The Standard - 2015 June 11 - Thursday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 113  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  THURSDAY : JUNE 11, 2015  www.manilastandardtoday.com  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Binay still hopes he’s the one

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No special session for approval of Moro law

By Christine F. Herrera and Macon Ramos-Araneta CONGRESS adjourned Wednesday night without a vote on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), failing to meet the Palace-set deadline for passing the law before the congressional recess.

While the House goes on recess for more than a month, no special session will be called on the BBL, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said.

But hearings on allegations that Immigration officials accepted money in exchange for ordering the release of a suspected Chinese crime lord would continue during that time, he added.

House Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora said he had met with Belmonte and House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II and agreed to a new timeline for the BBL. “We will not give an impression that we want to cut corners. As of now, there are still 30 congressmen on the list of interpellators,” Belmonte said, referring to congressmen who wanted to question the contentious bill’s principal sponsor, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.

As of 7:30 p.m., the marathon plenary hearing had reached the ninth Next page Pro and con. Zamboanga Rep. Celso Lobregat, left, is seen in a huddle with Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez over the Bangsamoro Basic Law. LINO SANTOS lawmaker in line.

Noy to Poe: Get ready

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Sandy Araneta

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III met a second time with Senator Grace Poe in Malacañang Wednesday, but the senator said there was as yet no offer to her to be the running mate of Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, the presumptive presidential candidate of the ruling Liberal Party in 2016.

“The President did not say that I should be in tandem with this or that I should do that,” said Poe after the meeting. “It’s just that I should be ready, if ever, to continue his good governance.”

Poe said the President described Roxas

as a good person who had the potential to continue his reforms. She said the President told her he had confidence in Roxas.

After the second meeting, Poe said it was clear to her that the President was actively looking for candidates to support in the

Images that linger

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2106 elections.

“He has a list of those capable (to run). I can’t say that it is only me. He will also talk to Senator [Francis] Escudero. He mentioned it. It is clear to me that I’m not the only one on the list. There are others. I’m not the only one.”

But Poe said if she were to seek higher office, she would be more comfortable running with Escudero.

Both senators have been coy about their plans for next year’s elections.

Escudero, who supports the administration, said he has no political party with the resources to launch a national campaign.

In 2013, Poe and Escudero ran as inde-

pendents, but won the first and fourth top spot, respectively, in the senatorial races.

Poe said she told the President she would remain an independent.

“Hhe didn’t contradict me when I told him I prefer to remain independent. It’s not good that before elections, you would change your party. And he understood it.

He also explained the stance of the Liberal Party that it has a process of selection.

And I’m thankful for his fairness. He did not force me [and say] this should be your party,” Poe said.

Poe said the President asked how she was doing after critics questioned her qualificaNext page tions to run for president.

Lebron’s heroics fuel Cavs

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Binay still hopes to get Aquino’s endorsement

By Vito Barcelo and Sandy Araneta

Vice President Jejomar Binay said he is still hoping that the President will consider him as the best person to succeed him in 2016.

“I am still hoping up to the last

minute, even on the election day that he (President Benigno Aquino III) might consider me,” Binay said in a media forum yesterday.

“I still believe that when the time comes, I will reach that point where

he will consider me,” he added.

Aquino earlier said his top choice for standard bearer is still Interior Secretary Mar Roxas II, but the President has already spoken with Senator Grace Poe twice on the 2016 elections.

The President, however, clarified that while he is open to “almost all possibilities,” there are some presidential aspirants whom he really cannot consider to continue his reform agenda.

Malacañang, however, immediately rebuffed Binay, saying he should just wait for the President to make his endorsement.

“It’s the prerogative of the President to make his choice, and until such time, everything will be specu-

lation,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

Lacierda also took a subtle swipe at the Vice President, saying Aquino has already mentioned the qualities that he wants in a possible successor.

“From that standard, one can gauge who will (be endorsed by the President). Does a candidate follow that standard? And I won’t be able to speculate on who the candidate is, but that would be a fair way of benchmarking all the presidential candidates,” he said.

“Or, for instance, it’s only Vice President Binay who made the announcement. But again, at the end of the day, let’s just wait for the announcement of the President,” Lacierda added.

Binay has remained the frontrunner in recent presidential surveys, but his ratings have dropped amid allegations that he earned kickbacks from various overpriced projects when he was still mayor of Makati City.

The Vice President lamented that some members of the Senate have already prejudged him.

“They have deprived government officials and private individuals of their constitutional right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. They harass and bully those who dare speak the truth and state the facts, while tolerating and encouraging our political opponents to make false and baseless statements,” Binay said.

Briefing. Vice President Jejomar Binay stresses a point during a press conference he conducted on a wide range of topics during a media forum in Manila Wednesday. DANNY PATA

No special From A1...

The lack of a quorum has also plagued the campaign in the House to pass the BBL. Zamora said the opposition would deliver its reaction to the BBL in July after President Benigno Aquino III delivers his last State of the Nation Address.

By August, the period of amendments will be held and the bill should go into second and third and final voting.

Belmonte said the most contentious issue in the BBL is the opt-in provision that allows provinces adjacent to the new Bangsamoro region to to become part of it after its formation.

Not one congressman supports the opt-in provision, Belmonte said.

“I think the opt-in provision is not contributing to stability,” Belmonte said.

But Belmonte said the Palace was not opposing the provision’s removal.

He also said a large portion of the public was still misinformed or uninformed about the BBL, with opinion polls showing a majority of Filipinos do not support the passage of the law.

Rodriguez, who headed the

75-member ad hoc committee on the BBL, on Wednesday flip-flopped again on the opt-in provision. He had earlier vowed to remove it and seven other objectionable provisions from the Palace-drafted bill, but retained it in his draft of the BBL after meeting with President Aquino.

On Wednesday, he said he would propose excising the opt-in provision again when sessions resume in July.

“It (opt-in) will be removed because it is creeping territorial expansion. I myself would propose it in the period of amendments,” Rodriguez told reporters, contradicting his own statements earlier when he defended its inclusion in his draft bill.

The opt-in provision allows neighboring territories to propose their inclusion in the proposed Bangsamoro autonomous region through a petition of at least 10 percent of the residents and approval by a majority of qualified voters in the city or province in a separate plebiscite.

An initial petition can be filed five years after the law’s enactment and another one after another five years.

House leaders earlier disowned Rodriguez’s statements that the bill could be passed by the Palace-set deadline of June 11, calling it “wishful thinking.”

Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,

who head the Senate panel scrutinizing the BBL, said Wedenesday the Bangsamoro parliament cannot amend a law passed by Congress.

In an interview with The Standard, Marcos the Bangsamoro parliament is not equal or superior to Congress.

But provisions in the BBL give the Bangsamoro parliament the power to change a law passed by a local government unit.

Since these local laws are granted under the Local Government Code, changing these laws would be tantamount to amending the national law, Marcos said.

“That is an implied amendment of the Local Government Code.

The Bangsamoro cannot amend a national law. It cannot supersede a national law,” he said.

He also said a provision that says the Bangsamoro parliament will supervise banking activities in the region contravenes the Constitution, which entrusts the task to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

“They cannot be usurping that power,” he said.

He said there are more detailed changes that need to be introduced in a substitute bill that he plans to file after Aquino’s State-of-the-Nation Address.

“I think there are at least six salient points that should be amended.

But there will be more as we continue to scrutinize BBL,” said Marcos.

He said amendments involved the provisions on wealth-sharing, the Bangsamoro waters, and ownership of natural resources.

Marcos had earlier said he could not accept the BBL as drafted by the Palace because of its constitutional infirmities.

During one hearing, the government’s chief negotiator Miriam Coronel Ferrer failed to provide clearcut delineations of responsibilities between the regional Bangsamoro government and the local government units under its umbrella, Marcos said.

Marcos and Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto noted that pinpointing specific responsibilities or making a clear-cut delineation of powers, is key to good governance.

The committee then directed Ferrer to submit to the panel the specific functions and responsibilities of the Bangsamoro regional government as a guide in drafting the substitute bill to the draft BBL. There was also a suggestion that performance targets be incorporated as part of the provision on funding for the Bangsamoro regional government.

Recto said one of the criticisms raised against the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was

Noy to Poe: From A1...

They also discussed the President’s programs and policies, such as poverty alleviation and support for agriculture, Poe said.

She also said the President invited her to attend and observe his meetings.

The President’s spokesman, Edwin Lacierda, was clueless about the meeting with Poe. “We’ll verify. I have a schedule.

It doesn’t state in the schedule of whether there is a meeting or not with Senator Grace Poe,” Lacierda said.

“If it happens, it happens, but the schedule doesn’t say that. I think the MPC (Malacañang Press Corps) was furnished a copy of the schedule. So, as far as I know, there is no scheduled meeting with Grace Poe. But if there is one, I’m sure all of us will know,” he added.

In May, Aquino met with Poe, triggering speculation that she was being invited to run for higher office under the Liberal Party banner.

Aquino at the time said Poe had the characteristics of a successor who can continue his reform agenda and preserve the gains of his administration.

“We have worked hard to bring the country to where we are now – we have invested blood, sweat and tears. These accomplishments have to be made permanent,” the President said in an interview with Bombo Radyo.

The Liberal Party is expected to announce its standard bearer for the 2016 elections right after Aquino’s State of the Nation Address in July.

Aquino had earlier said that Roxas is on the top of his list in the LP, as his candidate for president.

However, he said this would still be discussed within the LP before any decision is made.

Roxas, who was set to run for president in 2010, stepped aside and ran as Aquino’s running mate instead, but loss the race for the vice presidency to Vice President Jejomar Binay, who plans to run for president next year. that while the government provided huge chunks of funding for it in over a decade, poverty remains widespread in the area.

He noted that under the national budget, funding for local government units and government agencies are tied to performance targets.

But there is nothing of the sort in connection with the block grant for Bangsamoro government under the draft BBL. “We always talk in government constantly of checks and balances.

These are sadly lacking in the structure as being proposed. That’s why we are trying to introduce those,” Marcos said.

Under the draft BBL, the Bangsamoro government will receive an estimated total subsidy and grant of around P75 billion for its first year of operation alone.

The amount does not include all the taxes collected in its area of jurisdiction. The Bangsamoro government will retain 100 percent, which is close to the P2.9 billion in taxes collected under the present ARMM. Marcos earlier said one option his committee may take in crafting a substitute bill is to present it as mere amendment to the ARMM Organic Law to address some of the constitutional issues raised against the version Malacanang submitted to Congress. – With Sandy Araneta

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Palace hits Marcos on Purisima

By Sandy araneta

MALACAÑANG on Wednesday criticized Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for pressuring President Benigno Aquino III to fire resigned Police Chief Alan Purisima and to file charges against him.

tight watch. Quarantine officials at the airport monitor the passengers arriving at the terminals following the World Health Organization’s issuance of a global alert over the MERS cases reported in South Korea. ERic aPolonio

VP open to restoration of four-year terms VICE President Jejomar Binay said Wednesday he was open to a four-year term with reelection for the President and vice president, saying six years might be too long for a bad administrator but too short for a good one.

“Instead of the current six-year limit with no reelection, the President and vice president should be given four-year terms with reelection,” Binay told a forum at the Luneta Hotel.

“The 1935 Constitution should be restored. Four years with re-election,” Bi-

nay said.

He made his statement even as Malacañang opposed his suggestion.

“We don’t share the opinion of Vice President Binay because the President firmly believes in a single term,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda told reporters.

Aquino has repeatedly said he will not seek another term and that he opposes lifting the President’s term of office.

Under Article 7, Section II of the defunct 1935 Constitution, the President

and Vice President have four-year terms. Section V, however, notes that the President cannot serve for more than eight consecutive years.

Binay on Wednesday also said he favored amending the Constitution’s restrictive economic provisions.

“I am in favor of removing the 60 (percent ownership to Filipinos)-40 (percent on foreign investments) to attract investors,” he said.

An economic Cha-cha bill pending in Congress is

expected to soon pass third and final reading in the House of Representatives.

Under a resolution of both houses, the phrase “unless otherwise provided for by law” will be inserted to the provision granting 60-percent ownership to Filipinos and 40-percent on foreign investments.

If passed, the resolution will allow the amending of the Constitution through mere legislation by both chambers of Congress, subject to a plebiscite. Vito Barcelo and Sandy araneta

Purisima filed a 30-day leave of absence following the lifting of a six-month preventive suspension slapped against him by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Marcos on Tuesday urged Aquino to fire Purisima and charge him in court for the botched Oplan Exodus that left 44 members of the PNP-Special Action Force killed in Mamasapano on Jan. 25.

Purisima is set to retire in November this year.

“He [Purisima] has no more duties, is that right?” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

“He has no responsibility anymore in the Philippine National Police, in the line organization. He does not hold any position, so I don’t know what Senator Bongbong Marcos is referring to.

“The reports have all been there. Insofar as being part of the organization, in the line organization, he does not hold any role anymore.

So let’s keep it at that.”

When asked about Purisima’s replacement, Lacierda said: “Well, it’s in the process right now. Let’s just wait for the appointment, announcement, or the choice/decision of the President on that point.”

Lacierda then tried to avoid the issue as he immediately segued to another topic saying, “But certainly, notwithstanding the absence, the Philippine National Police has been moving.

“You’ve seen, for instance, Secretary Mar Roxas’ launching, by the way, a ‘Safe Kam’. Here (there are) CCTVs (closed circuit television). We have 32 cam-

eras at the corner of Edsa and Taft Avenue.”

Some 32 CCTV cameras were installed on Edsa and Taft Avenue in Pasay City to combat crime in the area and to ensure the safety of at least one million commuters who pass the area every day.

At the launching of Project Safe Cam at the Kabayan Hotel in Pasay City on Friday, Roxas said the Pasay rotunda area was considered one of the crime hot spots in Metro Manila due to the volume of commuters passing through.

“We’re making the metropolis secure by also establishing certain areas in the metropolis (have CCTV cameras). (By) Installing cameras where we’re able to monitor the situation in the busy sections of Metro Manila,” Lacierda said.

“Another instance, the ‘Lambat Sibat’ of Secretary Mar Roxas where NCRPO (National Capital Region Police Office), on a very regular basis, meets every week and monitors the criminal situation in Manila.”

Lacierda said the crime rate had gone down by 65 percent.

“And the it’s now being implemented also in the other regions of the Philippines because the idea of ‘Oplan Lambat Sibat’ is not so much to: ‘Huli tayo ng isang malaking kriminal, ipakita natin sa taumbayan’—hindi. It’s very diagrammatic, sustained, deliberate where Secretary Mar Roxas meets with the police to check on the crime situation in Metro Manila,” Lacierda said.

Koko details anti-dynasty proposal

By Macon R. araneta VICE President Jejomar Binay cannot run for President in 2016 if Senator Nancy Binay will not resign from her current post under the proposed substitute bill for the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill of Senator Aquilino Pimentel III. Pimentel, the bill’s major sponsor in the Senate, wants only one elected official in a national position belonging to the same family up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity.

Since the term of the Vice President’s daughter expires in 2019, Pimentel said, the family should decide, if his bill became law, if the Vice President would join the

presidential run or the senator would quit her post.

“The mandate of the bill when this becomes law is to prevent dynasty situations from arising. In my version, there should only be one [coming from the same family],” Pimentel said.

But he noted that, with regard to an elected official, there would be a transition period.

“During the transition period we will allow one who is elected,” Pimentel said.

“The law is applicable to the newly elected. In the transition, we have to respect an existing dynasty situation. We will not aggravate or exacerbate the situation by adding more members of the dynasty. We have to

prohibit that.”

Pimentel made his statement even as Malacañang asked the Senate to first study the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill before passing it.

Senate Bill 2649, filed by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago in January 2011, is still pending before a committee.

“That has to be studied well because it is entirely possible that politicians of the same family are serving the public good,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

Pimentel, asked about the case of the Vice President’s son, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, said: “That does not count anymore because there is an incumbent official already. With

Sandy araneta

Rehearsal. Philippine Military Academy cadets rehearse near the Quirino Grandstand at the Luneta on Wednesday for the 117th Independence Day celebrations on Friday. Danny Pata

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Lacson urges voters to reject hypocrites

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel Cruz Senator Panfilo Lacson has urged Filipino voters to reject “hypocrite” candidates who pretend to shun premature campaigning ahead of the May 2016 elections.

“If you meet a candidate who says that he or she is not premature campaigning, don’t vote for him or her because he of she is a hypocrite,” Lacson said in a television interview.

“I will not vote for them because that (denial) is mental dishonesty. Let’s face it. everybody is campaigning early,” he added.

Lacson’s own supporters have started media campaigns for the former senator even as he has yet to decide whether to seek a higher position or return to the Senate.

He said some candidates have not yet resorted to political advertisements, but have been going through sorties across the country. “that’s the reason why we see somebody from the south going to the north, somebody from Metro Manila going south, to talk to people, to say their advocacies. If that’s not premature campaigning, I don’t know what is,” Lacson said. “everybody is really posturing,” he added.

Lacson said he is open to seeking the presidency in 2016, but only if he obtains a double-digit rating in the next pre-election survey.

No, you don’t. Security men stop the members of an environmentalist group protesting against Canadian waste from hanging a streamer on the flagpole at the Jose Rizal monument on Wednesday. DANNy PAtA

Faster deportation proposed

By Christine F. Herrera LAWMAKERS on Wednesday sought the passage of a bill that would compel the Bureau of Immigration to immediately deport undesirable aliens without subjecting the decision to the personal discretion of commissioners. the proposal came from Leyte rep. Ferdinand Martin romualdez, leader of the independent minority bloc in the House, and Iloilo rep. Jerry trenas, a day after they learned that Immigration officials had ordered a suspected Chinese crime lord deported in March, then reversed themselves in May, triggering a protest from Beijing and suspicions about a payoff. romualdez and trenas said the fallout

from the Bureau of Immigration’s flipflopping and the delay in the deportation of the suspect Wang Bo even brought controvesy to the House, with allegations that the millions extorted from him went to bribing lawmakers to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) “We should craft a law to make the rules clearer and we will have better discharge of functions in the BI,” romualdez said, after attending tuesday’s hearing of the House committee on good government and accountability.

During the hearing, Immigration Commissioner Siegred Mison, and associate Commissioners Gilberto repizo and abdullah Mangotara all denied accepting bribes to order Wang’s release. trenas, a ranking member of the ruling Liberal Party, said he was puzzled why the BI failed to stick to its previous ruling to deport an undesirable alien, and why Mangotara and repizo insisted on asking for authenticated documents from the Chinese embassy, when Mison said there was a presumption of regularity in dealings between

the two governments. trenas said the commissioners had apparently decided based on personal whims, prompting him to push for the passage of a bill that would remove discretion from government agencies.

“I think the problem here was that the commissioners, at their own discretion, decide cases, and the name of the House of representatives was dragged into this matter.,” said trenas.

Mison had earlier claimed that repizo and Mangotara decided to reverse the March 5 deportation order and push for Wang’s release after meeting with his representative. on tuesday, romualdez, trenas, and Cavite rep. elpidio Barzaga Jr. scored the questionable flip-flopping and inordinate delay in the implementation of a deportation order against Wang. they said the commissioners pushing for Wang’s release seemed to be lawyering for Wang, who was tagged by the Chinese embassy as being wanted by Interpol and the Chinese government for illegal gambling and money laundering.

they said the undue delay in deporting Wang gave credence to allegations that a bribe was taken in exchange for his release order. on May 26, Mison drafted a resolution seeking to overturn the May 21 release order, but repizo and Mangotara refused to sign it, saying the authorities from China failed to present authenticated copies of documents pertaining to Wang. the investigation was an offshoot of two resolutions urging Congress to probe the allegations of bribery in the Wang case. on Monday, romualdez asked the officials of anti-Money Laundering Council and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to verify the Chinese embassy report that P91 billion in hot money from Wang’s illegal gambling operations had found its way into the country. the committee on good government chaired by Pampanga rep. oscar rodriguez is scheduled to continue its investigation into the Wang Bo case on tuesday next week.

With Maricel V. Cruz

Sandigan gives Bacolod mayor 10-day furlough

By Rio Araja

New market. ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, left, and North Upi Mayor Ramon Piang Sr. lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the turn-over of a newly constructed public market in Nuro, North Upi, Maguindanao on Tuesday.

OMAR MANgORsi

tHe Sandiganbayan has granted Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella a 10-day furlough to attend the annual World Cities Summit Mayors Forum in new York. the anti-graft court’s Fourth Division issued a two-page resolution allowing Puentevella to leave not later than June 8 and return to the Philippines on or before June 17.

He was earlier charged with graft cases for the allegedly anomalous purchase of computers and software packages worth P26 million from 2001 to 2006 funded by his pork barrel when he was still a lawmaker. the court required him to post a P90,000 travel bond in cash. according to Puentevella, the “exclusive, by-invitation only” forum serves as “global platform for city leaders to discuss pressing urban challenges and share best practices.”

Last month, the Sandiganbayan denied Puentevella’s request to travel to new York as well as to Zurich, Switzerland, but he filed a motion for the new York forum.

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Nine Chinese poachers freed The Philippines has freed nine Chinese fishermen convicted of poaching endangered sea turtles after they completed one-year jail terms, officials said Wednesday.

The nine, arrested in disputed waters in May last year, were jailed after they failed to pay fines of $100,000 each for poaching and an additional $2,662 each for catching an endangered species.

“They were treated well. They had what other prisoners were eating. chinese businessmen were also allowed to bring them food like noodles,” Raul Mapa, a jail officer in Puerto Princesa where the prisoners had been jailed, told aFP. a local court issued a release order late Monday on the request of the fishermen’s lawyer, in accordance with procedure, acting clerk of court lourdes Dadule told aFP. Police said they found hundreds of sea turtles, protected under Philippine law, on the group’s 15-ton boat at Half Moon shoal, located on the eastern edge of the Spratly island chain claimed by both the Philippines and china.

The shoal is located 111 kilometers west of Palawan, which Philippine authorities said was within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

The group’s catch and fishing equipment were confiscated.

The incident put further strain on ties between the two nations who have been wrangling over islands and reefs in waters that are believed to hold vast oil and gas deposits.

The chinese prisoners were released to Philippine immigration officials in Puerto Princesa, a city on Palawan, on Tuesday night, Mapa said.

They were scheduled to be flown to the immigration bureau headquarters in Manila on Wednesday, he said.

Immigration spokeswoman Elaine Tan could not immediately say whether the nine would be deported to china. a spokesperson for the chinese embassy in Manila had no comment. china’s claim to almost the entire South china Sea conflicts with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan.

The Philippines has sought to raise alarm globally over what it describes as “massive” reclamation works by china on disputed reefs in the Spratlys.

President Benigno aquino III last week drew parallels between china’s islandbuilding and nazi germany’s creeping invasion of Europe just before World War II. aquino has sought arbitration of the Philippines’ territorial row with china before a United nations-backed tribunal and sought stronger military alliances with the United States and Japan. AFP

Confirmed. Commission On Audit chairman Michael Aguinaldo,left,and Elections Commissioner Rowena Amelia Villena Guanzon congratulate each other following their confirmation by the bicameral Commission on Appointments at the Senate in Pasay City. EY ACASIO

State firms told: Explain P1.3-T ‘liabilities’

By Sandy Araneta Malacañang on Tuesday ordered state agencies to explain to the commission on audit allegations that they have failed to disclose contingent liabilities amounting to P1.3 trillion. “concerned government agencies are required to explain their actions in light of such observations and cOa will assess whether the explanations are sufficient,” said communications Secretary Herminio coloma Jr in a text message to the Malacanang Press corps.

Malacañang issued the statement after the cOa criticized the aquino administration for alleged violations of constitutional provisions on transparency when it allegedly failed to disclose contingent liabilities reaching P1.3 trillion as of December 2013. cOa had said the contingent liabilities include obligations the government has assumed for various build-operate-transfer or build-lease-transfer (BOT/BlT) projects under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program and pass-on liabilities from government-owned-or-controlled corporations (gOccs) and govern-

ment financial institutions (gFIs). cOa said contingent liabilities are “possible obligations arising from past events and whose existence will be confirmed only by the occurrence or non-occurrence of one or more uncertain future events not wholly within the control of the entity.

No dole for flunkers STUDEnTS receiving dole under the government’s conditional cash transfer (ccT) program are now required to maintain minimum passing grades starting this school year.

Education Secretary armin luistro has issued a department memorandum now requiring elementary and high school students to maintain minimum passing grades and/or be promoted by the end of the school year for them to continue receiving dole-outs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development. ccT beneficiary-students who repeated the same year level at elementary grade will still be allowed

to enjoy the dole.

The order was deferred last year due to the need for assessment and review of the implications of certain provisions of DSWD’s national advisory committee’s Resolution no.

18, to include: (1) the testing of the new information technology system developed to monitor the general weighted average (gWa) of the high school students under the program, and (2) the on-going open selection activity that allows households to select the children who will be monitored by the program for education conditionalities.

John Paolo Bencito

WCKF Tours for School Children.The Wong Chu King Foundation (WCKF) and its volunteers led by Atty. Reynaldo O. Esmeralda (center) have concluded a gift-giving tourto aide 350 Kinder and Grade 1 pupils from Tikay Elementary School in Barrio Tikay, Malolos, Bulacan and 230 Kinder and Grade 1 pupils from Nicanor C. Garcia Sr. Elementary School in Brgy.Bel-Air, Makati City,as the first day of school commenced.The kidsreceived a school bag each containing notebook, pencil, sharpener, eraser, pad paper, bottled water and one pack of biscuit.

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Ex-governor slams graft case revival

PCSO donation.

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Vice-Chairman and General Manager Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II (right) and Directors Mabel V. Mamba (left), Francisco G. Joaquin III, and Betty B. Nantes present eight brand new ambulance units to Bulacan Vice-Governor Daniel Fernando (second from right), for the use of Bulacan public hospitals under the PCSO Ambulance Donation Program.

A formal turnover ceremony was held at the Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center in Malolos City on June 9. Also in photo is Board Member Felix Ople.

JOSEPH MUEGO

Energy panel cleared to tackle P140-b costs

By Rey Requejo

THE Energy Regulatory Commission may now proceed with the hearing on the petition of the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation to pass on to the public its P140 billion worth of stranded liabilities.

This came after the Court of Appeals has sustained the ruling issued by the ERC junking the motion to dismiss filed by the Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corporation which had assailed the move of PSALM to get ERC’s approval for the pass-on to consumers its P140 billion stranded liabilities.

In a 14-page decision, the CA’s Thirteenth Division through Associate Justice Sesinando Villon denied the petition filed by PASAR seeking the nullification of the ERC’s orders dated June 14, 2012 and October 24, 2012 which denied its motion seeking to block PSALM’s “Petition for the Recovery of the National Power Corpora-

tion’s Stranded Cost Portion of the Universal Charge Grids.”

PASAR owns and operates the only copper smelter and refinery in the Philippines, while stateowned PSALM is mandated under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA) to calculate the amount of stranded contract costs of Napocor and to liquidate it.

The appellate court ruled that the order of the ERC has already attained finality because of the failure of PASAR’s to file an appeal within the reglementary period provided in the Rules of Court.

The CA stressed that upon its receipt of the June 14, 2012 order of the ERC denying its motion for re-

consideration, PASAR on June 27, 2012 filed a second motion for reconsideration, a prohibited motion under the rules of the ERC. The appellate court said it was only on December 10, 2012 that PASAR instituted its petition for certiorari, which is beyond the 60day reglementary period.

The CA said that even in exceptional cases where a second motion for reconsideration is allowed, the Supreme Court has ruled that the 60-day period within which to file a petition for certiorari must be reckoned from the receipt of the first motion for reconsideration.

“Hence, the herein assailed orders have already attained finality.

Well-settled is the rule that a final and executory decision or order can no longer be disturbed or reopened no matter how erroneous it may be,” the CA held.

The CA also ruled that PASAR failed to prove the orders were issued by the ERC with grave abuse

of discretion or patently erroneous.

“The abuse must have been committed in a manner so patent and so gross as to amount to an evasion of positive duty or to a virtual refusal to perform the duty enjoined or to act at all in contemplation of law.

Nothing of that sort is obtaining in this case,” it said.

Associate Justices Rodil Zalameda and Pedro Corales concurred with the ruling.

In opposing PSALM’s petition, PASAR asserted that the general public should not be bear the burden of shouldering the costs of additional loans incurred by PSALM since the EPIRA provides that these obligations must be collaterized or guaranteed by the national government.

It said that it is “absurd” to require the general public to bear the costs of the secured obligations by including the said obligations in the additional imposition of the stranded debts of the universal charge (UC).

De Lima tightens up on inmates JUSTICE Secretary Leila de Lima will discuss with the National Bureau of Investigation the need to enforce more stringent measures at the detention center of the National Bureau of Investigation where 19 high-profile inmates are being kept in isolation following the recent crackdown on contrabands in the national penitentiary.

De Lima said she she would meet NBI director Virgilio Mendez following the failed attempts of certain inmates to smuggle in mobile phones.

“They are so resourceful.

They can think of so many ways to smuggle cellphones.

Some of the styles they use are actually amusing,” De Lima said, in an interview.

“There might be need for more stringent measures.

We already have given back their visitation privilege, and now they are again violating the rules,” she said. “We should use all means to guard them so that the contrabands would not even pass through the gates.”

The Justice Secretary also admitted that she ordered the Bureau of Corrections to speed up the renovation of Bldg. 14 at the NBP in Muntinlupa City where the 19 inmates would be detained.

“I will reiterate my directive to finish (the renovation of) Bldg. 14 already.

It’s been two weeks already, so we are expecting that soon,” she said.

Last Tuesday, a surprise

inspection by NBI authorities on the jail cells of the inmates yielded cellular phones concealed in various items - inside a secret compartment of a water cooler, a false bottom of a cooking utensil and even underneath pairs of shoes and slippers.

The 19 high-profile inmates currently detained at the NBI are Peter Co, Amin Imam Boratong, Michael Ong, Willy Sy, Noel Martinez, Eugene Chua, Chua Sam Li, Vincent Sy, George Sy, Joel Capones, Herbert Colangco, Clarence Dongail, Tom Chua, Rommel Capoines, Jojo Baligad, Jacky King Sy, Willy Chua, Jacky King Sy and Herman Agojo. Rey E. Requejo

High cost of education. Members of cause-oriented groups march from the University Belt toward Chino Roces Bridge near Malacanang condemning the Aquino Administration’s Public Private Partnership program in Education that allows for the ever escalating cost of Philippine Education. EY ACASIO

FORMER agrarian reform chief Roberto Pagdanganan on Wednesday maintained his innocence on the alleged misuse of a P30-million fund allocated for the development of the coconut industry in Quezon.

In a six-page opposition paper, he appealed to the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division to ignore the motion for reconsideration of government prosecutors to revive the graft and malversation of public funds filed against him in July 2004.

He urged the anti-graft court to uphold its previous decision junking the suits against him.

On March 28, the Sandiganbayan dismissed the graft and malversation raps against Pagdanganan and five of his co-accused, citing the inordinate delays in the Office of the Ombudsman’s investigation of the complaint against them.

The Second Division absolved Pagdanganan, also a former Bulacan governor, of misuse of P30 million in coconut funds, blaming the Ombudsman’s delay to issue a resolution indicting Pagdanganan for the construction of a coconut processing plant in Quezon province. Rio Araja

‘Customs cop faked service eligibility’ THE Civil Service Commission has found a Customs police official guilty of serious dishonesty for falsifying his government service eligibility test.

In a decision dated May 27, 2015, the commission said Maj. Ramon Policarpio, assigned at the Enforcement and Security Service, “is hereby found guilty of five counts of serious dishonesty.”

Policarpio also lost his retirement benefits and was disqualified from holding office according to the decision signed by Commissioner Nieves Osorio.

The commission discovered that another person took the test for Policarpio, who claimed he took the career service professional examination at the Araullo High School in July 31, 1988. Policarpio said he obtained a passing grade of 73.2%, making him qualified to pursue government service. `In his defense, Policarpio said he had been promoted from sergeant to captain and police major and “as such his civil service eligibility has been screened and found to be in order numerous times in the past by the CSC.” 1He claimed that the allegations he submitted a falsified civil service result were lies spread by his detractors in their futile attempt to replace him from his post. In October 2008, a female broker from Red Archer General Services filed a complaint against Policarpio, who was then a district police commander in Subic Port, for sexual harassment. But Policarpio denied the allegation, saying it was only a case of mistaken identity.

Last April, the Sandiganbayan sentenced former Customs chief intelligence officer Filomeno Vicencio Jr. to a jail term ranging from six months to six years for falsifying his personal data sheet in June 2009. Joel Zurbano

t h u r s d ay : j u n e 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A7

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Local govt units commit to ‘Hi-5’ Health Department has five high-impact priorities

By Johanne Margarette R. Macob

BAYAMBANG, Pangasinan— Various local government units led different stakeholders in pledging support to the five high impact (Hi-5) health priorities of the Department of Health.

Free stuff. Students of Looy Elementary School and Looy Integrated Technical Vocational High School in South Upi, Maguindanao receive bags and school supplies from their local leaders. OMAR MANGORSI

Education exec sued for computer purchase

By Rio N. Araja THE Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday indicted an official of the Department of Education in Region IX for graft charges in connection with an irregular procurement of computers in 2008.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered the filing of charges against regional director Walter Albos for violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, before the Sandiganbayan.

Albos approved the procure-

ment of information technology equipment and software worth P2,998,100.

According to Morales, the Commission on Audit issued a notice of suspension for lack of public bidding for the procurement and delivery of equipment not in accordance with the quantity and specifications indicated in the purchase order.

Dossiers, such as the special allotment release order, advice of notice of cash allocation, and memorandum were submitted during the probe.

On Aug. 8, 2012, CoA lifted

the suspension after the account was settled.

In determining probable cause, the Ombudsman took “cognizance of the instant complaint despite CoA’s decision that the questioned disbursement has been settled as the interest of the CoA is solely administrative, and its investigation does not foreclose the Ombudsman’s authority to investigate and determine whether there is a crime to be prosecuted for which a public official is answerable.”

According to the Ombudsman’s resolution, a graft case must be

pursued as “there is nothing in the records that would prove that the Bids and Awards Committee participated in the procurement” as “the procurement was only upon the direction of respondent Albos.” It found insufficient justification for the use of the alternative method of negotiated procurement.

The investigation uncovered that there was delivery of equipment even before an abstract of bids was issued.

Meanwhile, the graft suit filed against Elizabeth Tatel, chief administrative officer, was junked for lack of evidence.

These priorities are maternal care, infant care, care for under-five children, HIV/AIDS prevention and control, and establishment of a functional service delivery network.

Representatives from the provincial government, municipal/city governments, barangay health workers, concerned government agencies, medical practitioners, and other private partners signed their pledge of commitment during the Universal Health Care High Impact Five (UHCHi-5) breakthrough summit last June 9 held at the Mahogany Farm, Brgy. Dusoc, Bayambang.

According to provincial health officer Anna De Guzman, the summit, held simultaneously nationwide, aimed to create awareness among and solicit support from local chief executives on the five health priorities.

“The summit with the theme ‘Sa Tuwid na Daan, Kalusugang Tuloy-tuloy para sa Pamilyang Pinoy’ is a systematized strategic approach that aims to produce the greatest improvements in health outcomes or the highest impact on the priority, vulnerable population, with focus on five critical UHC interventions prioritizing the poor and providing tangible outputs within 15 months through nationwide implementation of activities.”

The activities serve as a follow through to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) No. 4 - Reduce Child Mortality; No. 5 - Improve Maternal Health, and No. 6 - Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases.

Meanwhile, in Pangasinan, De Guzman said the province has attained its MDG targets particularly on child survival, maternal health care, control of infectious disease, poverty and hunger by combatting malnutrition, and environmental sanitation access through the provision of potable water and sanitary toilets.

She added that despite this, they are still doing information campaign, among other activities, to further bring down maternal deaths.

Cebu City to relocate 250,000 people living in danger zones CEBU CITY—Some 250,000 peopleliving in danger zones in Cebu City need to be relocated, the chief of the local government’s Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor said.

Collin Rosell admitted these people should have been relocated 21 years ago as mandated by the Urban Development and Housing Act. The number of informal settlers continues to increase significantly, he said.

Rosell also noted there are still 41,000 families, or around 250,000 individuals, waiting to be accommodated by socialized housing programs since 2012. Of this number, 10,000 families live in danger zones like riverbanks, creeks and landslide-prone areas, roads, parks and

other public places.

Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon, committee on housing chairman, appealed to the executive department to hasten the relocation of urban poor families, including informal settlers living along Carreta creek, whose houses are expected to be demolished.

“The mayor always has a choice.

He can choose to fully implement the law and that is, not only to evict the informal settlers but also ensure that proper and adequate relocation is provided,” he said.

Rosell said they cannot relocate the estimated 250,000 “homeless and underprivileged” people at once as they have to prioritize those needing immediate resettlement. PNA

Shining star. This arc of Barangay 35-A in Tacloban City serves as a reminder of hope to the people. MEL CASPE

T h u R S D AY : J u N E 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

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opinion

ADELLE chuA editOr

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opinion

View FrOm malcOm atty. harry rOqUe jr.

Bringing activism tO the PhiliPPine senate

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Uncharitable dilemma

A SToRY by Agence France Presse makes a compelling case for the rest of us to look into the ongoing efforts to subject specialized government hospitals to the public-private partnership scheme of the Aquino administration.

The story gives a peek into one of the wards of the state-run Philippine orthopedic Center, which opened in 1945.

The hospital has become some sort of refuge for poor Filipinos, with only 2 percent of the nearly 7,000 treated last year paying their bills in full. Some undergo operations for their ailments and end up staying a long time, even years.

The charity hospital no doubt needs a serious upgrade. The facilities are deplorable and often inadequate. The poor endure these anyway, if it means gaining access to health services, especially given their debilitating conditions.

They are still better off here than anywhere else.

All that would end however with the entry of the private partner, which has obtained the rights to operate the hospital for 25 years beginning middle of next year before handing it back to the government.

According to the Private-Public Partnership Center, the private investors were only allowed to charge full rates to 10 percent of patients. No details were provided on the arrangements to be made with the remaining 90 percent, especially with the nature of the hospital and the financial capability of its patients.

It also emphasized that privatization is a way to upgrade the hospital’s facilities and improve its services to the poor.

The hospital director admits it is difficult to reconcile profitability and service to the poor.

This dilemma applies to many other institutions who must balance business concerns with their charitable work, especially to those whose essence it is to come to the aid of the most desolate, the most needy, and the most incapable of looking after themselves.

There is merit in upgrading these hospitals and looking to the private sector to provide the much-needed financial boost. These are businesses, however, whose own essence is not to perform charitable work but to invest and then expect a reasonable return on these investments.

The poor who have traditionally turned to such charity institutions have valid reasons for fearing they will have nowhere to go with the privatization. The Philhealth card, after all, has done only little to give them security. They must be assured by their government that they will not be left on the wayside.

Our Own Balkan state lOwdOwn jOjO a. rObleS AS ThIS is being written, early on Wednesday evening, the house of Representatives is still in session, discussing in the plenary whether or not to pass the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law. That means the chances of Malacanang convincing the whole house to pass the bill before Congress officially adjourns tomorrow aren’t particularly favorable.

That’s as far as I will go, to say that the chances of the

house passing the BBL have gotten really slim. To venture beyond that is to court the fates and belittle the ability of both Malacanang and the house to perform yet another feat of legislative legerdemain and suddenly pass the controversial bill.

But this is not really about the latest effort of two co-equal branches to play the government’s equivalent of tag-team wrestling. This is about what the Moro Islamic Liberation Front – the real proponent and prime mover of the BBL – intends to do if it doesn’t get approval from the Philippine government for the law that will enable the creation of the new Bangsamoro state.

Yes, I said “state” on purpose. As in, a full-time, sovereign state, with an independent government of its own, with its own armed forces and possessing all the other accoutrements of a functioning nation carved mostly out of the island of Mindanao.

According to sources in the military, the MILF is not really worried about the BBL not passing in Congress or even if an approved law is thumbed down by the Supreme Court. That’s because the secessionist rebels plan to raise the issue of self-rule before the United Nations, where it will accuse the Manila government of reneging on its promise to give the Moros self-rule.

A9

if the milF game plan goes into effect, it will not matter what congress or even the Supreme court does.

The rebels will reportedly ask the international community to pressure the government of President Noynoy Aquino to fulfill the promises he made in Tokyo in a meeting in 2011 and as they were spelled out in the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed in Malacanang Palace the following year. This is the so-called “Kosovo model” of sovereignty that is the real game plan of the MILF and its allies in Malacanang and the government negotiating panel, in case BBL is disapproved or shot down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Those who remember their Balkan and Central European history will recall that Kosovo, a landlocked former autonomous province of Serbia, declared in-

dependence in 2008 by the action of its own parliament. Serbia refused to recognize the new republic, but was forced by the United Nations – backed up by 108 UN member-states that gave diplomatic recognition to the former autonomous province – to accept the legitimacy of Kosovo’s institutions and status.

Kosovo is now a member of the International Monetary Fund-World Bank and a candidate for inclusion in the expanded European Union. Serbia continues to deny recognition of its former autonomous province, naturally, but the UN-, EU- and US-sponsored Brussels

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-

Agreement of 2013 forced the former parent country to accept “normalization,” which gave Kosovo self-rule.

There’s a reason why “balkanization” is a pejorative geopolitical term which means the fragmentation of a region or state into ever-smaller regions or states. And if the MILF strategy goes into effect, it will not really matter what anyone in Congress or even the Supreme Court does – the rebels will have their new state. *** of course, the original sin of the Aquino government, as far as the coun-

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

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MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

try’s dealings with the MILF are concerned, remains the unprecedented 2011 meeting between Aquino and his top men and Murad Ebrahim and his own sidekicks in a hotel near Tokyo’s Narita airport. The two-hour, face-toface meeting was the first between a Philippine President and the leader of the MILF – and it was there that the Moro rebels supposedly secured from Aquino the promises of legal self-rule through the FAB, the later Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and their enabling legislation, the BBL. 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

I CoNFIRM that I am mulling running for a seat in the Senate. Vice President Jejomar Binay has offered me a slot in the United Nationalist Alliance slate and I told him that I am seriously considering his offer.

I am contemplating a run for the Senate for the following reasons: 1. After 35 years of being an activist, I believe the Philippines remains the same: the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer. I still remember the time when we rallied in front of the Liwasang Bonifacio against the Education Act of 1982, which sadly privatized our educational system. I can still vividly remember how we were violently dispersed by the Marcos riot police with sticks and water cannons. Regrettably, the same issues concerning Philippine education still hound our country. Also, the Philippines remains dependent on the United States, and the traditional elite has remained in power in Congress and in the Executive branch. Clearly, our efforts as activists have not been effective in changing the economic and political structure of the country. Perhaps, my participation in the policy making branch of government will make more of an impact in effecting change in our society.

2. We need more qualified people in the Senate. Not only have I been a lawyer-activist for the past 25 years, I have also been teaching Constitutional and International Law for the past 15 years at the University of the Philippines, Philippine Judicial Academy, and American University. My role as a public interest lawyer and as a professor has taught me how to use existing tools towards the building of a more egalitarian and an open society. Certainly, my background will assist me in crafting laws for the same ends. I also want to bring back the Senate to its original purpose: to craft laws to fight poverty and to advance national development.

3. Third, because I want to prove that common citizens, including law professors and human rights advocates, can be elected by the people to the Senate. If Jovito Salonga and Miriam Defensor-Santiago did it, I see no reason why I cannot do the same.

I want to inspire ordinary Filipinos – foremost of whom are our teachers – just like myself, that they can be elected to the Philippine Senate on the strength of the Filipino people and with a vision for the people.

4. I want to make activism not only as a tool of the parliament of the street, but as the main weapon in crafting legislation to fight poverty. I want to bring activism to the chambers of the Philippine Senate, and live out the idea that every senator of the Philippines should be a continuing activist for human rights, for education, for women’s rights, for freedom of speech, for the environment, and ultimately for Philippine development.

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 h u R S D AY : J u N E 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA editOr

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

View FrOm malcOm atty. harry rOqUe jr.

Bringing activism tO the PhiliPPine senate

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Uncharitable dilemma

A SToRY by Agence France Presse makes a compelling case for the rest of us to look into the ongoing efforts to subject specialized government hospitals to the public-private partnership scheme of the Aquino administration.

The story gives a peek into one of the wards of the state-run Philippine orthopedic Center, which opened in 1945.

The hospital has become some sort of refuge for poor Filipinos, with only 2 percent of the nearly 7,000 treated last year paying their bills in full. Some undergo operations for their ailments and end up staying a long time, even years.

The charity hospital no doubt needs a serious upgrade. The facilities are deplorable and often inadequate. The poor endure these anyway, if it means gaining access to health services, especially given their debilitating conditions.

They are still better off here than anywhere else.

All that would end however with the entry of the private partner, which has obtained the rights to operate the hospital for 25 years beginning middle of next year before handing it back to the government.

According to the Private-Public Partnership Center, the private investors were only allowed to charge full rates to 10 percent of patients. No details were provided on the arrangements to be made with the remaining 90 percent, especially with the nature of the hospital and the financial capability of its patients.

It also emphasized that privatization is a way to upgrade the hospital’s facilities and improve its services to the poor.

The hospital director admits it is difficult to reconcile profitability and service to the poor.

This dilemma applies to many other institutions who must balance business concerns with their charitable work, especially to those whose essence it is to come to the aid of the most desolate, the most needy, and the most incapable of looking after themselves.

There is merit in upgrading these hospitals and looking to the private sector to provide the much-needed financial boost. These are businesses, however, whose own essence is not to perform charitable work but to invest and then expect a reasonable return on these investments.

The poor who have traditionally turned to such charity institutions have valid reasons for fearing they will have nowhere to go with the privatization. The Philhealth card, after all, has done only little to give them security. They must be assured by their government that they will not be left on the wayside.

Our Own Balkan state lOwdOwn jOjO a. rObleS AS ThIS is being written, early on Wednesday evening, the house of Representatives is still in session, discussing in the plenary whether or not to pass the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law. That means the chances of Malacanang convincing the whole house to pass the bill before Congress officially adjourns tomorrow aren’t particularly favorable.

That’s as far as I will go, to say that the chances of the

house passing the BBL have gotten really slim. To venture beyond that is to court the fates and belittle the ability of both Malacanang and the house to perform yet another feat of legislative legerdemain and suddenly pass the controversial bill.

But this is not really about the latest effort of two co-equal branches to play the government’s equivalent of tag-team wrestling. This is about what the Moro Islamic Liberation Front – the real proponent and prime mover of the BBL – intends to do if it doesn’t get approval from the Philippine government for the law that will enable the creation of the new Bangsamoro state.

Yes, I said “state” on purpose. As in, a full-time, sovereign state, with an independent government of its own, with its own armed forces and possessing all the other accoutrements of a functioning nation carved mostly out of the island of Mindanao.

According to sources in the military, the MILF is not really worried about the BBL not passing in Congress or even if an approved law is thumbed down by the Supreme Court. That’s because the secessionist rebels plan to raise the issue of self-rule before the United Nations, where it will accuse the Manila government of reneging on its promise to give the Moros self-rule.

A9

if the milF game plan goes into effect, it will not matter what congress or even the Supreme court does.

The rebels will reportedly ask the international community to pressure the government of President Noynoy Aquino to fulfill the promises he made in Tokyo in a meeting in 2011 and as they were spelled out in the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed in Malacanang Palace the following year. This is the so-called “Kosovo model” of sovereignty that is the real game plan of the MILF and its allies in Malacanang and the government negotiating panel, in case BBL is disapproved or shot down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Those who remember their Balkan and Central European history will recall that Kosovo, a landlocked former autonomous province of Serbia, declared in-

dependence in 2008 by the action of its own parliament. Serbia refused to recognize the new republic, but was forced by the United Nations – backed up by 108 UN member-states that gave diplomatic recognition to the former autonomous province – to accept the legitimacy of Kosovo’s institutions and status.

Kosovo is now a member of the International Monetary Fund-World Bank and a candidate for inclusion in the expanded European Union. Serbia continues to deny recognition of its former autonomous province, naturally, but the UN-, EU- and US-sponsored Brussels

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-

Agreement of 2013 forced the former parent country to accept “normalization,” which gave Kosovo self-rule.

There’s a reason why “balkanization” is a pejorative geopolitical term which means the fragmentation of a region or state into ever-smaller regions or states. And if the MILF strategy goes into effect, it will not really matter what anyone in Congress or even the Supreme Court does – the rebels will have their new state. *** of course, the original sin of the Aquino government, as far as the coun-

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

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

try’s dealings with the MILF are concerned, remains the unprecedented 2011 meeting between Aquino and his top men and Murad Ebrahim and his own sidekicks in a hotel near Tokyo’s Narita airport. The two-hour, face-toface meeting was the first between a Philippine President and the leader of the MILF – and it was there that the Moro rebels supposedly secured from Aquino the promises of legal self-rule through the FAB, the later Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and their enabling legislation, the BBL. 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

I CoNFIRM that I am mulling running for a seat in the Senate. Vice President Jejomar Binay has offered me a slot in the United Nationalist Alliance slate and I told him that I am seriously considering his offer.

I am contemplating a run for the Senate for the following reasons: 1. After 35 years of being an activist, I believe the Philippines remains the same: the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer. I still remember the time when we rallied in front of the Liwasang Bonifacio against the Education Act of 1982, which sadly privatized our educational system. I can still vividly remember how we were violently dispersed by the Marcos riot police with sticks and water cannons. Regrettably, the same issues concerning Philippine education still hound our country. Also, the Philippines remains dependent on the United States, and the traditional elite has remained in power in Congress and in the Executive branch. Clearly, our efforts as activists have not been effective in changing the economic and political structure of the country. Perhaps, my participation in the policy making branch of government will make more of an impact in effecting change in our society.

2. We need more qualified people in the Senate. Not only have I been a lawyer-activist for the past 25 years, I have also been teaching Constitutional and International Law for the past 15 years at the University of the Philippines, Philippine Judicial Academy, and American University. My role as a public interest lawyer and as a professor has taught me how to use existing tools towards the building of a more egalitarian and an open society. Certainly, my background will assist me in crafting laws for the same ends. I also want to bring back the Senate to its original purpose: to craft laws to fight poverty and to advance national development.

3. Third, because I want to prove that common citizens, including law professors and human rights advocates, can be elected by the people to the Senate. If Jovito Salonga and Miriam Defensor-Santiago did it, I see no reason why I cannot do the same.

I want to inspire ordinary Filipinos – foremost of whom are our teachers – just like myself, that they can be elected to the Philippine Senate on the strength of the Filipino people and with a vision for the people.

4. I want to make activism not only as a tool of the parliament of the street, but as the main weapon in crafting legislation to fight poverty. I want to bring activism to the chambers of the Philippine Senate, and live out the idea that every senator of the Philippines should be a continuing activist for human rights, for education, for women’s rights, for freedom of speech, for the environment, and ultimately for Philippine development.

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 H U R S D AY : J U N E 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

The ComeleC is aT iT again WIth the basic draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law submitted

by Malacanang failemil p. ing to meet the June jurado 11 deadline, in time for President Aquino’s last State-of-the-Nation-Address next month, he has given up hopes that he could use the enacted BBL as his towering achievement during his six-year term.

The President is settling for another deadline next month, or so he hopes, although I have serious doubts about the BBL’s passage in Congress while he’s still in office. Certainly not with Senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., chairman of the Senate Local Governments Committee, who is set to come out with his own version of the BBL to make it conform with the Constitution. Senator Marcos is doing this after hearings with other stakeholders that were kept out of the loop as the President only talk with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The problem has always been that the President’s peace negotiator Miriam Coronel Ferrer and peace adviser teresita Deles have been so enamored with the MILF that they were just too willing to compromise with them.

Santa Banana, it has gotten to a point where the country is in a no-win situation.

If the MILF cannot accept a watereddown version of the BBL, it will be back to war. But, if the Palace draft is enacted, the Supreme Court will surely strike it down.

The President only has himself to blame. *** There’s no longer any doubt that Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the presumptive presidential candidate of the ruling Liberal Party, will be the President’s anointed despite speculation that Senator Grace Poe is being considered as an alternative. Whether or not Poe will accept the offer to be Mar’s running mate is still “iffy.”

The problem of Malacanang now is how to make Mar acceptable to the bulk of the population constituting what is called the “masa.” Mar’s failure to improve his survey ratings clearly shows his failure to resonate with the poor.

Recall that in the 2010 polls, Mar’s handlers tried to project him as somebody whose heart is with the poor. he was called Mr. Palengke. his handlers even tried to label him as Mr. Padyak, showing him driving a pedicab.

Despite that, Mar came way behind Jejomar Binay in the vice presidential race.

Now, Mar’s mother, Judy Araneta Roxas of the rich Araneta clan of Cubao, the widow of the late Senator Gerry Roxas, is also campaigning for him although Mar has not yet declared his candidacy for president. This makes it all worse for Mar. It only highlights his elitist background.

Against Roxas, it will be a walk in the park for the Vice President in 2016. But if Grace Poe decides to run for the presidency, and it seems to point that way (with Senator Chiz Escudero as her running mate). She may have a chance against Binay.

I say “chance” since Binay already has his grassroots following as shown during the 2010 elections, and his “masa” base. Despite the vicious demolition job against him by President Aquino’s allies and the Liberal Party, Binay’s following remains intact. That explains why, despite his political enemies trying their best to make people perceive him as corrupt, Binay remains the man to beat in 2016. *** For a little over a year now, the Comelec’s most visible project has been its “No Bio, No Boto” campaign, which urges voters to register and validate their biomet-

to the point

imagine what a huge blow that would be to the new chairman, dean andres Bautista.

mission aCComplished it prohibits a dual citizen from running SOMEthING tells me that Rep. toby duty for public office. I will not be surprised, tiangco is well-versed in psychological calls however, if there are public officials operations, or psyops for short. having basically accomplished his mission, he florencio elected and appointed who are holding dual citizenship. apologized and promised not to bring fianza The political allies of the good senator up the subject of Senator Poe’s residency again. But the genie is already out of the proverbial lamp should not therefore be so dismissive of and cavalier on the and everybody is now talking about the citizenship and questions raised because these issues cannot just be swept under the rug. Instead, everyone should handle this issue residency of Senator Poe. The objective of toby tiangco all along was simply prudently, deliberately and maturely so that all questions to start the conversation and as it turned out, has been can be clarified before the political campaigning. This will a resounding success. All the brouhaha is of course be- allow us to avoid being distracted from the more important cause of the survey ratings of the good senator. She is up issues that have to be debated. It will also prevent us from the leader board and is threatening the standing of many getting embroiled in another citizenship issue, for the third politicians who have been planning for a long time to time, in a presidential election.

All these issues about the qualification of candidates, run for president. There is no question that if her ratings were at the bottom of the totem pole, that no one would whether they can run or not, will not matter much if the integrity of the elections cannot be assured. In the mad have paid much attention.

Remember the case of Edu Manzano? If I remember scramble by political parties to field candidates, the efcorrectly, he was born in the United States but when he forts of cause- oriented groups to ensure clean and honest ran for vice president, nobody raised a question about his elections is being overshadowed by less important issues.

Right now, apart from honest election advocates, there citizenship. This was because no one seriously believed he is no effort coming from any political party calling to enwould win.

People even seem to have been satisfied with Manza- sure the integrity of the 2016 presidential elections. Only no’s assertion that he has already given up his American the group of former Comelec Commissioner Gus Lagcitizenship. In the case of Senator Poe, the issue will un- man has suggested hybrid voting, which seem to be acdoubtedly continue especially if her ratings continue to ceptable to the Comelec. Many believe however that this soar. Senator Poe’s entry into the political scene was just is only because the syndicate in the commission is aware like a drop of cold water on a hot summer day. The way that electronic fraud can still be committed.

What is surprising is that the major political parties she conducted herself during numerous Senate hearings have impressed many, including myself. But the issue of do not seem to be doing anything. Perhaps cheating has her citizenship and residency are, unfortunately for her, already been factored in their planning and are all prelegitimate questions to be asked of someone who wants paring accordingly.

One simple and effective way to discourage and detect to become president. The sooner this is resolved by the electronic fraud in the 2016 elections is to get telecommucourts, the better for everyone.

The public, for one, is entitled to be given the opportu- nication companies like Smart, Globe and Sun to agree to nity to choose the next president from the best available publish all records of the transmissions done during the field. Not being a lawyer, I do not know. I don’t have all election day. This way, computer forensic examination the answers. Even if I were, what I say would just be my can easily be done to find out which server was switched off or which PCOS machine did not transmit at all. interpretation. What I can only do is ask questions.

Another step that Congress can take is to amend the Fortunately, in this case, public documents are available to show for instance when Senator Poe last used her Anti-Wire tapping Law or RA 4200 which will turn 50 American passport and when she was issued a Philippine years old on June 19. This law provides iron-clad protecpassport. her renunciation of her American citizenship tion to all communications. One unintended consequence should also be a matter of public record. If what she is of this law is the protection of criminals like those who saying is true, this should bolster her contentions. It has manipulated the 2010 and 2013 automated elections. The also been reported that she was issued a US passport as people who manipulated the polls made so much money that they will never work another day in their lives. late as 2011 in Washington D.C. A simple amendment that will not protect those comIf this is true, this might not be helpful to her case.

I know for a fact that the US State Department only is- mitting electoral fraud by use of computers and those sues passports to citizens who apply, as in the case of the who commit treason and rebellion should be very helpPhilippines. Senator Poe therefore must have applied for ful. This way, criminals will think twice because they will a US passport as late as 2011. The law as I understand not be protected by the law any longer. ric data for the 2016 polls. Apart from sending out official letters, the Comelec has enlisted the help of the Philippine National Police, NGOs, socio-civic groups and even the entertainment industry to disseminate this vital message.

The importance of this project cannot be overemphasized. Based on the latest Comelec records, a total of 4.7 million voters do not have a single biometric record, which includes their photographs, fingerprints and signatures, with the Comelec. Santa Banana, no wonder voting in the Philippines is often such a primitive activity. We cannot even ascertain if the people casting their ballots are actually the ones registered.

Of the four kinds of election fraud—vote buying, flying voters, double voting, and voting by the dead —the “No Bio, No Boto” policy addresses the last three issues quite capably. More than that, these are practical reasons as well: the system helps to minimize chaotic lines in polling places, facilitates the workflow of the Board of Election Inspectors, and minimizes the number of voters that can be processed per precinct, leading to less precincts needed, thus resulting in huge savings.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. As expected, the only way—and mean the only way—the project will work is, if there is a backend system that will process all these biometric data that the Comelec is furiously collecting.

Without this data processing system, which called a Voter

Verification System, you may as well call it “No Bio, No Boto, No Bisa.” All the data-gathering efforts would have all been a massive waste of time and resources.

Unfortunately, the great evil is often accompanied by great resourcefulness and creativity. According to Comelec insiders, the syndicate operating within the commission (which has tentacles, my gulay, that reach up to the highest levels of Comelec) has realized that the “No Bio, No Boto” campaign has gathered too much momentum, and could no longer be stopped.

Comelec insiders say that since the Comelec mafia could not prevent the biometric data-gathering, they decided to kill the initiative through the backend. Curiously, this was allegedly the plan of someone who used to hold a very, very high position in the commission, and who still reportedly runs the mafia syndicate by remote control.

Alas, if reports are true, the Comelec is about to scrap the VVS project. My gulay, imagine what a blow that will be to the newly-installed Chairman Andres Bautista, who has no idea about what kind of a multi-headed hydra really runs the Comelec. More importantly, imagine what a blow that will deal to our democracy.

Indeed if dark forces within the Comelec prevail and are able to stop the VVS and turn the “No Bio, No Boto” into “No Bisa,” people might start applying for “Bisa”--I mean, visas to another country.

T h u R S d aY : J u N e 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

adelle chua EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

mInORITy REpORT DanIlO suaREz The Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) which paved the way for the creation of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) was an important piece of legislation that was crucial to our compliance to the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a Paris-based inter-governmental agency which combats money laundering, terrorist financing and other threats to the integrity of the global financial system. If blacklisted by the FATF, Philippine-based transactions would face increased scrutiny which could result in higher transaction charges and delayed remittances of Filipinos working abroad.

Following the enactment into law of the AMLA, the AMLC was established; it now functions as the highest policymaking body and lead agency with respect to the implementation of the Philippine AML regime.

After its initial assessment of the law, however, the FATF found our AMLA inadequate, which caused the Philippine Congress to make amendments

Abusing the expAnded AMLA during the 15th Congress. My primary concern then as Minority Floor Leader was that its power, particularly those concerning the opening and freezing of accounts of suspected violators of the law, can be readily abused if the wrong people with weak morals and with strong recognition of political indebtedness were placed at the helm of the AMLC. Imagine the head of AMLC having vested interests and using his powers to freeze accounts of rival businessmen, or worse, being aligned with certain politicians and using his powers to malign their opponents.

For this reason, I remember vigorously debating all the way from the house of Representatives to the Bicameral Conference Meeting of the Senate and house, for the inclusion of a safety net proviso stating that the opening and freezing of accounts should require three signatories: the AMLA head, the BSP head, and the Insurance Commissioner. however, this input was struck down by administration allies in both

houses. As it stands, only the nod of the AMLC head is needed through the Solicitor General, to file a petition for a freeze order. The maximum duration of a freeze order is six months which does not even require that a case for any of the predicate crime is filed to substantiate it. In other words, your account can be frozen for six months upon mere suspicion. This lack of a safety net is now being clearly abused to give undue advantage to the presumptive candidate of this administration.

Clearly, the opposition of administration allies to the inclusion of the safety net I advocated for is now being used to their advantage; and what I presented as foresight then is now being played to the hilt at the present. Besides the abuse of the freezing of bank accounts, I also want to underscore that there is the strict provision of the AMLA on confidentiality which has also been used to publicly discredit political opposition to this administration. The law provides that court proceed-

ings of this nature are deemed highly confidential and any party who discloses it is subject to contempt. The wisdom and intention of the law, of course, is to protect innocent parties from damage to their name and reputation. It is within this context that the current top opposition candidate for the presidential elections next year is being systematically vilified, and I strongly agree that it is very unfortunate that the intent of the Anti-Money Laundering Act has been subverted by politics. The objective of the AMLA was to prevent the use of the Philippines as a haven for laundering money from drugs, terrorism and other unlawful acts. Sadly today, it has become a powerful tool to harass and besmirch the reputation of this administration’s political enemies.

pOp gOEs ThE wORlD jEnny ORTuOsTE Ms. Ortuoste’s column will resume next week.

the internet’s hidden weALth estimates suggesting that smart phone demand is relatively price elastic...That imThe question of whether economic growth plies consumer surplus isn’t especially high, is stagnating probably hinges on the answer because many people aren’t willing to buy to another question: how much hidden val- at the higher price...You also could look at ue is being created by the Internet. the literature on the demand for cable inThe stagnationists, most prominently ternet services. The results are mixed, but Robert Gordon of Northwestern Universi- again I don’t see a strong case for a disproty, claim to have the numbers on their side. portionately high consumer surplus from People spend a relatively small fraction of these services, if anything the contrary. their income on online services. Most of In other words, for products such as what we consume online is free. Facebook cable Internet and Samsung Galaxy smartis free. Bloomberg View is free. If these phones, a small rise in price results in a big goods are so valuable, why aren’t people drop in demand. That’s very different from, being charged for them (or for the Internet say, the air, which you would keep breathaccess that lets you use them, which is typi- ing in just about the same amount no matcally a tiny share of one’s income)? ter how expensive it got. If people are willOne possible answer is that Internet ing to abandon products just to save a few services generate a large amount of con- bucks, the hidden benefit of those products sumer surplus. Consumer surplus is where just can’t be that high. consumers get a lot more value than what But there’s a problem with studies like they pay for. If you would be willing to pay these. There might be a lot of close substitutes $1,000 for the new iPhone, but it only costs for the goods considered in the studies. If I $600, you effectively get a $400 bonus. An don’t get cable Internet, I can get DSL, or a extreme example is the air you breathe. You fiber-optic Internet connection. If I don’t get pay nothing for air, but you’d be willing to a Samsung Galaxy I can get an iPhone. If my pay almost anything if you had to. The to- home Internet connection gets cut off, I can tal value of the air is huge, even though the use my phone for a lot of things. amount we pay is essentially zero.

When we’re asking about the consumer So the creation of the Internet, and all of surplus created by the Internet, we should the related services, might be generating a look at the price elasticity of the entire Inhuge consumer surplus. Tyler Cowen, au- ternet. how much would people collectivethor of the book “The Great Stagnation,” is ly pay to avoid being utterly, totally cut off skeptical of this story. he writes: from the entire Internet—mobile phones, Might the consumer surplus [from the browsers, e-mail, the works—for all leiinternet] be especially high?...I did some sure purposes? That answer is very hard casual googling, and found a number of to know, because we can’t actually observe

by noah smith

that situation.

One other wrinkle in the story is that there is one huge important thing that gross domestic product fails to account for: time. It’s obvious that we spend a lot of time online. Think of how much of your day you spend checking your phone, reading e-mail, scanning Facebook or watching streaming videos. It’s a little hard to believe that we would spend an enormous percentage of our lives using something that creates very little value for us.

Two well-known economists, Austan Goolsbee and Peter Klenow, decided to look at this issue back in 2006. Making some assumptions about how much people value leisure time, they estimated the consumer surplus from Internet services in terms of both time and money. They found that the surplus from the Internet was 10 times higher than previous estimates.

The number they found was still fairly small—only 2 percent of people’s annual income. But this was back in 2006, when fewer people were online, and people spent less time online. It was before the explosive growth of social media. It was before the widespread adoption of smartphones. It was also before streaming became big.

So there are at least two reasons to think that the value of the Internet is higher than the numbers would seem to indicate based on consumer spending. That could be very important, because if it’s true, it means our economy hasn’t stagnated nearly as much in the past decade as the headline numbers seem to suggest. Bloomberg

A11

Bringing.. From A9 Despite the foregoing, I am aware of the many challenges in winning a seat in the Senate. To begin with, the post will require funding of at least P300 million since the Supreme Court recently declared as unconstitutional limits on campaign advertisement spending on radio and television. There, too, is the herculean task of building an organization that will result in at least 13.5 million votes – the minimum required for a Senate seat.

These are the reasons why I told VP Binay that I would go around with him until September but would decide with finality by October of this year.

Meanwhile, I welcome the chance to see as many of our islands and meet as many of our people in the coming four months.

Anent VP Binay, I believe he is entitled to his human right of presumption of innocence, particularly in an election year. I also believe that his background as a lawyer, a human rights advocate, and as a local executive of the country’s premier city makes him the best choice for President in 2016.

On a personal note, VP Binay has actually experienced how it is to be looked down upon and to struggle beyond one’s poverty. As I have written before, VP Binay was a former student of my mother in her geometry class. he was then bullied because of his dark skin tone and shabby clothes. My mother somehow treated the young Binay as like a son. I believe that this personal experience of VP Binay has greatly influenced his vision to help our poor and downtrodden citizens. And this has influenced me to seriously consider VP Binay’s offer to be included in UNA’s Senate slate.

Still, I know that it is the Filipino people who will ultimately influence my decision on whether to seek a Senate seat.

And in that note, I will continue on to travel the country and listen to the voice of the people.

And I am confident that whatever I discern from the Filipino people, I will still continue to be an activist-lawyer for them.

Our own.. From A9 All the controversial (and unacceptable, really) provisions of the BBL are contained in these three documents, which Aquino and his peace negotiators wholeheartedly agreed to.

And the provisions on separate armed and police forces, the acknowledgment of MILF camps and even the so-called “opt-in” provision that will expand the Bangsamoro can arguably give the rebels equal – or at least belligerent – status that they need when they plead their case with the UN and other backers of the peace process like Washington and Kuala Lumpur.

And that is why the MILF isn’t really worried about the BBL passing or not. They’re sitting in the catbird seat, with nothing to lose and everything to gain, including their very own newly balkanized state.

T HURS DAY : J UN E 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

PH chesser grabs share of lead

By Arman D. Armero

SINGAPORE —Woman International Master Janelle Mae Frayna continued to live up to her top billing, scoring back-to-back wins to figure in a threeway tie for the lead in the girls’ Under 20 category of the 16th ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships at the Nangyan Technology University Executive Center here.

The 19-year-old Frayna, the top-ranked player in her category with an Elo rating of 2265, beat Malaysian Azhar Puteri Rifqah Fahada for her second consecu-

Members of the Philippine chess team seeing action inn the 2015 ASEAN Age Group Chess Championships are shown upon their arrival at the Changi airport on Monday, a day after they plunge into action at the Nangya Technological University in Singapore.

tive victory after crushing another Malaysian, Azman Hisham Nur Majiha, in the opening round.

The FEU stalwart currently shares the lead at two points each with India’s Sagar Tejasmin and fellow Filipina WIM Bernadette Galas of De Salle University.

Ranked third with an Elo

Controversial boxing executive director fired

By Ronnie Nathanielsz DR. Ching Kuo-Wu, president of the world governing body for boxing, the International Boxing Association or AIBA has fired controversial AIBA executive director Ho Kim , with immediate effect.

Ho was the center of a rash of protests during the last Asian Games in South Korea mainly concerning bum decisions that favored the hosts.

In announcing the changes to senior management, Dr. Wu said: “In order to ensure that there is no interruption, I have immediately appointed the current deputy executive director Karim Bouzidi to

the position of executive director. Karim Bouzidi also remains Chief Executive Officer of the World Series of Boxing.”

In his statement, the AIBA president declared: “It’s time for AIBA and the world of boxing to move in the new direction and therefore I feel that a new vision and leadership are paramount for us to achieve our four-year plan, which was unanimously approved at the AIBA Congress in Jeju.”

Dr. Wu added that he wished to thank Ho “for his contribution to the development of AIBA and the respectful relationship we have maintained during his eight-year tenure.”

of 2030, Galas swept past Nguyen Truong Bao Tran of Vietnam in the first round, before disposing of Xu Yuze of China in the second.

The Filipinos, however, suffered some painful setbacks.

IM Paulo Bersamina and WIM Shania Mae Mendoza, coming off impres-

sive victories in the Asian Schools Championships also held here, faltered in the first two rounds, with Bersamina dropping his second game for a 0.5 points in the boys’ U-20, and Mendoza settling for two draws in a row for 1.0 points in the girls’ U-18.

IM Jan Emmanuel Gar-

cia, however, took up the cudgels for the Filipino campaigners in the boys’ U-20, by stringing up his second straight win to share the lead with three other foreign competitors.

Other Filipino players who made big strides in the second day of the tournament include Cedric

Kahiel Abris in the boys’ U-8 (2 points), Fide Master Alekhine Nouri and James Henry Dalacday in the boys’ U-10 (2 pts), John Meryll Jacutina in the boys’ U-16 (2 pts), Jerlyn Mae San Diego and Mhage Sebastian in the girls’ U-10 (2 pts) and Alaney Jia Doroy in the girls’ U-14 (2 pts).

Football suspect turns self in PORT OF SPAIN—Fallen FIFA executive Jack Warner said Tuesday that US authorities would be unable to give him a fair trial, while an Argentinian businessman indicted in the soccer body’s sprawling corruption scandal handed himself over to Italian police.

Warner, a former schoolteacher and Trinidadian exminister of national security at the heart of the criminal case engulfing football’s world body, is the subject of a US request to have him extradited from Trinidad.

The 72-year-old said the United States is not the “appropriate jurisdiction” to handle the matter “fairly” and claimed America is trying to exact revenge because it tried but failed to lobby

FIFA to host the 2022 World Cup. “One must be extremely careful to question whether the United States can be fair in taking action against officials of an international body whom it feels has done it wrong,” Warner wrote in an e ditorial in the weekly Sunshine newspaper, which he owns.

Currently, US prosecutors accuse 14 people of taking part in a sweeping kickbacks scheme going back 20 years involving a total of $150 million in bribes.

The revelations have thrown the soccer world into turmoil and led to the resignation of long-serving FIFA president Sepp Blatter last week, just four days after his re-election to a fifth con-

secutive term.

Warner called the United States two-faced, since he and Blatter had once been welcomed to the White House by President Barack Obama.

“Was the president of the United States seeking a strong lobby from a FIFA vice president or was he ‘bribing’ a FIFA official with a visit and a meal to the White House? I think not,” Warner said.

“In each case, the answer is no, but it just goes to show how selective this ‘bribe’ issue can be,” he added.

- Argentinian hands himself in Among those indicted is Argentine sports marketing executive Alejandro Burzaco. He turned himself in to police in Italyy after initially

fleeing authorities.

Burzaco, 50, was held in Bolzano, near Italy’s northern border with Switzerland after “turning up spontaneously” at a police station with his two lawyers, police said in a statement.

Burzaco’s whereabouts had been a mystery since seven FIFA executives were arrested in the Swiss city of Zurich on May 27, the eve of a FIFA Congress.

According to reports, Burzaco was in the hotel where the executives were cuffed and promptly disappeared in the knowledge he was likely to be on the indicted list.

It is believed he was not in his hotel room at the time because he was having breakfast. AFP

Parrenas-Carmona fight Tomic wins Stuttgart tennis opener postponement explained IN response to a query from The Standard/boxingmirror. com, the promoter of the Warlito Parrenas-David Carmona World Boxing Organization super f lyweight Interim title fight earlier set for June 20 has explained the change in date on instructions of WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel.

In his email to The Standard, Felix “Tuto” Zabala Jr said: “Nothing here has been done with bad intention. You know how hard it is to promote an interim fight in the smaller weights. We had a conflict with the date because of TV commitments and for this reason we had to postpone the fight only tnwo weeks. The new date is July 4 in Chiapas, Mexico.”

Zabala Jr. said he wanted the fight to be done on June 20.

Also, the WBO seeks to do it quickly. I hope this clarifies our position. If you have any questions, please done hesitate to contact us.” Ronnie Nathanielsz

STU T TGA RT— Australia’s Bernard Tomic opened his 2015 grass-court season with a straight sets victory in Stuttgart on Tuesday while Marcos Baghdatis set up a second-round clash with Rafael Nadal.

Tomic, the fifth-seed at the ATP tournament in Stuttgart enjoyed a 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) win over Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.

The 22-year-old, who reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 2011, converted three of his five break points for victory in 71 minutes.

“It’s very exciting for me to be back here,” said Tomic, who was born in Stuttgart before his f a m i l y immigrated t o Australia.

TOMIC “My first match on grass was pretty good. I served and returned well in the first set.

“It’s all about finding your movement on the grass in the first match

and I felt like it was p r e t t y solid.”

He will now face f o r m e r w o r l d number two Tommy Haas of Germany in the second round.

Fourteen-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal will be looking to kick-start his season after dropping to 10th in the latest world rankings - his worst position in

more than a decade.

Having lost to world number one Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the French Open last week, it is the 29-year-old’s lowest ranking since reaching 11th as a teenager in April 2005.

Having had a bye to the second round, Nadal will play Baghdatis after the Cypriot beat Lukas Rosol 6-3, 6-4 in their first-round clash with the 29-year-old looking to add to his lone win over Nadal from five years ago in Cincinnati.

AFP

T HURS DAY : J UN E 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Superv topbills Philracom race SUPERV, longshot winner of the 1st leg of the Philippine Racing Commission’s Triple Crown series, leads the list of entries of the second leg to be held on June 14 at the Philippine Racing Club’s Santa Ana Park in Naic, Cavite.

The second leg of the iconic trilogy for elite Philippine-bred 3YO Thoroughbreds is in honor of the late Tarlac congressman Enrique M. Cojuangco Sr., a longtime horseowner and breeder.

The 11 other entries who will do battle over 1,800 meters on Sunday are colts Breaking Bad, Cat Express, Diamond’s Best, Incredible Hook, Magnetism, Money Talks, Sky Hook, and Wanderlust, and fillies Court of Honor, Driven, and Princess Meili.

Philracom allocated P3 million in prizes for first to fourth places, with the winner to receive P1.8 million.

Colts will carry 54 kgs. and fillies 52.

Superv (Safe in the USA

x Swinging Silver), owned and bred by Kerby Chua, outran 13 other entries in the first leg of the Triple Crown last May 17 at San Lazaro Leisure Park, coming from behind at the far turn to win by three lengths.

On Saturday (June 13) also at Santa Ana Park is Philracom’s Hopeful Stakes race, open also to 3YO local-breds.

A full gate of runners will be competing, namely colts Dikoridik Koridak, Erik the Viking, Icon, Jazz Wild, Jebel Ali, Showtime, Son of Thunder, Spicy Time, and Tuxedo, and fillies Hurricane Ridge, Princess Ella, Stargazer, Valenzuela, and Wannabe.

Philracom provided a total purse of P 1 million for this race, with P600,000 for the winner.

According to Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez, a change in Commission policy resulted in a larger field size for both races.

Liam McMorrow (right) of Barako Bull and Hamady N’Diaye of KIA jockey for better rebounding position in a PBA Governors’ Cup game won by the Carnival, 71-68.

KIA slays pace-setting Barako

By Jeric Lopez

A STRONG showing in the final six minutes allowed KIA to pull off a gritty 71-68 upset win over erstwhile-league leader Barako Bull, snapping its own two-game losing streak in a low-scoring affair in the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

Jet Chang led the way for the Carnival with a gamehigh 15 points to go along with six rebounds, while LA Revilla added 10 points and five assists.

The big victory catapulted KIA

as it limited a h ig h-s cor i ng Barako Bull to a conference-low in points. ‘’Coming from two straight defeats, I challenged my players to play hard on defense. I thought that was the key,’’ said KIA acting coach Chito Victolero. ‘’I’m very proud of my players. They wanted to prove something and that showed in their game.’’

With the Energy Colas’ defeat, sizzling San Miguel Beer occupied the top position with its 7-2 card.

Trailing, 67-61, midway the payoff period, KIA suddenly clamped down on defense and erected a decisive run in the waning minutes to take command and the game in the process.

The Carnival ended the contest with a 10-1 blast that did the job, while limiting the En-

Games Friday (Smart Araneta Coliseum): 4:15 p.m. - Blackwater vs. Talk ‘N Text 7 p.m. - GlobalPort vs. NLEX

to fourth place as it improved to 4-3 to enhance its chances of making it in the playoffs, while Barako Bull grabbed a secondplace tie with Alaska on identical 6-2 slates.

Defense did KIA wonders

ergy Colas to a single point in the final six minutes of play.

After RR Garcia’s basket with 6:16 left, Barako Bull took a 67-61 lead and appeared poise to keep its place at the top of the standings.

However, KIA had other plans in mind as it answered with a swift 8-0 run to snatch the lead, 69-67, with 2:45 remaining after Hyram Bagatsing’s lay-up. From there, it was all about the Carnival finishing the game up with more baskets and points down the stretch.

Barako Bull had several chances to send the game into overtime with the ball in hand with 20 seconds left. However, JC Intal and RR Garcia missed two three-pointers in the dying seconds as time expired, allowing the Carnival to escape with the win.

The Carnival were able to hold down Barako Bull’s 1-2 punch of Liam McMorrow and Joseph Yeo.

PH fighters eye redemption REDEMPTION will be in the minds of mixed martial artists Crisanto Pitpitunge and Rolando Gabriel Dy when the two homegrown fighters vie for the Pacific Xtreme Combat crowns this Saturday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Pitpitunge will battle US-based PXC flyweight champion Alvin Cacdac, while Dy will vie for the bantamweight belt in a rematch opposite titleholder Kyle Aguon of Guam.

A former PXC bantamweight champion, Pitpitunge has moved down to the flyweight division in his last two fights, where he won both bouts against Josh Duenas of Saipan and Rambaa Somdet of Thailand.

Pitpitunge claims his weight loss has something to do with the way he has managed his time between training and his current job as a policeman.

“Before it was hard for me to train and work, but now I am able to

organize my schedule. I am now able to find enough time to train without any issues with my work,” said Pitpitunge, who currently holds a 7-3-0 record.

Cacdac, who was born in Nueva Ecija and grew up in California, is expecting a tough battle against Pitpitunge.

“I worked a lot more on wrestling because I think I have a better wrestling than him. But I’m willing to stand up with him and test his hands,” said Cacdac.

Meantime, Dy will try to avenge his defeat to Aguon when they first fought for the vacant crown October of last year in Guam.

“I felt I won that fight, but since they gave me this rematch, I’m now focused and has prepared for a different and better Aguon,” said Dy. Seven other contests will complete this MMA card dubbed PXC 48 which will be aired the following night on TV5.

Dennis Principe

Filipino MMA fighter Crisanto Pitpitungue (left) and US-based PXC flyweight champion Alvin Cacdac put up a fighting stance.

PH Azkals battle Bahrain

By Peter Atencio IT’S been four years since the Philippine Azkals national football team has been in a World Cup qualifying match.

In that campaign, they finished with one win, one draw and two losses against Kuwait in the second round of their home-and-away encounter.

With the new format in place four years later, the Azkals need to get a good head-start by winning against a strong Bahrain squad at 8 p.m. today at the start of their Group H encounter of the second round of Asian Football Confederation matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification at the Philippine Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan.

It’s now a round-robin affair, with the Top 2 teams in their five-team bracket advancing to the third round.

New Bahrain coach Sergio Batista, an Argentinian, who once played for the Argentine U23 team that won the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics, looks at their game against the Philippines as a big match, something that must be taken seriously.

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A14

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

PH volley bets bow to Indonesians SINGAPORE—The inexperience and short buildup affected the national women’s volleyball team here on Wednesday, losing in straight sets to Indonesia, 22-25, 20-25, 1425, in its comeback match in the 28th Singapore Southeast Asian Games volleyball tournament at the OCBC Arena here.

After a close first set, the Filipina volleybelles unraveled in the last two as the Indonesians exploited every mistake and miscue of their rivals en route to securing their first win after one hour and 51 minutes at the start of action in Group B. As expected, athletic Aprilia Manganang, whose gender was the subject of a Philippine protest, and captain Amalia Nabila anchored the attack of the Indons, bronze medalists in the 2013 Myanmar SEA Games, with 13 and 10 points, respectively, Alyssa Valdez had 15 points in pacing the Filipinas, but towering Jaja Santiago and elder sibling Dindin Santiago-Manabat were neutralized and had only seven and two points, respectively.

“This game showed our lack of international experience and short preparations,” noted head coach Roger Gorayeb. “Nagsama-sama na lahat. The SEA Games is an entirely new level compared to what we have back home.”

Gorayeb added that unlike the recent Asian Under-23 Women’s Volleyball Championship in Manila “we are no longer playing on our homecourt. Iba talaga ang laro sa labas ng bansa.”

The Nationals will try to regroup when they take on Malaysia at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the Philippine protest urging a gender test for Indonesian volleyball player Santini has been denied by Singaporean Southeast Asian Games organizers, according to Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas, Inc. president Joey Romasanta.

“They (the organizers) told us there was not enough material time to conduct the gender test on the Indonesian,” said Romasanta on the sidelines of the PH-Indonesia women’s volleyball match at the OCBC Arena here.

Romasanta added that he was informed by the SEAG Organizing Committee that it was only following the certification given by the International Volleyball Federation, known by its French acronym FIVB, clearing Santini to compete in an earlier FIVBsanctioned competition.

The volleyball head, who is also the Philippine Olympic Committee First Vice President, said that he did know the competition where the Indonesian had been clearance by the FIVB. Romasanta said the alternative was to place the game against Indonesia under protest, but was prevailed upon here by a Filipino FIVB official, who requested not to be identified, not to pursue it because “the FIVB has already spoken on the matter.”

Sinag PH clobbers foe, but coach not satisfied SINGAPORE—The Philippine men’s basketball squad whipped Indonesia, 81-52, to open its title-retention drive in the 28th Singapore Southeast Asian Games at the OCBC Arena here on Wednesday.

Kiefer Ravena topscored with 16 points, while Jeth Troy Rosario and Arnold Vosotros added 15 and 14, respectively, for the Filipino basketeers, who have not lost a single game in this event since they returned to action in the sport in the 2007 Thailand SEA Games.

But except for the lopsided result, American coach Tab Baldwin was far from happy about the performance from his charges.

“Except for the third half, I’m unhappy about how we played because this is not the way we play,” noted Baldwin.

“We should gauge ourselves not against our rivals, but how Sinag Gilas can play its basketball.”

The PH cagers stormed to a 14-4 lead at the close of the first period, but eased on the gas pedal and allowed the Indonesians to cut it down at 24-35 at the break.

Banking on a 13-0 run, they surged to 60-34 entering the half then continued to pour it on until the outcome was well in hand.

Anchored on naturalized center Marcus Douthit, Sinag Pilipinas expectedly domi-

nated the rebounding, 48-31, netting 40 points inside the paint against the opposition’s 20, and also had more second chance points, 19-10.

The team aims for its second consecutive against Malaysia at 4 p.m. tomorrow.

Meanwhile, seventeen-yearold Dan Emilio Cruz shot a 72 to lead the Philippines to third spot and a potential podium finish in men’s golf at the Sentosa Golf Club course on Tuesday.

Wei Wei Gao, 15, and Ruperto Zaragoza III, 17, submitted similar 75s over the par-72 course for a 222 total.

Aniceto Mandanas, 15, carded an 80 and did not count in the four-to-play, three to count format.

Defending champion Thailand, behind the day’s best

69 of Incheon Asian Games individual bronze medalist Tawang Phongphun, towed the seven-team field with 214, only a stroke off Singapore.

Malaysia ran fourth with 225, followed by Laos with 230, Indonesia 233, Myanmar 237 and Cambodia 275.

Cruz also positioned himself for a possible medal in individual play. He trailed Phongphun by three shots and second-running Marc Chong Ong of Singapore and veteran Natiphon Srithong of Thailand by two strokes.

The 54-hole women’s play get going on Wednesday. The Philippines will be represented by a very young team—Bianca Isabel Pagdanganan (17), Lou Danielle Uy (18) and Harmie Nicole Constantino (13).

Alyssa Valdez of Philippines (left) scores against Komang Bumi Rekta (8) and Maya Indrisari of Indonesia in the women’s volleyball preliminary match during the 28th SEA Games in Singapore. AFP

Officials quickly correct PH flag gaffe

By Peter Atencio PATCHES bearing the correct orientation of the Philippine flag have been issued to members of the national athletics’ team seeing action in the ongoing 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association secretary general Renato Unso said the patches have been stitched on to the uniforms of some athletes following an embarrassing situation experienced by sprint champions Eric Cray and Kayla Richardson last Tuesday.

Concerned fans and netizens criticized the uniforms worn by Cray and Richardson,

with the Philippine national flag upside-down on their track attire and the red portion of the flag, instead of the blue, on top.

Putting the color red on top meant that the country is officially at war.

PATAFA president Philippine Ella Juico said the inverted flag was a supplier’s error, which they already corrected.

“We have asked the supplier to publicly explain this lapse.

This, however, should not diminish the fact that the athletics’ team is performing in an outstanding way, and is doing the country proud,” stated Juico.

The wardrobe malfunction has punctured the joy of the two Filipino-American athletes after they won a South-

east Asian Games 100m sprint double.

The gaffe is particularly unwelcome for Cray and Richardson, who are at pains to point out their Filipino heritage despite their US upbringing and American accents.

The athletes are in good company. In 2013, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin carried a Filipino flag upside-down as he campaigned for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan.

And in 2010, the United States had to apologise after President Barack Obama led a meeting of world leaders which also featured an inverted Philippines flag.

Cray, who has qualified for

Eric Shauwn Cray of the Philippines, holding the country’s flag, celebrates after winning the men’s 100m final athletics event. The Filipino flag on his uniform was upside-down, with red rather than blue at the top, which officially means the country is at war. AFP

the 2016 Olympics in the 400m hurdles, switched to Philippines representation

in 2011, while Richardson has only visited the country once on holiday.

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS

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

Forthcoming International Bridge Events Ian Clark Bautista (right) of the Philippines celebrates after defeating Singapore’s Mohamed Hanurdeen Hamid (left) during their men’s flyweight (52kg) boxing final at the 28th SEA Games in Singapore. AFP

Filipino boxers snatch 5 of 8 golds in games SINGAPORE—The Philippines went 5-of-8 in Wednesday’s boxing finals to emerge as the overall champion for the sport in the 28th Southeast Asian Games at the Singapore Expo Hall.

Women’s light flyweight Josie Gabuco won her fourth SEA Games gold medal, welterweight Eumir Felix Marcial knocked out his opponent, bantamweight Mario Fernandez won by TKO, flyweight Ian Clark Bautista fought like a rampaging bull and lightweight Junel Cantancio did what he does best for the five gold medals that pushed the Philippines to fifth place in the overall medal tally.

Gabuco played smart against Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat to eke out a 3-0 victory that all but cemented her reputation as a former world champion.

“Pinag-aralan nilang mabuti ang style ko kaya medyo nahirapan ako sa laban,” said the

28-year-old Gabuco. “Kaya nagging aggressive ako at dinamihan ko ang counter punches ko.”

Marcial and Fernandez, meanwhile, booked the most impressive victories in the 10bout finals program.

Marcial made sure his fight would not go to the judges’ card for fear of getting the raw end of the decision and knocked out Singaporean Tay Jia Wei with 48 seconds to go in the second round.

“Ganoon talaga ang instruction—go for the knockout kasi Singaporean ang kalaban,” national coach Nolito Velasco said.

For Fernandez, it didn’t matter who his opponent was

but he made sure Thai Tanes Ongjunta would not run away with a victory and scored the TKO 45 seconds into the second round.

Bautista also faced a Singaporean, Mohamed Hanurdeen Hamid, and although he didn’t score a knockout, the SEA Games first-timer was the clear winner although the 2-1 score favoring the Filipino was not indicative of how outclassed his opponent was.

“Nilaro niya ang laro ko,” said Bautista, who rushed from his corner right at the onset and peppered his opponent with his combinations to the delight of ABAP Secretary General Patrick Gregorio. “Hindi nga ako nakatulog sa kakaisip paano ko siya talunin pero ganu’n ang strategy ko, ang maging aggressive.”

A similarly aggressive fighter, Cantancio could not be denied a 2-0 victory over Viet-

nam’s Nguyen Van Hei to help highlight the five-gold medal campaign that made the Philippines the overall champion in the sport.

Flyweight Irish Magno and bantamweight Nesthy Petecio in the women’s division and light flyweight Rogen Ladon accounted for the Philippines’ three silver medals that made the Filipinos the toast of boxing in this Singapore edition of the games.

Magno bowed to Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Yien, Petecio lost to another Vietnamese, Le Thi Bang, and Ladon yielded to Indonesian Kornelis Kwangu Langu—all with 1-2 scores.

Counting the bronze medals of Wilfredo Lopez and Riza Pasuit, the Philippines had a sport-best 5-3-2 tally, far better than Thailand’s 2-2-3 (gold-silver-bronze). Vietnam snatched two gold medals and Indonesia only had one.

Huey, Gonzales like tennis team’s chances TREAT Conrad Huey and Ruben Gonzales of the Philippine tennis team expressed confidence that their good preparation abroad will boost their chances for medals in the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

The 29-year-old Huey, who played recently in the French Open before flying to Singapore this week, said he likes their chances to win medals since they have a strong team in the games.

“We have a good chance to win medals in all the tennis events,” said Huey, a HEAD-sponsored netter. “The team event, singles, doubles and mixed doubles should give us possible medals.

Hopefully, we play well and we

Huey

Gonzales

come away with a gold or more. I am excited in these SEA Games.

I really had a good preparation.

I want to give my best at the SEA Games and if this results in winning a gold medal, that would be great.”

Dynamic Sports Corporation Managing Director and HEAD officer Liza Tang Yuquico believes Huey and Gonzales would able to help the Philippine tennis team achieve a resounding success in the games.

“I believe Huey and Gonzales will play a major role in the SEA Games because of their vast experience in the international professional tennis scene,” said Tang Yuquico. “The HEAD tennis family is always there for the Philippine tennis team. We believe in them.”

Gonzales, also another HEAD player, said he cannot guarantee any result but remained optimistic of his chances in the biennial meet.

“I am very excited about SEA Games! We have a very strong team and I feel we can do very well, too,” said Gonzales. “Obviously, it is tough to guarantee any result, but I have been playing well this year and I am coming from a good three weeks of training to prepare for these games.”

Bocchi & Bilde play 2015 Palace Cup SYLVIA LOPEZ The second ediALEJANDRO tion of the PALACE CUP will be held from June 21-25, 2015 in Warsaw (Poland).

InterCity League: Sofia wins the Spring 2015 Edition The team Sofia, which had never before participate to the event, wins InterCity League spring 2015, 23rd edition.

54th International Bridge Festival-Pula 2015 The 54th International Bridge FestivalPula (Croatia) 2015.

Rastignano Bridge Tournament 2015 The 8th Rastignano Bridge Tournament will be held between 5/6 September, 2015 at the Unaway Hotel in San Lazzarro di Savena (Bologna, Italy).

-oOoFeaturing Fantoni-Nunes : on bidding the minors Board 15 North Zawslak ♠KQJ6 ♥AJ72 ♦753 ♣J7 East West Nunes Fantoni ♠1054 ♠A ♥KQ1093 ♥ ♦62 ♦AQ984 ♣K52 ♣Q1098643 South Pazur ♠98732 ♥854 ♦KJ10 ♣A East North West South Nunes Zawslak Fantoni Pazur Pass Pass 1♣ 2NT 3♥ Pass Pass 4♣ Pass 5♣ Pass Pass Pass -oOoWinning pairs of the Alejandro Duplicate Game on June 02, 2016 1) Chris Tweddell-Mila camus 2) Harumi Ieda-Satomi Suzuki 3) Salma Nugent-John Mcphedran Winning pairs of the Manila Peninsula on June 03, 2015 1) Nalin Samarasingha-Hiranthi Samarasingha 2) Bambi Harper-Nena Ramirez 3) Margaret Kwok-Mila Camus Winning pairs of the Cambridge Club June 04, 2015 North/South Ranks 1) Gemma Tan & Paul Potassy 2) Margaret Kwok & Pocholo Lozano 3) Hector Tarrazona & Abe Rivera East/West Ranks 1) Nalin & Hiranthi Samarasingha 2) Cora Rodriguez & Mila Wales 3) Lars Manneteg & Chuchay Tuason Comments yahoo.com

to:

sylvia.alejandro@

A16

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 1 1 , 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

LeBron’s heroic show fuels Cavs

CLEVELAND—There’s a huge photo of LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ home arena with the superstar’s giant-sized outstretched arms wide enough to carry the entire team, just as he’s doing in the NBA Finals.

Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James slams the ball in and is cheered by his fans at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio in Game 3 of the 2015 NBA Finals. Cleveland won, 96-91, and leads the series, 2-1. AFP

Another maestro performance Tuesday saw “King James” score 40 points, grab 12 rebounds and pass out eight assists to spark the host Cavaliers over Golden State 96-91 to seize a 2-1 lead in the best-ofseven series with game four Thursday in Cleveland.

The victory reinforced the growing sense that this is a career-defining moment for James, two wins from realizing his life’s dream of turning his hometown club into a champion.

The 30-year-old forward’s emotional and exhausting heroics could produce one of the NBA’s greatest feats, a spectacular achievement given the loss of two all-star teammates to playoff injuries.

“You would be hard pressed to find a guy anywhere, anytime that can give you the kind of allaround performance and leadership that LeBron does,” Cavaliers coach Dave Blatt said. “He really has willed his guys to win. That’s

what a champion does and obviously he’s a champion.”

Cleveland lost All-Star forward Kevin Love to a separated shoulder in the opening playoff round and All-Star guard Kyrie Iring to a fractured left kneecap in the finals opener against a top-seeded Warriors side featuring NBA Most Valuable Player Steph Curry and a deep bench.

“We know we have to get more out of ourselves than maybe is even humanly possible sometimes, but that’s the situation,” Blatt said. “We have a chance to do something very special and if it requires us to go above and beyond, that’s what we’ve got to do. It’s a matter of facing up and manning up.”

James is averaging a record 41 points plus 12 rebounds and 8.3 assists in the NBA Finals, baffling the Warriors by driving to the hoop, sinking fadeaway jumpers and hurling passes to unguarded teammates. AFP

THURSDAY: JUNE 11, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

business@thestandardtoday.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS

B1 Apec pre-meeting.

Delegates from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation member economies, multilateral agencies and other international organizations gather at the heritage park and hotel Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan for the event titled ‘Apec Workshop on Fiscal Management through Transparency and Reforms,’ which ran from June 9 and 10. Within the picturesque venue, participants raised proposals, and shared views and knowledge on the subject of transparency in the fiscal sector to further pursue the Apec region’s development goals. The Philippines serves as host to the year-round meetings of Apec for 2015.

April exports shrank 4.1% PSe comPoSite

index

Closing June 10, 2015

7800 7500 7200 6900 6600 6300

7,384.27 60.83

PeSo-dollar rate 47

P44.910

46

CLOSE

45 44 43

HIGH P44.870 LOW P45.045 AVERAGE P44.966 VOLUME 546.608M

P500.00-P650.00 LPG/11-kg tank P41.85-P47.20 Unleaded Gasoline P29.35-P32.70 Diesel

oPriceS il P today

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene P23.70-P24.40 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Wednesday, June 10, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

45.0210

Japan

Yen

0.008043

0.3621

UK

Pound

1.538600

69.2693

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128987

5.8071

Switzerland

Franc

1.074460

48.3733

Canada

Dollar

0.811162

36.5193

Singapore

Dollar

0.739973

33.3143

Australia

Dollar

0.767990

34.5757

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652309

119.4096

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266681

12.0062

Brunei

Dollar

0.737246

33.1916

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.029665

1.3355

UAE

Dirham

0.272257

12.2573

Euro

Euro

1.128000

50.7837

Korea

Won

0.000893

0.0402

China

Yuan

0.161142

7.2548

India

Rupee

0.015630

0.7037

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.266880

12.0152

New Zealand

Dollar

0.712403

32.0731

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032164

1.4481 Source: PDS Bridge

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

EXPORTS shrank 4.1 percent in April from a year ago, the biggest drop in two years, as the fragile global economy led to lower demand for the country’s agriculture, mineral and petroleum products, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show.

The PSA said Wednesday merchandise exports amounted to $4.38 billion in April, down from $4.56 billion recorded a year ago.

It followed a 2.1-percent gain in March, when shipments reached $5.38 billion.

Data showed the 4.1-percent contraction in April was the sharpest since February 2013, when exports fell 5.8 percent.

“The decline is partly reflective of fragile global economic conditions, as most trade-oriented economies in East and Southeast Asia also registered negative export performance in April 2015, with only Vietnam in positive territory. Weaker demand conditions in some of our major trading partners, particularly China, were seen,” said Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

HSBC economist Trinh Nguyen said while the Philippines was not an export-driven economy, the decline in shipments was still worrying.

“In Q1 2015, the drastic slowdown of real goods and services exports dragged GDP growth tra-

jectory downward. While imports also decelerated to 4.6 percent yo-y from 9.9 percent in Q4 2014, the sharp downturn in exports subtracted almost 2 ppts from the 5.2 percent y-o-y GDP growth rate. April’s disappointing exports, coupled with expectations that external demand conditions will remain tepid, suggest that net exports are unlikely to contribute to growth in Q2,” Nguyen said.

She said Philippine exports were weakened by eroding costs and structural competitiveness.

The Trade Department said it was keeping the 10-percent export growth forecast in 2015 despite the 1.2-percent drop in

aggregate exports in the first five months.

“We’re keeping the 10-percent [growth]. With electronics [exports] up and continue rising and the strong showing of services, we’re confident that exports will post as much as 10-percent growth,” Trade undersecretary for investment promotions Ponciano Manalo said at the sidelines of the ongoing Franchise Asia 2015 at the SMX Convention Hall in Pasay City.

Data showed the outbound shipment of petroleum products plummeted 94.8 percent to $2.7 million in April 2015 from $52 million in the same period last year.

“Falling crude oil prices in the

international market continue to partly affect the country’s exports as reflected in the year-on-year declines in the volume of petroleum exports to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia,” Balisacan said.

Exports of mineral products decreased 18.2 percent in April to $260.3 million from $318 million in April 2014, due to lower earnings of copper concentrates and iron ore agglomerates.

Shipments of agro-based products dropped 33.1 percent to $231 million in April from $345 million a year earlier, as sharp contractions were recorded in fruits and vegetables.

Ayala, MPIC eye longer LRT line

By Darwin G. Amojelar LIGHT Rail Manila Consortium, led by Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Ayala Corp., has expressed interest to join the auction for the P64-billion LRT Line 1 extension to Dasmariñas from Bacoor, Cavite.

LRMC, which earlier won the contract to build the 11.7-kilometer LRT Line 1 extension from Baclaran in Paranaque City to Bacoor, Cavite, would also bid for the system’s 19-kilometer extension to Dasmariñas City, according to its top executive.

“Of course, we will be interested. We are following that project,” LRMC president and chief executive Jesus Francisco said, referring to the system’s 19-kilometer extension to Dasmariñas City.

The new project, called LRT

Line 6, is a 19-kilometer railway from Niyog, Bacoor, the terminus of the P64.9-billion LRT 1 Cavite extension, to Dasmariñas City.

The proposed LRT Line 6 would have seven stations, including Niyog, Tirona, Imus, Daang Hari, Salitran, Congressional Avenue and Governor’s Drive.

The joint venture of Ayala and MPIC earlier won the P64.9-billion LRT Line 1 Cavite extension project.

MPIC, through Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., owns 55 percent of LRMC, while AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. of Ayala Corp. holds a 35-percent stake. Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Inc. has the remaining 10 percent.

Under the concession, LRMC will assume the operations and maintenance of the existing

20-kilometer LRT Line 1, and construct the 11.7-kilometer extension of the rail line southward from the Baclaran station all the way to Bacoor, Cavite.

The consortium will build eight new stations after Baclaran.

These will include Aseana, MIA, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino, Dr. Santos, Las Piñas, Zapote and Niyog.

The project will increase the length of LRT 1 from 20.7 km. to 32.4 km., and provide commuters from Cavite and other parts of Parañaque and Las Piñas access to central Manila.

The government will acquire the right-of-way for the project, the satellite depot, and procure 120 light rail vehicles that will be financed through a grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

LRMC will invest P35 billion in the project.

THURSDAY: JUNE 11, 2015

B2

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

MST BuSineSS Daily STockS Review Wednesday, June 10, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 104 63 2.49 4.2 18.48 31.6 9.5 2.95 890 1.01 99.4 1.46 30.5 94.95 361.2 59 174.8 1700 127.9 3.26 47 5 1.66 2.36 15.3 113 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 9.4 241 12.5 33.9 90 13.98 292.4 5.25 13.04 14.5 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.68 8.1 253 3.28 0.315 2.68 226.6 1.3 2.17 0.7 59.2 31.85 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 800 11.06 84 3.35 5.14 1380 6.68 72.6 6.66 9.25 0.9 18.9 0.73 5.53 6.55 0.84 2.99 87 934 2.2 1.39 0.710 0.435 0.510 10.5 1.99 2.07 40 6.15 5.4

STOCKS

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 7.01 7.01 73.25 72 108.30 106.10 97.00 95.50 45.95 45.6 2.36 2.36 1.77 1.77 15.98 15.4 20.1 19.62 6.70 6.33 1.74 1.02 815.00 815.00 0.415 0.415 88 86 1.02 0.99 18.00 18.00 67.50 65.20 305 302 47 41.2 154.1 152.5 1460.00 1450.00 64.60 64.60 3.13 3.13 INDUSTRIAL 35.6 Aboitiz Power Corp.

43.1 43.25 43 1.6 Agrinurture Inc. 1.45 1.38 1.38 1.04 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 1.03 1.03 1.02 1.41 Alsons Cons.

1.92 1.96 1.92 7.92 Asiabest Group 10.5 10.52 10.48 40.3 Bogo Medelin 52 52 51.95 14.6 Century Food 18.4 18.7 18.34 62.5 Chemphil 102 106 105 10.08 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 27.05 27.05 26 29.15 Concepcion 56 57.5 57 Crown Asia 1.87 1.96 1.85 1.04 Da Vinci Capital 1.59 1.65 1.59 10.72 Del Monte 12.1 12.1 12 8.44 DNL Industries Inc. 19.000 19.220 18.84 9.79 Emperador 9.35 9.70 9.32 5.43 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 7.38 7.40 7.25 9.54 EEI 9.72 9.92 9.68 1.06 Euro-Med Lab 1.7 1.71 1.7 8.61 Federal Res. Inv. Group 11.9 11.82 11.48 18.06 First Gen Corp.

25 25.55 24.85 67.9 First Holdings ‘A’ 85.3 85.95 85.3 14 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 13.90 13.90 13.90 13.24 Holcim Philippines Inc. 13.88 13.88 12.50 3.12 Integ. Micro-Electronics 6.12 6.12 5.99 168 Jollibee Foods Corp.

195.50 196.50 195.10 8.65 Lafarge Rep 9.69 9.8 9.66 24.4 Manila Water Co. Inc. 24.4 24.8 24.35 16.2 Maxs Group 24.5 25 24.7 7.62 Megawide 6.2 6.3 6.28 250.2 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 277.80 280.00 276.00 3.87 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 4.41 4.43 4.4 9 Petron Corporation 9.30 9.59 9.10 9.94 Phinma Corporation 11.20 11.50 11.50 3.03 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.88 3.95 3.72 2.22 Phoenix Semiconductor 2.19 2.18 2.15 1 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.12 2.19 2.11 4.72 RFM Corporation 4.46 4.45 4.35 6 Roxas Holdings 6 6 6 201.6 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 179 179 178 1.67 Splash Corporation 1.58 1.64 1.58 0.122 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.149 0.151 0.149 2.01 Trans-Asia Oil 2.22 2.23 2.22 143.4 Universal Robina 184 187.4 183 0.670 Vitarich Corp.

0.75 0.77 0.75 1.39 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.30 1.30 1.30 HOLDING FIRMS 0.45 Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.450 0.460 0.450 48.1 Aboitiz Equity 54.5000 55.4000 54.0000 20.85 Alliance Global Inc. 21.55 22.00 21.50 1.6 Anglo Holdings A 1.32 1.32 1.32 6.62 Anscor `A’ 6.75 6.87 6.73 1.4 ATN Holdings A 0.244 0.255 0.245 1.6 ATN Holdings B 0.240 0.270 0.260 600 Ayala Corp `A’ 749 750 740 7.390 Cosco Capital 7.69 7.78 7.69 14.18 DMCI Holdings 13.00 13.00 12.82 2.6 F&J Prince ‘A’ 3.11 3.1 3.1 4.25 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

4.42 4.45 4.44 818 GT Capital 1300 1323 1287 5.3 House of Inv. 6.49 6.55 6.48 46.6 JG Summit Holdings 65.00 65.75 64.45 3.52 Keppel Holdings `B’ 5.1 5.07 5.07 4.43 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.48 7.47 7.13 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.69 0.71 0.7 12 LT Group 13.28 13.54 13.22 0.580 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.62 0.62 0.62 4.22 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 4.32 4.47 4.32 4.5 Minerales Industrias Corp. 4.95 5 5 0.450 Prime Orion 1.160 1.200 1.130 2.26 Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.59 2.5 2.5 66.7 San Miguel Corp `A’ 60.00 60.00 59.90 709.5 SM Investments Inc. 874.00 878.00 860.00 1.13 Solid Group Inc. 1.21 1.21 1.21 0.93 South China Res. Inc. 0.70 0.70 0.70 0.200 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3500 0.3600 0.3500 0.173 Wellex Industries 0.2090 0.2090 0.2000 0.310 Zeus Holdings 0.295 0.300 0.300 PROPERTY 6.01 8990 HLDG 7.200 7.250 7.080 0.91 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.72 0.73 0.71 1.29 Araneta Prop `A’ 1.250 1.250 1.250 29.1 Ayala Land `B’ 37.00 37.75 36.80 4.1 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.43 3.54 3.43 4.96 Cebu Holdings 5.31 5.32 5.25 2.5 66 84.6 84.5 45.8 1.97 2.03 12.02 23.55 6.3 1.75 625 0.225 78 0.9 18.02 76.5 276 45 107.6 1200 66 2.65

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

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

7.01 73.1 106.00 96.45 45.6 2.36 1.75 15.4 19.62 6.30 1.66 810.00 0.405 86 1.01 18.00 65.20 305 42.45 153.7 1435.00 64.50 3.14

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

7.01 73 108.00 96.45 45.95 2.36 1.77 15.9 19.94 6.33 1.15 815.00 0.415 88 0.99 18.00 67.00 305 41.85 153.9 1460.00 64.60 3.13

0.00 -0.14 1.89 0.00 0.77 0.00 1.14 3.25 1.63 0.48 -30.72 0.62 2.47 2.33 -1.98 0.00 2.76 0.00 -1.41 0.13 1.74 0.16 -0.32

200 72,970 1,664,410 1,042,330 11,500 7,000 3,000 1,900 660,400 900 98,000 10 20,000 7,922,660 5,000,000 87,000 45,850 210 70,100 1,047,650 530 460 29,000

43.25 1.38 1.03 1.96 10.5 52 18.5 105 27 57.5 1.94 1.59 12.1 19.000 9.36 7.27 9.92 1.7 11.48 25.35 85.35 13.90 13.82 6.09 195.80 9.8 24.5 24.8 6.29 279.20 4.42 9.12 11.50 3.87 2.17 2.18 4.44 6 178 1.64 0.149 2.22 186.5 0.75 1.30

0.35 -4.83 0.00 2.08 0.00 0.00 0.54 2.94 -0.18 2.68 3.74 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.11 -1.49 2.06 0.00 -3.53 1.40 0.06 0.00 -0.43 -0.49 0.15 1.14 0.41 1.22 1.45 0.50 0.23 -1.94 2.68 -0.26 -0.91 2.83 -0.45 0.00 -0.56 3.80 0.00 0.00 1.36 0.00 0.00

2,309,400 1,000 300,000 1,193,000 300 970 299,100 130 378,600 4,660 14,000 14,000 34,800 2,919,900 4,093,300 11,284,500 843,600 120,000 6,000 1,621,500 58,070 200 4,400 148,200 408,300 106,500 236,800 15,600 88,000 233,980 374,000 2,554,700 30,000 112,000 379,000 29,000 5,927,000 400 11,330 31,000 2,500,000 225,000 2,564,740 724,000 1,000

0.460 55.4000 21.90 1.32 6.87 0.255 0.270 747 7.74 12.90 3.1 4.44 1301 6.48 65.00 5.07 7.47 0.71 13.3 0.62 4.42 5 1.180 2.5 60.00 878.00 1.21 0.70 0.3550 0.2090 0.300

2.22 1.65 1.62 0.00 1.78 4.51 12.50 -0.27 0.65 -0.77 -0.32 0.45 0.08 -0.15 0.00 -0.59 -0.13 2.90 0.15 0.00 2.31 1.01 1.72 -3.47 0.00 0.46 0.00 0.00 1.43 0.00 1.69

90,000 1,435,750 7,137,300 1,000 11,500 1,570,000 70,000 199,470 1,001,300 18,267,400 6,000 11,000 269,600 817,900 1,130,340 200 4,192,200 2,000 6,598,300 1,102,000 15,689,000 25,000 4,108,000 12,000 126,780 129,940 574,000 72,000 1,370,000 460,000 30,000

7.150 0.73 1.250 37.50 3.46 5.32

-0.69 1.39 0.00 1.35 0.87 0.19

1,804,800 255,000 160,000 9,193,400 1,579,000 460,200

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

High

Low

Close

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

1.54 1.48 0.201 0.98 1.09 2.25 1.87 1.8 4.88 0.180 0.470 0.72 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 3.6 20.6 1.02 1.96 8.59

0.89 0.97 0.083 0.445 0.85 1.4 1.42 1.19 2.75 0.090 0.325 0.39 23 2.57 21.35 1.64 3.08 15.08 0.69 1 5.69

Century Property 0.82 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.09 Crown Equities Inc. 0.138 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.420 Empire East Land 0.850 Global-Estate 1.21 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.78 Interport `A’ 1.40 Megaworld Corp.

4.5 MRC Allied Ind. 0.112 Phil. Estates Corp.

0.3200 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.4600 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 24.00 Primex Corp.

7.2 Robinson’s Land `B’ 27.00 Rockwell 1.7 Shang Properties Inc. 3.33 SM Prime Holdings 18.70 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.72 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 0.850 Vista Land & Lifescapes 7.150

0.00 -2.75 1.45 -1.19 0.00 2.48 1.12 -0.71 2.67 3.57 0.00 -2.17 0.00 1.11 3.70 -1.18 0.00 2.14 1.39 3.53 -0.84

1,755,000 19,000 5,230,000 130,000 144,000 1,693,000 7,764,000 3,000 21,953,000 4,500,000 200,000 15,000 1,900 100 1,276,100 441,000 23,000 8,310,400 105,000 182,000 7,772,300

10.5 66 1.09 12.46 15.82 0.1460 4.61 99.1 12.3 2.6 9 1700 2090 8.41 33 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 2.85 5.9 1.97 2.46 15.2 0.62 1.040 22.8 6.41 110.2 14 3486 0.710 2.28 48.5 90.1 11.6 0.87 10.2 0.490

1.97 32.5 0.6 10 9.61 0.0770 2.95 46.55 10.14 1.6 5.88 830 1600 5.95 30 1.36 105 8.72 0.036 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.69 1.05 0.490 1.8 8.7 0.34 0.37 14.54 3 79 4.39 2726 0.380 0.32 31.45 60.55 7.59 0.63 6.45 0.305

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

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

Discovery World DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IPeople Inc. `A’ Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown MG Holdings NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

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

3.06 -0.17 0.00 -3.70 2.99 0.00 -0.74 1.64 0.00 6.47 4.75 -0.20 1.47 2.65 0.00 1.54 1.92 -0.16 0.45 0.00 0.00 -0.65 -1.65 -3.85 6.15 -0.50 0.00 -4.29 -1.03 -0.21 2.71 -0.72 6.67 -0.50 -1.49 -1.48 0.97 2.20 1.28 1.49 -0.38 0.00

43,300 11,060 1,568,000 3,900 5,435,100 2,700,000 139,000 400,760 1,000 72,000 3,500 20 96,265 29,100 500 11,000 635,990 1,900 1,490,000 158,000 4,000 138,400 263,000 2,550 309,000 70,000 6,392,700 680,000 290,000 4,400 1,000 34 1,032,900 86,760 3,564,000 7,225,000 412,300 2,427,480 1,290,700 27,000 2,358,200 300,000

0.0098 5.45 17.24 12.7 12.8 1.73 10.98 4.2 0.48 0.455 0.475 0.023 0.026 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 8.65 6.5 6.98 0.78 5.99 1.08 0.330 0.2130 0.2160 0.014 0.014 3.660 20.2 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

6.25 -1.89 -2.10 0.00 0.00 1.30 0.00 1.90 0.00 -0.43 0.43 0.00 0.00 -0.59 -1.86 -0.54 0.00 -0.48 0.00 -0.23 -1.07 1.04 0.00 0.44 0.00 0.00

1,524,000,000 53,000 -13,000.00 1,737,200 -362,695.00 200 1,500 177,000 700 115,517,000 -14,735,780.00 45,000 6,730,000 830,000 14,400,000 1,100,000 -15,400.00 120,000 -37,570.00 2,575,500 -38,191,715.00 147,000 189,000 15,000 -10,400.00 1,000,000 90,000 289,100 190,963.00 2,269,000 148,800.00 3,100,000 -1,500.00 835,130 1,563,521.00 144,100 218,032.00 31,000,000

70 553 525 120 515 111 1047 76.9 78.95 84.8

33 490 500 101.5 480 101 1011 74.2 74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ First Gen G GLOBE PREF P MWIDE PREF PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred A SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C

-0.17 0.00 0.19 0.00 -0.95 -2.46 0.00 0.20 -0.18 0.00

42,890 420 400 5,380 3,000 29,560 2,000 265,190 29,270 45,000

-9,904,459.00

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

-2.80

139,000

125,000.00 -9,118,475.00 -990,170.00 -2,062,886.00

10.96 88 12.88

2.4 13.5 5.95

1.51 0.00 8.70

449,700 40 7,169,900

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

0.67

14,090

3,691,562.00 3,208,319.00 -77,505,748.50

-491,283.00 8,150.00

0.82 0.81 0.82 1.06 1.06 1.06 0.142 0.138 0.140 0.435 0.415 0.415 0.850 0.850 0.850 1.26 1.19 1.24 1.80 1.76 1.80 1.39 1.38 1.39 4.64 4.53 4.62 0.118 0.110 0.116 0.3200 0.3200 0.3200 0.4500 0.4500 0.4500 24.00 24.00 24.00 7.28 7.28 7.28 28.50 26.70 28.00 1.7 1.68 1.68 3.34 3.33 3.33 19.14 18.70 19.10 0.73 0.73 0.73 0.890 0.850 0.880 7.140 7.010 7.090 SERVICES 6.2 6.4 6.2 6.39 60.1 60.4 60 60 0.670 0.680 0.660 0.670 13.5 13 13 13 8.71 8.99 8.74 8.97 0.0940 0.0940 0.0940 0.0940 4.03 4.03 4 4 82.15 84 82.15 83.5 9.99 9.99 9.99 9.99 1.7 1.81 1.68 1.81 6.10 6.40 6.30 6.39 980 978 978 978 2592 2650 2602 2630 6.03 6.20 6.18 6.19 21.00 21.00 21.00 21.00 1.30 1.35 1.32 1.32 109.4 111.5 108.2 111.5 12.18 12.16 11.12 12.16 0.223 0.225 0.221 0.224 1.2500 1.2700 1.2500 1.2500 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 9.26 9.35 9.19 9.20 3.03 3.06 2.97 2.98 52.00 52.95 45.00 50.00 0.650 0.710 0.670 0.690 2 1.99 1.95 1.99 6.9 7 6.7 6.9 0.350 0.350 0.335 0.335 0.485 0.485 0.480 0.480 19 18.96 18.08 18.96 4.42 4.54 4.54 4.54 124.90 124.90 124.00 124.00 18.00 19.20 18.00 19.20 2788.00 2796.00 2774.00 2774.00 0.670 0.670 0.650 0.660 1.350 1.380 1.320 1.330 35.90 36.40 35.75 36.25 70.50 72.80 70.80 72.05 9.38 9.75 9.35 9.50 0.67 0.68 0.67 0.68 5.2 5.2 5.13 5.18 0.330 0.330 0.325 0.330 MINING & OIL 0.0048 0.0053 0.0048 0.0051 2.65 2.60 2.60 2.60 7.14 7.14 6.80 6.99 7.2000 7.2000 7.2000 7.2000 7.4000 7.4000 7.4000 7.4000 0.77 0.79 0.78 0.78 7.01 7.30 7.01 7.01 1.58 1.63 1.55 1.61 0.325 0.330 0.320 0.325 0.233 0.235 0.232 0.232 0.235 0.237 0.235 0.236 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 3.4 3.41 3.35 3.38 24.25 24.6 23.4 23.8 3.73 3.74 3.66 3.71 0.6800 0.6800 0.6700 0.6800 2.0900 2.0800 2.0800 2.0800 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 4.40 4.39 4.38 4.39 6.53 6.55 6.46 6.46 1.93 2.000 1.930 1.95 0.015 0.015 0.014 0.015 137.50 140.00 137.00 138.10 11 11.18 11 11 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 PREFERRED 60.1 61 58 60 524.5 525 524.5 524.5 527 528 527 528 123 123 120 123 525 520 520 520 113.8 114.6 111 111 1050 1050 1050 1050 75.35 75.5 75.3 75.5 84.15 84 84 84 87 87 87 87 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.930 3.910 3.800 3.820 SME 9.3 9.64 9.3 9.44 64.95 64.95 64.95 64.95 10.12 11.08 10.12 11 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 119.3 120.1 119.3 120.1

%

328,860.00 -37,800.00 -200.00 -267,400.00 -4,514,200.00 32,959,730.00 79,200.00

MST

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

SHARES 17,789,108 43,456,693 71,404,946 251,924,984 40,431,921 1,706,916,179 2,139,557,571

-5,065,644.50

239,239.00 42,460.00 -847,110.00 57,398,973.00 773,100.00

-9,685,065.00

-373,834.00 239,785.00

48,160.00 -36,886,836.00 8,561,993.00 -45,065,769.00 3,826,878.00 -16,470,490.00 -2,612,561.50

2,700.00 -82,782.00 -33,868,504.00

1,254,050.00

0.00 23,242,764.00 229,940.00 -2,804,165.00 11,270.00 -172,800.00 114,380.00 432,540.00

152,420.00 -8,920.00 -26,383,603.00 127,500.00

-36,897,809.00 -51,910,960.00

-68,000.00

-67,184,250.00 1,462,754.00 -123,718,148.00

48,890.00 -33,601,185.00 5,187,000.00 1,350,390.00 20,524,878.00

6,656,150.00 -85,870.00

-3,804,472.50 -39,154,145.00

Double Dragon IRipple E-Business Intl Xurpas

T op g ainerS VALUE 1,160,024,734.19 1,065,695,091.11 1,485,406,354.12 976,334,448.115 1,032,783,808.59 396,512,507.7351 6,200,358,730.41

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,705.39 (UP) 19.01 INDUSTRIAL 11,352.42 (UP) 41.50 HOLDING FIRMS 6,529.67 (UP) 31.53 PROPERTY 2,992.78 (UP) 49.17 SERVICES 2,073.54 (UP) 13.45 MINING & OIL 13,690.61 (DOWN) 66.15 PSEI 7,384.27 (UP) 60.83 All Shares Index 4,254.21 (UP) 29.64 Gainers: 94 Losers: 61; Unchanged: 54; Total: 209

-5,435,770.00 -599,520.00 -18,596,434.00

-40,814,678.00

-1,695,975.00 -1,624,914.00

-54,074,490.00

21,100,867.00

60,160.00 9,120.00

-1,146,621.00 -224,400.00

0.00 52,308.00 -48,525,980.00 -4,351,470.00 -5,459,910.00 -21,871,843.00 3,069,301.00 -11,156,771.00

-2,469,798.00

3,987,303.00

-165,975.00 18,197,956.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

ATN Holdings B

0.270

12.50

I-Remit Inc.

1.15

-30.72

Xurpas

11

8.70

Agrinurture Inc.

1.38

-4.83

Philweb.Com Inc.

19.20

6.67

MG Holdings

0.335

-4.29

Discovery World

1.81

6.47

Manila Broadcasting

50.00

-3.85

Abra Mining

0.0051

6.25

Asian Terminals Inc.

13

-3.70

Manila Bulletin

0.690

6.15

Federal Res. Inv. Group

11.48

-3.53

DFNN Inc.

6.39

4.75

Republic Glass 'A'

2.5

-3.47

ATN Holdings A

0.255

4.51

LR Warrant

3.820

-2.80

Splash Corporation

1.64

3.80

Cityland Dev. `A'

1.06

-2.75

Crown Asia

1.94

3.74

MWIDE PREF

111

-2.46

THURSDAY: JUNE 11, 2015

B3

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

Bloomberry keen on Japan

By Jenniffer B. Austria

AFTER expanding to South Korea, Bloomberry Resorts Corp. is setting its sights on Taiwan and Japan as the company remains upbeat about the gaming sector in the Philippines and the rest of Asia.

“If Taiwan legalizes gaming, yes,” Bloomberry chairman Enrique Razon told reporters following the annual stockholders’ meeting in Solaire Resorts & Casino in Parañaque City.

He said Bloomberry was also interested expanding to Japan.

“There is a law now in parliament. We are watching it closely to see if it passes this session. If it passes, Japan of course will be an exciting market,” Razon said.

He said Bloomberry was bullish on the gaming market in the Philippines and Asia, especially with more governments taking a closer look into the economic potential of integrated resort and gaming business.

Bloomberry, through unit Solaire Korea Co. Ltd. earlier acquired two islands--Silmi and Muui--in a bid to expand its operations outside the Philippines.

Both islands are located in the Greater Incheon area and within the coverage of the Incheon Free Economic Zone, which is intended to be developed into a leisure and tourism complex with entertainment facilities and mixed use developments.

Bloomberry also purchased up to 92 percent of Golden & Luxury Co. Ltd., which owns and operates T.H.E. Hotel & Vegas Casino in Jeju Island in South Korea.

Bloomberry earlier said more than $1 billion in investments was needed to develop an integrated residential, commercial, tourism and gaming complex in South Korea.

Razon said the company was still in the process of securing a gaming license from South Korea and would present a master plan for the Incheon project within the month.

New Honda HR-V. Honda Cars Philippines Inc. launched its new Honda HRV model Tuesday night at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila hotel Tuesday night. Shown at the launch are (from left) Masayoshi Goto, vice president of Honda Access Co. Ltd.; Toshio Kuwahara, president and general manager of Honda Cars Philippines; and Yosuke Sato, chief engineer and project leader of Honda HR-V. MANNY PALMERO

Stock mart bounces back on bargain-hunting PHILIPPINE stocks rose Wednesday on profit-taking to snap a four-day slump, as investors speculated the market decline was overdone.

Emerging stocks have tumbled as a string of data signaled that the US economy can withstand an increase in the near-zero interest rates that have helped fuel demand for riskier assets.

“Investors are bargain-hunting,” said Ang Kok Heng, chief investment officer of Phillip Capital Management Sdn., which manages $428 million, said by phone in Kuala Lumpur. “The market is always affected by news, it’s sentiment-driven.”

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index gained 60.83 points, or 0.8 percent, to 7,384.27 on a value turnover of P6.2 billion. Gainers

beat losers, 94 to 61, with 54 issues unchanged.

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second-biggest lender in terms of assets, advanced 2.3 percent to P88, while BDO Unibank Inc., the largest bank, climbed 1.9 percent to P108.

Ayala Land Inc., the secondbiggest builder, rallied 1.4 percent to P37.50. Ayala Land said it was launching P64 billion worth of projects in the 74-hectare Arca South, the former property of Food Terminal Inc. in Taguig City.

The amount represents 80 percent of the P80-billion programmed five-year capital investments for the property, which Ayala Land acquired through an auction conducted in 2012.

Alliance Global Group Inc. of

tycoon Andrew Tan rose 1.6 percent to P21.90, while unit Megaworld Corp., the largest lessor of office spaces, advanced 2.7 percent to P4.62.

Most Asian markets, however, fell Wednesday, with Tokyo suffering a late sell-off as the yen rose sharply after comments from the central bank chief that the currency would probably not weaken further.

The remarks from Haruhiko Kuroda reversed morning gains in the dollar against the Japanese currency, fueled by two US reports that gave the Federal Reserve more ammunition to raise interest rates.

With US markets ending largely unchanged, the region had few catalysts to fuel trade, while Greece’s ongoing bailout reform

talks continue to keep dealers jittery.

Tokyo ended 0.25 percent lower, dropping 49.94 points to 20,046.36, while Seoul shed 0.62 percent, or 12.71 points, to 2,051.32. However, Sydney added 0.13 percent, or 7.29 points, to 5,478.6.

In late trade Hong Kong had slipped 0.66 percent.

Shanghai closed down 0.15 percent, giving up 7.50 points to 5,106.04 after MSCI delayed including Chinese A shares in its benchmark index, saying it needed to resolve new issues with Chinese regulators.

The market’s rise in the past few days had been prompted partly by expectations it would be added, which would have attracted more funds. With Bloomberg, AFP

HSBC unveils radical overhaul to reduce up to 50,000 jobs LONDON—HSBC will cut its global workforce by up to 50,000 as it exits Brazil and Turkey and mulls relocating headquarters back to Asia from London, the banking giant said Tuesday.

Europe’s biggest bank aims to save up to $5.0 billion (4.4 billion euros) in annual costs within two and a half years as it seeks to boost profits and move past recent scandals that have scarred the British lender, including the rigging of foreign exchange markets.

HSBC said it wants to focus more on Asia, particularly in the Pearl River Delta region in south-

ern China, amid an ongoing review of its London headquarters that will completed this year.

“We have reshaped HSBC, but it is clear it is insufficient,” said chief executive Stuart Gulliver, who has implemented swinging cutbacks since becoming the bank’s head in 2011.

With regard to the group’s possible new base, Gulliver said “there is an opportunity to create another Hong Kong” in Guangdong.

“The world is increasingly connected, with Asia expected to show high growth and become the centre of global trade over the next decade,” he added.

Philip Benton, an analyst at research group Euromonitor, said the bank was “redeploying their resources to where the most profit and the most revenue they can generate for the bank.”

“HSBC is known as an Asian bank, that is what its heritage is.

And I think the problem they faced in entering markets like Brazil and Turkey... it took them a while to be established and they were also up against strong competition from the local banks,” he told AFP. HSBC said there would be a 10-percent reduction in jobs with the shedding of between 22,000 and 25,000 positions worldwide.

A further 25,000 jobs would be lost with the sale of operations in Turkey and Brazil. However some or all of these staff could be kept on by potential buyers.

The group will meanwhile seek to axe its risk-weighted assets by a hefty $290 billion, and also outlined plans to rebrand its British retail banking division.

The announcements sent HSBC’s share prices dropping 0.97 percent to 613.50 pence in late deals on London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index, which was down half a percent.

HSBC said the latest job losses would include between 7,000 and

8,000 positions in Britain—where its retail bank is being relocated from London to Birmingham, central England, by 2019.

It also aims to trim its worldwide network of branches by 12 percent, with Britain being one of seven major regions to be impacted.

HSBC has been hit by Britain’s banking levy on the financial sector—which last year cost it $1.1 billion—as well as new industry rules to “ring fence” British banks’ retail operations to protect them from riskier investment divisions.

The bank aims to save $4.5-$5.0 billion in annual costs by late 2017.

AFP

B4

HI-5 for TV5. It is a high-five moment for TV5 chairman Manny Pangilinan (fourth from left) and Hi-5 World chief executive Kevin Balhetchet (fourth from right) during the launch of Hi-5 Philippines, the first international franchise of the Australian children’s ‘edutainment’ program. The pilot episode will air on Monday, June 15 at 3:30 p.m. on TV5. With them are Mediaquest president and chief executive Noel Lorenzana (third from left) and the Hi-5 Philippines cast (from left) Gerard, Fred, Aira, Rissey and Alex.

Foreign investments dip 55% BSP sees no need to cut policy rates

By Karl Lester M. Yap and Siegfrid Alegado THE Philippines doesn’t need additional monetary support at this time, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said, ahead of a policy meeting this month.

Economic growth is robust and the central bank remains vigilant against price pressure in the second half of the year, Guinigundo, 60, said in an interview in his office in Manila Wednesday.

The 1.6-percent inflation rate in May, the slowest since 1998, is unlikely to be seen again this year, he said.

“We will continue to keep our ears on the ground,” Guinigundo said. “Additional monetary support may not be necessary at this time. This is, of course, subject to periodic surveillance of global and domestic developments.”

Guinigundo’s comments suggest Bangko Sentral will refrain from easing policy at its June 25 meeting, even after economic growth weakened to a three-year low in the first quarter. Price pressure is rising after higher oil and power costs and drier weather from El Nino, even as inflation is expected to remain safely within target, he said.

“The guidance from the central bank is fairly straightforward,” said Rahul Bajoria, a Singapore-based regional economist at Barclays Plc. “In the near term, there is no urgent reason to change the monetary policy stance. The next move is likely a hike rather than a cut, as underlying inflation pressure is something they will be concerned about,” Bajoria said.

The peso rose 0.2 percent to 44.91 per dollar Wednesday, according to prices from Bankers Association of the Philippines. The currency slumped to a five-month low this week. Philippine stocks rose 0.6 percent, ending four days of losses. Bloomberg

By Julito G. Rada

FOREIGN direct investments dropped 54.6 percent year-on-year in March, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Wednesday.

Data showed FDIs posted a net inflow of $229 million in March, down by 54.6 percent from $506 million recorded in the same month last year.

“Net inflows across all FDI components were lower. Nonresidents’ investments in debt instruments issued by local affiliates [or intercompany borrowings] registered $123 million net inflows,” Bangko Sentral said in a statement.

“Equity capital investments also posted net inflows of $50 million.

This was brought about by the gross equity capital placements of $85 million in March 2015, which emanated largely from the United States, Japan, Singapore, France, and Germany,” it said.

FDIs in the first three months posted a net inflow of $851 million, lower by 50.4 percent than $1.7 billion a year ago. “This developed as all FDI components recorded lower net inflows. In particular, non-residents’ net investments in debt instruments

declined by 54.6 percent to $412 million from $907 million,” Bangko Sentral said.

Meanwhile, investment pledges plummeted by a tenth in the first quarter of 2015 from a year ago, pulled down by a 42-percent contraction in foreign investment commitments, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Wednesday.

Data from the PSA showed investments registered by seven investment promotion agencies in the January-March period fell 10.1 percent to P96.5 billion from P107.4 billion in the first quarter of 2014.

It said while investment commitments from Filipino investors rose 6.7 percent in the threemonth period to P74.7 billion from P69.9 billion a year ago, projects committed by foreign investors shrank 42 percent to P21.8 billion from P37.4 billion.

The figures represent investment projects approved for tax incentives by the Board of In-

vestments, Clark Development Corp., Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan, BOI-Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao and Cagayan Economic Zone Authority.

“Foreign and Filipino ventures approved by the seven IPAs in the first quarter of 2015 are expected to generate 45,197 jobs, a decline of 6.8 percent from previous year’s projected employment of 48,489. Out of these anticipated jobs, 53.0 percent or 23,932 jobs would come from projects with foreign interest,” PSA said.

Japan was the top source of foreign investments in the first quarter with P7.2 billion, followed by South Korea and the United States, with P5.4 billion and P1.7 billion respectively.

Manufacturing stands to receive the highest investments, with 41.8 percent share of total foreign investment pledges or P9.1 billion.

This was followed by accommodation and food service activities, with investment commitments valued at P4.3 billion, contributing 19.9 percent, and administrative and support service activities at P2.9 billion or 13.1 percent.

With Gabrielle H. Binaday

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

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

B5

MRT 3 pushing P4.2-b deal

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE government will enter into a negotiated deal for the three-year maintenance contract of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 in a bid to resolve congestion in the system.

“We’re finally finishing the TOR [terms of reference] for the MRT3 maintenance contract,” MRT 3 general manager Roman Buenafe said.

Buenafe said he expected to start the negotiation with the new maintenance service provider after securing approval from the Government Procurement Policy Board and the National Economic and Development Authority.

“What we need from the GPPB is approval of the P4.2 billion

contract from P2.4 billion. We are now including the general overhaul of the trains and replacement of the signaling system,” he said.

Buenafe said the target was to award the contract by the third quarter of 2015.

The Transportation Department declared a second failed bidding in January for the threeyear maintenance contract of MRT 3.

The auction failed after none

of the prospective bidders made an offer. Those included Busan Transport Corp, Mosan-Inekon Phils Ltd Co, SMRT International Pte Ltd, Miescorrail Inc and D.M. Consunji Inc. Global-Autre Porte Technology has been maintaining the MRT 3 based on a contract that the agency rolls over every month.

Running from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, MRT 3 is serving nearly 500,000 passengers per day, way beyond its rated capacity of 350,000.

At present, the rail system has a fleet of 73 Czech-made airconditioned rail cars, of which only 24 three-car trains operate daily because other trains need repair.

Migrant workers’ rights.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz presents the handbook on the United Nations Convention on the Protection of Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families as she delivers her keynote message during the recent celebration of the Filipino Migrant Workers’ Day at Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

GSIS turns over Met to cultural body

By Julito G. Rada THE National Commission for Culture and the Arts now owns the Metropolitan Theater after the agency signed the deed for absolute sale with the Government Service Insurance System Wednesday.

GSIS turned over the ownership to NCCA, which bought the 84-year-old national cultural treasure for P270 million.

The budget came from the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts, part of the travel tax collected by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.

“This is a vital step for its full restoration,” GSIS president and chairman Robert Vergara said during the signing ceremony at

the GSIS building in Pasay City.

NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon said the cultural agency would spend around P270 million for Met’s full restoration.

“We spend P270 million in buying the Met, probably we will spend around P270 more for its full restoration,” de Leon said, adding the historical building might be restored within two years, at the fastest time.

Under the 2004 tripartite agreement signed among GSIS, NCCA and the Manila City government, GSIS as Met’s owner granted the right of usufruct to the city government for Met’s rehabilitation in coordination with NCCA. However, the rehabilitation program was never realized leading to MET’s deterioration.

In November 2014, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada made a formal offer to GSIS to rehabilitate and purchase Met for P267.15 million to provide a venue for Manila-based students and faculty in performing arts.

GSIS, in keeping with the provisions of RA 10066 or the National Cultural Act of 2009 and the tripartite agreement between NCCA, GSIS and the City of Manila, notified NCCA about the offer.

NCCA had 90 days to exercise its right of first refusal or match the offer made by the city of Manila. Its matching offer had to be paid in full or higher than the offer made by the city government.

On May 25, less than 90 days before the deadline, NCCA confirmed its purchase of MET for P270 million.

SMC, Metro Pacific fight for infra control C OR P OR AT E rivalries and boardroom wars are good fodder for a newspaper story. They excite readers of the business section and follow every development that could influence the price of the listed stock involved in the corporate tussle.

Business rivalries and corporate wars, however, produce victors and losers. The followers and readers of the unfolding story, oftentimes stock market investors, may also be in the winning or losing end of the battle, depending on which stock or issue they invested in.

The latest business rivalry between conglomerates Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and San Miguel Corp. favored the Salim Group.

The two have long been at odds against each other, contending in every asset for sale and government contract up for bidding.

San Miguel fought hard to convince President Benigno Aquino III to red-bid the Cavite-Laguna Expressway project, and eventually succeeded in forcing the state to introduce a floor price of over P20 billion, much higher than the original offer of P11.7 billion.

The tandem of Ayala Corp. and Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. was the frontrunner in last year’s first auction with the highest offer of P11.66 billion, but President Aquino scrapped that bidding and ordered the holding of another one after it became publicly known that San Miguel, which had been disqualified on a technicality, actually submitted a far higher bid of P20.1 billion.

President Aquino received flak for ordering another public bidding, but investors’ interest did not wane after Metro Pacific joined the re-bid. Metro Pacific bested rival San Miguel’s Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc. with a surprisingly aggressive offer of a premium payment of P27.3 billion to build the toll road and operate it for 35 years.

The Public Works Department on Monday gave the notice of award to Metro Pacific’s MPCALA Holdings Inc. after the company last week passed the post-bidding financial evaluation by the Specials Bids and Awards Committee.

MPCALA Holdings, according to Public Works, must prepare the detailed engineering design from July until mid-next year, and start construction work from July 2016 to July 2020. The operation and maintenance period will begin from the project completion until July 2050.

CALAx will link the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway, which is also run by MPIC, and South Luzon Expressway, which is operated by a San Miguel-led consortium.

Worth the delay?

MPIC’s premium payment on a staggered basis, is on top of the project’s construction cost of P35.4 billion and almost a fourth higher than the P22.2-billion offer of Optimal Infrastructure.

“It’s worth the wait considering the discrepancy of the bids from the previous auction... The results say everything went perfectly all right for the government and for the country,” Public Works Undersecretary Rafael Yabut said in a media interview.

MPIC president Jose Maria Lim said his company had to offer a much higher premium after carefully studying several factors, including the volume of traffic and higher population growth of Cavite and Laguna, which have a respective population of 3 million and 2 million people.

“So we did expect that because of the delay, the traffic would probably start off at a higher level because of the population growth,” Lim told the media. “There have also been commercial establishments and developments that helped traffic start off at a higher rate.”

MPIC noted a lower cost estimate, especially in the prices of steel and other petroleum-related components. “In the meantime, we were able to do a more intense review of the cost estimates, which, we believe, went down—particularly steel and the petroleum-related components,” Lim said.

“That plus our intense desire to build more roads caused us to accept a slightly lower yield than what we assumed the previous bid. So all of these factors will show a more aggressive bid,” he added.

The government appeared to be a winner in the re-bid, but the exercise may have tainted government’s sincerity in the auction process when it voided the initial proceedings.

San Miguel president Ramon S. Ang, meanwhile, is not complaining so far. He said he was contented with the result “because there was no cheating” and that San Miguel’s participation in the bid was “good for everybody and good for the country” because competition made the bidders bid higher.

“Once there is competition, it gives the best value to the government,” he said. “There is no regret about losing the bid. I rarely regret making a losing bid.”

E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or business@thestandard.com.ph or extrastory2000@gmail.com

B6

THURSDAY: JUNE 11, 2015

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

Big One plan should be at barangay level PHIVOLCS (Philippine Commission on Volcanology and Seismology) and the MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) deserve commendation for their collaborative blueprint for the mitigation of death and destruction in the event of The Big One’s occurrence. The Metro Manila areas of greatest possible risk having been identified, the two agencies have indicated the places where, and the institutions and persons from whom, assistance and protection would be obtained by Metro Manila’s residents in the event of The Big One’s occurrence.

That having been said, I wish to take issue with the appropriateness and adequacy of the post-earthquake arrangements that Phivolcs and MMDA have laid out.

Stated more pointedly, I don’t believe that the arrangements have been conceived so as to be of effective significance for the residents of the nation’s largest metropolis—particularly the cities lying along the West Valley Fault’s length—in the aftermath of The Big One. The Phivolcs-MMDA plan has designated four large places in the metropolis—two are golf courses—as strategy/convergence areas for post-quake supplies and medical facilities. The magnitudes of the designated places are fine. They do not lie along or close to the fault and can contain very large numbers of refuge-seekers. In terms of size and location, the four sites are about the best that Phivolcs and MMDA could have selected.

The trouble is, Villamor Air Base, V. Luna General Hospital and the other chosen staging/convergence sites are too distant for Metro Manilans other than those living within a short radius from them. One dreads to think about it, but an earthquake between 8 and 10 on the Richter scale is going to result in fallen structures, ripped-up roads, burst water and other utility lines, electricity loss and, quite possibly, flooded streets. Under such conditions, how can most of the affected residents manage to reach the staging/convergence areas?

For example, residents of Manila would have enormous difficulty getting to Villamor or V. Luna amid the ruins and rubble. The thought of being able to get there would be very daunting, to put it mildly.

Most of the people of London were able to survive the nightly onslaught of Hitler’s bombers because the British authorities designated places within every neighborhood—repeat, neighborhood—that each resident had to go to for shelter and remedial facilities. Those places were within walking distance. Most of them were subway stations. Upon the sounding of the warning sirens, the Londoners quickly and disciplinedly went to their designated shelter places.

And during the Japanese occupation of this country, were not cities and towns divided into zonas for administrative and monitoring purposes? I am told that the zona system worked effectively.

The barangay is the smallest unit of public administration in this country. Because of its size, the officials of a barangay are—or should be—familiar with its physical and human configuration. They know what the population of the barangay is and how to logically group their constituents for administrative purposes.

Phivolcs-MMDA earthquake planning should be reconceptualized so that the barangay becomes the focal point of planning. If and when The Big One strikes— God forbid—every Metro Manilan should know which place within the barangay he should rush to. If preparations are done properly, he will find shelter, food, water and medical facilities waiting for him there.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

New SSS branch. The Social Security System has inaugurated its second branch in Mandaluyong City on June 5, 2015 to serve about 23,000 members in the area. SSS Mandaluyong-Shaw located at the second floor of 500 Shaw Zentrum along Shaw Boulevard will serve 23,789 employees and 1,935 employers covering the areas of Wack-Wack, Addition Hills, Pleasant Hills, and even parts of Greenhills and Edsa-Shaw. Shown cutting the ribbon during the opening ceremony are SSS president and chief executive Emilio de Quiros Jr. (second from left) and Mandaluyong City administrator Ernesto Victorino (second from right).

Petron to expand Malaysian refinery

By Alena Mae S. Flores

OIL refiner Petron Corp. plans to expand its Port Dickson Refinery in Malaysia in a bid to increase its presence in the Southeast Asian country, a company official said Wednesday.

“Port Dickson, we’re upgrading that. We’re fixing the plant but the expansion is not as big as the Limay refinery,” Petron president and chief executive Ramon Ang told reporters.

Petron embarked on a $2-billion upgrade of the 180,000 barrels per day refinery in Limay, Bataan. The upgrade, called Refinery Master Plan 2 is, is nearing completion.

RMP 2 allows the Bataan refinery to run at full capacity, converting current negative margin fuel oil into higher-value fuels such as gasoline, diesel and petro-

chemicals. It also allows the production of Euro 4 compliant fuels.

“RMP-2 underscores our commitment to nation-building. Once completed, Petron will be able to supply more premium fuels at a time when the Philippines is experiencing unprecedented economic growth,” Ang said earlier.

Petron acquired ExxonMobil’s downstream business in Malaysia in April 2012 with the company investing over $600 million.

Petron earlier said its investments in Malaysia were expected to reach over $1 billion in the next

few years with the continuous network expansion programs and upgrades to the 88,000 barrelper-day Port Dickson Refinery.

The Port Dickson Refinery, established in 1963, provides the Malaysian market with a sustainable supply of quality and environment-friendly petroleum and gas products.

The refinery is located about 90 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, and is conveniently connected to cities via a strong network of transportation routes, enabling the efficient and safe distribution of Petron’s premium products.

The refinery is capable of producing 88,000 barrels a day and is equipped with a crude distillation unit, a naphtha hydro treating unit, two semi-regeneration reformer units, and a kerosene hydro treating unit.

TVI reports high limestone deposits

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales TVI Pacific Inc. of Canada said Wednesday it has discovered large deposits of high-purity limestones at the Agata mine in Northern Mindanao.

Agata Mining Ventures Inc., a joint venture where TVI Resource Development Inc. holds a 60-percent stake, said it had completed an initial 17-hole drill program at the Agata limestone project in Agusan del Norte.

TVI said the drill results confirmed the presence of a high-purity recrystallized limestone deposit covering an area of 600 meters by 650 meters.

The Canadian miner said a total of 17 drill holes were completed at 100-meter to 200-meter spacing and core samples exhibited white to gray metamorphosed limestone.

“A preliminary assessment of the drill data suggests that the metamorphosed limestone is relatively clean with minimal to negligible impurities of iron and other base metals. Clay materials occur as frac-

ture fills but can be easily removed through washing,” TVI said.

TVI said a model would be produced based on the drill-hole data in order to come up with a resource estimate of the limestone prospect. The resource report is expected to be completed in the third quarter of the year.

“Upon completion of the technical report, AMVI may conduct further drilling programs and undertake process test work to determine future mining and processing options,” the company said.

The Agata limestone project is situated south of AMVI’s current Agata nickel laterite DSO operation and in close proximity to the causeway facilities that were built to support operations.

The project consists of a number of separate deposits, of which only one – the Payong Payong deposit covering approximately 27.7 hectares – has been drilled to date.

TVI said other deposits occur nearby and will be explored in stages in the future.

t h u r s D aY : J u n e 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

More US troops to train Iraqis WA S H I N G T O N — President Barack Obama appears poised to approve the deployment of hundreds more US training personnel to Iraq, in a bid to reverse gains by the Islamic State group.

Officials said Obama is consid-

ering authorizing an increase of under 500 troops to boost the capacity of the Iraqi army and Sunni tribal fighters.

“We are considering a range of options to accelerate the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces,” National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey told AFP. “Those options include sending additional trainers to Iraq.”

Recent Islamic State victories in

Ramadi in Iraq and Syria’s Palmyra have thrown into doubt Obama’s strategy of depending on US air power and Iraqi ground forces to win the war.

But in response, the Pentagon has drawn up plans to augment an existing mission rather than forge a new approach.

“We’ve determined it is better to train more Iraqi security forces,” Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steven Warren said.

“Because the forces we’ve trained are performing better than expected, we feel it’s in everyone’s interest to train more.”

The current US mission comprises roughly 3,000 advisers and trainers.

A larger deployment could mean increasing the number of training sites from the four currently being used, one official said.

The training effort would carry “a particular emphasis on the

Section I. Invitation to Bid

Sunnis,” the official added.

Until now, Baghdad has overseen the training of Sunni tribal fighters, who are likely to be key to victory in Ramadi and the surrounding Anbar province.

Now, the Obama administration is looking at American troops directly training those Sunni volunteers.

Weapons deliveries, however, would continue to flow through the Iraqi central government. AFP

Republic of the Philippines Philippine Rural Development Project Invitation to Bid for the

Construction of Oriental Mindoro Calamansi Trading Center and Buying Station Identification No. PRDP-IB-R04B-ORM-002-000-000-2014 June 11, 2015 1. The Government of the Philippines (GoP) has received a Loan from the World Bank towards the cost of Philippine Rural Development Project and it intends to apply part of the proceeds of this Loan to payments under the contract for the Construction of Oriental Mindoro calamansi Trading Center and Buying Station /PRDP-IBR048-0RM-G02-000-000-2014 2. The Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro, implementing partner of the Department of Agriculture, now invites bids for the Construction of Oriental Mindoro calamansi Trading Center and Buying Station. Completion of the Works is required -by 93 calendar days. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders 3. Bidding will be conducted in accordance with relevant procedures for open competitive bidding as specified in the IRR of RA 9184,with some amendments, as stated in these bidding documents and is open to all bidders from eligible source countries as defined in the applicable procurement guidelines of the Wor1d Bank. The contract shall be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bidder (LCRB) who was determined as such during post-qualification. The Estimated Project Cost for this project is Two Million Three Hundred Twelve Pesos,(Php 2,312,000.00) only.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Bids and Awards Committee of the Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00am to 4:00pm, Mondays to Fridays.

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from June 11,2015 to July 10, 2015 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the bidding documents in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (PhP 5,000.00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhiIGEPS) and the PRDP website (http://www.daprdp.net) provided that bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

Summer in Berlin. A man cycles past a lawn sprinkler at the Tiergarten park in Berlin on June 10. AFP

4 tourists detained over nude pictures KUALA LUMPUR— Malaysian authorities have detained four tourists—two Canadians, a Briton and one Dutch national—for allegedly stripping naked on Mount Kinabalu, an act some locals say angered tribal spirits and caused a deadly earthquake, officials said.

The pictures of 10 naked tourists had spread on social media and infuriated locals following the 6.0-magnitude quake that struck near the mountain on Friday and killed 18 people. Six other tourists are still apparently at large, according to police.

Mount Kinabalu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular climbing destination, is considered sacred

by Malaysia’s Kadazan Dusun tribal group, who believe it is a resting place for spirits.

“We detained all four of them on Tuesday... and yes we are still searching for the other six tourists, and we will catch them,” said Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman, the police commissioner for the Malaysian State of Sabah where the mountain is located. AFP

Republic of the Phillippines Department of Health National Capital Regional Office VALENZUELA MEDICAL CENTER BIDS AND AWARD COMMITTEE Padrigal St., Karuhatan, Valenzuela City Telefax No. 294-4625 Email addressvmc_bac@yahoo.com

As part of the transparency measures being instituted by the Department of Agriculture (OA) the bidders can virtually visit the site of the above-described subproject at (http://www.daprdp.net) where geotagged base photographs on 50 meter interval and track are viewable. The DA, however, requires that all potential contractors who will be awarded contract under the project shall have undergone geotagging training provided by the MRDP2 / PRDP Project Support Office.

6. The Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on July 1, 2015 at 10:30AM at the 2nd Floor Governor’s Office Conference Room, Provincial Capitol Complex, Camilmil, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, which shall be open to all interested parties.

7. Bids must be delivered on or before July 13, 2015, 10:30AM at the Office of the Bids and Awards Committee, Provincial Capitol Comp/ex, Calapan Oty, Oriental Mindoro. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Securing Declaration or bid security in the amount of Php 47,000.00 or in the form of Cash or Cashier’s/Manager’s check or in the form of Bank Guarantee issued by a universal or commercial Bank.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8. The Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro 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.

9. For further information, please refer to: ENGR. ELMER V. DILAY Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee Provincial Capitol Complex, Calapan City (043) 286 7144

INVITATION TO BID PUBLIC BIDDING NO.: VMC-2015-012

Republic of the Philippines

The VALENZUELA MEDICAL CENTER invites all eligible bidders to bid on: DESCRIPTION

PROJECT ALLOCATION

NON-REFUNDABLE FEE

Procurement of Dietary Supplies CY 2015

P2,066,328.91

P5,000.00

The bidding documents shall be available to interested bidders at the BAC Secretariat, BAC Office, 2/F, VMC, Padrigal St., Karuhatan, Valenzuela City from 9:00AM to 3:00PM, starting June 11, 2015 upon payment of non-refundable fee as indicated above. Only those who have purchased the bidding documents shall be allowed to participate in the pre bid conference and raise or submit written queries (see revised IRR of RA 9184). The pre-bidding conference will be on June 18, 2015, 10:00 am at the BAC Conference Room, 2/F, VMC Annex Bldg., Padrigal St., Karuhatan, Valenzuela City. Bid opening will be on June 30, 2015, 10:00AM at the 2/F, VMC Conference Room, Padrigal St., Karuhatan, Valenzuela City.

All particulars relative to bid evaluation and award of contract shall be governed by the provisions of R.A. 9184 otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act. Bids received in excess of the Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC) shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. LATE BIDS SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED. ALTERNATIVE BIDS SHALL BE REJECTED. Bid bond shall be in form of cash, cashier’s check or manager’s check equivalent to two percent (2%) of the approved budget of the contract.

This invitation is also advertised with the Government Electronic Procurement System (G-EPS) at www.procurementservice.org and posted at the VMC BAC bulletin board.

For inquiry, please call the BAC Secretariat Office at Telephone No. 294-4625.

VALENZUELA MEDICAL CENTER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO 1) REVIEW ALL THE REQUIREMENTS; 2) REJECT ANY OR ALL BIDS; 3) CONFISCATE THE BID BOND AND/OR PURSUE APPROPRIATE LEGAL ACTION SHOULD A BIDDER BE FOUND TO HAVE VIOLATED R.A. 9184; 4) WAIVE ANY DEFECTS CONTAINED THEREIN; and/or 5) ACCEPT THE OFFER MOST ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE GOVERNMENT. ANY DECISION MADE BY THE VALENZUELA MEDICAL CENTER IS FINAL AND EXECUTORY. FURTHER, VALENZUELA MEDICAL CENTER ASSUMES NO OBLIGATION WHATSOEVER TO COMPENSATE OR INDEMNIFY THE BIDDER OR WINNING BIDDER. AS THE CASE MAY BE, FOR ANY EXPENSE OR LOSS THAT SAID PARTY (IES) MAY INCUR IN ITS PARTICIPATION IN THE PREBIDDING AND BIDDING PROCESS NOR DOES IT GUARANTEE THAT AN AWARD WILL BE MADE. (SGD) DONA D. SALMOS, RN, MAN Chairman, BAC (TS-JUNE 11, 2015)

(SGD) ENGR. ELMER V. DILAY Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee

( TS- J U N E 11, 2 0 1 5 )

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF ORIENTAL MINDORO C a mi l mi l , C a l a p a n C i t y 5 2 0 0 . O ri e n t a l Mi n d o ro

BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

INVITATION TO BID IB No. GS-2015-80

T h e P r o v i n c i a l G overnment of Oriental Mindoro invites PhilGeps registered suppliers to A pply for E l i g i b i l i t y a n d t o Bid for the hereunder list of item/s.

It em /D e s c r i pti on

1.

Suppl y a n d d e l i v e ry o f Electrical Systems and Lighting Components for use in the Upgrading of Electrical Wirings and Main Distribution Panel of the Provincial Capitol Complex, Camilmil, Calapan City

A ppr ov e d B udge t for the C ontr a c t (A B C )

Bid D oc um e nt Fe e

S our c e of Fundi ng

9 ,14 3 , 6 47. 9 7

Php 10,000.00

General Fund (S u p p l e m e n t a l B u d g e t # 1 o f 2 015)

The schedule of bidding activities is as follows: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Advertisement/Posting of ITB Ø Bulletin Board of the PGOM Ø PGOM Website Ø PhilGEPS Website Ø Newspaper of General Nationwide Circulation Issuance of Bidding Documents Pre-Bid Conference Deadline of Submission of Bids Opening of Bid in sealed envelope a). Eligibility Requirements and Technical Proposal b). Financial Proposal

: : : : : : :

June 15, 2015 June 15, 2015 June 15, 2015 June 15, 2015 June 18 - July 0 8, 2015 June 25, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at BAC Office July 0 8, 2015 at 9:3 0 a.m. at BAC Office

: :

July 0 8,2015 at 10:00 am at BAC Office July 0 8, 2015 at 10:00 am BAC Office

B i d d i n g w i l l b e c onducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary p a s s / f a i l c r i t e r i o n as specified in R.A. 9184 and its IRR otherwise known as the Government P r o c u r e m e n t R e f orm Act. T h e c o m p l e t e s e t of bidding documents may be purchased at the BAC Secretariat upon payment o f n o n - r e f u n d a b l e price of bid documents indicated above.

P r e - B i d C o n f e r e nce shall be opened to all interested parties, however only those who purchased t h e B i d d i n g D o c uments may participate in the discussion at said conference.

A l l p a r t i c u l a r s r elative to eligibility requirements and screening, bid security, performance s e c u r i t y , p r e - b i d conference, evaluation of bids, post qualification and award of contract shall be g o v e r n e d b y t h e provision of R.A. 9184 and its IRR. T h e P G O M r e s e rves the right to accept or reject bid to annul bidding process, and to reject all b i d s a t a n y t i m e prior to contract award without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

F o r f u r t h e r i n f o r mation, please refer to: M R . J U L I O R . I C AL H e a d , B A C S e c r etariat P r o v i n c i a l C a p itol, Camilmil, Calapan City T e l . ( 0 4 3 ) 2 8 6 - 7 120 ( 0 4 3 ) 2 8 6 - 7 447

( S g d .) ENGR. ELMER V. DILAY Provincial Engineer BAC Chairman

(T S-J U N E 11, 2015)

T h u r s D AY : J u N E 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

B8 Town spins retro vinyl records’ comeback LODENICE, Czech Republic—A small Czech village has become a center of the global boom in retro records as antiquated vinyl-pressing machines turn out the tunes of rock stars from Madonna to the Rolling Stones.

Despite the rise of CDs and digital music, local company GZ Media decided to hold onto those old machines—which are now paying off, as they press millions of vinyl records sold each year around the world.

Record collectors and music hipsters have fueled a revival of vinyl in the West and Japan with claims that the format offers warmer sound and greater aesthetics.

“We pressed around 14 million records last year, the most in the world,” said Michal Nemec, sales and marketing director for GZ Media, based in the village of Lodenice outside Prague.

“Despite the CD boom in the 1980s and 90s, someone with foresight decided to save the old vinyl record presses and store them in a warehouse,” he said. “A good decision.”

That is how a dizzying number of the world’s vinyl records—featuring Michael Jackson, Queen, U2 and other top artists—has ended up coming out of this village of 1,800 people tucked away in a valley in the Czech Republic.

GZ Media pressed its first record there in 1951. Most of the equipment dates back to the 1960s and 70s.

“Vinyl is making a comeback,” the local branch of the worldwide recording industry organization IFPI said in its 2014 annual report.

That represents around seven percent of the total physical album sales in the Czech Republic, and six percent in the United States, the biggest vinyl market, the report said.

“No major band or singer puts out a new album today without releasing some copies on vinyl,” the IFPI said.

With a dense network of pipes below the ceiling, the noisy production hall at GZ Media resembles the insides of a submarine— and feels about as hot as in a tropical climate. AFP

cEsAr bArrioquiNTo EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world Lisbon sets itself apart from strapped Athens LISBON—As Greece teeters on the brink of a possible default, another bailed-out eurozone nation, Portugal, is showing off its relative economic health seeking to set itself apart from the Greek crisis.

In attendance. Actress Camilla Belle attends Universal Pictures’ “Jurassic World” premiere at the Dolby Theater on June 9 in Hollywood, California. AFP

Lisbon has said it intends to pay back this month some two billion euros ($2.2 billion) it owes the International Monetary Fund, which comes after it repaid 6.6 billion euros—around a quarter of its debt to the global lender—early.

On the other hand the Greeks have bundled a series of debt payments to the IMF, totaling some 1.6 billion euros, pushing back the deadline to June 30, which has spurred concerns it could be heading toward a messy exit from the eurozone.

Portugal’s center-right government has made no secret of the differences between it and the radical left party Syriza that is leading Greece.

“One just has to compare [Portugal] with another country in Europe unfortunately close to us that instead of making IMF payments early is postponing them,” Finance Minister Maria Luis Albuquerque said recently.

“The EU rules apply to everyone. The Greeks have to agree to abide by them,” she added.

The stakes could not be higher because some economists are concerned that the precedent of a country leaving Europe’s single currency might come back to haunt the eurozone as other countries facing difficulties might feel the heat in the markets.

“Portugal is doing much better than Greece, but despite the progress the country remains among the weak links. Its public debt is one of the highest in the eurozone,” BPI bank economist Paula Carvalho told AFP. Despite the austerity cure it underwent after being bailed out in 2011, Portugal’s debt increased further last year, reaching 130 percent of GDP—though still below that of Greece’s debt which stands at 175 percent.

But due to the Greek crisis, “Portugal’s borrowing rates have started to rise, and we have witnessed a beginning of a panic in the markets,” said Pedro Lino, manager of financial company Dif Broker. AFP

Airlines struggle to please the travelers MIAMI BEACH—What does the modern air traveler want? Is it the perfect sized carry-on? A wearable device that tells you how to avoid jet lag? Free Wi-Fi? Cheap flights?

Better service?

Airlines are struggling to keep pace with the finicky desires of today’s passengers, many of whom are constantly connected to a mobile device and want something special on each trip.

During a panel discussion Tuesday at the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association, the largest trade group for airline executives, hundreds of industry representatives were asked

in a quick informal poll how many think airlines are doing a good job meeting passenger demands.

Fifty-five percent pressed “no” on their hand-held devices.

So what should airlines be doing differently?

“Don’t give me a vanilla experience,” said panelist Lee McCabe, a former executive with Expedia who is now Facebook’s head of travel.

“Make the information you give me very personal,” he said. “Make my life easy.”

Alex Cruz, CEO of the low-cost Spanish airline Vueling, said his company strives to keep it simple.

“They want a nice, reliable experience at a normal price,” he said.

The key to keeping passengers happy is “managing expectations,” he added.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said “every customer wants something different.”

The key to an individual experience is allowing passengers to decide on which perks they receive, he said.

“Let them decide what they want. Let them pay for what they want,” Joyce said.

According to Jen Durkin, CEO of Project Travel, millennials don’t want healthy snacks or free Wi-Fi. AFP

War zone. A resident carries out his belongings to save them from fire

after shelling between Ukrainan forces and pro-Russian separatists on the outskirts of Donetsk on June 9 set some houses ablaze. AFP

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 1 1 : 2 0 1 5

BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS WRITER life @ thestandard.com .ph

LIFE

ART

TRACES Images that linger W

hat’s the significance of photography in society?

This thought encouraged a group of local photographers to put up a show called “Traces” that would highlight how images/artwork stay afloat despite the onrush of digital data.

Is the supposed massive network that digital platforms promise actually help in reaching the target audience, or do artists just jump in a whirlpool along with the other millions trying to fight for space and attention?

While the primary goal of the exhibit is to show photography (print) from different genres, the powerful images prove the age-old adage that a picture paints a thousand words. Yet long after the words have faded, the images – stark and haunting in many instances – stay in one’s consciousness.

In this day and age where the attention span of people keeps getting shorter, the work of these artists – Jes Aznar, Poklong Anading, Raena Abella, Ringo Bunoan, Geloy Concepcion,

Geric Cruz, Kiri Dalena, Tammy David, Carlo Gabuco, Wawi Navarroza, Benjamin Rasmussen, Lawrence Sumulong, Jake Verzosa, Veejay Villafranca, Jay Yao and MM Yu – will not be relegated to one’s memory in the short term.

The idea was born after several critical events such as the Maguindanao massacre, Zamboanga siege, Bohol earthquake, Typhoon Ondoy and succeeding storms up to Yolanda started fading in the people’s consciousness as news/coverage about these disasters became more scarce. In effect, this photography exhibit – with the poignant and thought-provoking images – not only nudge viewers into remembering but also draws attention to the medium of photography in the Philippines as a disciplined craft.

TRACES will run until June 27 at the Tall Gallery, Finale Art File, Warehouse 17, Chino Roces Ave., La Fuerza Compound, Makati City. The exhibition runs until June 27. For more information and other ongoing exhibitions, visit http://finaleartfile.com.

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Fish Harvest at Dawn by Anita Magsaysay-Ho

THURSDAY : J UNE 11 : 2015

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

Mother and Child by Hernando R. Ocampo (1911-1978)

A HARVEST OF ART

Leon Gallery’s Spectacular Mid-Year Auction

L

eading purveyor of historically important and museum quality art, Leon Gallery is auctioning off several pieces for its Spectacular Mid-Year Auction 2015. The spotlight is on Anita Magsaysay-Ho’s “Fish Harvest at Dawn” that emphasizes a celebration of sisterhood and memories.

Through her dramatic and ethereal play of light, pillar of Filipino modernist art Anita Magsaysay-Ho perfectly depicts women at work, landscapes, Philippine genre scenes and harvest. “Fish Harvest at Dawn” is to date the largest work by Magsaysay-Ho to have been offered on the market, remarks Leon Gallery director Jaime Ponce de Leon.

The said auction will also feature properties from the celebrated collection of Joe and Nene Guevara, including the works of Filipino masters Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Ang Kiukok and Vicente Manansala, to name a few.

Botong’s oil on canvas “Landscape” from 1969 shows his mastery of plein air or outdoor painting. Just like his other works, the vibrant colors and hues of this painting represent a feel of our culture and tradition even without the human element. Ang’s “Crucifixion,” on the other hand, forms part

of the imagery of the chaotic 1960s. Through his works, Ang wants to convey how it is to be a suffering human being.

Aside from Manansala’s 1975 masterpiece “Nude,” the gallery also holds his 1963 creation “Golgotha,” a crucifix that demonstrates a more severe geometric faceting.

Bringing only the finest of Philippine art, paintings done by National Artists Fernando Amorsolo, Jose Joya, Hernando R. Ocampo and Benedicto Cabrera also lie at the core of Leon Gallery’s collection.

Guests can marvel at Amorsolo’s “War-Time Market Scene” – an oil in wood panting created during his “Golden Period” (1920-1945), which depicts the typical market scene, but with the tension of an observing Japanese soldier.

Showing the architectonic impulse of artist Jose Joya, on the other hand, is a 1972 piece titled “Broken Kites” – a colorful abstracted composition depicting kites.

Another classic part of the auction is Hernando R. Ocampo’s “Mother and Child” (1970), which represents the universals: emphasis, unity, contrast and filial love.

To help fund the year-round serial exhibition of BenCab’s art production “BenCab: 50 Golden Years,” Leon Gallery

Journey by Ronald Ventura

will also auction the artist’s depiction of Iza Calzado in the role of Sabel. “Iza as Sabel” shows Bencab’s ever-recurring theme of women in draperies – an outfit whose manifold convolutions somehow represent their own language.

Aside from paintings, the auction will further feature the antiques such as Solomon Saprid’s sculptured work “Mother and Child” (1973) and Philippines late 17th or early 18th century large ivory figure of the Virgin and Child.

Last but not the least, included in the line-up of Leon Gallery’s sought after treasures are the desk-and-chair pair by the most remarkable Filipino furniture maker of the 19th century, Isabelo Tampinco. Currently, these are the only pieces signed by its creator to be auctioned.

“We are propelled by the truism that an auction house is only as good as the treasures as it can offer. It is to this truth that Leon Gallery is committed, since our first auction in 2013 to this 2015 mid-year event,” said De Leon.

Leon Gallery Spectacular Mid-Year Auction 2015 will be held on June 13, 2015, Saturday, 2 PM at the G/F, Eurovilla 1, Rufino corner Legazpi Streets, Legazpi Village, Makati City. For more details, visit http://leon-gallery.com/.

DREAMS OF A YOUNG ARTIST Promising young artist Rommel “Yao” Sampana is making his way to the limelight of visual arts as he tries to give life to what was only then a dream of his past. A “batang ‘90s” whose work is influenced by robotic characters from “Funny Komiks” – the famous manga of his generation that unconsciously cultivated his natural talent, Sampana’s natural talent, skill and perseverance have helped him turn dreams into reality. His first solo exhibit titled “Half Remembered Dream” that opens this June 19 at the Galerie Artes conveys the message that dreams are not only stories and images that our minds create as we sleep.

Rommel’s interest in visual arts grew even more when he was still a student of Fine Arts major in Advertising at the Bulacan State University and joined the prestigious Shell National Art Competition in 2007 – giving the young man his first recognition as an artist when he bagged 2nd place in the watercolor category.

From then on, various national art competitions came like waterfalls that ignited his passion for painting, landing in the top three of various competitions before he graduated in 2009. He then joined in the Philippine Art Awards (sponsored by Philip Morris), where he made it among the Top 10 finalists in the Luzon region. He joined the Metrobank (MADE) painting competition also in 2009, and became a consistent semifinalist until the next succeeding years of participating (2010-2011).

As a young professional he continuously soars toward his dream of being a full-fledged visual artist together with the people who inspired him to fly even higher.

Yao started having exhibits with friends who share the same passion and dedication. He became affiliated with Artzoo – a group that caters to a variety of fresh talents from the province of Bulacan.

Through his work, the artist touches a subject that people can relate to as everyone goes through the experience of not remembering one’s dream. It is thought that everyone dreams between three to six times per night but half of it is lost in oblivion when one wakes up. Even as people try to remember the story – where, what and whom, it often happens that only a tiny speck is remembered.

A half face, a half sound of laughter, half woes, half victory, and half thought are left unfolded the moment one’s eyes come to light, leaving us with the feeling that we have been deprived somehow.

In his show, Yao will share captured fragments of dreams that he transformed into masterpieces. Mixing portraits and figurative realism with surreal texture, dripping and splatter pigments, the artist will surely wake exhibit viewers up in this “Half Remembered Dream” art experience that will not be soon forgotten.

Galerie Artes is located at Place One Building, 205 Katipunan Ave., Brgy. Blue Ridge, Quezon City. Contact Details: 0917 8091022 / (+632) 502 7277 / galerie.artes91@gmail.com.

Half Remembered Dream I

Half Remembered Dream II

Keep II

THURSDAY : J UNE 11 : 2015

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

EVERYBODY HATES VINNIE

BY ED BIADO Entourage the movie has a 30-percent “All Critics” score and a measly 24-percent “Top Critics” score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus that the film “retains many elements of the HBO series, but feels less like a film than a particularly shallow, cameo-studded extended episode of the show.” Based on 39 reviews, it has a metascore of 38 on Metacritics, signifying “generally unfavorable reviews.”

Why do critics now hate Entourage, considering that it was one of the 2000s’ hottest TV shows? Many feel that eight seasons on TV is enough and, four years after the series concluded, the premise feels outdated and the scenarios and attitudes portrayed in the movie – serving as a followup to the show –are out of touch with contemporary pop culture.

As compiled by USA Today, here are what outlets are saying: “The jaunty style of a hit TV series has been replaced by huge spasms of false energy and a sense of barely concealed flop sweat.”

- The Wall Street Journal “It’s like catching up with an old friend and remembering why you don’t hang out with him anymore: He’s stuck in a rut and he has nothing new to say.” - The Chicago Sun-Times “These characters represent the most repellent clichés of male friendship, where guys can only relate to each other through a discourse of casual misogyny and female conquest.” - The Globe and Mail Entourage is a movie made for fans of the show and, unsurprisingly, this segment of the audience loved it. With an average rating of 4.1/5, 82 percent of audiences liked it, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Huffington Post critic Jackie K. Cooper, having never seen an episode of the series, thought that he “didn’t know [the characters] going in and [he] didn’t know or care about them as [he] was leaving.”

Cheat Sheet suspects that the reason behind the fallout is that while audiences “will see this movie, regardless of its implications... it can no longer escape criticism” because “our standards for how men should act (and subsequently the depth of our entertainment) have risen dramatically in the years following its [series] finale.”

On a more technical note, some critics observe that the closeto-50 cameos were nothing but a shameless display of star power and the main story and subplots didn’t have any room to breathe.

Instead of playing out like a cinematic feature, Entourage felt like a really, really long TV episode unearthed from 2011.

Entourage opens in Philippine cinemas next week. Now that you know that the movie is universally panned, are you still interested in seeing it?

Photos courtesy of Erickson Dela Cruz

NEW KIDS ON THE (THEATER) BLOCK Dalanghita Productions

BY CARL CUEVAS

T

he musical to end all musicals.

This was the battle cry of Dalanghita Productions, a new theater production company, when they announced their maiden project, a full musical adaptation of Carlo Vergara’s fan-favorite Virgin Labfest one-act play and graphic novel, Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady.

Translating the one-act play into a full-fledged musical on a big stage like the PETA Theater is no easy feat, especially for a very young production company like Dalanghita Productions. But now that their first run is done and well received, they are gearing up to take Leading Lady on a much bigger stage at OnStage Greenbelt this July.

Dalanghita Productions started out as just an idea among three theater enthusiasts: Perterean Briñas, Claudia Fernandez, and Ansis Aldrich Sy who met when they attended a musical theater workshop just last year. Today, they have transformed into a ragtag team of passionate individuals whose aim is to produce and promote original Filipino material.

“It was first Pertee’s (Perterean Briñas) idea of creating a musical,” said Ansis Sy. Claudia Fernandez adds, “Then when Pertee was a fellow during the Virgin Lab Fest last year, he invited us to watch the revisit of Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady.”

Ansis shares, “So when we heard that Carlo was looking for a producer, and people were asking why it was not yet full length, we contacted him.”

And with that, Dalanghita Productions was born.

So what’s in a name? “Honestly, ‘Dalanghita’ started out as an inside joke,” said Ansis. But Claudia discloses that the name stuck since it reminded of Sampaguita Pictures, a well-known local movie production company in the 1930s. Ansis adds, “Plus, it matches what we want to produce, which are fresh, flavorful, Filipino material.”

A superhero musical deserves a powerhouse creative team, so Dalanghita Productions assembled pretty much “the Avengers” of the Philippine theater which includes Chris Martinez as director, Vincent de Jesus as musical director and composer, Tuxqs Rutaquio as production designer, Lambert de Jesus as technical director, John Batalla as lighting director, Nancy Crowe as choreographer, Mara Marasigan as assitant director, and Ejay Yatco as assistant director. Add to that list a very star-studded cast which includes Bituin Escalante and Frenchie Dy alternating as Mely, Markki Stroem and Hans Eckstein as Leading Man, Kim Molina and Natasha Cabrera as Viva, and theater legend Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Madre de Dios, the leader of Fuerza Filipinas.

On the creative team, Ansis shares: “Carlo had a vision already for the play. And he wanted the Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah team back together. Then they suggested the other artistic staff members.”

Rounding up the cast as the Fuerza Filipinas are Giannina Ocampo (Nena Babushka), Caisa Borromeo (Windang Woman), Chesko Rodriguez (Popoy Pusakal), Jeff Flores (Bazooka Man), while the rival team the Kayumanggilas are composed of Nar Cabico and Domi Espejo alternating as the leader Senyor Blangko, Red Nuestro (Marakas Marko), Red Concepcion (Itak-Atak), Elliot Eustacio and JC Santos (alternating as Jeryc Sans Rival), Vince Lim and Mikoy Morales (alternating as Henyotik), and May Bayot as the Nanay of Mely and Viva.

The ensemble is also composed of an amazing set of theater actors Kakki Teodoro, Raflesia Bravo, Gab Pangilinan, JC Santos, Brian Sy, Rhenwyn Gabalonzo, Alejandro Santos, and Joshua Cabiladas.

Pertee admits he was “a bit intimidated. But getting to know them, they were all down to Earth and very helpful.” Claudia says that it helped that the team shared the same vision for the production and believed in the material, so in the end, everything went smoothly.

For Ansis, producing a musical like Leading Lady was a dream come true. Having started as an associate producer and member of the marketing of another small production company while both Pertee and Claudia have no prior professional experience, taking the helm of a company this time gave them a different perspective.

“It really is a learning experience. Ang daming kailangan i-consider in a production that the audience wouldn’t normally notice, or even pay attention to,” shares Ansis. “But it helps that we’re young and lean, since we can easily resolve issues or problems in the end. So that would hopefully translate to a happy production which would result in happy audiences.”

Since Leading Lady is tranferring to its new lair at OnStage Greenbelt, audiences can expect a more explosive production since it’s bigger, and hopefully the original cast will be back to do the second run.

Looking towards the future, Ansis shares that they will definitely focus on original Filipino material.

He shares that after Leading Lady, they’re looking into doing another musical for next year. “We’ll tell stories about Filipinos, and about the Philippines.

So, there’s more heart and truth because it’s more grounded, and we can easily relate to it.”

With small theater production companies like Dalanghita Productions taking a more leading role in advocating Filipino material, the entertainment scene looks bright as ever.

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 1 1 : 2 0 1 5

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

EXHIBIT ROUNDUP:

KNOW YOUR HISTORY I

n the month of pride and independence, museum exhibits and activities are all about mapping our history, learning more about historical Filipino personalities, meeting foreign contemporary arts and artists, and dancing to the tune of Pinoy folk.

May 1 to July 4, 2015

FIRST PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC AND THE UNITED STATES (1898-1907)

3/F Galleries

An exhibit that celebrates the Philippines and the United States’ friendship that has evolved through time. The exhibit, which coincides with the celebration of the Battle of Manila Bay and Philippine-American Friendship Day, features maps, prints, photographs and other memorabilia to remind us of how the two countries became friends.

June 9 to July 19, 2015

AIKO TEZUKA: UNRAVELING, RESTORING

Ayala Museum, 3/F Exhibition Hall

A textile exhibition of Berlin-based internationally renowned Japanese artist Aiko Tezuka, whose work weaves a timeless narrative into fabrics based on ancient Japanese, Indian and Indonesian cultures, stories and symbols.

June 3 to 30, 2015

June 13, 2015

BOTONG FRANCISCO: A NATION IMAGINED

Museo ng Katipunan, Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine, San Juan City

PHSA SHADOWPLAY

A traveling exhibition that features 25 reproductions of National Artist Carlos “Botong” Francisco’s paintings from institutional and private collections. The show will also come in three other sites: Museo Mabini, Batangas (July 3-29), Barasoain Church Historical Landmark, Bulacan (August 6-31), and President Ramon Magsaysay House, Zambales City (October 7-November 3). Coinciding with the painting exhibit is a short film about Botong’s vision and artistry produced by Ayala Foundation, Inc. and directed by Peque Gallaga.

Students of the Philippine High School for the Arts perform a Shadowplay that showcases the movements of shadow and light at Museo at 10 am.

June 16 to July 26, 2015

MANILA—LAKBAYIN, KILALANIN!

BEAUTIFUL HANDICRAFTS OF TOHOKU, JAPAN

Ayala Museum, G/F Gallery A traveling exhibition that commemorates the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami featuring around 70 traditional handicrafts of the region. Some of the curated works include tsugaru lacquerware and kogin embroidery from Aomori prefecture, Mage wappa (bent woodwork) and kaba zaiku (bark craftsmanship) from Akita prefecture, E-rosoku (decorated candles) and cloth decorated using tsutsugaki dyeing technique from Fukushima prefecture.

The exhibit will head to South Korea after its Manila run.

June 20 to July 4, 2015 FIRST PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC AND THE UNITED STATES LECTURE SERIES

A series of exhibit talks by map enthusiasts and historians about the following topics: The Transition from Spanish to American Colonial Rule (June 20)

by Dr. Paul Kramer; and Socializing with the Tafts (July 4) by Martin Tinio, Jr.

June 20, 2015

On Manila Day, Museo presents games, songs and stories that tell us more about the Philippines’ capital city. Entrance is free for Manila residents.

June 27, 2015

ANG BAYANIHAN SA MUSEO A morning of exploring the world of dance with the Philippine National Folk Dance Company.

T HUR S DAY : J UNE 11 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

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YENG AND YAN’S SECRET TO STRONG RELATIONSHIP

BY NICKIE WANG

W

Recent couple Yan Asuncion and Yeng Constantino are partners in a new food venture, a burger and pasta joint called The Ostrich Farm at Blue Bay Walk in Pasay

hen we talk about two opposites come together and complement each other to create a better twosome, newlyweds Yeng Constantino and Yan Asuncion can easily come into mind.

The young couple, who exchanged vows on Valentine’s Day this year, shared that their opposite personalities are the reason why they are fit for each other.

“He’s a deep sleeper, I am not.

I’m very loud, he’s very soft spoken,” Yeng told The Standard in an interview.

The perky rock singer was ecstatic telling us stories how they are as a couple. She revealed that they rarely fight but that doesn’t mean they are a perfect pair of husband and wife. She’s actually very open talking about their flaws during interviews because she wants people know that they are just any other normal young married couple.

“I’m very proud of her. To be honest, I can’t still believe someone of her stature would one day become my wife,” the rock vocalist Yan gushed.

But what really makes them stick together is their conscious effort to recognize each other’s weaknesses and celebrate their strengths. They also value their time together. They don’t let a day pass without having a small conversation before they head to work.

“I can hardly wake up in the morning but I make it a point to wake early para sabay kami na mag-kape. We just talk tapos lahat ng phone nakabaliktad,” Yeng said describing how they’d start their mornings.

It’s known to everyone that music is part of the couple’s life. Yeng is a singer and Yan is band vocalist and a songwriter.

Yan even wrote three songs for Yeng’s new album.

This passion brought them together as what we’ve heard in a TV special chronicling how fate brought them together. But little did many people know that dining out is really their bonding time. They love food as much as they like music. In fact, Yeng, who hasn’t cooked before, has started going to the kitchen to cook and serve her husband dishes, like adobo, afritada, tinola and kare-kare. She shared that she only learned how to cook through YouTube’s do-ityourself and tutorial videos.

“We both love food, the dining table is our favorite hangout.

We have gained a few pounds since February so now we are trying to lose them,” Yeng said.

No wonder, their passion for food has given them the idea to venture into food business. Just recently, Yeng and Yan invited a few members of the press to the launch of The Ostrich Farm, a burger and pasta joint at Blue Bay Walk in Pasay City.

The small restaurant is just one of the few establishments Yeng has put up. She also coowns a resto bar, which has three branches now.

V enturing into the restaurant business did not just come out of the blue according to the couple. But the story on what really encouraged them to begin their entrepreneurial adventure started on their wedding day. Their business partner sponsored their wedding cocktails and

they received nothing but great feedback. The guests liked the burger made out of ostrich patties. And that made them decide that they wanted a restaurant that sells ostrich burger.

Four months into their marriage, the young couple is discovering a lot of things about each other and they still want to enjoy what they have at the moment. Having children will have to wait. They said baby plan will come in two years’ time. For now, growing their business and helping people through employment are their top priorities, apart of course from making great music together.

Their passion for food has given them the idea to venture into food business. Just recently, Yeng and Yan invited a few members of the press to the launch of The Ostrich Farm, a burger and pasta joint at Blue Bay Walk in Pasay City

COCO MARTIN’S TRIBUTE TO POLICEMEN

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ward-winning actor Coco Martin took time out from his hectic showbiz schedule to join the men and women in uniform.

He was the police force’s “distinguished visitor” at a flag raising ceremony at the PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame on May 25.

Martin, who portrayed one of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) heroes in a television drama, in his message, extolled the admirable dedication and sacrifices of policemen in the performance of their duties to serve and protect the citizens.

Martin considered playing SAF Elite trooper John Garry Eraña as one of his most memorable roles on screen. The rig-

orous combat training he experienced in preparing for the role of Eraña, one of those killed in the Mamasapano operation, has taught him a deeper understanding of and high respect for those in the police profession.

Martin expressed hope that the public would learn to appreciate the sacrifices and hardships that these men go through in their job as peacekeepers.

During the ceremony, Deputy Director General Marcelo P. Garbo, Police Director Danilo S. Constantino, Chief Superintendent Danilo D. Franco, and Chief Superintendent Nestor F. Quinsay, Jr. gave Martin a black jacket embroidered with the actor’s name and the word Police. The popular

actor also joined police officials and personnel in watching the special screening of the SAF 44 TV drama at the Multipurpose Center in Camp Crame.

Martin is set to star in the ABS-CBN television series Ang Probinsyano, a remake of the Fernando Poe Jr. 1997 movie of the same title, which dramatizes an honest cop’s crusade against corruption in the police.

Martin said he was honored and privileged to do one of Poe’s greatest portrayals in film and hoped that the remake on the small screen would be instrumental in bringing back people’s respect and high regard for the PNP. – ETON B. CONCEPCION PHOTO: PO3 ROSIE B. GONZALO

Coco Martin speaks before policemen at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

THE TONI-PAUL NUPTIALS GLENN REGONDOLA Toni Gonzaga will be Mrs. Paul Soriano tomorrow, June 12. That is if plans for the marriage of Toni and fiancé Paul would push through.

Today is also the 8th anniversary of the couple, the reason both decided to have their wedding as well.

In the last few days, the couple had not confirmed this, though.

But, the Instagram posts of Alex Gonzaga, sister of the bride, showed the bridal shower she hosted for her ‘ate’ in June 5. In the post, she also the wedding was not far behind.

The bridal shower was held in Discovery Primea Hotel in Makati. Vice Ganda, Angel Locsin, Bianca Gonzales, and Mariel Rodriguez were among the guests.

On June 8, a pre-nup photos were also released. Photographer Oli Ruiz took the photos at the National Musem in Manila. It is also said, that the wedding that will supposedly take place today would be a simple Christian ceremony in Taytay, Rizal, Toni’s hometown.

Still, people are still wondering why the couple continues to be mum about the wedding, while they announced their engagement on a national television on Jan. 21.

The two said they want their big day to be solemn, simple, and private.

“It’s a simple wedding. Nothing grand, and it’s very traditional,” Toni said in an interview.

As to their honeymoon, Paul said, “Anywhere, as long it’s outside the Phlippines. “We haven’t had that opportunity. It’s our first time to travel together.

So far away from Mommy Pinty so they can’ follow us. No, joke lang.”

HHHHH The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) headed

by Atty. Eugenio Villareal, showed t

show business the agency has teeth to implement its rules.

The agency summoned ABS CBN executives due to a report that the network’s newest primetime soap opera, Pangako Sa’yo used foul language in its May 29 episode.

This was in the confrontation scene between Pilar Pilapil (who plays the role of Doña Benita Buenavista, the mother ) and Ian Veneracion ( playing the role of Eduardo, the son).

In the scene, Doña Benita threw the lines to a womanizing Eduardo who was about to be married, “Kung pampalipas libog lang ‘yan, that’s okay. Go ahead!”

These dialogue caught the attention of MTRCB, which found it suited for mature audiences.

It added that, “The scene, if left unexplained, also cuts the dignity of the woman and the integrity of an impending marriage, which is a protected institution.”

It was reported that a mandatory conference was held on June 9 between ABS CBN executives and the MTRCB. This is to reinforce the network’s commitment on self-regulation and restraint on all it’s programs, whether ongoing or upcoming.

The last time MTRCB called for a mandatory conference was almost a year ago, when Gandang Gabi Vice and It’s Showtime host, Vice Ganda was accused of doing “offensive and degrading scenes” and “use of sexual overtones” in his two shows.

Ian Veneration plays Eduardo in the now controversial Pangako sa 'Yo on ABS-CBN

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ACROSS 1 Viscous 6 Taken — (startled) 11 Apply makeup 14 Plugged in 15 Below par car 16 Constantly, to Poe 17 Ms. Streep of films 18 “Six — a-laying ...”

19 — Angelico 20 Springs up

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Circumvent Accomplish Maxims Platinum or ash Food that’s holesome?

Claptrap View from Everest Distinct periods This, in Tijuana Cul-de- — Pumice source Ice floe dweller

MOTHER OF THE YEAR A schoolteacher from Olongapo was hailed Solane Mother of the Year.

Solane, the country’s leading cooking gas provider, crowned Maria Engracia Maniago as the new Solane Mother of the Year.

The title was one of the special awards given at the recent Mrs. Philippines-Globe 2015.

As the recipient of this award, Maniago will be the brand ambassador of Solane for the pageant year and will have the responsibility to inspire other women to become empowered members of society.

Because of her glowing personality, confidence and intellect, the Olongapo-based teacher was also named the Mrs. Philippines-Globe 2015 Woman of Substance.

Present to hand her the award were Isla LPG Corp. promotions and research manager Valeri Villano and Jessie Lou Lucero.

Pilar Pilapil, Doña Benita Buenavista in Pangako sa 'Yo, delivered the lines in question

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE

Maria Engracia Maniago (center) is Solane Mother of the Year

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Composer — Copland Turkey’s neighbor Suffuse Epic by Virgil Fight locales Neat Tom Wilson comic Handbag logo Song refrain Fluff, as hair Tack Paris season Prudential competitor “Seven Years in Tibet” setting Bounder Gather slowly Rah-rah

DOWN 1 Leg, slangily 2 Have a mortgage 3 Bireme mover 4 Jimmy 5 Gave a holler 6 One-celled plants 7 Honk 8 City near Des Moines 9 IBM and GE 10 Makes dough

Pre-nuptial photos of Paul Soriano and Toni Gonzaga

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015

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Clear the windshield Hawk’s lair Wire nails Neck and neck Jelly not for sandwiches French clerics Shut down Landscaping plant Taking a sniff Feel awful Trunk contents Baylor University site Hairy twin Steakhouse demand Do the trick Like the beach Crunch targets DEA operative Whirlpool rival Safe to eat Montezuma subject Gaucho’s rope — on (incited) Barracuda habitat Turnstile Middies’ sch.

Electric swimmer Gleeful cry Droop Mao — -tung Teacup handle

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

CINEFILIPINO 2015 DEADLINE EXTENDED From C8

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ineFilipino 2015, organized and led by Unitel Productions and in partnership with the MVP group of companies, extended the deadline for the submission of entries to June 15.

Since its debut in 2012, CineFilipino has stood by its mission to seek out and define the human experience through an audience-friendly, distinctly Filipino perspective. The competition includes feature-length movies, TV series, and documentaries. It also includes short feature films, a category that has been expanded to include mobile (for students only) and online entries.

“The CineFilipino Film Festival is back this year to celebrate and support local filmmaking and storytelling under the theme, ‘Stories worth watching. Movies worth celebrating.’ With a theme as big

as this, we know that a lot of filmmakers need more time to polish and send in their entries. And with the new developments in film now available, we are excited for this year’s batch,” said Madonna Tarrayo, Unitel Productions president and COO. Previous CineFilipino Best Picture winners were Sigrid Andrea Bernardo’s Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita and the Mes De Guzman’s Nora Aunor starrer, Ang Kwento ni Mabuti. T These two, as well as other films from CineFilipino Film Festivals in the past, are currently being shown on TV5.

Maximum media exposure is guaranteed for the festival and its participants via a multi-platform approach through event and media sponsors. This includes theatrical screenings, television, print and online coverage.

A total of P26 million will be given as grants to the finalist and prizes to the winners. On top of this, filmmakers will have a chance to break into the business through interactions Application forms can be downloaded at www.cinefilipino.com.

For further information, visit the official CineFilipino Facebook page or write to cinefilipinosecretariat@unitel.ph.

HHHHH JAPANESE ANIMATOR IN CNN ONES TO WATCH This month, CNN Ones to Watch explores the world of animation, meeting two masters of the art form, Pete Docter and Sylvain Chomet, who both choose upand-coming animation talent.

U.S. animator and director Pete Docter is an integral figure at Pixar Studios in California. He is best known for directing Monsters, Inc

and Up and has been nominated for six Oscars, winning one in 2010 for Best Animated Feature. This month sees the release of Docter’s next directorial project, Inside Out. Docter chooses a former Pixar art director and a 2015 Oscar nominee, Dice Tsutsumi, as someone to watch. Born in Tokyo, Tsutsumi left Pixar last year to begin an independent venture aiming to bring together two powerhouses of animation, the U.S. and Japan. Tsustsumi has lived in the U.S. in the last 23 years, and CNN Ones to Watch’ is there as he works on a new feature film that blends the best tools and techniques from both countries.

Also on CNN Ones to Watch this month, CNN meets the twice Oscar nominated animator Sylvain Chomet whose images convey an exciting, colorful and deeply visual perspective on life. Chomet nominates British animator Daisy

Jacobs as someone to watch. Jacobs, who trained at Central Saint Martin’s School of Art in London, won a Bafta in 2014 for her short film ‘The Bigger Picture’. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, she is now creating her new movie.

CNN witnesses her innovative 2D stop motion technique close-up.

CNN Ones to Watch is a monthly program that focuses on a particular discipline – including classical music, modern dance, filmmaking, architecture and sculpture – as a recognized master of their craft identifies ‘ones to watch’ and explains why their careers are on an upward trajectory. The master in each show guides viewers into their art form, shows how it’s evolving and explains what new talent needs to do to succeed.

It airs on Friday, June 12, at 5:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. in the Philippines.

Japanese animator Dice Tsutsumi is CNN's One to Watch

CHERRY MOBILE COSMOS SERIES’ POWERHOUSE SMARTPHONES

Cherry Mobile's Cosmos S2

A Cherry Mobile's Cosmos Force

vid fans of Cherry Mobile’s Cosmos Series can look forward to two new powerful smartphones to meet their communications and gadget demands. Cosmos Force and Cosmos S2 are the latest 64-bit Android devices released by the country’s leading local phone brand, each with their own set of specifications that’s sure to perform superbly for any lifestyle.

At the more budget-friendly end, the Cosmos Force is great for people who need to strike a balance between gaming and productivity use.

It is poised to be a powerful LTE device with its 64-bit 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor, Adreno 306 GPU, and 1GB of RAM – coupled with its on-board storage at 16GB of memory and expandable with an included microSD card reader. In terms of video and photo capture, it sports an 18 megapixel back camera with LED flash and an 8 megapixel front camera with both cameras coming with backside illumination technology for better quality photos and videos even in low light. Android Lollipop ready, with a vibrant 5.26-inch IPS display (at 720x1280 pixels, 279 ppi) made with a scratch-resistant DragonTrail Glass, this great new smartphone is only at P6,999 – a definite steal for any bargain hunter.

For the top-tier selection, the Cosmos S2 will surely excite users as it dominates the smartphone scene with its 1.5Ghz 64bit oc-

ta-core processor, Mali-T270 GPU, and a massive 2GB of RAM. In terms of camera capabilities, its 13 megapixel autofocus main camera (with LED flash) and 8 megapixel front camera have backside illumination sensors to take higher-quality images even in low light. All the latest apps will run smoothly on its cutting-edge Android 5.0.2 operating system, while being displayed on the gorgeous 5-inch HD IPS AMOLED screen (at 720x1280 pixels, 294 ppi). Housed in a polished and sturdy aluminum build, with the capability of tapping into the power of the fastest LTE networks, this high-performance device is only at P9,999.

As part of Cherry Mobile’s Bida Phone Series for their 6th year anniversary in the market, both devices guarantee only the best for its users as it offers a smoother and faster smartphone experience.

With Cherry Mobile’s latest addition to the Cosmos Series, everyone can have the powerful, versatile, and affordable smartphones they have always wanted. These latest mobile devices from the number one local brand in the Philippines are the best of its class and are leagues above the rest.

For more information about their features and specifications, check out www.cherrymobile. com.ph or visit the official Facebook fan page at: www.facebook.com/cherrymobile

T HUR S DAY : J UNE 11 : 2015

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

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‘BIG BROTHER’ ALUMNI WINS ‘YOUR FACE SOUNDS FAMILIAR’ transformed into Chris Brown, came in third and fourth place, respectively.

The three who didn’t win the grand prize went home with P200,000 each, half of which will also be given to ISAH V. RED their chosen charity.

Melai Cantiveros must have done Melai, who admits she is not a singsomething good. The General Santos er, consistently gained high scores City native was crowned the first-ever throughout the season from jurors grand winner of top-rating celebrity Gary Valenciano, Jed Madela, and musical competition Your Face Sounds Sharon Cuneta, and was even named a Familiar” with 51.93 percent of public top scorer for impersonating Elizabeth votes in the program’s grand show- Ramsey in the show’s ninth week. down Sunday night.

Meanwhile, in Sunday’s finale show, Melai or Melisa when the bottom celebrity she joined Pinoy Big performers also took Brother in 2009 bested the “Your Face” stage, three other celebrity Melai, who admits with Jolina Magperformers – Nyoy Vo- she is not a singer, dangal performing consistently lante, Jay-R, and Edgar as Karen Carpenter, gained high scores Maxene Magalona Allan Guzman – with her impersonation of as Nicki Minaj, Tutthroughout the pop star Miley Cyrus. season from jurors ti Caringal as Bryan She brought the house Gary Valenciano, Adams, and Karla down on Saturday’s Estrada as Gloria Jed Madela, show when she came Gaynor. and Sharon out wearing a white top Teen stars Enrique Cuneta, and was and underwear while Gil and Liza Soberaeven named a singing “Wrecking Ball,” no opened the show top scorer for and then swinging on a with a song number. impersonating wrecking ball.

Host Billy Craw“To those who vot- Elizabeth Ramsey ford announced there in the show’s ed for me through text, would be asecond seaninth week thank you very much. son of the top-rating To all Melason fans, program. thank you for your Since its airing in support and for voting March this year, Your for me,” said Melai, who dedicated her Face Sounds Familiar consistently victory to her husband, Big Brother topped the list of the country’s most housemate Jason Francisco, and their watched TV programs, as well as the daughter. trending topics on Twitter.

Melai won P2 million, half of which Viewers nationwide also tuned in will go to her chosen charity, the Alay to the grand showdown, according Kapwa Desk Social Action Center of to Kantar Media. The finale was the the Diocese of Marbel. most watched program last weekend During the face off, Nyoy, who belt- when it posted a national TV rating ed out “I Will Always Love You” while of 37.6 percent last Saturday (June 6) copying diva Whitney Houston, and 36.7 percent last Sunday (June 7), placed second by getting 24.51 percent according to data from Kantar Media. of the votes. Jay-R, who impersonated ➜ Continued on C7 Frank Sinatra, and Edgar Allan , who

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1 Melai Cantiveros receives the grand prize for winning Your Face Sounds Familiar 2 Melai Cantiveros as Miley Cyrus 3 Melai’s winning moment with husband Jason Francisco 4 Nyoy Volante as Whitney Houston 5 Billy Crawford, Melai Cantiveros, and Nyoy Volante 6 Melai (center) congratulated by ABS-CBN COO Carlo Katigbak and free TV head Cory Vidanes 7 Melai Cantiveros and Nyoy Volante before the announcement of the grand winner 8 Jurors Jed Madela, Sharon Cuneta, and Gary Valenciano 9 Third placer Jay-R (as Frank Sinatra) 10 Edgar Allan Guzman (as Chris Brown) 6

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