The Standard - 2015 July 01 - Wednesday

VOL. XXIX NO. 131 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 wedNeSday : JULy 1, 2015 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Roxas tells Binay: You don’t own your city

A2

SuSPenSiOn CRiSiS ShutS makati CitY

By Joel E. Zurbano and Rey E. Requejo

WORK in local courts and government offices in Makati City was suspended Tuesday after violence erupted in front of city hall as supporters of Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. tried to stop the authorities from serving a suspension order against the mayor.

The supporters threw plastic chairs at anti-riot policemen and personnel from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) who posted a copy of the three-page preventive suspension order against Binay and other city officials in front of city hall.

At least eight supporters and a female police officer were hurt during the scuffle that erupted around 8 a.m.

The DILG personnel hurriedly left the area after posting the order from the Office of the OmNext page budsman.

Once more. Supporters of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay clash with policemen who were ordered to serve the suspension order against the mayor in front of City Hall. Ey AcAsiO

Comelec declares failure of PCOS bid

A4

Ombudsman fires Purisima from PNP

By Francisco Tuyay THE Ombudsman on Tuesday ordered the dismissal of former Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima and 10 other PNP officials for entering into an anomalous contract with a courier service, WerFast Documentary Agency in 2011.

In a 50-page consolidated decision, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales found substantial evidence to hold Purisima liable for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and grave abuse of authority.

“Evidence shows not only that Purisima knew what

he was doing in signing the (Police Director Gil) Meneses memorandum but that he himself exerted pressure and coercion over his subordinates on behalf of WerFast,” the decision stated.

Aside from dismissal from the service, other penalties include forfeiture of retirement benefits, cancellation of eligibility, and perpetual disqualification from re-employment in government service.

The 10 others meted the same fate were PNP Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) Chief Superintendent Raul Petrasanta, Chief Superintendent Napoleon Next page

w e d n e s d ay : j u ly 1 , 2 0 1 5

A2

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Roxas tells Junjun: You don’t own city

By Francisco Tuyay and Rey E. Requejo

INTERIOR and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II urged Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. to vacate his post immediately Tuesday, after the Office of the Ombudsman issued a six-month preventive suspension order against him.

“Nobody is king here except the law, and you do not own Makati, Mayor Binay,” Roxas said in Filipino, addressing his remarks directly at the beleaguered mayor.

On the sidelines of a disaster preparedness meeting in Camp Aguinaldo, Roxas also called on Vice President Jejomar Binay to convince his son to respect the rule of law.

“Mayor Binay is special only to his father, not to the law, and we will carry out the law,” he added.

The suspension order, dated June 25, was issued Monday in relation to allegations that the Makati City Science High School was overpriced.

In March, the Ombudsman issued a similar suspension order on Binay from allegations of anomalies in the construction of the Makati City

Hall Building II. The Court of Appeals, however, stopped that suspension.

Binay remained at his office Tuesday night and showed no sign of leaving. He has sought another temporary restraining order fro the Court of Appeals.

Roxas ordered Maria Lourdes Agustin, DILG-National Capital Region officerin-charge, to serve the suspension order Monday at the Makati City Hall where Binay was holed up since Sunday, but the building was locked, preventing the DILG officials from entering.

“It must be emphasized that no one is about the law, thus any person who shall unjustly impede this valid and lawful exercise of government function shall be dealt with in accordance with the rule of law,” Roxas said.

The mayor, on the other

Suspension From A1...

One of the injured supporters, Eric Enriquez, suffered an injury after being hit on the head with a police truncheon.

The disturbance at city hall brought a monstrous traffic jam along J.P. Rizal Street for several hours.

Members of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit and about 800 uniformed policemen were deployed outside the building.

An hour later, Vice Mayor Romulo Peña took his oath as acting mayor at the Makati City Hall old building.

“I have no reputation of harassment, I have no reputation of personal vendetta and I have no reputation of intimidation. I am here to protect the city of Makati,” said Peña in a press briefing.

He also asked Binay’s father, Vice President Jejomar Binay, to follow the rule of law and respect the orders from government agencies.

“It will give a good example to the newly appointed officials, as well as Mayor Junjun Binay, myself and other city government personnel. Good governance and the love for God and country remain in my mind and in my heart,” Peña said.

At around 2 p.m., the mayor’s sister, Senator Nancy Binay went to the old Makati City Hall building and confronted the ground commander, Senior Supt. Elmer Jamias of the Southern Police District.

The senator demanded an explanation why several Philippine National Police (PNP) trucks and buses remained on the city hall grounds, which she said was causing unnecessary tension and fear among residents and those transacting at the building.

hand, said the Binays were being singled out while Liberal Party members and allies went unpunished despite their involvement in the P10 billion pork barrel scam.

After Binay supporters and police clashed Tuesday, Roxas said the people around city hall could be liable for obstruction of justice.

“You can see from the video footage who was punching, trying to restrain and pushing a female police officer who was only doing her job,” Roxas said.

He said Binay’s continued defiance of his suspension only hampers basic city services.

“This is not a telenovela, this is not a drama about your family or your lording it over Makati. This is about the law, and the law says you have been suspended by the Ombudsman,” Roxas said, again addressing his remarks at the mayor.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said her department would recommend the filing of administrative and even criminal charges against the mayor for not complying with his suspension order.

De Lima said Mayor Binay and his supporters were fomenting lawlessness in Makati City with their defiance of the Om-

Vice President Binay also talked to Jamias Monday night, asking the police official to allow the people, especially those supporting the mayor, to enter the city hall grounds. He also requested that Jamias remove the police barricade and the parked PNP trucks, which were causing traffic in the area.

Jamias said he will file charges of oral defamation, grave threats and direct assault upon a person in authority against the Vice President and his supporters for threatening them that night. He added that his men exercised maximum tolerance despite a minor scuffle between Binay supporters and the police officers.

“We are here to do our jobs. In my 32 years of service as a policeman, I have dealt with a president, mayors, and other officials, but it is only now that I hae received this kind of treatment,” Jamias said.

But United Nationalist Alliance secretary general JV Bautista, who accompanied Senator Binay, said the Vice President cannot be charged criminally because the second highest official of the land is covered by immunity from suit.

“He (Jamias) is a high ranking police official and he should know that,” said Bautista.

Bautista said the continuing presence of policemen in the area would disrupt the day-to-day activities at city hall. “Senior Supt. Jamias told us he will consider the request of Senator Nancy that they would remove the PNP buses and trucks.”

Mayor Binay remained defiant and stayed overnight at city hall with his family on Monday. He lambasted Peña for saying the Binays refused to follow rules.

“He is saying we didn’t respect the law, while the last time we got a temporary restraining order, he was the one who ignored it,” he said.

budsman’s order and said no public official can treat any part of his local government unit territory as his own kingdom.

“We will recommend to the DILG the possible initiation of administrative charges for insubordination, and possibly even criminal charges, against Mayor Binay for noncompliance with the order of suspension issued by the Ombudsman as disciplining authority,” De Lima said in a text message to reporters.

She said the government cannot continue to tolerate the younger Binay’s and his supporters’ blatant disrespect of the Ombudsman and the Philippine National Police in their implementation of the preventive suspension.

“Our local governments are still a part of our republican government. They are not kingdoms unto themselves and their mayors should not act like petty kings who can disregard the law with impunity,” she said.

De Lima also said the Justice Department will coordinate with the DILG regarding Tuesday’s scuffle where Binay supporters threw plastic chairs and bottles at police officers securing the DILG representatives who were posting the copy of the suspension order outside the Makati City Hall. – With Sandy Araneta

Binay’s camp has filed a petition for a temporary restrainig order with the Court of Appeals to stop the Office of the Ombudsman and the DILG from implementing the new suspension order.

The court stopped stopped a similar suspension order in March.

The mayor also asked the Commission on Human Rights to act on the violent incidents, which he said were triggered by the anti-riot police squad.

“Why has the CHR kept mum on this matter? They should investigate the policemen who caused the injuries of many people. Is it right for the police to stop the people from gathering?” he said.

About 1,2000 supporters of Binay 1,200 enjoyed free lunch and snacks while camping out at city hall. They arrived as early as 4 a.m. and came from different barangays.

The Office of the Ombudsman issued the new suspension order, a few days after the Vice President resigned from the Cabinet and criticized the administration of President Benigno Aquino.

The case stemmed from the complaint filed by Renato Bondal, a losing mayoral candidate, in December last year.

Bondal accused the incumbent mayor and his father of conspiring to defraud the local government of Makati City of P862 million in the construction of the 10-story school building when the elder Binay was still mayor of the city and when his son took over from 2007 to 2013.

The complaint stated that the project was built at the cost of P1.3 billion when the original cost estimate was only P470 million.

Also named respondents in the case were former and incumbent councilors Ferdinand Eusebio, Arnold Magpantay, Romeo Medina, Tosca Puno-

Ombudsman From A1...

Estilles, Senior Superintendent Allan Parreño, Senior Superintendent Eduardo Acierto Senior Superintendent Melchor Reyes, Superintendent Lenbell Fabia, Chief Inspector Sonia Calixto, Chief Inspector Nelson Bautista, Chief Inspector Ricardo Zapata Jr. and Senior Inspector Ford Tuazon Purisima was charged by a private citizen in a P100 million case alleging plunder, graft and abuse of authority over the use of the courier service to deliver firearms licenses.

Glenn Gerard Ricafranca of Legazpi City filed the case with the Ombudsman on April 16, alleging that the contract between the PNP and WerFast Documentary Agency was anomalous.

In his complaint, Ricafranca said in March 2014, he thought of buying a handgun for protection.

He inquired with the PNP regarding the license and gun registration and learned that firearms license cards were now being mandatorily delivered to each licensee by the WerFast Documentary Agency.

Ricafranca said he learned that in May 2011, Estilles and WerFast entered into a memorandum of agreement for the delivery of gun licenses cards.

He said the agreement was signed in May 2011 but WerFast only got its certificate of incorporation from the Securities and Exchange Commission on Aug. 10, 2011, which meant that WerFast had no

Ramos, Alethea Casal-Uy, Virgilio Hilario, Monsour del Rosario III, Vince Sese, Nelson Pasia, Salvador Pangilinan, Ilias Tolentino, Ruth Tolentino, Henry Jacome, Leo Magpantay, Nemesio Yabut Jr., Armand Padilla, Israel Crusado Ma. Theresa de Lara, Angleliro Gatchalian and Ricardo Javier, and members of the Makati City School Board in 2009.

In a 34-page petition, the Makati City mayor said that he should not be held accountable for the alleged anomaly since three of the seven construction phases of the Makati Science High School Building were done when he was not yet the city mayor.

He also argued that his alleged liability in the subsequent construction phases was expunged by his re-election in 2013 under the condonation doctrine.

He also said the Ombudsman, in suspending him, violated its own charter, which requires “strong evidence” to justify the issuance of a preventive suspension ordering.

He said the charge against him had no legal or factual basis because the allegation of a rigged bidding in the construction of the building was based on hearsay, while the charge of conspiracy was not supported by any evidence.

In ordering his suspension, the Ombudsman relied heavily on engineer Mario Hechanova’s statement that Vice President Binay, when he was stil Makati mayor, ordered that the bidding for the design and construction of the school building be rigged to favor certain parties.

But Hechanova said he knew of the rigging form former engineer Nelson Morales, who is already dead and therefore unable to corroborate Hechanova’s claim.

“Considering that the statement in this regard is clearly hearsay and inadmissible in court, the Ombudsman

juridical personality to enter into the agreement.

Besides that, WerFast was not an authorized courier delivery service recognized by the government, and one of its incorporators, Mario Juan, was a good friend of Purisima, while Enrique Valerio, who represented the PNP in the agreement, was Purisima’s best friend, Ricafranca said.

He added that retired police general Ireneio Bacolod, a high ranking officer of WerFast, used to head the PNP Civil Security Group, the unit which has administrative supervision over the FEO. Bacolod was also the former boss of Purisima.

Ricafranca added that the PNP FEO had been receiving complaints from applicants over the delay in the delivery or non-delivery of firearm license cards, and that no receipts were issued.

Other applicants complained that it took up to three months for the gun license to be delivered to them.

When the license card was finally delivered, the courier name indicated was LBC and not WerFast, Recafranca said.

LBC charges only P90 for a similar package while WerFast charges P190, he said.

He said the difference of P100 in the delivery charge would unduly benefit WerFast by as much as P100 million, based on about 1 million firearm owners in the country.

On April 8, the Supreme Court sitting en banc issued a temporary restraining order and ordered the PNP to stop using any courier services to delivered fireamrs license cards. – With Sandy Araneta

should have realized that the evidence against Petitioner is not strong and without any basis whatsoever,” the mayor’s petition said.

The Makati City mayor said the Ombudsman failed to present any overt act he committed to justify lumping him with the other city officials who supposedly conspired to rig the bidding.

“Thus, considering that petitioner’s only participation in the bidding process was to sign documents such as the disbursement vouchers as well as other documents relating to the bidding, the same is not enough to sustain a finding that he is part of the alleged conspiracy,” Binay said, citing a Supreme Court ruling in the case of Sabiniano v Court of Appeals where the Court ruled that one’s signature appearing on a document is insufficient to warrant a finding of involvement in a conspiracy.

“To use the words of the Supreme Court, apart from Petitioner’s signature, nothing else of real substance was submitted to show his alleged complicity in the alleged crime,” the mayor said.

He said the Ombudsman failed to evaluate the evidence against him and merely relied on the complainant’s statements.

The order issued against the younger Binay this week was the second attempt by the Ombudsman to have him suspended.

In March, the Ombudsman ordered his suspension over allegations that the construction of the Makati City Parking Building II was overpriced.

The younger Binay challenged the first suspension and managed to obtain an injunction from the Court of Appeals, prompting the Ombudsman to elevate the case to the Supreme Court. That case is still pending resolution.

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

w e d n e s d AY : j u lY 1 , 2 0 1 5

A4

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Missile system pushed

By Florante S. Solmerin

Iqbal’s kin takes oath. President Benigno S. Aquino III congratulates Elections Commissioner Sheriff Abas, a nephew of Moro Islamic Liberation Front chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal, after administering the oath of office in a ceremony at the Rizal Hall of the Malacañan Palace on Tuesday.

MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU

Comelec declares failure of PCOS refurbishing bid

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE Commission on Elections on Tuesday declared a failure of bidding for the P2-billion contract for the refurbishment of the Precinct Count Optical Scan or PCOS machines after two companies withdrew from the bidding and the other one failed to show up.

S m a r t m a t i c-To t a l Information Corp. and Vertex Business Applications Inc. withdrew from the bidding after the Comelec cut its budget for the diagnostic and refurbishment contract.

“No one submitted a bid.

Under the rules, that’s equivalent to a failure of bidding,” ComelecSBAC chief Jubil Surmieda told the reporters.

Surmieda made his statement even as the Comelec on Tuesday reversed with finality its ruling

favoring Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) to provide 23,000 Optical Mark Reader or OMR as primary back-up for the coming presidential polls in 2016.

The Comelec en banc, composed of its poll chief Andres Bautista and Commissioners Christian Robert Lim and Luie Tito Guia, announced its decision that it will lease 23,000 OMR from the winning bidder Smartmatic-TIM Corp. following its end-to-end

demonstration last week.

Lim said the votes favoring Smartmatic garnered 4-21 granting the protest of the latter that its OMR units were compliant with the requirements of the P2.5-billion project.

Pressed for time, Comelec chairman Andres Bautista and the other two commissioners immediately met their law department division to see how possible they could speed up another bidding process.

“We have asked our Law Department to study our options. How long will it take to go about another public bidding. We will spend another 28 days for another bidding, our timetable, we have to decide by the end of July, so we are studying possibilities if there’s a way to fast track,” Bautista said.

With the failure of bidding, Bautista said, time was running

for the Comelec to face some unexpected delays on their preparation for the national elections next year.

“The other issue is the time element, the biggest challenge that the Comelec is facing now is really time,” Bautista said.

“So whenever we consider options we have to factor in how long it will take. Immediately after learning about the failed bidding in respect to refurbishment , the en banc immediately ordered the law department to look into what option we need to consider, either to fast track or have another bidding in respect to refurbishment.”

But Bautista discounted the possibility of getting back to its former negotiated contract with Smartmatic, which was earlier approved by his former predecessor Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes.

THE Defense Department is lobbying to realign the P6.5 billion Shore-Based Missile System to counter China’s threat in the South China Sea, according to documents obtained by The Standard.

The mobile SBMS is part of the Army’s “big-ticket items” and included in the 1st Horizon Project List in the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program, which was approved

by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin but yet to be approved by President Benigno Aquino III. Defense insiders say the the project did not pass through the Defense Capability Assessment and Planning Systems and the Defense System of Management. If not justified, they warn, the proponents of the realignment may face legal charges and jail terms.

They say the project is a government-to-government deal with the Israel Military Industries Ltd. in December 2014. They say the realignment of the SBMS negates the President’s promise for the AFP to have a “minimum credible defense” posture before he steps down from office in 2016.

The supplier was just waiting for the awarding of the contract when suddenly Irriberi requested a realignment.

On March 5, 2015, Gazmin, in a letter to Aquino, sought the approval of 28 RAFPMP projects with a total budget of P60,143,404,181, which includes the SBMS. This was after the President, on February 17, ordered the DND to review all the projects and to make sure these, particularly the SBMS, will not violate the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Irriberi wrote an undated letter in May to AFP chief of staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. seeking his approval to re-align the SBMS. “The Philippine Army presented the need to adjust the 2015 acquisition of Shore-Based Missile System…

This is due to the rapid change in the internal security landscape brought about by the issues on the Bangsamoro Basic Law and the prevalent use of IED (improvised explosive device) of the threat groups that inflicted significant casualties on our troops,” Irriberi said.

High court junks EOs on coco fund THE Supreme Court has stopped the implementation of President Benigno Aquino III’s two executive orders directing the privatization and reconveyance or transfer of P73.4 billion in coconut levy funds to the government so it could use them, an official said Tuesday.

High court spokesman Theodore Te said the magistrates granted the appeal of the Confederation of Coconut Farmers’ Organizations of the Philippines or CCFOP Inc. against Executive Orders 179 and 180.

The group says the implementation of EOs 179 and 180 would result in another plunder of the coconut levy funds.

“The Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order effective immediately and until further orders from the Court against the implementation of Executive Order Numbers 179 and 180,” Te told reporters Malacañang said it will abide by the Supreme Court’s decision.

“We have not seen the order, but if verified we will abide by it,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a text message to reporters.

EO 179 orders the inventory and privatization and reconveyance or transfer to the government of all coconut levy assets.

It says all money and funds constituting the coconut levy, or accruing from the coco levy assets, should be deposited to a Special Account in the General Fund for Coco Levies.

EO 180 orders the immediate transfer of the coconut levy assets to the government so it could use them after the approval by President Aquino of the “Integrated Coconut Industry Roadmap and the Coconut Roadmap for Coco Levy.”

The high court also ordered Malacañang and PCGG Acting Commissioner Richard Roger Amurao to comment on the petition filed by the CCFOP within 10 days.

Rey E. Requejo and Sandy Araneta

Nothing illegal. DMCI Homes project development manager Florence Loreto reiterates to journalist that the property firm did nothing illegal in building the residential apartment block Torre de Manila. Also at the media briefing was DMCI official Sherilyn Benosa. LINO SANTOS

w e d n e s d ay : j u ly 1 , 2 0 1 5

A5

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Noy marks 5th year in office

By Sandy Araneta PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III quietly marked his fifth year in office as chief executive yesterday with only his Palace aides issuing statements praising the accomplishments of the Aquino administration.

Royal visit. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands calls on President Benigno Aquino IIII after she arrived in the country to meet with leaders from public and private sectors and join the launch of the Philippines’ National Strategy for Financial Inclusion. AFP

It’s Grace-Chiz, Trillanes says

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Grace Poe, who is leading the latest surveys on voters’ presidential preference for the 2016 election, has already decided to run for president, according to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. Speaking in an interview on the ABSCBN News Channel, Trillanes said they obtained the information that Poe has made decision to run, but he declined to reveal his sources.

Poe could be reached for comment as she has been out of the country with her family and this was confirmed by her press officer Mimi Gonzales who said the senator is spending time with her kids abroad.

Poe has remained mum about any plan to run for higher office in the coming polls even as she dislodged Vice President

Jejomar Binay from the top position in voter preference surveys.

The neophyte senator has maintained that she has no resources to launch a national campaign and had no political party. She has reiterated that she will remain an independent candidate although President Benigno Aquino III himself confirmed that he had discussed matters with the senator.

In the same television interview, Trillanes also divulged Sen. Chiz Escudero will be fielded as Poe’s running mate.

“And they’re going at it as independents.

So that’s their plan and we’ll just wait for a formal announcement which they will make probably in September,” further said Trillanes.

Escudero also could not be reached for confirmation although he has repeatedly said he and Poe have not yet reached a

decision on their plans for 2016.

Interviewed over radio DZBB on Sunday, Escudero said he has not yet talked to Poe since she is abroad, but in case she decides to run for President, he will support her.

Escudero claimed he has yet to think about his political plans and will come out with a decision a few days before the October deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacies.

Trillanes also said he is “very sure” to run for vice president although he acknowledged that Escudero will be the force to reckon with if the latter runs for same position.

Unlike Poe and Escudero, who have yet to publicly declare their plans for 2016, Trillanes is bent on running for vice president in 2016 and said he will run even without the support of the Nacionalista Party to which he belongs.

“Five years ago, President Aquino pledged in his oath of office to preserve and defend the Constitution, execute the laws of the land, do justice to every man, and consecrate himself to the service of the nation,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. in a statement issued in Malacañang.

“Today, as he marks the completion of five years of his term of office, he reiterates his sworn commitment to ‘…faithfully and conscientiously fulfill his duties as President of the Philippines…’,” Coloma also said.

While the President will deliver a comprehensive report to the people in his final State of the Nation Address on July 27 before a joint session of Congress, Coloma wanted Filipinos to affirm how he has lived up to the promises he made in his platform of government when he first ran for office.

Coloma said Aquino has consistently earned high levels of approval and trust because of personal integrity.

For the past five years, the average GDP growth of 6.3 percent has been the highest level attained by the country in the past four decades. This is the fastest growth rate of any nation in Southeast Asia and the second fastest in the Asia-Pacific, Coloma said.

Government spending has been aligned with the foremost national development objective of achieving inclusive growth.

From only 800,000 families, there are now more than 4.4 million families that directly benefit from conditional cash transfers that are part of an expanded social safety net and social protection program.

The largest portion of the current national budget (37 percent) is allocated for social development and poverty reduction, he said.

Significantly, the number of overseas Filipino workers has declined from 10 million to 8.4 million while domestic job creation has been sustained, resulting in a reduction of the unemployment rate to only 6.6 percent as of January 2015, he also said.

Most importantly, public institutions have been reformed and strengthened, Coloma said.

Explain MRT scandal, Mar told FORMER Negros Oriental congressman Jacinto “Jing” Paras challenged DILG secretary Mar Roxas on Tuesday to reveal what really happened in the MRT bribery scandal since Roxas was the one who initially signed the billion peso MRT maintenance contract in favor of PH Trams.

At the Kapihan sa Manila Diamond where Paras was invited, the former chairman of the Congressional Committee on Transportation and Communications, says it is time for Roxas to reveal what really happened since the scam involved his close associate Al Vitangcol and other DOTC officials.

After DOTC awarded the MRT maintenance contract to PH Trams, Parasa said the operation of the MRT started to decline causing several trains to meet accidents and injured several passengers.

This inefficiency continues up to today

when only seven trains are running to the detriment of the people mostly coming from Metro Manila.

Before the anomalous PH Trams maintenance contract, the maintenance of MRT was handled very well by Sumitomo, but Paras said Roxas awarded the contract to PH Trams for political reaons although the majority stockholder of the firm was the father-in-law of Vitangcol.

Due to this anomaly, Vitangcol was fired by Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya and a new contractor APT Global replaced PH Trams, the latter being in the same category as the defunct PH Trams, hence no improvement in the quality of service in the MRT 3.

Prior to the scandal in the PH Trams contract, and this was also the time of Mar Roxas at the DOTC, the Czech Ambassador Josef Rychtar, revealed a supposed attempt at extortion by DOTC officials.

Tacloban’s pride. Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (2nd right) confers the champion’s

trophy on Marciana Talbo who won the Parade of Lights Float Category of the Sangyaw Festival and Parade of Lights in Tacloban City. Looking on are Chamber of Mines and Benguet Corporation president Philip Romualdez (left) and Jude Acidre of Tingog Sinirangan. VER NOVENO

w e d n e s d ay : j u ly 1 , 2 0 1 5

A6

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Senate tosses defense pact to SC

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

The proposed resolution signed by 13 senators which expressed “the strong sense of the Senate” that a treaty or international agreement is invalid or ineffective unless concurred in by the upper legislative chamber was submitted on Tuesday to the Supreme Court by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

UN awardee. UN

Assistant Secretary General Lenni Montiel confers the award in the category Improving the Delivery of Public Services to Mayor Benjamin Abalos Jr. during the United Nations Public Service Awards Ceremony this June 23-26, 2015 in Medellin, Colombia. Mayor Abalos’ brainchild program Project TEACH (Therapy, Education and Assimilation of Children with Handicap) is one of the 22 innovative initiative winners out of 848 entries. Only 18 out of 71 countries were declared winners by the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration.

Lawyer files test case on same-sex union

By Rey Requejo ThE Supreme Court has directed the Office of the Civil Registrar to file its comment on the petition seeking to abolish the prohibition under the Family Code for same-sex marriages in the Philippines.

The SC made the order after the United States Supreme Court earlier legalized samesex marriages in all states.

In a media briefing Tuesday, SC spokesman Theodore Te said the Civil Registrar is ordered to comment

on the petition filed by lawyer Jesus Nicardo M. Falcis III within 10 days.

“The Court, without necessarily giving due course, required respondent to comment on the petition within 10 days from notice,” Te said.

Falcis, who admitted to be an “openly gay,” asked the SC to to nullify Articles 1 and 2 of the Family Code as well as Articles 46 (4) and 55 (6) of the same law.

Articles 1 and 2 limited marriages between man and woman, while Articles 46(4) and 55 (6) provides that lesbi-

anism or homosexuality may be used as grounds for annulment and legal separation.

The petitioner stressed that he has a personal stake in the case since he is an open and identified homosexual and has sustained direct injury as a result of the prohibition against same-sex marriage.

“Petitioner has grown up in a society where same-sex relationships are frowned upon because of the law’s normative impact. Petitioners’ ability to find and enter into long monogamous same-sex relationship is im-

paired because of the absence of a legal incentive for gay individuals to seek such relationship,” the petitioner said.

According to him, sexual orientation is central to one’s identity as he challenged the notion of sexuality as a choice or preference.

“While any individual can choose to have sex with any individual of the same or opposite sex, they cannot choose who they have feelings of sexual attraction with, such as butterflies in the stomach or erotic sexual arousal,” Falcis said.

Apart from Santiago, the other signatories to the resolution were Senators Sonny Angara, Pia Cayetano, JV Ejercito, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, TG Guingona, Lito Lapid, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Serge Osmeña, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, Ralph Recto, Ramon “Bong” Revilla, and Cynthia Villar.

“This is to respectfully enclose, for the presumable information of the Supreme Court, the copy of Senate Resolution No. 1414,” Santiago, chair of the Senate committee on foreign relations, said in the letter addressed to Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno.

Santiago, who is on medical leave due to stage 4 lung cancer, says she hopes to sponsor the resolution before the plenary when Congress resumes.

After a debate on the Senate floor, the resolution will be put to a vote. A simple majority of senators present in a quorum is required to adopt a resolution.

The resolution was filed even as the Supreme Court pondered over the validity of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the U.S., which Malacañang claims is merely an executive agreement and thus needs no Senate concurrence.

“The only constitutional ground for the position taken by the Executive is the mere inclusion of the term ‘executive agreement’ as one of items included in the list of cases which the Supreme Court has power to decide,” the senators said in the resolution.

They were referring to the Constitution, Article 8,

Section 4, which says: “All cases involving the constitutionality of a treaty, international or executive agreement, or law, which shall be heard by the Supreme Court en banc.” “‘Executive agreement’ is a term wandering alone in the Constitution, bereft of provenance and an unidentified constitutional mystery,” the senators added. They claimed that no provision defined the term, set requirements for it, or established protocol.

“The Constitution is clear and categorical that Senate concurrence is absolutely necessary for the validity and effectivity of any treaty, particularly any treaty that promotes for foreign military bases, troops, and facilities, such as the EDCA,” the senators further claimed.

They cited the following constitutional provisions: a. “No treaty or international agreement shall be valid and effective unless concurred in by at least two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate.” (Article 7, Section 21) b. After the expiration in 1991 of the Agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America concerning Military Bases, foreign military bases, troops, or facilities shall not be allowed in the Philippines except under a treaty duly concurred in by the Senate and, when the Congress so requires, ratified by a majority of the votes cast by the people in a national referendum held for that purpose, and recognized as a treaty by the other contracting State.” (Article 18, Section 25)

Tuition hike moratorium sought

By John Paolo Bencito ThE National Union of Students of the Philippines and the Rise for Education (R4E) Alliance prodded the Commission on higher Education on Tuesday to impose a moratorium on tuition increases in light of the spiraling prices of basic commodities.

The groups challenged ChED Chairman Patricia Licuanan to intervene in this situation of crisis and declare a moratorium on all tuition increases in tertiary schools.

“We urge the Aquino administration and the Commission on higher Education (ChED) to implement a tu-

ition moratorium, repeal the Education of Act of 1982, and stop the deregulated tuition in the country,” Sarah Jane Elago, NUSP national president and R4E convenor, said in a statement.

The groups said that that President Aquino and ChED remain deaf to the call of students and parents, despite the ballooning number of dropouts and out of school youth in the country, Elago said.

“It is enraging that ChED, aside from being a stamp pad of tuition and other school fees increases, has not genuinely rectified its errors in computing for the national average tuition and other school fees increases.

Despite knowing that its formula is erroneous, ChED remains to use it in order to lower the national average increases in tuition and other school fees. That is just blatant disservice to the students!” she added.

NUSP pointed out the tragedy of errors and manipulation of ChED’s data. The group’s computation showed that the national average tuition increase is P37.47 per unit, while the national average other school fee increase is P213.03. But the ChED computation showed that the national average tuition increase is only P31.61 per unit, while the other school fee increase is P169.04.

K-12 job security. Manila’s three congressional representatives Nyda Angping, Amado

Bagatsing and Rosenda Ann Ocampo gather together with some business leaders from Metro Manila and school supervisors in a meeting on Tuesday June 30 in Manila to resolve issues on the K to 12 education program. During the meeting, business executives agree to hire graduates of the K to 12 program. DANNY PATA

w e d n e s d ay : j u ly 1 , 2 0 1 5

A7

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Aviation workers face loss of P1-b perks

Air traffic controllers under the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines track movements of every aircraft. Rudy C. SantoS

QC garbage fee voided, social housing tax upheld

By Rey E. Requejo

The Supreme Court has declared as unconstitutional the ordinance adopted by the Quezon City government imposing an annual garbage fee on all households in the city.

In its en banc session on Tuesday, the high court ruled that Ordinance No. SP-2235, S-2013, which was enacted on December 16, 2013, violates the equal protection clause and the provisions of the Local Government Code, which mandates “that an ordinance must be equitable and based, as far as practicable, on the taxpayer’s ability to pay, and not be unjust, excessive,

oppressive and confiscatory.”

The high court observed that the ordinance uses as basis for the fees the volume of waste currently generated by each person in Quezon City, which purportedly stands at 0.66 kilogram per day, and the increasing trend of waste generation for the past three years.

“This figure does not make a distinction as to the type of waste generated and it is reasonable to presume

that the amount pertains to the totality of wastes without distinction generated by residents of Quezon City,” the SC stressed.

“This is inconsistent with the parameters set by Republic Act 9003 (An Act Providing for Ecological Solid Waste Management) Section 47 which limits the authority of the city to impose fees only to the collection and transport of non-recyclable and special wastes and for the disposal of these into the sanitary landfill,” the Court ruled.

Although the SC nullified the garbage fee , it upheld the constitutionality of Ordinance No. SP-2095, Series of 2011 or the Socialized Hous-

ing Tax, which was enacted by the Quezon City Council on October 17, 2011.

The housing ordinance imposes a .5 percent tax on assessed value of all lands in urban areas in excess of P100,000.

The tribunal sided with the assertion of the Quezon City government that the SHT is an exercise in social justice as articulated in the Constitution and Republic Act 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992) and that it is neither discriminatory, nor oppressive, as the tax rate imposed is consistent with the RA 7279.

“The temporary restraining order issued by the Court on February 5, 2014 is lifted with respect to Ordinance No. SP-

2095. In contrast, respondents are permanently enjoined from taking any further action to enforce Ordinance No. SP2235,” the SC held.

The controversy arose from the petition filed by Jose Ferrer Jr., a resident of Kamias Road, who argued that new garbage fee and social housing tax being imposed by the local government are unnecessary imposition for basic social services.

Petitioner claimed that the garbage fee tax is a form of double taxation since collection of garbage is a primary duty of LGUs funded by taxes collected from residents and the share from the Internal Revenue Allotment.

US program pursues anti-poverty projects MILLENNIUM Challenge Ac c o u n t — P h i l i p p i n e s (MCA-P) remains committed to finish the anti-poverty projects being funded by the United States Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation.

MCA-P Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Marivic Añonuevo clarified that that MCA-P has not stopped using the MCC grant for anti-poverty projects in the Philippines.

“We are committed to finish the projects and we will do so by May 2016,” she said.

MCA-P is the accountable entity in the Philippines that administers

the $434-million MCC grant (called the Compact), which funds three anti-poverty projects: the Kapit-Bisig Laban saKahirapan—Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) Project with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Secondary National Roads Development Project (SNRDP) with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Revenue Administration Reform Project (RARP) with the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Depart-

ment of Finance.

Añonuevo noted that total commitment as of March 2015 has reached US$369 million or 85 percent of the total grant. MCA-P management remains optimistic that the funds will be fully utilized in the anti-poverty projects by the end of the Compact in May 2016, she added.

She said all unutilized funds will be returned to MCC. “Strict MCC guidelines make it impossible to divert funds to other purposes. Everything that we have done has been to help uplift the lives of Filipinos through economic growth,” Añonuevo stressed.

tuition hike. Members of the League of Filipino Students

storm the gates of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in Diliman, Quezon City in protest against the tuition increase. Manny PaLMERo

SOME 4,000 members of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Employees Union in a letter to President Benigno Aquino lll expressed concern on the plight of their members who faced losing P1 billion in benefits earlier granted to them by the CAAP Board and Management from 2010 to 2014 .

The Commission on Audit and the Governance Commission on government controlled corporations (GCG) reported that the actions of the CAAP board were illegal and disallowed the salary increases and bonuses which were already given to the employees since 2012 and would be deducted from their retirement pay.

Val Sucion, CAAPEU president, said the bonuses were given primarily to boost the morale of all CAAP employees who have worked hard to achieve a CAAP feat in terms of air safety as mandated by Director General William Hotchkiss.

The impending loss of benefits came even as sources in the International Flight Operations Briefing Station told The Manila Standard that hundreds of ”technicians” will leave CAAP for greener pastures abroad particularly in the Middle East where the salary is almost seven times higher than the prevailing rate in the Philippines.

There are 200 to 400 hundred technical staff nationwide whose functions are similar to the Air Traffic Controllers and Communicators but remain “casual” or contractual employees and don’t enjoy benefits such as 13th month pay and bonus, the source said, Rudy C. Santos

Pinay drug mule in KL gets life sentence MALAySIA’S pardons board has commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence of a Filipino woman convicted of smuggling cocaine at Kuala Lumpur’s airport, the Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur said Tuesday.

The Embassy in the Malaysian capital said that Jacqueline Quiamno’s death sentence was commuted by the pardons board of the central state of Selangor on June 15 in response to clemency requests from the embassy and her family.

Quiamno was arrested at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport for carrying five kilograms of cocaine in 2005 and convicted in 2010. The guilty verdict was affirmed by the Federal Court in July 2013.

“The Embassy conveys its heartfelt appreciation to the Sultan of Selangor and the Selangor Pardons Board for this sterling manifestation of benevolence and compassion,” the Embassy said in a statement.

The last execution of a Filipino in Malaysia was 22 years ago, in June 1993, when a Filipino was executed for the crime of murder in Sabah. Vito Barcelo

W E D n E s D Ay: J u Ly 1 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA editOr

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

BaCK Channel alejandrO del rOsariO

Gridlock and Greedlock

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Unpresidential whining WHEN he is not busy bragging or blaming someone else for the country’s woes, President Aquino’s favorite pastime seems to be whining about his job.

“Do you know how difficult my job is? You are all witnesses to the insults I have received,” he told Cebuanos during groundbreaking ceremonies for a new passenger terminal at the Mactan airport this week. “All my moves are criticized. No matter how big the accomplishments are, they would still look for the smallest mistakes, just so they will look good.”

This is hardly the first time Mr. Aquino has whined about how lonely it is at the top and how he is a magnet for criticism.

Earlier in the year, following the Mamasapano massacre and his complete mishandling of its aftermath, Mr. Aquino again spoke of the challenges of being the country’s chief executive.

“As President, I do everything to address the problems of the country,” he said after he was roundly criticized for failing to show sympathy for the 44 police commandos killed in the covert operation. “Often, I just ignore the fatigue and the lack of sleep. I cannot give way to my emotions lest I aggravate the problem.”

Regardless of the venue or the occasion, the theme is consistent. Being the highest official of the land is no walk in the park and Filipinos should stop criticizing him and be grateful instead that Mr. Aquino has sacrificed six years of his life to take on a thankless job.

This is the same line that his trusted lieutenants peddle.

In a puff piece on Mr. Aquino’s management style halfway through his term, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said: “He works really hard. I don’t think the Filipino people can say [they have been] … short-changed by the effort and all the sacrifice that he has put into being President of this country.”

In the early years of his term, the bachelor President even joked with fawning journalists that the job had cost him his love life—a line he seems to have dropped these days in favor of more serious whining.

Mr. Aquino, who seems consumed about leaving a legacy, should rest easy. Even with one year to go in his term, Mr. Aquino has already achieved the distinction of being the whiniest post-Martial Law president.

The current darling of the media and opinion polls, Senator Grace Poe, recently said the presidency is a privilege, but it is “abnormal for anyone to desire it.”

“It’s a big challenge. Six years of their life almost being in a convent. You always have to be detached in a way, but also immersed at the same time. It’s not easy,” she said—almost channeling Mr. Aquino.

While Senator Poe’s humility may still play well in some circles, we suggest that we have had enough of presidents who are unprepared to lead a nation of 100 million, yet begrudgingly take on the task as a favor to us all.

The late founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, once said: “The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

We do not need another reluctant President. We need an ethical and competent President who loves the job because he—or she—is driven to do great work for the good of the nation.

Selective juStice lOwdOwn jOjO a. rOBles IT’S Groundhog Day in Makati.

Or is it still Selective Justice Week?

In November 2013, the Sandiganbayan convicted the mayor of the town of Sta. Cruz, the capital of Laguna province, Domingo “Dennis” Panganiban, for illegally using public funds totaling P500,000 on a foreign trip. Panganiban, a member of the administration

Liberal Party, still holds office and performs his official functions to this very day, as if nothing has happened.

Panganiban, as far as I know, was never suspended during the duration of his corruption trial. even after his conviction on the serious criminal charge, he was never jailed, replaced or even removed from office.

I heard of Panganiban’s strange case several months back, when the Department of Interior and Local Government first attempted to suspend Makati Mayor Jejomar erwin “Junjun” Binay for six months.

The DILG, then as now, said it was merely enforcing a suspension order issued by the Ombudsman as the latter continues to investigate charges of corruption against the Vice President’s son in connection with the construction of the Makati City hall parking building.

But Panganiban, who reportedly (and anomalously) was allowed by the anti-graft court to remain in office after posting bail, is just a small fish, really, in the Laguna Lake compared to Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso “Boy”

A9

i can hear dennis panganiban and Boy Umali laughing about how sweet it is to be on the right side of ‘justice.’

Umali, a known “BFF” of President Noynoy Aquino himself. Umali, a top dog of the LP, remains firmly locked into his governor’s chair even after he was sentenced only last April to up to 10 years in prison for illegally facilitating a loan of government funds to a shipowner amounting to P2.5 million.

Umali, according to the decision, was also penalized with the cancellation of retirement and other benefits and barred from serving the government. And yet, Umali is very much involved in fundraising activities for the LP ahead of the 2016 elections, according to knowledgeable political operators.

Both Panganiban and Umali are the poster boys for the policy of “selective justice” that Vice President Jejomar Binay railed about soon after he cut ties with the administration and quit Aquino’s Cabinet.

For those unfamiliar with Groundhog Day, it’s a reference to a movie wherein the main character (played by Bill Murray) relives the same day over and over again. In the movie, the repetition is of Groundhog Day, wherein a groundhog supposedly predicts the arrival of spring for

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-

Americans of German descent in the Pennsylvania region.

But the people who want Mayor Binay suspended are apparently expecting a different result this time. After all, the policy of selective justice decrees that Binay should be removed even if he hasn’t been brought to court yet, even if both Panganiban and Umali remain secure in their posts even after being convicted. *** But in a departure from the original script, Interior and Local

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

Government Secretary Mar Roxas, widely believed to be the main challenger of Vice President Binay in next May’s presidential election, apparently has an even weaker case this time around than when he first tried to unseat the Makati mayor.

This is because the earlier suspension order slapped on the mayor had to do with the alleged anomalous construction of the Makati City hall parking building, which is at least supported by some documents.

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. Isabel “Gina” P. Verzosa Head, Advertising Solutions Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

The Aquino administration marked its fifth year in office yesterday. Are we better off or worse than when President Benigno S. Aquino III assumed office on June 30, 2010?

Buhay Party List Rep. Lito Atienza gives his assessment of Aquino’s five years ahead of the President’s valedictory State of the Nation Address in July. To be fair, he said, there are pluses and minuses. Atienza confines his criticism to just two basic related issues—the traffic gridlock and the inefficient public transport system- -which he said are costing the country billions in lost man-hours and productivity. Lito said t Although these issues are not new, he people must constantly remind government of its failings because Aquino and his cabal had become “manhid” (numb and insensitive).

Because of the Aquino administration’s insensitivity and numbness to public demand for it to deliver these basic services, traffic in Metro Manila is almost at a standstill while the lack of an efficient public transport system hampers the daily commute to and from work. That is, if one is able to find gainful employment.

During a recent house hearing, Atienza took to task MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino for his helter-skelter handling of he metro-wide traffic mess.

Atienza found unacceptable the MMDA chief ’s excuse the government does not have the funds to implement a longterm solution to the traffic nightmare of motorists and commuters.

“The MMDA does not have the money to solve the Metro traffic problem but it can fund a costly TV infomercial to give Tolentino national exposure and name recall for his 2016 senatorial run,“ fumed Atienza. he also railed at the daily breakdown of the Metro Rail Transit, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and late for work. he traced the root of the MRT’s poor service when MRT management replaced the Japanese firm Sumitomo with a local company without any track record in train service maintenance. The greed for contract kickbacks and the attempt of MRT management to extort from the Czech company bidding to sell additional carriages and upgrade equipment led to the further deterioration of the public transport system.

Tolentino is included in the ruling Liberal Party senatorial slate while Atienza is running for senator in the opposition United Nationalist Alliance of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

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

W E D n E s D Ay: J u Ly 1 , 2 0 1 5

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA editOr

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

BaCK Channel alejandrO del rOsariO

Gridlock and Greedlock

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Unpresidential whining WHEN he is not busy bragging or blaming someone else for the country’s woes, President Aquino’s favorite pastime seems to be whining about his job.

“Do you know how difficult my job is? You are all witnesses to the insults I have received,” he told Cebuanos during groundbreaking ceremonies for a new passenger terminal at the Mactan airport this week. “All my moves are criticized. No matter how big the accomplishments are, they would still look for the smallest mistakes, just so they will look good.”

This is hardly the first time Mr. Aquino has whined about how lonely it is at the top and how he is a magnet for criticism.

Earlier in the year, following the Mamasapano massacre and his complete mishandling of its aftermath, Mr. Aquino again spoke of the challenges of being the country’s chief executive.

“As President, I do everything to address the problems of the country,” he said after he was roundly criticized for failing to show sympathy for the 44 police commandos killed in the covert operation. “Often, I just ignore the fatigue and the lack of sleep. I cannot give way to my emotions lest I aggravate the problem.”

Regardless of the venue or the occasion, the theme is consistent. Being the highest official of the land is no walk in the park and Filipinos should stop criticizing him and be grateful instead that Mr. Aquino has sacrificed six years of his life to take on a thankless job.

This is the same line that his trusted lieutenants peddle.

In a puff piece on Mr. Aquino’s management style halfway through his term, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said: “He works really hard. I don’t think the Filipino people can say [they have been] … short-changed by the effort and all the sacrifice that he has put into being President of this country.”

In the early years of his term, the bachelor President even joked with fawning journalists that the job had cost him his love life—a line he seems to have dropped these days in favor of more serious whining.

Mr. Aquino, who seems consumed about leaving a legacy, should rest easy. Even with one year to go in his term, Mr. Aquino has already achieved the distinction of being the whiniest post-Martial Law president.

The current darling of the media and opinion polls, Senator Grace Poe, recently said the presidency is a privilege, but it is “abnormal for anyone to desire it.”

“It’s a big challenge. Six years of their life almost being in a convent. You always have to be detached in a way, but also immersed at the same time. It’s not easy,” she said—almost channeling Mr. Aquino.

While Senator Poe’s humility may still play well in some circles, we suggest that we have had enough of presidents who are unprepared to lead a nation of 100 million, yet begrudgingly take on the task as a favor to us all.

The late founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, once said: “The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

We do not need another reluctant President. We need an ethical and competent President who loves the job because he—or she—is driven to do great work for the good of the nation.

Selective juStice lOwdOwn jOjO a. rOBles IT’S Groundhog Day in Makati.

Or is it still Selective Justice Week?

In November 2013, the Sandiganbayan convicted the mayor of the town of Sta. Cruz, the capital of Laguna province, Domingo “Dennis” Panganiban, for illegally using public funds totaling P500,000 on a foreign trip. Panganiban, a member of the administration

Liberal Party, still holds office and performs his official functions to this very day, as if nothing has happened.

Panganiban, as far as I know, was never suspended during the duration of his corruption trial. even after his conviction on the serious criminal charge, he was never jailed, replaced or even removed from office.

I heard of Panganiban’s strange case several months back, when the Department of Interior and Local Government first attempted to suspend Makati Mayor Jejomar erwin “Junjun” Binay for six months.

The DILG, then as now, said it was merely enforcing a suspension order issued by the Ombudsman as the latter continues to investigate charges of corruption against the Vice President’s son in connection with the construction of the Makati City hall parking building.

But Panganiban, who reportedly (and anomalously) was allowed by the anti-graft court to remain in office after posting bail, is just a small fish, really, in the Laguna Lake compared to Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso “Boy”

A9

i can hear dennis panganiban and Boy Umali laughing about how sweet it is to be on the right side of ‘justice.’

Umali, a known “BFF” of President Noynoy Aquino himself. Umali, a top dog of the LP, remains firmly locked into his governor’s chair even after he was sentenced only last April to up to 10 years in prison for illegally facilitating a loan of government funds to a shipowner amounting to P2.5 million.

Umali, according to the decision, was also penalized with the cancellation of retirement and other benefits and barred from serving the government. And yet, Umali is very much involved in fundraising activities for the LP ahead of the 2016 elections, according to knowledgeable political operators.

Both Panganiban and Umali are the poster boys for the policy of “selective justice” that Vice President Jejomar Binay railed about soon after he cut ties with the administration and quit Aquino’s Cabinet.

For those unfamiliar with Groundhog Day, it’s a reference to a movie wherein the main character (played by Bill Murray) relives the same day over and over again. In the movie, the repetition is of Groundhog Day, wherein a groundhog supposedly predicts the arrival of spring for

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-

Americans of German descent in the Pennsylvania region.

But the people who want Mayor Binay suspended are apparently expecting a different result this time. After all, the policy of selective justice decrees that Binay should be removed even if he hasn’t been brought to court yet, even if both Panganiban and Umali remain secure in their posts even after being convicted. *** But in a departure from the original script, Interior and Local

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

Government Secretary Mar Roxas, widely believed to be the main challenger of Vice President Binay in next May’s presidential election, apparently has an even weaker case this time around than when he first tried to unseat the Makati mayor.

This is because the earlier suspension order slapped on the mayor had to do with the alleged anomalous construction of the Makati City hall parking building, which is at least supported by some documents.

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. Isabel “Gina” P. Verzosa Head, Advertising Solutions Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

The Aquino administration marked its fifth year in office yesterday. Are we better off or worse than when President Benigno S. Aquino III assumed office on June 30, 2010?

Buhay Party List Rep. Lito Atienza gives his assessment of Aquino’s five years ahead of the President’s valedictory State of the Nation Address in July. To be fair, he said, there are pluses and minuses. Atienza confines his criticism to just two basic related issues—the traffic gridlock and the inefficient public transport system- -which he said are costing the country billions in lost man-hours and productivity. Lito said t Although these issues are not new, he people must constantly remind government of its failings because Aquino and his cabal had become “manhid” (numb and insensitive).

Because of the Aquino administration’s insensitivity and numbness to public demand for it to deliver these basic services, traffic in Metro Manila is almost at a standstill while the lack of an efficient public transport system hampers the daily commute to and from work. That is, if one is able to find gainful employment.

During a recent house hearing, Atienza took to task MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino for his helter-skelter handling of he metro-wide traffic mess.

Atienza found unacceptable the MMDA chief ’s excuse the government does not have the funds to implement a longterm solution to the traffic nightmare of motorists and commuters.

“The MMDA does not have the money to solve the Metro traffic problem but it can fund a costly TV infomercial to give Tolentino national exposure and name recall for his 2016 senatorial run,“ fumed Atienza. he also railed at the daily breakdown of the Metro Rail Transit, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and late for work. he traced the root of the MRT’s poor service when MRT management replaced the Japanese firm Sumitomo with a local company without any track record in train service maintenance. The greed for contract kickbacks and the attempt of MRT management to extort from the Czech company bidding to sell additional carriages and upgrade equipment led to the further deterioration of the public transport system.

Tolentino is included in the ruling Liberal Party senatorial slate while Atienza is running for senator in the opposition United Nationalist Alliance of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

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

W e d n e s d ay: J U Ly 1 , 2 0 1 5

a10

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Scrap the cct to the point emil p. jurado IN answer to questions on what the Aquino administration has done to alleviate the plight of the poor in the past five years, the President will certainly brag that its Conditional Cash Transfer program has benefitted no less than 4.4 million people.

Through the program, the poor send their children to school and avail themselves of health benefits.

But has the program really benefited the poor?

Has it not made them mere mendicants when the solution to poverty is job generation?

The CCT program is actually a copy of a program in socialist countries in Latin America. But look at them: they continue to be mired in poverty and debt.

In fact, Mexico stopped its version of CCT because it only worsened its debt problems with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

The Arroyo administration during its last years had adopted it, but its appropriation was only P27 billion a year. Now, President Aquino’s CCT has ballooned to P62 billion in 2014 and P65 billion this year. Next year, an election year, it is expected to hit P72 billion.

Santa Banana, that’s a lot of gravy to be spread by an outgoing administration!

During the past years, I have been critical of this program. It does not only fail to solve poverty; it also breeds mendicancy.

Besides, it is a source of corruption.

With people like Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, how can you trust a program like CCT? I also criticized the CCT for being misdirected.

Funds go to gambling and drugs. This has led to the delisting of many beneficiaries. And yet, the President continues with it.

And now we have this study of the Asian Development Bank that 30 percent or P19 billion of the P62-billion CCT funding of 2014 did not go to the intended beneficiaries. Where, then, did the P19 billion go?

No less than Senator Chiz Escudero got alarmed and he wants an investigation. I believe it should be

more than a resolution.

Cases of graft and corruption should be thrown at Soliman and DSWD implementing officers. In fact, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, Senate Majority Leader, wants a complete listing of CCT beneficiaries to determine whether the intended beneficiaries are really poor.

If we were alarmed with the Janet Lim Napoles P10 billion pork barrel scam, imagine P19 billion going to waste. This is a bigger issue!

Considering that the Aquino administration has been caught with the Priority Development Assistance Fund and Disbursement Acceleration Program, what would stop Mr. Aquino and Ms. Soliman from using more for election purposes? *** During the last days of the Arroyo administration, I wrote about a “midnight deal” entered into by the former

Where did the P19 billion go?

Presidential Commission on Good Government officials with Reghis Romero’s RII Buildings-Primestate Ventures Inc. to develop the 4.4 hectare of Broadcast City in Quezon City, a prime property, into a mixed-used commercialresidential complex.

I based my criticism on the Commission on Audit findings that the deal was grossly disadvantageous to the government.

The commission said that price agreed upon was only P9,999 per square meter when the property bounded by Ayala Heights subdivision and Capitol Golf Course cost P17,000 per square meter.

I also recall that Senate President Frank Drilon questioned the deal; why is he so quiet now? It was grossly disadvantageous to the government that it would only receive P278 million from the P728

preSident poe’S policieS ON June 11, 2015, Sen. Grace Poe the north, irrigation is almost none was guest of honor and speaker at existent. We haven’t built enough Virtual the Rotary Club of Manila meeting. infrastructure to have water entrapreality Her speech was followed by an open ment facilities or dams. The poor forum. Since it is now certain Grace sectors haven’t been given the proper tony would run (either for president or support. lopez vice president), here are excerpts for Lessons from parents your guide: The greatest lesson I learned from On running for president my father is how to love and to be loved.

I still have a lot to consider. This is not an easy decision My mother was the one who gave me the unconditional to make. love that we all look for even as a child. And of course the I don’t have the machinery, I don’t have the money. other their attributes people integrity and transparency. I What I have is the dream and the thought that it is in- don’t think he (FPJ) would have survived the business for deed a privilege to be a part of making our country better. 40 years if he didn’t have that.

We travel to many different countries, we see how much My parents have always told me, that in any endeavor, you they’ve improved. We say “why can’t we do this?” will only be truly successful if it is not done for yourself alone.

In Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia you see all the On her investment policy things that could be applied here in our country. I try to Together with this possible changes in our Constitution figure out: “How can we do this?” to increase economic productivity, we should check the very Am I ready? Not yet. By the time that I announce and basic ones like the ease of doing business in our country. We for what position, I would like to have a complete program currently rank 108th (in ease of doing business). We ranked of government that people can use as a basis to determine 113th a few years ago. Still, it is not easy to set up business in if I am worthy or not. Because if I just say that I declare our country. How many permits do we have to sign? and for what reason, again we are confining ourselves to Our taxes are around 70%, more than most other counpersonality politics. tries when you invest. Our foreign direct investment (FDI) The presidency is a privilege. I think it’s abnormal for has increased from the time President Aquino took office. anyone to desire it. It is a big challenge. (It’s like) six years Still, more needs to be done. Compared to Thailand, we are of your life being in a convent. half their GNP. It is important for investors to realize that at You always have to be detached in a way, but also im- least we are consistent with our laws, with our judicial system, mersed at the same time. It is not easy. with the implementation of our regulations. We cannot just My mind, my own basic principles and beliefs are change it one day and then return it the next. The message aligned with what the President has in terms of his dreams that we need to (convey) is that we have a stable government, for our country. and that the government is serious in prosecuting crimes.

I always strive for greatness. In anything that I do, esOn Vice President Jojo Binay pecially for the people, I don’t think it’s enough that our There are merits for a case filed against him. The VP alcountry is well-off and our people are given their basic ways mentions, “Ayaw kong pumunta sa Senado sapagkat needs. We should strive to make our country great. Let hindi patas ang laban diyan. So ngayon na magkakaroon us set the bar higher for each and every one of us. Let us ng kaso, pagkakataon niya iyon na mageksplika sa korte.” truly believe in ourselves when we go around and say that I don’t want to sound arrogant but the point is, with our country is great. regards to partnering up with somebody, we should have (It’s not enough to say) we are the fastest growing econ- pure confidence in that person. omy, we should now say that it is great and that we are Friendships are important, families are important, but proud to be Filipino. once you become an elected official, your first and foreOn poverty, inequality, corruption most obligation should be with the people.

It is no joke—we need to continue our fight against corOn China ruption. We have to fight corruption. It is actually a stumWe really need to continue with our arbitration. China bling block to achieving poverty reduction. Government and the Philippines are signatories to the United Nations has targeted conditional cash transfer (CCT) program. It Convention on the Law of the Sea. On the other hand, our needs to be reviewed regularly and expanded daily. I also relationship with China spans centuries. think about our efforts towards the K+12 program so that We should continue bilateral talks in other aspects. the children or students in their last two years can be pre- There are other concerns in China, for example our ecopared for the work place and will actually have the skills nomic relationships, the humanitarian aid that they somenecessary to work and provide for their families in need times give, our cultural exchanges, sometimes when we and maybe for them not have to go to college. focus on one aspect we forget the strength of the other reIn the provinces the poor depend on many old-style politi- lationships that we have. cians because they feel that they can benefit from these politiThe US is our ally. But can you rely on the United States cians only during the time of elections. So then our program, to defend us? I don’t think we should do that. poverty alleviation, should be a priority. It has a direct effect In pursuing any conflict, the first interest that we need to on democracy and the government has a lot to prove. think of is that of our constituents.

The agricultural sector is considered the poorest in soIf we start making threats, empty or not, I don’t think ciety. A lot of our farmers continue to suffer. They don’t that it’s constructive. We should just state the facts. know so much about crop insurance.

A lot of them depend on irrigation and yet, especially in biznewsasia@gmail.com million that the Romero group would pay IBC-13, Drilon said.

There were also charges that some of the PCGG commissioners got what was called “pabaon” or sendoff gifts from the deal, and that some IBC-13 officials got “kickbacks.”

S u r p r i s i n g l y, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales upheld the joint venture. In a 29-page resolution, the Ombudsman claimed the deal was advantageous since the payment to the government helped alleviate the financial condition of the television network,

especially its employees, since it could no longer pay them.

That’s plain baloney, and no matter how you slice it, it’s still baloney taking into consideration the COA findings. The Ombudsman noted that even the Office Solicitor General and Office of Government Corporate Counsel declared that there was no legal impediment that prevented the PCGG and the IBC-13 from entering into the “midnight deal.”

I am not surprised with the ruling of the Ombudsman, since many other surprises have since

come to fore with Morales there. It’s the mantra of “selective justice” under President Aquino. My gulay, how in the world could PCGG-IBC-13 joint venture be advantageous to government when the prime property was undervalued? *** I cannot blame Makati mayor Junjun Binay for standing pat at the City Hall office despite the suspension order issued against him by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The timing is suspicious, coming as it did after Vice President Jojo

Binay resigned from the Aquino cabinet. Now, the mayor’s father heads the real opposition, and is lambasting the Aquino administration.

But, more importantly, the basis of Mayor Binay’s suspension is the say-so of conscripted whistleblowers and discredited political opponents of the Binays. All these are hearsay – not admissible in a court of law.

I am saddened that the Ombudsman has become a lapdog of President Aquino when it should provide check and balance in the administration.

W e d n e s d ay: J u ly 1 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

adelle chua EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

THE WAITING GAME SO I SEE LITO banayO After the release of the two publicly-announced surveys, the public awaits the final contenders. Unless the Commission on elections changes its deadlines, certificates of candidacy will be filed between October 12 and 16, for elections that will be held roughly seven months thereafter.

Between now and then, there is the consolidation phase for those who have more or less announced or decided to go for the presidency in 2016. that means Vice President Jejomar Binay and Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Manuel roxas II. Jojo has resigned his position as chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and Presidential Assistant for OfW Concerns, both with Cabinet rank. Mar has yet to give up his DILG portfolio, perhaps until after the last Mahindra jeep has been distributed to the police.

But it’s only a matter of time.

Davao City Mayor rodrigo Duterte said no way to a presidential quest last thursday before a forum of Asian CeOs, but in Davao the other day, he was singing “never say never,” right after Mar visited him friday

Gridlock..From A9 Atienza, one of the most vocal critics of the Aquino administration, is urging Cabinet members running for elective office in 2016 to resign and not use their offices and government resources to gain undue advantage over opposition candidates. “the use of the people’s tax money is unconscionable and the Commission on elections is not doing anything about

A11

Selective..From A9

night. And Poe is in europe for the annual hegira of senators and other parliamentarians, perhaps also to study when to announce, if she does not change her mind that is.

Is there no one else?

Ilocos awaits what the Marcoses will say tomorrow, Madam Imelda’s birthday. Will he or won’t he?

Manila Mayor Joseph estrada, during the Araw ng Maynila celebrations, announced he is running for re-election as mayor, and Isko Moreno keeps moving about the islands in pursuit of a national post, this time the Senate. But privately, there is still in erap that longing for a return to the palace by the stinking river. this stint was stolen from him. the waiting game is also being played out by the political parties. Whom should they endorse? Whom should they coalesce with? When will they break up the present administration coalition? the Nacionalista Party has two presidential hopefuls and one who has moderated his ambition towards numero dos. they await Alan Peter Cayetano’s and Bongbong Marcos’ ”final” plans.

If they decide to scale down their sights, then the party will choose whom to pair up one or the other with, and negotiate with either Duterte or Poe. the Nationalist People’s Coalition will decide whether to go with the administration coali-

tion, and support Mar, or adopt Poe and Chiz, or, as they have been wont in the past, “allow” their members to decide whom to support for the top posts. they only have one re-electionist, Senator tito Sotto, and one senatorial wannabe, Sherwin Gatchalian of Valenzuela. And for now, Sherwin is attached to VP Binay, courtesy of erap.

People, particularly the Liberals, also await PNoy’s benediction. He announced before it would be June. that has passed.

He said two weeks ago that he would announce his plans right after the last State of the Nation Address. that means August, just before the ghost month kicks in, I guess?

Chances are, it will be pushed back further. Don’t bet on that post-SONA date.

Political weather-weather may push D-Day a bit longer. And it is going to be Mar, with whoever as his vice, subject to the nihil obstat of PNoy. then, there will be the formation of tandems and senatorial slates. Poe and Chiz are said to prefer going it alone. that means no senatorial slate. travel light with hardly any baggage.

VP Binay is having a hard time getting someone to partner with him, despite several public floats. rejections or polite demurrers have greeted such floats. And having a hard time likewise in completing a senatorial slate of 12 relatively known

names. So far, he has Sherwin Gatchalian, Harry roque, Lorna Kapunan, perhaps Lito Atienza and Martin romualdez. Maybe Manny the Pacman, who has been quiet of late. the LP has a surfeit of senatorial wannabes, “sobra-sobra ang naga-apply”, they proudly claim. there are re-electionists Drilon, recto and tG Guingona.

And balik-senadores Kiko Pangilinan and perhaps Ping Lacson, should he decide to lower his sights from Mt. Olympus to the hills of Athens.

And various applicants, such as rachel Arenas and Leila de Lima, risa Hontiveros and francis tolentino. Ikot Petilla and Joel Villanueva. even rey “Umaliwanag” of Mindoro.

And maybe the recalcitrant reelectionist Serge Osmena.

But their champion Mar has yet to prevail on Poe to tandem with him. So he flew to Davao last friday, and forthwith, his handlers floated the possibility of a Mar-Digong team-up. But that does not seem to be in the cards. Duterte is still looking at his presidential “stars”. for now, only Poe is definite about her preferred choice of numero dos, her political mentor and long-time buddy, Chiz.

But whether to make a final go, and when to announce is still a question mark. the waiting game. from the looks of it, this would be a cliffhanger until the starting bell tolls.

This time around, roxas is attempting to get the Makati mayor on the flimsier charge of the alleged irregularities attending the construction of a building of the Makati City Science High School, based entirely on hearsay evidence.

And roxas and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales are expecting that this new charge will stick.

If the Court of Appeals stopped the first attempt to suspend Mayor Binay on the City Hall building charge, I predict that it will have no trouble doing the same thing on this new accusation. Or else the CA will also act out of character and fail to play its part in this Groundhog Day reenactment.

Besides, I think that Aquino and roxas don’t really expect to get the younger Binay to step down, because they must surely realize the lack of substance of this new complaint. I believe that this new assault on Makati is only intended to send a message to other local officials who may be planning on joining the elder Binay in his quest for the presidency that they, too, could expect “quickie” charges filed against them, with suspension orders issued just as quickly afterwards.

Of course, if Mayor Binay is somehow scared into stepping down, then that’s a bonus. And Vice Mayor romulo “Kid” Pena, in yet another departure from the original script, can finally call himself a real mayor.

Somewhere, I can hear Dennis Panganiban and Boy Umali laughing about how sweet it is to be on the right side of the raging implementors of selective justice.

Liberal Party candidates’ early campaigning which is contrary to law,” claimed Atienza.

Asking for a level playing field may be too much to expect of the ruling party. At best, it can be seen as par for political discourse. But Atienza raises a valid point when he said lack of funds to implement urgent public projects fall flat in the face of government spending P72 billion in its Conditional Cash transfer program for the poor. Lito questions the lack of

accountability of Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman who still has not provided a list of beneficiaries receiving the government dolet. Instead of abetting mendicancy, Atienza suggests government spend the money on generating jobs which has greater social impact.

Aside from tolentino, Atienza pointed to energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, Health Secretary Janet Garin, and technical education and Skills Development Authority

Director Joel Villanueva whose tV infomercials purportedly promote the role of their respective agencies but really promote their senatorial candidacies.

Cabinet members spend their budget in the guise of informing the public what their departments are doing but are actually advancing their agenda since the focus of these tV ads are the department heads themselves. the unkindest cut of all is insulting our intelligence. It’s quite obvious those MMDA

earthquake preparedness tV ads are meant to promote MMDA chairman tolentino’s senatorial aspiration. Petilla’s tV infomercials, on the other hand, can only be seen as wallpapering his failure to address the recurring power shortage in Mindanao and a looming one in Metro Manila. the public should be wary of political propaganda and those who employ it should be the first ones voters should strike off their list.

#failocracy

chong ardivilla

WE DN E S DAY : J ULY 1 , 2 0 1 5

A12

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Free agents LeBron, Love, Aldridge drawing attention NEW YORK—Free agency for eligible NBA players begins Wednesday, with Cleveland’s LeBron James and Kevin Love drawing plenty of attention but LaMarcus Aldridge and Marc Gasol more likely to make a move.

Several media reports citing unnamed sources say that James, the superstar playmaker who powered the Cavaliers into the NBA Finals, has told the team he will opt out of his contract, as Love also reportedly has done.

Situations often become murky because while clubs can start making offers to players on Wednesday, no deals can be signed until July 9, so confirmations often come long after deals begin settling out.

James is a free agent for the third time in five years after leaving Cleveland for Miami, spending four seasons with the Heat that brought two NBA titles and then opting last year to return to the Cavaliers.

This time, James is expected to rejoin Cleveland after much talk about his devotion to his home region and his vow to turn the Cavaliers into champions and end Cleveland’s 51-year major sports title drought.

But opting out gives James leverage in making sure Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and management are as good as their word about spending on free agents to keep the team a title contender, including top-dollar efforts to sign Love, Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Australian guard Matthew Dellavedova.

And don’t expect this to be the last time James opts out of his contract. He is expected to sign with the Cavs again for $22 million, only a boost of $400,000 over what he would have made had he not opted out.

But next year, when a new television deal boosts the NBA salary cap, James could see his salary jump to $32.4 million by opting out. And the following year, when more of the TV money kicks in, opting out could boost James’ paycheck to $40.7 million.

Beyond the Cavaliers, who fell to Golden State in the NBA Finals, come several talented free agents who could boost the fortunes of new clubs. AFP

Dutch chief, government don’t want disruption of French tour THE HAGUE, Netherlands— The Dutch government and the mayor of Rotterdam said Monday they had asked a court to bar a demonstration by police that would disrupt the Tour de France.

Justice Minister Ard van der Steur and Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb want an order forbidding a protest by police on a bridge in Rotterdam on Sunday, the second day of the cycling race.

Police, who are demanding better pay, said they intend to carry out traffic checks on the “advertising caravan” that precedes the competitors, a move that would hold up the riders.

A justice ministry spokeswoman confirmed the request for an injunction but refused further comment, while the Rotterdam mayor called the protest “incomprehensible.”

“I regret this action and I find it incomprehensible that this event, followed by so many cycling fans, is being used for this action,” Aboutaleb told Dutch press agency ANP. “I have a lot of sympathy for the police officers who are fighting for a better collective labour agreement, but I don’t think that objective should be obtained in this manner,” he added.

Police will also carry out a protest bike ride in the city of Utrecht shortly before the start of the race on July 4.

The officers want a pay raise of 3.3 percent, higher overtime pay and a cash bonus for undergoing a reorganisation of the police force. AFP

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, shown here handling the ball against the Golden State Warriors in Game Six of the 2015 NBA Finals at The Quicken Loans Arena, has told the team he will opt out of his contract. AFP

Atlanta Hawks’ Korver to undergo elbow surgery NEW YORK—Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver will undergo right elbow surgery Tuesday, the veteran NBA 3-point sharpshooter’s second operation in five weeks, the club announced Monday.

Korver will have surgery in New York to remove loose bodies from the elbow. No timetable for recovery will be decided until after the operation, the Hawks said in a

About $2.75 million transferred from fivetime major golf champion Phil Mickelson to an intermediary was laundered in an illegal sports betting operation, ESPN reported, noting the American golfer has not been charged.

statement.The 34-year-old American underwent surgery last month to repair right ankle ligament damage.

Korver suffered a high ankle sprain in a collision with Cleveland guard Matthew Dellavedova of Australia during game two of the Eastern Conference finals against Cleveland and missed the remainder of the series.

Korver is already expected to be sidelined until late August because of the ankle surgery. That would give him a month more before the start of pre-season workouts for the 2015-16 campaign.

Korver averaged 12.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists a game for the Hawks, who had the best record in the Eastern Conference at 60-22. AFP

Report: Millions in Mickelson funds laundered NEW YORK—About $2.75 million transferred from five-time major golf champion Phil Mickelson to an intermediary was laundered in an illegal sports betting operation, ESPN reported Monday, noting Mickelson has not been charged.

The 45-year-old American, who earlier this month missed his second chance at completing a career Grand Slam by failing to win at the US Open, is not under investigation, according to the sports television network’s website report.

Gregory Silveira, who has pleaded guilty to three counts of laundering funds from an unnamed client in March of 2010, faces an October 5 sentencing hearing in US District Court. He could receive up to 60 years in prison, though a much lighter sentence is likely.

Citing two unnamed sources and court documents, ESPN reported that Mickelson is the unnamed gambling client of Silveira, who accepted a

wire transfer of $2.75 million and admitted moving the funds into other accounts for the purpose of illegal gambling.

The report said that a plea agreement signed last month by Silveira contained a reference to “laundering of funds from P.M.” but that agreement was stricken and replaced the next day with an amended version lacking any “P.M.” notation.

Last year, Mickelson’s name was part of an insider trading probe that involved famed investor Carl Ichan and sports gambler Billy Walters. Mickelson was cleared in the only known investigation in the matter involving insider trading.

Mickelson won the 2004, 2006 and 2010 Masters, the 2005 PGA Championship and the 2013 British Open and is a record six-time runner-up at the US Open, most recently in 2013. The left-hander makes more than $40 million in annual sponsorship deals, according to Forbes magazine. AFP

WE DN E S DAY : J ULY 1 , 2 0 1 5

A13

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Resorts World holds poker tilt RESORTS World Manila, in partnership with Nuffnang Philippines, the country’s leading blog advertising community, recently organized and hosted the first-ever Bloggers’ Poker Tournament and charity event dubbed “Play It Forward” with the Philippines’ top bloggers in attendance.

Nuffnang Philippines bloggers required no buyin for the fun poker tournament with a number of first timers receiving tutorials from the RWM gaming staff.

Thirty-eight bloggers battled it out for the benefit of their chosen charities and a grand prize comprising an overnight stay at the luxurious all-suite Maxims Hotel, dinner at awardwinning French restaurant Impressions as prepared

by Mâitres Cuisinier de France and Executive chef

Cyrille Soenen, free airfare tickets and a Star Cruises Asian getaway aboard MS SuperStar Gemini for two.

Four other bloggers also won for themselves an overnight stay at Maxims Hotel and dinner at Impressions for two.

Looking to strengthen ties between RWM and Nuffnang Philippines while promoting the sport of poker locally, the tournament also donated proceeds as raised through sponsorships to the winning bloggers’ chosen charity institutions.

Celebrity blogger Divine Lee emerged as the grand winner of the tournament with her chosen charity Childhaus Center for Health Improvement and Life Development. Runners-up included Charles Tiu, Renren Ritualo, Winslow Co, and Mike Swift.

RESORTS World Manila’s Director for Corporate Communications Owen Cammayo (left) and Nuffnang Philippines Country Manager Abe Olandres (right) award the winners of the inaugural Bloggers’ Poker Tournament. Together in photo with tournament champion Divine Lee (fourth from left) are runners up Charles Tiu (fifth from left), Renren Ritualo (sixth from left), Winslow Co (second from left), and Mike Swift (third from left).

Nietes’ foe arrives 2 weeks before fight

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

MANDATORY challenger Francisco “Chihuas” Rodriguez (17-2-1, 11 KOs) travelled Sunday to the Philippines, where he’ll challenge Donnie “Ahas” Nietes (35-1-4, 21 KOs) for the World Boxing Organization flyweight championship on July 11 at the Waterfront Hotel Casino in Cebu City, providing fight fans a glimpse of how seriously he’s pursuing the quest to become the first fighter to beat the longest reigning Filipino world champion.

Rodriguez, a former International Boxing Federation/WBO minimum weight champion, who won the minimum weight title by beating Nietes’ good friend and stablemate Merlito Sabillo via a 10th round TKO,

has prompted the Filipino titlist to train harder than ever before and has vowed to avenge the loss of his pal.

Rodriguez reportedly left for the Philippines two weeks early to adapt to the time and climate.

Nietes, who was also the WBO minimum weight champion before moving up and winning the light flyweight title against Raul Garcia Hirales in Bacolod City, will be making the 12th defense of his crown against Rodriguez.

He won the minimum weight title on Sept. 30, 2007, and now has the longest world title run in Filipino history, having surpassed the record set by the late Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, who reigned as world junior lightweight champion foe almost seven and a half years.

There is a huge interest generated in the Nietes title defense after the Filipino appeared peeved by the cocky stance of Rodriguez. He even vowed to shut his mouth on

July11 after Rodriguez suffered a slight ankle sprain and forced the “Pinoy Pride XXXI” fight card to be pushed back by one week.

In a forum post on Fight News, David John Trehane of Bangkok said: “Eight years holding and defending a world title is tremendous. If only a bigger fight was available to showcase his talent. A fight with World Boxing Council champion Wanheng Menayothin of Thailand would be a real treat for boxing fans.

Maybe even in a third country like Macau. Boxing is in need of fights like this.”

Brad Stemp commented: “I think this will be a terrific fight. Very real chance of an upset to end the wonderful reign of Nietes.”

Foton spikers win crown

Mascots hog spotlight. Cincinnati Reds mascot Rosie Red poses for a photo from fellow mascot Gapper before the Reds’ game against the Minnesota Twins at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. AFP

TUGUEGARAO CITY – Host Tuguegarao-Foton survived favorite Philippine Army to capture the women’s volleyball championship of the 7th Gov. Alvaro T. Antonio Friendship Games recently at the People’s Gymnasium here.

Cheered by highly partisan crowd, sisters Jaja and Dindin Santiago led Tuguegarao in both ends en route to a 25-23, 25-21, 2325, 25-23 triumph as it completed a sweep to the Army Spikers, bannered by fellow nationals Rachell Ann Daquis, Abby Marano and Tina Salak.

The Army Spikers enjoyed a ‘twice-to-beat’ advantage after sweeping the one-round elimination.

Cagayan defeated Philippine Navy, 25-16, 25-20, 26-25, to bag third place.

Organized by the Provincial

Government of Cagayan, in cooperation with the City Government of Tuguegarao, the weeklong tourney is part of the 432nd founding anniversary celebration of the province.

Gov. Antonio awarded the trophy and bonus cash prizes of P500,000 to the champions, P300,000 to runner-up and P100,000 to third placers.

All losing participants received a consolation prize of P25,000.

In the men’s division, Philippine Air Force claimed the title with a 21-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-20 victory over Cignal, while Cagayan placed third via a heart-stopping 18-25, 19-25, 25-17, 25-16, 15-10 win over Istituto Estelitico Manila.

The Cagayan Rising Suns, meantime, reigned supreme in men’s basketball, hammering Tuguegarao City, 79-68, in the one-game championship.

Ranking points up in FDG Cup THE FDG Cup 2015 Open and Invitational Badminton Championships will offer ranking points for members of the national pool seeking to improve their standings, guaranteeing fierce action in all matches when the event is played beginning July 9 at Powersmash in Makati City.

Aside from cash prizes and trophies, the winners and the other top finishers in various categories will earn ranking points with the four-day event ending July 12 serving as part of the Philippine National Ranking System of the Philippine Badminton Association.

The annual event, now on its 12th year, has grown in numbers and prestige, luring the cream of the country’s crop and the rising stars out to make their mark on the local badminton stage. The tournament has also become a prime venue for badminton enthusiasts and players to compete.

Members of the Philippine team and the national pool head the cast in the centerpiece Open singles division, including siblings Malvinne and Mark Alcala along with John Kenneth Monterubio, R-Jay Ormilla, Joper Escueta, Peter Magnaye, Kevin Dalisay and Ros Leenard Pedrosa, and Airah Albo, Alyssa Leonardo, Aldreen Concepcion and Eleanor Inlayo in the women’s side.

Meanwhile, the draw date will be held tomorrow (July 2) at 3 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Pasig City.

Organizers said the first two days of the event will consist of the elimination rounds of the Open division with the qualifying for the Invitational division to be held on July 11 along with the quarterfinal round of the Open.

W E D N E S D AY : J U LY 1 , 2 0 1 5

A14

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Republic of the Philippines PROVINCE OF CAVITE BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE GOODS AND SERVICES (BAC-A) INVITATlON TO BID (RESET) Delivery or Rice (Sinandomeng Variety) for Barangay ko Alerta 1, The Provincial Government of Cavite, through the 70% Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Fund (PDRRMF), duly approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, intends to apply the following sum of Two Million Three Hundred Pesos (P2,300,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payment for the Delivery of Rice (Sinandomeng Variety) for Barangay ko Alerto, bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening 2. The Provincial Government of Cavite now invites bids for Delivery of Rice (Sinandomeng Variety) for Barangay ko Alerto. Delivery of the goods is required within Thirty (30) Calendar Days, the same with the contract for services. Bidders should have completed, a contract similar to the Project for a period of three (3) years. The description of eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from BAC Secretariat and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders, direct owners or duly authorized representatives, to the BAC Secretariat at the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for each Bidding Documents in the amount of Five Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (5,500.00).

6. Pre-Bid Conference previously scheduled on June 30, 2015, is reset to July 7, 2015 also at 10:00 am at the Office of the Bids and Awards Committee, 2nd Floor, Capitol Building, Trece Martires City; 7.

Deadline of submission of bids is also changed from July 14, 2015 to July 28, 2015 also at 10:00 am, 2nd Floor, Capitol Building, Trece Martires City. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

8. Bid opening shall be on July 28, 2015, at 10:30 a.m. at the Office of the Bids and Awards Committee, 2nd Floor, Capitol Building, Trece Martires City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidder`s representatives who choose to attend at the address below.

Late bids shall not be accepted.

9. In any case of the above dates is declared a special non-working holiday, it will automatically be reset on the on the next working day.

10. The Provincial Government of Cavite 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.

11. For further information, please refer to: Engr. Glenn Miller B. Leyva, Head, BAC Secretariat Bids and Awards Committee, 2/F Capitol Bldg., Trece Martires City. Tel/ Fax No. (046) 419-1181

Altas outplay Pirates, 70-61 a comfortable 64-57 margin with only 1:46 to remaining.

“Natuwa ako sa mga players ko. Kahit down SHOWING grace under pressure, the kami sa third quarter, nandun ang puso nila, University of Perpetual Help Altas lumaban,” said Altas coach Aric del Rosario, as turned back the Lyceum of the Phil- the Altas spoiled the debut of new Pirates coach ippines University Pirates, 70-61, in Topex Robinson.

In the junior division, the La Salle-Greenhills the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Greenies won a protested game over the Letran Association (NCAA) men’s basketball Squires, 88-49, while the Lyceum Philippines University Junior Pirates scored their first ever tournament. blowout win at the expense of the University of Veterans Earl Thompson and Gab Dangangon Perpetual Help Junior Altas, 78-59.

Ricci Rivero, playing his final year for the scored crucial baskets in the final four minutes to Greenies, hit a game-high 35 points rally the Altas to their first win, while Games Tomorrow and had 11 rebounds as they posted dealing the Pirates their first loss of (San Juan Arena) 10 a.m. EAC-ICA vs San Beda (jrs) their first win. the season.

12 nn SSC vs Mapua (jrs) He had 18 points in the third peBut it was 6-8 Nigerian Prince Eze 2 p.m. EAC vs San Beda (srs) riod, allowing the Greenies to take a who led the Altas with a double-dou4 p.m. SSC vs Mapua (srs) 71-35 at the end of the third. ble performance of 21 points and 10 The match was eventually placed under prorebounds.

The foul-troubled Thompson, who also had 10 test after members of the Greenies wore uniforms rebounds, fired 10 points even as Dangangon, with jersey numbers that were beyond the precompleted a three-pint play with 3:34 left that scribed no. 19.

Junior Pirates coach LA Mumar, meanwhile, broke the game’s final deadlock, 57-all to go up, said their win over the Junior Altas felt “surreal” 60-57.

Another drive from Dangangon followed by because the team has not a experienced such a big Thompson’s two charities sent the Altas ahead by lead before.

By Peter Atencio

(SGD) RENATO A. ABUTAN BAC Chairman

( T S J U LY 1, 2 015 )

Republic of the Philippines Cordillera Administrative Region Mountain Province LGU-BAUKO OFFICE OF THE MUNICIPAL BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE Official Website: www.lgubauko.gov.ph

Email address: lgu_bauko@yahoo.com

INVITATATION TO BID FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS AT DEKYAW AND TUMAAYAK RIVER AT MONAMON NORTE, BAUKO, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE Date: July 1, 2015 The Municipality of Bauko, through the Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) invites interested bidders to bid for the construction, operation and management of Hydroelectric Power Plants at Dekyaw and Tumayaak Rivers located at Monamon Norte, Bauko, Mountain Province.

APPROVED PROJECT COST

COST OF BIDDINGDOCUMENTS

SCOPE OF WORK

PhP 380,000,000.00 (m i n i m u m)

PhP 50,000.00

Please refer to t h e Te r m s o f Reference.

The Municipality of Bauko, invites interested bidders for the construction, operation and management of Hydroelectric Power Plants at Dekyaw and Tumayaak Rivers. Bidding will be conducted in accordance with the relevant procedures for competitive bidding as specified under existing pertinent laws.

Interested bidders shall submit their sealed bids with the prescribed bid documents on the date, time and place specified in the publication called for bids.

Interested bidders may purchase the bidding documents from the office of the BAC Liga Building, LGU-Bauko, Mountain Province, upon payment of non-refundable fee of FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (PhP50, 000.00).

ACTIVITIES

Cage champs. Gerry’s Grill-DPS Team Manager Jerome Ngo (right) proudly holds the trophy that his team won after emerging as champion in the 2015 Millennium Basketball League First Conference against AMA-WANG’S in a one-game final via overtime on Monday night at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. Also in photo beside Ngo is coach Renzy Bajar and players.The champion team is co-owned by Ngo and Diliman Preparatory School president and former Senator Nikki Coseteng.

PLACE

TIME AND DATE

Phil GEPS and National Dailies

July 1, 2015

2. Issuance of Bidding Documents after payment of non-refundable fee of PhP50,000.00

BAC Office LGU-Bauko

July 1, 2015 – July 30, 2015 @ 9:00a.m.

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

3. Pre-bid conference shall be opened only to interested bidders who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

BAC Office LGU-Bauko

July 30, 2015, 9:00a.m.

4. Last day of submission and opening of bids

BAC Office LGU-Bauko

October 13, 2015, 9:00a.m.

FORMER WBC super-welterweight champion, 42-year old Oscar De La Hoya known as the Golden Boy after winning an Olympic Games lightweight gold medal in 1992, has changed his mind and stated on his Facebook page on Monday he had hung up his gloves for good.

Last week, De la Hoya told ESPN he was “50-50” on the prospects of returning to the ring and fighting Floyd Mayweather or Gennady Golovkin.

1. Posting of Invitation to Bid

BIDS must be delivered to the BAC Office, Liga Building, Abatan, Bauko, Mountain Province on the date and time as specified. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security from any reputable banks. LATE BIDS SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED. The Municipality of Bauko, thru the SBAC reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, without incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

(SGD) GLADYS A. BACWADEN SBAC Chairman ( T S J U LY 1, 2 015 )

Dela Hoya says he’s retiring for good De La Hoya said that “as a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don’t think about coming back, But I am retired, and after speaking to my family and following a great deal of introspection, I have decided to stay retired.”

De la Hoya, now a boxing promoter and the face of a resurgent Golden Boy Promotions, compiled a record of 39-6 (win-loss) in his professional career. He retired in 2009 after being battered by

eight division world champion and stopped in the eighth round by Manny Pacquiao in December 2008.

One year earlier he lost a split decision to Mayweather.

A US Olympic gold winner, De La Hoyasaid “to the many thousands of fans who over the last couple of weeks encouraged me to come out of retirement and fight again, I thank you,.”

“You can rest assured that I will spend the rest of my days around this wonderful sport, even though those days won’t be spent inside the ropes.”

W E D N E S D AY : J U LY 1 , 2 0 1 5

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

PRCI ‘ready to race’

Star’s Peter June Simon, seen here driving against Globalport’s Billly Mamaril and Terrence Romeo during their quarterfinal clash, will be one of the main weapons of the Hotshots against the Alaska Aces in their semifinal series in the PBA Governors Cup which starts today.

Hotshots, Aces start best-of-5 semis clash

By Jeric Lopez

A RESUMPTION of rivalry looms ahead as top seed Alaska and defending champion Star begin another battle when they open their much anticipated best-of-five semifinals clash in the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. Game 1 is scheduled at 7 p.m. tonight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to kick off what many expect to be a nip-and-tuck series between the Aces and the Hotshots.

Whoever draws first blood will certainly have a distinct advantage given that a best-of-five affair isn't that long of a series.

Heading into their titanic tussle, both squads are playing tremendous basketball that's why coaches of both squads anticipate a very difficult series. The Aces have won six of their last

seven games while the Hotshots, who struggled early in the tournament, is now playing championship basketball, having won seven of their last eight outings to get this far. ''This will be a very tough series for us against Purefoods (Star),'' said Alaska coach Alex Compton. ''We got to take our destiny in our own hands and work really hard for this.'' ''I know this series against Alaska will be tough. That's for sure. They are a formidable team. They have it all. They're

playing high-level basketball tougher. They defied the odds and high-level defense. We need and overcame a twice-to-win to be at our absolute best to have disadvantage against GlobalPort a chance,'' said Star coach Tim in the quarterfinals to be able to Cone, who is showing his for- book this collision with the Aces.

Star also needed to grind it mer team a lot of respect.

The paths of Alaska and Star out to top the much improved Batang Pier, 101-94, towards the semis last Sunday in their differ but nonetheGame Today less, their steady (Game 1, Best-of-five Semifinals - knockout game to Smart Araneta Coliseum): move forward. showing got them Star, Alaska begin semis clash The Hotshots through to set up 7 p.m. - Star vs. Alaska and the Aces met the entertaining four times in the last seven consemis pairing ahead.

The Aces are playing consis- ferences in the playoffs either in tent basketball throughout the the quarterfinals or the semiconference and were armed finals as their rivalry is in full with a twice-to-beat edge display. In fact, they played each against pesky Barangay Gine- other in the previous Commisbra in the quarterfinals. Still, sioner's Cup in a best-of-three they had to crawl back from a affair in the quarters swept by 6-point deficit against the Kings Star, 2-0. in the quarters before eventually However, it was Alaska who carving out a 114-108 victory emerged victorious in their and earn a semis ticket. elimination round battle this For the Hotshots, the road was conference, 92-86.

Floyd messing up own legacy—Khan REPEATEDLY frustrated over his failure to lure undefeated pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr to fight him, WBC welterweight Silver champion Amir Khan claimed that by picking up comparatively easy opponents for his September 12 farewell title defense instead of facing him, Khan believes Mayweather Jr is in danger of “messing his own legacy up”.

Mayweather, who beat

eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao in a clash hyped as “The Fight of the Century” announced he would fight for the final time on September 12 - naming Andre Berto and Karim Mayfield as the leading candidates for his ring farewell.

Khan, who has consistently expressed his desire to secure a big-money clash with the 38-year-old Mayweather and claims he could be the first o beat him, has

often been rebuffed, although two weeks ago, the Bolton fighter revealed he had been involved in a heated exchange with Floyd Mayweather Sr. Speaking to Ringcast. net, Khan said: “We've been talking to Al Haymon and hopefully we'll find out in a week what's going to happen.

Mayweather wants to fight on September 12 and I'll be ready for that date.” Ronnie Nathanielsz

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 6 DIGITS 0-0-0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

THE Philippine Racing Commission will be having a hearing today to determine whether they will lift the suspension they imposed on the Philippine Racing Club, Inc.’s Santa Ana Park last week.

Philracom suspended PRCI for an indefinite period after the club’s technical difficulties with their totalizator provider resulted in frequent race delays.

Philracom noted “habitual and consistent delays on the post time of the races,” in all its racedays in June, ranging from 81 minutes to 354 minutes, resulting in “a substantial decline in sales.”

The government agency noted that PRCI posted sales on June 18 of only P13.62 million, “a very low sales output for a Wednesday.”

PRCI’s main and backup servers both experienced intermittent failures over a three-week period in June.

In an emergency meeting held on June 25, the Commission passed Resolution No. 31-15 that orders “all scheduled races [at] PRCI be temporarily suspended until PRCI has shown proof that it has resolved its problems with its service provider.”

PRCI Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer Allan V. Abesamis said yesterday that their Santa Ana Park racetrack is “ready to race” from July 2 onward, after the completion of final testing on July 1 of their two newly-installed servers and related equipment for their totalizator (betting) system.

“Philracom required us,” said Abesamis, “to show that we can operate without trouble. So we bought two new servers, and the old ones will be used for backup.

“We in fact welcomed Philracom’s criticisms, which we took in a constructive spirit to improve our racing operations.”

In a letter to Philracom dated June 30, PRCI requested Philracom to lift the suspension, giving assurances that the corrective measures implemented by their service provider will “ensure the operability and continuing reliability of the totalizator system moving forward.” ***** Last Monday, Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez invited representatives from Metro Manila Turf Club, Inc. to discuss with him preparations for the third leg of the Philracom Triple Crown series.

The final leg of the iconic championship series for elite 3YO Thoroughbred will be held on July 12 at Metroturf racecourse in Malvar, Batangas.

MMTCI’s racing manager Wilbert Adriano assured Sanchez that the club is fully prepared, from the race conduct itself to the hosting of the many guests expected to arrive on that day.

Sanchez also called for the support of the Tri-Organization of horseowners (MARHO, Philtobo, and Klub Don Juan de Manila), which committed to the endeavor by way of sponsoring the catering for the guests. ***** Seven juveniles will face off in the the July 25 Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office 2YO Open Special Maiden race at Santa Ana Park.

The declared entries are Christopher Ching’s filly Archer Queen to be ridden by RH Silva; Rita Bustamante’s colt Rolling Mill (with RO Niu Jr.), lawyer Narciso O. Morales’s colt Spectrum (DL Camañero), Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur C. Abalos’s colt Total Defiance (AR Villegas), Danilo Estacio’s filly Ora Et Labora (LF de Jesus), Joseph C. Dyhengco’s colt Killer Hook (RG Fernandez), and Antonio F. Lagdameo Jr.’s filly Ayisha’s Pride (JPA Guce).

This being a set-weight handicap race, fillies will carry 52 kgs. and colts 54.

The trial race will take place on July 10, also at Santa Ana Park. ***** Facebook: Gogirl Racing, Twitter: @gogirlracing, Instagram: @jensdecember, Blog: http://jennyo.net

A16 NOVAK Djokovic, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova reached the Wimbledon second round on Monday as 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt’s 17-year All England Club career came to a bruising end.

Defending champion Djokovic enjoyed a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber with crucial breaks in the ninth game of each set.

But the world number one and top seed again found himself defending allegations that coach Boris Becker is using various means to coach him from the sidelines, a practice which is banned.

“I’m just trying to figure out what you want to achieve with this story. Do you want to say I’m cheating, my team? I’m really trying to figure out what’s behind this,” fumed the 28-year-old Djokovic.

The usually affable Serb added: “There are certain ways of communication which is encouragement, which is support, which is understanding the moment when to clap or say something that can lift my energy up, that can kind of motivate me to play a wcertain point. But it’s all within the rules.”

Djokovic, playing his first match since his defeat to Stan Wawrinka in the French Open final three weeks ago ended his hopes of completing a career Grand Slam, hit 12 aces and 36 winners past world number 33 Kohlschreiber.

He next faces Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen who defeated Hewitt 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, 11-9 in a fourhour marathon.

It was Hewitt’s last singles match at the tournament -- and 44th five-setter at the majors—as he plans to retire after next year’s Australian Open.

“I probably don’t cry easily—pretty close today, but not quite,” said Hewitt.

Top seed Serena Williams, bidding to become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1988 to wrap up all four majors in one season, endured a nervy start and was warned for swearing before completing a 6-4, 6-1 win over Margarita Gasparyan, the world number 113 from Russia who has never won a tour-level match in four years as a professional.

“It feels good so far. Just one match but it feels good just to be back here at Wimbledon. I’ve done so well here in the past so I’ll always have so many good memories,” said the 33-year-old American after her 73rd Wimbledon match win secured her a second round clash against Hungary’s Timea Babos.

Fourth seed Sharapova also reached the second round with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Britain’s Johanna Konta.

Sharapova, the 2004 champion, will face Dutch qualifier Richel Hogenkamp for a place in the last 32.

“I was quite pleased with the way things went.

It was my first competitive match in about four weeks, so I just wanted to start off really strong,” said the Russian.

Five-time champion Venus Williams wasn’t to be outdone as the 34-year-old American took just 42 minutes to crush compatriot Madison Brengle 6-0, 6-0. Williams hit 29 winners to just two from Brengle, the world number 36.

But hers wasn’t the fastest win of the day as German 14th seed Andrea Petkovic needed just 38 minutes to see off Shelby Rogers of the United States.

Spanish ninth seed Carla Suarez Navarro went down 6-2, 6-0 to Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in just 52 minutes.

Two-time semi-finalist Victoria Azarenka, seeded 23, saw off Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit 6-2, 6-1 and seventh seed Ana Ivanovic breezed past Chinese qualifier Xu Yifan 6-1, 6-1.

In the men’s first round, fourth seeded Wawrinka made the second round by beating Joao Sousa of Portugal, 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3). AFP

W E D N E S D AY : J U LY 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 Djokovic, Sharapova, Williams advance

Russia’s Maria Sharapova reacts after winning her women’s singles first round match against Britain’s Johanna Kontaduring on day one of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 29, 2015. Sharapova won 6-2, 6-2. AFP

Millions in Mickelson funds laundered TURN TO A12

Hotshots, Aces start best-of-5 semis clash TURN TO A15

B1

WEDNESDAY: JULY 1, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Toyota Philippines awards. Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. received regional awards from Toyota Motor Corp. Japan during the Team Toyota Asia Pacific meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand. In recognition of its excellent customer service, record sales and market share performance in 2014, TMP received the overall marketing award. TMP was also conferred the excellent manufacturing company award for being among the Top 3 Asian distributors in quality vehicle production. Shown are (from left) TMP senior executive vice president David Go, TMP senior vice president for marketing Ariel Arias, TMP executive vice president for marketing Yohei Murase, TMP vice chairman Alfred Ty, TMP chairman George Ty, TMP president Michinobu Sugata, TMP executive vice president for manufacturing Tomohiro Iwamoto and TMP senior vice president for manufacturing Luis Marcelino.

SM, Ayala win Cebu project

By Jenniffer B. Austria

A CONSORTIUM led by property developers SM Prime Holdings Inc. and Ayala Land Inc. has won a contract to develop a 26-hectare reclaimed property in Cebu City.

SM-ALI Group consortium submitted a bid of P10 billion to develop the 26-hectare Lot No. 8-B1, the largest portion of the 45.2-hectare South Road Properties in Cebu. The group was the lone bidder for the lot, sources said.

Cebu City’s bid and awards committee said it awarded the project to the SM-ALI Group after they put a bid of P10.09 billion for the property which has a total area of 263,384 square meters or at the price of P38,015.98 per square meter.

The winning consortium immediately issued a managers check worth P1.186 billion as

security bond to the city government, representing10 percent of the total bid.

This is the first collaboration between the country’s two largest property companies in Cebu. SM Prime said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it had formed a consortium with Ayala Land and its affiliate Cebu Holdings Inc. to bid for the project.

SM-ALI Group said the project was expected to benefit from the combined financial muscle, technical expertise and the real estate experience of two companies.

“With the resources and expertise of these real estate com-

panies, this newest development at the SRP is planned as another showcase of integrated, master planned and sustainable developments that will bring in more investments and jobs for the local economy,” SM-ALI Group said in a statement.

The group will co-develop the property pursuant to a joint master plan.

The city government of Cebu on Tuesday conducted the bidding for two lots with a combined area of 45.2 hectares at the SRP for a floor price of P20,000 per square meter.

Other companies that earlier expressed interest in bidding for the SRP lots were Rockwell Land Corp., Filinvest Land Inc., Robinsons Land Corp. and Aboitizland Inc. The 26-hectare lot won by SMALI is near the SM Seaside Mall being built by SM Prime while the other site is Lot 7 and Lot 17 with

a consolidated area of 19.2 hectares. Bidding for the other lots was being conducted as this was being written.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella described the outcome of the bidding as a “healthy exercise.”

“There is no substitute to a public bidding; open, fair and competitive and the city will dictate the price of the property… while in unsolicited proposal, it’s the buyer who will dictate the price.”

Labella said.

SM Prime vice president for market research and planning Ronald Tumao said the group would follow the terms of reference of the bidding.

“We will be following the TOR..

It will be a big boast to the development of the entire Cebu and not only the SRP.” Tumao said.

Tumao said the group would start the development in the area after six months based on the TOR.

11 companies bidding for Clark road design

By Othel V. Campos ELEVEN firms have signified their interest to join the bidding for the detailed engineering design of some 45 kilometers of roads in the proposed Clark Green City project, state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority said Tuesday.

BCDA said among those that purchased bid documents were DCCD Engineering Corp.; Design Science Inc.; E.H. Sison Engineers Company; Foresight Development

B3

Surveying Co.; Infra Consultants in the Philippines Inc.; Jose Cris Builders; Philipp’s Technical Consultants Corp.; PHILKOEI International Inc.; Shema Konsult Inc.; TCGI Engineers; and Urban Integrated Consultants Inc. BCDA president and chief executive Arnel Paciano Casanova said aside from the design of the road network, the winning bidder would also design the Clark Green City business center.

“This will send a strong signal to encourage prospective locators

PhilRealty unveils diversification plan

to start investing in Clark Green City,” he said.

Consulting services will address the detailed engineering design, environmental and social mitigation plans in accordance with international safety policies and traffic study.

It will involve the detailed design of major roads, bridges, pavements, slope protection, sidewalk, bike lanes, road lighting, drainage, ancillary and miscellaneous items and identification of area for utility tunnel

B5

including final alignment.

The detailed engineering design will also determine the ultimate number of lanes and the maximum carriageway width based on traffic study.

The detailed engineering design for the major road networks and the Clark Green City business center (project site office) has an approved budget of P9.8 million, inclusive of VAT and taxes.

Submission of eligibility documents is on or before July 2, 2015 at the BCDA Corporate Office in Bonifacio Global City.

FGen eyes partners for big gas projects

PSe comPoSite index Closing June 30, 2015

8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

7,564.50 2.88

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JUNE 30, 2015 42

P45.090

43

CLOSE

44 45 46

HIGH P45.070 LOW P45.180 AVERAGE P45.137 VOLUME 488.800M

P480.00-P680.00 LPG/11-kg tank P41.20-P47.85 Unleaded Gasoline P28.85-P32.20 Diesel

oPriceS il P today

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene P23.70-P24.40 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, June 30, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

45.2000

Japan

Yen

0.008161

0.3689

UK

Pound

1.573600

71.1267

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128986

5.8302

Switzerland

Franc

1.080147

48.8226

Canada

Dollar

0.806972

36.4751

Singapore

Dollar

0.743108

33.5885

Australia

Dollar

0.767519

34.6919

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653928

119.9575

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266681

12.0540

Brunei

Dollar

0.740357

33.4641

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.029583

1.3372

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

12.3067

Euro

Euro

1.123900

50.8003

Korea

Won

0.000894

0.0404

China

Yuan

0.161064

7.2801

India

Rupee

0.015694

0.7094

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.264368

11.9494

New Zealand

Dollar

0.683387

30.8891

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032394

1.4642 Source: PDS Bridge

WEDNESDAY: JULY 1, 2015

B2

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

MST BuSineSS Daily STockS Review Tuesday, June 30, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 4 17 30.45 10.4 0.92 2.6 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 8.7 12.02 19.6 6.12 0.74 1.02 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources Citystate Savings COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. First Abacus I-Remit Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

8 73.65 108.10 94.80 45.8 2.55 1.81 10.2 15.96 19.9 6.80 0.65 1.8 0.400 92.45 0.98 18.00 67.25 93.95 305.6 40.8 163 1515.00 60.05 3.15

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 40.3 32 15.32 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 8.61 20.2 71.5 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 8.65 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.37 3.87 8.45 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 1.65 5.9 161 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 0.640 10.02 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group Bogo Medelin C. Azuc De Tarlac Century Food Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) EEI Federal Res. Inv. Group First Gen Corp.

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

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

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Phoenix Semiconductor Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Vitarich Corp.

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

45 1.47 1.04 1.93 10.5 59.85 89.80 18.4 27.9 56.95 2.44 1.46 11.5 19.340 8.99 7.50 9.85 11.88 24.65 81.25 13.88 5.82 0.530 199.80 9.94 58.50 24.25 24.6 6 290.00 3.91 4.88 9.05 12.00 3.70 2.00 3.26 4.18 2 6.25 172 1.59 0.146 1.30 2.16 197 0.79 22.90 1.22

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 634.5 260 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 3 3.52 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 4.5 0.550 2.26 59.3 751 1.13 0.93 170 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

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

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

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

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

Minerales Industrias Corp.

Prime Orion Republic Glass ‘A’ San Miguel Corp `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Transgrid Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.475 57.9000 22.50 1.25 6.90 0.246 779 600.00 7.8 13.32 3.44 4.52 0.212 1364 6.84 72.00 5.4 5.2 7.18 0.67 13.98 0.62 4.7 5.99 1.900 2.5 60.35 884.00 1.27 0.74 268.80 82.000 0.3450 0.2040 0.245

6.74 0.65 0.192 30.05

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Arthaland Corp.

Ayala Land `B’

7.200 0.71 0.230 37.65

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 89 148 20.6 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 17 31.8 109 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 12.5 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 7.34 238 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 1.3 26 2.17 0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 823.5 911 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 5.29 6.66 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 6.55 1.61 2.99 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 390 156 0.710 0.435 0.510 10.5 1.99 0.375 41.4

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 8 7 73.6 72 109.10 106.60 94.75 93.80 45.8 45.05 2.54 2.51 1.81 1.75 10.2 10.2 15.92 15.81 19.8 19.44 6.44 6.40 0.75 0.7 1.79 1.79 0.400 0.390 94 91.5 0.99 0.99 18.16 18.00 68.95 67.00 93.95 93.95 305.6 305 41.2 40 160.5 166 1465.00 1465.00 60.95 60.00 3.16 3.15 INDUSTRIAL 45.9 44.6 1.46 1.23 1.04 1.03 1.98 1.9 10.52 10.32 56.95 52 90.00 89.80 18.42 18.22 27.45 26.3 57.05 56.05 2.57 2.39 1.47 1.46 11.56 11.5 19.460 19.14 9.00 8.60 7.52 7.44 9.85 9.79 11.98 11.5 27 24.3 81.9 81 13.88 13.02 5.85 5.76 0.560 0.530 199.30 196.00 10.26 10 60.50 58.00 24.25 23.8 24.65 24.3 6 5.96 291.20 287.00 3.95 3.91 4.91 4.86 9.05 8.85 12.00 12.00 3.70 3.43 2.00 1.98 3.3 3.14 4.18 4.14 1.94 1.86 6.25 6.2 172.4 168 1.63 1.6 0.145 0.140 1.26 1.26 2.17 2.14 196 191.3 0.79 0.75 24.40 23.00 1.29 1.20 HOLDING FIRMS 0.485 0.465 58.2000 56.6000 22.50 21.70 1.29 1.25 6.90 6.66 0.246 0.246 790 765 303.00 303.00 7.86 7.54 13.42 13.06 3.11 3.1 4.53 4.50 0.208 0.208 1369 1348 6.69 6.52 72.25 69.50 5.4 5.4 4.99 4.99 7.16 6.95 0.67 0.66 14 13.68 0.64 0.62 4.73 4.64 6.06 5.95 2.080 1.890 2.65 2.55 60.20 59.30 898.00 885.00 1.27 1.20 0.75 0.75 155.10 135.10 82.000 81.450 0.3400 0.3250 0.2000 0.1900 0.285 0.260 PROPERTY 7.490 7.160 0.70 0.68 0.220 0.220 37.80 37.20

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

7.6 73 108.40 94.50 45.3 2.54 1.75 10.2 15.9 19.44 6.41 0.7 1.79 0.390 94 0.99 18.16 68.90 93.95 305.6 40.1 161.5 1465.00 60.00 3.15

-5.00 -0.88 0.28 -0.32 -1.09 -0.39 -3.31 0.00 -0.38 -2.31 -5.74 7.69 -0.56 -2.50 1.68 1.02 0.89 2.45 0.00 0.00 -1.72 -0.92 -3.30 -0.08 0.00

10,565,700 40,700 2,877,060 2,226,700 90,900 25,000 15,000 1,000 28,900 347,200 5,100 403,000 2,000 20,000 2,906,920 3,000 17,700 12,320 1,780 160 293,100 1,201,570 40 32,670 56,000

45.5 1.46 1.04 1.9 10.32 56.95 90.00 18.3 26.8 57.05 2.54 1.47 11.52 19.420 8.60 7.48 9.82 11.96 27 81.25 13.40 5.82 0.530 197.30 10.2 59.50 23.95 24.6 5.96 291.20 3.95 4.89 8.85 12.00 3.48 1.98 3.18 4.15 1.94 6.25 172.4 1.6 0.140 1.26 2.15 194 0.75 23.00 1.29

1.11 -0.68 0.00 -1.55 -1.71 -4.85 0.22 -0.54 -3.94 0.18 4.10 0.68 0.17 0.41 -4.34 -0.27 -0.30 0.67 9.53 0.00 -3.46 0.00 0.00 -1.25 2.62 1.71 -1.24 0.00 -0.67 0.41 1.02 0.20 -2.21 0.00 -5.95 -1.00 -2.45 -0.72 -3.00 0.00 0.23 0.63 -4.11 -3.08 -0.46 -1.52 -5.06 0.44 5.74

4,801,700 5,000 42,000 2,219,000 7,800 930 190 3,444,900 602,300 4,240 9,426,000 90,000 97,100 3,849,400 4,194,900 16,936,000 727,100 27,400 5,836,400 245,770 299,100 360,000 21,000 1,345,080 1,982,300 15,490 728,700 359,400 1,794,400 569,020 7,000 4,310,000 949,000 400 2,188,000 456,000 3,929,000 2,259,000 32,000 9,400 820 124,000 2,800,000 10,000 1,385,000 4,018,390 2,920,000 2,700 188,000

0.475 58.0500 21.70 1.29 6.90 0.246 790 303.00 7.8 13.20 3.1 4.52 0.208 1366 6.69 71.70 5.4 4.99 7.1 0.67 13.92 0.62 4.73 6.05 2.050 2.65 59.50 895.00 1.20 0.75 155.10 81.450 0.3350 0.1900 0.285

0.00 0.26 -3.56 3.20 0.00 0.00 1.41 -49.50 0.00 -0.90 -9.88 0.00 -1.89 0.15 -2.19 -0.42 0.00 -4.04 -1.11 0.00 -0.43 0.00 0.64 1.00 7.89 6.00 -1.41 1.24 -5.51 1.35 -42.30 -0.67 -2.90 -6.86 16.33

1,430,000 12,855,630 14,587,900 18,000 6,300 20,000 725,780 60 1,566,600 18,950,200 10,000 956,000 30,000 196,995 36,300 4,153,770 2,000 400 6,407,500 2,000 1,849,500 48,000 46,608,000 478,600 40,678,000 65,000 95,560 629,240 687,000 150,000 230 480,400 4,690,000 1,200,000 60,000

7.250 0.70 0.220 37.30

0.69 -1.41 -4.35 -0.93

123,600 -750,730.00 375,000 11,040.00 30,000 13,358,200 -13,316,975.00

2,124,815.00 49,713,373.00 42,334,720.50 -636,620.00

426,010.00 -871,950.00 36,000

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

High

Low

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

5.6 5.59 5.6 7.1 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 4.88 0.180 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

3.36 4.96 2.8 4.6 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 2.75 0.090 23 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

Belle Corp. `A’ 3.35 Cebu Holdings 5.06 Cebu Prop. `A’ 5.6 Cebu Prop. `B’ 6.2 Century Property 0.86 City & Land Dev. 1.24 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.03 Crown Equities Inc. 0.128 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.440 Empire East Land 0.850 Ever Gotesco 0.180 Global-Estate 1.21 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.85 Interport `A’ 1.32 Megaworld Corp.

4.81 MRC Allied Ind. 0.113 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 23.00 Primex Corp.

7.2 Robinson’s Land `B’ 28.70 Rockwell 1.72 Shang Properties Inc. 3.36 SM Prime Holdings 19.84 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.75 Starmalls 7.2 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 0.820 Vista Land & Lifescapes 6.450

3.35 3.28 3.3 5.16 5.05 5.16 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 0.85 0.82 0.82 1.26 1.24 1.24 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.131 0.128 0.130 0.460 0.440 0.440 0.880 0.880 0.880 0.174 0.174 0.174 1.22 1.20 1.22 1.86 1.82 1.86 1.33 1.30 1.30 4.81 4.75 4.76 0.115 0.110 0.115 23.25 21.00 23.25 7.17 7.17 7.17 29.60 28.60 29.30 1.71 1.69 1.7 3.34 3.26 3.34 19.98 19.50 19.98 0.75 0.74 0.75 7.18 6.6 6.6 0.820 0.810 0.820 6.430 6.200 6.350 SERVICES 6.2 6.13 5.8 5.95 62.35 62.4 62.3 62.3 1.14 1.13 1.13 1.13 0.630 0.630 0.610 0.620 27 26.8 26.8 26.8 8.70 8.71 8.58 8.61 0.0900 0.0890 0.0800 0.0810 3.83 3.86 3.76 3.78 86.1 85.85 84.75 85 6.66 6.65 6.20 6.65 910.5 979.5 910.5 940 2526 2576 2510 2510 6.45 6.50 6.25 6.50 1.35 1.32 1.30 1.31 110.5 113.5 109.9 110.2 0.011 0.011 0.010 0.011 0.204 0.204 0.200 0.204 1.3100 1.3000 1.2600 1.3000 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 9.20 9.07 9.05 9.05 2.55 2.57 2.45 2.51 1.20 1.22 1.22 1.20 48.90 48.45 48.00 48.00 0.650 0.680 0.650 0.650 2 2 1.97 2 5.4 5.39 5.1 5.12 0.350 0.345 0.320 0.345 18.88 18.12 18.12 18.12 4.60 4.60 4.50 4.50 3 3 3 3 8.5 9.49 9.49 9.49 118.00 120.00 120.00 120.00 18.90 18.90 18.00 18.90 2836.00 2840.00 2800.00 2810.00 0.670 0.680 0.670 0.670 1.200 1.220 1.160 1.180 37.00 37.15 36.85 37.00 76.50 76.00 73.70 74.45 9.48 9.88 9.40 9.88 0.65 0.65 0.64 0.65 5.27 5.27 5.19 5.19 0.320 0.320 0.320 0.320 1.880 1.940 1.940 1.940 MINING & OIL 0.0052 0.0051 0.0049 0.0050 2.55 2.50 2.50 2.50 6.53 6.68 6.50 6.58 0.245 0.240 0.227 0.240 0.78 0.79 0.78 0.79 6.99 7.00 6.92 6.93 1.71 1.7 1.61 1.62 0.320 0.325 0.310 0.320 0.223 0.223 0.221 0.221 0.228 0.228 0.226 0.228 0.0130 0.0130 0.0130 0.0130 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 3.49 3.35 2.97 3.11 24 23.55 22.75 23.2 3.85 3.89 3.8 3.83 0.6200 0.6200 0.6200 0.6200 2.1000 2.0900 2.0400 2.0400 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 4.35 4.30 4.30 4.30 6.09 6.14 6.1 6.13 1.91 1.940 1.790 1.79 0.015 0.015 0.014 0.015 139.90 142.50 137.80 142.50 10.4 11.08 10 10.8 0.0091 0.0090 0.0090 0.0090 PREFERRED 62.8 62.8 62.7 62.7 525 525.5 525 525.5 548 548.5 548 548 120 119.5 118 119.5 530 520 520 520 6.5 6.45 6.45 6.45 1.11 1.11 1.08 1.09 112 111.5 111.5 111.5 1058 1051 1050 1050 75.15 75.25 75.1 75.15 84 85 84 85 89 89 88.2 89 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.780 3.750 3.650 3.670 SME 10.14 10.1 9.86 10.08 67 69 67 68.8 10.98 11.12 10.7 11.04 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 123.2 123.2 122.2 123.2

-1.49 1.98 16.07 4.84 -4.65 0.00 -2.91 1.56 0.00 3.53 -3.33 0.83 0.54 -1.52 -1.04 1.77 1.09 -0.42 2.09 -1.16 -0.60 0.71 0.00 -8.33 0.00 -1.55

3,889,000 29,700 1,200 12,000 4,058,000 62,000 22,000 270,000 720,000 3,000 40,000 78,000 7,922,000 234,000 74,428,000 1,480,000 700 4,700 6,468,300 73,000 15,000 10,961,000 422,000 20,000 18,000 25,707,200

-46,240.00

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 2.53 95.5 1 2.46 15.2 0.62 22.8 6.41 4 18 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1 11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 4.8 830 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 0.011 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.01 3.1 0.650 1.8 6 0.335 14.54 3 2.28 8.8 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55 7.59 0.63 5 0.315 1.14

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

Cebu Air Inc. (5J) DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown MG Holdings Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

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

Yehey

-4.03 -0.08 -0.88 -1.59 -0.74 -1.03 -10.00 -1.31 -1.28 -0.15 3.24 -0.63 0.78 -2.96 -0.27 0.00 0.00 -0.76 0.00 -1.63 -1.57 -1.64 -1.84 0.00 0.00 -5.19 -1.43 -4.03 -2.17 0.00 11.65 1.69 0.00 -0.92 0.00 -1.67 0.00 -2.68 4.22 0.00 -1.52 0.00 3.19

196,500 108,085.00 12,850 1,000 592,000 200 2,503,800 -7,196,932.00 58,000,000 98,600.00 392,000 65,550.00 1,040,880 3,850,759.00 101,900 130 130,565 10,856,290.00 36,300 33,000 2,294,500 30,241,555.00 25,700,000 4,960,000 100,000.00 123,000 7,000 119,200 324,440.00 594,000 -301,190.00 100,000 2,000 260,000 160,000 5,593,900 -13,807,601.00 50,000 1,100 31,000 9,000.00 5,000 100 150,250 0.00 44,900 143,045 -30,854,890.00 1,749,000 20,100.00 131,948,000 24,163,510.00 3,595,000 -69,988,585.00 822,760 -40,384,692.00 2,500,400 2,529,951.00 1,241,000 -650,000.00 1,600,000 34,302.00 250,000 537,000 17,500.00

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 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 6.47 0.236 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 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’ Basic Energy Corp.

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

-3.85 -1.96 0.77 -2.04 1.28 -0.86 -5.26 0.00 -0.90 0.00 0.00 0.00 -10.89 -3.33 -0.52 0.00 -2.86 0.00 -1.15 0.66 -6.28 0.00 1.86 3.85 -1.10

352,000,000 5,000 280,000 377,929.00 120,000 379,000 31,200.00 700 37,326,000 610,000 5,590,000 620,000 215,300,000 24,600,000 4,206,000 176,450.00 5,533,100 39,807,705.00 543,000 99,840.00 13,000 32,000 -20,430.00 1,500,000 43,000 244,800 -716,978.00 5,678,000 1,267,050.00 7,400,000 849,020 -34,796,343.00 351,100 1,000,000

70 553 525 120 515 8.21 12.28 111 1047 76.9 78.95 84.8

33 490 500 101.5 480 5.88 6.5 101 1011 74.2 74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ First Gen G GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred A SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C

-0.16 0.10 0.00 -0.42 -1.89 -0.77 -1.80 -0.45 -0.76 0.00 1.19 0.00

289,880 1,900 50 3,550 2,110 200 975,000 14,150 2,440 132,710 10,710 233,980

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

-2.91

187,000

10.96 88 12.88

2.4 13.5 5.95

-0.59 2.69 0.55

3,301,100 560 2,488,300

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

0.00

3,050

-1,679,480.00 12,500.00 20,000.00

-2,589,680.00

MST

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

SHARES 237,775,597 85,648,825 166,166,968 150,826,274 250,015,417 664,686,649 1,346,913,267

63,883,938.00

-18,160.00 445,022.50

21,392.00 -5,499,140.00 -50,593,915.00

-75,609.50

67,729,795.00

76,350.00

-4,636,506.00 78,050.00 126,767.50 -463,640.00 36,500.00

52,633,706.00 -20,882,484.00 20,764,396.00 1,237,534.00

1,288,110.00 5,761,164.50 -413,766.00 -40,600.00

-9,295,772.00 4,727,028.00 71,400.00 -11,779,350.00 -6,030,430.00 3,000.00 11,720,482.00

11,962,600.00 3,024,798.00

177,840.00 156,810.00 -95,620.00 365,520.00 78,980.00 40,250.00 18,330.00

-17,120.00 119,563,506.00 106,800.00

26,461,732.00 -113,902,955.00

-25,557,795.00

949,452.00 8,792,204.00

4,221,120.00

66,395,825.00

45,603,057.50

-12,849,927.00

10,234,710.00

77,780,630.00 -120,200.00 21,535,050.00

-2,952,314.50 264,091,295.00 376,210.00

-262,000.00

Double Dragon IRipple E-Business Intl Xurpas

T op g ainerS VALUE 1,359,811,510.95 2,086,820,648.02 3,771,632,291.51 1,457,372,886.49 1,600,257,193.36 405,956,384.578 10,682,461,323.95

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,724.87 (UP) 2.63 INDUSTRIAL 11,554.57 (DOWN) 48.01 HOLDING FIRMS 6,803.07 (UP) 12.72 PROPERTY 3,026.11 (DOWN) 7.57 SERVICES 2,063.83 (DOWN) 18.35 MINING & OIL 13,574.10 (DOWN) 38.32 PSEI 7,564.50 (DOWN) 2.88 All Shares Index 4,319.59 (DOWN) 11.82 Gainers: 61 Losers: 118; Unchanged: 45; Total: 224

-110,495,510.00 85,800.00

52,014,855.00 0.00

36,271,822.00

-92,400.00 -64,788,484.00

-8,038,702.00

501,750.00 -926,614.00 -840,000.00

3,874,117.00 15,431,470.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Zeus Holdings

0.285

16.33

BHI Holdings Inc.

303.00

-49.50

Cebu Prop. `A'

6.5

16.07

Transgrid

155.10

-42.30

Phil. Racing Club

9.49

11.65

Marcventures Hldgs., Inc.

3.11

-10.89

First Gen Corp.

27

9.53

Boulevard Holdings

0.0810

-10.00

Prime Orion

2.050

7.89

F&J Prince 'A'

3.1

-9.88

First Abacus

0.7

7.69

Starmalls

6.6

-8.33

Republic Glass 'A'

2.65

6.00

Wellex Industries

0.1900

-6.86

Vulcan Ind'l.

1.29

5.74

PhilexPetroleum

1.79

-6.28

Cebu Prop. `B'

6.5

4.84

Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

3.48

-5.95

SSI Group

9.88

4.22

Filipino Fund Inc.

6.41

-5.74

WEDNESDAY: JULY 1, 2015

B3

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

Market declines on Greek concerns

STOCKS fell for the second day, as investors weighed developments in Greece, which was just hours away from debt repayment default.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, shed 2 points Tuesday to close at 7,564.50, the lowest in five days. The gauge was still up 4.6 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also lost 11 points, or 0.3 percent, to settle at 4,319.59 on a value turnover of P10.7 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 118 to 61, while 45 issues were unchanged.

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the country’s second largest lender controlled by tycoon George Ty, was the biggest gainer among the 20 most active stocks, as it rose 1.7 percent to P94.

Conglomerate Ayala Corp. gained 1.4 percent to P790 while SM Investments Corp. picked up 1.2 percent to P895. Aboitiz Power Corp. added 1.1 percent to close at P45.50.

Meanwhile, most Asian stocks rebounded Tuesday, as as Greece prepares for a Sunday referendum on creditors’ bailout reform proposals, which European leaders say boils down to an in/out vote on the eurozone.

Tokyo ended 0.63 percent higher, adding 125.78 points, to 20,235.73, Sydney gained 0.67 percent, or 36.5 points, to 5,459.0 and Seoul also put on 0.67 percent, or 13.71 points, to 2,074.20.

Hong Kong jumped 1.56 percent in late trade.

Shanghai’s roller-coaster ride continued, plunging more than 5.1 percent in the morning before bouncing back as bargain-buyers moved in after a recent hefty selloff. The composite index closed 5.53 percent higher, adding 224.19 points to 4,277.22.

Shenzhen finished up 5.53 percent, or 224.19 points, to 4,277.22, having sunk more than six percent earlier.

Mainland Chinese markets are swinging wildly after collapsing more than 20 percent over the past two weeks and analysts flagged more sharp movements in future.

The Greek crisis sent markets tumbling across Europe and in New York on Monday.

The euro ended Monday higher but was down on Tuesday.

With AFP, Bloomberg

ISO certified. Local fragrance brand Aficionado Germany Perfume received the ISO-9001:2008 certification for its manufacturing plant at

the Sterling Industrial Park in Meycuayan, Bulacan. The manufacturing plant has beefed up its production muscle with the acquisition and upgrade of a state-of-the-art automation system. Headed by Joel Cruz as president and CEO, Aficionado Germany Perfume continues its quest for global excellence as it nears the celebration of its 15th year in the business on Sept. 5.

PhilRealty unveils diversification plan

By Jennifer B. Austria

PHILIPPINE Realty Holdings Corp., a listed holding company that exited corporate rehabilitation last year, said Tuesday it will diversify into new businesses including education, healthcare, financial services and power projects.

PhilRealty president and chief executive Andrew Alcid said in an interview while company’s core business would remain real estate, it would enter new businesses to build an additional revenue stream and expand its business portfolio.

“Going forward we started looking for opportunities which will give us more steady and continuous revenue stream. As we know that real estate is a cyclical business so in preparation for whenever the downside happens, we would like to start investing in

other businesses,” Alcid said.

Alcid said to jumpstart the company’s expansion, the company was now close to signing an agreement to acquire a majority stake in an upstart company involved in converting plastic wastes into fuel.

The start-up firm is currently building a facility in Payatas with a capacity to handle five tons of plastics a day. The facility is expected to generate 819,000 liters of diesel, 82,000 liters kerosene and 129,000 liters of gasoline per year.

Alcid said in the healthcare sector, the company planned to build a residential tower that will target the growing active elders.

The project will be located in One Balete, a gated community in Quezon City being developed by the company that will cater to needs of Filipino families.

He said in the education sector, the company identified several schools and universities that it wanted to acquire. Meanwhile, the plan to venture into financial services is still under the planning stage, he said.

Alcid said funding for the company’s diversification plans would come from equity

and debt.

PhilRealty chairman Gerardo Lanuza said the positive economic outlook had created opportunities for the company to look into other sectors outside real estate that the company can venture into.

PhilRealty recently sold four parcels of land in La Union province to Humboltbay Holdings Inc. for P202 million.

“We look at the prospects in the Philippine real estate industry with guarded optimism.

We see the demand for residential, office, commercial and leisure spaces to remain strong. We believe that the steps we took in 2014 have positioned the company to take advantage of growth opportunities in these different segments as they emerge in 2015 and beyond,” Alcid said.

PhilRealty is known for major projects such as the Philippine Stock Exchange Center in Ortigas and the Alexandra mid-rise luxury condominiums also in Ortigas.

The company filed for corporate rehabilitation in 2002, in the aftermath of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Last year, the company exited corporate rehabilitation.

Century Pacific expects revenues to increase 15% this year CANNED food manufacturer Century Pacific Food Inc. said Tuesday it expects revenues to grow by 10 percent to 15 percent annually over the next two to three years, on sustained expansion of branded products business and tuna exports.

CPFI president Christopher Po said in an interview at the sidelines of the company’s annual stockholders meeting he expected net income to increase by 7 per-

cent to 8 percent in 2015.

“Our guidance as has always been, for our top line, we try to grow 10-15 percent so the bottom-line we try maintain current margins of 7 to 8 percent,” Po said.

Po said the company recently launched new products in the market, particularly in the milk category.

Po said since acquiring the Swift brand from Concepcionled RFM Corp., CPFI had repositioned the brands for the

higher end of the market.

He said for this year, the canned food producer would spend P820 million in capital expenditures, including P450 million for development of cold storage facility in General Santos City.

“We are investing in cold storage facility in General Santos.

That should be finished before the end of the year,” Po said.

Po said the company was also on the look out for possible acqui-

sitions to grow the business.

“We are open to other categories. Our capabilities are to develop and build brands. In the past, we acquired brands which we could channel through our distribution system. If there are categories we see fit to the capabilities of ours, then that is fair game,” Po said.

Meawhile, Po said prices of raw materials were starting to go up.

“We are seeing price pressures,

but not drastically for prices to go up,” Po said.

He said he expected prices to be stable in the second half of the year.

CPFI’s brands include Century Tuna, Argentina Corned Beef, 555 Sardines, Angel and Birch Tree.

The company saw first-quarter net profit grow 37 percent yearon-year on the back of a 16-percent increase in revenues.

Jenniffer B. Austria

B4

DoE eases 10% ethanol blend

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Energy Department has relaxed the implementation of the 10 percent ethanol blend for gasoline due to insufficient local supply.

The department issued a circular calling for the temporary relaxation of gasoline grade due the insufficiency of local ethanol and reduce importation.

The Biofuels Law of 2006 ordered a 10 percent ethanol blend on all gasoline sold by oil companies.

The circular said the ethanol blend requirement may be waived for premium plus grade gasoline products “temporarily during the period of deficiency in the locally produced bioethanol products opposite the demand.”

The department, however, said the oil company planning to make available non-E10 gasoline under the provision must fi le a notice to the Oil Industry Management Bureau, including the locations where such products would be sold.

It said the dispenser at the pump must indicate clearly through proper labeling that the gasoline was non-E10 as a guide to consumers.

The department clarified that despite the relaxation of the bioethanol

blend requirement, the computation of the market share would still be based on the total gasoline sold by the oil company “so as not to jeopardize the program of the local bioethanol producers.”

The monthly allocation refers to the local bioethanol volume imposed on the oil companies based on the committed volume of the available local bioethanol.

The department required the oil companies to use locallysourced bioethanol before importing bioethanol for blending with gasoline.

The circular stated that as of 2014, the bioethanol requirement of the local market runs to as high as 455 million liters, which are still projected to increase in the near future to an average of about 5 percent annually in order to meet the

10 percent bioethanol blend.

It said that as early as 2013, the National Biofuels Board recommended the exemption of gasoline products of certain grade as one of the actions that will address the problem of lack of local supply.

It said the exemption would reduce imports, encourage local producers to increase their output and improve the power of choice at lower cost to consumers.

The NBB, through its Bioethanol Committee in consultation with stakeholders, has determined in May this year that locally produced ethanol accounted only for 27 percent of the total domestic bioethanol requirement, or only 115 million liters, nine years after the implementation of the law.

Livestock fair. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala looks at one of the modern equipment on display at the Livestock Philippines 2015-an international trade expo unveiling a wide array of innovative technologies and insightful seminars in animal health, feed, livestock and meat production. The machine, made by SKOV A/S, is a system for ventilation and livestock house air cleaning and production control. Livestock Philippines 2015, which featured 200 brands from 18 countries, is a good venue for backyard animal raisers to be acquainted with commercially available equipment and be familiarized with advanced technologies that could potentially improve their animal husbandry practices. With Alcala is Assistant Secretary for Livestock Davinio Catbagan.

Yao bank says it’s buying Insular Savers for P518m

By Julito G. Rada

PHILIPPINE Business Bank, the financial arm of the Yao Group of Companies, is acquiring Insular Savers Bank for P518 million, a move that is expected to expand the lender’s coverage in areas where small and medium enterprises are mostly located.

PBB said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Tuesday it reached an agreement with the shareholders of Insular Savers Bank Inc. to acquire 100 percent of total outstanding capital stock.

ISB has eight branches as of June 2015. Established in 1997 by the Martirez family of the Unicapital Group, it has an attractive loan portfolio consisting primarily of consumer and commercial loans.

ISB officials did not give additional information on the bank.

“We are proud to announce the acquisition of Insular Savers Bank.

This acquisition underscores PBB’S commitment to expanding our footprint in the SME-rich areas. We started this branch expansion strategy back in 2011, and this transaction will definitely help us reach out to our key SME clientele,” the bank said.

“Moreover, we found ISB’s key focus on its niche-business to be very valuable. This deal will definitely be value-accretive to Philippine Business Bank and its shareholders,” it said.

Falling oil prices dampen auction THE Energy Department said Tuesday falling world oil prices have dampened interest in oil and gas exploration as shown by the low turnout of prospective bidders on 11 contract areas offered by the government.

Three companies submitted bids on four areas and just two were qualified to pursue exploration activities after submitting complete application requirements.

“The initial feedback during the roadshow was the low oil prices. We cannot deny that there were problems encountered in the area of oil and gas,” Energy Resource Development Bureau director Rino Abad said at the sidelines of the opening of the applications at the Energy Department office in Taguig.

Abad said most oil and gas firms had realigned their budget, focusing instead on existing oil and gas assets.

The areas offered included Area 7 (Recto Bank block) covering 468,000 hectares, which received an offer from Colossal Petroleum Corp., an affi liate of listed Coal Asia Holdings Inc. led by businessman Dexter Tiu. “Of course, we consider Area 7 within our EEZ [Exclusive Economic Zone]…It’s part of our economic interest,” Abad said.

Colossal also submitted a qualifying bid for Area 5 (Northeast Palawan block) covering 576,000 hectares.

Ratio Oil Exploration Ltd., an Israeli company applied for a service contract on Area 4 (Northeast Palawan Block) covering 416,000 hectares.

The department accepted the offer of Ratio Oil after submitting complete documentary requirements.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Dusit Thani in Davao. Dusit

Thani International launched Dusit Thani Residence Davao, its latest project in the Philippines.

Formally opening the property showroom are (from left) Blue Development Inc. chief executive Andrew Sparrow, Philippine Hoteliers Inc. vice chairman and president Evelyn Singson, and Torre Lorenzo President Tomas Lorenzo. The property features over 100 serviced apartments targeted to business and other long-staying luxury travelers.

W E D N E S D AY : J U LY 1 , 2 0 1 5

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

Risky selfies FOR being unable to resist their macho urges, two pilots from an Argentine airliner now find themselves jobless after their selfies with a well-endowed actress spread on social media. Apparently, the big boss of state-owned Aerolineas Argentinas was not amused to see the pilots smiling and posing in the cockpit while the plane was in flight.

Unfortunately for the men, the actress is famous for posting sexy photos of her and sharing them with her 400,000 (or so she claims) followers on Twitter and so it was that the airline management got wind of the cockpit play after she received a slew of criticism for boasting that she stayed in the cockpit all throughout the flight and was even allowed to land the plane. “You have no business playing with the lives of the passengers” or something to that effect were many of the angry comments.

“They’re irresponsible,” the airline president fumed, disclosing that the pilots were immediately fired after they became aware of the situation. Even others who also had a hand in the selfie moment will also be dismissed, the company exec promised.

It’s not the on-air selfies itself that management found objectionable but the fact that the two were goofing on the job and putting the lives of their passengers at risk. As for the actress—she was banned from ever flying on the airline for five years because of her role in the selfie caper.

It’s not really the first time that selfies have landed pilots in trouble. Just very recently, a Japan Airlines co-pilot who brought a flight attendant into the cockpit then made her sit on the other co-pilot’s chair while the latter was on a bathroom break got slapped with a suspension for violating flight safety regulations. Ever since that tragedy involving a Germanwings flight co-pilot who locked the captain out of the cockpit during a bathroom break then crashed the plane which killed all 150 passengers happened, a lot airlines have become OC, insisting that two officials should always be present in the cockpit.

There’s really something about selfies that makes people throw safety and caution to the wind. Teenagers and young adults most especially have been known to take selfies at such extreme risks, even to the point of death. Last year, a teenager reportedly fell to her death after taking a selfie on top of a 30-foot high bridge. As she was falling, the girl tried to grab cables to keep herself from falling—only to be electrocuted because the wires were live. According to the grieving mother, the girl wanted to post a dramatic pic taken in the evening that would show the railway bridge in the background.

Then there is that “bear selfie” that developed as a trend with kids taking selfies of themselves while a bear is shown in the background.

This became such a craze that the US Forest Service had to tell tourists and visitors to leave the bears alone because of the danger. Even crazier are twenty-something young people who climb tall buildings to take photos of themselves, prevalent in New York and Hong Kong.

Here in the Philippines, while me have yet to hear of people climbing on top of buildings to take those selfies, an equally risky behavior is the practice of many to snap photos of themselves while driving. Now if that isn’t dangerous and risky--we don’t know what is.

NBC junks Trump For characterizing Mexicans as criminals and rapists when he announced his intention to run for president, Donald Trump will have to look for another network to air his Miss USA and Miss Universe Pageants. The break in this longstanding relationship between the TV network and the business mogul came after Spanish-language broadcast company Univision cancelled its telecast of the upcoming Miss USA pageant, pointing to the insulting remarks issued by Trump as the reason for the pullout.

In a statement, NBC said it is ending its business relationship with Trump due to the recent “derogatory remarks” regarding immigrants. “Respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values,” the statement read.

Trump just shrugged it off, calling NBC weak and saying such actions of being politically correct are the reason why America is in serious trouble, and accused the Mexican government of putting pressure on Univision to cancel the Miss USA telecast.

••• For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ happyhourmanilastandard. We’d be very happy to hear from you.

Cheers!

B5

FGen eyes partners for big gas projects

By Ian Sayson and Siegfrid Alegado

FIRST Gen Corp., the largest Philippine operator of gas-fired power plants, is looking for partners for three plants and a liquefied gas terminal it plans to build in the next five years at a cost of $2.7 billion.

By the end of the year, Manilabased First Gen wants to line up partners to help finance and operate the projects, president Giles Puno said in an interview. The company plans to keep majority control of the assets, he said.

First Gen is in talks with potential partners from Japan, Europe and the Philippines, Puno said.

He declined to name any of the companies citing confidentiality agreements. For the $1.2-billion liquefied natural gas terminal, First Gen wants a partner who can operate and maintain the fa-

cility, he said.

The plan is to have the terminal up and running by 2021 before the nation’s Malampaya gas field runs dry in 2024. The company, which owns two of the three plants now running on Malampaya gas, plans to add three more worth $1.5 billion by 2021.

“By making sure that we have good, supportive partners we can accelerate the development of additional facilities,” Puno said.

“The demand is there. We have the ability to supply, but the supply is dependent on capital ex-

penditures.”

The Southeast Asian nation’s demand for electricity surged as its economy expanded. Consumption rose 50 percent to 72,922 gigawatt hours in the 10 years to 2012, three times as much as the 16 percent growth in generating capacity over the same period, according to latest government data.

The 414-megawatt San Gabriel plant, the first of three gas-fired generators First Gen wants to add, is already funded and will be operational next year. This will be followed by two plants with total capacity of 800 megawatts, which will be completed in 2018 and 2021, respectively, Puno said.

First Gen’s existing two-gas fired power plants have 1,500 megawatts in combined capacity.

Avion, a 97-megawatt plant that will run on Malampaya gas, will start operating in August.

Lights from Pepsi. The Aetas of Sitio Tarukan in Capas, Tarlac spent their nights in darkness for over

20 years. In just one day, there was light in their streets and homes—courtesy of Liter of Light, a humanitarian project by the MyShelter Foundation and Pepsi Philippines. Pepsi drew up the Tarukan lighting project as a gesture of gratitude for the tribesmen’s hospitality to actor-singer and Pepsi brand ambassador Daniel Padilla, who went there for a location shooting of his movie. The one-day project was completed on June 6 with more than 50 volunteers deployed by Pepsi and Star Cinema to install 100 solar house lights and 40 street lamps in the village, benefitting more than 400 Aeta families.

Nomura buys 49% of PCIB Securities

By Julito G. Rada BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s biggest bank controlled by retail tycoon Henry Sy, has teamed up with Japanese financial holding company Nomura Holdings Inc. for a joint investment in PCIB Securities Inc., a securities dealer and broker wholly-owned by BDO. BDO said in a statement on Tuesday the joint venture aims to leverage on the strength of both companies.

BDO said the tie-up would “contribute to the growth of the Philippine capital markets and establish a strong platform to serve a fast growing market.”

Under the terms of the agreement, BDO will hold the majority or a 51-percent stake of PCIB and

Nomura will own 49 percent.

“The joint venture will initially provide online trading services for local stocks to individual investors,” the bank said, adding the services will eventually be expanded to include cross-border investment opportunities to a broader range of investors.

The transaction between BDO and Nomura is subject to regulatory approvals.

Nomura Holdings is a Tokyobased Japanese financial holding company and a principal member of the Nomura Group.

Along with its broker-dealer, banking and other financial services subsidiaries, Nomura provides investment, financing and related services to individual, institutional and government customers on a global basis with

an emphasis on securities businesses.

BDO is a full-service universal bank which provides a wide range of corporate, commercial and retail banking services.

These include traditional loan and deposit products, as well as treasury, trust banking, investment banking, private banking, cash management, leasing and finance, remittance, insurance, retail cash cards and credit card services.

BDO has one of the largest distribution networks, with more than 880 operating branches and over 2,600 ATMs nationwide. It also has a branch in Hong Kong as well as 29 overseas remittance and representative offices in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.

WEDNESDAY: JULY 1, 2015

B6

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

BSP closes Batangas rural bank

By Julito G. Rada

PCAF anniversary. Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries executive director Ariel Cayanan (left) and undersecretary for livestock Jose Reaño (third from left) lead the celebration of the second anniversary of PCAF on June 29, 2015 at the DA Central Office in Quezon City. PCAF acts as an advisory body of DA to ensure the success of its programs and activities as well as establishing a nationwide network of agricultural and fishery councils. With them are (from left) Rufina Sala, chair for Livestock and Feed Crops and Maritess Bernardo of DA.

South American investors coming

By Othel V. Campos

A group of South American investors are coming to the Philippines to explore opportunities in agriculture, healthcare and food sectors.

The Mercosur-Asean Chamber of Commerce signed a cooperation agreement with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry for mutual assistance on trade.

Mercusor is a sub-regional bloc in South America composed of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

“We want to collaborate together with the Philippines because we are convinced that we have great potential to work together since we have complementary traits and issues and we

want to bring businessmen to the Philippines,” said MercosurAsean Chamber president and head of delegation Rodolfo Cafforo Kramer.

Kramer said five Uruguayan, four Argentinian and one Brazilian investors with interests in agriculture, food, pharmaceutical and healthcare would come to the country.

The group is also interested to bring in Mercosur technology in various fields and industries, he said.

He said to bridge the long

distance, the Mercosur-Asean Chamber was looking at the possibility of introducing direct flights between the two sides.

“We’ve already spoken to Emirates about this. We also want to seek out PAL [Philippine Airlines] but we are yet to speak to them,” Kramer said.

Travel time between Mercosur and the Philippines is nearly 24 hours with two stops and carrier change.

“We travelled almost a day to be here. If direct flight is not at all possible, maybe there is some way to shorten the travel time. Via Sydney is a route that can be explored,” said Kramer.

The Mercosur-Asean Chamber said it would like to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties

with the Philippines.

It said despite the huge diversity in culture and geography, Asean had successfully managed to integrate the economies of member companies into a singular economic group. It said integration was something Mercosur to learn from Asean.

The chamber said while Mercosur’s vision was to eliminate trade obstacles, it had difficulty in working together as a regional bloc.

The Mercosur-Asean Chamber has offices in Sao Paolo in Brazil, Buenos Aires in Argentina, Caracas in Venezuela, Hanoi in Vietnam and Manila in the Philippines.

It will soon open up two more offices in Singapore and Jakarta.

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas placed the Rural Bank of Taysan (Batangas) Inc. under the custody of Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp., the eighth lender closed this year due to unsound financial condition.

Bangko Sentral placed the rural bank under the receivership of the state-run PDIC on June 26. The agency took over the bank on June 29.

Rural Bank of Taysan is a single-unit rural bank with head office located at J.P. Rizal St. in Barangay Poblacion East, Taysan.

Latest available records showed that as of March 31, 2015, Rural Bank of Taysan had 1,121 accounts with total deposits of P47.6 million.

Bangko Sentral earlier shut down seven small banks because of unhealthy financial status.

These were the Surigao-based Siargao Bank (A Rural Bank), Rural Bank of Sta. Magdalena (Sorsogon), Community Rural Bank of Magsaysay (Davao del Sur) Inc.; the Surigao Citybased Surigaonon Rural Banking Corp.; Rural Bank of Labrador (Pangasinan); Rural Bank of Magsingal (Ilocos Sur) Inc.; and the Alfonso, Cavite-based Community Bank (Rural Bank of Alfonso Inc.).

In 2014, 14 rural banks were placed by Bangko Sentral under the custody of PDIC. These were the Leyte-based Rural Bank of Burauen Inc., the Batangas-based Synergy Rural Bank, Cooperative Bank of Tarlac Inc., the Bulacan-based Fil-Agro Rural Bank, Rural Bank of Lobo Inc. in Batangas, Rural Bank of Padre Burgos in Southern Leyte, the Cavite-based Banco Carmona Inc. ( A Rural Bank),Rural Bank of Oroquieta (Misamis Occidental) Inc., Asian Consumers Bank (A Rural Bank) in Basista, Pangasinan; Gulf Bank (Rural Bank of Lingayen Inc.), Rural Bank of Pres. M.A. Roxas Inc. in Zamboanga del Norte; Rural Bank of Montevista in Davao del Norte, Rural Bank of Reina Mercedes in Isabela, and the Cavite-based Silangan Savings and Loan Bank.

PH, Canada to start talks on free trade agreement this year THE Philippines and Canada are expected to launch negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement this year, Canadian Ambassador Neil Reeder said Tuesday.

Reeder said the Embassy of Canada would provide the necessary support for the upcoming exploratory talks.

“If the FTA is signed between us and the Philippines, this will be our entry point into the Asean and likewise it will be the Philippines ac-

cess into the North American Free Trade Area [Nafta],” he said in an informal meeting at his residence in Dasmarinas Village, Makati.

Both countries agreed to conduct exploratory talks to determine if there were compelling reasons to pursue a free trade agreement.

Reeder said the Trade Department and the Canadian government were in the process of identifying schedules for the talks

which would likely happen before the end of the year.

He said with the prospect of having an FTA with the Philippines, Canada also considered creating Canadian Trade Development Facility.

The facility is an instrument to help developing countries such as the Philippines to negotiate, implement and benefit from trade and investment agreements with Canada.

He said while there was no def-

inite amount yet, the grant would be dedicated facility to help build the Philippines’ export capability.

“This will aid them in finding the right markets in Canada and will increase their capacity to engage in export,” said Reeder.

Both parties expressed confidence that the Canada-Philippines FTA would strengthen economic ties and give Canadian businesses access to one of the growing markets in Asia.

Canada has about 11 active FTAs, including the recently forged agreements with the European Union and South Korea.

Bilateral trade between Canada and the Philippines is estimated at C$1.8 billion annually.

Canadian minister for international trade Ed Fast, who headed a delegation of 50 businessmen in May, cited the advantages of an FTA with the Philippines.

Othel V. Campos

W e D n e s D aY : J u LY 1 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

cesar barrioquinto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

UN: Girls raped, burned alive JUBA, South Sudan—South Sudan’s army raped then torched girls alive inside their homes during a recent campaign notable for its “new brutality and intensity,” a UN rights report said Tuesday.

Rights investigators from the UN mission in South Sudan or UNMISS warned of “widespread human rights abuses” including gang-rape and torture in a report based on 115 victims and eyewitnesses from the northern battleground state of Unity, scene of some of the heaviest recent fighting in the 18-month-long civil war.

The military, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), launched a major offensive against rebel forces in April, with fierce fighting in Unity state’s northern Mayom district,

once a key oil producing area.

“Survivors of these attacks reported that SPLA and allied militias from Mayom county carried out a campaign against the local population that killed civilians, looted and destroyed villages and displaced over 100,000 people,” the UN said.

“Some of the most disturbing allegations compiled by UNMISS human rights officers focused on the abduction and sexual abuse of women and girls, some of whom were reportedly burnt alive in their dwellings.”

Investigators said they had collected at least nine separate incidents where “women and girls were burned in tukuls [huts] after being gang-raped” as well as scores of cases of sexual violence, many the rape of mothers in front of their children.

Photographs in the report seen by AFP show the burned circles left after huts were set on fire, with all buildings apparently

razed to the ground.

One witness described seeing “government forces gang-raping a lactating mother after tossing her baby aside,” the report read, another described how troops made a women squeeze “burning-red coals” in her hands to reveal the whereabouts of rebels or cattle.

Rebel forces have also been accused of carrying out atrocities, including rape, killings and the recruitment of armies of child soldiers.

There was no immediate response from the army, who has previously dismissed allegations of rights abuses. The UN said the report had been handed to government officials, who were yet to comment on its findings.

The UN said they had tried to visit the sites of the atrocities described by witnesses, but were “routinely denied access” by the army.

UNMISS chief Ellen Margrethe Loej AUCTION SALE CINTHY PAWNSHOP All unredeemed pledges during the month of FEBRUARY 2015 will be sold to public auction on: JULY 24, 2015 STA. MESA – 8:00 AM # 3630 Ramon Magsaysay Blvd.

Sta. Mesa, Manila at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER ( T S - J U L . 1, 2 0 15 )

AUCTION SALE PENTHOUSE PAWNSHOP All unredeemed pledges during the month of FEBRUARY 2015 will be sold to public auction on JULY 4, 2015 at BETTER - 8:00 AM at # 82 Betterliving Subd. Parañaque City at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER ( T S - J U L . 1, 2 0 15 )

AUCTION SALE POB CASA DE EMPEÑOS All unredeemed pledges during the month of

FEBRUARY

No hiking. Steam rises from a slope near the hot springs resort of Hakone, Kanagawa prefecture,

on June 30, when Japan’s meteorological agency raised a volcanic warning for the popular hot springs resort of Hakone by one notch, forbidding access to a hiking trail. AFP

2 women beheaded in Syria BEIRUT—The Islamic State group has beheaded two women in Syria on accusations of “sorcery,” the first such executions of female civilians in Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday.

“The Islamic State group executed two women by beheading them in Deir Ezzor province, and this is the first time the Observatory has documented women being killed by the group in this manner,” Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The Britain-based monitor said the executions took place on Monday and Sunday and involved two couples.

In both cases, the women were executed with their husbands, with each pair accused of “witchcraft and sorcery.”

The Observatory said IS had previously decapitated the corpses of Kurdish female fighters during battles, and the jihadist group was reported to have stoned civilian women to death on allegations of adultery.

But the Observatory said this was the first time it had documented the group beheading civilian women, noting that the executions were done publicly.

The Islamic State group has become infamous for gruesome executions and other brutality.

According to the Observatory, IS has executed more than 3,000 people in Syria in the year since it declared its Islamic “caliphate” in Syria and Iraq.

Nearly 1,800 of them were civilians, including 74 children.

The Observatory also said Tuesday that IS had punished at least eight people in recent days for allegedly failing to fast during the Muslim month of Ramadan by hanging them from makeshift crosses.

The eight were all strung up alive on crucifixes with placards attached to them accusing them of breaking the Ramadan fast “with no religious justification.”

Among the eight were two minors, the Observatory said, adding that while it had documented eight cases, there might be others that had not been reported.

Observatory chief Abdel Rahman said the eight were hung from the crucifixes for a day and taken down afterwards still alive. AFP

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC This is to inform the public that Mr. Ernest Kenneth S. Cuyegkeng is no longer connected with Cirrus Global, Inc.effective June 18, 2015.

Any transaction entered into by this person from this date thereafter shall not be honored by the company.

( T S J U LY 1, 2 015 )

2015

will be sold to public auction on JULY 23, 2015 at the ff. branches: ST. FRANCIS 10:30 AM at # 40 Kingfisher St., St. Francis, Meycauayan, Bulacan POBLACION – 11:30 AM # 721 Barrera St., Poblacion, Baliuag, Bulacan at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER ( T S - J U L . 1, 2 0 15 )

AUCTION SALE TAMCAR PAWNSHOP CORP. All unredeemed pledges during the month of FEBRUARY 2015 will be sold to public auction on JULY 11, 2015 at the ff. branches: BUSTILLOS -2:00 PM at # L252228 Road 216, Earnshaw Bustillos, Manila JULY 24, 2015 CALOOCAN – 1:00 PM # 434 J. RODRIGUEZ ST., at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER ( T S - J U L . 1, 2 0 15 )

AUCTION SALE PEARLAS PAWNSHOP CO., INC. All unredeemed pledges during the month of FEBRUARY 2015 w i l l be sold to public a u c t i o n o n JULY 04, 2015 at the ff. branches: MONTILLANO - 12:30 PM at 249 Montillano St., Alabang, M u n t i n l u p a C i t y JULY 07, 2015 S U M U L O N G – 9 : 0 0 A M # 2 4 S u m u l( ToSn- AgP RH y) . 1,w2 a 0 15 Sto. Niño, Marikina City CONCEPCION – 10:00 AM #19 Bayan Bayanan Ave., Concepcion, M a r i k i n a C i t y JULY 11, 2015 G . N U E V O – 9 : 0 0 A M Ta n H o c k B l d g . , C o r.

EDSA, Makati C i t y J U LY 2 4 , 2 0 1 5 B. BARRIO 11 : 3 0 AM # 35 Malolos Ave., B. Barrio, Caloocan C i t y J U LY 2 3 , 2 0 1 5 VA L E N Z U E L A – 1 2 : 0 0 P M # 11 5 F a u s t i n o S t . , Punturin, Va l e n z u e l a City at JUAN LANUZA & SONS- AUCTIONEER ( T S - J U L . 1, 2 0 15 )

called for “unfettered access” to investigate the reported crimes.

“Revealing the truth of what happened offers the best hope for ensuring accountability for such terrible violence and ending the cycle of impunity that allows these abuses to continue,” she said.

Civil war began in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of planning a coup, setting off a cycle of retaliatory killings that have split the poverty-stricken, landlocked country along ethnic lines.

The upsurge in fighting “has not only been marked by allegations of killing, rape, abduction, looting, arson and displacement, but by a new brutality and intensity,” the UN statement added.

“The scope and level of cruelty that has characterized the reports suggests a depth of antipathy that exceeds political differences.” AFP ERRORS & OMISSIONS

In Classified Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published.

We will not be responsible for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

AUCTION SALE

AUCTION SALE

NORTHERN LEGASPI

N.C. TAMBUNTING

All unredeemed pledges during the month of FEBRUARY 2015 will be sold to public auction on JULY 24, 2015 at NAVOTAS - 2:30 PM at # 256 Champaca St., Navotas Metro Manila at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER

All unredeemed pledges during the month of FEBRUARY 2015 will be sold to public auction on JULY 7, 2015 at PATEROS - 8:00 AM at # M. Almeda Cor. B. Morcilla St., Pateros, Metro Manila at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER

AUCTION SALE

AUCTION SALE

WESTCHESTER

RACATAM PAWNSHOP CO., INC.

( T S - J U L . 1, 2 0 15 )

All unredeemed pledges during the month of FEBRUARY 2015 will be sold to public auction on JULY 11, 2015 at the ff. branches: HERRAN 8:00 AM at # 1101 P. Gil St., Paco, Manila STA. ANA – 10:00 AM # 390 AP Reyes Cor. JP Rizal St., Makati City at JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER ( T S - J U L . 1, 2 0 15 )

( T S - J U L . 1, 2 0 15 )

All unredeemed pledges during the month of FEBRUARY 2015 will be sold to public auction on JULY 18, 2015 at the ff. branches: PRITIL 8:00 AM at 1833 N. Zamora St., Pritil, Tondo, Manila BLUMENTRITT – 10:30 AM #1687 M. Hizon St., Blumentritt, Manila VARONA – 8:30 AM 1872 F. VARONA ST., BRGY 95, ZONE 8, TONDO, MANILA JULY 24, 2015 ALTURA – 9:00 AM # 418 Altura St. Sta. Mesa, Manila at JUAN LANUZA & SONS- AUCTIONEER

( T S - J U L . 1, 2 0 15 )

AUCTION SALE

AUCTION SALE

CITRINE PAWNSHOP CO., INC All unredeemed pledges during the month of FEBRUARY 2015 will be sold to public auction on JULY 4, 2015 at RITZ - 12:00 PM at Stall # New Muntinlupa Public Market, Alabang Muntinlupa City JUAN LANUZA & SONSAUCTIONEER

PANG NEGOSYO PAWNSHOP

( T S - J U L . 1, 2 0 15 )

All unredeemed pledges during the month of FEBRUARY 2015 will be sold to public auction on JULY 08, 2015 at the ff. branches: COUNTRYSIDE - 12:30 PM at 49 Countryside Ave., Sta. Lucia, Pasig City JUNCTION – 2:30 PM # Star Valley Plaza Mall, Junction at JUAN LANUZA & SONS- AUCTIONEER ( T S - J U L . 1, 2 0 15 )

AUCTION SALE

AUCTION SALE

LUIROM PAWNSHOP CO., INC.

MAKATI LUXURY JEWELRY PAWNSHOP CO., All unredeemed pledges during the month of FEBRUARY 2015 will be sold to public auction on JULY 04, 2015 at BF Homes – 10:00 AM # 43 President’s Ave., BF Homes, Parañaque City SPL - 3:00 PM at Casa Hacienda San Pedro, Laguna on JULY 07, 2015 at the ff. branches: ROMULO 10:00 AM at 135 13TH Ave., Cor. P. Tuazon, Cubao, QC SANTOLAN – 4:00 PM 526 ADR Bldg., Dela Paz, Santolan, Pasig City on JULY 11, 2015 JP RIZAL – 11:00 AM # 529 Olympia St., JP Rizal, Makati City ALPHALAND – 5:00 PM G11 South Gate Towers, P. Tamo Ext., Makati City MANUELA – 3:00 PM G/F Starmall, Wack2, Mandaluyong City JULY 18, 2015 LALOMA – 11:30 AM # 67 Calavite St., Brgy., P. Bundok, QC RETIRO - 12:30 PM # 270 N.S. amoranto Street, Retiro QC. ROTONDA – 2:00 PM # 1 Sto. Tomas St., Rotonda QC at JUAN LANUZA & SONS- AUCTIONEER

All unredeemed pledges during the month of FEBRUARY 2015 will be sold to public auction on JULY 04, 2015 at the ff. branches: SUCAT - 9:00 AM at #3 Dr., A. Santos Ave., Sucat, Parañaque City MUNTI – 1:30 PM #659 National Road, Poblacion St., Muntinlupa City JULY 07, 2015 SAN JOAQUIN – 1:30 PM # 9 M. Concepcion San Joaquin, Pasig City JULY 24, 2015 10TH AVE. – 2:00 PM # 245B 10TH Ave., Brgy., 60 Zone 6, Caloocan City JULY 23, 2015 MARILAO – 1 PM #5 NETWORK AVE., MERALCO VILL. LIAS MARILAO BULACAN JULY 11, 2015 SAGRADA – 11:00AM #1978 ESTRADA ST., FORMER SAGRADA FAMILIA STA. ANA, MLA. JULY 18, 2015 GAGALANGIN – 8:45 AM #2 JUAN LUNA ST., COR. GUIDO ST., TONDO MANILA JULY 23, 2015, STO NIÑO – 9:30 AM #30 ST., THERESE COR, ST. PETER, P3 STO NIÑO MEYCAUAN BULACAN at JUAN LANUZA & SONS- AUCTIONEER ( T S - J U L . 1, 2 0 15 )

( T S - J U L . 1, 2 0 15 )

W E D N E S D AY : J U LY 1 , 2 0 1 5

B8 KFC fans queue for hours for first taste YANGON—Fried chicken aficionados queued for hours at Myanmar’s first KFC restaurant on Tuesday as the US restaurant chain became the latest big foreign brand to open an outlet in the long-cloistered nation.

KFC is the first major US fast food chain to open in the country as reforms and the removal of most sanctions since the end of outright junta rule tempt investors to a market of millions of prospective consumers.

Soon after the doors opened, a lunchtime crush developed at the new branch in the commercial hub of Yangon.

The firm and its local partner— Yoma Strategic—hope it will be the first of many restaurants across the Southeast Asian nation.

Businessman Kyaw Moe queued for three hours to buy chicken for eight family members, including school-age nieces and nephews.

“I want them to taste this. It is my first time. My aunt in Singapore says it is also famous there,” the 50-yearold told AFP, brushing off concerns that a taste for foreign fast food could lead to expanding waistlines.

“It is internationally famous, so I think it must be healthy,” he said.

Western brands were a rare sight in Myanmar under military rule, which kept the country isolated from the outside world for nearly half a century.

Myanmar’s economy was left in tatters after years of mismanagement under the junta, but the reforms under a quasi-civilian government have raised expectations of an economic surge in the resource-rich nation of 51 million potential consumers.

US firms including drinks makers Coca Cola and Pepsi and carmakers Chevrolet and Ford have already established a sales presence in the country.

While “The Colonel” might have beaten other major US restaurant chains into the frontier Asian market, it is not the first foreign fast food firm to open in Myanmar.

South Korea’s Lotteria burger restaurant opened its first branch in 2013 and now has seven outlets in the country. AFP

cESAr bArrioqUiNto EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world Watchdog says Egypt in ‘all-out repression’ CAIRO—Two years after the army ousted president Mohamed Morsi, Egypt has regressed into “all-out repression,” with activists jailed in a bid to crush dissent, Amnesty International warned on Tuesday.

Premiere. Actors Ryan Simpkins and Ty Simpkins attend the world premiere of Marvel’s “AntMan” at The Dolby Theatre on June 29 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

The London-based human rights watchdog said that Egyptian authorities led by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi were engaged in a blatant attempt to “nip in the bid any future threat to their rule.”

“Mass protests have been replaced by mass arrests,” Amnesty said in a statement ahead of the second anniversary on Friday of the July 3, 2013 ouster of the Islamist Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected leader.

“Today... youth activists are languishing behind bars, providing every indication that Egypt has regressed into a state of all-out repression,” Amnesty’s Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said.

It said a government crackdown had resulted in more than 41,000 people arrested, charged or indicted with a criminal offense, or sentenced after unfair trials.

“The Egyptian authorities have shown that they will stop at nothing in their attempts to crush all challenges to their authority,” Hadj Sahraoui said.

Amnesty said a new wave of arrests in mid-2015 saw at least 160 people detained in conditions amounting to enforced disappearance.

Hadj Sahraoui said the crackdown that initially began with the arrests of Morsi and his supporters had rapidly expanded to encompass Egypt’s entire political spectrum.

The Egyptian foreign ministry criticized Amnesty’s remarks, saying they “lacked objectivity” and showed the rights group’s policy of “double standards.”

Amnesty had “deliberately ignored presidential pardons granted to hundreds of young people,” the ministry said.

Earlier this month, the authorities released 165 people who had been jailed for breaking a controversial protest law.

Those released do not include any figures from the 2011 revolt that drove Hosni Mubarak from power and who were imprisoned under the law in a move that caused an uproar among human rights groups.

Amnesty, meanwhile, criticized Sisi’s Western allies for their ties with his regime, saying there was “no indication that stopping gross human rights violations in Egypt was on the agenda during” their meetings with it. AFP

Journal warns against sugary drinks WASHINGTON—Sodas and other sugary drinks may cause up to 184,000 deaths a year worldwide, according to a study published Monday in the journal Circulation.

Billed as a first, the report analyzed the global risks of death due to diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancers linked to the consumption of sugary drinks.

Researchers estimated that around 133,000 people died from diabetes due to the consumption of what the report called “sugarsweetened beverages.” Around 45,000 people died globally from cardiovascular diseases arising

from sugary drink consumption and 6,450 people died from cancers linked to the beverages, researchers estimated.

“Many countries in the world have a significant number of deaths occurring from a single dietary factor, sugar-sweetened beverages.

It should be a global priority to substantially reduce or eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages from the diet,” said study author Dariush Mozaffarian from Tufts University in Boston.

Mexico had the highest death rate due to sugary beverages with a rate of 450 deaths per million adults, the report said. It was fol-

lowed by the United States with 125 estimated deaths per million adults.

Researchers also said the general quantity of sugar available in a nation correlated with the country’s frequency of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The report also found 76 percent of deaths related to soda and other sugary drink consumption occurred in low to middle income countries.

Fruit juices were not included in the research, which analyzed 62 dietary surveys conducted between 1980 and 2010 in 51 countries. AFP

Crash. Indonesian rescue personnel work at the scene of the crash of an Indonesian military C-130 Hercules aircraft in Medan on June 30, when the transport plane crashed shortly after take-off in a city on Sumatra island, exploding in a ball of flames in a residential area. AFP

W E D N E S D AY : J U LY 0 1 : 2 0 1 5

C1

BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS WRITER life @ thestandard.com .ph

LIFE LUXURY

LUXURY IN A CLICK Enjoying online shopping with vitostudio.com

T

he experience of buying into luxury is usually enjoyed by stepping into a boutique and later emerging with glossy bags filled with the day’s special purchases. Added to the luxury dream include the exceptional service (both pre and post purchase) and the rarity of the product one takes back home.

As the world goes on faster speed and life happens with the swipe of a smart phone or the click of a button, the basic principles of luxury evolve. Quintessentially, a luxury product offers service that is personalized – customized even.

Many also insist that to fully appreciate and understand why luxury products are priced as they are, they must be fully tangible. In a digital era, how does luxury survive?

International luxury labels like Gucci, Louis Vuitton or Chanel have all gone digital. Initially, to stay true to its patrimony and heritage, their immersion into cyber space was merely for marketing purposes. In more recent years however, with the success of e-commerce multi-brand sites like luisaviaroma.com and net-a-porter.com, the market has found that there still lies a distinctly luxurious experience in the digital sphere. And while it may not feel as tangible as it traditionally should, it still leaves buyers with the same feeling of pleasure and fulfillment.

One such website is vitostudio.com, a Philippine designer shopping portal. Launched in 2012 to offer curated collections from the country’s most prolific designers, the site aims to bring a heightened shopping experience to the local market. Going digital has helped the site’s advocacy to promote local talent to a broader and more global audience.

The first and possibly the only one of its kind in the country today, the site has come up with ways to make shopping for luxury goods online not only easier but also more secure, especially for clients who are hesitant about spending on products that they have not yet seen in person.

JEWELRY AND ACCESSORIES ONLINE

The most popular luxury products to be purchased online are jewelry and accessories. Not only are they easier to gauge for size, they also make for perfect gift ideas especially for individuals who are often on-the-go and do not have time to hit crowded malls especially during the holidays. The key to shopping for jewelry or accessories online is to familiarize one’s self with the brand. Take the time out to read through product descriptions. Materials – where they are sourced, karat, workmanship and total weight are but some of the few details that will guide online purchases.

It’s also good to get a good perspective of size. For instance, a ring may look different when worn on a finger. Clear images will help assure that you are buying something that will actually fit and satisfy your expectations. And because designer jewelry and accessories are not impulse purchases, it’s always a good idea to inquire. Websites that cater to an affluent market offer superb customer service even when it’s done through email. Gather as much information and assistance as you can.

APPAREL AND THE MYSTERY OF A SIZE GUIDE

Admittedly, buying clothes online can prove to be quite a challenge. The question of whether it will fit is often raised.

More than that, it is also argued that the digital world cannot replace the satisfaction or the feeling of assurance one gets from actually trying on a piece of apparel. Oftentimes, when buying a piece of clothing online, individuals tend to go for styles or cuts that they have already been incorporating into their wardrobes for years. Staples, as one might want to call them, these pieces are sure to suit body type, lifestyle and style sensibility. When going for these pieces, take time out to consult the size guide. Ideally, sites provide guides for a variety of measuring standards – US sizing, UK, European and even Asian. The more seasoned or established website will provide comprehensive guides that are easy to use.

It’s always good to keep in mind that sizes might vary depending on the designer or brand. Again, when shopping for luxury online, it is always a good idea to maximize the superb online customer service they offer – inquire, ask for assistance and get familiar with your purchase. If you are buying a piece from a designer or brand that you have already purchased from in the past, use this as a point of reference.

Luxury is changing along with the times. While certain aspects of the experience are missing – direct human contact, the excitement of walking into a store, the pleasure of carrying the shopping bag around after a purchase – the digital luxury sphere more than compensates for this with convenience, superb customer service, efficiency and the thrill of coming home to a beautifully wrapped package.

As most online shoppers attest: “When you shop online, it’s as if it’s Christmas everyday.”

W E D N E S D AY : J U LY 0 1 : 2 0 1 5

C2

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

BOBSON AND MARRONNIER LAUNCH CONTEST

Get a chance to win P3,000 worth of gift certificates

A

s a brand originating from Japan, BOBSON epitomizes the aesthetic and discipline of the Japanese in all of its denim and apparel offers. Since its introduction to the country last year as the pure Japanese denim brand, BOBSON has given Filipinos quality, comfort, and style and this year, it intends to rack it up with a partnership with one of Japan’s top fashion schools: the Marronnier College of Fashion and Design.

BOBSON’s partnership with the Osaka-based school has launched the BOBSON x Marronnier T-shirt Graphic Design Contest for new shirt designs crafted by some of Japan’s most talented, up-and-coming designers. The designs revolve around the theme “Perfect Circle: The Rising Sun” which makes use of the prominent red dot BOBSON logo. Winners of the competition will get their works produced as part of BOBSON

IN THE HEART Y OF DESIGN

JASON B. LABACANACRUZ Technological University of the Philippines – Manila 2014 Gold Awardee / Architecture Category

KRISTINE CABALLES University of San Carlos - Cebu 2014 Gold Awardee / Interior Design Category

oung Filipinos are getting an opportunity to showcase their talent through the Nippon Paint Young Designer Award that has sparked creativity and inspiration since the contest’s launch in 2008.

This year’s NYPDA themed “Design with Heart: For a Sustainable Future: With People in Mind” has two competition categories, namely Architecture and Interior Design, to spur young interior designers and architects in ideating concepts that infuse convenience, practicality and purpose into our living, working and leisure spaces. This is envisioned to challenge participants into thinking of design concepts that would benefit people from all walks of life, including the elderly, the young and the physically challenged, among others.

From its humble beginnings when it was first introduced in Malaysia, NYPDA has and emerged as one of Asia’s most reputable design competitions spanning 12 countries, namely Singapore, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Thailand, Pakistan, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, China, Japan, Hong Kong, as well as Malaysia.

Gladys Goh, Group General Manager, Nippon Paint Malaysia Group, shares that “Over the years, NPYDA has grown in stature as more and more industry partners, associations and developers join hands to constantly elevate the competition in terms of selection criteria as well as exchange of knowledge.”

Every year, NPYDA’s judges comprise reputable professionals and industry leaders, to further take students through a vigorous selection process to win the most creative and innovative interior design and architectural design awards.

Working with such reputable professional groups such as Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID), Council of Interior Design Educator (CIDE), United Architects of the Philippines (UAP), and Council of Deans and Heads in Architecture Schools in the Philippines (CODHASP), LorCalma & Partners, CASAS + Architects, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the NPYDA expects to see a bigger pool of talent from schools nationwide.

The contest is open to students who are at least on their third year from schools affiliated with

merchandise to be sold in stores in the Philippines.

BOBSON is giving Filipinos the opportunity to vote for their favorite t-shirt designs by simply visiting the BOBSON Facebook page at facebook.com/ BOBSONJapan and looking for the BOBSON x Marronnier album to view the finalists. A like and a comment on why they chose the t-shirt design will count as one vote for that design. Voting period is from July 3 to 9.

Every day during the voting period, BOBSON will give away gift certificates worth P3,000 to one lucky voter. So be sure to click “Like” for your choice BOBSON x Marronnier t-shirt design and score BOBSON goodies for yourself.

Visit BOBSON’s official Facebook page for updates: http://www.facebook.com/BOBSONJapan or bobsonjapan.com for more information.

the United Architects of the Philippines and the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers. Each participant is given a fixed area size to envisage and conceptualize their ideal environments that promote a sense of belonging. All entries must be submitted on or before September 30, 2015.

Entries will be evaluated based on their Green & Sustainable Design Concept, Colour Concept, Design Innovation, and Design Concept Statement.

Each of the Gold Awardees will win P50,000 cash prize, a six-month internship at LorCalma & Partners (for Interior Design)/Casas Architects (for Architecture), plus an all-expense paid trip to Bangkok, Thailand for a once-in-a-lifetime learning program, an exclusive workshop crafted especially for winners featuring internationally renowned speakers in the fields of architecture and interior design.

The winner’s professor/adviser will also get P10,000 cash prize, while his or her academic institution will receive P10,000 cash and P10,000worth of paint voucher. The Silver Awardee will receive P30,000 cash prize while eight finalists will get P10,000 each. Special awards will also be given to Best Colour Choice and Best Green Innovation with a cash prize of P5,000 each.

“At Nippon Paint, we believe in being passionate in all that we do. And we encourage students to challenge themselves to think beyond the ordinary. This is a platform where young interior designers and architects are challenged to break through the limits and confines of conservative thinking and deliver ideas and environments that everyone can enjoy, cherish and thrive in. ‘Home is where the heart is’ like they always say… and we hope all spaces are transformed and designed with a ‘soul’ in mind… further promoting meaningful, purposeful interactions. As Nippon Paint places strong emphasis in reducing carbon footprint to the environment, similarly, NPYDA also seeks design ideas that are green and sustainable to ensure that we continue to protect our living environment for the future generations,” Goh concluded.

For more information about Nippon Paint and the Young Designer Award 2015, please log on to www. youngdesigneraward.ph

W E D N E S D AY : J U LY 0 1 : 2 0 1 5

C3

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

LUXURY VACATION HOMES FOR RENT

BY ED BIADO

Airbnb might have popularized the private-lodging rental scheme but it certainly isn’t the only player in the field. Onefinestay, a British startup, is trying to get a piece of the pie by focusing on one very specific part of the market: the high-end segment.

Currently, Onefinestay offers luxury vacation homes in London, Los Angeles, New York and Paris. But with its recent round of funding, it aims to expand and fine-tune the services that it offers. Over the next two years, the company will “add a variety of new cities into the ecosystem and scale up internationally,” Onefinestay co-founder Greg Marsh told CNBC. Unlike Airbnb that leaves all the preparations and arrangements to home owners, Onefinestay has a very hands-on approach to ensure that each property on its roster is top-shelf and as luxurious as advertised. Properties rent out for around $400 to $600 a night, but a few – those in the super upmarket Prestige Folio – can go for higher than $1,300 a night.

“Because we visit, check and photograph every home ourselves, we know each one inside out,” it says on its web-

site. “So we can answer any questions you might have before booking.”

Not only that, they also prepare the properties so that they meet the high expectations of the service’s exclusive clientele.

Standard amenities include Wi-Fi; iPhone with free data and local calls; toiletries, towels and white linen; 24/7 phone support; housekeeping; local recommendations; and a personal welcome to the home.

Local recommendations are personal ones from the home owners themselves.

Onefinestay says that “because we know the members who offer their homes personally, we’ve asked them what makes their place special, and what makes their area interesting. With their help, we’ve discovered the best local shops and restaurants, characterful local bars, hidden gems and the intriguing local landmarks – things you won’t find in any guidebook, but in our iPhone app instead.”

These services, as well as other arrangements upon request, are part of what Onefinestay calls “handmade hospitality,” which begins with stays at the finest homes in the world coupled with exquisite white-glove service “to make a home yours, forever, or just for a little while.”

Check it all out on www.onefinestay.com.

A home for rent in West Village, New York

A home for rent on Boulevard de Beauséjour, Paris

Take a dip in the property’s pool

A home for rent on Coleherne Road, London

The pool of a home for rent on Rosewood Avenue, Los Angeles

Get fit at the building’s very own fitness centre

THE RESIDENCE FOR LOFTY DREAMS

I

f you live and work in Metro Manila, you’d know the hassle you have to go through as you travel from one place to another, and going home can be an exhausting daily challenge. The time-consuming also makes it almost impossible for the day to be totally productive. This troubling reality makes it an ultimate luxury to live in an address that allows one to make his day productive and fulfilling.

Eton Properties gives those who work in Makati and nearby cities a chance to live in a place where it doesn’t take two hours or more to go home – and they can experience this at Eton Parkview Greenbelt. Strategically located on Gamboa Street in Legaspi Village, the 34-story all-loft residential masterpiece is located at the center of the prestigious Makati neighborhood.

From an early morning jog at the Legazpi Active Park to grocery shopping and dining out with friends and loved ones at the nearby mall – the day goes by in a breeze. Best of all, being late for your appointments becomes the least of your worries.

Mere steps away from Eton Parkview Greenbelt’s airconditioned main lobby are patches of green – Washington SyCip Park and Legazpi Active Park that both offer refreshing views and excellent places to frolic in. Some of Makati’s best kept restaurants and third-wave coffee shops are also just a stone’s throw away from the development.

Eton Parkview Greenbelt’s location also affords the residents a magnificent view of the Makati skyline. Its

proximity to key destinations such as major corporations, hospitals, schools and malls, as well as the ease of access to major thoroughfares make it a wise investment. The property’s year-round high rental yield and continuous value appreciation are important factors to consider especially if you decide to lease the unit out.

“Loft-living in Makati CBD – you can’t go wrong with that. And if you’re going to dabble into real estate investment for the first time and you’re looking for a property that you can easily lease out, Eton Parkview Greenbelt is your best bet,” enthuses Eton Properties AVP Martha Herrera. “With its superb location at the heart of Legaspi Village Makati, you can be assured that its value will continue to appreciate in the coming years.”

Featuring a contemporary façade design, the tower offers Move-in Ready™ one-bedroom lofts in generous cuts, from 44 sqm to 52 sqm. Its amenities include an adult and children’s pool, landscaped garden, function room, children’s play area and a fitness room. Residents are also assured of their safety as security personnel are on guard 24/7. A stand-by emergency power is also installed in addition to CCTV cameras in common areas including elevator cars.

The fire and smoke detection system is fully-automated, and a provision for water reservoir and separate fire reserves are available.

For more information about Eton Parkview Greenbelt and other developments of Eton Properties, contact 0917-486-4862.

Eton Parkview Greenbelt is located at the heart of the prestigious Makati neighborhood.

C4

W E D N E S D AY : J U LY 0 1 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

Channel your animal instinct with Parisian’s Jungle Luxe collection

Parisian’s Jungle Luxe keeps you ahead of the fashion tribe

JUNGLE LUXE Parisian goes wildly fabulous

Go casual-glam with this brown snakeskin backpack

Keep it edgy yet classy with black Shira heels

Walk on the wild side with Parisian’s Jungle Luxe collection. Explore the urban jungle with wildlife inspired shoes and bags that exude a classic metropolitan influence.

Neutral earthy tones and exotic animal prints with a distinctly urban twist add a fun and fierce factor to your look. Go fierce and fashionable with leopard printed stilettos and snakeskin print pointed heels.

Add edge and sophistication to your wardrobe by embracing bold jungle prints with fiery reds and vibrant yellows with your snakeskin handbags and backpacks.

The Parisian Jungle Luxe Collection is available at all SM Stores nationwide. Get connected with Parisian Shoes and Bags through Parisian Shoes and Bags on Facebook and @ SMParisian on Twitter and Instagram.

Roar with leopardprint Orela stilettos from Parisian

Dare to explore your wild side with a red snakeskin bag

Strappy pointed toe Olena pumps

W EDNES DAY : J ULY 1 : 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

NOW SHOWING

C5

SCAN THE ICON TO CONNECT TO SURESEATS.COM AND CLICK THE CITY

A GUIDE TO WHAT’S IN CINEMAS THIS WEEK AfTER THE BALL

Plotergeist

In this retail fairy tale, Kate (Portia Doubleday) joins the family business, which includes her wicked stepmother (Lauren Holly) and equally deceitful two stepsisters. Just when it seems her dreams will never come true, she gets the help of a prince charming in the shoe department (MarcAndré Grondin). Along with her godmother’s vintage clothes and a clever identity switch, Kate may finally be able to expose the evil trio.

TERMINATOR - NEW

PG The fifth installment of the Terminator series is set in the year 2029. John Connor, leader of the Resistance continues the War against the Machines. At the Los Angeles offensive, John’s fears of the unknown future begin to emerge when Tech-Com spies reveal a new plot

by Skynet that will attack him from both fronts; past and future, and will ultimately change warfare forever.

BOYCHOIR - NEW

PG An anonymous benefactor sent a recently orphaned 12-year-old boy (Garrett Wareing) to an elite boarding school for music. No one expected that this rebellious loner would achieve the standards required to join the Boychoir, a choral band of brothers who travel the world and maintain the school’s famed status.

Boychoir

THE BREAKUP PLAYLIST - NEW

MAX

G A story about a highly trained service dog from Afghanistan adopted by its late handler’s grieving family in the U.S. But the handler’s teenage brother Justin (Josh Wiggins) has problems of his own and doesn’t want the animal. Max may be Justin’s only chance to learn what really happened to his brother. With the help of a dog-savvy friend, Justin and Max begin to bond, and set out to unravel the mystery of Justin’s brother’s death.

PG The romantic-comedy is a story about an aspiring professional singer (Sarah Geronimo) and a rock artist (Piolo Pascual) who collaborate in a song. As they work on their material, they start to develop feelings for each other.

They realize that following their heart is both the worst and the greatest feeling.

The Breakup Playlist

THE WATER DIVINER - NEW

NORTE, HANggANAN Ng KASAYSAYAN - NEW

PG A man is wrongly jailed for murder while the real killer roams free. The murderer played by Sid Lucero is an intellectual and is frustrated with his country’s never-ending cycle of betrayal and apathy. The convict is a simple man who finds life in prison more tolerable when something mysterious and strange starts happening to him.

‘ATTACK ON TITAN’ SOON IN THEATERS

B

ased on the phenomenal Manga created by Hajime Isayama, Attack on Titan is a live-action movie directed by Shinji Higuchi and written by Yusuke Watanabe and Tomohiro Machiyama.

More than a hundred years ago since humans have seen the Titans, humanity remembered when Titans suddenly reappeared. The majority of the human race had been eaten and civilization col-

lapsed. The survivors of the war built three walls to prevent the invasion of the Titans, and kept the peace by securing the living area inside. After a hundred years, the wall has not been broken... until the day the humans feared the most. The live-action movie is based on the manga but includes some original aspects and supervised by the author.

Attack on Titan, from Pioneer films, opens on Aug. 12 nationwide.

POLTERgEIST

PG A contemporary remake of the classic horror film about a family whose suburban home is invaded by evil forces, it follows the story of a family whose home is built on a native burial ground. When an unseen force takes the daughter, the family’s only line of contact is through their TV. The family will have to look for a psychic to try to save their lost daughter.

PG

The Water Diviner

Attack on Titan is a gripping film from Korea

PG Joshua Connor (Russell Crowe) goes to Turkey in search of his three missing sons, last known to have fought against the Turks in the bloody Battle of Gallipoli. Arriving in Istanbul, he is thrust into a vastly different world, where he encounters others who have suffered their own losses in the conflict. With seemingly insurmountable obstacles in his path, Connor must travel across the battle-scarred Turkish landscape to find the truth and his own peace.

COMPILED BY NICKIE WANG

W EDNES DAY : J ULY 1 : 2015

C6

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

CLAUDinE bARRETTO STARTS WORking in nEW mOviE smitten with each other. Hence, let those photos speak for themselves.

The Kapamilya actor has confirmed that he and Angelica are doing okay.

best-selling book that also features Kim Chiu, Iza Calzado, and Cheena Crab. niCkiE WAng Gretchen Barretto’s loss is Claudine Barretto’s gain.

No, we are not talking about any excess fat or weight issues here. It’s about a movie role Gretchen turned down. It was offered then to Claudine, which she accepted. Now she’s using it as a ticket to her big screen comeback. In fact, she had already attended the story conference and the first shooting this week.

Chito Roño is directing the film based on Etiquette for Mistresses and What Wives Can Learn From Them by Jullie Yap-Daza.

The upcoming film is Claudine’s first big screen project after a five-year hiatus. It’s also significant to her slumbering career as it reunites her with Kris Aquino and Roño whom she worked with in Sukob (2006).

Star Cinema is producing the the big-screen adaptation of the

AngELiCA DiSPELS bREAkUP RUmOR Contrary to the persistent rumor that showbiz couple Angelica Panganiban and John Lloyd Cruz have called it quits, the lovebirds appear to be are very much together.

Early last month, rumors of uncoupling of the two surfaced after a scribe wrote that they weren’t on speaking terms. Angelica denied what the scribe described as a juicy news from his “very deep penetration agent.”

In an Instagram post last week, Angelica greeted the Kapamilya actor ‘happy birthday.” The photo shows the That Thing Called Tadhana star riding the golf cart while Lloydie drives.

“I’ll never get tired making you laugh. Happiest birthday my love,” she wrote as photo caption.

Now that we heard it from Angelica, should Lloydie say it as well?

In recent photos shared on social media, the couple still looks so

‘ThE EnD Of LOvE’ What happens after love has been exhausted?

This is the question Taiwanese director Li Da Hsu is asking in his second directorial project that explores the meaning of love.

Set in contemporary Taiwan, The End of Love unravels the story of four couples who struggle to hold on to what’s left of their respective relationships: a couple who initially met in the street and got involved in social movement activism, a professionally successful couple coping with infertility, an old man who found the love of his life in a home for the elderly, and a young man trying to win his former high school teacher’s heart.

Although told in a staggered nature, Li Da Hsu is still able to reconcile the basic premise of the film. While all characters are not entirely related to each other, the

MYNP hoNors NaNaYs NatioNwide

Boy Abunda encourages everyhone to make their mothers proud of them

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 45 46 48 50 51 52 54 58 62 63 65 66 67 68 69 70 71

Poolroom supply Be of benefit Falls apart Forever, to Keats Car grill cover Doctrine In — (actually) Threw around Heston title role (2 wds.)

Not pro Road rally Hurl forcefully Pirate’s chest?

Turkish official Swamp grass Glimpse Flashy sign

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Egg portion 5 Dressed 9 Sherlock portrayer 14 Lotion additive 15 Airy prefix 16 Bring cheer 17 Orchard product 18 Foul mood 19 Phones 20 Overnight guest’s spot (2 wds.)

22 24 26 27 30 35 36 37 38 39 42 43

Catch off guard Follows closely Ostrich kin Sea between Italy and Greece They get out early Vista Dry, as bubbly Prove Fritz’s sigh Pure pleasure NASA counterpart Mystique

DOWN 1 Puppy cries 2 Ersatz butter 3 Laze around 4 Hair and nails protein 5 — — point (example) 6 Ivan of the courts 7 Jackie’s tycoon 8 Flecks 9 Looked good on 10 Warnings, old-style 11 Road crew’s supply

T

wo years since Make Your Nanay Proud (MYNP) Foundation, Inc. started, it continues to deliver its message to all to make our nanay proud.

This year, MYNP embarks on various activities including: Rehabilitation Program for Typhoon Ruby Survivors in Eastern Samar, Tulong Kay Nanay, Research Project, MYNP-Radyo Balintataw text Tula, MYNP Hong kong Project for Overseas Filipino Working Mothers with Generika, Outreach Project, Soup Kitchen Project in different areas in Metro Manila, visits to the liberty-deprived women and mothers of the

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2015

12 13 21 23 25 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 36 40 41 44 47 49 50 53 54 55 56 57 59 60 61 64

Angelika Panganiban says she and John Lloyd Cruz are still very much together

“— never fly!”

— -majeste Sounded sheepish?

Some canines Most nimble Newton or Asimov Happen Gandhi associate Home furnishings “That’s not what — —!”

Lab slide dye Marshy tract Rainbow band Dazzling success Spud Moseying about No tyro, this Catwalk Thing Bar legally Umps Fashion mag Rolaids target Connecticut campus “Minimum” amount Canyon reply Faculty honcho Refusals

story is bridged by the basic theme that talks about the cycle of relationship or more appropriately the stages all couples go through before they could call it quits or hold on to their relationship.

An interesting point that can win audience approval is the film’s ability to translate emotion without any subtitles. That’s the power of good acting.

The End of Love is part of the 2nd World Premieres Film Festival organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines, had its gala premiere on June 25 at the Cinema 6 of SM Mall of Asia. It will be available for screening until July 7.

Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and “Meeting of Nanays” where dozens of nanays from different communities shared their experiences with Nini Borja, MYNP Vice President; Bemz Benedito, MYNP Managing Director with the support of MS Sicat Construction and Nikon Tough Mama.

On the other hand, the MYNP book is still at the top as one of the bestselling publications. The book is a compilation of poems, reflections, anecdotes, musings, stories, photos and artworks of close to 100 people who were asked, How Do You Make Your Nanay Proud? Another project is

Claudine Barretto is facing the cameras again

SineNanay, a student film festival using cellular phone cameras.

Recently, MYNP has formally announced its search for the Best Nanay Awards 2015, which is on its 2nd year.

The 10 winners will each receive P10,000.00 cash, a handcrafted mother-and-child trophy carved by Ifugao sculptors, along with gift certificates.

The nomination of the Best Nanay is now on going until August 31, 2015. The Nomination Forms can be downloaded at www.makeyournanayproud.com or you may contact the awards committee at mynpawards@ gmail.com or 0917-611-1556.

W EDNES DAY : J ULY 1 : 2015

C7

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

gMa websiTe page views hiT all-TiMe high

T

he Kapuso network continues to prove its leadership beyond television as it marks another milestone online.

According to Effective Measure, the Entertainment website of GMANetwork.com broke its own record in May 2015 for the highest number of page views, garnering a total of 55 million with a 32 percent growth rate compared with page views in April.

Furthermore, GMANetwork.com recorded more page views compared with its entertainment website counterparts, ABS-CBN.com and PEP.ph.

Through the official website, Kapuso netizens are constantly updated on their favorite Kapuso personalities and programs, and have exclusive access to digital media that can only be found on the Network portal. GMA Network.com continues to widen its audience with effective digital promotions and product improvements to the site.

Last March, the official GMA Network Entertainment website gained its second highest number of page views of approximately 42 million since its launch.

Breathe Freely

from c8

HHHHH Orange is The new cOlOr Of beauTy Along with health and wellness, beauty is one aspect of human existence that people—especially women—will always make time for because it’s important to look good, since looking good is key to feeling good about one’s self and positively impacts the way we relate to others as well.

Businesswoman Joby Linsangan-Moreno, owner of the Orange Blush Salon (with several branches in Luzon and soon Metro Manila) had always dreamed of going into the salon business.

So when the opportunity to open her own place presented itself in October 2003, Joby didn’t hesitate. She had always been passionate about the beauty business and all it entailed. She even loved going to salons herself.

“I have always loved the beauty business: Hair, makeup, fashion,” says Joby. “I was always curious on how hair is styled, colored, treated. For me, the beauty business is the closest to my heart and I know that I will be at my best if I choose a business that is

Joby Linsangan-Moreno, owner of Orange Blush Salon

related to beauty: And how I love going to salons! That was why I chose to put up a hair salon business.”

Orange Blush Salon offers traditional salon services just like any salon in Metro Manila--Haircutting, Hair Treatments, Hair Rebonding, Hair Straightening, Hair Coloring, Manicure and Pedicure, Footspa and Makeup—and yet it’s what Joby calls a “proudly probinsyano” brand (they have more than 20 branches scattered throughout Nueva Ecija and nearby provinces, towns

and cities; their branches are located, aside from Nueva Ecija, in Tarlac, Pangasinan, Pampanga and Bulacan) although Joby discloses there are plans to eventually expand the brand into Metro Manila and bring to customers in the big city the same kind of down-home service that Orange Blush customers have become used to.

For more information on Orange Blush Salon, prices, and services (or even franchise inquiries), please visit their website, http://orangeblushsalon.com/index.html.

Chinese tennis legend li na in Cnn’s ‘talk asia’

T

Legendary Chinese tennis player, Li Na in CNN Talk Asia

his month in Talk Asia, CNN’s Anna Coren is in Shanghai to meet tennis legend Li Na, one of the most influential and pioneering Chinese athletes of her generation. Last year the tennis trailblazer was forced to retire at the height of her game due to a recurring knee injury, but as she sits down with CNN, Li opens up about her milestone-filled career.

The only Asian to claim not one, but two, Grand Slam titles, her star power extends far beyond the court.

In an intimate conversation, Li talks about the difficult decision to retire, her love hate relationship with Chinese tennis authorities, and what it means to be hailed as a national hero. The tennis superstar also opens up about the death of her father who she describes as the ‘sunshine’ of her childhood, falling in love with her tennis teammate, and her newest victory, motherhood.

CNN Talk Asia airs 5:30 p.m. on July 2.

On average, a person inhales and exhales 18 to 20 times per minute. Unless the person is holding his breath under water or simply avoiding a particular scent, there should be no other reason not to breathe without restrictions- except perhaps the presence of an underlying respiratory disease. The current scenario of air pollution is quite telling.

The WHO reported in 2005 that urban indoor and outdoor air pollution causes more than two million premature deaths worldwide primarily affecting populations of developing countries. In 2013, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the WHO has also classified outdoor air pollution as the leading environmental cause of cancer deaths.

UAP, Inc., Unilab’s Adult Respiratory Division, recenty partnered with the Philippine Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (PSO-HNS) to increase awareness of the importance of proper nasal care. The partnership involves engagements with different groups that are exposed to the impact of air pollution. The advocacy has likewise gained the support of Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

“Air pollutants can come from both natural and man-made sources,” explains Assistant Director Eva Ocfemia of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB). She continues, “Unfortunately, man-made air pollutants dominate the atmosphere of areas primarily undergoing industrialization.”

According to Ocfemia, air pollution sources can be classified into three: stationary, mobile, or area. Stationary sources are any building or immobile structure, facility or installation, which emits or may emit any air pollutant defined generally as individual points of emission like smokestacks.

Dr. Lourdes Enecilla, Ears, Nose, Throat (ENT) specialist from St. Luke’s Global City and member of the advocacy committee of Philippine Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery relates the important role the nasal cavity play in the respiratory system.

“The nasal passages have defenses which help protect our body from harmful substances in the air we breathe. For example, mucus and tiny hair-like cells (cilia) in the nose trap air-borne particles such as dust, bacteria, viruses and allergens. The mucus moves towards the throat to be swallowed then excreted by the body. But if the amount and type of particles are too much for the nose to handle this can lead not only to nasal symptoms but also problems in other systems of the body such as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), asthma attacks and even cardiovascular disease. That’s why nasal care should be given importance to help prevent respiratory diseases. It is our first defense,” she said.

The press conference also served as the launch of NasoClear, a saline solution product marketed by UAP that is recognized by doctors as an effective daily spray to clean the nose. UAP hopes that people will develop the habit of cleaning the nose regularly in the same manner that toothbrushing, handwashing and cleaning of ears are practiced everyday.

“UAP has dedicated itself to ensuring respiratory wellness for Filipinos through the nasal care advocacy because we believe that it is the key to be truly healthy,”says UAP division vice president Larry Salazar.

W EDNES DAY : J ULY 1 : 2015

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

At Oz Bar, Elim Chew, Jessica Reynoso, Apl.de.ap and Miguel Antonio

aPl. De.aP introDuces new musical talents ISAH V. RED Last week, The Black Eyed Peas’ Apl.de.ap met with members of the local entertainment press to introduce two musical talents under his wings – Jessica Reynoso and Miguel Antonio – at Oz Bar, the music bar at the Holiday Inn &Suites roof deck in Makati.

BMBX Entertainment is managing officially both Reynoso and Antonio.

According to Apl.de.ap his management firm is going big with their roster of artists and projects that will resonate loudly in the region this 2015. That is his mission – to bring the finest and freshest talents this side of the world to the global stage.

And last Thursday, it has finally broken ground. That idea has been in the rapper’s mind since 2014 when he launched BMBX, which is a play on the word “boombox.”

It aims to give Southeast Asia’s best artists world-class production and help open doors for other undiscovered Asian acts.

With a strong line up from Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia, and particularly in the Philippines with Curve Entertainment as its exclusive marketing partner, BMBX is proud to have the two young discoveries on board.

African-American-Filipina Jessica Reynoso is ready to spread her wings and begin a thriving solo career. Jessica has already shown exceptional vocal chops at age 9 in the TV singing competition Pop Star

Filipino singer Miguel Antonio who makes Singapore his home is among BMBX's new talents

Al.de. ap is hopeful BMBX will illuminate the world with his new talents from Southeast Asia

Jessica Reynoso hopes with Apl.de.ap her career in music would get a lift up high

welfare of the Tacioban children.

The team flew on Saturday to shoot a documentary to show everyone how they can help and send out a positive message of hope to the world.

HHHHH Daniel PaDilla’s feel gooD album Daniel Padilla handpicked most of the songs on his newest album for Star Records titled I Feel Good, which he says is his favorite among the albums he has done in his career.

Some of the tracks were performed live by Daniel in his successful Most Wanted concert.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always listened to old songs, even until now. I would say that this is the album I enjoyed making the most among all my albums,” he said.

Daniel’s fourth album (Star Music), also features his own version of “Pangako Sa ‘Yo,” the theme song of his top-rating teleserye with Kathryn Bernardo, as well as the chart-topper “Simpleng Tulad Mo.” ➜ continued on c7

Daniel Padilla releases a new album with old songs among the tracks

Kids. Her good start landed her a spot in the first The Voice of The Philippines under the guidance of none other than Coach Apl. She was the youngest and yet her talent and radiant personality made a top 4 finish possible. Her first single, “Just Like You,” was released in 15 countries across Asia. Other tracks include “Sing Along” and her Christmas single, “Santa Baby.” Fans are definitely ready for Jessica’s latest single “Crazy ‘Bout U” featuring no less than Apl.

de.ap. The two performed it for the showbiz scribes after lunch.

Young Filipino Miguel Antonio who grew up in Singapore kept his talent a secret, but as soon as he began to sing, everyone was listening. After his video of “I Dreamed A Dream” became viral, he got the big push to try the big leagues. He won world-renowned producer and songwriter David Foster’s talent search Born To Sing Asia and got the opportunity to perform at

David Foster & Friends concert in Singapore. The region listened to Miguel’s first single, “Every Day” and is already excited for the second single “Breathe You In.” Two of BMBX’s pride along with Apl.de.ap will lend their voices for a good cause. “Hope Of One Voice,” which lyric Singaporean Elim Chew of the clothing company 77th Street wrote. Cat Ong wrote the music. It is a song of hope and a call to action for the

BMBX aims to give Southeast Asia’s best artists world-class production and help open doors for other undiscovered Asian acts