going around barangays of Mangaldan

and Manaoag offering to celebrate Masses in private homes,” Villegas, who is also the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, said in a memo.

Villegas also asked his fellow priests to tell the faithful about

the impostor and immediately report to authorities if they see him presenting himself as a Catholic priest.

There are three other fake priests reported from the past years: Crisanto Bantigue; a certain Jose Mark Robinson Bunag and a socalled Michael Caadan.

In 2013, former San Fernando Archbishop Florentino Lavaria issued the same advisory to his archdiocese confirming that Bunag is an impostor who has no right to celebrate the sacraments.

Bunag claimed that he is a priest of the Catholic Church of the East but Lavarias said he was not an ordained member of the Roman Catholic clergy.

Aside from Pampanga, Bunag was spotted in Pasig City, Cavite, and Parañaque City allegedly offering to officiate mass in private homes without a valid “celebret”, a document certifying the bearer is a priest and may be allowed to practice as such in the particular diocese he is in.

The Diocese of San Pablo

Laguna on the other hand also banned Caadan after it was revealed that he is also an impostor.

Cadaan was last seen on May 8, 2015 presiding over a funeral mass in the Diocese of Cubao.

Three weeks ago, Villegas made a statement that the Roman Catholic Church may abolish the fixed-donations or sacramental fees among the faithful. This move aimed to make Filipino prelates “more credible” and “more Christ-like.”

BUTUAN CITY- Butuan City Fire Marshall Augustus Caesar Kinaso on Friday said that the city’s fire station, which serves 300,000 residents, only has 46 firemen and has only four serviceable fire trucks.

Kinaso said that the ideal fireman-to-population and firetruck-to-population ratios are 1:2,500 and 1:10,000, respectively.

Going by this ratio, the city should have at least 120 firemen and 30 fire trucks.

This assessment came on the third anniversary of the fire that killed 17 salesladies in a clothing store.

“Our oldest fire truck is already 49 years old, the bulldog type firetruck acquired in 1966,” Kinaso added.

“We are managing the handicap and trying to squeeze in whatever resources are available to us. After all, we are not the only city that lacks fire trucks” Kinaso added.

“What is lacking also is those who will man the fire trucks. Every responding fire truck must have at least six accompanying firemen. In our case, we only have three firemen accompanying responding fire trucks,” Kinaso claimed.

“A fireman’s job is 24/7 because you do not know when the fire will hit the city.

We have to divide into three shifts the 46 available fire personnel we have to give them time to rest and day off also. Thus only 15 actually is reporting for duty in every 8 hour shift,” he added.

Kinaso also lamented that some businessmen in the city do not want to conduct fire drills in their establishments because of its expenses, or time and profits lost.

People’s group wants river declared ecotourism zone

By Johanne R. Macob LINGAYEN—A people’s organization in Agno town in Pangasinan wants the Balincaguing River proclaimed an ecotourism area.

In a letter of inquiry sent to the provincial board, the Agno Concerned Citizens for Ecologically Secured and Sustainable Development, Inc. (ACCESS) of Agno, Pangasinan, through its vice president Lydia Orilla, inquired into the status of its appeal to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for the declaration.

She concluded, “The declaration is needed to ensure the legality of the resource to-

gether with the corresponding security for users and visitors in the area.”

Orilla said people were asking what has happened to the request, citing that the province has received awards for the cleanest, greenest rivers.

She noted that their appeal had been submitted several years ago and the Board had already conducted a committee hearing on it.

These include (1) the conduct an ocular inspection by the board to gain in-depth knowledge of the subject river; (2) the adoption of an ordinance on the matter; and (3) and the inquiry on what plans

or actions the petitioners can offer to the area.

“On the third issue, the citizens submitted the position that they should not be the ones to be asked what do in the area, but proposed the creation of a multi-sectoral group and the conduct of a multi-sectoral consultations once the declaration is made,” said Orilla.

This is “in order to come up with appropriate plan for the area vis-a-vis the corollary adoption by the provincial government of the Balincaguing River Watershed Development Plan, which has been pending for several years,” she added.

Fiesta mode. Thousands of tourists flock to the main roads of Lucban, Quezon to see the celaborately decorated houses. VER NOVENO

T u E S D AY : M AY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA eDITOr

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

eAGLe eYes DeAN TONY LA VIÑA

Ensuring a constitutional BBl

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Our HOuse “PAINFul” is a word that easily comes to mind when we watch our lawmakers vote on the provisions of the Bangsamoro Basic Bill.

Members of the ad-hoc committee on the BBl are concluding their series of meetings on the legislative measure that would carve out for the Bangsamoro people their own juridical entity – a highly divisive issue made more sensitive by the events in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January.

The mode of voting was per page: amendments to the original draft are read aloud and decided on, by a show of hands. later, when the amended proposal hurdles the committee level as expected, it would be subjected to a yes or no vote by all members of the House.

The perception is that the voting is just taking place this week because there were not enough votes last week . The Palace, which wants to pass the measure despite questions on it constitutionality, needed more time to “massage” the lawmakers into voting the way it wants them to.

In the meantime, the public has to learn to trust that the committee members, after ample consultation with experts and stakeholders, amended the right provisions the right way.

We can only look on and watch their boorish ways as they railroad the bill, which the President wants passed at all costs, and at a tight deadline – or else we will have to “start counting body bags instead.”

Provisions aside, the loudmouth, rowdy lawmakers are a dead giveaway to their real intentions. To them, it is not about whether the provisions are legal or fair or sensible, or whether they reflect the will of the people at all. It is about passing something, anything, so that this administration can claim that it had achieved peace where others failed – no matter the quality of that peace.

This is our House--and it is in tragic disrepair, weakened to its foundations by years of corruption and shameless self interest.

An Apology LOwDOwN jOjO A. rObLes I APologIze. I was wrong and I admit it.

The desire of the House ad hoc committee to railroad the vote on the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic law finally matched the passion for the draft measure long displayed by Malacañang Palace. I’m sure the two successive meetings

called by President Noynoy Aquino at the palace with two separate groups of congressmen over the weekend had nothing to do with that.

I’m being facetious, of course. When congressmen stage exercises in take-noprisoners parliamentary bullying like the one on full display at the Batasang Pambansa yesterday, you know the fix is definitely in.

It took some time – and probably oodles of money for congressional projects on the year before a national

election – for the House to come around to the palace’s view on BBl. But, by god, it certainly seems like Congress is now going to make the June deadline (imposed by the palace, of course) to pass the proposed law.

Because passing the BBl is going to affect a lot people, not just make President Noynoy Aquino happy – like, say, the impeachment and conviction of Chief Justice Corona – it looked for a while there like Congress was going to actually act in

A9

I take back everything I ever said in the vain hope that Congress will actually do the right thing.

the interest of the people.

Despite all the propaganda, after all, only 20-odd percent of the people approved of the measure at this late date, according to the latest survey.

Then Aquino decided to bring in the heavy artillery, the figurative counterparts of the big guns whose use he would not authorize to save the beleaguered 44 members of the Special Action Force in Maguindanao last January. The President met with committee members, convinced them of the righteousness of his straight path of governance, and voi-

la, the panel ran over any and all opposition to moving the draft law to the plenary.

I know. Congress, almost by definition, is never impressed by motherhood statements – especially if it knows how desperate Malacañang is. This is why, when asked about the weekend meetings with select congressmen, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma can only say that he wasn’t

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-

invited, so he doesn’t know if they happened or not.

(This is why no kid in his right mind ever aspires to becoming presidential spokesman when he grows up. everyone I know who has gotten the job always wishes he had been appointed somewhere else – or dreams of the time when the President notices how hard the job is and gives him a sinecure somewhere.)

5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

CYAN MAGeNTA YeLLOw bLACK

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

The committee was “convinced,” all right. You and I know how, if not how much. *** At this point, it seems about right to mention that the committee chairman, Cagayan de oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, promised us eight provisions in the proposed law that will just not pass, whatever happens. Now six of Continued on A11

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Jocelyn F. Domingo Ron Ryan S. Buguis

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer

Ma. Editha D. Angeles Advertising Manager Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

THe Ad Hoc Committee led by its brilliant and energetic chairman, Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de oro City, votes this week on the draft Bangsamoro Basic law (BBl) that will be submitted for debate and voting possibly next in the House plenary. In my last two columns, I suggested changes to ensure that indigenous peoples’ rights are respected in the law to be enacted. That is necessary so that lumads will not join a petition against the constitutionality of the BBl, increasing the chances that the Supreme Court would invalidate such a law.

In any case, regardless of the issue of indigenous peoples’ rights, the constitutionality of the BBl will surely be questioned. And as the committee and the House votes, they must have that in mind. My fear is that is mistakes are made and the wrong BBl is enacted, the Supreme Court will not only invalidate the BBl but also include even the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. The latter would be so tragic and will set back peace efforts possible for decades.

I actually agree with the Peace Council led by Chief Justice Hilarion Davide: the BBl in essence is constitutional as it is simply an implementation of the relevant provisions on regional autonomy found in Article X of the 1987 Constitution. In a comprehensive and indepth analysis my colleague Janice lee and I undertook (published in full by the Ateneo de Davao and in installments by Mindanews) when the draft BBl was first filed, we concluded that the proposed law contained no patently unconstitutional provisions. In fact, the Bangsamoro that the BBl creates is nothing more than a strengthened Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, one bestowed with the highest form of autonomy but certainly not independence nor even the qualities or powers of a sub-state. Definitely, Congress has plenary as well as specific powers to enact such a law.

Section 18, Article X of the 1987 Constitution provides the basis for the enactment of an organic act for the autonomous region created in Muslim Mindanao, thus this section provides: “The Congress shall enact an organic act for each autonomous Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco-Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

T u E S D AY : M AY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA eDITOr

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

eAGLe eYes DeAN TONY LA VIÑA

Ensuring a constitutional BBl

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Our HOuse “PAINFul” is a word that easily comes to mind when we watch our lawmakers vote on the provisions of the Bangsamoro Basic Bill.

Members of the ad-hoc committee on the BBl are concluding their series of meetings on the legislative measure that would carve out for the Bangsamoro people their own juridical entity – a highly divisive issue made more sensitive by the events in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January.

The mode of voting was per page: amendments to the original draft are read aloud and decided on, by a show of hands. later, when the amended proposal hurdles the committee level as expected, it would be subjected to a yes or no vote by all members of the House.

The perception is that the voting is just taking place this week because there were not enough votes last week . The Palace, which wants to pass the measure despite questions on it constitutionality, needed more time to “massage” the lawmakers into voting the way it wants them to.

In the meantime, the public has to learn to trust that the committee members, after ample consultation with experts and stakeholders, amended the right provisions the right way.

We can only look on and watch their boorish ways as they railroad the bill, which the President wants passed at all costs, and at a tight deadline – or else we will have to “start counting body bags instead.”

Provisions aside, the loudmouth, rowdy lawmakers are a dead giveaway to their real intentions. To them, it is not about whether the provisions are legal or fair or sensible, or whether they reflect the will of the people at all. It is about passing something, anything, so that this administration can claim that it had achieved peace where others failed – no matter the quality of that peace.

This is our House--and it is in tragic disrepair, weakened to its foundations by years of corruption and shameless self interest.

An Apology LOwDOwN jOjO A. rObLes I APologIze. I was wrong and I admit it.

The desire of the House ad hoc committee to railroad the vote on the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic law finally matched the passion for the draft measure long displayed by Malacañang Palace. I’m sure the two successive meetings

called by President Noynoy Aquino at the palace with two separate groups of congressmen over the weekend had nothing to do with that.

I’m being facetious, of course. When congressmen stage exercises in take-noprisoners parliamentary bullying like the one on full display at the Batasang Pambansa yesterday, you know the fix is definitely in.

It took some time – and probably oodles of money for congressional projects on the year before a national

election – for the House to come around to the palace’s view on BBl. But, by god, it certainly seems like Congress is now going to make the June deadline (imposed by the palace, of course) to pass the proposed law.

Because passing the BBl is going to affect a lot people, not just make President Noynoy Aquino happy – like, say, the impeachment and conviction of Chief Justice Corona – it looked for a while there like Congress was going to actually act in

A9

I take back everything I ever said in the vain hope that Congress will actually do the right thing.

the interest of the people.

Despite all the propaganda, after all, only 20-odd percent of the people approved of the measure at this late date, according to the latest survey.

Then Aquino decided to bring in the heavy artillery, the figurative counterparts of the big guns whose use he would not authorize to save the beleaguered 44 members of the Special Action Force in Maguindanao last January. The President met with committee members, convinced them of the righteousness of his straight path of governance, and voi-

la, the panel ran over any and all opposition to moving the draft law to the plenary.

I know. Congress, almost by definition, is never impressed by motherhood statements – especially if it knows how desperate Malacañang is. This is why, when asked about the weekend meetings with select congressmen, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma can only say that he wasn’t

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-

invited, so he doesn’t know if they happened or not.

(This is why no kid in his right mind ever aspires to becoming presidential spokesman when he grows up. everyone I know who has gotten the job always wishes he had been appointed somewhere else – or dreams of the time when the President notices how hard the job is and gives him a sinecure somewhere.)

5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

CYAN MAGeNTA YeLLOw bLACK

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

The committee was “convinced,” all right. You and I know how, if not how much. *** At this point, it seems about right to mention that the committee chairman, Cagayan de oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, promised us eight provisions in the proposed law that will just not pass, whatever happens. Now six of Continued on A11

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Jocelyn F. Domingo Ron Ryan S. Buguis

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer

Ma. Editha D. Angeles Advertising Manager Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

THe Ad Hoc Committee led by its brilliant and energetic chairman, Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de oro City, votes this week on the draft Bangsamoro Basic law (BBl) that will be submitted for debate and voting possibly next in the House plenary. In my last two columns, I suggested changes to ensure that indigenous peoples’ rights are respected in the law to be enacted. That is necessary so that lumads will not join a petition against the constitutionality of the BBl, increasing the chances that the Supreme Court would invalidate such a law.

In any case, regardless of the issue of indigenous peoples’ rights, the constitutionality of the BBl will surely be questioned. And as the committee and the House votes, they must have that in mind. My fear is that is mistakes are made and the wrong BBl is enacted, the Supreme Court will not only invalidate the BBl but also include even the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. The latter would be so tragic and will set back peace efforts possible for decades.

I actually agree with the Peace Council led by Chief Justice Hilarion Davide: the BBl in essence is constitutional as it is simply an implementation of the relevant provisions on regional autonomy found in Article X of the 1987 Constitution. In a comprehensive and indepth analysis my colleague Janice lee and I undertook (published in full by the Ateneo de Davao and in installments by Mindanews) when the draft BBl was first filed, we concluded that the proposed law contained no patently unconstitutional provisions. In fact, the Bangsamoro that the BBl creates is nothing more than a strengthened Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, one bestowed with the highest form of autonomy but certainly not independence nor even the qualities or powers of a sub-state. Definitely, Congress has plenary as well as specific powers to enact such a law.

Section 18, Article X of the 1987 Constitution provides the basis for the enactment of an organic act for the autonomous region created in Muslim Mindanao, thus this section provides: “The Congress shall enact an organic act for each autonomous Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco-Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

T U E S D AY : M AY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

CompetenCe and experienCe ALL speculation on who President Aquino’s anointed will be has brought to fore a EmIL p. lot of questions. juRAdO On the part of the opposition, it’s clear that Vice President Jojo Binay will be it. No amount of effort by the Malacanang and the Liberal Party to demolish Binay’s chances will change his mind.

Binay’s breakaway from the Aquino administration is just a matter of time.

As for President Aquino’s anointed, a lot of speculation has come about with reports that the President met and will meet again with Senator Grace Poe about the forthcoming polls. As a result, President Aquino may just dump Interior Secretary Mar Roxas in favor of Poe, who the President and LP stalwarts believe has a better chance against Binay. Poll surveys show that Grace is already second to Binay while Roxas cannot seem to pick up.

This raises the question: Will the President dump Roxas who gave way to him in 2010 and who settled for the vice presidency?

Here’s another question that would come up if Poe becomes Aquino’s anointed. Does the President truly believe that if she wins, she would be his lapdog and would prevent him from landing in jail for the many “sins” he has committed for the past five years in power? I cannot believe this.

My belief springs from the fact that Grace has shown her integrity and probity when she came out with that strongly worded committee report on the Mamasapano massacre.

I believe that Grace knows fully well that she came first in the 2013 Senate race not because of herself alone, but because she carried the name of movie icon Fernando Poe Jr., revered in more ways than one among many voters. Grace knows deep insider her that she still a neophyte with many more years to learn about the presidency. She also knows that competence and experience are needed to become President because after winning, she must hit the ground running.

It’s a tempting offer, to be sure. With all the resources the government has, the chances of winning are great. I am sure though that Grace knows that she can wait. She can run for the vice presidency instead because she can surely make it.

Besides, may Liberals have already committed to a Mar Roxas presidency. If President Aquino dumps Roxas just like that despite his commitment to the latter, I am sure many Liberals would cross party lines and align themselves with Binay. In my 65 years as a journalist, I have seen this happen many times over.

As for me, I’m still betting on Binay despite the demolition job against him. Competence and experience are vital attributes for the presidency. There’s no subsitute. *** I have been writing a lot about what’s happening at Camp John Hay and the unresolved dispute between the Bases Conversion Development Authority and the developer, Camp John Hay Development Corp. together with some 1,631 investors, who are now facing eviction by tomorrow, May 20, although they were not parties to the case.

As a lawyer-journalist, I know that there are two critical issues involved--the need for government to respect the sanctity of contracts and observance of the law on obligations and contracts on the rights of third parties who are possessors of properties in good faith.

In fact many investors, locators, log cabin owners, unit owners in both The Manor Hotel and Forest Lodge, all sub-lessees, have petitioned the Baguio Regional Trial Courts to stop their eviction. The final ruling of an RTC judge affirming the final decision of the Arbitration Tribunal clearly stated that “as to the list of sub-lessese and/ or vested right holders, they will be governed by the law on obligations and contracts.”

And the Law on Obligations and Contracts, Article 1385, clearly provides that “an order for mutual restitution cannot include properties currently in the possession of third persons who acted in good faith.”

Why then will third persons who acted in good faith, currently in possession of properties who were

TO THE pOInT

maLaYSia’S neW pLanS to Undermine pHiLippine intereStS WHeN the British granted MalayMalaysia says it wants to revive its alsian independence in 1963, they alliance with the MNLF. In fact, Kuala HAIL TO lowed the Malaysians to keep North Lumpur offered to the MNLF the inTHE CHAIR Borneo, which was Philippine terriclusion of Sabah and Sarawak to the tory leased by the Sultanate of Sulu so-called Bangsamoro Republik long VICTOR to a British corporation. Malayenvisioned by the MNLF, and which AVECILLA sia quickly re-named the territory includes oil-rich Palawan on its map.

Sabah. Despite its supposed ownerThese activities being undertaken ship of Sabah, Kuala Lumpur still pays rent to the sultanate by Malaysia warrant the attention of the Philippine governtoday – clear proof that Malaysia does not own Sabah. ment.

President Diosdado Macapagal tried to recover Sabah Why is Malaysia engaged in backroom negotiations with but Malaysia rigged a local plebiscite to make it appear that the Sultanate of Sulu over the future of Sabah when the fate the locals preferred to be Malaysians. After President Fer- of its illegal masterpiece – the BBL (which has serious efdinand Marcos attempted to seize Sabah by arms, Malaysia fects on the future of Muslim Mindanao, Sulu and Sabah infinanced a secessionist movement in Muslim Mindanao led cluded), is still pending in both houses of Congress? Why is by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). When the Malaysia dealing with the Sultanate of Sulu when the latter Armed Forces of the Philippines scuttled the MNLF’s plans, has no power to decide the fate of Sabah without the parMalaysia supported a break-away group, the Moro Islamic ticipation of the Philippine government? Why is Malaysia Liberation Front (MILF). willing to pay a big sum of money for Sabah if Malaysia In 2008, the Malaysian-supported MILF signed the truly owns Sabah? Why is Malaysia offering Sabah to the Bangsamoro Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral MNLF? Domain (MOA-AD) with President Gloria Macapagal-Ar The answers – Malaysia wants to buy Sabah from the Sulroyo. The MOA-AD called for the creation of a Bangsamoro tanate of Sulu at a price acceptable to the sultanate but unacsub-state in violation of the Constitution, and without the ceptable to the Philippine government. This way, Malaysia prior approval of Congress. Stealth characterized the whole hopes to legitimize, once and for all, its illegal acquisition of deal. Fortunately, a provincial government in Mindanao Sabah, and leave the Sultanate of Sulu to do the explaining to challenged the MOA-AD before the Supreme Court, which the Filipino people. After it buys Sabah, Malaysia will offer eventually declared the MOA-AD unconstitutional for being both Sabah and Sarawak to the MNLF – but only if the MNLF a tool for dismembering the Republic of the Philippines. succeeds in establishing an independent Bangsamoro ReAfter that judicial repudiation, Malaysia and its MILF publik, which will require a dismemberment of the Republic minions made a new deal with President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines. Once the Bangsamoro Republik is estabIII. A so-called Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro lished, Malaysia will likely invite the Bangsamoro Republik (with secret annexes) was eventually signed. This agree- to be part of the Malaysian Federation. In the end, Malaysia ment ultimately led to the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will get more territory than it bargained for. Undoubtedly, now pending in Congress. Unlike the MOA-AD, the gov- therefore, Malaysia does not really care about peace in Musernment was unable to keep the BBL a secret from the peo- lim Mindanao. It is only interested in expanding its territory ple and the media. to include several provinces in Muslim Mindanao and the Although many Filipinos were already against the BBL province of Palawan. in 2014, it was the Mamasapano massacre in January 2015 Such underhanded tactics are in violation of internawhich made it both controversial and unpopular. The latest tional law. The Sultanate of Sulu had already assigned its survey says only a mere 23 per cent of Filipinos nationwide right to pursue its claim to Sabah to the Philippine governapprove of the BBL. ment. According to a fairly recent ruling of the Supreme There is the additional obstacle from the Supreme Court, the Philippine government has not abandoned the Court. Considering the grounds upon which the Court Sabah claim. nullified the MOA-AD, experts in Constitutional Law beThe same underhanded tactics reflect the slippery lieve that the BBL will face the same fate as the MOA-AD. character of Malaysia’s diplomatic relations with the PhilIn anticipation that the BBL will be diluted in Congress, ippines. In brief, while Malaysia awaits the fate of the or disallowed by the Supreme Court, Malaysia recently BBL, it undermines Philippine sovereignty by negotiating came out with new plans to undermine Philippine interests. with the Sultanate of Sulu without including Philippine Recently, Malaysia ordered its officials to hold “explor- authorities. While Malaysia openly supports the MILF atory talks” with the Sultanate of Sulu for the alleged pur- in seeing the BBL through, it secretly negotiates with the pose of resolving the Sabah issue. The agenda purportedly MNLF (the rival of the MILF) and entices the MNLF to included a 15 percent share of the sultanate in the gross create another political entity (different from the one in national product of Sabah, power sharing in Sabah, and the BBL) which, the restoration of the Sultan of Sulu as the Sultan of Sabah because it includes ARE WE – supposedly proposed by the sultanate. Malaysia seemed Palawan and some THERE YET? interested only in either increasing the annual rental it pays Mindanao provincto the sultanate, or to pay the sultanate a lump sum for the es in the equation, BOnG C. outright purchase of Sabah. will dismember AuSTERO Back in the 1970s, Kuala Lumpur allowed MNLF gueril- the Republic of the Mr. Austero’s column will resume soon. las to train in Malaysian camps. The ties got strained when Philippines.

Malaysia sided with the MILF, a rival of the MNLF. Now, Continued on A11 not parties to the BCDA-CJHDevco dispute, be evicted? Worse, the notice of eviction was signed by the Sheriff ’s Office, which means that the BCDA has power over them despite the ruling by an RTC judge. Santa Banana, something smells about this.

Sub-lessees, who just wanted to spend their summer months enjoying the cool weather of Baguio, invested in Camp John Hay thinking that their contracts would be respected. Now comes the stateowned BCDA threatening sub-lessees with eviction unless they signed

I’m still betting on Binay despite the demolition job against him.

a Deed of Assignment with the following alarming stipulations: a. To give unconditional irreversible Power of Attorney that we have “NO RIGHT TO STAY IN CJH nor can we take any action against the BCDA. (caps mine) b. To pre-agreeegree that we will appear before any Court or Tribunal to testify against CJHDevco. c. We would have to pre-agree to any future terms and conditions that the BCDA may see fit.

My gulay, this is a mockery of anything held sacred and dear in the Constitution!

T U E S D AY : M AY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

THAILAND’S CRISIS, MYANMAR’S SHAME

MAIL MATTERS PLANE IN PHOTO IS ANOTHER AIRLINE’S

Bloomberg editorial

THIS is to clarify details in your photo and caption dated 15 May 2015 published on The Standard broadsheet and its website.

For one, the photo showed a Boeing 747 with a punctured nose from another airline, not CEB. CEB flight 5J 639 Manila – Puerto Princesa used an Airbus A320. It landed in Puerto Princesa at 5:12PM on May 13, 2015, with a punctured nose landing WHEEL, underwent maintenance inspection and a change of tire, and was subsequently released back into service on May 14, 2015.

Atty. Paterno S. Mantaring, Jr. Officer in Charge - Corporate Affairs Cebu Pacific Air

Malaysia’s.. From A10 Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario should investigate these underhanded tactics and require the Malaysian ambassador to the Philippines to explain why these backroom talks are actually transpiring behind the backs of President Aquino and Congress.

Ensuring.. From A9 region with the assistance and participation of the regional consultative commission composed of representatives appointed by the President from a list of nominees from multisectoral bodies. The organic act shall define the basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assembly, both of which shall be elective and representative of the constituent political units. The organic acts shall likewise provide for special courts with personal, family, and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national laws.” The same section also provides: “The creation of the autonomous region shall be effective when approved by majority of the votes cast by the constituent units in a plebiscite called for the purpose, provided that only provinces, cities, and geographic areas voting favorably in such plebiscite shall be included in the autonomous region.”

The Constitution also provides that the organic act shall define: (1) the basic structure of government, consisting of the executive department and legislative assembly; (2) special courts with personal, family, and property law jurisdiction. Section 20, Article X of the Constitution provides for the powers that the said legislative assembly may exercise: “ (1) Administrative organization; (2) Creation of sources of revenues; (3) Ancestral domain and natural resources; (4) Personal, family, and property relations; (5) Regional urban and rural planning development; (6) Economic, social, and tourism development; (7) Educational policies; (8) Preservation and

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INTERNATIONAL pressure to address a humanitarian crisis in Thailand has exposed another one in Myanmar. Now the world—and especially Southeast Asia—has no choice but to deal with both of them together.

The U.S. and European nations have been urging Thailand to combat human trafficking for some time, and it’s working: Thai authorities recently made several arrests in cases against criminal gangs that smuggle migrants from Myanmar.

In response, however, many of those smugglers are abandoning their cargoes, setting adrift possibly thousands of would-be migrants without food, fuel or water. Regional navies have vowed to turn the vessels away, for fear of encouraging others to attempt the journey.

Countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand should certainly heed U.N. pleas to allow the refugees to land. But this is also the moment to address the trafficking problem at its source.

Many if not most of the stranded migrants are Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar’s coastal Rakhine state. More than 120,000 Rohingya

development of the cultural heritage; and (9) Such other matters as may be authorized by law for the promotion of the general welfare of the people of the region.”

As the Supreme Court has noted in the 2004 case of Disomangcop v.

DPWH: “The need for regional autonomy is more pressing in the case of the Filipino Muslims and the Cordillera people who have been fighting for it. Their political struggle highlights their unique cultures and the unresponsiveness of the unitary system to their aspirations . . . Perforce, regional autonomy is also a means towards solving existing serious peace and order problems and secessionist movements. Parenthetically, autonomy, decentralization and regionalization, in international law, have become politically acceptable answers to intractable problems of nationalism, separatism, ethnic conflict and threat of secession.”

Consistent with this pronouncement of the Supreme Court, the BBL must conform to, these boundaries of the 1987 Constitution. It must not create a separate state within the Philippines nor provide for powers, which are beyond what is granted to autonomous regions. As for a parliamentary system of government for the Bangsamoro, as long as it is elective and representative of the constituent political units, such a system at the regional level can pass constitutional scrutiny even under a presidential system.

While there is no doubt that the Bangsamoro autonomous region can be validly created, a number of clarifications must be however made to the draft BBL in order to leave no space for any misinterpretation. In our paper, Lee and I

have fled Rakhine since 2012, and the pace nearly doubled in the first quarter of 2015. Long considered interlopers imported by the British during colonial times from what is now Bangladesh, the 1-million-plus Rohingya community suffers virulent discrimination in Myanmar. Denied full citizenship, they also face restrictions on their freedom to move, marry and worship; earlier this year, they lost the right to vote.

Conditions have deteriorated steadily since anti-Muslim riots swept Rakhine in 2012. As many as 150,000 Rohingya remain trapped in displacement camps that lack sanitation, sufficient food and proper medical care. It’s little wonder so many are willing to place their fates in the hands of smugglers, who have held some for ransom and sold others into virtual slavery.

The Burmese government has to do much more to reverse this outflow. The easiest place to start, relatively speaking, is by improving conditions in Rakhine’s refugee camps.

While humanitarian agencies are at work again after a one-month halt last year, levels of assistanceremain inadequate. Aid groups are limited by the number of local staff they can employ and other logistical hurdles.

suggested that Congress draft and incorporate a section in the law that would provide a definition of such key terms as “asymmetrical relationship”, “Bangsamoro”, and “exclusive powers”. These suggested definitions should not alter or diminish the rights granted to the Bangsamoro under the draft BBL, but simply aim to couch these terms in a language that will leave no room for misinterpretation as to their constitutional validity. In a position paper we submitted to the ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives, we also proposed to the revisions to certain provisions on natural resources, indigenous peoples’ rights, human rights, judicial review and the justice system in order to allay any concerns of them being beyond the fold of the Constitution.

Our study did point out legal issues related to the core territory of the Bangsamoro and the plebiscite to be conducted in those areas included. In particular, we are concerned with the provisions that allow municipalities and barangays to vote for, and become part of, the Bangsamoro without the participation of the provinces to which they belong may raise issues about governance and jurisdiction. These issues must be approached carefully so as not to violate any Constitutional provisions or Supreme Court pronouncements.

Is it possible to have a BBL that does not violate the 1987 Constitution? With extra caution and the right crafting, including making sure indigenous peoples are protected; I think it can be done.

Facebook: Dean Tony La Vina Twitter: tonylavs

Authorities also need to reach out to tens of thousands of Rohingya living in apartheid-like conditions in isolated villages, largely cut off from aid and access to livelihoods.

More broadly, the government needs to find a way to integrate the Rohingya—many of whom trace their ancestry back generations—into society as full rather than naturalized citizens. The latter are prohibited from owning immovable property, running for office, working for the government, or studying medicine or engineering.

The hardest yet most crucial task will be changing hearts and minds across the country. Anti-Rohingya prejudice unites virtually the entire majority Buddhist population and all political parties. At the least, the instigators of the 2012 riots and subsequent attacks should face trial so that the Rohingya can see that the law protects them, too.

True reconciliation will require years. In the meantime, authorities must at least clamp down harder on hate speech and stop distorting or obscuring the Rohingyas’ generations-long roots in the country. If Myanmar’s neighbors have a duty to care for refugees fleeing its shores, it is Myanmar’s obligation to give the Rohingya reasons to stay.

An apology.. From A9 those eight – including the opt-in provision, in my own view the most onerous of them all – are going to be approved.

The Rodriguez panel, for all its pre-vote bluster, seems to have decided, with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Malacañang, that there is no need to water down BBL as it was drafted. And if you need any more reason to get angry with the committee members, Rodriguez’s broken promise is a very good place to start.

The committee did throw a bone to those who found fault in the BBL, deciding to do away with the provisions on prior coordination with the Bangsamoro on military movements in their area and removing from the new and much more autonomous regional government the authority to discipline its own officials. The controversial optin provision was also rewritten, to set a minimum number of years after the law’s passage before it could be implemented.

But that was as far as Rodriguez and his fellow congressmen would go. They danced around the other controversial issues and pulled parliamentary tricks on people like Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat when he protested the out-and-out railroading.

Congress, for all its posturing prior to the vote, seems to have decided to just take the money and run – for reelection next year. After all, as some of the more candid of these money-mad representatives have told anyone who will listen, there’s still the plenary, the Senate version, the bicameral conference committee and, ultimately, the Supreme Court.

And in the battle for the BBL, only one side clearly has the money – the same one that is paying for the paid full-page newspaper ads, the rent-a-rallies outside the Batasan and all Congress’ projects through whatever name they now call the old pork barrel. And Congress is hard-wired to seek out who has the cash, like pigs searching for truffles in the muck.

I take back everything I ever said in the vain hope that Congress would actually do the right thing and turn down Aquino just this once. I’m sorry I even got anyone’s hopes up, myself included.

Enjoy your damned BBL, is all I can say. After all, you certainly paid for it.

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Djokovic nails 4th Italian Open tennis plum

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland displays his the trophy and waves to his supporters after his win on the 18th hole during the final round at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club on in Charlotte, North Carolina. AFP

McIlroy seals record win at Wells Fargo golf meet CHARLOTTE (AFP)--Rory McIlroy underscored his status as the best golfer in the world on Sunday as he put the finishing touches to a record-shattering triumph in the US PGA Tour Wells Fargo Championship.

The world number one fired five birdies in a three-under par 69, following up his stunning course-record 61 on Saturday to finish with a 21-under par total of 267 -- seven strokes in front of Webb Simpson and Patrick

Rodgers who shared second on 274.

The 26-year-old from Northern Ireland shattered the previous 72-hole tournament record set by Anthony Kim in 2008 by five strokes.

He became the first two-time winner of the event, in which he claimed the first of his 11 US PGA Tour titles back in 2010.

“Everything is firing on all cylinders for me,” said McIlroy, who will now head across the Atlantic for the European Tour’s PGA Championship at Wentworth and the Irish Open at Royal County Down.

McIlroy shook off a three-putt bogey at the second hole. By the time he bogeyed 17 he had built a seven-shot lead.

He birdied two par-fives on the front nine, the fifth and seventh, and birdied the 12th, 14th and 16th coming in.

At 12, he hit his approach shot 132 yards to two feet and tapped in for birdie.

He moved to 21-under with his birdie at 14 and at 16 landed his approach shot three feet from the pin and made that.

“The golf course sets up perfectly for me,” said McIlroy, who rose to third in the US PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings. AFP

ROME—Top seed Novak Djokovic warmed up for the French Open with a comprehensive 6-4, 6-3 victory over Roger Federer to claim his fourth Italian Open title on Sunday.

In the absence of seven-time champion Rafael Nadal, ousted in the quarter-finals, the Serbian produced a near flawless performance on centre court to defend his title and hand Federer his fourth final defeat in Rome.

With Roland Garros a little more than a week away, Djokovic could emerge as the favourite to claim what is an elusive title in the French capital, especially in light of Nadal’s current woes on clay.

The Spaniard has won only one title on the surface this year, at Buenos Aires, and been beaten by Italian Fabio Fognini, Andy Murray, Djokovic and Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka in recent tournaments.

Djokovic, meanwhile, has brought his game to boiling point this week to claim his fifth title of the season and take his head-to-head record over the Swiss ace to 21-18.

On this performance, Djokovic will be hard to beat at the French Open, where Nadal’s bid for a 10th title could be compounded by a lack of top seeding.

Djokovic is on a 37-match winning streak at the highest-level tournaments and after he took his winning streak this year to 22 matches, he said: “The fact I’ve managed to win that many matches in a row ... gives me a reason to believe I can do it again.

“I will keep going as long as I can. I try always to give my best on the court regardless of the tournament or the particular match I am playing.

“This kind of mindset has got me where I am now... and hopefully it’s gonna take me far in Roland Garros. It is and has been the priority of my career.”

The Serbian traded blows with Federer from the opening stages and, at 5-4 ahead, converted his first break of the set with a return winner that clipped the edge of the tramline. AFP

Cebuana Lhuillier Baybay netfest lures over 100 particpants MORE than a hundred young tennis players joined the recent Baybay City leg in Leyte of the Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Championship Series with both familiar and unfamiliar names emerging as winners, led by Samar bet Ma. Delrose Duran, who won the 16- and 18-under titles against the same opponent, local player Jeminah Jabines.

Duran fashioned straight-set victories over Jabines, 6-1, 6-2, for the

16-under crown before winning again, 6-2, 6-3, in the 18- under finals.

Local honor though was salvaged by girls’ 12-under champion Alliah Bandalan, who blanked Maasin City’s Princess Ann Cabarubbias, 6-0, 6-0, and Anica Georgia Cari, who ruled the girls’ 16-under with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over another Maasin City bet Wendelyn Tomon.

Cari also paired with Carina Lu-

frangco to win the 14-under doubles’ event of the leg also backed

by Dunlop Sport as official ball.

Philippine Tennis Association Chairman and Cebuana Lhuillier President Chief Executive Officer Jean Henri Lhuillier remains upbeat at the results of this long-running tennis developmental program he started 10 years ago.

“I have personally seen young and unknown tennis players from

the provinces, who have already made a name for themselves. One of them, Arthur Craig Pantino from Cebu is already training with the Philippine Tennis Academy, which we also support,” said Lhuillier.

Pantino ruled this leg’s boys’ 16-under, prevailing over Zamboanga bet Jose Maria Pague, 6-4, 6-2.

Pague also lost to Hilongos, Leyte’s Rene Yan Jr., in the boys’

18-under finale, bowing down, 4-6, 4-6.

Multi titlist Marc Nicole Suson from Cebu City went home with the boys’ 14 & under title, Rupert Ohrelle Tortal, now campaigning in the 12 & under boys’ after lording it over in the 10 & below the past years, took the crown , while new comer Nicholas Ocat from Ormoc edged out local bet Aeesha Bandalan in the 10 & under finals.

Messi leads Barca to 5th title in 7 years MADRID—Barcelona claimed their fifth La Liga title in seven years and their 23rd overall as Lionel Messi scored the winner in a 1-0 victory at Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

Exactly a year to the day since Atletico won the league in a title decider at Barca’s Camp Nou, the Catalans exacted some measure of revenge to seal the first of a potential treble of trophies this season.

Luis Enrique’s men face Athletic Bilbao in the final of the Copa del Rey on home soil at the Camp Nou on May 30 and Juventus in the Champions League final a week later in Berlin.

“We started 10 months ago with many changes at the club and coming off a season having not won anything,” said the Barca coach.

“We knew it would be a season of transition and we tried to do our best.

We have two titles still to play for, but we already have the one that rewards consistency.”

Cristiano Ronaldo struck his 30th Real Madrid hat-trick as Los Blancos bounced back from their Champions League elimination at the hands of Juventus to beat Espanyol 4-1, but it mattered little as they still trail Barca by four points with just one game to play.

Meanwhile, defeat means Atletico

need just a point on the final day to secure their place in the group stages of the Champions League next season by finishing third as Valencia could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Celta Vigo.

With temperatures at kick-off above 30 degrees celsius, a somewhat subdued start wasn’t surprising, but it was the hosts who had the better openings early on.

Claudio Bravo made a stunning save to palm Jose Maria Gimenez’s header from a corner and the Chilean produced another fine stop moments later from Antoine Griezmann, al- Barcelona’s defender Jordi Alba (right), Barcelona’s Argentinian though the Frenchman had already forward Lionel Messi (center) and Barcelona’s players celebrate winning the 2015 Spanish Liga championship. AFP been flagged offside. AFP

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Cagayan, Army eye finals’ seat Games today 2 p.m. – Cagayan vs Army 4 p.m. – PLDT vs Meralco

Officials and winners are shown during the awarding ceremonies of the Philracom’s Triple Crown’s 1st leg on Sunday at San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite. They are (from left) Manila Jockey Club racing manager Jose Ramon Maboo, Philracom Commissioner Atty. Dondon Bagatsing, Superv breeder Pancho Sopenasky, trainers Fer Aguila and James Figueroa, jockey Jeffrey Bacaycay, Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez, Commissioner Bienvenido C. Niles Jr. and Executive Director Dr. Andrew Buencamino. REVOLI CORTEZ

DEFENDING champion Army and Cagayan Valley face off today in what promises to be a dogfight for the right to face PLDT Home Ultera for the championship at the close of the semifinal round of the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Open Conference at The Arena in San Juan.

The Lady Troopers swept the Lady Rising Suns in their elims faceoff last May 10 but the former are coming off a heart-rending five-set defeat to the Ultra Fast Hitters and the latter are riding the momentum of their three-set romp over the Meralco Power Spikers, both last Sunday.

But records and stats won’t be much of a factor in their 2 p.m. encounter although Army coach Rico de Guzman is expected to bank on his crew of players with vast championship experience as they go up against a Cagayan side going all out for a payback after absorbing a 0-3 defeat in last year’s finals of the Open Conference.

Longshots win 1st leg of Triple Crown LONGSHOTS dominated two Philippine Racing Commission stakes races last weekend, with Superv winning the 1st leg of the Philracom Triple Crown and Wanderlust the Hopeful Stakes.

Both stakes races for elite 3YO Thoroughbreds were held at the Manila Jockey Club’s San Lazaro Leisure Park.

In the Triple Crown held May 17, JENNY ORTUOSTE

THE HOARSE WHISPERER

filly Superv bested 13 others to take home the P1.8 million first prize, fashioning a come-from-behind victory with jockey Jeffrey Bacaycay aboard. Another longshot, Incredible Hook, came in second, followed

by Sky Hook in third and Driven fourth. The time for the mile race was 1:43.4 (24’-25’-26-27’).

Superv (Safe in the USA x Swinging Silver), trained by Peter Aguila, is owned and bred by Kerby Chua, who was represented in the winner’s circle by James Figueroa and Pancho Sopenasky. It is the first Triple Crown win of Bacaycay.

They received their trophies from

Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez and commissioners lawyer Ramon S. Bagatsing Jr. and Bienvenido C. Niles Jr., accompanied by Philracom Executive Director Andrew Buencamino and MJC Racing Manager Jose Ramon C. Magboo.

In the May 16 Philracom Hopeful Stakes, another longshot, Wanderlust, moved up from last place to defeat 10 others.

Partnered with AR Villegas, Wanderlust saved energy in the initial stages of the race and unleashed a strong rally down the stretch to win by a length over the favorite Princess Ella. Cat’s Dream was third

Superv blows away 13 rivals

LONGSHOT filly Superv blew away 13 other entries to win the first leg of the Philippine Racing Commission Triple Crown series for elite 3YO at the Manila Jockey Club’s San Lazaro Leisure Park last May 17.

The full gate of runners broke cleanly, with Superv under jockey Jeffrey Bacaycay taking the lead. They dropped back to third mid-race behind Icon and Sky Hook, rallying at the far turn to grab the lead down the stretch and win by three lengths.

Another dark horse, Incredible Hook, took second, Sky Hook third, and Driven fourth. With two longshots taking both first and second, the forecast payoff was a whopping P5,576. The time for the mile race was 1:43.4 (24’-25’-26-27’).

Superv (Safe in the USA x Swinging Silver), trained by Peter Aguila, is owned and bred by Kerby Chua, who was represented in the winner’s circle

by James Figueroa and Pancho Sopenasky. They earned P1.8 million for their gray filly’s win.

Trophies were handed out by Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez and commissioners lawyer Ramon S. Bagatsing Jr. and Bienvenido C. Niles Jr., accompanied by Philracom Executive Director Andrew Buencamino and MJC Racing Manager Jose Ramon C. Magboo.

Also held the same day was the Press Photographers of the Philippines Cup, won by Milky Way (Art Moderne x Star of Chelsea) ridden by

AR Villegas, trained by Jason Casal, and owned by Paolo Crisostomo.

PPP President Jun Mendoza and his fellow officials and members were present at SLLP not only for their race but also to take part in a Philracomsponsored, Triple Crown-themed photo contest for PPP members. *** In the May 16 Hopeful Stakes also at SLLP, another longshot, Wanderlust, proved to be the best among a field of 11.

Mr. Minister took the lead down the stretch, Cat’s Dream on the rail followed by Thunder Maxx. Wanderlust, under jockey AR Villegas, hung back in sixth position, moving up near the far turn by the rail.

It was a masterful ride by Villegas, whose stealth tactics helped their duo save ground and overtake Princess Ella and Cat’s Dream down the home stretch to win by a meager length.

Princess Ella settled for second, Cat’s Dream third, and Burbank fourth.

Wanderlust (Fort Dignity x Princess Yana) is owned by Denis Gaddi and trained by Nestor Manalang.

In the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office 3YO Special Maiden race held the same day, second pick Caravaggio, ridden by Kelvin Abobo, came from behind to pluck the P600,000 first place purse, beating by 2-1/2 lengths erstwhile frontrunner Erik the Viking, who came in second.

Trial race winner and favorite Miss Dainty was third, and off-the-pace

runner El Nido Island, fourth. The time for the 1,400-meter race was 1:30.2 (13-24’-25’-27’).

Caravaggio (Ultimate Goal x No Day is Lost) is owned by Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur C. Abalos and trained by Jojo Angeles. *** American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile x Littleprincessemma) reigned supreme after slogging through a muddy track at Pimlico on last May 16 to win the 140th Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of the US Triple Crown.

The colt owned by Zayat Stables showed both mud and dirt were as one to him, fashioning a wire-to-wire win and pulling away down to the homestretch to defeat Tale of Verve (a longshot), Divining Rod, and Dortmund, in that order.

It was another victory for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Victor Espinoza, the same tandem who saddled American Pharoah in his winning Kentucky Derby run last May 2.

Side note: American Pharoah’s name was misspelled by a woman who won the Zayat family’s ‘name that horse’ contest and the error went undetected until it was too late to change it. The name of his sire, Pioneerof the Nile, has no space between ‘pioneer’ and ‘of ’ to comply with the 18-character limit (including spaces) of international naming rules. *** Facebook: Gogirl Racing, Twitter: @ gogirlracing, Blog: http://jennyo.net

and Burbank fourth.

Wanderlust (Fort Dignity x Princess Yana) is owned by Denis Gaddi and trained by Nestor Manalang.

“We are glad the races turned out

to be exciting, and the outcomes show the high quality of local-bred runners and the balanced handicapping that racing fans find interesting,” Sanchez said.

Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE Roxas Boulevard Corner Pablo Ocampo, Sr. Street Manila 1004

InvItatIon to BId for tHE SUPPLY and dELIvErY of SUStaInaBILItY traInInGS for tHE aSSEt InforMatIon ManaGEMEnt ProGraM (aIMP) 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 Four Million Pesos (PhP 4,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Supply and Delivery of Sustainability Trainings for the Asset Information Management Program (AIMP) (the “Project”). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

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 Supply and Delivery of Sustainability Trainings 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 May 19, 2015 during office hours.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on May 19, 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: Lot No. Particulars 1 Java Development and MS Office Productivity Training 2 Network, Security and Operating Systems Training with Certification

ABC Non-refundable fee PhP 3,000,000.00 PhP 5,000.00 PhP 1,000,000.00

PhP 1,000.00

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.

6.

The schedule of bidding activities is as follows: ACTIVITIES Posting of Invitation to Bid Issuance and Availability of Bid Documents Pre-Bid Conference Request for Clarification Issuance of Supplemental Bid Bulletin Deadline for Submission of Bids Opening of Bids

7.

SCHEDULE May 19, 2015 Starting May 19, 2015 May 26, 2015, 10:00 am May 29, 2015 (by email) June 1, 2015 June 8, 2015, 9:45 am June 8, 2015, 10:00 am

Bids must be delivered at the 7th Floor, EDPC Building cor. P. Ocampo Sr. St., Manila on or before June 8, 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.”

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-MAY 19, 2015)

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

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Bagatsing triple lifts KIA to victory Game ThuRsDay (AL SHABAB AL ArABI CLuB, DuBAI) 11 P.m. - rAIN Or SHINE vS. GLOBALPOrT

By Jeric Lopez KIA continued to show the consistency it needs to be considered as a very dangerous team.

Hyram Bagatsing knocked down a gamewinning triple with 1.1 seconds remaining to lift KIA to an exciting 85-82 squeaker over NLEX for its second win in the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City last night.

With the game tied at 82-all and ball in hand, the Carnival went to playmaker LA Revilla, who drew attention from the opposing team’s defense, but made

a cross court assist to a wide-open Bagatsing.

The KIA player then calmly jacked up the game-winning trey in the right elbow, giving his squad the lead, 8582, leaving 1.1 seconds for NLEX to try and force overtime.

However, the Road Warriors failed to force an extension as Mac Cardona’s desperation triple went astray as time expired, allowing KIA to complete a come from behind win after it trailed big in the first half.

The Carnival are now surprisingly at fourth place with a 2-1 record, while NLEX fell to 1-3 near the bottom.

NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF MOBILE TRAVEL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. Notice is hereby given on the amendment of the Articles of Incorporation of Mobile Travel Technologies, Inc., shortening the term of its corporate existence and thereby dissolving the said corporation as of February 15, 2013. All persons having claims against the corporation are requested to present the same at its principal office at Unit 1703 Hanston Square, 17 San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City for immediate settlement.

This announcement will serve as a notice to all parties concerned of the legal dissolution of the said corporation.

Signed this 30th day of April, Makati City, Philippines.

NLEX’s Kwame Alexander (left) forces KIA’s Hans Thiele to lose the ball in a PBA Governor’s Cup game won by the Carnival, 85-82.

__________________________ President

( T S - M AY 5 & 12 & 19 , 2 0 15 )

Republic of the Philippines

Province of Bataan Municipality of Limay

INVITATION TO BID ================================================================= The Bids and Awards Committee of the Municipality of Limay through the GENERAL FUND Budget CY2015 invites registered contractors to apply for eligibility and if found to be eligible to bid, hereunder projects/contracts. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Name of Project 1.

Construction of Limay Therapy Building

2. Street Lightings at Priority Streets

Location

Source of FUNDS

Duration

Approved Budget Cost (ABC)

Amount of Bid Docs

Brgy.

Wawa, Limay, Bataan

Gen Fund

150 days

8,233,270.00

Limay, Bataan

Gen Fund

150 days

25,764,170.00 25,000.00

10,000.00

Bidders should have completed within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II, Instruction to bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “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”.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the BAC Secretariat of the Municipality of Limay and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 10:00am to 5:00pm.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Document.

Pre-Bid Conference is on May 26, 2015, 2:00P.M. atLimay Municipal Building.

Bids must be delivered to the BAC Secretariat/TWG Office 2nd Floor, Limay Municipal Building on or before June 8, 2015 until 1:00P.M. and to be opened at 2:00P.M. of the same day at the Multi-Purpose Room, Ground Floor, Limay Municipal Building. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any acceptable forms and in amount stated in Section 27.2 of the Revised IRR of RA 9184. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

Submission of Class “A” documents and Financial Statements at least seven (7) calendar days and the Technical Documents (completed/on-going projects) at least fifteen (15) calendar days before the deadline for the submission or opening of bids.

The Municipality of Limay reserves 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.

For further information, please refer to: RONIE LATANAFRANCIA BAC Secretariat/TWG Office of the Municipal Engineer Limay Municipal Building, Limay, Bataan Tel. No. (047)6138026 (TS-MAY 19, 2015)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

ROMARIO C. PANANGUI BAC Chairman

Pro league asks SBP to ban coach

By Dennis Principe

IT won’t be easy for beleaguered coach Alvin Pua to continue his career outside of the Philippine Basketball Association DLeague.

Already banished by Commissioner Chito Salud in all PBA-related activities, Pua may still be hounded by problems specifically in his attempt to coach in the soon-to-belaunched Countrywide Developmental Basketball League set to open late next month.

Pua has been meted a lifetime ban and a 500,000 fine

by the PBA for punching DLeauge referee Ben Montero in their game against Livermarine Guardians last May 14 at the Ynares Sports Arena.

Days after the incident, Pua’s D-League team Cagayan Valley Rising Suns announced through an official statement that they are set to leave the league and transfer to CDBL. However, a source told The Standard that the PBA is set to request the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to impose a similar ban on the temperamental coach.

“It may not just be within the PBA. Chances are, Pua will be banned in all SBP-sanctioned tournaments. What he did was untenable,” said the source.

The CDBL, a newly formed league, with former PBA coach Joe Lipa as its commissioner, may

also seek SBP’s approval as one of its sanctioned events. This may then make Pua ineligible to coach in the league.

Contacted by the Standard, Lipa said they still have to hear the side of Pua before they act on the application of Cagayan Valley, one of twelve teams that are knocking on the doors of the league.

“We have to hear their side before we render judgment.

As for their team, they are on equal footing with everybody,” said Lipa.

Lipa said Cagayan Valley has actually submitted their application weeks before the punching incident happened.

“I will talk with him seriously. Of course all teams will be scrutinized and we like all the teams to be with us for the long haul,” said Lipa.

Sonsona’s KO punch gets a name

By Ronnie Nathanielsz THE World Boxing Council has described the punch which hardhitting southpaw Eden Sonsona used to knock out previously unbeaten Adrian “Diamante” Estrella as “a lethal right thunderbolt,” which took the world-rated Mexican by surprise.

Replays of the fight showed Sonsona landing an overhand left before nailing Estrella with a perfectly timed right hook flush on the jaw to drop

Estrella, who beat the count but staggered into his corner and fell against the ropes, giving referee Curtis Thrasher no choice but to call a halt at 0:27 of the second round.

The WBC reported that Sonsona, who conquered the WBC International super featherweight Silver title was “aggressive, throwing dangerous punches constantly landing on Estrella,” who tried to turn the contest into an intelligent fight and to box.

The WBC said the Mexican fans acknowledged the performance of

Sonsona, with an “appreciative applause and cheering.”

Sonsona is scheduled to arrive at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

However, he will return home to some confusion over who his manager is as Sonsona was formerly under the management of Engr.

Araja, whose assistant Deo Sotto told the New Standard/boxingmirror.com that they had failed to file the signed three-year contract with the Games and Amusements Board, while boxer signed with a new manager in Francisco Alvarez.

TU E S DAY: MAY 19, 2 0 1 5

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

A15

NCAA signs P240-m pact with ABS-CBN

By Peter Atencio

THE National Collegiate Athletic Association signed a 10-year contract worth more than P240 million with television network giant ABS-CBN. ABS-CBN president/Chief Executive Officer Charo SantosConcio led the contract signing with incoming Season 91 host Dr. Reynaldo Vea of host Mapua.

The league used to have its games aired on TV5.

“Yes, it’s a 10-year deal,” confirmed Santos-Concio at the end of a meeting between members of the NCAA board and a television executives.

A contract signing soon followed and an official turnover ceremony from Season 90 host Jose Rizal to current host Mapua was held at ABS-CBN’s ELJ Building in Quezon City.

League officials were silent about the financial aspects of the deal, but insiders said the NCAA will get more than P20 million in the first year and it will be increased in the coming years.

The deal will reportedly have the league getting around P32 million on the final year of their contract in 2024, which will be the centennial year of the NCAA. “I hope this is the start of a successful partnership with ABSCBN in the years to come. As you know, this is the start of the 10th decade of the NCAA. Our partnership will last 10 years, with the run-up to the centennial year of the NCAA,” said Vea. Season 91 opens with a pair of explosive basketball games pitting reigning “five-peat” seniors’ champion San Beda and host Mapua and last year’s second and third placers Arellano University and Jose Rizal, respectively, on June 27 at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.

The San Beda-Mapua duel is set at 2 p.m., while the Arellano-

Jose Rizal showdown is scheduled at 4 p.m.

Both games will be preceded by an opening ceremony, which is centered in this season’s theme: “NCAA: Engineered for Sports Excellence in the New Decade.”

Dino Laurena, ABS-CBN’s head for integrated sports, welcomed the developments surrounding their renewed partnership following a three-year hiatus.

“We are excited at the prospect of now handling the premier collegiate leagues in the country, which is in line with our vision to help promote sports to our Kapamilya audience especially the youth,” he said.

Management Committee chairman Melchor Divina of Mapua said the league has re-scheduled its games from Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays to Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays with a total of seven seniors games to be played every week.

Games will be shown on ABS-CBN Sports + Action live on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

N OT I C E TO S H A R E H O L D E RS O F AG FI N A N C E I N C O R P O R AT E D (“AG F ” ) RYM Business Management Corporation (the “Bidder”) intends to acquire 183,276,801 common shares of AG Finance Incorporated representing 70% of its total issued and outstanding capital stock from Mr. Tony O. King, Ms. Sharone O. King and Ms. Charmaine King for a total purchase price of PhP280,000,000.00 or approximately PhP1.5278 per share (the “Private Sale Transaction”). To complete the Private Sale Transaction andpursuant to the requirements of the Philippine Securities Regulation Code (“SRC”) and its implementing rules, the Bidder is implementing a tender offer to acquire [78,547,201] common shares representing approximately [30.00%] of the issued and outstanding capital of AGF (the “AGF Public Shares”) from the owners thereof (the “AGF Public Shareholders”), subject to the SEC Form 19-1 filed by the Bidder with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) (“Tender Offer”).

The Bidder shall purchase the AGF Public Shares which shall have been tendered (the “Tender Offer Shares”) by the AGF Public Shareholders (the “Tendering Shareholders”), at the price of [P1.5278] per share (the “Tender Offer Price”), payable in cash (before deductions for customary selling charges of 0.521%of the Tender Offer Price or P0.008 per share. The customary selling charges that will be deducted by the Bidder do not include the selling broker’s commission payable by the Tendering Shareholder, which is subject to mutual agreement between the Tendering Shareholder and its/his/her broker, and the taxes on the commission.

EachAGFPublic Shareholder as of any date during the Offer Period is entitled to sell its/ his/her AGFPublic Shares to the Bidder in accordance with and subject to the Terms of the Tender Offer, which is Annex A to the Application to Tender Common Shares in AG Finance Incorporated to RYM Business Management Corporation (the “Application”).

Scrip shareholders (i.e., shareholders who hold stock certificates) of AGF who wish to sell their shares to the Bidder should complete the Application to Tender Common Shares in AGF Finance Incorporated to RYM Business Management Corporation, (the “Application”) in triplicate and submit the same with the attachments set out below to Lucky Securities Inc. (the “TO Agent”) at the address set forth below, not later than the end of the Tender Offer Period: The Tender Offer Shares shall be deemed accepted by the Bidder on 19 June 2015subject to the conditions that the TO Agent has determined that the Tendering Shareholders shall have submitted the required documents and obtained all the required approvals and authorizations to enable it to transfer the Tender Offer Shares to the Bidders before the expiration of the Tender Offer.

Acceptance of Applications is subject to the terms hereof. The Bidder, through the TO Agent, at its sole discretion, shall have the right to reject any Application that does not qualify and accept qualified Applications at any time before the Tender Offer Shares are sold to the Bidder through the facilities of the PSE (the “Cross Date”). Applications (i) received after the Tender Offer Period, or (ii) that are not properly completed, or (iii) lack any of the required attachments, will be rejected.

The TO Agent will accept Applications on the condition that it is able to verify the signature/ endorsement on AGF stock certificates by verifying the signature on file with AGF’s stock transfer agent, if such is available. The TO Agent will rely on the signature affixed on the Application and on the supporting identification documents or board resolution when it verifies the endorsement of the relevant AGF stock certificates. The TO Agent shall not be required to make further inquiries into the authenticity of the signature. If the TO Agent is unable to verify the signature on the Application or the endorsement of the AGF stock certificate, the TO Agent will also reject the Application.

Tendering Shareholders whose Applications have been rejected, in whole or in part, shall be notified of such fact by the TO Agent on or before 18 June 2015.

All Applications shall be accepted only in the Philippines.

Rejected shares shall be returned in the same form they were received to the Tendering Stockholder’s broker (for scripless shares) or to the Tendering Stockholder (for certificated shares) within three (3) trading days from the end of the Tender Offer Period. Any and all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the return of the rejected shares shall be borne by the Tendering Stockholder.

The accepted Tender Offer Shares are intended to be crossed at the PSE on 25 June 2015 (the “Cross Date”), subject to the approval by the PSE and subject further to any extension of the Tender Offer Period with the approval of the SEC. Any change in the Cross Date shall be announced by the Biddersin The Standard (formerly known as the Manila Standard Today) and Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The settlement date shall be within three (3) trading days after the Cross Date (the “Settlement Date”), subject to any extension of the Tender Offer Period with the approval of the SEC. All accepted Applications shall be settled only in the Philippines.

The TO Agent will act as agent for the Tendering Shareholders for the purpose of receiving the check payments from the Bidder and transmitting the check payments to such Tendering Shareholders. The check payments to be issued to Tendering Shareholders shall be made available by the TO Agent for pick-up by the Tendering Shareholders starting on Settlement Date at its offices.

The executives of ABS-CBN and the Policy Board of the NCAA during their contract signing.

Adamson-Alumni routs NU, seals title duel with Chikara ADAMSON University-Alumni overpowered National U and came away with a 15-5 rout in their semifinal clash yesterday to arrange a showdown with defending champion Chikara of Brunei for the premier women’s crown in the ninth Summer Grand Slam softball tournament at the Clark Freeport Zone in Clark, Pampanga.

Brunei’s powerhouse softball team Chikara sustained its fightback from an opening day setback to reach the finals for the second straight year although it needed two extra innings to edge Adamson U, 2-1, in their side of the Final Four duel in the event sponsored

by Cebuana Lhuillier.

The Chikara clouters pounced on AdU’s Rizelle Calumbares’s catching error in the ninth to score the winning run and end the tight-fought contest in the penultimate playdate of the week-long event organized by the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (AsaPhil).

Chikara’s scary win also put it on track for a payback against Adamson-Alumni, which stunned the Bruneibased squad with a 6-5 thriller in the opening game of the annual event last week.

AsaPhil president Jean Henri Lhuillier lauded the strong showing of this year’s participants and looks forward to a thrilling finale in various divisions.

“We’re in for an exciting finish. The defending champion Chikara (for the women’s open) and Philippine Air Force are still in the hunt for title repeat but a host of other strong teams are out to foil them. We are very happy with how the tournament has unfolded. I think we have discovered some fresh talents already which is the main goal of this competition,” said Lhuillier.

Hurler Syrel Ramos, member of the Philippine women softball team from 2003-2010, is spearheading Chikara’s title drive in the event along with six others former national team players now part of the team based in the rich state.

In the men’s club division, Rizal Technological University relied on the brilliant performance of pitcher Rich Field Custodio and an early scoring spree to beat San Ildefonso, Bulacan, 9-2.

The Mandaluyong-based squad needed just four-anda-half innings to down San Ildefonso and advance to the finals against the winner in the San Antonio, Quezon vs Calamba City duel being played at presstime.

Custodio, member of the Philippine softball training pool team, kept the San Ildefonso batters at bay with solid pitching in the first four innings while Edmar Garcia blasted a three-base hit and two RBIs and Kim Garcia hit a homer to power the RTU side to victory.

LOTTO RESULTS

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

When collecting payment, the Tendering Shareholders shall present the “Applicant’s Copy” of the Application as well as proper identification (e.g., driver’s license, driver’s license, tax identification card, Social Security Services/Government Services and Insurance System card, or passport). Duly authorized representatives shall be required to present an authorization letter from the Tendering Shareholders.

Tendering beneficial owners of Tender Offer Shares are advised to consult with their custodian, fiduciaries, or other similar agents on the manner by which they may collect payment from such agents.

In any event, no payment shall be made without the TO Agent having timely received the duly accomplished Application, the stock certificates evidencing the Tender Offer Shares and other documents required herein.

Any payment not collected within thirty (30) trading days from the Cross Date shall be dispatched via registered mail, to the address of the Tendering Shareholder indicated in the Application, at the risk of the Tendering Shareholders.

Tendering Shareholders shall have the right to withdraw any Tender Offer Shares at any time during the Tender Offer Period but only up to 4:00 pm on16 June 2015by submitting a written request for the withdrawal of the Tender Offer Shares to the TO Agent with a copy of the “Applicant’s Copy” of the Application issued by the TO Agent. If tendered Tender Offer Shares are not accepted by the Bidderson or before 19 June 2015, Tendering Shareholders may likewise withdraw their tendered shares.

For withdrawal of the tendered shares to be effective, a written notice of withdrawal must be received by the TO Agent before 4:00 p.m. on 16 June 2015at the address set forth herein. The notice must specify the name of the Tendering Shareholder and the number of Tender Offer Shares to be withdrawn. If the stock certificates evidencing the Tender Offer Shares have been delivered to the TO Agent, the serial numbers shown on such certificates must be submitted to the TO Agent prior to the physical release of such certificates. No request for withdrawal of fractions of Tender Offer Shares will be considered. The TO Agent shall have the right in its sole discretion, to determine the form and validity of the notice of withdrawal, including the time of receipt thereof.

All expenses incurred by the TO Agent in respect of withdrawal of Tender Offer Shares shall be for the account of the shareholder making the withdrawal.

The terms set out in SEC Form 19-1 filed with the SEC on 14 May 2015shall form integral parts of the Terms of the Tender Offer. Any shareholder who wishes to obtain a copy of the said form may do so at the office of the TO Agent.

For inquiries regarding the Tender Offer, the number of shares and stock certificates, please contact the following: Lucky Securities Inc. Contact Person: Ms. Bee F. Ang Telephone Number: 634-6786 Telephone Number: 634-5382

RYM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT CORPORATION BY:

REMEGIO C. DAYANDAYAN, JR. (TS-MAY 18, 19 & 20, 2015)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

A16

T ue s day : M ay 1 9 , 2 0 1 5 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

Superb win. Jockey Jeffrey Bacaycay steers his steed Superv (right) to victory in the 1st leg of the Philracom Triple Crown on Sunday at San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite. REVOLI CORTEZ

Rockets complete stunning comeback HOUSTON—The Houston Rockets humbled the Los Angeles Clippers, 113-100, in Game 7 of their NBA second round playoff series Sunday to reach their first Western Conference final since 1997.

LA Clippers’ Chris Paul fouls Houston Rockets’ James Harden from behind. AFp

mESSI LEAdS bARCA T0 5Th TITLE In 7 yEARS TuRn TO A12

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

James Harden tallied 31 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, while Dwight Howard finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Rockets, who became just the ninth team ever to rally from a 3-1 series deficit to win in seven games.

“They had stretches where they did some things that got us off our game a little bit, but for the most part we stayed in attack mode,” said Rockets coach Kevin McHale. “We just had a lot of guys play well.”

It marked another playoff meltdown for the Clippers, who have never made it to the NBA semi-finals in franchise history

and looked to be in command of this series after notching three wins in dominating fashion.

“So close? I don’t even know what that means anymore,” said Clippers point guard Chris Paul, who had 26 points and 10 assists.

“Like Ricky Bobby said,” he went on, referencing a Will Ferrell Hollywood movie character, “if you’re not first, you’re last. Close isn’t good enough.”

The Rockets move on to face the topseeded Golden State Warriors starting on Tuesday in Oakland.

They closed out the series three days

after stealing game six in Los Angeles, where they rallied from a 19-point second-half deficit for a 119-107 victory.

This is the Clippers’ first season under new ownership, but it has ended in familiar style. It’s the third time in four years the Clippers have failed to get past the second round.

Trevor Ariza hit a three-pointer with 55 seconds left in the fourth that pushed the Rockets’ lead to 11 and all but clinched the series victory.

“It’s a long summer,” said a disappointed Paul. “It’s getting old, to tell you the truth.

I have to get better. It starts with me.”

The Rockets, after back-to-back firstround exits, finally made the NBA finalfour again for the first time since ‘97 — two years after the Hakeem Olajuwon-led teams won back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995. AFp

nCAA, AbS-Cbn TuRn TO A15 Ink p24-m pACT

B1

TUESDAY: MAY 19, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Economy stays robust—BSP

By Julito G. Rada

ECONOMIC growth stayed robust in the first quarter, in line with the government’s target of 7 percent to 8 percent for the whole year, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said Monday.

Tetangco said in an e-mailed statement prospects for the domestic economy remained favorable, as “private demand will continue to be strong, aided mainly by sustained remittance inflows and low inflation.”

“Planned infrastructure

spending and additional government expenses for the upcoming 2016 election should also provide an additional boost to the local economy,” he said.

Tetangco said capital formation should also contribute to economic growth, with

construction and investments in durable equipment expected to remain strong.

He said for 2015 and 2016, the Bangko Sentral agreed with the government’s assumption that the Philippine economy would grow by 7 percent to 8 percent.

The government is set to release the first-quarter gross domestic product figures later this month.

GDP grew 6.1 percent in 2014, slower than the 7.2-percent expansion registered in 2013.

A study by the Metrobank Research Department said economic growth this year was expected to be around 6.4

percent, up from 6.1 percent in 2014, partly driven by spending for the 2016 elections.

It said that the increase in government spending would likely cause a rebound in investment spending and further boost consumption spending.

Metrobank said it expected the industry sector to remain a top performer this year, amid the solid expansion of manufacturing and construction subsectors.

The bank, however, said risks to the domestic economy remained, amid the persistent port congestion issues, the looming

power supply crisis, uneven global economy and impact of financial market volatilities.

The government retained the economic growth target for 2015 at 7 percent to 8 percent, but reduced the goal for 2016 to a range of 7 percent to 8 percent from 7.5 percent to 8.5 percent, because of factors beyond its control.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said some of these factors were geopolitical crises that might arise in the next two years and the dramatic decrease in oil prices that could affect the Bureau of Customs’ collection.

PSe comPoSite index Closing May 18, 2015

8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

7,910.43 28.48

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing MAY 18, 2015 46

P44.490

45

CLOSE

44 43 42

HIGH P44.420 LOW P44.495 AVERAGE P44.455 VOLUME 322.200M

P500.00-P650.00 LPG/11-kg tank P39.65-P45.25 Unleaded Gasoline

Nobu Hotel opens.

Hollywood actor Robert De Niro (fifth from left) leads a group of investors and celebrity guests in the opening of Asia’s first Nobu Hotel at City of Dreams Manila in Parañaque City. With De Niro during the ribbon-cutting ceremony are (from left) film producer Meir Teper, Melco crown co-chairman James Packer, Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa, Melco crown chief executive Lawrence Ho and Nobu hospitality chief executive Trevor Horwell. City of Dreams Manila opened on Feb. 2, as the Southeast Asian nation ups its bid to become a world gaming destination. AFP

Batanes island wants to limit tourist arrivals

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales SABTANG, Batanes--This picturesque town plans to limit the number of tourists travelling to the island to 8,000 to 10,000 yearly to protect the environment and prevent overcrowding that Boracay Island is now experiencing.

Sabtang is one of the three largest islands in the northern province of Batanes. The other islands are Batan, where the province’s capital Basco is located, and Itbayat.

Sabtang is famous for its pristine and spectacular coastlines and preserved Ivatan stone houses.

“Sabtang is the most visited municipality. I asked the Sangguniang Bayan to protect our place because we still don’t have regulations on tour operations. We’re becoming like Boracay that started with a few tourists,

and then year after year was getting more and more crowded,” said Sabtang Mayor Maxilindo Babalo.

He said tourists arrivals reached 17,000 in 2014 from 5,000 in 2013.

“We have been overtaken by surprise by tourists without us being prepared. For the first quarter alone, tourist arrivals already reached 9,000,” said Babalo.

Babalo said Sabtang next month would implement a regulation requiring all tour operators to obtain a license from the Tourism Department before bringing in tourists.

“We want to ensure that we can monitor the number of tourists and to make sure that no one goes in without permit from the tourism office. This will also ensure that the [local government] will receive the proper revenue,” he said.

Sabtang’s revenues from environmental fees paid by tourists in 2014 amounted to P2.6 million.

“We want to make sure that our town will receive the proper revenues. Our internal revenue allotment is only P28 million. Of that amount, only P 5 million is left for torurism development,” Babalo said.

“We are also urging the Sangguniang Bayan members to establish a building code so that all buildings that will be built or restored will conform to the old structures,” he added.

The Environment Department is also organizing a people’s group that will serve as volunteers in guarding marine protected areas. The areas include Ivana, Mahatao, Uyugan, Basco in Batan Island and Chavayan and Nakamuan in Sabtang Island.

P28.00-P31.30 Diesel

oPriceS il P today

P35.40-P39.15 Kerosene P23.70-P24.40 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Monday, May 18, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

44.5120

Japan

Yen

0.008379

0.3730

UK

Pound

1.573000

70.0174

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129027

5.7432

Switzerland

Franc

1.092180

48.6151

Canada

Dollar

0.832016

37.0347

Singapore

Dollar

0.757518

33.7186

Australia

Dollar

0.805672

35.8621

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652520

118.0690

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

11.8696

Brunei

Dollar

0.754660

33.5914

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.029789

1.3260

UAE

Dirham

0.272257

12.1187

Euro

Euro

1.144600

50.9484

Korea

Won

0.000923

0.0411

China

Yuan

0.161132

7.1723

India

Rupee

0.015782

0.7025

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.280741

12.4963

New Zealand

Dollar

0.748111

33.2999

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032866

1.4629 Source: PDS Bridge

TUESDAY: MAY 19, 2015

B2

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

MST BuSineSS Daily STockS Review Monday, May 18, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 104 63 4.2 4 18.48 31.6 9.5 890 1.01 99.4 1.46 30.5 75 94.95 137 361.2 59 174.8 1700 127.9 3.26

2.5 66 84.6 84.5 45.8 2.03 8.7 12.02 23.55 6.3 625 0.225 78 0.9 18.02 58 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 Bright Kindle Resources Citystate Savings COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

7.2 71 115.00 100.00 48.1 2.10 10 15.8 23.25 7.40 846.00 0.435 93.75 1.09 18.30 29.00 74.90 94 317 45.1 167 1475.00 65.10 3.12

35.6 1.04 1.41 7.92 32 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 13.24 3.12 0.395 168 8.65 24.4 16.2 7.62 250.2 3.37 3.87 9 3.7 9.94 3.03 2.22 1 4.72 1.65 201.6 4.1 1.67 0.122 1.02 2.01 143.4 0.670 1.39

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group C. Azuc De Tarlac Century Food Chemphil Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Concepcion Crown Asia 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. Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp.

Lafarge Rep Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phil H2O Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Phoenix Semiconductor Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ SPC Power Corp.

Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Vitarich Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

42.35 1.08 2.1 11.5 88.00 19.32 127 28 57 2 1.76 12.68 20.300 11.38 8.02 10.30 1.83 14.58 27.8 89.5 14.98 13.98 5.9 0.580 212.00 10.4 26 27.95 7.4 273.00 3.90 4.2 10.02 4.03 11.60 4.05 2.35 2.32 5.03 1.93 188 4.4 1.59 0.160 1.28 2.27 210.6 0.72 1.32

0.7 59.2 31.85 7.39 3.4 3.35 800 11.06 84 3.35 5.14 0.66 1380 6.68 72.6 8.9 5.29 9.25 0.9 18.9 0.73 5.53 6.55 0.0670 0.84 2.99 87 3.5 934 2.2 1.39 156 0.710 0.510

0.45 48.1 20.85 6.62 1.4 1.6 600 7.390 14.18 2.6 4.25 0.144 818 5.3 46.6 4.96 3 4.43 0.59 12 0.580 4.22 4.5 0.036 0.450 2.26 66.7 1.5 709.5 1.13 0.93 85.2 0.200 0.310

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anscor `A’ ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp `A’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings F&J Prince ‘A’ Filinvest Dev. Corp.

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

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

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

Minerales Industrias Corp.

Pacifica `A’ 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 Zeus Holdings

0.470 57.65 24.40 7.00 0.285 0.29 821 9.38 15.10 3.6 4.37 0.265 1410 6.36 72.00 4.2 5.47 7.71 0.75 15.5 0.68 4.73 5 0.0380 1.100 2.42 66.50 2.96 910.00 1.21 0.81 88.10 0.3900 0.310

10.5 26.95 1.99 2.07 0.375 40 6.15 5.4 1.54

6.01 12 0.91 1.29 0.192 29.1 4.1 4.96 0.89

8990 HLDG 8.790 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 10.30 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.84 Araneta Prop `A’ 1.300 Arthaland Corp.

0.240 Ayala Land `B’ 40.70 Belle Corp. `A’ 4.1 Cebu Holdings 5.19 Century Property 0.88

47 1.66 2.36 15.3 148 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 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 12.5 33.9 90 13.98 292.4 5 5.25 13.04 6.8 14.5 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.68 7.86 253 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.5 2.68 226.6 1.3 2.17

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 7.69 6.51 73.5 71.15 116.90 114.70 100.00 99.90 48.2 48 2.16 2.12 10 10 15.8 15.5 23.4 23.2 7.50 7.50 795.00 795.00 0.435 0.435 94 92.8 1.1 1.1 18.22 18.16 30.00 30.00 75.30 74.75 94 93.5 317 317 46 44.7 170 166 1445.00 1440.00 65.50 65.00 3.17 3.08 INDUSTRIAL 43.25 42.2 1.07 1.05 2.16 2.09 11.6 11.46 87.00 86.50 19.32 19.22 125 125 28.45 27.5 57.2 55.05 2.05 1.96 1.8 1.77 12.86 12.86 20.700 20.2 11.54 11.34 8.09 8.00 10.40 10.10 1.8 1.8 16.16 14.8 28 27.3 91.45 89 14.16 14.16 14.44 14.00 5.97 5.89 0.630 0.590 214.00 211.40 10.7 10.3 26.7 25.95 27.95 26.7 7.58 7.4 276.00 272.00 3.91 3.85 4.2 4.18 10.14 9.81 4.1 4.1 11.60 11.56 4.06 3.91 2.35 2.30 2.48 2.29 5.05 5.03 2.89 1.95 188 187 4.46 4.46 1.63 1.55 0.161 0.160 1.25 1.25 2.32 2.25 211 203 0.73 0.7 1.35 1.31 HOLDING FIRMS 0.470 0.460 57.70 57.50 24.90 24.45 7.02 7.00 0.285 0.275 0.29 0.29 823 810 8.46 8.35 15.18 15.02 3.75 3.59 4.55 4.31 0.260 0.250 1438 1412 6.41 6.32 73.20 71.90 5.8 5 6.68 5.49 7.8 7.5 0.75 0.72 15.5 15.06 0.68 0.67 4.76 4.66 5.05 5 0.0380 0.0380 1.130 1.080 2.44 2.44 67.00 66.25 2.96 2.81 919.00 910.00 1.27 1.25 0.81 0.81 88.00 87.00 0.3950 0.3800 0.305 0.305 PROPERTY 8.880 8.520 9.90 9.90 0.86 0.81 1.330 1.290 0.240 0.240 41.40 40.80 4.1 4.06 5.2 5.18 0.89 0.88

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

7.59 72.7 116.80 99.95 48 2.16 10 15.5 23.3 7.50 795.00 0.435 94 1.1 18.20 30.00 74.75 93.65 317 45.75 169.8 1440.00 65.40 3.08

5.42 2.39 1.57 -0.05 -0.21 2.86 0.00 -1.90 0.22 1.35 -6.03 0.00 0.27 0.92 -0.55 3.45 -0.20 -0.37 0.00 1.44 1.68 -2.37 0.46 -1.28

82,800 172,340 2,107,150 5,666,330 100,500 60,000 100 10,900 152,100 900 820 40,000 2,582,350 50,000 32,400 6,000 120,520 7,030 480 14,600 273,370 90 23,620 110,000

43.1 1.06 2.1 11.46 86.50 19.3 125 28.3 57 2.02 1.78 12.86 20.300 11.40 8.04 10.32 1.8 16.16 27.8 90.2 14.16 14.44 5.93 0.590 213.00 10.36 26.7 27 7.5 275.00 3.85 4.2 10.00 4.1 11.56 3.99 2.32 2.29 5.05 2.79 187.1 4.46 1.61 0.161 1.25 2.30 205 0.71 1.33

1.77 -1.85 0.00 -0.35 -1.70 -0.10 -1.57 1.07 0.00 1.00 1.14 1.42 0.00 0.18 0.25 0.19 -1.64 10.84 0.00 0.78 -5.47 3.29 0.51 1.72 0.47 -0.38 2.69 -3.40 1.35 0.73 -1.28 0.00 -0.20 1.74 -0.34 -1.48 -1.28 -1.29 0.40 44.56 -0.48 1.36 1.26 0.63 -2.34 1.32 -2.66 -1.39 0.76

3,804,500 8,039,000 1,301,000 5,100 650 590,800 70 139,900 10,990 3,684,000 37,000 152,800 858,900 903,100 14,140,900 521,300 12,000 348,400 3,174,100 248,280 1,000 53,800 170,900 488,000 570,460 1,133,800 3,700,200 160,500 38,600 437,820 65,000 652,000 3,832,300 1,000 29,100 436,000 291,000 500,000 335,900 51,893,000 10,550 2,000 322,000 1,000,000 18,000 3,940,000 3,169,910 1,090,000 92,000

0.470 57.50 24.90 7.02 0.280 0.29 816.5 8.38 15.08 3.75 4.45 0.260 1431 6.40 72.90 5 6.68 7.7 0.73 15.06 0.68 4.74 5 0.0380 1.080 2.44 66.25 2.81 914.00 1.26 0.81 87.00 0.3800 0.305

0.00 -0.26 2.05 0.29 -1.75 0.00 -0.55 -10.66 -0.13 4.17 1.83 -1.89 1.49 0.63 1.25 19.05 22.12 -0.13 -2.67 -2.84 0.00 0.21 0.00 0.00 -1.82 0.83 -0.38 -5.07 0.44 4.13 0.00 -1.25 -2.56 -1.61

110,000 1,047,120 13,551,800 18,000 2,150,000 80,000 190,650 3,080,500 3,037,600 31,000 156,000 400,000 452,645 200,600 1,716,250 5,000 14,300 3,807,400 160,000 3,060,700 542,000 32,194,000 30,000 100,000 5,111,000 163,000 247,100 60,000 101,700 17,000 10,000 7,460 5,880,000 60,000

8.770 9.90 0.81 1.330 0.240 41.00 4.06 5.2 0.89

-0.23 -3.88 -3.57 2.31 0.00 0.74 -0.98 0.19 1.14

2,603,200 4,100 1,776,000 93,000 10,000 5,913,500 1,320,000 164,200 3,134,000

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

High

Low

Close

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

1.97 1.48 0.201 0.98 1.09 0.305 2.25 1.87 1.8 6.34 4.88 0.180 0.470 0.72 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 3.6 20.6 1.02 7.56 8.59

1.1 0.97 0.083 0.445 0.85 0.188 1.4 1.42 1.19 2.8 2.75 0.090 0.325 0.39 23 2.57 21.35 1.64 3.08 15.08 0.69 3.38 5.69

City & Land Dev. 1.30 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.19 Crown Equities Inc. 0.156 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.450 Empire East Land 0.850 Ever Gotesco 0.180 Global-Estate 1.39 Filinvest Land,Inc. 2.02 Interport `A’ 1.41 Keppel Properties 6.60 Megaworld Corp.

5.25 MRC Allied Ind. 0.126 Phil. Estates Corp.

0.3300 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.4900 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 27.00 Primex Corp.

7.29 Robinson’s Land `B’ 30.00 Rockwell 1.73 Shang Properties Inc. 3.31 SM Prime Holdings 19.70 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.74 Starmalls 7.1 Vista Land & Lifescapes 7.450

-0.77 -3.36 0.00 3.33 1.18 2.78 -2.16 0.99 -1.42 11.67 2.29 -0.79 0.00 -6.12 7.41 -0.14 -0.33 0.00 0.30 2.03 -1.35 0.70 -0.81

10,000 407,000 4,550,000 620,000 64,000 1,810,000 6,850,000 55,113,000 300,000 169,200 22,189,500 1,700,000 400,000 20,000 4,400 261,500 466,400 78,000 36,000 5,630,800 866,000 10,000 7,068,600

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 15.82 0.1460 4.61 99.1 12.3 2.6 9 4 2090 8.41 1.97 119.5 7 12.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 2.85 3.2 5.9 1.97 2.46 15.2 0.62 22.8 6.41 4 18 110.2 14 3486 0.710 2.28 48.5 90.1 11.6 0.87 2.95 10.2 0.490 1.6

1.97 32.5 1 0.6 9.61 0.0770 2.95 46.55 10.14 1.6 5.88 2.58 1600 5.95 1.36 105 3.01 8.72 0.012 0.036 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.69 2 1.05 0.490 1.8 8.7 0.34 14.54 3 2.28 8.8 79 4.39 2726 0.380 0.32 31.45 60.55 7.59 0.63 1.71 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.

Discovery World DFNN Inc. Easy Call “Common” Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Macroasia Corp.

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

PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. Phil. Racing Club Phil. Seven Corp.

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

Yehey

2.44 0.00 0.94 -2.94 4.00 2.02 1.75 -0.82 0.80 -0.59 2.90 0.70 -3.92 -0.32 -0.72 1.08 -0.17 0.00 0.00 -1.64 10.24 -0.41 -0.31 26.83 -4.67 0.00 -2.94 0.00 -1.05 -2.74 -0.43 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 19.88 0.84 0.00 -1.75 2.63 -2.29 -2.62 -1.49 1.55 -0.90 7.69 3.85

625,700 10,740 166,000 2,061,000 12,252,200 10,080,000 915,000 972,450 1,600 30,000 417,400 6,000 74,655 48,300 182,000 350,250 100 11,500 33,800,000 7,940,000 2,192,000 5,000 118,600 5,595,000 5,000 14,000 11,000 15,000 685,400 410,000 5,000 26,000 23,000 10,000 830 977,700 40,835 1,083,000 36,101,000 4,796,300 1,112,350 3,369,700 200,000 6,000 11,838,300 530,000 58,000

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 0.330 12.7 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 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 1.72 8.65 9.43 0.236 6.5 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 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

Benguet Corp `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’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

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

TA Petroleum

-1.89 1.48 0.12 3.33 0.00 -2.57 0.00 -1.90 0.00 -1.16 -2.21 -1.45 0.40 0.40 -6.67 -6.67 1.25 -1.10 0.53 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.90 -0.72 -5.66 0.00 -2.15 5.75

65,000,000 71,000 77,900 13,000 110,000 18,400 27,000 268,000 659,000 21,800 9,217,000 2,820,000 36,750,000 6,190,000 25,100,000 51,700,000 382,000 2,461,500 1,440,000 119,000 291,000 2,100,000 14,000,000 26,000 353,700 4,381,000 8,300,000 194,690 1,586,400

70 553 8.21 12.28 1047 76.9 78.95 84.8

33 490 5.88 6.5 1011 74.2 74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred A SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C

0.71 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.13 0.00 -0.46

13,150 90 40,000 314,000 110 11,750 1,010 20,340

1,672,131.00

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

-6.05

282,000

-57,100.00

10.96 15 88 12.88

2.4 3.5 13.5 5.95

-0.40 7.56 1.10 -1.75

3,297,800 22,700 70 1,316,100

5,531,036.00

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

0.16

10,150

160,797.00

618,574.50 11,647,217.00 -59,119,053.50 95,040.00 619,770.00 -3,750 39,750.00 -60,606,707.50

1.29 1.29 1.29 1.19 1.10 1.15 0.157 0.153 0.156 0.465 0.455 0.465 0.860 0.850 0.860 0.185 0.179 0.185 1.39 1.33 1.36 2.07 1.99 2.04 1.40 1.39 1.39 8.40 3.40 7.37 5.44 5.27 5.37 0.125 0.122 0.125 0.3300 0.3300 0.3300 0.4950 0.4600 0.4600 29.00 22.60 29.00 7.29 7.27 7.28 30.00 29.50 29.90 1.73 1.71 1.73 3.32 3.31 3.32 20.10 19.70 20.10 0.74 0.72 0.73 7.15 7.11 7.15 7.490 7.350 7.390 SERVICES 6.57 6.75 6.46 6.73 61.85 62 61.85 61.85 1.06 1.13 1.07 1.07 0.680 0.680 0.660 0.660 10.00 10.56 10.22 10.40 0.0990 0.1010 0.1000 0.1010 4 4.12 3.96 4.07 91.2 93.2 90.1 90.45 10 10.08 10 10.08 1.69 1.68 1.68 1.68 6.90 7.19 6.95 7.10 2.86 2.88 2.88 2.88 2550 2570 2450 2450 6.31 6.31 6.26 6.29 1.38 1.38 1.37 1.37 111 112.8 111 112.2 6.02 6.01 6.01 6.01 12.4 12.46 12 12.4 0.013 0.013 0.012 0.013 0.244 0.245 0.235 0.240 1.2700 1.4800 1.2700 1.4000 2.41 2.4 2.4 2.4 9.80 9.89 9.74 9.77 2.05 3.00 2.11 2.60 2.14 2.04 2.04 2.04 64.00 74.50 45.00 64.00 0.680 0.660 0.660 0.660 2 2 2 2 9.5 9.59 9.31 9.4 0.365 0.365 0.355 0.355 18.46 18.64 18.38 18.38 4.50 4.60 4.50 4.50 3 3 3 3 9 9 9 9 128.00 128.00 125.00 128.00 17.10 21.00 17.10 20.50 2850.00 2880.00 2850.00 2874.00 0.660 0.670 0.640 0.660 1.710 1.770 1.670 1.680 39.85 41.00 39.95 40.90 87.50 88.20 84.50 85.50 10.70 10.78 10.40 10.42 0.67 0.67 0.66 0.66 1.93 1.96 1.77 1.96 6.66 6.66 6.58 6.6 0.325 0.350 0.340 0.350 1.300 1.350 1.280 1.350 MINING & OIL 0.0053 0.0053 0.0051 0.0052 2.71 2.88 2.69 2.75 8.07 8.15 8.08 8.08 15.00 15.50 15.50 15.50 0.250 0.250 0.250 0.250 7.3900 8.3800 7.0000 7.2000 7.3000 7.3000 6.7000 7.3000 1.05 1.03 1.03 1.03 0.87 0.87 0.85 0.87 7.79 7.90 7.70 7.70 1.81 1.81 1.76 1.77 0.345 0.360 0.340 0.340 0.247 0.255 0.247 0.248 0.249 0.250 0.250 0.250 0.0150 0.0150 0.0140 0.0140 0.0150 0.0150 0.0140 0.0140 3.99 4.15 3.98 4.04 27.25 27.55 26.5 26.95 3.8 3.85 3.74 3.82 0.7100 0.7100 0.7100 0.7100 2.100 2.100 2.070 2.100 0.0120 0.0130 0.0120 0.0120 0.0130 0.0130 0.0130 0.0130 4.44 4.41 4.40 4.40 6.93 6.93 6.87 6.88 2.12 2.18 2 2 0.016 0.016 0.015 0.016 163.00 163.00 159.00 159.50 7.83 8.45 7.84 8.28 PREFERRED 63 63.5 63.25 63.45 521.5 521.5 521.5 521.5 6.2 6.2 6.2 6.2 1.09 1.09 1.09 1.09 1064 1064 1050 1064 76.7 76.75 76.5 76.6 84 84 84 84 86.9 86.9 86.5 86.5 WARRANTS & BONDS 4.630 4.650 4.350 4.350 SME 10.04 10.3 9.98 10 9 9.99 8 9.68 72.7 73.5 73 73.5 10.28 10.38 10 10.1 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 128.4 128.9 128.4 128.6

%

55,000.00

-3,389,410.00 44,498,160.00 42,000.00 -11,276,316.00

MST

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

SHARES 11,585,130 115,522,559 77,865,336 123,655,268 189,905,836 234,057,888 757,238,837

-1,382,840.00

-126,800.00 140,190.00 22,681,809.00

13,020.00 253,600.00

-32,462,605.00 -1,070.00

-52,466.00 490,040.00 18,000.00 1,686,418.00 -3,791,970.00 -8,567,534.00 43,100,586.00 -368,238.00 18,000.00 28,576.00 -41,212,585.00 -2,371,698.00 -14,160.00 -71,600.00

51,279,074.00 -2,703,722.00 20,084,115.00 59,792,540.00 -2,717,320.00 -894,257.00 668,790.00

1,258,935.00 -267,946.00

-4,580.00 -183,509,380.00 159,120.00

-19,719,669.00 -168,582,405.00 -70,000.00

-7,743,620.00 -12,381,607.00 -5,165,708.00 -22,400.00

174,466,365.00 281,440.00 -14,887,068.50 -860,908.00

-31,657,190.00

-4,127,270.00 271,200.00

-6,121,330.00

-2,522,140.00

-8,100.00 -618,375.00 -755,100.00

2,089,435.00 -933,990.00 -230,208.00 -1,561,790.00

Double Dragon Makati Fin. Corp.

IRipple E-Business Intl Xurpas

T op g ainerS VALUE 1,134,992,444.75 1,855,718,187.814 1,749,506,481.33 702,946,055.435 1,162,911,123.89 161,823,303.695 6,816,375,604.914

24,547,106.00

-12,697,865.00 -117,079.00 -1,262,110.00 13,367,692.00

223,220.00 -2,660,734.50

-25,200.00 368,900.00 -41,459,190.00

-34,250.00 9,615,413.00

-83,550.00 -12,000.00 479,030.00 -76,040.00 -10,200.00

-1,587,374.00 -75,600.00 -36,764.00

-39,680.00 2,814,099.00 -19,089,980.00 -158,590.00 6,674,250.00 6,700,505.00 -17,414,526.00 2,184,632.00

-6,068,503.00

-73,190.00 -25,500.00 -25,884.00

-1,030.00 -60,200.00 -3,850.00 -607,530.00 74,000.00 50,000.00

-258,180.00 13,841,480.00 -94,860.00 254,610.00

-26,000.00 -517,760.00 -1,832,480.00

599,070.00 -100,650.00 507,688.00

-80,600.00 218,000.00 -766,000.00

10,107,120.00

T op L oSerS

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,817.72 (up) 12.25 INDUSTRIAL 12,233.45 (down) 28.66 HOLDING FIRMS 7,071.96 (up) 25.71 PROPERTY 3,258.33 (up) 32.06 SERVICES 2,176.25 (up) 8.48 MINING & OIL 15,340.82 (down) 210.85 PSEI 7,910.43 (up) 28.48 All Shares Index 4,560.01 (up) 13.88 Gainers: 94 Losers: 93; Unchanged: 42; Total: 229

-364,500.00 -2,034,920.00 -17,260.00

Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Roxas and Co.

2.79

44.56

Cosco Capital

8.38

-10.66

Liberty Telecom

2.60

26.83

Manila Mining `B'

0.0140

-6.67

Keppel Holdings `A'

6.68

22.12

Manila Mining `A'

0.0140

-6.67

Philweb.Com Inc.

20.50

19.88

Phil. Realty `A'

0.4600

-6.12

Jolliville Holdings

5

19.05

LR Warrant

4.350

-6.05

Keppel Properties

7.37

11.67

Manulife Fin. Corp.

795.00

-6.03

Federal Res. Inv. Group

16.16

10.84

PhilexPetroleum

2

-5.66

ISM Communications

1.4000

10.24

Ginebra San Miguel Inc.

14.16

-5.47

Waterfront Phils.

0.350

7.69

Seafront `A'

2.81

-5.07

Makati Fin. Corp.

9.68

7.56

Macroasia Corp.

2.04

-4.67

TUESDAY: MAY 19, 2015

B3

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

2 Aboitiz firms raising P44b

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THERMA Visayas Inc. and Hedcor Bukidnon Inc., two units of Aboitiz Power Corp., are raising P44 billion to finance power projects with a combined capacity of 578 megawatts.

Aboitiz Power first vice president and chief financial officer Manuel Lozano told reporters Monday Therma Visayas was raising around P34 billion to finance the 510-MW coal power plant in Toledo City, Cebu.

Hedcor Bukidnon is raising P9 billion to P10 billion to finance the 68-MW Manolo Fortich runof-river hydro plants in Bukidnon province.

Lozano said First Metro

Investment Corp. had been tapped as lead arranger for Therma Visayas, while BPI Capital would act as lead arranger Hedcor Bukidon.

“We plan to close the financing by the third quarter,” the official said, adding the two projects had started construction.

The Cebu coal project is expected to be completed in early 2018, while the Bukidnon hydro is targeted by the end of 2017.

“There may be overlapping

banks in the financing. We’re borrowing about 75 percent of the project cost,” Lozano said.

Aboitiz Power chief executive officer Erramon Aboitiz said the company had earmarked P52 billion for the company’s capital expenditure budget this year aimed at boosting generation capacity to 4,000 MW by 2019 from the current 2,300 MW. “Along with the increase in non-renewable capacity, we are also vigorously pursuing and growing our renewable energy portfolio,” Aboitiz said.

He said the renewable projects include Aboitiz Power’s partnership with SunEdison Inc. of the US on solar power projects, several run-of-river hydro plants, a potential pump storage for SN

Aboitiz Power Group and several geothermal projects around the country.

Aboitiz Power president and chief operating officer Antonio Moraza, meanwhile, said open access was the best way to support the company’s expansion.

“The company looks forward to the continued drop in the threshold for contestable customers from the current 1 MW and above to 750 kilowatts, and eventually to 500 kW, in order to encourage more investors and assure the viability of the Philippine power industry,” he said.

Moraza said the company planned to maximize the benefits of open access through a balanced portfolio of contracted and spot

LBC Express certificate. LBC Express Inc., the leading courier service provider in the Philippines, obtained a Certification of Compliance with the General Labor Laws and Occupational Safety and Health Standards from the Labor Department. Shown at the awarding of the certificate are Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz (fourth from left); Leonides Castillon Jr. of DoLE NCR Manila field office (fifth from left); LBC Express MM Inc. area manager Jim Balita (third from right); and LBC Express Union president Warren Bartolome (second from right). The certificate exemplifies LBC Express’ commitment to create and provide optimal conditions for its employees’ professional and personal development.

Alliance Select Foods posted $17-m loss in ’14

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales ALLIANCE Select Foods International Inc. incurred a net loss of $17 million in 2014, up from from a loss of $2.92 million in 2013.

Alliance Select in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday attributed the loss in 2014 to the decision of the management to take a prudent and conservative position in recognizing major non-recurring expenses amounting to $19.5 million.

Alliance said the expenses comprised mainly of a $3.2-million inventory writedown in the market value and allowance for inventory obsolescence for both the General Santos and Bitung plants.

The company also made provisions for impairment of three fishing vessels amounting to $7.8 million carried in the parent company’s books and receivables from Wild Catch consisting of the sale

of three fishing vessels and various advances totaling $8 million resulting from an amendment in the joint venture agreement.

“These provisions were painful but critically needed. And we determined it is best for the company and its shareholders’ interest that they be addressed immediately rather than allow them to fester and become impediments to our performance goals,” said Alliance Select president Raymond See. Revenue from the company’s salmon business grew 8 percent to $30 million from $27 million a year ago due to an increase in sales volume. Revenue from the company’s tuna division, however, dropped 9 percent to $52 million from $57 million.

The company said 2014 was an inordinately challenging year for the tuna business mainly due to falling prices of raw materials.

“After reaching historical highs in 2013, global tuna prices experienced a free fall in 2014, losing half of its value and settling in at $1,150 per metric ton from $2,390. The drop in raw material prices led to pricing pressures on the sales side which meant the company’s margin’s were thin at best,” said See. See said the huge drop in raw material prices resulted in the company’s decision to to revalue its finished goods inventory, which were produced when raw material prices were high.

“Moving forward, we have started to address all potential impediments to maximizing our true potential as we also expect very positive results from the European Union’s recently issued General System of Preference Plus which will allow us to export to the 28 member-countries of the EU at zero tariff,” See said.

capacity, and contract majority of its baseload and diesel capacity under price-stable bilateral contracts.

He said Aboitiz Power would offer most of its hydro power capacity for peaking and ancillary or reserves services.

“Doing it this way will minimize volatility while yielding the highest returns for its resources,” Moraza said.

He said the company expects “slight improvement in earnings” this year with the start of operations of the 300-MW coal plant of Therma South Inc. in Mindanao and the 14-MW hydro station of Hedcor Sabangan in Mountain Province.

Stock market climbs higher THE stock market rose for the sixth day Monday after more weak data indicated a US recovery may not be as strong as thought--making an interest rate rise unlikely in the near future.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 28.48 points, or 0.4 percent, to 7,910.43 on a value turnover of P6.8 billion. Gainers edged losers, 94 to 93, with 42 issues unchanged.

Tokyo was the stand-out performer in Asian trade Monday on upbeat corporate earnings and a record close on Wall Street, but Hong Kong retreated after its rally at the end of last week.

The euro held its own for most of the day before ticking lower towards the end, with no breakthrough in talks between Greece and its creditors on overhauling its bailout terms.

Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan gained 2 percent to P24.90, while unit Megaworld Corp., the biggest lessor of office spaces, climbed 2.3 percent to P5.37.

Bloomberry Resorts Corp., which operates a casino on a reclaimed part of Manila Bay, rallied 4 percent to P10.40, while SM Prime Holdings Inc., the largest property company, advanced 2 percent to P20.10 Tokyo, meanwhile, ended 0.80 percent higher, adding 157.35 points to 19,890.27, while Seoul gained 0.34 percent, or 7.22 points, to 2,113.72.

Shanghai shed 0.58 percent, or 25.20 points, to 4,283.49 and Sydney fell 1.33 percent, or 76.3 points, to 5,659.2. Hong Kong sank 0.83 percent, or 231.03 points, to 27,591.25.

Regional investors were given a positive lead from New York Friday.

US industrial production fell 0.3 percent in April, the fifth straight month of decline, while the University of Michigan’s US consumer sentiment index plummeted to 88.6 in May from 95.9 in April.

That came after figures last week showed the US producer price index fell in April, confounding forecasts for a rise, while retail sales saw their weakest year-on-year growth since 2009. With AFP

B4

BUSINESS

MNTC’s profit rises 2%; another toll road company raises P7.3b

By Darwin G. Amojelar MANILA North Tollways Corp., the operator of North Luzon Expressway, said Monday net income grew 2 percent in the first quarter of the year, boosted by strong vehicle traffic and expanding non-toll revenues.

Another toll road operator, South Luzon Tollways Corp., which manages South Luzon Expressway, meanwhile raised P7.3 billion from a bond issuance amid

strong demand from investors, according to one of the company’s underwriters.

MNTC said in a statement net profit in the January to March reached P681.7 million, up from P666.2 million registered in the same period last year.

Core income climbed 9 percent in the first quarter to P731.4 million from P670.4 million in the first quarter of 2014. Toll revenues in the first quarter grew 7 percent to P1.97 billion from P1.83 billion.

The growth in revenues was driven by the steady increase in traffic during the period, as it grew 8 percent to 196,058 vehicle entries daily.

The company attributed the increase in vehicular traffic to the favorable economic condition, improved road network, better tourism programs, strong vehicle sales and lowerthan-average fuel prices.

“Current economic conditions continue to spur demand for a seamless, expressway system such as the NLEX. New

commercial and real-estate developments continue to be built within the vicinity of the expressway particularly in Angeles, Pampanga and Bocaue, Bulacan,” MNTC said.

Meanwhile, BDO Capital & Investments Corp. president Eduardo Francisco said in a text message total demand for the bonds issued by SLTC was oversubscribed by more than two times, as the bonds were priced at 4.9925 percent for the bonds due 2020, 5.5796 percent for bonds due 2022

and 6.4872 percent for bonds due 2025.

The offer period for the bond sale ended Friday. Listing of the bonds with the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. was tentatively set on May 22.

Proceeds from the SLTC bonds will be used to partially prepay the outstanding obligations.

SLTC borrowed P11 billion from various financial institutions in 2012 through issuance of floating rate corporate notes.

With Jenniffer B. Austria

Govt reviews 2015 BoP targets

By Julito G. Rada

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is reviewing the balance of payments targets this year and next, given the recent developments that affect the country’s trade with the rest of the world. Israeli businessmen.

“The BSP is still currently in the process of reviewing its BoP projections for 2015 and assessing the outlook for 2016,” Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said in an e-mailed statement Monday.

“The reassessment of the 2015 projections will take into account several key developments following the BSP’s earlier projection exercise in October 2014,” Tetangco said.

BoP summarizes the country’s economic transactions with the rest of the world, with a surplus indicating that foreign exchange inflows outstripping outflows, and a deficit the reverse.

Persistent BoP surpluses help boost the country’s gross international reserves, an ample supply of which supports the value of the peso and keeps inflation stable.

The Bangko Sentral initially projected a $1-billion surplus for 2015.

BoP incurred a deficit of $244 million in March, a reversal of the $985-million surplus in February. However, the March deficit was lower than the $340-million deficit registered a year ago.

Data showed that despite the March deficit, BoP in the first three months of the year remained in surplus of $877 million, a turnaround from the $4.475-billion deficit recorded in the same period last year.

Foreign portfolio investments or “hot money” also posted net outflow in March.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo earlier said the strong BoP position in the early part of the year confirmed the central bank’s initial forecast.

BoP incurred a deficit of $2.858 billion in 2014, the first time in nine years.

Guinigundo said the entry of foreign banks after the government further liberalized the domestic banking industry would help boost the country’s external position, particularly the balance of payments.

“These developments will support the financial account of the BoP. At the same time, it will complement the surplus in the current account, which is buttressed by structural flows arising from OFW remittances, tourism receipts and BPO services,” Guinigundo said.

The Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines led by its president Eyal Ben Ari Kschapitzki (left) honored the chamber’s past presidents during the recent awards night at the Marriot Hotel. The ICCP awardees are (from left) Ferdinand Sarfati, Josef Gueta, Emanuel Fryszer and Isidor Gilan.

Philex buying out Forum minority stake

By Alena Mae S. Flores PHILEX Petroleum Corp., the oil and gas unit of Philex Mining Corp., said Monday it decided to make a firm offer to acquire shares of minority shareholders in Forum Energy Plc. of the UK for 20 pence per ordinary share.

Philex Petroleum said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the offer was in response to Forum Energy’s announcement it would seek shareholders approval for the cancellation of admission to trading of Forum’s ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM, the international market for growing companies.

Forum Energy said the cancellation of the shares on the AIM would take effect on June 25.

Philex Petroleum said its offer was set out in a circular which Forum posted on Monday to

its shareholders. The circular also set out the reasons for the cancellation and the notice of annual general meeting to be held on June 17.

Philex Petroleum, which owns 63.82 percent of Forum Energy’s existing issued share capital, is offering to acquire 36.17 percent of the company’s ordinary shares from qualifying shareholders.

Of the 36.17 percent that it proposes to acquire, Tidemark Holdings Ltd., which owns 27.14 percent of Forum Energy, decided not to accept Philex Petroleum’s offer.

Tidemark Holdings is a company controlled by former trade minister Roberto Ongpin.

Philex Petroleum said the offer was being financed from its own cash resources. The offer will expire on June 22, 2015.

Forum Energy owns a 70-percent stake in service

contract 72, viewed as rich in petroleum reserves located at the Recto Bank in the disputed West Philippine Sea. The board of Forum earlier said the company’s shares moved following its announcement on March 2 of the decision of the Energy Department to grant a force majeure on SC 72 due to the ongoing territorial dispute with China.

SC 72 covers an 8,800-squarekilometer area west off Palawan and is estimated to contain prospective resources of as much as 16.6 trillion cubic feet of gas and 416 million barrels of oil.

Philex Petroleum said minority shareholders should accept the offer as there could be no assurance that the predrill assumptions of estimate provided by the company’s independent petroleum consultants would provide technical evaluations.

T U E S D AY : M AY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

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

B5

Adjusting to Lollipop IT TOOK me some time to get used to the way Android CHIN WONG Lollipop (5.0.2) worked after I upgraded from Kit Kat on my Sony Xperia Z1 Compact. Overview (a.k.a. Recent Apps) had changed from scrolling thumbnails to a carousel, while the overall look became simpler and more streamlined.

Behind these cosmetic changes, however, there were interface changes and new features designed to make Android phones more convenient and easier to use.

To save new users the time and effort, I’ve gathered some of the more practical tips and tricks I’ve found and tested from various online sources. With any luck, these should help you get more out of your Lollipop smart phone.

End calls fast Don’t want to poke the screen button to end a voice call? You can use the power button to do the same thing. Just enable this feature in Settings > Accessibility.

Get a handle on notifications One of the first things you’re likely to notice is that Lollipop sports a new notification bar. To get to your notifications, swipe down on it once; to get to your Quick Settings, swipe down on it again. You can jump straight to the quick settings by swiping down on the notification bar with two fingers.

Notifications now occupy a rather prominent space on the lock screen as well. Swipe them to the left or right to dismiss them, or double-tap them to jump to the applications that sent them.

If you don’t want notifications showing up on your lock screen, however, you can turn them off by going to Settings > Sound & notifications > When device is locked.

Lend out your phone, not your data If you need to let someone use your phone for a moment, you can set up your phone with a guest account and activate it before passing him your handset. You can create a Guest account by going to the Quick Settings panel, tap on the circular avatar at the far right corner, and choose Add guest. Click through the next few screens quickly to finish creating the guest account and you’re good to go. Guest users will be able to use your phone’s basic functionality (they can make voice calls but not text messages) and other built-in applications, but will be unable to access your data or apps that you installed.

You can also create secondary user accounts on top of your guest session. Secondary users have own identification and own storage space. They can set their own screen lock to protect their content and have almost identical privileges as the phone’s owner (the first account created) except removing users.

You can switch back and forth between the owner, secondary users or guest users using the circular avatar in the Quick Settings panel.

Stop new apps from showing up on your home screen I’m particularly keen on keeping my home pages clutter-free, so I’ve always found it a bit annoying that Play Store would immediately plop shortcuts onto them every time I installed a new program. On Lollipop, you can turn this feature off by going to Play Store Settings and making sure that the Add icon to Home screen entry is not checked.

Take a shortcut from the Quick Settings panel Clicking the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth icons in the Quick Settings panel will toggle the services on and off, but you can jump to their section in the full system settings.

Use Lollipop’s built-in flashlight On my Kit Kat phone, I installed a third-party utility that turned the camera’s LED flash into a handy flashlight. On Lollipop, I no longer need the program; the operating system comes with its own flashlight.

You can find it in the Quick Settings menu.

Digital life

Column archive and blog at: http://www.chinwong.com

Taiwanese SMEs. Trade Undersecretary Ponciano Manalo Jr. (third from left) joins (from left) Export Marketing Bureau director Senen Perlada, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Ambassador to the Philippines Gary Song-Huann Lin and Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion director Rhodora Leaño in welcoming Taiwanese exhibitors during the recent Sikat Pinoy National Handicrafts Fair at the Megatrade Halls of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City. Among the exhibitors are Ye Shin Huang Chung (second from right) of Manila Welcome Ind. Corp. and Judy Liu (right) of C&S Unique Style Corp. The fair featured products from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation member economies.

Liberty Telecoms exits rehabilitation

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Makati regional trial court has approved the petition of Liberty Telecoms Holdings Inc. to exit corporate rehabilitation a year ahead of schedule.

Liberty, the telecom unit of San Miguel Corp., said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it received a copy of the order from the court, closing and terminating the rehabilitation proceedings involving the company and its subsidiaries.

It said the rehabilitation for Liberty and units wi-tribe Telecoms Inc. and Skyphone Logistics Inc. had been fully implemented.

The court also discharged lawyer Monico Jacob of his duties and responsibilities as rehabilitation receiver of the Liberty group.

“The stay order dated Aug. 19, 2005 is hereby lifted as the approved rehabilitation plan have fully been implemented

and petitions have gained and re-established a new life and strength for a new challenge in the business of technological world,” the court order read.

The company was supposed to exit from rehabilitation proceedings next year.

The Makati RTC approved the revised rehabilitation plan of Liberty Telecoms in December 2006, which suspended the business operations of the company because of financial difficulties.

The company, a joint venture of San Miguel and Qatar Telecom, reported a total comprehensive loss of P210.16 million in the first quarter of 2015, lower by 31.68 percent

than the P307.59-million net loss recorded a year ago.

Revenue declined to P42.17 million in the January to March period from P78.38 million in the same period last year.

“The group’s revenues for the period reflect the decrease in subscribers of postpaid and prepaid Wimax broadband and increase in non-service revenue due to additional rental income from other telecommunication companies,” it said.

Expenses declined to P280.94 million in the three-month period from P323.39 million last year.

Liberty Telecoms said despite the losses, major shareholders were committed to provide financial and operational support for the group.

“The group is committed in continuously providing fourth generation worldwide intereoperability for microwave access [wimax] broadband service using the wi-tribe brand in the market,” it said.

Albay tops revenue collection, efficiency in Bicol region LEGAZPI CITY—The Finance Department has cited Albay as the best province in revenue performance in the Bicol region, with a 125-percent collection efficiency.

Albay’s collection constituted 26 percent of the total regional tax take in Bicol region, which consists of six provinces.

The Bureau of Local Government and Finance cited Albay as the best performing local government in revenue

collection and remittance in 2014 during the Bicol regional conference of treasurers and assessors on May 7 to 8 in this city.

BLGF Bicol regional chief Florencio Dino said Albay collected P175,846,024 in 2014, surpassing its target of P135,953,987, for a 129-percent collection efficiency.

Albay also remitted the largest contribution among the six Bicol provinces in 2014.

Its P490,780,202 remittance represented 26 percent of the P1.893 billion entire collection in the region.

BLGF also cited Albay provincial treasurer Pedro Ibasco and officer-in-charge provincial assessor Lilybeth de Ocampo individually.

Salceda consistently promoted good governance during his three consecutive terms as Albay governor, which earned the province national

accolades and recognitions.

Under Salceda, Albay was the first recipient of the Gawad Pamana ng Lahi award of the Interior and Local Government Department, considered as a seal of good housekeeping given to local government units with consistent best performance over three consecutive years.

Albay received the first Gawad Pamana Lahi as best province in local governance and innovations under the

Aquino administration.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda was also conferred the 2013 presidential Lingkod Bayan award, a most coveted award for public servants by the Civil Service Commission.

Dino credited Albay’s performance, surpassing the target and remitting the largest contribution, to Salceda for his dedicated support to the government’s revenue collection campaign.

TUESDAY: MAY 19, 2015

B6

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

BoI to ease auto tax payments

By Othel V. Campos

The Board of Investments plans to remove the burden of automotive assemblers in securing a certificate of payment from the Bureau of Customs to speed up the turnover of imported vehicle parts.

“We are hoping that non-fiscal incentives like these will help the automotive industry build stronger base and increase domestic volume as intended in the comprehensive automotive resurgence program of the [Trade] Department,” BoI executive director Corazon HaliliDichosa said Monday.

She said car assemblers were complaining of the cumbersome process in Customs, adding the practice had become counterproductive.

She said with many parts being imported to build a vehicle, it was difficult for assemblers to isolate each part, determine how much tax was paid for each and add

them all up for the total worth of a completely knocked-down unit.

“They’re saying that the government should not compare how a CBU [completely built-unit] is taxed from a CKD unit. We said there is specific reason for that and we are willing to help if what is needed is a mere guarantee that the unit is built here and proper taxes were paid,” Dichosa said.

The Board, she said, was reviewing ways to address the concern.

Apart from the elimination of the certificate of payment, the technical working group is looking at how the government’s refleeting program will help increase domestic sales volume and

improve the processes of securing franchise permits.

The refleeting problem, Dichosa said, posed problems.

“What we do at the BoI, we donate vehicles that can still be tweaked or repaired to the Tesda.

Those that are really old and will be too costly to maintain, we dispose as junk,” said Dichosa.

The technical working group plans to come up with a recommendation on the proper age retirement for old cars in general.

The BoI, meanwhile, will encourage operators to buy more vehicles and expand their fleet if the processes for franchising will be simplified.

The CARS technical working group for non-fiscal incentives will meet within the week to fine tune the proposed measures.

Dichosa said both the Land Transportation Office and the Transportation Department weropen to discussions on the topic of refleeting, retirement and franchising.

Jardine seminar. Jardine Distribution Inc. organized another ‘BiyahEdukasyon,’ or educational trip, for partner farmers who have been loyal customers for years. A total of 90 participants from the provinces of Pangasinan, Batangas, Davao, North Cotabato and Saranggani and Cagayan de Oro took part in the trip.

Shown is the seminar on integrated pest management. The event also offered an actual demonstration of bagging mango fruits to prevent damage from pests at the National Research and Development Center Guimaras.

House probes ‘Payanig sa Pasig’ auction

THE Congressional Committee on Metro Manila Development has invited concerned parties to discuss the move of the Presidential Commission on Good Government to publicly bid out the 18.4-hectare prime commercial space, known as the “Payanig sa Pasig” lot.

Committee chairman Rep. Winston Castelo hopes to shed more light on the facts surrounding the government auction through a meeting set on May 25.

“Considering the size, location, and value of the property, this is definitely a matter of public interest,” the lawmaker from Quezon City’s 2nd District said. “More importantly, there have been allegations that the government has conducted this bidding without the clear legal authority to do so. In the

spirit of transparency and accountability, this must be conclusively addressed,” Castelo noted.

The PCGG is claiming ownership of the property based on a reconstituted title obtained after the Edsa revolution, through an assignment by the late Jose Y. Campos. Campos ceded the property to the government in exchange for immunity from suit.

Under the law, however, a reconstituted title is rendered void if the original title still exists. Acompany called BLEMP Commercial of the Philippines Inc. has claimed it is in possession of the titles, which it acquired from 1971 to 1975. Records indicate BLEMP paid close to P1 billion in real estate taxes for the property in question.

“The purpose of any bid or auction is to assign full ownership of

an asset to a winning bidder,” said BLEMP lawyer Dennis Manalo.

“How exactly is the PCGG going to do that? By turning over a reconstituted title? Even a first-year law student will tell you how utterly useless that piece of paper is, since the original title still exists,” he said.

The PCGG in a notice of public bidding in March said the property was being auctioned off on an “as-is-where-is” basis and reminded interested parties that there were problems involving existing tenants, litigation, and even eventual possession.

Despite the unusual stipulations, at least eight companies expressed their intention to participate in the bidding, including Ayala Land Inc., SM Development Corp., San Miguel Corp. and Robinson’s Land.

AMLC report based on bank transactions VICE President Jejomar C. Binay, his family, his close poRUDY ROMERO litical allies and his spokesman have to to be one of the most predictable group of people in this country. Every new corruption charge against JCB and his family is met, in reflex fashion, by the statement, “That’s just another political ploy to derail Vice President Jejomar Binay’s candidacy for the Presidency.”

The Binay troupe has just been presented with another opportunity to repeat its mantra by the Court of Appeals. Acting on a petition of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Court issued an order freezing the bank accounts of Vice President Binay, his family, his alleged dummies and companies suspected to be dummy corporations holding assets for Binay and his family. The CA order covered 242 bank accounts in all. The Vice President has since protested that only five of the 242 accounts belong to him. As if on cue, the nation’s second highest official and his Hallelujah Chorus told the media that the CA freeze order was “just another political ploy to derail Vice President Jejomar Binay’s candidacy for the Presidency.” The candidacy was announced to the nation immediately after Jejomar Binay’s taking of the oath of office of the Vice President of the Republic.

Also as if on cue, the people of this country—more precisely the 64 percent of Filipinos shown by the most recent Social Weather Stations survey to prefer other probable candidates for the Presidency--said, in reaction to the Binay troupe’s denial, “Oh no, not again.”

Jejomar Binay likes to keep reminding us that he’s a lawyer and that he was practicing law before he entered politics in 1996. That being the case, he should be thoroughly knowledgeable about the rules of court provisions on evidence. He should be capable, with his training in remedial law, of distinguishing the probative value, or lack of probative value, of hearsay statements and patently baseless allegations, on the one hand, and allegations based on documents maintained by institutions regulated and supervised by the government. Banking institutions are closely supervised by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, whose head is the chairman of the AMLC. The data that went into the AMLC report--the holders of account, dates of deposits into the accounts, the amounts deposited and the dates and amounts of withdrawals from the accounts-are data that the members of the Bankers Association of the Philippines are required to regularly maintain and make available for the review and analysis of the BSP’s examiners. The examiners report to the officials of the BSP Department of Supervision and Examination.

Stated otherwise, the data in the AMLC report are data that banking institutions are required by the General Banking Act (as amended) to record and furnish the BSP, in the normal and regular course of things, in fulfillment of their mandate to help BSP maintain a sound, stable and progressive banking system.

No politics or a political agenda here. Just regular, day-to-day banking business.

The data contained in the AMLC report make gruesome reading. Huge amounts in accounts opened and maintained by individuals and companies whose access to such amounts of money is unexplainable. Enormous amounts deposited one day and almost equal amounts withdrawn very shortly thereafter and transfers of the amounts to foreign banks—in this instance banks in Canada—were one of Vice President Binay’s former close associates now resides—within a very short time frame.

In the face of these hardcore facts, the Binay troupe continues to recite their mantra about political persecution and political tricks.

The AMLC report on Jejomar Binay is a different ballgame altogether. It is the kind of stuff that gets people sent away for long prison terms.

Truth to tell, in treating the AMLC report the way it has, the Binay troupe has assaulted the entire concept of eradicating money laundering, has denigrated the AML law and insulted AMLC’s members, who include, beside the BSP head, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the chairman of the Insurance Commission. These are all all upright and patriotic Filipinos.

I have a closing question for Vice President Binay. In the highly unlikely event that he will be elected President—or even be chosen as a Presidential candidate—will the abolition of the AMLC be one of his first legislative proposals?

BUSINESS CLASS

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

t u e s D aY : M aY 1 9, 2 0 1 5

WORLD

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

EU backs naval force to fight smugglers BRUSSELS—European Union ministers are set to approve plans Monday for an unprecedented naval force to fight people smugglers in the Mediterranean after a series of shipwrecks killed hundreds of migrants.

The ambitious operation starting in June will involve the deployment of warships and surveillance aircraft off the coast of Libya, the epicenter of the humanitarian disaster unfolding on Europe’s southern shores.

The EU plan also includes the possible destruction of smugglers’ boats before they reach European shores, although that requires a United Nations Security Council resolution backing military action.

Federica Mogherini, the EU diplomatic chief, said approval from the European foreign and defense ministers at a “very intense” meeting in Brussels on Monday would help push the UN into action.

“Today the main point will be taking the decision to establish the EU operation at sea to dismantle the criminal networks that are smuggling people in the Mediterranean,” Mogherini told reporters.

“I think that after we take the decision today it is more likely for the Security Council to take a resolution.”

She has however insisted there is no question of EU “boots on the ground” in Libya, where political chaos and the rising threat of Islamic State militants make it the main launching point for people risking their lives to cross the sea.

More than 5,000 migrants, many escaping civil war in Syria, have died over the past 18 months while trying to cross from North Africa, often on flimsy rubber dinghies or crowded fishing boats.

Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain have already promised to deploy warships for the mission, a rare joint military venture for the 28-nation European bloc that prefers political and financial gambits. AFP

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

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Boat people rejected as problem escalates LANGSA, Indonesia—The Indonesian navy prevented a suspected migrant boat from entering the country’s waters at the weekend after the arrival of hundreds of Rohingya and Bangladeshis and has stepped up patrols in the area, the military said Monday.

Britney in Vegas. Singer Britney Spears arrives at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Garden Arena on May 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

Nearly 3,000 migrants have swum to shore or been rescued off Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand over the past week, around half of whom have arrived in Indonesia’s western province of Aceh.

The three nations have sparked outrage by turning away some overloaded vessels, and thousands of migrants are still believed to be stranded at sea after a Thai crackdown disrupted long-established people-smuggling and -trafficking routes.

The migrants who have made it to shore in Indonesia have mostly been rescued by fishermen, and grim tales have emerged of deadly fights on board and harsh treatment by people-smugglers.

On Sunday the Indonesian navy stopped a boat from entering its waters after the vessel was spotted heading across the Malacca Strait from the direction of Malaysia, Indonesian armed forces spokesman Fuad Basya told AFP. After radio communication with the boat, it turned back from Indonesia, he said, adding it was not physically pushed back. Basya said it was believed the boat was carrying more migrants, although he was not sure how many.

“It was heading to Indonesian waters from Malaysia and was denied entry,” Basya said. “It was intercepted, and we stopped it from passing.”

A week ago the navy stopped a boat carrying hundreds of migrants from entering Indonesia, and the military insists it will only help vessels in distress.

Basya said four warships and one plane were now patrolling off Aceh’s coast to stop migrant boats from entering, up from one warship and a plane around a week ago.

“The boats are forbidden from entering Indonesia,” he said.

On Friday, fishermen rescued hundreds of migrants from a sinking boat off Aceh, on the huge island of Sumatra. Fighting had erupted on board between the Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar, and the Bangladeshis, and many leaped or were thrown overboard. AFP

3 Chinese policemen on trial for beating woman to death BEIJING—Three Chinese policemen went on trial Monday over the fatal beating of a female migrant worker, state media said, a case that sparked an online outcry about violence by law enforcers.

Zhou Xiuyun, 47, was assaulted by the police at a construction site in Taiyuan in December as she tried to prevent officers taking away her husband and son over a dispute with security guards, according to previous media reports.

The three were taken to a local police station where Zhou was thrown to the ground while the two men were beaten up, they said. Zhou died the next day in hospital.

Footage showing policeman Wang Wenjun trampling the hair of a dazed Zhou went viral online a week later, intensifying public anger.

Wang went on trial for intentional injury and abuse of power on Monday in Taiyuan, the capital of the northern province of

Shanxi, state broadcaster China Central Television reported.

His colleagues Guo Tiewei, who was charged with abuse of power, and Ren Haibo, who faces a charge of intentional injury, joined him in the dock, it said.

Police in China are accused by rights groups and critics of aiding companies or local governments in cases such as labor disputes, land seizures and evictions.

They often use violence to extort confessions, according to human rights activists, while abuses by urban management officers known as “chengguan” also regularly trigger public fury.

Earlier this month a police officer shot dead a man who scuffled with him and hit him with a baton at a train station in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang.

In 2013 a farmer in the central province of Hunan was beaten to death by six chengguan for selling watermelons at a street stall without a license. AFP

Symbolic act. Karim Wasfi, former director for the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra, carries his cello as he talks to bystanders next to debris in Baghdad’s Sunni Adhamiya district on May 15 in a symbolic act of protest against violence. AFP

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cESAr bArrioqUinTo EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world

Two-day visit. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye are greeted by South Korean elementary school students during a welcoming ceremony at the presidential house in Seoul on May 18. Modi arrived in Seoul on May 18 for a two-day visit heavily focused on economic ties with Asia’s fourth-largest economy. AFP

Kerry attacks North Korea Two features emerge top favorites in Cannes CANNES—A powerful lesbian love story starring Cate Blanchett and a groundbreaking Holocaust drama emerged as favorites as the Cannes Film Festival hit the halfway mark on Monday.

Critics are calling it a banner year at the world’s top cinema showcase, with the selection of 19 contenders for the coveted Palme d’Or top prize filled with delights and surprises.

In an early stand-out, Todd Haynes’s “Carol” features Blanchett as a wealthy 1950s housewife who falls hard for a budding photographer (Rooney Mara).

The lushly shot period piece sees Carol, in the process of divorcing her businessman husband, threatened with the loss of custody of her young daughter on “moral grounds”.

The film makes a strong case for equal rights at a time when, as Blanchett noted after the screening, dozens of countries still have anti-homosexuality laws on the books.

Rapturous reviewers in this Riviera port town said “Carol” had already emerged as an Oscar favorite.

Film industry bible Variety

called it “an exquisitely drawn, deeply felt love story that teases out every shadow and nuance of its characters’ inner lives”.

The unflinching Holocaust feature “Son of Saul” by Hungarian newcomer Laszlo Nemes also drew rave reviews from shocked critics.

Cannes watchers said the unique relentlessness of Nemes’s depiction of a 36-hour period in the Auschwitz death camp could win over the jury led by US filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen.

French daily Le Monde said Nemes, who lost several members of his family to the gas chambers, said he clearly made the film to keep the history of the Holocaust alive for “the generations that soon will have no direct contact with the witnesses who can share with them their memories”.

Among the more bizarre entries, which nevertheless won ardent fans, was “The Lobster” by Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz in a story about single people sequestered in a hotel and given 45 days to find a partner, or be transformed into the animal of their choosing. AFP

SEOUL—US Secretary of State John Kerry warned North Korea Monday of possible fresh sanctions as he slammed Kim Jong-Un’s “egregious” leadership with its reliance on reckless provocation and “grotesque” executions.

Speaking in the South Korean capital Seoul, Kerry said the recent test of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile showed that North Korea had no genuine interest in engaging with the international community.

“Instead, it continues to pursue nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, it continues to break promises and make threats, and it continues to show flagrant disregard for international laws,” he told a joint press conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byong-Se. “That is why it is important for us to ramp up international pressure for North Korea to change its behavior,” he added, citing the possible use of further “sanctions or other means” to force Pyongyang to change course.

The impoverished but nucleararmed state is already heavily sanctioned following a series of nuclear and missile tests staged in violation of UN resolutions.

Just over a week ago, the North

said it had successfully test-fired an SLBM, defying a UN ban on its use or testing of ballistic missile technology.

A fully-developed SLBM capability would take the North Korean nuclear threat to a new level, allowing deployment far beyond the Korean peninsula and the potential to retaliate in the event of a nuclear attack.

In a scathing attack on Kim JongUn, Kerry said his leadership was one of the most “egregious displays... anywhere on the planet” of reckless disregard for human rights.

He specifically cited “stories of grotesque, grisly, horrendous public displays of executions” carried out on a personal whim by Kim— often against those closest to him.

South Korea’s intelligence agency reported last week that North Korea’s defense minister, Hyon Yong-Chol, had been purged and most likely executed for insubordination and dozing off during a formal military rally.

The agency said it had unverified reports that the execution had been carried out at close range with a high-caliber anti-aircraft gun.

A previous agency report said Kim had ordered the execution of 15 other senior officials so far this year, including two vice ministers, for questioning his authority.

Kerry said it was “absolutely critical” for the international community to keep shedding light on human rights violations, after a UN report last year detailed widespread abuses and recommended Pyongyang be referred to the

International Criminal Court in The Hague.

“If their horrific conduct continues, it’s hard to see how that referral to the criminal court would not take place,” Kerry said.

In an effort to revive longstalled de-nuclearization talks, Washington has said it is open to discussions with Pyongyang, but Kerry reiterated that the North Korean leadership must show a genuine commitment to reining in its nuclear program.

“To this moment, particularly with its recent provocations, it is clear that [North Korea] has not even come close to meeting that standard,” he said.

Kerry, who held talks earlier in the morning with President Park Geun-Hye, insisted that the USSouth Korea military alliance was “stronger than ever” in the face of the North’s belligerence.

South Korea hosts a permanent deployment of almost 30,000 US troops and holds annual joint exercises that rehearse many conflict scenarios with the North.

“Let me underscore, there is no daylight, not an inch, not a centimeter... of difference between the United States and South Korea in our approach to the question of North Korea’s provocations and its nuclear program,” Kerry said.

A recent report by US researchers warned that North Korea appeared poised to expand that program over the next five years and, in a worstcase scenario, could possess 100 atomic weapons by 2020. AFP

T U E S D AY : M AY 1 9 : 2 0 1 5

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE EDITOR

BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

LIFE

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Kilawin na Tangigue

MICHELIN-LEVEL MAGIC IN MACTAN Chef Paolo Pelosi does more than pasta at Mactan Shangri-La

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teeped in his native Italian cuisine, recently appointed Executive Sous Chef Paolo Pelosi steps out of his comfort zone and swims into new waters to handle Cowrie Cove, the signature seafood grill restaurant of Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa in Cebu.

Chef Paolo’s culinary career seemed destined for Michelin-starred restaurants, beginning with stint as commis at Restaurant Pirana, a Michelin one-starred restaurant in Prato Area, Italy. He spent several years in various kitchens at well-known Tuscan restaurants – from Florence and Fiesole to Prato Area – where Chef Paolo delved into Tuscany’s clean, sober and soothingly simple cuisine.

The high points of Chef Paolo’s culinary journey include being sous chef at Restaurant Onice, known for its Tuscan menu influ-

enced by Asian flavor. Its head chef, Andrea Accordi, has an impressive international reputation, having worked at other Michelin restaurants. Chef Paolo’s next venture was at Restaurant Ora D’Aria, a Michelin one-starred restaurant in Florence.

His last stint, prior to leaving Italy, was at Restaurant Arnolfo, a world-class, Michelin two-starred restaurant owned by one of Italy’s best chefs, Gaetano Trovato. It is said that anyone who sits at Chef Gaetano’s table has “his senses stimulated and charmed by the taste, fragrance and art of the table.”

Cowrie Cove is open daily for dinner from 6 to 10 p.m. For inquiries and reservations, please call the resort’s Restaurant Reservations and Information Desk at (63 32) 231 8224 or email fbreservations.mac@ shangri-la.com.

Chef Paolo Pelosi

T U E S D AY : M AY 1 9 : 2 0 1 5

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LIFE

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

HEALTH

SUMMER ALERT: TOO MUCH SUN CAN DAMAGE YOUR EYES

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and on your feet, warm summer breeze… summer is really here! During the hottest season of the year, people often spend more time outdoors, which means prolonged exposure to the rays of the sun. Harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays may cause serious eye conditions like cataracts and macular degeneration. If it worsens, it could lead to blindness.

To protect our eyes from the long-term damaging effects of the sun, Essilor, the world leader in vision solutions, has launched ‘Seeing the World Better,’ a public awareness campaign to promote healthy vision through prevention, protection and correction. Here are a few eye care tips before hitting the beach this summer: Use sun lenses with E-SPF. The heat of the midday summer is three times greater than other seasons. Temperature rises from 35 to 37 degrees Celsius, making UV rays more threatening to our eyes. To prevent eye damage, wear sunglasses with Eye-Sun Protection Factor (E-SPF). E-SPF is an objective rating system that indicates the overall UV protection of your lenses, with values varying from two to 25 for clear lenses, and up to 50+ for sun lenses. The higher the E-SPF, the higher the UV protection. Unfortunately, not all lenses, whether clear or tinted, have equal UV protection levels.

Not many people know that tinted sunglasses don’t necessarily guarantee the right amount of protection for the eyes.

Sometimes, clear lenses have more E-SPF than tinted ones.

One of the best clear lenses for sun protection is Essilor’s Crizal

SOME ESSENTIAL SUNSCREEN FACTS:

SPF ratings affect sunscreen effectiveness.

SPF means “Sun Protection Factor,” which refers to the sunscreen’s ability to block ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation over a period of time. Overexposure to UVB rays can cause sunburn. A sunscreen with SPF 15 can block about 94 percent of UVB rays while SPF 30 can block about 97 percent UVB. Higher SPF rating means higher UVB protection. However, SPF ratings do not make that much of a difference as they increase – SPF 50 can block about 98 percent of UVB, which is just faintly lower than the 98.9 percent UVB protection provided by SPF 90.

No sunscreen product can also provide 100 percent protection from UV rays.

Sunscreens with Broad Spectrum SPF protect against UVB and UVA rays. A sunscreen with SPF may be effective in shielding the skin from UVB rays, but it may not be strong enough to block UVA rays, which are linked to deeper skin damage like skin cancer and early skin aging. Sunscreen products that provide protection from both UVB and UVA rays have Broad Spectrum SPF, and passed the FDA’s broad spectrum test which measures the sunscreen’s magnitude of overall protection. Dermatologists recommend using sunscreens with a Broad Spectrum SPF rating of 15 or higher.

Sunscreens may contain ingredients that can irritate the skin or trigger allergies. Dermatologists discourage the use of sunscreens with para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and benzephenones, which are linked to skin discoloration and skin cancer. Products containing alcohol, fragrances and preservatives must also be avoided by people with sensitive skin, especially toddlers and babies. Children six months or older are also advised to use kidfriendly sunscreens with SPF 15 or higher.

“Water-resistant” is not the same as “waterproof.” Sunscreens with “waterproof ” labels are misleading because all sunscreen products can only stay effective in water for up to 80 minutes. Since these products are water-resistant for a limited period of time, people need to reapply them regularly, ideally every two hours when swimming.

Sunscreens are essential for year-round skin protection. The sun’s UV rays can damage the skin even during the rainy season. Although people are not directly exposed to the sun, UV rays can also come through the clouds.

“Sunscreens don’t necessarily provide protection from the sun but from the UV rays that are emitted by the sun. People should make it a habit to wear sunscreens regularly to protect themselves from sunburn, melanoma and other skin diseases. It will also help them prevent premature skin aging,” advises Dr. Montoya.

MediCard Skin and Body offers modern aesthetic treatments for a healthy, glowing and younger looking skin. Visit its Skin and Body Clinics at The MediCard Lifestyle Center, Festival Mall and Centris. For more information, visit http://medicardphils.com.

EDITOR

BING PAREL

g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

BURNING FACTS ABOUT SUNSCREENS Most people are aware of the importance of wearing sunscreen, especially in the Philippines where the sun’s ultraviolet radiation levels are usually high. But with many sunscreen options available in the market today, choosing the right product can be confusing.

“Sunscreens shield our skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. However, not all products labeled with sunscreen claims effectively do their job. Some can also irritate the skin and trigger allergies. People need to pay attention to the sunscreen’s ingredients and labels to ensure safety,” says Dr. Nicky Montoya, president of MediCard Philippines.

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE

Forte® UV, with an E-SPF of 25. It blocks both the front and back side of the lens from harmful UV, thus, eyes are protected 25x more than without any glasses.

Wear swimming goggles. According to the American Optometric Association’s (AOA) American Eye-Q® survey, 42 percent of swimmers open their eyes while swimming in chlorinated water. Exposing the eyes to chlorinated pool water can drastically increase the chances of redness or irritation. To prevent this from happening, use goggles that will shield your eyes from this strong chemical.

Goggles can also spare your eyes from contracting eye infection caused by improperly chlorinated pools. If pool water gets in the eyes, flush out with warm water to prevent irritation or chemical conjunctivitis. If warm water can’t do the trick, consult an eye doctor immediately to effectively wash out the chemicals through saline or topical steroids.

See an eye doctor. Before going on a summer adventure, consult an eye care professional on how to properly care for the eyes, and what trusted brands of optical lenses will give the right amount of E-SPF. Caring for the eyes especially during summer is truly important. Harmful UV rays are everywhere so the eyes are always at risk. Following these simple eye care tips will make great outdoor adventures more enjoyable. So before heading to the beach, make sure to apply sunscreen – and keep your sunglasses on.

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1 New Zealand Trade Commissioner to the Philippines Hernando Banal 2 Traders and media attend the New Zealand Food Connection 2015 in Manila 3 Palm Corned Beef booth serves its corned beef variants and liver spread 4 Brumms Quality Wines and Antipodes Water booth 5 Fonterra booth showcases different Anchor products and other Fonterra labels 6 New Zealand Natural Premium Ice Cream booth

THE ZEST OF NEW ZEALAND Manila gets a bite of Kiwi freshness

BY BERNADETTE LUNAS

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or many Filipinos, New Zealand evokes images of snow-capped mountains, rich vegetation, and temperate climate–perfect for curling up with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa.

Perhaps we have a certain dairy brand, whose label shows healthy cows grazing on green grasslands, to thank for our first look at New Zealand, the land of the Kiwis.

But with such fertile land and a varied topography, New Zealand surely has more than Fonterra’s Anchor products to offer to the world. And when it comes to food and beverages from New Zealand, fresh and tasty are more than just buzzwords.

“New Zealand has a unique animal and plant biodiversity, high quality raw materials, and clean, nuclear-free environment, so in many ways, we are the food basket of the world,” declared New Zealand ambassador to the Philippines H. E. David Strachan.

More than 100 Filipino food and beverage influencers got to taste eight New Zealand products at the recent New Zealand Food Connection kick-off event in Manila.

The exclusive trade show was designed

to introduce NZ’s finest food and beverage offerings here in the country.

“New Zealand Food Connection is a testament of our commitment to further strengthen ties with the food service sector in the Philippines,” said New Zealand trade commissioner to the Philippines Hernando Banal.

Since our country is one of New Zealand’s top dairy export destinations, the food expo highlighted the household dairy brand Anchor. Fonterra’s exhibitors showcased various Anchor dairy products that went well beyond butter and fresh milk.

Another source of Kiwi dairy pride at the trade show was New Zealand Natural ice cream. This ice cream brand known for its natural ingredients served up its famous Vanilla and White Chocolate flavors–which guests came back for again and again. Apart from these two, Filipinos also enjoyed its huge variety of scrumptious ice cream and sorbet flavors--the most popular of which, according to exhibitors, was the Hokey Pokey flavor.

“While New Zealand dairy has always been popular, more diverse New Zealand

products are now found in stores, hotels and restaurants like wine, non-alcoholic beverages, and meat,” said Banal.

The other crowd-drawer at the food expo came from the health-conscious The Better Drinks Co. When introducing the company’s variety of non-alcoholic drinks, Craig Pettigrew recalled Better Drinks Co.’s rather humble beginnings.

“Our first Phoenix organic range of ginger beer was made in a bathtub in 1986. And oranges thrown in the washing machine produced our first range of orange juice.”

Their manufacturing methods have improved tenfold since then, and now they are one of the most recognized manufacturers in New Zealand and Australia, with products available in 20 countries around the world.

New Zealand considers the Philippines an important market for Kiwi food. In fact, New Zealand exports to the Philippines have increased 21 percent in the last two years with a value of more than P22 billion. And if these food choices’ freshness and taste are any indication, trade growth between the two countries is very likely.

T U E S D AY : M AY 1 9 : 2 0 1 5

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE

LIFE

EDITOR

BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

FOOD SAFETY AT HOME

Chef Rob Pengson

C3 Chef Erika de Leon

BY ED BIADO

During the recent World Health Day t h e m e d “Food safety: from farm to plate, make food safe,” the World Health Organization counted more than 200 diseases spread through food, many of which may be prevented by proper food preparation.

Co-founded by Chef Rob Pengson, Global Academy, the first Philippine culinary school to be given a Recognition of Quality Culinary Education by the World Association of Chefs Societies, shares the following tips for handling, cooking and storing food and ingredients to ensure the safety and freshness of all our home-cooked meals: • Buy from reputable suppliers.

“The [wet market] may be a cheaper source of goods... but be careful when buying meat and poultry. Some vendors have a very poor grasp of food safety and sanitation and the products may be compromised,” explains Chef Mike

Yap, Culinary Program Director.

• Use tongs, spatulas, gloves, or other utensils instead of hands when practical. The hands are convenient tools for passing germs and viruses, so try to minimize direct handling of food. But this isn’t an excuse for unwashed hands. In fact, it’s important to wash hands thoroughly and constantly when handling different ingredients, especially raw meat, to minimize cross contamination.

• Cook and reheat food with care to kill harmful bacteria and pathogens.

Pork and poultry may carry trichinella and salmonella, so it is important to cook them fully – a which means there’s no such thing as medium rare. “To reheat food, you must bring it up to a boil and hold it for at least 15 seconds,” instructs Chef Erika de Leon.

• “Never put hot food directly into the cooler,” Chef Mike says. The food will cool slower and will also raise the temperature of other foods in the cooler, thus increasing the

spoilage risk. What you can do is to chill food quickly over ice or in cold water before putting in the fridge.

• Store cooked food above raw food in the refrigerator. Otherwise, cooked food will be susceptible to drips and spills from the raw food, making them hazardous.

• Use only 75 percent of your ref ’s storage capacity. It allows for cold air to circulate better. “Refrigeration units are supposed to prolong shelf life of food but if not used properly, they may do more harm than good,” Chef Mike warns.

• This summer, you can only leave food out of the chiller for an hour. The hour is doubled in cooler months.

“When food is exposed to what we call the Temperature Danger Zone (5°C - 57°C), bacteria can multiply faster,” notes Chef Erika.

Chef Mike adds, “While food should appeal to the eye and to the palate, it should, above anything else, be safe to consume.”

Learn more about Global Academy here: globalacademyph.com.

AH CEBU

It’s important to wash hands thoroughly and constantly when handling different ingredients, especially raw meat, to minimize cross contamination

ZONTA 1 BARANGAYAN CAMPAIGNS

The ZONTA 1 continues to expand its programs in education, ecology and entrepreneurship, establishing linkages with public and private schools and barangays. The Barangayan Campaign has been effective in educating communities and making them aware of the value of family solidarity and tackling violence against women and children as prescribed in Republic Act 9262.

BY MILA C. ESPINA

EVENTS AND MILESTONES

Busy… busy April and May! The UNIVERSITY OF CEBU MEDICAL CENTER which had its soft opening recently will certainly augment the health delivery system in Cebu with the academe at the helm of it.

Congratulations to Atty. Augusto and Beth Go and of course, Candice Gotianuy for always spearheading relevant projects both in the medical sciences, arts, tourism and education. The UC MEDCENTER will be accepting outpatients starting this June. “A dream come true three years in the making,” said Candice. Carry on…

Chef Mike Yap

The UC Medical Center. Elizabeth and Atty.

Augusto Go, President Benigno Aquino, Jr., Candice Gotianuy, and Secretary Rene Almendras.

At the PACQUIAOMAYWEATHER fight.

Joel and Carla del Prado.

UC MEDICAL CENTER. GUESTS Nellie Chiu, Tess Chan, Pilar Puno, Elizabeth Go, Jun Muntuerto and daughter.

Group photo of Barangay Kamagayan residents, Zonta members and teaching staff of UV during the community forum on Violence Against women held last.

Talent as Kinder.

Kenzo Takahashi excels in dancing and recitation.

Group photo of Zonta members and teaching staff during the 2nd Barangayan Campaign held at Barangay Talamban.

MORE HAPPENINGS

Cebu media and stakeholders were kept busy with more happenings: Stella Bernabe had been active with the Manulife Advisers to encourage young graduates to experience the busy and lucrative insurance universe. Travel becomes Aida Uy of Fortune Travel whose summer was full of cruising and air travel hopping.

THE HAVAIANAS FEVER

“Ten years of MAKE YOUR OWN HAVAIANAS” was celebrated recently at the SM Northwing Atrium. The motif was Hawaiian, because as Jaja Rama said, “the

Havaianas is Hawaiians in Portuguese.”

The Persimon Studios located at the send floor of Persimon Plus Building in Mabolo, Cebu City underwent a transformation to make it spacious and trendy. Hats off to Beverly Dayanan whose talented son KENZO won the Speechcomer of 2015, kinder level. Joel and Carla del Prado were at Vegas to cheer for Pacquiao.

More to happen this May with some showers cooling our afternoons.

Watch out for the July event of the AMERICAN CHAMBER OF CEBU, when it commemorates the 50+ years of the BEATLES in the US and the whole world.

Group photo of Women’s Organization of Brgy. Talamban and Banilad, Zonta members and teaching staff of UV during the community forum on Violence Against women held recently.

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T U E S D AY : M AY 1 9 : 2 0 1 5

BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE

LIFE

EDITOR

BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

g l w e e ke n d @ g m a i l . c o m

HOTELS

WEEKEND ESCAPES AT DISCOVERY

You can have a relaxing weekend without having to go out of town. Discovery Suites shows you how with its latest Weekend Escape package.

Enjoy special rates starting at P4,988 nett for a Junior Suite when you book a room for the weekend and get a chance to win a three-day, two-night stay at Discovery Shores Boracay.

The package includes buffet breakfast at Restaurant 5, complimentary pizza, ice cream and a carafe of iced tea, 15 percent discount on Food and Beverage, complimentary

Internet access for unlimited devices and access to Balance Gym and swimming pool.

The special rates will apply until August 30, 2015. The raffle winner will be announced on September 2, 2015 and will enjoy three days and two nights stay in a Junior Suite for two (2) adults and two (2) children up to 7 years old at Discovery Shores Boracay.

For inquiries and reservations, call Discovery Suites at (02) 719 8888, e-mail rsvn@discovery.com.ph, or visit http://discoveryhotelsresorts.com

MARCO POLO SAYS: COCKTAILS ON US Marco Polo Hotels in the Philippines makes events and meetings more exciting with “Cocktails On Us.” A minimum of P350,000 net combined rooms and banquet revenue booked in at least two Marco Polo Hotels in the Philippines entitles you to a P20,000 net worth of free cocktails on your next banquet function.

A minimum of P450,000 net combined rooms and banquet revenue in at least two Marco Polo Hotels in the Philippines entitles you to a P30,000 net worth of free cocktails and an additional P10,000 net banquet credit on your next event!

Each Marco Polo property has its own distinct charm, but what makes all of them outstanding is that they all adhere to the Marco Polo way of service that focuses on giving value to every encounter. Marco Polo Plaza is dubbed as Cebu City’s finest

and provides for an exhilarating panoramic view of the city. Marco Polo Davao is located at the heart of the city and is known for its unique blend of Western comforts and Asian hospitality. Marco Polo Ortigas Manila meanwhile is nestled in the vibrant and growing commercial business district and is the newest Marco Polo Philippines property.

Book an event in any of the Marco Polo Philippine properties until December 2015 and enjoy great perks.

To reach Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, email sales.ceb@marcopolohotels.com or call (032) 253-1111 or (02) 845-4573. For Marco Polo Davao, email davao@marcopolohotels.com or call (082) 221-0888 or (02) 893-0888. For Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, email manila@marcopolohotels. com or call (02) 720-7777.

T UES DAY : M AY 19 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

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M&M’S CHARACTERS HAVING FUN IN MANILA “Mr Know-It-All” Red, cool Blue, optimist Yellow, sexy and confident Green and worrisome Orange – these world-famous M&M’S® Characters drove their Filipino fans wild at a meet-the-fans session at The Atrium, Eastwood Mall.

These irresistible M&M’S® Characters are here in Manila for a first-hand experience of fun in the Philippines whilst spreading their own brand of spontaneous fun!

From now till end of Mahy, they will be sharing the excitement of our favorite M&M’S® Chocolate and Merchandise, making in-store appearances and introducing exciting activities such as the M&M’S® Pose Pinoy Selfie Contest.

“The campaign – “M&M’S ®Philippines Tour” – is a one and a half month campaign to reintroduce the much loved M&M’S® Characters who, through in-store appearances and activities, will share the spontaneous fun and excitement of M&M’S® Chocolates. We are excited for this tour to be in the Philippines as we Filipinos know the true meaning of the word “Fun”,” said Henry Azcarraga, Mars Chocolate, Southeast Asia Country Director.

Also joining in the fun is Manzano who had the opportunity to show the M&M’S® Characters the famous sights of Philippines. “I was so excited when I found out that I was going to tour with the M&M’S® Characters around the Philippines. During the tour, I made sure that Red, Yellow, Blue, Green and Orange had a true Filipino time! And they made sure I experienced the fun of M&M’S® Chocolate, the world’s No. 1 Chocolate brand,” said Manzano.

Henry Azcarraga is glad to have brought the characters to the Philippines

M&M characters performing during their visit to Manila recently Henry Azcarraga, Mars Chocolate, Southeast Asia Country Director, with actor Luis Manzano and the M&M characters Everyone wants to have a selfie with the characters

EDNA’ IN THEATERS WEDNESDAY

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Actress Irma Adlawan who plays Edna in the film of the same title with a co-star

he much talked-about and anticipated directorial debut of actor Ronnie Lazaro is Artiste Entertainment’s post-Mother’s Day offering. It had a special screening last Monday at the UP Film Center. Tomorrow, it opens in theaters for its regular showing on May 20.

Part of the proceeds of the movie will go to Edna’s selected beneficiary – the Dupax Reading and Learning Center in Old Balara, Quezon City.

Dupax Center is the first community library in 3rd District,QC and sponsored by WaterKonsult Equipment & Services, EnviroKonsult, Artiste Entertainment. It opened in April with the goal of helping the children of community excel in academics and other scholastic field.

The center offers classes in

various academic subjects such as Math, Science and English, along with summer training in voice and guitar, arts, dance, computer and storytelling for children of Dupax and the surrounding communities.

Edna has been graded ‘A’ by the Cinema Evalation Board, and its producers and production crew hope Filipinos will watch it to help Dupax Center, a community library in Quezon City

Produced for the big screen by Tonet Gedang’s Artiste Entertainment, Edna got an ‘A’ from the Cinema Evaluation Board.

The film stars TV and movie actress Irma Adlawan, Ronnie Lazaro, Nicco Manalo, Sue Prado, Frances Makil, Mara Marasigan, Micko Laurente, and Kiko Matos.

Additionally, the CEB also praised Adlawan’s acting and Lazaro’s handling of the material, calling it “a brave and significant step both for Adlawan as actor and Lazaro as director”.

Adlawan was described as someone who “practically owns the film” but also singled out the ensemble for a good performance.

Acclaimed is the ‘OFW movie of the year’ for its powerful and insightful treatment of the story of a typical Filipina OFW.

T UES DAY : M AY 19 : 2015

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SHOWBITZ

EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

‘SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER’ TO BRING AUDIENCE TO THEIR FEET

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he younger generation isn’t aware of how the movie Saturday Night Fever became the modus vivendi of the ‘70s.

“It would be great to see a new generation of theatergoers dancing in the aisles to the timeless tunes of The Bee Gees,” says Patrick Bywalski, deputy chairman of Robert Stigwood Organisation Ltd., which co-produces the upcoming Asian Tour of the hit West End and Broadway dance musical Saturday Night Fever alongside Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group (ATEG) and Ten Bridges Media Corp.

In fact, the dancing crowd doing the hustle is expected to spill out of The Theatre at Solaire Resort and Casino, where a ‘70s disco-themed party will take place at a nearby venue to aptly kick off the tour running in Manila (July 3-26), Kuala Lumpur (Sept.1-15), and Singapore (Sept. 25 to Oct.11).

“Since Saturday Night Fever opened on West End in 1997, we’ve nurtured the musical around the globe with each production contextualized (and re-contextualized) to please the local customs,” adds Bywalski.

Apparently, the recent UK productions and the upcoming Asian Tour of the musical have been more fearless—definitely more provocative—than their sanitized predecessors on West End and Broadway by staying true to the authentic, gritty realism depicted in the landmark film.

“The film was, finally, so authentic...it was more of a documentary,” Karen Lynn Gorney, the actress who played Stephanie Mangano, the love interest of John Travolta’s Tony Manero in the film, told Vanity Fair in December 2007. “We improvised for two weeks, so that by the time it came to filming, (film direc-

tor) John Badham just shot what was happening. It wasn’t acting.”

With the stamp of approval to reimagine Saturday Night Fever onstage for Asian audiences, multi-awarded stage director Bobby Garcia has set his eyes on reliving the authentic comingof-age in a tough world story of the film—amid the backdrop of the pulsating strobe lights of the infamous retro ‘70s disco era.

For Garcia, nothing would be more authentic than asking Broadway choreographer and child of the ‘70s Vince Pesce to join his creative team.

Pesce, who’s a longtime associate choreographer of Tony winner Kathleen Marshall, grew up in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, where the movie was filmed.

“I’ve a clear memory of the movement/dance and how it made us feel,” says Pesce.

Based upon music critic Nik Cohn’s magazine article Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night, which was published in the June 7, 1976 issue of New York, Saturday Night Fever tells the story of Italian-American Vincent (later renamed to Tony Manero) and his gang in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn who are stuck in dead-end jobs but rule the dance floor at the discotheque 2001 Odyssey. Vincent or Tony is a tough cookie; an outstanding dancer, his ultimate dream was to escape the mean streets of Brooklyn.

“I did go back and look at the movie again just to make sure I capture the gritty, dynamic, and social movement that shifted popular dance as we know it,” Pesce continues. “With that in mind, Bobby Garcia, our director, and I felt we needed to expand the dancing in the show and make it more relatable to modern audiences yet remain true to the original choreogra-

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 47 50 53 54 58 62 63 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Trendy 5 Meter reading 10 Pant 14 McEntire of music 15 Handles, in slang 16 Low voice 17 Pupil’s place 18 Some moles 19 Come down hard 20 Dark igneous rock 22 Tern or albatross 24 Prickly husk

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Brandon Rubendall: From Spider-Man to SNF’s Tony Manero

phy. You’ll get to see the hustle, Travolta’s finger point, and lots of exciting disco dancing but much more are needed to be done.

“Today’s sophisticated audiences are accustomed to intricate, dynamic dance styles on TV, e.g. ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ We have to deliver expanded dance sequences that will thrill. On the other hand, we also have to create a world of movement that doesn’t only take place in the disco. Essentially, we need to capture the pulse, frustration, and energy of the streets of Brooklyn and the ‘70s social movements.”

A show that’s heavy on the dance side yet demands authentic emotions onstage, a triple threat casting is equally crucial. “We auditioned for the roles of Tony, Stephanie, Tony’s friend Double J, and a [Latin] dancer in N.Y.,” says West End and Broadway casting director Tara Rubin. “We were looking for great actors, singers, and dancers who seemed authentic to the show’s time and place. We needed actors experienced enough to star in the show

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and play these iconic roles.”

Pesce adds, “The culture in Brooklyn is all about bigger than life and fun loving personalities. We didn’t stop looking until we found them.”

At the end of the auditions, Brandon Rubendall (Spider-man on Broadway), Jenna Rubaii (American Idiot), and Nick Varricchio (A Chorus Line) were cast as Tony, Stephanie, and Double J, respectively.

Thespians Marie Rose, Rafa Giguion-Reyna, Yanah Laurel, Jamie Wilson, and Carla Guevara-Laforteza are also joining its 20-strong cast.

Besides Garcia, Pesce, and Rubin, Tony Award-winning scenic designer David Gallo, original lighting designer of Saturday Night Fever on Broadway Paul Miller, costume designer Eric Pineda, and musical director Ceejay Javier are also part of the show’s first-rate creative team.

For tickets and more information, call ATEG at (632)650 5144 or (63917) 8381534; visit TicketWorld at ticketworld.com.ph.

GOLFER MICHELLE WIE IN CNN’S LEADING WOMEN This month, CNN’s Leading Women features Michelle Wie, one of the world’s most recognizable female golfers and the current U.S. Women’s Open Golf Champion.

She talks to CNN’s Kristie Lu Stout about role models, how she handles criticism, and the future of women in golf. Wie also discusses the confidence she gained from her first major win at the U.S. Open in 2014 describing the victory as “pure happiness.”

Wie says she is determined to win more majors and feels that with the right balance of motivation and hard work she can be world number one: “Hopefully the best is yet to come.”

Leading Women airs on CNN International on Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.

Replays are announced on the channel’s website CNNInternational.com Airtimes: Hong Kong, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore and Taipei

Golfer Michelle Wie talks to CNN’s Kristie Lou Stout about role models, criticisms and the future of women in golf

T UES DAY : M AY 19 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C7

‘PLAYBOY’ COVER GIRL STARTS A NEW LIFE

S Hennessy Brand Ambassador Jean-Michel Cochet, Deputy Marketing Director for Moet Hennessy Olga Azarcon,Hennessy Marketing Manager Gio Robles, Ms. Lani Misalucha and Moet Hennessy Philippines Managing Director Steven Bullock

Asia’s Nightingale, Lani Misalucha performing

Manny Pacquiaot thanks GMA Network

Kapuso employees crowd Pacquiao at GMA Network

Lani Misalucha: Asia’s Nightingale Manny Pacquiao with GMA President and COO Gilberto Duavit Jr and Siren of the Strip (right) and GMA Consultant for Radio Operations Mike Enriquez

LANI MISALUCHA AT HENNESSY’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY From C8

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ennessy recently celebrated its 250th anniversary at the Philippine International Convention Center. The A-list crowd flocked to the venue to toast to the finest cognac in the world.

Guests feasted the gourmet dishes on the buffet spread. The flavours complimented the limited-edition Hennessy 250 Collector’s Blend.

The anniversary blend was created exclusively and masterfully by 8th generation Hennessy master blender Yann Filloux for the celebration and was aged to perfection in 250 specially constructed barrels.

That evening, guests were also treated to performances by Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra who did covers of popular songs and Ballet Philippines with segments from Swan Lake.

One of the highlights of the night was Asia’s Nightingale Lani Misalucha, flown in from Las Vegas exclusively for the event.

Las Vegas’ New Diva and Siren of the Strip began her performance with a medley of Diana Ross’ “The Boss” and Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

The multi-awarded singer also sang a medley of movie theme songs and serenaded the crowd with her soulful version of R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly.” The evening would not be complete without a Whitney Houston number, which Lani performed making the audience stunned with her jaw-dropping performance of “I Believe in You and Me’.” She closed her performance with “Nessun Dorma,” Puccini’s

popular aria from Turandot.

Her remarkable performance for the 250th anniversary of Hennessy made the evening a truly more memorable one.

HHHHH Manny Pacquiao was treated to a hero’s welcome by his home network, GMA-7, on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after his courtesy call in Malacañang Palace.

GMA Network’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Felipe S. Yalong led the warm Kapuso welcome for the People’s Champ. Also present were GMA stars Mikael Daez, Miss World 2013 Megan Young, Iya Villania, and Ralph Fernandez.

Pacquiao expressed his gratitude to his fellow Kapuso stars for the warm reception and their continuing support, “Salamat at napakasaya ng pagsalubong ninyo sa akin. Maraming, maraming salamat at kayong lahat ay nagkaisa para suportahan ako at ipagdasal noong nakaraang laban ko.”

He added, “Masayang-masaya ako dahil una kong nabisita ang mga Kapuso!”

Later in the evening, GMA Network hosted a dinner for Pacquiao at the Midas Hotel.

Present were GMA executives led by President and COO Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr. Pacquiao, the first and the only eight division world boxing champion, is still regarded by many as one of the best fighters in the world despite losing his last fight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. HHHHH In the last 10 years M Cafe has been a pioneering and trendsetting venue, influencing the local scene as well as putting Manila’s

Nightlife on the map with an innovative roaster of local and international DJs & live performers.

Attracting a mixed crowd, M Café has been a hub connecting people from all around the world, creating a “Worldwide M Family” that reaches far beyond the nightly events.

Past highlights include the Turntables on the Hudson Party with DJs Nickodemus (NYC) and DRM (NYC), GOTSOUL with DJ Jojo Flores (Montreal), Beat Junkie Sound with DJ Shortkut (San Francisco) to live sessions featuring a wide array of electronic acts and organic performers.

It has likewise featured Grammy nominated singer Vikter Duplaix, world renowned US cellist and composer Dave Eggar, various breakdancing crews getting busy on the floor from PH, Korea, US, Germany and many others.

As M Café’s leaps into its spanking second decade, looking back at the last 10 years and moving forward means celebrating with a unique and entertaining event series with an amazing line up of Djs & live performers.

Presented by M Sessions & Belvedere, don’t miss Team Manila’s M Cafe T-Shirt Launch on May 21 with Assembly Generals, Dj set by The Diegos; the “Night at the Museum” CD Launch on May 28 with Djs Red-i, Caliph8, Sgt Vez, Minister Zero, and Supreme Fist; and the main anniversary event happening on June 4 with the M TURNS 11 Anniversary Party featuring live performances by Sinosikat, Escolta 3am featuring Skarlet and Brigada. Watch out all these exciting events with M at 11.

BY ROBBIE PANGILINAN

he is only 23, but she has a lot of things going on in her life. Things that show maturity. Things that truly matter.

Dannah Bartolome is an “expert” model, having started with Playboy a few years back. She says that Playboy gave her an excellent, safe and structured environment to learn the ropes of modeling.

“I have so much to thank for the whole Playboy team, virtual hugs for them,” says the versatile model, who endorses local and international products.

Dannah, the face of 888Dragon online gaming company and Tramigo, the biggest GPS fleet tracking corporation in the world, also appears on the cover of Club Filipina magazine in Japan.

Dannah is also a student at De La Salle Dasmarinas-Cavite, taking up Hotel and Restaurant Management.

In her free time, she takes short cooking courses on different ethnic food, inching her way to fulfill her dream of studying culinary arts and becoming a high-end chef in the future.

Dannah is supporting herself through college and also sending her little sister to school.

“To finance my life and studies as well the studies of my little sister, I work very hard. At the moment my days are filled with modeling events, tradeshows and photo shoots. Being a model is my way of being able to sustain my lifestyle and studies, help others, and be a healthy role model,” shares Dannah.

The 34-23-33 (centimeters) model is an independent, empowered woman who takes pride in “changing my own life with my own hard work.”

“I accept no money from my family, instead I want to leave the legacy where my future family and kids will see that hard work will pay and rewards will come to good people,” says Dannah, whose

motto in life is “Good things will happen to good people.”

And a good person she truly is. Dannah, at 23, recently adopted a baby girl who she thought had no hope of a good life. While many models her age shun responsibility for other people, Dannah took a baby into her life to care for and love.

While being a “mother” to Baby Nicole, Dannah keeps her personal life out from work and the public. Her love life is zero, as she says she first wants to be a person that she can be proud of, then love life will come easily.

Dannah keeps herself fit and beautiful through proper nutrition, rest, and exercise.

“The key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a right balance,” says Dannah who likes to spend her free time at home and at the gym of her residential building.

Dannah is also a coffee lover, but not of the fancy kind. Her coffee not only keeps her up and about, but also helps in keeping her fit.

Dannah is a fan of Nice Day Coffee and its variants – White, Slim, and Cleanse. Nice Day Coffee White contains glutathione, collagen and sucralose. The famous glutathione not only whitens skin, but also detoxifies the body and has an anti-aging effect. Nice Day Coffee Slim contains sucralose, an artificial sweetener made from sugar but is not recognized by the body as a carbohydrate and so has zero calories compared to sucrose or table sugar. On the other hand, Nice Day Coffee Cleanse is a package of ganoderma, grape seed, goji berry, cranberry, sylimarin, spirulina, and coconut sugar. It boasts of a range of benefits—strengthening the immune system, helping control high blood pressure, taking care of the liver, better respiratory and circulatory system, reducing high cholesterol, aids in anti-aging, treating diabetes, high blood pressure, and even inhibiting breast and colon cancers.

Former Playboy cover girl Dannah Bartolome lives an ordinary life now

T UES DAY : M AY 19 : 2015

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

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GOLDEN SCREEN’S OUTSTANDING TV NETWORK 7

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1 Sef Cadayon: Best Supporting Actor in a gag or comedy program 2 Gabbi Garcia: Breakthrough performance by an actress 3 Eugene Domingo: Best Game/Talent Program host 4 Michael V: Best Actor in a gag or comedy program 5 Andre Paras: Breakthrough performance by an actor 6 Carmi Martin: Best Supporting Actress in a ga or comedy program 7 Maricel Soriano: Best Supporting Actress in a drama program 8 Dingdong Dantes: Best Actor in a drama program 9 Dingdong Dantes and Maricel Soriano topbill and Dalawang Mrs. Real that won Best Original Drama Program

Showbiz writers group Entertainment Press show which network their members are at home with by handing the Outstanding Network award to GMA Network. The PMPC members simply had their eyebrows raised to the highest heavens

From an A-list of celebrities to best television programs, GMA Network was hailed as the Outstanding TV Network at the 6th Golden Screen TV Awards, which was held at RCBC Plaza on April 26.

Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real won Outstanding Original Drama Program and three of its cast members took home top acting honors: Dingdong Dantes (Outstanding Actor in a Drama Program), Maricel Soriano, and Alessandra de Rossi (Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Program).

In comedy, Michael V. received the top award for Comedy with Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Gag or Comedy Program, while Sef Cadayona and Carmi Martin the Outstanding Supporting Actor and Actress in a Gag or Comedy Program honors.

GMA’s longest-running gag show, Bubble Gang, and the sitcom Pepito Manaloto were named Outstanding Gag Program and Outstanding Comedy Program, respectively.

Eugene Domingo took home the Outstanding Game/Talent Program host while the all-original and top-rating game show Celebrity Bluff was recognized as the Outstanding Game/Talent Program.

Andre Paras and Gabbi Garcia won Outstanding Breakthrough Performance by An Actor and Outstanding Breakthrough Performance by An Actress, respectively.

Villa Quintana received the Outstanding Adapted Drama Program.

Eat Bulaga bagged the Outstanding Variety Program award while Julia Clarete was named Outstanding Female Host in a Musical/Variety Program.

Jessica Soho won Outstanding Magazine Program Host for Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho and Outstanding Female News Presenter for GMA News TV’s State of the Nation (SONA).

KMJS, likewise, was awarded as Outstanding Magazine Program while SONA Outstanding News Program.

Mike Enriquez, in turn, was recognized as Outstanding Crime/Investigative Program Host for Imbestigador, which also won Outstanding Crime/ Investigative Program.

Sandra Aguinaldo bagged the Outstanding Documentary Program Host award for Rape of Manila in I-Witness, while Drew Arellano and the weekly program AHA! won Outstanding Educational Program Host and Outstanding Educational Program, respectively.

GMA News TV’s Quick Response Team (QRT) news anchor Jiggy Manicad was awarded Outstanding Male News Presenter. Bawal ang Pasaway kay Mareng Winnie, also on GMA News TV, and host Winnie Monsod won Outstanding Public Affairs Program and Outstanding Public Affairs Program Host, respectively. Reel Time earned the Outstanding Documentary Program award for its “Dungkoy” episode.

With all the recognitions and awards, it only proves that the Kapuso Network continues to hone its talents to be the best in their chosen field and provides quality and innovative programs for its viewers. ➜ Continued on C7