The Standard - 2015 September 29 - Tuesday

VOL. XXIX NO. 229 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 TUESday : SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

ongpin says meralco stock sale a good deal

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Grace still ahead in Pulse Asia voter poll

By Sandy Araneta SENATOR Grace Poe leads the latest survey of presidential hopefuls, with 26 percent of the respondents choosing her, Pulse Asia Research said Monday.

Second place was shared by Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II, with 20 percent; Vice President Jejomar Binay with 19 percent; and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (16 percent).

The survey was conducted from Sept. 8 to 14, with a sample of 2,400 respondents, and Next page

govt nixes un lumad probe

By Vito Barcelo, Rio N. Araja and Florante S. Solmerin

THE government has turned down the request of the UN special rapporteurs to visit the country to look into reports of killings and human rights abuses committed against tribal communities or lumad in Mindanao.

“We could not accommodate the request of the UNSR this year,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said Monday.

The human rights group Karapatan had asked the UN special rapporteurs to investigate the killing of lumad leaders Dionel Campos and

Juvello Sinzo and lumad teacher Emerito Samarca, but the UN envoys are not allowed to conduct an investigation without an invitation from the government.

Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay appealed to the Aquino administration to allow the UN en-

voys to visit Mindanao so that they could see the real situation of the lumad there, but the administration said it would undertake its own “internal processes” before any international bodies can get involved.

“It is best to leave the investigation to relevant authorities in the Philippines,” Jose said in an earlier text message.

But Karapatan on Monday said a probe announced by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima would be “completely pointless” because she was running for the Senate in 2016.

“She is leaving the Justice Department next month. The investigation

will be useless,” said Marie HilaoEnriquez, chairman of Karapatan and the Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto.

De Lima, who is expected to resign in a few weeks, earlier vowed to conduct a thorough and truthful investigation into the abuses against the lumad communities in Mindanao, taking into account the United Nations’ interest in the cases.

“Somebody will be replacing her. Can we expect continuity? You know what kind of government we have. You have to shake them up before they would move,” Enriquez said.

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Huge upset. Smart Gilas Pilipinas guard Jayson Castro (known as Jayson Williams in international play), sneaks past 7-3 Iranian Center Hamed Haddadi for a layup in one of the highlights of the Philippines’ 87-73 huge upset win over Iran in the Fiba Asia Championship in Changsha, China. Castro finished with 26 points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals.

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“Under a new leadership, we have to double our efforts. De Lima will be leaving her post with unfinished business since two weeks is not enough to dig deeper into the atrocities… and human rights violations committed on lumad and [their] advocates,” she added.

Enriquez said that on Sept. 17, De Lima was supposed to meet with relatives of the slain lumad leader, Campos, but failed to keep the meeting because she had to go to the Palace to meet President Benigno Aquino III. “Who are we to compete with the schedule of the President?” Enriquez asked.

On Sept. 22, De Lima met with Enriquez and Renato Reyes, Bayan Muna secretary general, at her office in Manila, and vowed to look into the reports of killings and abuses in lumad communities in Mindanao.

On Monday, Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Carlos Zarate challenged De Lima to drop charges against him and other human rights defenders that he said were trumped up, and focus instead on a speedy resolution of the cases against paramilitary groups that were responsible for the killings.

“The trumped-up charges filed against us are harassment charges,” Zarate said. He said he and other members of human rights groups were merely helping the lumad and they were the ones being bullied.

“Should the Justice Department find there is no basis at all to back these charges, then De Lima should dismiss these cases outright,” he said.

Also on Monday, a spokesman for the Moro National Liberation Front said the forced ejection of indigenous people from their ancestral land and relocating them was a clear violation of an existing law granting them ownership of their domain.

MNLF spokesman Absalom Cerveza said the plan by the government to relocate the lumad and other tribes in Surigao del Sur constitutes clear violation of Republic Act No. 8371, “An Act to Recognize, Protect and Promote the Rights Of Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples.”

“It is the government that is vio-

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had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percent and a 95 percent confidence level.

The results showed Poe ahead of 11 other possible contenders for the presidency.

Only 3 percent said they were not inclined to vote for anyone on the survey list.

By geographical area, the leading choices for President in Metro Manila were Poe (26 percent); Binay (22 percent), and Duterte (21 percent).

In the rest of Luzon, the top contender for the post was Poe (31 percent).

Pulse Asia said Roxas was the choice for president by a sizable plurality of Visayans (34 percent).

Mindanaoans, on the other hand, were most supportive of Duterte (29 percent).

Across socio-economic classes, the most preferred presidential bets of those in Class ABC were Poe (22 percent), Roxas (22 percent), Duterte (20 percent), and Binay (17 percent).

Pulse Asia said, about a quarter of those in Class D (26 percent) expressed support for Poe’s presidential bid.

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lating its own laws after having established a legal framework for the indigenous people’s as contained in the law,” Cerveza said.

The government suggested that lumad be relocated outside of their communities in light of the atrocities prevailing in their communities blamed on communist rebels and the militarization of their communities that has led to the killing of dozens of indigenous people since Sept. 1.

The Commission on Human Rights, which has launched its own investigation, came under fire from Manobo leaders after it refused to allow a federation of lumad participate in the inquiry.

Rather than looking into the human rights violations against them, the CHR focused instead on the conditions inside the Haran Mission House of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, and asking the people sheltering there if they were willing to be transferred to another sanctuary.

The indigenous people said they preferred staying in the church compound because they felt safe there.

The military has denied involvement in any atrocities against the lumad and blamed the communist New People’s Army for the violence.

The 10th Infantry Division on Monday said it supported the Justice Department investigation on atrocities committed against the lumad tribesmen in Davao del Norte and Bukidnon.

“We believe that, in light of the various views surrounding this issue, a thorough investigation conducted by a competent government institution is a step forward to find out the truth. More importantly, the lumads, who have been the victims of this controversy deserves the justice that our constitution has guaranteed them,” 10th Infantry Division public affairs office chief 1st Lt. Alexandre Cabales said.

A spokesman for the NPA on Monday said two lumad brothers who were killed early this month in the mountains of Valencia City in Bukidnon, died in a firefight with the communist rebels.

Mamerto Bagani, spokesperson of the NPA’s Mt. Kitanglad sub-regional operational command, denied the claim by military officials that the victims were abducted, tortured then killed on Sept. 13. With Maricel V. Cruz, PNA In Class E, the most favored candidates for President were Poe (25 percent), Binay (20 percent), and Roxas (20 percent).

For vice president, Poe and Senator Francis Escudero were statistically tied for first place (24 percent and 23 percent, respectively).

While 24 percent of Filipinos would elect Poe as vice president, 23 percent said they would support Escudero’s own vice presidential bid, Pulse Asia said.

The only other probable vice presidential candidate who registers a double-digit national voter preference is Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (13 percent).

Nine names were included in the vice presidential survey.

Three individuals shared the top spot in Metro Manila—Escudero (27 percent), Poe (21 percent), and Marcos (21 percent).

In the rest of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao, the leading contenders for the vice presidential post were Escudero (19 percent to 26 percent) and Poe (21percent to 28 percent).

In Class ABC, the most preferred vice presidential candidates were Poe (24 percent), Escudero (22 percent), Marcos (20 percent), and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano (15 percent).

Roxas opposes tax reduction proposal

“It’s easy for us to grandstand, for us to say that we should not collect taxes, that taxes should be zeroed-in. But what are the programs that will be sacrificed?”

Roxas said. “How many youths will not have their classrooms?

How many of our countrymen will not benefit from PhilHealth?

How many will be slashed from the 4Ps [the government’s dole program]?”

“Having come from the legislature and the executive, I think it’s responsible to be always reviewing all taxes and all impositions of the government. But at the same time, we should weight in where do these taxes go? And what will be slashed if these will not continue,” Roxas added.

Despite a rising clamor from business and labor groups, the President has rejected calls to lower income tax rates, saying he is not convinced that doing so would benefit the majority of Filipinos.

In testimony before the Senate, Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan admitted that the country’s tax system is regressive, and that middle- and low-income groups bear the brunt of the cost of government.

Last week, 18 major business

groups urged the President to reconsider his position, saying that reducing personal and corporate income tax rates would make the Philippine workforce and corporations more competitive with their Asean neighbors; broaden the tax base by encouraging tax compliance; and increase disposable income for domestic purchase of goods and services that, in turn, would increase the government tax take on consumption taxes.

The statement was supported

by TMAP, most major international chambers of commerce, the Management Association of the Philippines, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines and the Makati Business Club.

Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo, who has filed a bill to lower tax rates, said revising tax brackets would help fixed-wage earners by increasing their take-home pay and encourage tax compliance.

The latest Pulse Asia Research Survey said Monday that inflation and improving workers’ pay are the most urgent national concerns among Filipinos.

The Ulat ng Bayan Survey showed 47 percent of respon-

dents said inflation was most urgent, while 46 percent cited the need to improve workers’ pay.

A second cluster of national issues deemed urgent by Filipinos were corruption in government (39 percent), employment (36 percent), and poverty (35 percent).

The survey said four issues make up a third group of urgent national concerns—peace (21 percent), criminality (20 percent), rule of law (16 percent), and environmental destruction (15 percent).

Filipinos were least concerned about rapid population growth (9 percent), national territorial integrity (7 percent), charter change (4 percent), and terrorism (4 percent), the survey also said.

Across geographic areas and socio-economic classes, the only issues deemed urgent by majorities were workers’ pay (53 percent in Metro Manila), employment (51 percent in the Visayas), and inflation (53 percent in Mindanao and 52 percent in Class E).

The survey involved face-toface interviews with 1,200 adults from May 30 to June 5, 2015. The margin of error was ± 3 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

Pulse Asia said the respondents were asked to pick three issues from a list that they think the Aquino government should act on immediately. They were also told they can add other concerns not on the list.

Reacting to the survey, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said the government was exerting “maximum efforts” to preserve the purchasing power of the peso.

In Classes D and E, Poe and Escudero emerged as the frontrunners in the vice presidential race (23 percent to 26 percent and 21 percent to 24 percent, respectively).

Pulse Asia said Filipinos are now naming an average of 10 of their preferred candidates for the Senate and most of them already have a complete senatorial slate (64 percent).

Of the 50 individuals included in the senatorial survey, 14 have a statistical chance of winning—with Senator Vicente Sotto III landing in solo first place (63.6 percent).

About two in three Filipinos (64 percent) are already naming 12 preferred candidates for the senatorial elections in May 2016.

Former Senator Panfilo M. Lacson was in solo second place with an overall voter preference of 59.3 percent, while Marcos, Jr. was in third place with 54.9 percent.

Completing the list of probable winners are Senate President Franklin M. Drilon (48.2 percent, 4th to 6th places), Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization Francis N. Pangilinan (46.6 percent, 4th to 6th places), Senator Ralph G. Recto (45.4 percent, 4th to 6th places), former Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri (41.4 percent, 7th to 9th places), Saranggani

Rep. Manny Pacquiao (39.6 percent, 7th to 11th places), Senator Sergio R. Osmeña III (38.7 percent, 7th to 13th places), former Senator Richard Gordon (36.8 percent, 8th to 14th places), Las Piñas City Representative Mark Villar (35.8 percent, 8th to 14th places), former Senator Jamby Madrigal (35.2 percent, 9th to 14th places), Justice Secretary Leila M. de Lima (35.2 percent, 9th to 14th places), and Taguig City Rep. Lino Edgardo S. Cayetano (34.2 percent, 10th to 15th places).

Pulse Asia said only 2.1 percent of Filipinos did not express support for any probable senatorial candidate in the May 2016 elections.

Poe said her 6 percent lead over Roxas was an indication that she should start going around the country to convey her platform of government.

“Perhaps, it also makes a difference that the survey was taken prior to my announcement,” said the senator, who announced she was running for president on Sept. 16.

“Again, I thank the Filipino people for their confidence. It is from them that I draw my strength,” said Poe. “More than just a measure of popularity, this is a reminder that we should always focus on performance and genuine service,” she added.

A spokesman for Binay, Rico Quicho, said the vice president was

unfazed by the latest survey results, saying he would work doubly hard to regain his lead.

“The vice president will continue to talk directly with the people and work doubly hard to inform them of his track record of helping the poor and programs to bring more employment, quality education, accessible healthcare and reduction of poverty,” Quicho said in a statement.

Quicho said that the latest survey only shows that the people are still favoring for Binay even though he has not appeared in political advertisements like his opponents.

“The vice president is satisfied with the Pulse Asia results considering that he did not have any television advertisement running during the survey period. It showed us that we have a stable core of supporters,” Quicho said.

Drilon said the survey showed the race was a dead heat.

Administration allies in the House, Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone and Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas said they expect Roxas’ numbers to rise because the people have started to realize his capability as a leader after being endorsed by President Aquino. With Maricel V. Cruz, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vito Barcelo

By John Paolo Bencito and Sandy Araneta

PRESIDENTIAL candidate Manuel Roxas II said Monday he opposes proposals in Congress to lower income tax rates, echoing the views of President Benigno Aquino III, and signaling that Filipino workers who pay the highest taxes in Southeast Asia would get no relief under a Roxas administration

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Palace slammed for politicking VICE President Jejomar Binay lashed out at President Benigno Aquino III’s allies on Monday for intimidating political candidates with graft charges.

Speaker. Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. addresses the National Unity Party’s national convention at the Hotel Sofitel in Pasay City on Monday. Lino SantoS

LP counting on Robredo as VP Duterte to run for President, source says DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will join the presidential race in next year’s elections, a highly placed source said Monday.

The source said Duterte will announce his presidential bid and his running mate, Senator Allan Peter Cayetano, “anytime from today until the first week of October.”

“The prospects of teaming up with Senator Cayetano sweetened everything for Digong [Duterte’s nickname]. They have a high chance of winning both posts,” the source said.

Cayetano is among the vice presidential prospects being groomed by some Liberal Party stalwarts as the running mate of the party’s standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II. Former House Speaker Prospero Nograles said he will support Duterte once he declares his candidacy.

“Mayor Duterte will be supported by Davaoeños. I am a Davaoeño,” Nograles said.

He said he would support another presidential candidate only if Duterte did not run.

“It is considered a sin in a locality not to support somebody who will represent the area in national elections,” Nograles said. Maricel V. Cruz

THE Liberal Party is counting on Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo being the running mate of its standard bearer Manuel Roxas II as it has “no plan B,” Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said Monday.

“There’s no plan B,” Abad told reporters at the sidelines of the budget deliberations at the House of Representatives.

He said the LP wanted Robredo only as they saw her as Roxas’ perfect partner.

“She’s the perfect match for Roxas.

Definitely, if you ask the party, there’s a lot of push for her,” Abad said.

“If she’s the one chosen by the party, she has a chance of making it.”

The LP will hold its national executive committee meeting on Sept. 30 at its headquarters in Cubao, Quezon City.

Roxas is expected to announce his

running mate during the event, where the party will also announce its senatorial line-up.

Abad said he was confident the LP would be able to convince Robredo to run as Roxas’ vice president.

“Congresswoman Robredo is very credible in the eyes of the voters,” Abad said.

“Many people appreciate the fact that she has been hardworking as a legislator.

She has a long track record of working for the poor.”

Reports say Robredo, the widow of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, is “in deep spiritual reflection” on whether or not to run for vice president.

Robredo had earlier said she was not yet ready for a higher position. Maricel V. Cruz

He said those charges were frustrating the opposition as he pushed for a moratorium on the filing of corruption cases at least a year before the elections.

In his speech during the National Unity Party’s convention at the Sofitel Hotel, Binay described the Aquino administration’s lack of sympathy for the poor and its selective justice.

He made his statement even as Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. slammed the administration for its adversarial stance, vindictiveness and politicking.

“Instead of unifying the country, what is happening is a divided nation and bickering,” Marcos said at the NUP convention.

“They’re still politicking.”

Marcos made his statement even as Manuel Roxas II, the Liberal Party’s presidential candidate, presented the “straight path” as the party’s focus to members of the NUP. Roxas highlighted “respect” as the guiding principle that the administration coalition would follow in their continuing partnership with the NUP. The NUP, the third largest political party, has yet to make a commitment on who to support among the three presidential candidates in the 2016 elections.

House deputy Speaker Roberto Puno, the party chairman, and Bataan Governor Albert Garcia, the party president, said the party had asked its 500-strong members from all over the country not to commit to any presidential or vice presidential candidate until the start of the 2016 election campaign period.

“We would encourage our party mates not to decide this early and wait for the party decision to show

we are united,” Garcia said.

Binay said the corruption complaints were being prematurely filed before the Ombudsman and being hastened to elevate it to the Sandiganbayan so that an official could be placed under preventive suspension ahead of the elections.

“To prevent the notion as part of a political propaganda, there should be a moratorium in the filing of cases against political candidates at least one year before the elections,” Binay said.

Binay himself and his son, suspended Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, are facing corruption charges for the allegedly overpriced Makati building II. He said as the election neared, candidates were being charged with many cases before the Office of the Ombudsman.

“They want them suspended so they could not campaign,” he said.

Only Binay, Marcos and Roxas attended the NUP convention but arrived separately, while Senator Grace Poe, the newest Pulse Asia survey leader, snubbed the event.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who ranks fourth in the most recent survey, was not invited since he had repeatedly announced he no longer would seek a higher post.

Marcos said there appeared to be a policy for adversarial form of governance in the current administration.

Binay lamented the poor state of infrastructure in the country and the Aquino administration’s vindictiveness.

He said the administration was doing its best to block his presidential bid in 2016. Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-araneta, john Paolo Bencito and Maricel V. Cruz

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS

new party.

Lawyer Apolonia Soguilon acknowledges the cheers of members of the Philippine Green Republican Party, which she heads, during the group’s launch Monday in Quezon City.

Rio n. aRaja

ANNOUNCEMENT President Benigno S. Aquino III has submitted to the Commission on Appointments (C.A.) for confirmation the ad interim appointments of the following ranking officers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines: Gilmar N. Galicia, PA and Royland M. Orquia, PA (Reserve) – Colonel The public may submit any information, written report or sworn complaints or oppositions in forty (40) copies on the above appointments to the CA Secretariat, 6th Floor, PNB Financial Center, Diosdado Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City, Metro Manila.

For the schedule of the public hearings, the CA Secretariat can be reached through telephone numbers 551-7532, 831-0893, 831-1824, 834-2706, 831-1566 and 834-2713.

28 September 2015.

ARTURO L. TIU Secretary (TS-SEPT. 29, 2015)

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Comelec starts reshuffle

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE Commission on Elections has begun identifying field officers who may be affected by the organization re-shuffle that the poll body announced last month “to avoid the appearance of a cozy relation between election managers and political players.”

Seismic damper. Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino confers with project engineer Alexandre Gros before workers install a seismic damper under the Ayala Bridge in Manila which can protect the bridge during a strong earthquake. DANNY PATA

MNLF offers help in rescue

By Francisco Tuyay THE Moro National Liberation Front said it is willing to help rescue the three foreigners and Filipina who were kidnapped by still unidentified men in Samal Island last week, provided the government officially asks for its assistance.

MNLF spokesman Absalom Cerveza said the group can help find the victims and their abductors if it is true that they are now in Sulu, the group’s primary stronghold. “[But] we will not move to recover the victims unless authorities ask,” Cerveza said, noting that any action on their part may be misinterpreted by the government with whom they signed a peace agreement in 1996.

At least eleven armed men abducted Canadians John Ridsel and Robert Hall, Norwegian resort manager Kjartan Sekkingstad and a Filipina only known as Marites from the Ocean View Resort Hotel in Samal Island at 11:30 p.m. Monday and taken to a still unknown destination.

The military launched search-and-rescue operation, but has so far failed to pinpoint the location of the armed group and their captives.

Cerveza said they do not want to intervene in the military operations “if there’s no request from the military,” adding that the important matter is to really determine the location of the kidnap victims.

MNLF commander Rolando Ulamet, based in Davao province, had earlier expressed

willingness to find the victims and is now in Jolo trying to find out if the kidnappers and their victims really arrived in Parang, Sulu last Friday as reported.

Former government negotiator Jesus Dureza has also volunteered to help find vital information, but Cerveza asked Dureza to first identify who perpetrated the kidnapping because everyone is still facing blank wall.

“We are hearing several information that the victims are already in Sulu, but we considered it raw data,” Cerveza said.

The MNLF has many members in Davao City which they said is one of their controlled areas aside from Sulu and several locations in Maguindanao.

“Reshuffling is done periodically when elections are near. That is not new,” Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said in a telephone interview. “We are doing that for the exigencies of service.”

Jimenez said it is possible that the reshuffle may affect “all levels of the organization.”

“Meaning, no one is unreshuffable,” he said. “One of the reasons for the reshuffle is to avoid the appearance of a cozy relationship between election managers and the political players.”

“For some levels, that means increased efficiency. Also there have been some retirements in between elections and for the most part, some have been placed in an acting capacity,” he said, adding that a reshuffle will also address deaths of personnel.

He noted, however, that there are some positions that may not be reshuffled although he did not say which.

“Sometimes, some people will not be included in the reshuffle because they have just been transferred. Sometimes, they are already doing well so they can stay in their position,” he explained.

At any rate, Jimenez said there is no prohibition to an organizational reorganizations at this time.

According to Comelec Resolution 9981, or the calendar of activities for the May 9, 2016 elections promulgated last Aug. 18, the election period was designated to last from Jan. 10, 2016 (Sunday) to June 08, 2016 (Wednesday).

But there are already some pre-election prohibitions, particularly the transfer, promotion, extension, recall or any other movement of officer or member of the foreign service

corps, which will last from May 10, 2015 to Aug. 7, 2016.

During the election period, it will be illegal to transfer, move or suspend officers and employees in the civil service as well as bear or transport firearms or other deadly weapons, employ bodyguards or organize reaction forces or strike forces.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police chief Director General Ricardo Marquez said it will adopt the best security practices it learned from the papal visit last January and the series of meetings for the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation.

The security plan include the number of policemen to be deployed, the areas of deployment, and coordination with all concerned government agencies in the events as well as coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

During the election period, the PNP is one of the government agencies deputized by the Comelec to secure the polls.

Marquez also assured the public that the entire police organization would remain apolitical during the polls.

“I want to assure our countrymen that their national police force remains non-partisan as it focuses only on serving and protecting the community at all times,” Marquez said.

With nine months before the May 2016 elections, Marquez said the PNP is now working on security measures.

“We are back on our toes as we affirm our commitment to protect our democratic institutions and ensure that our countrymen are able to exercise their right to vote without fear of violence and harassment from lawless elements,” Marquez added.

With Francisco Tuyay

Reyeses’ hospital arrest rejected

By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Justice has vowed to oppose the plan of former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes and his brother former Coron Mayor Mario Reyes to seek hospital arrest while they are being tried for their alleged involvement in the murder of broadcaster and environmentalist Gerry Ortega in 2011.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima disclosed that she instructed prosecutors handling the case to vigorously oppose any move by the Reyes camp before the Puerto Princesa City Regional Trial Court, Branch 52, for hospital detention.

“First of all, there is no basis

for that hospital detention or arrest. Also, that move has been abused many times. That should stop already,” De Lima said, in an interview.

“There are a lot of ordinary prisoners, whether in detention or convicted prisoners, with health problems also but are not accorded hospital arrest.

Only a privileged few are granted that. Enough of that because it is making a mockery of our justice system,” De Lima added.

She also stressed that the DoJ will strongly oppose moves of the Reyes brothers to delay the trial or seek bail.

“If there are moves on the part of the counsels to derail, delay or

postpone the arraignment, our guidance to the prosecutor is to oppose such moves,” De Lima said.

As to the bail issue, De Lima pointed out that “murder is a non-bailable offense… Almost all accused in non-bailable cases apply for bail, but it has to go through the right process.

Bail cannot be granted without sufficient basis.”

De Lima also revealed that the RTC has set the arraignment of the Reyes brothers on Oct. 2, at 8:30 a.m.

The Reyes brothers, who were accused of masterminding the murder of Ortega, were arrested in Thailand last week after three years in hiding.

Investment environment. Vice President Jejomar Binay expounds

on the investment environment in the country during the 2nd Asean Fixed Income Summit held at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.

LINO SANTOS

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Another CA justice opts out of Binay case

By Rey E. Requejo THE resolution of the second suspension case of Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. is expected to be further delayed after another magistrate of the Court of Appeals has recused himself from participating in its proceedings.

Associate Justice Franchito Diamante has been assigned as one of the two addition members of the CA’s Special 9th Division to resolve Binay’s petition assailing his second suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman, in connection with the allegedly overpriced construction of the Makati Science High School building .

However, Diamante opted to inhibit from the case since he is a member of the internal committee of the CA tasked to investigate the bribery allegations of Senator Antonio Trillanes against two fellow justices who handled the first preventive suspension order of the Office of the Ombudsmanagainst Binay.

Diamante was the fourth CA justice to inhibit from the case. The first three were Associate Justices Celia LibreaLeagogo, Priscilla Baltazar—Padilla and Ramon Paul Hernando.

Because of this development, a raffle was conducted yesterday where Associate Justice Romero Barza was picked to take Diamante’s place in the case.

The other magistrate to join the special division of five is Associate Justice Socorro Inting.

Timely reminder. Cause-oriented groups picket the House of Representatives in Quezon City to remind the lawmakers that now is the time to pass the Freedom of Information Bill with barely six months remaining before the 2016 national elections. EY ACASIO

House plenary starts debate on budget bill

By Maricel V. Cruz

peso is spent within means, in the right priorities, and with measurable results particularly in fostering inclusive deTHE House of Representatives on Monday began its velopment but also of passing the budplenary discussions on the proposed national budget get bill on time delaying the passage of for 2016 after almost two months of scrutiny of the bud- the budget bill will mean delaying our gets of the various government departments and agen- country’s forward move towards the achievement of our national developcies at the appropriations panel in the Lower House. ment goals,” Ungab added.

Ungab said the proposed 2016 As the P3-trillion budget took In his sponsorship speech to budget is 15.2 percent or P396 bilcenterstage in the House, another House Bill 6132, Davao City Rep. lion more than the 2015 expenditure Palace-backed measure known as Isidro Ungab, chairman of the program. It corresponds to 19.5 perthe draft-Bangsamoro Basic Law was House committee on appropriations, cent of The Gross Domestic Product, placed in the back burner. Congress- expressed confidence that with the increasing from 18.7 percent of GDP men would devote the two remain- “collective wisdom” of lawmakers, in 2015. ing weeks of session to discuss the they will pass the measure on time, Of the P3.002-trillion obligation proposed spending measure, said as they did in the past five years. budget, Ungab said new general approSpeaker Feliciano Belmonte . “ The “The congressional power of the priations which they proposed Con2016 budget bill is our priority,” Bel- purse comes with the responsibility gress to authorize amount to P2.139 monte stressed. not only of ensuring that every public trillion, consisting of P2.071 trillion

in Programmed New Appropriations and P 67.5 billion in Unprogrammed Appropriations which may only be utilized if revenues exceed targets or new loans be secured.

He said the programmed new appropriations of P2.071 trillion, together with the P930.7 billion in Automatic Appropriations, which is outside the purview of this General Appropriations Bill, will provide for the appropriation cover for the P3.002-trillion budget.

Ungab said the proposed budget has been shaped by financial management reforms that include the two-tier budgeting approach, the GAA-as release document policy, the performance informed budgeting, the unified accounts code structure, and the bottoms-up budgeting process.

Tax court orders Cedric Lee’s arrest

By Rio N. Araja

Private eye. Eleven civilian- informants have received P2.6 million in cash rewards

under the PDEA Operation: Private Eye ,an incentive scheme designed to encourage private citizens to tip off authorities on illegal drug activities in their community.

BUSINESSMAN Cedric Lee and his estranged wife, Judy Gutierrez, are ordered arrested by the Court of Tax Appeals on charges of evading P194.47 million in tax.

“Let a Warrant of Arrest be issued against the remaining accused, Judy Gutierrez Lee and Cedric Lee, and the bail bond for their provisional liberty is set at P20,000 for each accused,” the tax court said on Monday.

“This court finds the existence of probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest

against the accused.”

The couple has been charged with four counts of tax evasion cases.

The tax court, however, lifted its arrest warrant on a co-accused —John Ong, chief operating officer of Izumo Contractors Inc.—after he posted a bail of P80,000 for four counts of the tax cases.

Lee is the president of Izumo Contractors Inc. Last July, in a 13-page resolution, the Department of Justice approved the filing of tax evasion cases against the Lees and Ong for the underdeclaration of the company’s income by 1,602 percent from 2006 to 2009.

DoJ rejected Lee’s “flimsy defense” that it was the firm’s accountant who prepared its income tax return.

Assistant state prosecutor Stewart Allan Mariano the indictment of the three accused which was a proved by senior assistant state prosecutor Susan Dacanay and prosecutor general Claro Arellano.

Based on the certifications secured by the Bureau of Internal Revenue from the clients of Izumo, the company was able to earn P302.63 million, but only declared a shared income of P76.22 million from 2006 to 2009.

t u e s d ay : s e p t e m b e r 2 9, 2 0 1 5

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Romualdez: Draft BBL dead Palace exerting pressure on lawmakers won’t work HOUSE independent bloc leader and Leyte (1st District) Rep. Martin Romualdez said he was aiming for peace in Mindanao but maintained that there should be no pressure from Malacañang to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. At the same time, Romualdez said that the filing of charges against 90 members of Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and private armed groups in connection with the Mamasapano massacre would not help speed up the passing of the BBL in the House.

“The filing of charges won’t help salvage the passage of the bill.

What is important now is justice

for the victims and survivors of the Mamasapano carnage eight months ago,” said Romualdez.

The Leyte lawmaker conceded that BBL is dead due to lack of material time.

“The BBL must be constitutionally-compliant, otherwise we are just giving people false hopes,” said Romualdez as he stressed that the BBL should not be passed without allowing lawmakers to

further review, study and scrutinize the peace measure.

The House of Representatives ended recently its session allotted for the approval of vital measures as the two-week marathon sessions that will begin next week are exclusively devoted for the passage of the P3.002-trillion General Appropriations Bill.

“The peace process is always an issue of trust. Congress should not be threatened. All of us here support peace, but we need sincerity to end the armed conflict and ensure that we will pass a constitutional and not a half-baked BBL,” said Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Con-

stitution Association.

House Bill No. 5811, which is in substitution for HB 4994 (An Act Providing Basic Law for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region), is still in the period of interpellation. The measure seeks the abolition of the present Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the creation of a more autonomous Bangsamoro region.

Originally, the House of Representatives eyed the passage of the measure on third and final reading last Sept. 20 or before the proposed GAB for next year reaches the plenary.

Romualdez said the new December 2015 deadline set by

Malacañang for the BBL’s passage was an admission that the Aquino administration could no longer have the measure approved.

Romualdez made the statement even as The National Anti-Poverty Commission recently urged the leaders of the Lower House and the Senate to ensure the passage of a BBL that conforms to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the Constitution.

“Lawmakers need more time to study the BBL because we want to guarantee that what we would be passing will be legal and compliant with every provision of the 1987 Constitution,” Romualdez concluded.

Joson brothers sued over Alabang road rage

By Joel E. Zurbano CRIMINAL charges were filed against four members of Joson clan residing in Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa City in connection with the road rage that resulted in the injury of a 26-year-old man two weeks ago.

Charged with frustrated murder, grave threat and child abuse before the Muntinlupa City Prosecutors Office were Joson brothers—Christian and Angelo, and their parents Crisolito and Patricia.

The victim, Karlo Alfonso Santiago, was accompanied by his father Alfonso and sister Kay in filing the case last Monday.

Santiago said they include the suspects’ parents in the case because they were aboard the Joson’s vehicle when the incident happened around 9 p.m. last Sept. 18 in Ayala Alabang. n their complaint, Santiago’s father told investigators that he and his son and three-year-old grandson were onboard a golf cart on their way out of the subdivision when the Joson brothers on board a white Toyota Prado (XLU-831) appeared.

The Joson brothers shouted

invectives at them for blocking their path, Santiago said, adding that he tried to intervene but he ended up being beaten by the brothers.

The victim was rushed to and confined at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Alabang for two days.

Lawyer Arianne Mae Gorosin-Garcia said they filed the frustrated murder charges because of the injuries Karlo sustained while the grave threat charges was for the serious threat received by the victim from the suspects.

“The three-year-old boy also sustained an injury on his right knee after one of the men pushed Mr. Alfonso, who was at that time carrying his grandson,” said Garcia.

Meanwhile, Alfonso said he appreciated the gesture of former Nueva Ecija Vice Gov. Edward Thomas Joson condemning the violent act of the Joson brothers.

The former vice governor said the family could just be distant relatives from Bataan.

“They do not own a house or any other property in Nueva Ecija,” he said.

Pet control. Members of an animal rights group, Pet, collect stray dogs and cats, and castrate them to prevent their overpopulation. DANNY PATA

Ayala Bridge repair faces more delays

Fire prevention. When firemen are slow to respond, citizens take matters into their own

hands as exemplified by a Valenzuela resident who empties a pail of water on his house to prevent fire from eating it up in Abalos Bukid Street, Marulas, Valenzuela City. ANDREW RABULAN

A WEEK-LONG closure of Ayala Bridge in Manila has begun after a foreign consultant suggested further improvement of the pavement to ensure the integrity of the bridge.

The move, according to Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino, would further delay the project. He said Public Works officials told him that the contractor vowed to finish the rehabilitation work by Dec. 23.

“They didn’t consult us for the closure and we want the French consultant for the project to explain on this matter,” said Tolentino. “If they are saying the repair will be finished by December, we are afraid that this would affect

the APEC [Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation] meeting this November.”

The MMDA chief said the repair of the bridge was supposed to be completed

by July.

Alexandre Gros of Freyssinet International Manila Inc., the French consultant for the project, in behalf of the foreign firm, apologized for not consulting both the MMDA and the Department of Public Works and Highways for the sudden full close of the bridge.

“We apologize for it and we promise we will open [partially] the bridge after one week,” said Gros during a press briefing at the construction site.

DPWH-National Capital Region project engineer Ri-

cardo de Vera said Freyssinet, through its licensee Frey-Fil Corp., is responsible for the rehabilitation design of the bridge.

He added that one lane of the bridge will be opened to light vehicles by Oct. 1.

Early this year, the MMDA approved the request of the DPWH to complete the repair works of the bridge in time for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Areas to be affected by the bridge closure until October include major thoroughfares such as Quezon Boulevard, United Nations Avenue, Taft Avenue, Legarda Street, Quirino Avenue, Recto Avenue, Magsaysay Boulevard and Roxas Boulevard.

Joel E. Zurbano

t u e s d ay : s e p t e m b e r 2 9, 2 0 1 5

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news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Army closer to declaring Negros, Panay insurgencyfree areas

Basket of goods. A farmer from Tabuk, Kalinga shows off freshly harvested rambutan. DAVID CHAN

Another Nueva Ecija barangay chief shot

By Ferdie G. Domingo

STA. RoSA, Nueva Ecija—An incumbent barangay captain in this province is in critical condition after two suspects aboard a motorcycle shot him as he was driving home Sunday afternoon.

Barangay Talipapa chief Apolinario dela Cruz y Villanueva, alias Paul, sustained gunshot wounds on his neck and chest after being shot numerous times as he was driving his SUV to his home in Barangay

Burgos in this town.

He was immediately rushed to Doctors Hospital.

Supt. Ricardo Villanueva, chief of Provincial Public Safety Company, headed the team that arrived at the crime scene after the

shooting. They are tracking down the suspects and identifying possible motives for the shooting.

The shooting of Dela Cruz took place nearly two weeks after the Sept. 14 shooting of the captain of Barangay General Luna in Cabanatuan City who died in the incident, and other shootings earlier this year.

Cesar Baltazar was talking to his mother in front of the barangay hall when two men aboard a motorcycle shot him at close range.

Baltazar was dead when he was brought to the Good Sa-

maritan Hospital.

On June 7, the captain of Barangay Camp Tinio, Roger Pascua, was killed by two men on a motorcycle as he was drinking coffee in his house. The shooting was captured by a closed circuit television camera.

Yet another barangay captain, Herminigildo Catacutan, was shot dead by an unidentified assailant in front of the barangay hall in Dampulan, Jaen.

Catacutan was a former policeman before getting elected captain of the barangay.

BACOLOD CITY—The 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army remains on track in their objective of declaring Negros and Panay Islands “insurgency-free” by next year, its top official said.

Major General Rey Leonardo Guerrero, commander of the 3rd ID based in Jamindan, Capiz, said this in a statement while admitting that they fell short of their target to reduce the New People’s Army’s strength and firepower in the third quarter of 2015.

Guerrero said they were able to reduce the NPA strength in Negros to about 147 members, with the same numbers also in Panay. At the same time, they were able to clear 49 rebel-affected barangays in both islands.

Last year, the military estimated that there were still about 200 rebels operating in the hinterlands of Negros.

The 3rd ID aims to further reduce the NPA strength and firepower by 25 percent by the end of the year, he added.

While there is a lull in violent activities of the NPA, Guerrero admitted that there is also an increase in nonviolent activities of the rebel group, such as recruitment of new members, mass-based buildup, and foraging of logistical requirements.

He, however, said the rebels are facing difficulty in their expansion activities due to the presence of Army Bayanihan Teams in rebel-affected areas.

For as long as the Bayanihan Teams are present in those areas, the movement and expansion attempt of the NPA remnants will be restricted, Guerrero said.

Records of the Armed Forces of the PhilippinesCentral Command showed that 11 of the 16 provinces in the Visayas region have been declared insurgency-free, including the two provinces of Negros, Iloilo, Northern Samar and Capiz. PNA

Indigents’ commission allows parking project to continue

By Dexter A. See

True faith. Devotees board their boats as they follow the statue of the Miraculous Lady of Peñafrancia in the Bacnotan River in La Union. CHRISTINE JUNIO

BANAUE, Ifugao—The Regional Hearing Office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples has denied the petition of concerned residents of this municipality seeking to extend the 72-hour temporary restraining order it had earlier issued on a parking facility project here.

The commission said the petitioners failed to prove their allegations that the area where the seven-story parking lot will be erected is the same area for cultural activities.

The NCIP-CAR also said in a resolution that the proposed site for the pay park-

ing is part of the municipality’s trade center.

The commission, however, mandated the local government to continue consultations with concerned stakeholders relative to the implementation of the P55million project, a major development project of the local government for local residents and visitors alike.

The 72-hour temporary restraining order earlier issued allowed concerned stakeholders to ventilate the issues for or against the construction of the pay parking facility.

Mayor Jerry C. Dalipog considers the latest NCIPCAR ruling denying the

request of the petitioners to extend the TRO as a victory for the people in favor of the project and who wanted to improve the image of the town before visitors.

Dalipog also belied the repeated insinuations of the petitioners that the construction of the town’s seven-story pay parking facility will affect the rice terraces which has been declared a world heritage site.

Despite suffering a setback, however, the petitioners are now studying the next step that they would take to stop the project.

Sources disclosed those opposing the project are the mayor’s political opponents.

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

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

DIALOGUE WORKS IN POLITICS

[ EDI TORI A L ]

REFUSING TO OPEN UP ON THE surface, it is confounding why this government, which claims to champion transparency and accountability, would deny the request of United Nations representatives to look into killings and other human rights abuses committed against tribal communities—lumad—in Mindanao.

Two lumad leaders and a teacher were killed recently, and in a fashion indicative of hatred and intolerance.

A human rights group has decried the killings, claiming they were carried out by paramilitary groups created by the military to help it in its anti-insurgency drive. The lumad are suspected of sympathizing with the New People’s Army.

As a result of the killings, thousands of lumad people have fled their homes in Surigao del Sur for fear of their lives. They are cramped in a sports complex; children are not going to school.

In the meantime, leaders in imperial Metro Manila are preoccupied with something more immediate to their interests: the elections.

Meetings were initially set as if to humor the human rights advocates and the families of the victims. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima was supposed to meet with them last week, but cancelled at the last minute because of a supposed meeting with the President.

The administration believes that “internal processes” can get to the bottom of the issue. The victims and the rights advocates do not buy this, though, since De Lima herself is on her way out of the Justice Department —to appease the Iglesia, to run for the Senate, or conveniently both.

The spokesman of the Department of Foreign Affairs also expressed confidence that any investigation is best conducted by relevant authorities.

We deplore this refusal to shed light on what really happened—what continues to happen—to the lumad down South. We have had our share of internal investigations conducted by this administration—in the 2010 hostage crisis in Luneta, and the Mamasapano killings in January this year. Both do not inspire confidence.

The only way Mr. Aquino can show good faith and claim to champion the good of all Filipinos is to allow the investigation of the violence inflicted on an indigenous group who cannot defend themselves. That it has slammed the door on any international probe leads us to think there is something to hide, something Mr. Aquino does not want us to know.

HE’S GOING TO RUN LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES I’VE been around for some time and I’ve never seen anything like it. Twenty thousand people asking a reluctant candidate to run —and not one of them paid to do so by the candidate himself, who didn’t even put in an appearance.

I guess it’s safe now to say that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is going to seek the presidency. That’s what friends of mine in his camp tell me, es-

pecially after last Saturday’s proDuterte rally at the Rizal Park.

I’ve always hesitated to predict what Duterte will or will not do in the elections in May, given the feisty mayor’s record of declaring and then denying his intentions for the presidency. But according to former North Cotabato Gov. Manny Piñol, one of Duterte’s closest friends and biggest boosters, last Saturday was the game changer.

The gathering was, after all, the same one that Duterte pleaded with his backers not to attend last week. Piñol relates that the mayor personally asked him not

to go, but that he turned Duterte down.

“I said, look, we’re friends,” Piñol said. “But you’re not about to tell me what I can and cannot do, and you’re not going to stop me from going.”

Duterte did allow another friend of his, former armed forces chief of staff retired Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., to read a statement he had prepared for the rally. In it, the mayor thanked his supporters for keeping the faith, but he once again declared that he was just not going to run, citing his health, his age and his family.

A9

Duterte may morph into the real alternative candidate in the coming elections.

So what has changed for the Candidate Who Is So Close To Crying Wolf? Piñol thinks the rally convinced Duterte that he may just have what it takes to win it all.

“There are three scenarios in play here,” Piñol explained.

“Duterte may not run, and he will go down in history as the provincial politician who could have been the best President we never had. He may run and lose, in which case he becomes the provincial politician who ran for President and lost.

“Or he may run and win, for which history will judge him as the provincial politician who could just be the best President we ever had,” Piñol continued. “I think he’s now ready to go for the

third and last scenario.” *** The latest Pulse Asia “Ulat sa Bayan” survey may have also convinced Duterte to throw his mayor’s hat into the presidential ring. The newest poll, after all, continues the trend of Duterte’s strong showing—including his runaway leadership in the whole of Mindanao (where Piñol says there are 15 million votes) with 29 percent and his strong thirdplace showing in vote-rich Metro Manila, where the mayor’s 21 percent is good enough for a statistical tie with the

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two others ahead of him (Senator Grace Poe, 29 percent, and Vice President Jejomar Binay, 22).

And Duterte is also a strong third in the economically significant A, B and C classes. Not bad, overall, for a candidate who’s not even declared that he’s running yet.

Indeed, because Duterte is so easily differentiated from the other three major candidates with his attractively tough law-and-order platform and his strong, steady provincial (meaning non-Manila) base, he may well morph into the real alternative candidate in the com-

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ing elections. Even politically, Duterte has no history of being aligned with the current Aquino administration, which is sure to attract the protest vote that is tired of the incumbent’s unrelenting incompetence and compulsive lying.

If Duterte declares for the presidency, the predicted tight, three-way race for the highest post in the land can be expected to get even tighter. And Duterte’s outlier status will certainly give the others a run for their money, popularity and organization.

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

POPE Francis has just finished his pastoral and state visits to Cuba and to the United States. What an amazing week for our American brothers and sisters, and even for us who watched and listened from afar. I borrow and paraphrase the words Fr. James Martin SJ used to describe the Bishop of Rome, words that comes from scripture actually: Pope Francis does all things well; he is all things to all people. This is how Jesus was described, so apt too these words for the Vicar of Christ. Yes, indeed, as Fr. Martin exclaimed, what a beautiful man!

In the next few columns, I will share highlights of the Pope’s speeches in Cuba and the United States. They have had a profound impact on me and on many others, including the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, John Boehner, who decided to resign the day after the Pope’s address to Congress.

I begin with what is clearly the approach of Pope Francis in engaging with the world.

In his encounter with the Bishops of the United States in Washington DC, he explained this with clarity: “Dialogue is our method, not as a shrewd strategy but out of fidelity to the One who never wearies of visiting the marketplace, even at the eleventh hour, to propose his offer of love (Mt 20:1-16) . . . Harsh and divisive language does not befit the tongue of a pastor, it has no place in his heart; although it may momentarily seem to win the day, only the enduring allure of goodness and love remains truly convincing.”

In his speech before the US Congress, Pope Francis framed his words around four great Americans that he chose to provide a unifying structure to weave his speech around. One cannot go wrong with Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton: “Three sons and a daughter of this land, four individuals and four dreams: Lincoln, liberty; Martin Luther King, liberty in plurality and nonexclusion; Dorothy Day, social justice and the rights of persons; and Thomas Merton, the capacity for dialogue and openness to God. Four representatives of the American people.”

Pope Francis elaborated on this further: “A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it fosters a culture which enables people to “dream” of full rights for all their brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton.”

In that same speech, Pope Francis articulated so well the goal of politics in its original noble sense. His words reminded me of how Aristotle first framed the purpose of politics as a logical and necessary extension of ethics. In the Ateneo School of 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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

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

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

DIALOGUE WORKS IN POLITICS

[ EDI TORI A L ]

REFUSING TO OPEN UP ON THE surface, it is confounding why this government, which claims to champion transparency and accountability, would deny the request of United Nations representatives to look into killings and other human rights abuses committed against tribal communities—lumad—in Mindanao.

Two lumad leaders and a teacher were killed recently, and in a fashion indicative of hatred and intolerance.

A human rights group has decried the killings, claiming they were carried out by paramilitary groups created by the military to help it in its anti-insurgency drive. The lumad are suspected of sympathizing with the New People’s Army.

As a result of the killings, thousands of lumad people have fled their homes in Surigao del Sur for fear of their lives. They are cramped in a sports complex; children are not going to school.

In the meantime, leaders in imperial Metro Manila are preoccupied with something more immediate to their interests: the elections.

Meetings were initially set as if to humor the human rights advocates and the families of the victims. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima was supposed to meet with them last week, but cancelled at the last minute because of a supposed meeting with the President.

The administration believes that “internal processes” can get to the bottom of the issue. The victims and the rights advocates do not buy this, though, since De Lima herself is on her way out of the Justice Department —to appease the Iglesia, to run for the Senate, or conveniently both.

The spokesman of the Department of Foreign Affairs also expressed confidence that any investigation is best conducted by relevant authorities.

We deplore this refusal to shed light on what really happened—what continues to happen—to the lumad down South. We have had our share of internal investigations conducted by this administration—in the 2010 hostage crisis in Luneta, and the Mamasapano killings in January this year. Both do not inspire confidence.

The only way Mr. Aquino can show good faith and claim to champion the good of all Filipinos is to allow the investigation of the violence inflicted on an indigenous group who cannot defend themselves. That it has slammed the door on any international probe leads us to think there is something to hide, something Mr. Aquino does not want us to know.

HE’S GOING TO RUN LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES I’VE been around for some time and I’ve never seen anything like it. Twenty thousand people asking a reluctant candidate to run —and not one of them paid to do so by the candidate himself, who didn’t even put in an appearance.

I guess it’s safe now to say that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is going to seek the presidency. That’s what friends of mine in his camp tell me, es-

pecially after last Saturday’s proDuterte rally at the Rizal Park.

I’ve always hesitated to predict what Duterte will or will not do in the elections in May, given the feisty mayor’s record of declaring and then denying his intentions for the presidency. But according to former North Cotabato Gov. Manny Piñol, one of Duterte’s closest friends and biggest boosters, last Saturday was the game changer.

The gathering was, after all, the same one that Duterte pleaded with his backers not to attend last week. Piñol relates that the mayor personally asked him not

to go, but that he turned Duterte down.

“I said, look, we’re friends,” Piñol said. “But you’re not about to tell me what I can and cannot do, and you’re not going to stop me from going.”

Duterte did allow another friend of his, former armed forces chief of staff retired Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., to read a statement he had prepared for the rally. In it, the mayor thanked his supporters for keeping the faith, but he once again declared that he was just not going to run, citing his health, his age and his family.

A9

Duterte may morph into the real alternative candidate in the coming elections.

So what has changed for the Candidate Who Is So Close To Crying Wolf? Piñol thinks the rally convinced Duterte that he may just have what it takes to win it all.

“There are three scenarios in play here,” Piñol explained.

“Duterte may not run, and he will go down in history as the provincial politician who could have been the best President we never had. He may run and lose, in which case he becomes the provincial politician who ran for President and lost.

“Or he may run and win, for which history will judge him as the provincial politician who could just be the best President we ever had,” Piñol continued. “I think he’s now ready to go for the

third and last scenario.” *** The latest Pulse Asia “Ulat sa Bayan” survey may have also convinced Duterte to throw his mayor’s hat into the presidential ring. The newest poll, after all, continues the trend of Duterte’s strong showing—including his runaway leadership in the whole of Mindanao (where Piñol says there are 15 million votes) with 29 percent and his strong thirdplace showing in vote-rich Metro Manila, where the mayor’s 21 percent is good enough for a statistical tie with the

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-

two others ahead of him (Senator Grace Poe, 29 percent, and Vice President Jejomar Binay, 22).

And Duterte is also a strong third in the economically significant A, B and C classes. Not bad, overall, for a candidate who’s not even declared that he’s running yet.

Indeed, because Duterte is so easily differentiated from the other three major candidates with his attractively tough law-and-order platform and his strong, steady provincial (meaning non-Manila) base, he may well morph into the real alternative candidate in the com-

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ing elections. Even politically, Duterte has no history of being aligned with the current Aquino administration, which is sure to attract the protest vote that is tired of the incumbent’s unrelenting incompetence and compulsive lying.

If Duterte declares for the presidency, the predicted tight, three-way race for the highest post in the land can be expected to get even tighter. And Duterte’s outlier status will certainly give the others a run for their money, popularity and organization.

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

POPE Francis has just finished his pastoral and state visits to Cuba and to the United States. What an amazing week for our American brothers and sisters, and even for us who watched and listened from afar. I borrow and paraphrase the words Fr. James Martin SJ used to describe the Bishop of Rome, words that comes from scripture actually: Pope Francis does all things well; he is all things to all people. This is how Jesus was described, so apt too these words for the Vicar of Christ. Yes, indeed, as Fr. Martin exclaimed, what a beautiful man!

In the next few columns, I will share highlights of the Pope’s speeches in Cuba and the United States. They have had a profound impact on me and on many others, including the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, John Boehner, who decided to resign the day after the Pope’s address to Congress.

I begin with what is clearly the approach of Pope Francis in engaging with the world.

In his encounter with the Bishops of the United States in Washington DC, he explained this with clarity: “Dialogue is our method, not as a shrewd strategy but out of fidelity to the One who never wearies of visiting the marketplace, even at the eleventh hour, to propose his offer of love (Mt 20:1-16) . . . Harsh and divisive language does not befit the tongue of a pastor, it has no place in his heart; although it may momentarily seem to win the day, only the enduring allure of goodness and love remains truly convincing.”

In his speech before the US Congress, Pope Francis framed his words around four great Americans that he chose to provide a unifying structure to weave his speech around. One cannot go wrong with Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton: “Three sons and a daughter of this land, four individuals and four dreams: Lincoln, liberty; Martin Luther King, liberty in plurality and nonexclusion; Dorothy Day, social justice and the rights of persons; and Thomas Merton, the capacity for dialogue and openness to God. Four representatives of the American people.”

Pope Francis elaborated on this further: “A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it fosters a culture which enables people to “dream” of full rights for all their brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton.”

In that same speech, Pope Francis articulated so well the goal of politics in its original noble sense. His words reminded me of how Aristotle first framed the purpose of politics as a logical and necessary extension of ethics. In the Ateneo School of 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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

IMPACT OF THE CITIZENSHIP ISSUE TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

senator and banned from becoming a president. On the other hand, grating without assuming that she becomes president, and found not qualified for the presidency, what would be the repercussions?

The citizenship of Senator Poe should be resolved the soonest possible time by the Senate Electoral tribunal.

Whatever the result, the case will certainly be elevated to the Supreme Court. And will the High Court be able to decide before the May 2016 elections?

And if Poe gets elected, and the Supreme Court hands down a decision adverse to her, what will happen? *** Let’s rewind a bit and look at which way the SET will go in deciding the citizenship issue. The tribunal is composed of nine members —three incumbent justices of the Supreme Court and six sitting senators of different political persuasions. The three Supreme Court justices are Antonio Carpio, chairman, Teresita Bernabe

A FRIEND who is about as old as I am complained to me that when he reads the front pages of newspapers he feels like reading editorials, opinion columns and analyses instead of news.

I explained to him that journalism has evolved through the years from what we deemed objective reporting of the five Ws- who, what, where, when and why. Now, it’s all about interpretative journalism where the biases of journalists and their newspapers come in.

When I got my feet wet as a journalist in the 50s, I dutifully observed what was called objective reporting, like in the killing of Mister X. I reported who was murdered, what happened, when he was killed, when it happened, and why if possible. It was factual reporting.

With the evolution of journalism, newspapers readers want to go beyond reading facts. They The tribunal must want to know decide soon, because what the motive is, the case is almost how it happened, why, and what the certain to go up to ramifications are.

That’s the reason the Supreme Court. issues of the day are found in the front pages of newspapers.

It depends on what newspapers they are found Castro and Arturo Brion. in, who write the stories, and We now know the what their prejudices are. opinion of the SET Negativism sells; good chairman, but we still don’t news doesn’t. That’s the know how the other justices reason why opinion pages will rule considering all the of newspapers are often read documents presented by the more than the front pages of petitioner—Lito David told national broadsheets. In my SET that Poe is not natural over 65 years as a journalist, born and that she lied before having gone full circle in the notary public when print, radio and television, he reacquired her Filipino I know full well that people citizenship under Republic want to know what’s behind Act no. 9225, called the the news.

Dual Citizenship law. In *** a document, she said she The issue of citizenship of was born of the marriage of presidential aspirant Senator Ronald Allan Kelly Poe, a Grace Poe Llamanzares Filipino, and Jesusa Sonora continues to be the topic in Poe, a Filipino citizen, when board rooms, coffee shops we all know that Fernando and cocktail parties. Is she Poe Jr. and Susan Roces or is she not natural-born were childless. Grace herself Filipino? claimed she was a foundling Santa Banana, even left at the baptismal font of justices have come out with an Iloilo City church and their own interpretations adopted later on by FPJ and of the Constitution, just Susan Roces. as legal luminaries and This blatant lie was made opinion columnists are worse by documents showing divided on the issue. she travelled twice to the US My gulay, can you using her American passport imagine if Poe were to despite the fact that she be found by the Senate had already reacquired her Electoral Tribunal as not Philippine citizenship under a natural-born Filipino? the Dual Citizenship law and She could be unseated as a had become the chairperson

NOT JUST ABOUT NUMBERS A FRIEND who lives abroad sent me a message over the weekend, basically expressing amusement tinged with a bit of dismay that Filipinos were about to break another world record, this time for the number of tweets about a single event. Like many other Filipinos, he was closely observing the mass hysteria over the Aldub phenomenon.

I empathized with him. I told him he was in a better place compared to many others who got hooked into either hating, defending, or justifying their addiction to the Aldub phenomenon.

I am not sure if Eat Bulaga was successful last Saturday; but if not, I am sure it will just be a matter of time before they succeed in breaking into smithereens whatever existing record there is on Twitter. The phenomenon is just heating up and I am sure they intend to bring the couple to the altar in a grand wedding ceremony in the coming weeks or months. I wasn’t really sure what benefits—other than bragging rights—could be derived from hitting a gazillion mark on Twitter. At the same time, I did wonder if people saw the possibilities and opportunities in the phenomenon.

For people who are still doing mental acrobatics trying to make sense of the Aldub phenomenon, check out the mass hysteria over the Nida-Nestor, Guy-Pip, SharonGabby, and other similar pairings in the past. I think I was in high school when the reunion movie of Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III was shown— and I still have vivid memories of the pandemonium that attended the screening of the movie. They had to close streets because of the sheer number of people who turned up. Of course the manner in which people express their adulation has already changed; fans no longer hold vigils and descend in full force at movie events to show their support—there are now social networking sites available. Nevertheless, the world that we live in may have changed dramatically in the last 20 years, but we’re still basically the same deep down inside—we’re still a people who

HE’S GOING... From A9 I certainly wouldn’t be surprised, for instance, if the dirty tricks department of Mar Roxas decides to train its well-paid guns on Duterte sometime soon. After all, if he has learned anything from his 2010 vice presidential debacle, Roxas must now be wary of losing in Mindanao (which he basically abandoned to Binay) and of focusing on the wrong target (Loren Legarda). of the Movie & Television Ratings and Classification Board. *** I cannot predict the stand of the six senator-members of the SET, but as I said earlier, it could go either way.

Loren Legarda for sure will go where the law takes her; Nancy Binay is predictable; Bam Aquino may go where the Constitution takes him; Cynthia Villar may go where the Nacionalista Party goes; Pia Cayetano may go

goes gaga over love teams that defy social conventions. We’re still bigtime suckers for good old-fashioned romance, particularly those that involve Filipino cliché situations such as an attendant strict or authoritarian parent, class or economic divide, etc.

To consider the whole preoccupation shallow, or lacking in depth or substance is to mock Pinoy pop culture. Many major events and movements in the world have been sparked by “shallower” stimulus. It can even be argued that the whole phenomenon is yet another reflection of the inherent inventiveness of Filipinos. It’s basically improvisation at work, and those in the know are aware that improv is the most difficult form of comedy. I also think that the set-up actually triggers higherlevel thinking. Unlike in a soap opera where audiences are required to suspend disbelief, the Aldub portion in Eat Bulaga goes to town with all its on-the-spot improvisation—the characters fumble their cues and everyone makes jokes about the kind of effort they make in stretching things too far. The Saturday editions of the show basically happens in the vicinity of the Broadway Centrum in Quezon City and while the production people try to make it appear as if the characters run around and travel through a wide geographic area, the hosts make punch lines about how silly they all look because everyone knows they are in the same area, anyway.

As I wrote in a previous column, a major reason why people are hooked on the Aldub romance is because everyone is in on the whole charade.

We all know the various complications are made up and we all know that the people behind the show are basically pulling everyone’s leg—we all know we’re all just having fun.

Of course there are those who hope and pray that sparks do fly between

the two characters and that Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza really do get attracted to each other in the process. But most people are aware of the realities of the show, and move on with their lives after 2:30 p.m. The madness is kept to a tight schedule.

But I do concede that there is a part of me that indulges in some wishful thinking; I do wish that the people behind the show see the immense responsibilities that come with the rare gift or privilege of having millions of Filipinos as followers.

I do wish that the people behind Eat Bulaga (or for that matter, Showtime which has a similar portion involving a broken-hearted girl who also got her five minutes of fame in social networking sites) find the moral courage to use that power and influence constructively.

What is not being discussed is that the Aldub phenomenon has filled a need among Filipino audiences and it is up to the Eat Bulaga people to provide direction, and more meaning into the whole experience.

So yes, while I do think that the current phenomenon is not necessarily lacking in depth, I think that perpetuating the same over time without any effort to channel it towards a loftier purpose is a monumental waste of opportunity. Just imagine, for example, what 25 million tweets on responsible voting, or saving the environment, or even reducing violence against women and children can do. This cannot be all about ratings. There is more to business than just cornering a lion’s share of the audience.

Similarly, I understand that the Iglesia Ni Cristo has also sent word that they intend to break the existing world record on the number of spectators gathered for a single movie screening event when they unveil Felix Manalo, the biopic on the founder of the religious sect, next month. I personally smell politics behind the whole effort, but there must be more to breaking records than just getting the numbers. Otherwise, it’s a meaningless exercise; like gathering dumb driven cattle.

Of course, Duterte has repeatedly declared that he has no money to spend in a presidential election and that he will not accept campaign funds from anyone simply because he is not going to run. But when he decides to finally join the race, I am sure there will be no lack of funding for his drive, simply because the usual bankrollers cannot ignore the fact that he just might win.

I told Piñol that Duterte reminds me of the character of Gen-

eral Antonio Luna in the current hit movie: a brash, self-possessed and no-nonsense leader who stands out among the compromisers and political operators of his time. And that I hope Duterte runs, if only because he will provide a real alternative to Manilabased politics-as-usual.

So give ‘em hell, Mister Mayor.

Your country needs you to leave Davao for the biggest stage of all— the entire country.

ARE WE THERE YET? BONG C. AUSTERO

against Poe if her brother Alan Peter is chosen as Mar Roxas’ running mate; and Tito Sotto will certainly go for the “senadora” being a member of the entertainment industry. It could be a split decision either way.

All these are speculative. But, considering the impact of Poe’s citizenship on public and natural interests, it should not be taken with a shrug . *** In my over 65 years as a journalist, I have never seen

a situation like now where we seem to be scrounging for leaders to lead us for the next six year from 2016.

My wife and I will certainly vote for a President who will unify the country and head the political wounds of the past.

The reason we have not moved forward is that almost every elected president tries to undo what has been done by his predecessor and blames him for the challenges he or she is facing. All these were made

worse by a vindictive president like President Aquino who went to the extent of filing plunder cases against his predecessor, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and bribed Congress to impeach and convict former Chief Justice Renato Corona. This, so that Mr. Aquino would have a poster girl and a poster boy in his “Daang Matuwid” mantra.

We need a unifying President to save us from this pattern.

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

NATURAL-BORN CITIZENSHIP, DISCRIMINATION AND FOUNDLINGS THE legal arguments relating to the citizenship issue currently confronting Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares has triggered numerous comments which do not have any sound legal foundation.

One comment has it that a foundling should not be disqualified from running for public office because it isn’t one’s fault that one is a foundling. Another posits that disqualifying a foundling from elective public office amounts to discrimination, which, in turn, makes the foundling a second-class citizen in his or her own country.

Others insist on reading something in international agreements which isn’t there to begin with.

As pointed out by Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, a foundling cannot have the status of a natural-born citizen of the Philippines because the 1987 Constitution reckons natural-born citizenship from one’s birth. By definition, a foundling is one who is abandoned at infancy and whose biological parents are unknown. If the infant’s biological parents are known from the start, then the infant is not a foundling.

Since the circumstances surrounding the birth of a foundling are likewise unknown, the foundling’s citizenship cannot be reckoned on the basis of his or her birth. To do so will be purely speculative. It may also amount to a felony because the Revised Penal Code penalizes the simulation of births.

Philippine jurisprudence holds that adoption does not confer upon the adopted the citizenship of the adopting parent or parents. To allow otherwise is to make it easy for unscrupulous aliens to circumvent Philippine laws on citizenship by using

adoption as a vehicle for treated as second-class Constitution, the construction given by the HAIL TO obtaining Philippine citicitizens in the country. delegates who drafted the charter cannot zenship. Adoption only No person can be prevail over the construction given by the THE CHAIR confers upon the adopted compelled to run for people who ratified it. After all, the ConVICTOR the status of a legitimate public office.

There- stitution draws its force and effect from the AVECILLA child of the adopting parfore, if one wants to run people who ratified it, and not from the ent or parents. for public office, it is as- delegates who drafted it.

If international covsumed that he or she does At any rate, since Poe is running for a enants are to apply to the Philippine situ- so voluntarily. It is also assumed that he or public office governed by the provisions of ation, and not all of them are applicable, she is willing to comply with the laws gov- the 1987 Constitution, she must abide by the foundling may be considered a Filipino erning the election. One such law is the its provisions, including its definition of a citizen, but not a natural-born citizen of 1987 Constitution—the supreme law of the natural-born citizen of the Philippines— the Philippines, because, as mentioned ear- land. In other words, if one wants to join which she is not. Poe cannot invoke the lier, the 1987 Constitution reckons natural- a competition, one must abide by its rules. 1935

Constitution to justify her bid for an born citizenship on the basis of one’s birth.

Supporters of Senator Poe’s bid for the office governed by the 1987 Constitution.

International agreements, no matter how presidency argue that the delegates to the Poe supporters insist that in the disqualwell-meaning, cannot modify or amend 1934 Constitutional Convention which ification case currently pending against the Constitution. drafted the 1935 Constitution of the Phil- her before the Senate Electoral Tribunal, For the same reason, international ippines intended to treat foundlings as petitioner Rizalito David has the burden agreements cannot dictate that a foundling natural-born citizens of the Philippines, of proving that Poe is not a natural-born in the Philippines must be considered, or but they did not find it necessary to put citizen of the Philippines. Actually, that at least presumed as natural-born citizens this precept in the text of the charter. Thus burden was discharged by Poe because of of the Philippines. To allow that is to per- they argue that Poe must be considered a her own admission that she is a foundling. mit international agreements to amend or natural-born citizen of the Philippines.

As pointed out above, since a foundling modify the 1987 Constitution. That is not That argument is specious. First, if it cannot be considered a natural-born citipermissible, and the Constitution itself says were really the intention of the delegates to zen of the Philippines, Poe has the burden so. treat foundlings as natural-born citizens, of proving that the provisions of the 1987 A foundling who is considered a Fili- then their intention should have been writ- Constitution do not apply to her. pino citizen may run for public office, ex- ten in the text of the 1935 Constitution.

There is no presumption that one is a cept those which the 1987 Constitution re- What they argued in words, should have natural-born citizen of the Philippines. serves exclusively for natural-born citizens. been reduced to writing. Second, when One who wants to serve the people in a This may seem like discrimination against the 1935 Constitution was ratified by the public office reserved for natural-born citifoundlings, but it is what the fundamental Filipino people, there was no such provi- zens must convince the electorate that he law of the land mandates. Thus, when the sion in the text which favored foundlings or she meets the citizenship requirements state enforces the Constitution’s defini- as natural-born citizens. How can some- therefor. If there is such a presumption, tion of who a natural-born citizen of the thing which was not in the text of the 1935 then why does the Commission on ElecPhilippines is and who is not, it is unfair Constitution be binding on the people who tions require candidates for national office to conclude that the state is discriminating did not see it in the charter? Jurisprudence to submit documents to prove their qualifiagainst foundlings, or that foundlings are dictates that in the interpretation of the cations for the public office they seek?

DIALOGUE... From A9

Legislative activity is always based on care for the people. To this you have been invited, called and convened by those who elected you.”

Finally in the speech to Congress, Pope Francis cited the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” According to the Pope: “This Rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated.

Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves. In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us.”

This reminder about the golden rule, something that Speaker Boehner alluded to when he announced his resignation,

Government, where many of our students are politicians, we emphasize how politics is the highest form of charity.

Sharing what he thought was the reason for being for Congress, the Pope pointed out how each legislator “has a mission, a personal and social responsibility.” He explained that their responsibility was “to enable this country, by your legislative activity, to grow as a nation.” According to Pope Francis: “You are the face of its people, their representatives. You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics. A political society endures when it seeks, as a vocation, to satisfy common needs by stimulating the growth of all its members, especially those in situations of greater vulnerability or risk.

#FAILOCRACY

is timely for us in the Philippines as our election season begins. I would caution, for example, many who are posting negative things about candidates to look at their own lives and see if they have not done anything wrong too, or have something to be ashamed of. If they have—and I certainly have in decades of legal, political and governance work—one might be kinder to others. That is why I have decided I would never use negative information about the candidates and their families, including supporters of candidates that some want attacked or shamed. As a person with a public life myself, I want to practice the Golden Rule so that others will also treat me kindly.

After listening to the Pope’s speech in the US Congress, I also decided that I will no longer repost or respond to negative Facebook posts about Poe, Binay, Roxas or Duterte. Personal attacks do not enable dialogue; on the contrary

they create a state where people are embittered and are not able to move on even after the elections. I will only post positive things about the candidates and start hiding negative posts or even blocking the people that are consistently posting negative posts. Debate and differences on national issues shall of course still be highlighted in my social media platforms and I will try to shift the election discussion to these issues once all the platforms of government are released.

Dialogue works in politics. When Pope Francis went before the US Congress. He spoke uncomfortable truth to power, but he did not use harsh words or divisive language. People listened and responded because of that. He did what his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi had exhorted his brothers: “Preach the gospel. Use words if necessary.”

Facebook page: Dean Tony La Vina Twitter: tonylavs

CHONG ARDIVILLA

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

$10-m man Spieth back as no. 1 PHILADELPHIA—The Atlanta Hawks, fresh off a victory over LeBron James and Cleveland, saw their six-game win streak snapped Saturday by the NBA’s second-worst team, Philadelphia, while the Cavaliers ripped Phoenix.

ATLANTA—Jordan Spieth believes the mental toughness he has acquired over a rollercoaster season of remarkable highs and occasional lows can help him stay near the top of the golfing world for the next 20 years.

The 22-year-old Texan capped a superb year on Sunday by clinching

victory in the season-ending Tour Championships at East Lake in Atlanta, a win that saw him pocket the $10 million bonus on offer to the winner of the FedEx Cup. The victory took Spieth’s earnings for 2015 to an incredible $22 million -- $1 million for every year

he has been on the planet -- and saw him return to the top of the world rankings as number one.

Spieth, who won the Masters and the US Open this season and finished tied for fourth at the British Open and runner-up at the PGA Championship, said his ability to return to form after disappointing displays was one of the main takeaways of the year.

“It’s the greatest season I’ve ever had, obviously,” he said.

“But it’s one where I believe we took our game on course and off course to a level that I didn’t think would be possible at different times in my life.”

Spieth revealed he had been bitterly disappointed at his failure to make the cut at The Players Championship in May following his astonishing victory in the Masters the previous month.

However, he recovered from that setback to win the US Open the following month and set up his ultimately unsuccessful tilt at a golfing Grand Slam in the same year.

“What this season did is it proved that we can maintain that high level throughout the year, even when a couple weeks get off, you can get it back quickly,” Spieth said. AFP

Jordan Spieth of the United States poses on the 18th green after winning both the TOUR Championship By Coca-Cola and the FedExCup at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, AFP

Japanese climber with one finger climbs Everest again KATHMANDU, Nepal—A Japanese climber with only one finger, who failed on the weekend to reach the top of Mount Everest in his latest attempt, will try again within days, expedition organisers said Monday.

Nobukazu Kuriki, who lost nine fingers to frostbite in 2012 on Everest, is the only climber trying to summit the world’s highest mountain this year after a quake-triggered avalanche killed 18 people at base camp.

The April disaster saw hundreds of climbers abandon their bids to ascend the 8,848-metre (29,029-foot) peak, marking a second spring season with virtually no one reaching the summit.

An avalanche in 2014 that killed 16 Nepali guides also sparked a shutdown that year.

The 33-year-old Kuriki, who was on his fifth attempt to climb Everest, descended in the early hours of Sunday fearing he would not return alive if he kept climbing. AFP

Li thrills fans at Wuhan arena opening WUHAN—China’s two-time Grand Slam winner Li Na opened a new 15,000-seat stadium at the Wuhan Open in central China Sunday to huge cheers from her hometown fans.

The new stadium has been built on the back of Li’s career success—she was the first Asian to win a Grand Slam singles— that saw the popularity of tennis surge in China.

Huge applause echoed through the stadium as Li, now retired, stepped onto the court wearing a red dress and was joined by the tournament’s defending champion Petra Kvitova to open the new stadium officially.

Similar in capacity to Wimbledon’s centre court, the new stadium is dwarfed only by the US Open’s Arthur Ashe stadium which has a capacity of 23,000. It has a retractable roof and a metal and glass structure reminiscent of the iconic “bird’s nest” stadium in Beijing, the centrepiece of the

Villamor: Viloria can beat rival

By Ronnie Nathanielsz ALA Gym head trainer and former world title challenger Edito “Ala”Villamor believes two-division world champion Brian Viloria has a good chance against undefeated World Boxing Council flyweight champion and recently installed pound-forpound No.1 Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez of Nicaragua when they clash in a title fight at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Oct. 17.

Villamor has watched Viloria train at the Wild Card Gym of Freddie Roach, who is also helping the Pagara brothers, light welterweight No. 2 ranked Jason and unbeaten International Boxing Federation International super bantamweight champion Prince Albert, together with undefeated IBF Youth champion Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo who will also see action on Oct. 17 at the StubHub Center in Carson City, California.

“Viloria is in fine condition and moving well,” Villamor told The Standard/boxingmirror.com. “He has shown great focus and determination and has demonstrated a great left hook with lots of power.”

This gives Villamor the feeling that while it’s a big fight, “Brian has a good chance against Gonzalez.

Villamor disclosed that WBO light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes will arrive in Los Angeles with trainer Edmund Villamor on Oct. 1 and will have time to spar with Viloria, with Brian’s manager Gary Gittelsohn indicating it would help both fighters as they prepare for their crucial fights on the same night.

Life without Messie starts for Barcelona

Former tennis player Li Na of China (right) speaks to the public during the opening ceremony of the Wuhan Open tennis tournament in Wuhan, China’s Hubei province. AFP

2008 Olympics.

Czech Kvitova, the world number four, won the inaugural Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Wuhan Open last year, and is joined for the 2015 edi-

tion by 18 of the world’s top 20.

“I am very happy to be here again and the stadium looks wonderful and I will try my best to fight for the title,” Kvitova said. AFP

MADRID—European champions Barcelona begin a twomonth stretch without Lionel Messi when Bayer Leverkusen visit the Camp Nou on Tuesday hoping to take advantage of the Argentine’s absence.

Messi suffered a torn left knee ligament as Barca squeezed past Las Palmas 2-1 at the weekend.

Luis Suarez carried the mantle after Messi’s departure with a double to ensure the Catalans got back to winning ways after being hammered 4-1 by Celta Vigo in their previous outing.

And much more will be needed of Suarez and Neymar in the coming weeks as Barca’s stretched and injury-ridden squad faces up to eight games without Messi.

“He is the best in the world and logically we will miss him a lot,” said midfielder Sergio Busquets. AFP

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Rough and tumble. Running back Carlos Hyde (28) of the San Francisco 49ers is tackled in the end zone for a safety during the third quarter of the game NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. AFP

Marapara a tough challenge for field SOUTHWOODS-Masters will try to stave off all-comers for the fifth straight year starting Oct. 8 over a layout that provides an entirely different challenge for the talented field in the 10th Philippine Airlines Ladies’ Interclub set in bustling Bacolod City.

The Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club, known formerly as the Marapara, is one of the toughest layouts there is in the country and is expected to push everyone to the limit because of its tight fairways and tree-lined make up.

SW-Masters, which rallied to pip Cebu Country Club by a point last year at ravine-laden Alta Vista in Cebu, will be shooting to keep its domination of the field yet again, but this year’s venue gives no one an

edge and would require sharpness from every player.

Unlike Alta Vista, Marapara, which is relatively short by international standards, will punish shots that stray just a little off the fairways as its greens are much smaller, making approach shots difficult to stop with imperfect hits.

There will be a total of 19 teams seeing action in the three-day event where titles in the Championship, Founders, Sportswriters and

Friendship divisions are at stake.

Aside from Masters and CCC, the other participating clubs are the Alabang Country Club, Apo Golf and Country Club, Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club, Bacolod Golf and Country Club, Manila Golf Club, Iloilo Golf Ladies Club, Manila Southwoods Masters Team, Negros Occidental Golf Club, Pueblo de Oro Gold Team, Rancho Palos Verdes Golf Club, Valley Golfer and Country Club, Victorias Golf and

Country Club, Mactan Island Golf Club-Team B, Wack Wack Golf and Country Club,Del Monte Golf Club, Eagle Ridge (Ladies Group), Davao City Golf and the Club Lady Eagles Australian Golfers, the only foreignbased squad.

The Molave point system will be used for the event, according to tournament director Henry Arabelo.

A team captains’ meeting will be held on Oct. 7 to be followed by the ceremonial tee-off and captains’ tournament.

The event will be sponsored by Mareco Broadcasting Network (Crossover), Travelife, Business Mirror, Airbus, Splash Philippines, Wealth Inc. and East Gate Publication.

Dennis: Button staying at McLaren SUZUKA—Britain’s Jenson Button looks set to stay with McLaren next season despite speculation of a rift with team boss Ron Dennis over contract talks.

The 35-year-old’s Formula One future was the subject of intense scrutiny at the Japanese Grand Prix over the weekend after suggesting he had fallen out of love with the sport.

But Dennis insisted after Sunday’s Suzuka race -- where Button finished 16th a lap behind race winner Lewis Hamilton as the team’s woeful season continued -that he had told Button he would be driving for McLaren in 2016.

“Yes (he will he here),” Dennis

told reporters. “Jenson has a twoyear contract. I should have taken away any doubt of our commitment to him earlier than I did.

“I did not speak to him until Thursday,” added Dennis. “But at the end of the day it would have been more constructive if he had known I had no intention to exercise our option to terminate his contract.”

The 2009 world champion Button had been linked to a move to the World Endurance Championship and even a new career in the media as presenter of the BBC’s motoring show Top Gear.

He joined McLaren in 2010 after winning the title with Brawn and finished runner-up behind

Sebastian Vettel a year later.

However, he has not reached the podium since his last victory at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix in 2012 and has collected just six points in a nightmare 2015 for the Honda-powered team.

Dennis, who only showed up in the Suzuka paddock on race day after struck down by a virus, also had to deal with a tantrum by Fernando Alonso.

The Spaniard’s frustration boiled over after finishing out of the points in Japan, saying on team radio “it’s embarrassing, very embarrassing” as cars passed his underpowered McLaren on the straights. AFP

Lim, Patrimonio bag PCA tennis crowns ALBERTO ‘AJ’ Lim is nearly half Patrick John Tierro’s age, but he showed more maturity on the court as he seized the men’s singles’ title on a 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory in the 34th Philippine Columbian Association Open-Cebuana Lhuillier Wildcard Event at the PCA Open clay courts in Paco, Manila.

On the ladies’ side, Clarice Patrimonio reached a milestone as she disposed off Maia Balce, 6-4, 6-3, to take home her first PCA crown after two runner-up finishes.

The 16-year-old Lim, who had to put a stop to Tierro’s late charge, is now the youngest PCA men’s champion in the event supported by Cebuana Lhuillier, Puma, Dunlop, The Philippine Star, Head, Babolat, Compass/ IMOSTI and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao. He edged out 1982 winner Manny Tolentino by two months.

It got a little testy in the second set, admitted Lim. “Sobrang pressured po ako dahil mabigat na kalaban si PJ. Nu’ng second set, talagang ibinuhos ko na lahat, nag-step up talaga ako and I am happy na nakuha ko ang panalo,” said Lim,

who had a tough route to the finals having to go through eighttime PCA champ Johnny Arcilla and before that Australian Open juniors’ doubles’ champion Francis Casey Alcantara.

It was a different story for Patrimonio, who conducted a clinic in the second set to thwart Balce’s efforts.

“It wasn’t an easy game. Medyo marami akong errors sa first set, du’n siya nakakakuha ng puntos kaya I started minimizing my errors in the second set then pina-spin ko lang ‘yung serve ko,” said the beaming Patrimonio. “Sobrang sarap ng feeling na finally mailalagay na ‘yung pangalan ko sa Hall of Fame wall ng PCA. May Patrimonio nang nakalagay ‘dun kaya sobrang thankful ako.”

Patrimonio took home P20,000, while Balce bagged P10,000 in the tournament supported by Whilpool/Fujidenzo, Broadway Motor Sales Corp.

Coca-Cola Femsa Philippines, Tyrecorp Incorporated, Pearl Garden Hotel, Metro Global Holdings Corporation, Avida, PVL Restaurant, Mary Grace Foods, Inc., Seno Hardware and Wire Rope Corporation.

Men’s singles champion Alberto Lim Jr. and ladies’ singles’ titlist Clarice Patrimonio are shown with Philippine Columbian Association Open Organizing Committee Chairman Raul Diaz, PCA President Philip Ycasiano, and Cebuana Lhuillier Bank President Leo Escano.

T UE S DAY : S E P T E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 5

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Khan is Pacman’s likeliest next foe

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

BOTH eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank’s Bob Arum and his longtime adviser Michael Koncz, agree that Britain’s Amir Khan is the best choice for the Filipino boxing icon’s return to the ring following his disappointing May 2 loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The Philippines’ eight-time world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao waves to his supporters upon his arrival at the “Philippine Festa” in Tokyo. Pacquiao said he would open a gym in Tokyo. AFP

Arum has been in talks with Khan’s handlers, while Koncz and Pacquiao, who met the World Boxing Council welterweight Silver champion earlier this year in a London Gym and agreed to fight sometime this year, before the lucrative Mayweather fight came along, have indicated a fight against Khan sometime in the first quarter of next year, is likely.

Arum, however, has one condition before a deal is done--Pacquiao must be checked out by the doctor, who operated on a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder last May 7, with the doctor giving him the clearance to fight.

Pacquiao himself has made it clear his injury is fully healed even as he continues

to play basketball to prove his injury had healed completely.

According to Koncz, the second choice is International Boxing Federation champion Kell Brook.

Whoever the opponent is, the the fight will take place in Las Vegas, although Dubai has been mentioned as a possible venue.

Pacquiao and Khan used to train under Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach at his Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles and also in the Philippine summer capital of Baguio City and have even sparred against each other, although there is a difference of perception on who got the upper hand, with Roach insisting it was Pacquiao, while Khan disputes the claim.

Donaire-Quigg still possible FIVE-DIVISION world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire is still in the picture for a possible title fight against World Boxing Association champion Scott Quigg, according to Sky Sports in London.

At the same time, Donaire’s manager Cameron Dunkin and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum have virtually given up on making the title, with Arum claiming that Quigg was asking for too much money, even though Donaire has told Arum not to worry too much about his purse because he wants the fight.

Dunkin informed The Standard/boxingmirror.com that he is

working on a possible clash for the vacant World Boxing Organization title between Donaire, who is ranked No. 2, and the No. 1-ranked Cesar Juarez of Mexico.

Sky Sports reported that while new issues have cropped up in the negotiations to finalize a title showdown between Quigg and International Boxing Federation champion Carl Frampton, Donaire had been lined up as an alternative opponent for Quigg, who opted not to defend his World Boxing Association title in November, while negotiations continue, and Frampton is yet to decide on a possible clash with mandatory challenger Shingo Wake.”

Quigg’s manager Eddie Hearn when asked about the remaining obstacles for the fight, told Sky Sports: “We are slowly jumping over them, but it doesn’t mean we are there. But there is certainly a desire from both sides to make this fight happen.

Originally Carl stated he would be happy to take a 60-40 split in Manchester, but now they have said it has to be a neutral venue.”

Meantime, manager Barry McGuigan, who handles Frampton’s career with his sons, had been non-committal about the Quigg fight, but Hearn remains optimistic about an agreement.

Ronnie Nathanielsz

Chess champ. Genesis Mateo Borromeo (center) of Diaz College, Tanjay City displays his trophy and

prizes as he poses with (from left) Shell Social Investment and Social Performance Manager Melanie Bularan, runner-up Dale Bernardo of Far Eastern University, top female player Jesca Docena of Wesleyan College of Manila and FIDE Master and Shell Active Chess alumnus Randy Segarra during awards rites of the 23rd Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship grand finals at SM Megamall recently. Borromeo won the juniors’ crown in his very first stint in the Shell Active Chess.

Bullpups, Junior Tigresses stay on top DEFENDING girls’ champion National University and University of Santo Tomas opened their second-round campaigns on a winning note to stay on the joint leadership in the UAAP Season 78 high school volleyball tournament over the long weekend at the Adamson Gym. The Bullpups fashioned out a 25-18, 25-21, 21-15 victory over De La Salle-Zobel Sunday, while the Junior Tigresses on Friday made quick work of UP Integrated

School, 25-14, 25-10, 25-15.

Boosting their respective Final Four bids, NU and UST rose to 6-1, while La Salle-Zobel dropped to third place with a 5-3 mark.

The Alabang-based spikers began the second round with a 25-17, 25-13, 25-21 decision over Far Eastern UniversityDiliman.

University of the East, meanwhile, drubbed UPIS, 25-11, 25-6, 25-15, to bounce back from last Friday’s 22-25,

17-25, 15-25 loss to Adamson University.

The Junior Lady Warriors hold a 4-4 record in fourth place, a full game ahead of the Baby Falcons and the Baby Tamaraws, who are sharing fifth spot at 3-5.

In the boys’ division, NU streaked to its seventh straight win via a 25-21, 25-19, 21-25, 25-21 decision over FEU-Diliman Sunday.

UE remained in second with a 6-1 slate following an easy 25-

9, 25-13, 25-13 win over UPIS Saturday.

The Baby Tamaraws, who opened the second round with a 25-14, 25-17, 25-19 win over the Junior Archers, are running third with a 5-3 mark.

Last season’s runner-up Ateneo posted twin victories against UST, 25-18, 18-25, 2520, 16-25, 15-12, and La SalleZobel, 25-17, 26-24, 25-14, to level its record to 4-4. The Blue Eaglets joined the Tiger Cubs in fourth place.

Gilas...

From A16

naturalized star Andray Blatche still contributed heavily, scoring 18 points with seven rebounds and four steals for the Philippines’ cause.

Just like what they’ve been doing consistently throughout the tournament, Gilas’ newcomers and rising stars Terrence Romeo and Calvin Abueva again provided the needed

support, scoring 15 and 13 points, respectively, off the bench.

The win was a sweet revenge for the Philippines since Iran handed a textbook beatdown on the Filipinos in their clash for the championship two years ago in Manila.

The low-post defense of the Filipinos on Iranian star Hamed Haddadi finally clicked as they limited the former NBA player to only 10 points.

Nikkah Bahrami led Iran with 21 points.

T UE S DAY : S E P T E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 5

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0 M+ P0 M

Perpetual tries to move closer to Final 4 berth

By Peter Atencio

Members of the Ateneo Eagles, led by coach Oliver Almadro (left) and MVP Marck Espejo (15) pose after completing their sweep of National U and the Spikers’ Turf Collegiate Conference crown last Sunday.

Eagles a tough act to follow ATENEO coach Oliver Almadro believes the Eagles’ amazing 13-game sweep of the inaugural Spikers’ Turf Collegiate Conference crown will last for years given the level of competition in the country’s men’s volleyball.

“We didn’t really expect to score a sweep, we just want to gain experience from participating,” said Almandro moments after his Eagles brought down the National U Bulldogs, 25-23, 25-21, 38-40, 25-19, for the second straight time to complete a 13-game sweep at The Arena in San Juan last Sunday.

“I guess we just made history and we hope this would last for a time,” he added.

Part of that feat was Marck Espejo, whose conference-long exploits netted the crisp-hitting Eagle the Finals MVP and Conference MVP honors.

But Espejo has opted to down play his role, saying it was total team effort from stat to finish.

“I couldn’t have won any of these individual awards without the help of my coach and the whole team. This championship was won by the whole team, not

just by myself,” he said.

Almadro agrees.

“It’s not about individual efforts, it’s about the team. This is what’s good with this team, there are no superstars, we treat each other equally,” he said.

Almandro also cited the team’s resiliency as key to their dominant run.

“I’m very proud of the players.

We would lose a set but my players would make sure they would come back. They’re very resilient,” he said.

After the Spikers Turf, the Eagles set their sights on defending the UAAP crown they won also at the expense of the Bulldogs last season.

But Almadro cautioned his wards of complacency and that

the UAAP is an entirely different arena.

“I told the players not because we won here, we would win the UAAP. We still have to work hard and play and pray hard,” he said.

“Of course, our Spikers’ Turf will be a big help when we go to battle in the UAAP.” But one thing is certain, the Eagles’ Spikers’ Turf romp, not to mention their last year’s title win, has made them the team to beat in the coming UAAP volley wars.

“We will of course have the psychological edge against NU and the other UAAP teams because of our win here,” said Espejo. “But it will still require hard work and determination for us to score a repeat.”

THE University of Perpetual Help Altas seek a step closer to at least a tie for a Final Four berth when they battle the San Sebastian Stags at 2 p.m., today, even as the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers try to improve their chances for a spot in the Final Four against lowly Lyceum of the Philippines Pirates in today’s crucial doubleheader in the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament at the San Juan Arena.

Aric del Rosario said the Altas, who are currently at third with an 11-5 card, are looking to put a lock on a win that would give them a firm grip on a berth in the Final Four after they were derailed by the loss to the Bombers, 60-62, last Fiday.

“We blew our chance in the last game.

Hopefully, this time we can do it,” said del Rosario The Altas actually are second behind the San Beda Red Lions and the Letran Knights, who share the same 12-4 card for the lead.

Perpetual’s top gunner, reigning MVP Earl Scottie Thompson, is expected to go all out following a lackluster performance against the Heavy Bombers.

In that game, Thompson was held to just 12 points on a nightmarish fourof-15 shooting clip, but still came four assists short of another triple-double effort with 11 rebounds and six dimes, after registering a league record seven triple-doubles in the tournament.

Jose Rizal is currently tied with Mapua and Arellano at no. 4 on 10-6 marks and a win in their 4 p.m. duel with LPU would keep its Final Four hopes alive.

“We consider all our remaining games as do-or-die games,” said JRU coach Vergel Meneses.

Abad sizzles in Pikit netfest YOUNG Danna Abad racked up three victories in straight-set fashions to emerge the winningest player in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group tennis tournament at the Pikit Tennis Club in Pikit, Cotabato yesterday.

The 14-year-old Abad upended top seed Ma. Angelica Novis, 6-0. 6-2, to nail the girls’ 14-and-under crown, trounced Jazzelle Madis, 6-1, 6-2, for the 16-U title before the rising Davao star rolled past Minette Bentillo, 6-0, 6-1, to claim the premier 18-U diadem.

“Danna has developed into one mean player by competing regularly in the Palawan Pawnshop circuit and we hope to produce

more young talents and inspire more players through our series of tournaments nationwide,” said Palawan Pawnshop COO Bobby Castrol.

Kidapawan’s Jefferson Alqueza shared the spotlight by winning two titles in the boys’ side of the tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop in tight fashions, repulsing Merwin Estrellado, 6-1, 5-7, 10-5, for the 18-U crown and turning back Kyle Macaraeg, 4-6, 6-4, 13-11, for the 16-U title in the tournament sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association headed by president and Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

Eric Comendador, also of Kidapawan, took the boys’ 14-U plum with a

6-0, 6-0 romp over Rodick Litang, while younger brother JV Comendador pocketed the 12-U title with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Kurt Haro.

Malita’s Ma. Angelica Novis topped the girls’ 12-U class with a 6-1, 6-1 romp over M’lang Tenielle Madis, who stunned top seed Cedric Pamplona, 6-2, 6-0, to claim the 10-unisex crown in the tournament held in conjunction with the province’s 66th founding anniversary celebrations.

“This tournament is an eye opener for all of us and the province of Pikit and its LGUs thank Palawan Pawnshop for bringing the circuit here for the first time not only to promote the sport but also to help develop our youth,” said Mayor Muhyryn

Davao’s Danna Abad (center) holds her three trophies after a dominant campaign in the PPS-PEPP age group tennis tournament in Pikit, Cotabato. With her are (from left) coach Danny Catito, PPS-PEPP’s Myraflor Gavino, Mayor Muhyryn Sultan-Casi, and Pikit sports coordinator Michael Tobias.

Sultan-Casi.

The tournament also wrapped up the Mindanao swing of the nationwide circuit with action shifting to the Negros region starting with the Pontevedra leg

on Oct. 9-12, the Masskara Tennis Festival on Oct. 1519 and the Pintaflores Festival Open and Juniors tournament in San Carlos City on Oct. 23-Nov. 2.

JV Comendador and

Pamplona headline the cast in the boys’ 12-U section.

For details, call Bobby Mangunay, PPS-PEPP organizer and sports program development director at 0915-4046464.

A16

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

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Iran’s Hamed Haddadi (left) attacks the basket and gets fouled in the process by fellow former NBA star Andray Blatche of the Philippines in a FIBA game won by the Filipinos, 87-73. FIBA.COM

Gilas brings down mighty Iran squad

By Jeric Lopez

FINALLY, Gilas Pilipinas got the breakthrough win it was looking for.

Jayson Castro was in his finest form, exploding for 26 points, three assists and three steals to spearhead the Philippines to a resounding 87-73 drubbing of erstwhile unbeaten defending champion Iran in the second round of the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship at the Changsa Social Work College’s Gymnasium in Changsa, China yesterday.

Facing its long-time tormentors in international play and a legit powerhouse squad, Gilas played with a lot of fire and urgency to send a huge statement to Iran and other

Pacman’s next foe could be Khan TURN TO A14

countries vying for the Asian diaquarter surge that turned the tides Game today dem. around completely.

(2nd Round - Changsa As a result, Gilas now sits at Social Work College’s After trailing, 37-47, with more Gymnasium) the top of Group E after a fourth 2:30 p.m. - Smart Gilas than eight minutes left in the Pilipinas vs. India straight victory, carrying a 3-1 slate third, the Philippines exploded to to tie Iran. manufacture a pivotal 28-13 blast The Philippines will conclude its second- to end the period and enter the fourth with round campaign today against India at 2:30 a 65-60 advantage. p.m. in the same venue and can clinch the With momentum on its side, Smart Gilas top seed in the group should it register a used a 15-7 run to open the fourth and build fifth straight victory. a comfortable double-digit lead, 80-67, after The win also formalized Smart Gilas’ en- Castro’s basket with just 3:12 remaining. try to the next round and allowed the PhilThat proved to be the closing blitz as Gilas ippines to avoid a quarterfinal clash against Pilipinas held on to list the impressive win, Group F against likely top seed and another while Iran was unable to put a threat anyAsian powerhouse China. more in the waning minutes.

Down by 10 points early in the third, Despite playing with a minor ankle inSmart Gilas didn’t get rattled and instead jury and being saddled with two early fouls, Continued on A14 rose to the occasion with a blistering third-

Eagles a tough act to follow TURN TO A15

Ateneo, NU assess chances in volley finals ATENEO and National University assess their chances in the coming sudden death for the Shakey’s VLeague Season 12 Collegiate Conference crown as they banner the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum today at Shakey’s Malate.

Ateneo assistant coach Parley Tupaz and NU mentor Roger Gorayeb will appear in the public sports forum along with their respective key players to talk on their keenly awaited Game 3 on Sunday.

Organizing Sports Vision president Ricky Palou will also grace the forum.

Also on hand are BEST Center founder and president Nic Jorge and Veronica Cruz, vice president for consumer marketing of Milo ready to drink, will appear in the public sports program to talk on the Best Center 3x3 basketball tournament, touted as the biggest 3x3 meet for the youth in the country.

The other half of the forum aired live over DZSR Sports Radio 918 and presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., will showcase the Powervit Agilas as the newest Philippine team competing in the coming Asean Basketball League.

Representing the Agilas in the 10:30 a.m. session are Powervit president Dick Balajadia, team manager Sergei Bien Orillo, and coach Zaldy Realubit.

B1

TUESDAY: SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

SMC plans more hydro projects

By Alena Mae S. Flores

STRATEGIC Power Development Corp., a unit controlled by conglomerate San Miguel Corp., plans to put up more pumped storage hydro power projects with a total capacity of 1,000 megawatts in Luzon.

The company received approval from the Energy Department to conduct a grid impact study for the planned pump storage projects in Itogon, Benguet province.

The projects include the San Roque Upper East Pumped Storage hydropower with a capacity of 600 MW and the 400-MW San Roque Upper West Pumped Storage hydro power.

Strategic Power also received approval to conduct a grid impact study for the San Roque Optimization Hydropower project in San

Manuel, Pangasinan that will add another 400 MW of capacity.

The impact study to be conducted with National Grid Corp. of the Philippines will determine the capability of the grid to absorb the additional power capacities.

Records from the Energy Department earlier showed that Strategic Power, the independent power producer administrator of the 345-MW San Roque hydro project in San Manuel, Pangasinan, was conducting “ongoing

study and permitting” for the 400-MW San Roque West Pump Storage hydro project.

Strategic Power trades the electricity output of the San Roque hydro facility, while San Roque Power Corp., the joint venture of Marubeni Corp. and Kansai Electric Power Co. Ltd., operates the plant.

The San Roque hydro plant, designed as a build-operate-transfer project, holds a 25-year power purchase agreement with National Power Corp.

San Miguel won the right to manage the supply contract of the San Roque plant in 2009 with a $450-million bid. The company has been expanding its portfolio of hydro power projects.

San Miguel holds a 60-percent stake in the 218 MW Angat hydro power plant in Bulacan.

San Miguel, through Strategic

Power, plans to establish a 200MW pumped storage hydro project in Aklan. It is also pursuing a 500-MW pumped storage hydro power project in Aurora province.

Strategic Power has sought the approval of the Energy Department for the 500-MW Dingalan pumped storage hydro plant in Dingalan, Aurora.

The project is a part of the company’s plan to develop up to 3,000 MW of hydro power projects in the country, a source said.

San Miguel is currently building coal power projects in Bataan and Mindanao which are in various stages of development. It plans to build coal plants in Cebu and Panay.

The Energy Department approved last year the application of Strategic Power for a 200-MW pumped storage hydro project in Aklan.

PSe comPoSite index Closing September 28, 2015

8000 7700 7400 7100 6800 6500

6,815.59 101.96

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 43.50 44.60 45.40

P46.785

46.20

CLOSE

47.00

HIGH P46.770 LOW P46.865 AVERAGE P46.818 VOLUME 465.660M

P435.00-P640.00 LPG/11-kg tank P36.00-P43.95 Unleaded Gasoline P25.05-P28.40 Diesel

oPriceS il P today

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene P20.75-P21.75 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Monday, September 28, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate

SME ministerial meeting. Trade Secretary and chairman of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Small and Medium Enterprise Min-

isterial Meeting Secretary Gregory Domingo and other SME ministers pose on Sept. 25, 2015 at the Iloilo Convention Center in Iloilo City. Domingo said he looks forward to discussions endorsing the Iloilo Initiative, which will provide a bigger voice and better opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises.

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.9020

Japan

Yen

0.008302

0.3894

UK

Pound

1.520500

71.3145

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129029

6.0517

Switzerland

Franc

1.022704

47.9669

Canada

Dollar

0.750694

35.2090

Singapore

Dollar

0.701557

32.9044

Australia

Dollar

0.702001

32.9253

Bahrain

Dinar

2.651113

124.3425

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

12.5072

Brunei

Dollar

0.699105

32.7894

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000068

0.0032

Thailand

Baht

0.027609

1.2949

UAE

Dirham

0.272309

12.7718

Euro

Euro

1.121100

52.5818

Korea

Won

0.000840

0.0394

China

Yuan

0.156878

7.3579

India

Rupee

0.015122

0.7093

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.228050

10.6960

New Zealand

Dollar

0.636618

29.8587

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030261

1.4193 Source: PDS Bridge

Ongpin: Meralco shares sale to Global 5000 a ‘great deal’

By Jenniffer B. Austria BUSINESSMAN and former trade minister Roberto Ongpin said the controversial sale of government shares in Manila Electric Co. was a “great deal” for the government financial institutions.

Ongpin in a statement questioned why he was being singled out among the 20 individuals being investigated by the Office of the Ombudsman over the P9-billion Meralco deal.

“It is patently uncalled for and unfair,” Ongpin said.

Ongpin said the market price of Meralco was P57 when the GFIs sold their stake to Global 5000 in 2009, Global 5000, however, offered to acquire the shares at P90 apiece, or a 57.8-percent premium over the stock’s current market price.

“Moreover, the cost of acquisition of these shares by the GFIs was less than P20. So they were happy to do this transaction which enabled them quintuple their investment. It was obviously a great deal for the GFIs,” Ongpin said.

He clarified Global 5000 was not “an Ongpin company,” but rather an investment vehicle of conglomerate San Miguel Corp. and five others directors that was formed to acquire the Meralco shares held by the GFIs. Other Global 5000 directors were Ongpin, businessman Iñigo Zobel, condiments king Joselito Campos Jr.,and two other San Miguel representatives.

“There is nothing irregular about a major acquiring company to use an acquisition ve-

hicle; it is standard practice.

As a matter of fact, the ownership of PLDT [Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.] and MPIC [Metro Pacific Investments Corp.] in Meralco, which is now the controlling shareholder group, is held by a similar acquisition company called Beacon,” Ongpin said.

Ongpin said the GFIs did not doubt the financial capability of Global 5000 because they knew it was a San Miguel acquisition vehicle.

“At no time did I beneficially

own a single share of Meralco.

I was only acting on behalf of San Miguel in being a director of Global 5000 as well as Iñigo Zobel, Joselito Campos Jr. and two other San Miguel nominees,” Ongpin said.

The Office of the Ombudsman last week said it would investigate Ongpin and several of his associates as well as former executives of the GFIs involved in the Meralco deal for anti-graft practices in connection with the block sale of Meralco shares to Global 5000 in 2008 to 2009.

TUESDAY: SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Monday, SepteMber 28, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 0.92 1.01 100 30.5 75 91.5 137 80 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 0.74 0.225 78 17.8 58 62 88.35 52 276 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 COL Financial Eastwest Bank First Abacus MEDCO Holdings Metrobank PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

2.55 69 103.00 82.50 41.95 2.40 1.29 15.7 19.32 0.65 0.650 81.5 16.68 24.00 50.15 100 150 295 30.9 137.6 1430.00 51.20 2.95

47 2.36 15.3 20.6 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 17 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 3.95 4 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 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

35.9 1.86 7.92 15.32 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 8.61 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 2.3 1.63 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 4.1 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Alsons Cons.

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

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

LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl 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’ SPC Power Corp.

Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

43.5 1.7 10.6 16.76 25.75 41.6 2.79 1.65 9.99 10.460 8.00 5.89 7.68 1.97 13.48 22.6 66 12.50 13.00 5.72 3.120 187.00 2.2 5.34 21.75 21.7 5.51 293.00 3.83 4.1 6.90 11.34 3.34 2.10 2.1 4.03 2.8 5.48 132 3.81 2.28 0.145 0.91 1.89 192 4.62 0.68 1.04

0.59 59.2 30.05 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 0.66 1455 7.5 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 6.55 0.0670 1.61 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 4.5 0.030 0.550 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anscor `A’ ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp `A’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

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

Minerales Industrias Corp.

Pacifica `A’ Prime Orion San Miguel Corp `A’ Seafront `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.430 57.9000 18.14 6.39 0.235 0.255 740 6.79 12.40 0.224 1235 5.95 68.70 5.95 0.69 11.6 0.56 4.98 8.2 0.0350 1.730 50.75 3.02 880.00 1.18 84.950 0.3350 0.2210 0.270

10.5 1.99 1.75 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97

6.74 0.65 1.2 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Araneta Prop `A’ Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ Cebu Holdings Century Property Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

Double Dragon Empire East Land

6.550 0.62 1.100 34.00 3.03 4.8 0.57 0.100 0.435 21.15 0.780

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

SHARES 39,364,256 173,278,143 120,446,307 85,638,499 147,570,452 387,890,856 959,691,963

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.64 2.43 69.25 69 103.30 101.00 83.40 80.05 41.95 41.8 2.50 2.48 1.37 1.37 15.7 15.2 20 19.34 0.64 0.64 0.770 0.630 81.9 80.25 16.70 16.58 24.00 24.00 51.45 50.00 104 101 175 175 295 294.8 31.2 30.9 140.2 138 1430.00 1415.00 52.00 51.10 2.95 2.95 INDUSTRIAL 43.75 42.2 1.67 1.56 11 10.6 16.8 16.56 26.1 25.1 41.6 41.6 2.88 2.7 2.34 1.62 10 9.99 10.480 10.2 7.91 7.71 6.14 5.65 7.80 7.65 1.96 1.94 12.98 12.2 22.75 22.05 68 65.75 12.50 12.50 13.00 12.10 5.73 5.65 4.180 3.190 188.30 186.10 2.3 2.08 5.4 4.7 22.3 21.75 21.75 21.2 5.6 5.51 299.00 290.00 3.83 3.82 4.1 4.08 7.05 6.88 11.34 11.34 3.34 3.20 2.03 1.96 2.15 2.08 4.06 4.02 2.8 2.8 5.48 5.48 139.8 134 3.9 3.9 2.25 2.16 0.150 0.142 0.98 0.91 1.93 1.84 188 185.5 4.62 4.62 0.7 0.66 1.06 1.04 HOLDING FIRMS 0.430 0.430 58.2000 56.5500 18.20 16.54 6.40 6.01 0.236 0.232 0.23 0.233 750 743 6.95 6.8 12.32 11.80 0.226 0.215 1280 1251 5.97 5.95 70.15 68.85 5.9 5.67 0.73 0.67 11.6 10.78 0.54 0.54 4.98 4.89 8.2 7.81 0.0360 0.0340 1.740 1.710 48.40 46.00 2.90 2.88 885.50 855.00 1.19 1.18 79.000 69.000 0.3750 0.3300 0.2210 0.2020 0.275 0.260 PROPERTY 6.780 6.550 0.62 0.60 1.100 1.100 34.65 33.15 3.03 3 4.95 4.95 0.59 0.55 0.101 0.099 0.430 0.425 22.15 20 0.780 0.760

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.62 69.1 102.00 80.05 41.8 2.50 1.37 15.2 19.84 0.64 0.700 80.25 16.60 24.00 50.00 104 175 295 31.15 139 1415.00 51.10 2.95

2.75 0.14 -0.97 -2.97 -0.36 4.17 6.20 -3.18 2.69 -1.54 7.69 -1.53 -0.48 0.00 -0.30 4.00 16.67 0.00 0.81 1.02 -1.05 -0.20 0.00

78,000 6,850 2,819,540 1,295,770 31,000 50,000 1,000 3,800 22,300 24,000 29,374,000 876,630 136,900 200 65,430 5,770 10 610 64,300 183,800 225 6,110 1,000

42.2 1.57 10.7 16.62 26 41.6 2.85 2.13 10 10.200 7.75 5.65 7.70 1.94 12.98 22.05 66 12.50 12.90 5.65 3.780 188.00 2.1 5.3 22.2 21.75 5.51 290.00 3.82 4.09 7.05 11.34 3.34 1.96 2.08 4.02 2.8 5.48 136 3.9 2.25 0.143 0.91 1.87 186.3 4.62 0.7 1.06

-2.99 -7.65 0.94 -0.84 0.97 0.00 2.15 29.09 0.10 -2.49 -3.13 -4.07 0.26 -1.52 -3.71 -2.43 0.00 0.00 -0.77 -1.22 21.15 0.53 -4.55 -0.75 2.07 0.23 0.00 -1.02 -0.26 -0.24 2.17 0.00 0.00 -6.67 -0.95 -0.25 0.00 0.00 3.03 2.36 -1.32 -1.38 0.00 -1.06 -2.97 0.00 2.94 1.92

1,435,000 2,540,000 24,900 341,300 577,000 1,100 1,647,000 28,592,000 73,200 8,242,800 393,900 17,277,500 37,200 15,000 29,400 1,297,500 92,450 5,200 26,500 442,700 86,187,000 323,130 59,000 112,400 634,200 49,200 19,600 536,260 3,000 3,740,000 1,777,700 500 59,000 273,000 254,000 849,000 55,000 500 24,910 5,000 880,000 5,960,000 70,000 2,270,000 1,950,420 66,000 3,840,000 133,000

0.430 57.5500 16.96 6.40 0.232 0.233 744 6.89 11.80 0.217 1260 5.95 69.75 5.8 0.7 10.86 0.54 4.9 8.2 0.0350 1.720 46.35 2.88 860.00 1.19 70.000 0.3500 0.2190 0.260

0.00 -0.60 -6.50 0.16 -1.28 -8.63 0.54 1.47 -4.84 -3.13 2.02 0.00 1.53 -2.52 1.45 -6.38 -3.57 -1.61 0.00 0.00 -0.58 -8.67 -4.64 -2.27 0.85 -17.60 4.48 -0.90 -3.70

30,000 551,420 15,907,500 56,400 880,000 340,000 139,880 602,500 2,526,800 730,000 131,065 43,600 1,332,190 2,506,500 1,067,000 5,500,300 109,000 33,080,000 1,518,600 23,600,000 4,447,000 355,330 34,000 158,750 147,000 169,290 21,230,000 580,000 690,000

6.550 0.61 1.100 33.15 3.02 4.95 0.56 0.100 0.425 21 0.760

0.00 -1.61 0.00 -2.50 -0.33 3.13 -1.75 0.00 -2.30 -0.71 -2.56

86,600 290,000 36,000 7,425,900 860,000 4,000 9,346,000 9,670,000 700,000 1,719,100 1,145,000

100.00 466,343.00 25,607,095 -48,358,516.00 -145,640.00

20,100.00 -44,567,078.50 -1,662,480.00 -2,618,595.50 102,000.00 -540,575 6,700,784.00 -84,315.00 -35,493,790.00 2,774,536.00 155,000.00 -265,570.00 9,990.00 -11,949,826.00 260,848.00 -42,846,460.00 70.00 -25,253,055.00 -2,857,743.50 -257,412.00 1,387,982.00 886,780.00 -21,350,414.00 -2,905,675.00 68,229,032.00 188,560.00 2,693,213.00 -35,340.00 2,068,340.00 158,863.00 34,880.00 155,780.00 -4,900.00 2,515,150.00 -58,431,681.00 254,100.00 476,000.00

1,694,589.50 -96,826,104.00

-66,637,575.00 1,996,610.00 -16,298,930.00 -18,866,430.00 139,825.00 -7,256,754.50 3,031,481.00 -3,334,840.00 -48,800,860.00 -109,340.00 47,600.00 -12,070,051.00 -69,336,795.00 -9,667,762.00 -58,500.00

-15,427.00 140.00 -64,749,070.00 135,920.00 -3,938,790.00 97,750.00 -11,906,805.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 8.4 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 3.1 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 1 2.46 15.2 0.62 1.040 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 8.72 0.011 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 0.650 1.8 6 0.335 0.37 3 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

STOCKS

Close

Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Keppel Properties Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp.

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

11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

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

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

Discovery World DFNN Inc. Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IPeople Inc. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp.

Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown MG Holdings NOW Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp.

7.59 SSI Group 0.63 STI Holdings 5 Travellers 0.315 Waterfront Phils.

1.14 Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 0.330 12.7 1.19 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 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 0.236 6.5 0.85 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 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

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

Benguet Corp `A’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Petroenergy Res. Corp.

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

TA Petroleum

70 553 525 120 515 8.21 12.28 111 1060

33 490 500 101.5 480 5.88 6.5 101 997

1047 84.8

1011 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 PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F Swift Pref

1.34

1

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

15 88 12.88

3.5 13.5 5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

Makati Fin. Corp.

IRipple E-Business Intl Xurpas

High

VALUE 961,114,103.232 1,356,023,517.49 1,327,609,944.28 623,554,268.08 1,219,284,791.81 141,270,012.824 5,712,892,863.712

FINANCIAL 1,524.26 (DOWN) 18.91 INDUSTRIAL 10,568.19 (DOWN) 183.54 HOLDING FIRMS 6,366.67 (DOWN) 82.38 PROPERTY 2,795.59 (DOWN) 27.94 SERVICES 1,685.21 (DOWN) 20.43 MINING & OIL 10,951.21 (DOWN) 46.00 PSEI 6,815.59 (DOWN) 101.96 All Shares Index 3,952.45 (DOWN) 38.63 Gainers: 60 Losers: 116; Unchanged: 43; Total: 219

Close

0.170 1.03 1.74 1.33 4.80 4.25 0.092 0.2850 0.3850 8.35 28.55 1.55 3.15 19.84 0.72 8.37 0.720 5.150

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.167 0.165 0.165 1.03 1.01 1.01 1.76 1.73 1.75 1.38 1.24 1.35 3.60 3.26 3.60 4.35 4.27 4.34 0.102 0.092 0.092 0.2850 0.2850 0.2850 0.3850 0.3850 0.3850 8.24 7.66 7.97 28.50 27.85 27.85 1.58 1.55 1.55 3.16 3.16 3.16 20.35 19.90 19.96 0.72 0.71 0.72 8.3 7.8 8.3 0.700 0.660 0.660 5.180 4.890 5.080 SERVICES 8 8.15 8.06 8.14 60 60.25 59.9 60 1.11 1.18 1.18 1.18 0.560 0.560 0.540 0.540 5.98 5.95 5.47 5.51 0.0580 0.0600 0.0550 0.0550 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.6 86.5 88.5 86.5 87.2 10 10 10 10 1.8 1.79 1.79 1.79 5.00 5.05 4.85 4.85 2380 2402 2330 2370 6.30 6.35 6.28 6.35 1.26 1.31 1.22 1.22 77 78.5 76.15 76.7 11.94 11.4 11.4 11.4 0.011 0.010 0.010 0.010 0.191 0.192 0.182 0.186 1.4200 1.4500 1.3900 1.4200 2.15 2.31 2.05 2.05 8.60 8.60 8.30 8.35 2.87 2.96 2.80 2.82 1.15 1.17 1.16 1.16 2.26 2.26 2.20 2.24 0.600 0.580 0.580 0.580 2.06 2.05 2.05 2.05 4.59 4.56 4.15 4.2 0.310 0.315 0.310 0.310 0.495 0.500 0.470 0.480 4.60 4.60 4.51 4.52 96.00 95.80 95.80 95.80 18.70 18.70 18.10 18.68 2270.00 2272.00 2228.00 2228.00 0.570 0.570 0.550 0.570 1.070 1.070 0.980 1.020 30.80 32.00 31.20 31.50 71.90 72.95 72.50 72.95 7.11 7.34 6.88 6.94 6.34 6.50 6.20 6.21 0.49 0.50 0.48 0.49 3.45 3.49 3.38 3.4 0.355 0.375 0.345 0.345 2.710 2.700 2.600 2.700 MINING & OIL 0.0055 0.0057 0.0054 0.0057 2.31 2.30 2.30 2.30 4.73 4.95 4.71 4.84 10.30 10.96 10.00 10.70 0.188 0.187 0.187 0.187 6.9500 6.9400 6.8900 6.9400 0.75 0.75 0.71 0.75 0.66 0.66 0.62 0.62 6.50 7.30 6.50 7.00 1.01 1.04 1.01 1.01 0.300 0.305 0.295 0.300 0.181 0.182 0.180 0.180 0.190 0.187 0.186 0.187 0.010 0.010 0.0095 0.0100 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.011 2.1 2.1 2 2 7.18 7.19 6.86 7.06 2.9 2.95 2.89 2.9 0.6000 0.6300 0.5900 0.5900 1.3500 1.3300 1.3100 1.3200 3.86 3.86 3.78 3.78 5.00 5.000 4.920 4.95 1.38 1.380 1.340 1.35 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 134.70 135.20 132.40 134.80 2.62 2.75 2.32 2.35 PREFERRED 59.9 60.35 59.95 60.35 528 530 528 528 530 537 525 537 118.2 118.1 118.1 118.1 527.5 528 521 527 6.45 6.5 6.49 6.5 1.1 1.11 1.11 1.11 110 110 109 109 1080 1080 1080 1080 1100 1100 1100 1100 1025 1035 1030 1035 81.2 81.5 81.2 81.2 78 78.55 78 78.55 77.5 78.5 77.5 78.5 78.65 78.65 78.3 78.5 1.8 1.9 1.83 1.83 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.040 3.010 2.880 2.900 SME 3.48 3.4 3.36 3.36 70 71 60 62 13.7 14.6 13.92 14.22 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 113.1 113.6 112.5 112.5

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

-2.94 -1.94 0.57 1.50 -25.00 2.12 0.00 0.00 0.00 -4.55 -2.45 0.00 0.32 0.60 0.00 -0.84 -8.33 -1.36

210,000 1,802,000 5,216,000 3,066,000 3,000 29,657,000 890,000 370,000 10,000 1,247,900 2,723,500 28,000 14,000 3,542,300 462,000 900 308,000 4,799,800

1.75 0.00 6.31 -3.57 -7.86 -5.17 0.00 0.81 0.00 -0.56 -3.00 -0.42 0.79 -3.17 -0.39 -4.52 -9.09 -2.62 0.00 -4.65 -2.91 -1.74 0.87 -0.88 -3.33 -0.49 -8.50 0.00 -3.03 -1.74 -0.21 -0.11 -1.85 0.00 -4.67 2.27 1.46 -2.39 -2.05 0.00 -1.45 -2.82 -0.37

137,500 60,930 3,000 309,000 16,965,700 43,570,000 91,000 111,450 3,500 1,000 303,200 105,925 17,900 106,000 2,008,790 20,000 11,600,000 11,770,000 1,288,000 21,000 205,800 549,000 18,000 37,000 17,000 1,000 1,852,000 60,000 310,000 26,000 70 23,200 116,630 2,098,000 26,687,000 595,900 610,280 7,334,800 1,913,800 7,480,000 6,844,000 160,000 242,000

3.64 -0.43 2.33 3.88 -0.53 -0.14 0.00 -6.06 7.69 0.00 0.00 -0.55 -1.58 0.00 0.00 -4.76 -1.67 0.00 -1.67 -2.22 -2.07 -1.00 -2.17 0.00 0.07 -10.31

303,000,000 165,000 28,000 58,220.00 800 40,000 5,000 691,000 226,000 32,300 6,839,000 -2,830,450.00 810,000 6,610,000 530,000 23,000,000 21,900,000 3,600.00 259,000 -93,590.00 2,898,000 -161,159.00 609,000 249,000 -59,000.00 41,000 27,000 1,037,300 69,083.00 565,000 65,940.00 15,300,000 712,480 5,342,160.00 1,713,000 3,280.00

0.75 0.00 1.32 -0.08 -0.09 0.78 0.91 -0.91 0.00 0.00 0.98 0.00 0.71 1.29 -0.19 1.67

36,240 9,100 17,040 400 18,200 200,000 100,000 16,000 30 2,500 100 174,600 82,330 247,840 894,480 31,000

-206,040.00 204,320.00 49,176,770.00

310,788.00 27,182,830.00 17,383,246.00

-4,565,820.00

200.00 -7,970,083.00 -1,448,818.50 -14,940.00 -56,799,090.00 -19,412,055.00 17,000.00 9,200.00 -113,600.00 852,192.00 159,000.00

-2,441,340.00 -45,000.00 -45,020.00 -16,796.00 -57,790,330.00 -1,384,420.00 2,185,115.00 2,859,596.00 81,317.00 -5,936,046.00 -2,518,300.00 -406,160.00

110,187.50 -6,801,305

9,967,938.00 559,574.50

-4.61

446,000

-3.45 -11.43 3.80

6,000 14,920 5,433,600

80.00

-0.53

48,930

9,048.00

28,999,606.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Da Vinci Capital

2.13

29.09

Keppel Properties

3.60

-25.00

Ionics Inc

3.780

21.15

Top Frontier

70.000

-17.60

Philippine trust Co.

175

16.67

IRipple E-Business Intl

62

-11.43

Dizon

7.00

7.69

TA Petroleum

2.35

-10.31

MEDCO Holdings

0.700

7.69

IP E-Game Ventures Inc.

0.010

-9.09

Acesite Hotel

1.18

6.31

San Miguel Corp `A'

46.35

-8.67

Bright Kindle Resources

1.37

6.20

ATN Holdings B

0.233

-8.63

Unioil Res. & Hldgs

0.3500

4.48

Melco Crown

4.2

-8.50

BDO Leasing & Fin. INc.

2.50

4.17

Suntrust Home Dev. Inc.

0.660

-8.33

Phil. Savings Bank

104

4.00

Bloomberry

5.51

-7.86

TUESDAY: SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

B3

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

PLDT set to launch e-cards on toll roads

Asean forum speaker. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima speaks (seated left) in the Milken Asia Summit Panel forum moderated by Michael Milken. Purisima discussed how Asean integration and developing internal regional markets will help insulate the region from the market reforms in China and stressed that governments should keep macro fundamentals strong. Purisima is joined by Luhut Panjaitan, Indonesian chief of staff to the president and coordinating minister for security and political affairs

Stocks tumble; URC, Alliance Global drop THE stock market tumbled Monday as investors weighed the timing of an increase in US interest rates and Chinese industrial companies’ profits slumped.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index sank 101.96 points, or 1.5 percent, to P6,815.59 on a value turnover of P5.7 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 116 to 60, with 43 issues unchanged.

The likelihood of higher US rates could lead to capital outflows from emerging markets, while the weak Chinese data clearly shows its economy is not on the road to recovery just yet, said Norico Gaman, head of research at Jakarta-based PT BNI Securities. However, with stock prices and valuations already hav-

ing dropped severely, investors with long-term investment horizon may start selectively buying Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker, skidded 3 percent to P186.30, while Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan lost 6.5 percent to P16.96.

Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-largest lender in terms of assets, fell 3 percent to P80.05, while Bloomberry Resorts Corp. tumbled 7.9 percent to P5.51.

Shanghai, meanwhile, recouped early losses despite more

disappointing China data.

Dealers will closely watch the release of key US data this week, including employment, that will provide a better idea of when the central bank will announce liftoff.

Thursday will also see the Bank of Japan release its Tankan survey of business confidence, with analysts forecasting a dip in reaction to China’s growth slowdown which has rattled global markets.

St Louis Fed chief James Bullard on Friday raised the prospect of a lift in US borrowing costs when he said he would “like to get going.” His comments reinforced the view that monetary policy would be tightened before 2016.

Fed boss Janet Yellen said

Thursday she expects a hike by year-end, pointing to recent strong data.

On Friday, the Commerce Department said the US economy grew 3.9 percent in April-June, up from the 3.7 percent originally stated thanks to a boost in investment and consumer spending.

Attention will now turn to next Friday’s non-farm payrolls results, with a strong figure likely to reinforce calls for an early rate move.

On forex markets, the dollar rose against most emerging currencies. The Malaysian ringgit lost 0.45 percent, Taiwan’s dollar shed 0.29 percent and the Thai baht was 0.31 percent lower. However, the Indian rupee and Indonesia’s ringgit edged up slightly from morning selling. With AFP

THE Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. Group plans to launch an electronic payment card for north and south expressways.

“Most likely in tollways by end of this year and retail trade next year,” PLDT chairman Manuel Pangilinan said when asked about the company’s next move after offering PayMaya VisaCard for LRT and MRT3.

PayMaya Visa card with beep is a physical Visa card with a builtin beep wallet.

The three-in-one combination enables the public to enjoy the same benefits of the regular contactless beep card deployed under the Automated Fare Collection System for the country’s light railway transport system plus the convenience of getting an instant virtual Visa card for online shopping via the PayMaya mobile app and a physical card for transactions in any Visa merchant.

Introduced last August, PayMaya comes with a mobile app that can instantly provide a virtual Visa card that can be used for online payments, anytime, anywhere—regardless of of one’s mobile operator and even if he does not have a bank account.

It also comes with a physical Visa card that can be used for purchases at any of the over 30 million establishments worldwide accepting Visa.

PayMaya is also strengthening partnerships with eCommerce sites, like Zalora, AirBNB and Philippine Airlines as well as face-to-face shopping with establishments like SM and Robinsons Malls.

PLDT president and chief executive Napoleon Nazareno said revenues in the third quarter would be “better” than last year.

“The trend in the past two months of the quarter is slightly better than last year,” he said.

Nazareno said both wireless and fixed-line businesses were expected to drive growth in the third quarter.

The country’s largest telecommunications firm earlier reported a net income of P18.9 billion in the January-to-June period this year, down from P19.8 billion year-on-year.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Globe pushes for all-inclusive peering arrangement with Internet firms

By Darwin G. Amojelar GLOBE Telecom Inc. is pushing for an all-inclusive Internet Protocol peering among major Internet service providers in the country to boost local Internet speed.

“From a technical perspective, localization is optimization. Any amount of traffic localized will contribute to access improvement and cost savings. However, given that around 80 percent of access content is foreign, there is minimal impact on Internet speed,” Globe lawyer Froilan Castelo said.

“What we need is an all-in-

clusive IP peering arrangement among all ISPs. Peering of PLDT clients with government sites won’t cut it,” he said.

The remaining 20 percent is Philippine traffic. This means domestic traffic originates in the Philippines and terminates in the Philippines.

However, of this 20 percent supposedly local traffic, up to 70 percent is routed outside the country, such as Asia, US and Europe, before returning to the Philippines.

Instead of getting routed directly between origin and destination locally, traffic is routed outwards

through others networks, incurring additional IP transit costs, before the data is routed back to its target destination, thus causing delay in data transmission and effectively slowing internet connectivity, Castelo said.

Globe issued the statement after rival Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. signed an agreement with the Department of Science and Technology, which allows its clients to peer directly with government Web sites through the Philippine Open Internet Exchange.

PLDT’s arrangement with PHOpenIX does not require the

dominant carrier to exchange traffic with other ISPs via the local Internet exchange.

“Still, competition’s decision to connect with PHOpenIX is a step towards the right direction. At the end of the day, anything that will boost local internet speed is beneficial for the entire industry and we will be supportive of such initiatives,” Castelo said.

Maintained by DOST ASTI (Advanced Science and Technology Institute), PHOpenIX is the only exchange in the Philippine Internet industry operated by a neutral institution that allows the

exchanges of Internet traffic in a free-market environment among local Internet and data service providers.

Globe, according to Castelo, was open to have IP peering effected with its main competitor, whether by mandate of the government or through a bilateral arrangement.

“Peering offers a variety of advantages for our customers. As more and more of our customers shift to a digital lifestyle, we want to deliver as much traffic as possible in a way that provides optimal user experience,” he said.

B4

CCA-Miriam partnership. The country’s premier school for professional culinary education, the Center for Culinary Arts, Manila, and Miriam College sign an exclusive partnership agreement to cultivate the culture of excellence and innovation through solid academic foundation. Sealing the agreement are (from left) CCA chancellor for education Veritas Luna, chief executive Marinela Trinidad and president Susana Guerrero, Miriam College president Rosario Lapus, Dean of the Department of Entrepreneurship Antonio Lopez and Department of Entrepreneurship chairperson Maria Lusa Gatchalian. CCA, Manila will provide the culinary component to the new curriculum of Miriam’s BS Entrepreneurship Program.

Q4 borrowing capped at P135b THE Bureau of Treasury said Monday it will keep a domestic borrowing cap of P135 billion in the last quarter of the year.

The agency said in a notice posted in its Web site it maintained the fourth-quarter local borrowing ceiling through the auction of treasury bills and bonds in October to December 2015 to finance this year’s budget deficit.

The government plans to sell P20 billion worth of 91-, 182-, and 364-day debt papers on Oct. 7, Nov. 4 and Dec. 9. It will also sell P25 billion worth of treasury bonds through auctions on Oct. 22, Nov. 20 and Dec. 17.

The auction of the various debt paper with short and

long tenors were the same as programmed in the first three quarters of the year.

The government is keeping a borrowing mix of 14 percent foreign and 86 percent domestic in 2015.

The government plans to borrow about P95 billion from the international market and P605.1 billion from domestic sources.

The government in 2014 borrowed P369 billion—the lowest amount since P275 billion in 2002. The gross borrowings last year were also 33.5 percent lower than P555 billion in 2013.

Meanwhile, outstanding debt papers issued by the national government slightly declined to P3.855 trillion in the Januaryto-August period from P3.858 trillion recorded a month ago, as more treasury bonds matured.

Government debt increased P160 billion or 2.9 percent over a 12-month period to a record P5.84 trillion in July, as the Treasury issued more securities and the weak peso inflated the value of foreign currency debt.

Data from the Treasury showed outstanding government debt jumped P160 billion from P5.68 trillion in July 2014.

Both domestic and foreign debt climbed, as borrowings continued to outpace debt payments. Domestic debt rose 2.7 percent in July to P3.86 tril-

lion from a year ago. It also increased by P19.56 billion from the end-June figure due to the net issuance of government securities amounting to P19.36 billion and upward adjustment of P200 million in the peso value of onshore dollar bonds.

Foreign debt rose 3.2 percent year-on-year to P1.99 trillion, on the back of weaker peso which inflated the value of dollar debt by P17.49 billion, the Treasury said.

“This was tempered by the downward revaluation of third currency debt against peso equivalent to P6.73 billion. Net availment for the month though not significant contributed to P0.68 billion increase in external debt,” The Treasury said.

Gabrielle H. Binaday

Philip Morris pursues Thailand tax claims

By Othel V. Campos THE Philippines may file a trade complaint against Thailand for refusing to implement a World Trade Organization ruling on a case filed and won by Philip Morris International Fortune Tobacco Corp. in 2011.

WTO panelist and chief executive of T/A Trade Advisory Center Inc. Anthony Abad said the Philippines can complain on Thailand’s inaction about the WTO decision instructing Thailand to create reforms on its customs valuations and taxes. T/A Trade is the local counsel of Philip Morris in the Philippines.

“The Philippines has not acted on the implementation case yet. If [it] feels within a reasonable period that the decision is

not yet implemented, the member can file an implementation case at the WTO,” he said.

He said the Philippines could tap diplomatic channels to help Philip Morris follow up on its tax claims with the Thailand customs and valuation agency.

The Trade Department, meanwhile, is giving Thailand time to implement the WTO ruling.

The WTO ruled in favor of the Philippines on a cigarette excise tax case filed in Thailand.

Abad said the hesitation for filing an implementation case might stem from Bangkok’s reluctance to foot the bill.

“The Philippine government can initiate on its own but usually driven by the private sector. The case was a Customs case filed by Thailand against

Philip Morris, which is a case of discriminatory excise tax,” said Abad.

The WTO said the excise tax imposed in imported cigarettes should have similar rates imposed in Thailand.

The Dispute Settlement Body of the WTO ruled with finality in 2011 that Thailand unfairly treated cigarette imports from the Philippines between August 2006 and September 2007. The Philippines filed a complaint with the WTO on behalf of Philip Morris Philippines in 2008 after the Thai government unfairly treated imported cigarette brands, especially in terms of the customs valuation practices, excise tax, health tax, TV tax, valueadded tax regime, retail licensing requirements and im-

port guarantees imposed on cigarette importers. A Philippine official said the action of Thailand to indict Philip Morris officials may not conform with nor it was an implementation of the WTO decision compensating Philip Morris Philippines. He said while Thailand might have complied with recommendations of the DSB, a criminal case invoking entries of cigarette imports covered by the WTO ruling would in effect negate the recommendations of the world body. He said all member-states must adhere to the WTO rules, citing that Thailand so far complied with nine out of the 10 recommendations set by the WTO ruling in favor of cigarette imports from the Philippines.

Energy upbeat on gas pipeline

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Department is optimistic the bidding and award for the 100-kilometer BatangasManila natural gas pipeline will push through during the term of President Benigno Aquino III. “The ideal is within this administration it will be awarded.

So we can complete the picture for a balanced energy mix with [renewable energy], coal and natural gas. Nat gas cannot move without the necessary infrastructure,” Energy officerin-charge Zenaida Monsada told reporters.

Monsada said the previously approved Bat-Man natural gas pipeline design by the National Economic and Development Board-Investment Coordinating Council carried certain provisions which had to be clarified.

The energy official said the approved design included rightof-way concerns since the line was proposed to go all the way to Navotas from Sucat.

“There are also possible conflicts to the expansion of PNR [Philippine National Railway],” she said.

Monsada said the Neda-ICC would have to review the BatMan project once the department submitted report on the study of Rebel Group International B.V., which was tasked by the Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines.

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

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

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HSBC trims growth forecast

By Julito G. Rada

British banking giant Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp. cut again its growth forecast for the Philippines this year to 5.5 percent from the previous estimate of 5.6 percent made in July on the back of sluggish global trade, especially that of China.

The $9 computer WHAT can you buy for $9 (or about P420)?

You could get a New York’s Finest pizza from Yellow Cab or two up-sized Whopper meals at Burger King. Or you could buy CHIP, the world’s first $9 computer, which began shipping this month.

To fund production of CHIP, the Next Thing Co. launched a Kickstarter campaign back in May with a modest goal to raise $50,000 in 30 days. By the time the funding period ended on June 6, almost 40,000 backers chipped in $9 or more to raise $2 million—more than 40 times the company’s original target.

This month, the first batch of CHIPS were shipped to Kickstarter backers, and a second batch is scheduled to go out in October.

The tiny (2.3-inch by 1.5-inch) computer comes with a 1GHz Allwinner A13-compatible system on a chip; a separate graphics processing unit (GPU); 512 megabytes of DDR3 RAM; 4 gigabytes of flash storage; and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. CHIP also has a MicroUSB and a standard USB port.

CHIP uses a built-in composite video port that enables you to connect it to a TV, but Next Thing has also designed adapters for VGA and HDMI monitors. It isn’t clear, however, when these adapters will be available or how much they will cost. It would certainly seem to defeat the purpose of designing a cheap computer if the adapters cost more than $9.

CHIP draws power from an attached lithium-ion polymer battery, runs on wired 5V DC input power, or can be powered through the same Micro-USB port that is used for battery charging.

To connect a keyboard and a mouse, Next Thing suggests attaching a USB keyboard with an accessory USB port on it for a wired mouse.

Another option would be to use a wireless (Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) mouse.

The computer has its own tiny power or reset button and a status LED on the board itself.

CHIP comes installed with a fast-boot Debian-based Linux operating system with the latest Linux kernel, as well as dozens of open source applications and tools, including LibreOffice. Because CHIP is a fully functional Linux computer, you’ll also be able to download and install whatever else you need from the thousands of free applications, tools and games available from the open source community.

Designed without a case, CHIP is an exposed circuit board, much like the Raspberry Pi. “Not having a case for CHIP is one of the ways were were able to keep our costs down,” Next Thing says on its Kickstarter page FAQ. But the company is also making the effort to go beyond the Raspberry Pi’s geek following.

“As makers, we’re excited to introduce people to the physical components of computers and show them that electronics aren’t scary, they’re fun!” they write.

They also introduce CHIP as a tiny computer that’s versatile and easy to use.

“CHIP does computer things. Work in LibreOffice and save your documents to CHIP’s onboard storage. Surf the web and check your email over Wi-fi. Play games with a Bluetooth controller. With dozens of applications and tools preinstalled, CHIP is ready to do computer things the moment you power it on.

“CHIP is a computer for students, teachers, grandparents, children, artists, makers, hackers, and inventors. Everyone really,” it adds.

CHIP is also more powerful than the Raspberry Pi. “At 1Ghz and with 512MB of DDR3 RAM, CHIP. is powerful enough to run real software, and handle the demands of a full GUI just as well as it handles attached hardware. Best of all, CHIP runs mainline Linux, which means it’s easier than ever to keep teaching it new tricks without inheriting a pile of kernel patches,” the company says.

If you weren’t among the Kickstarter backers, you can reserve your own CHIP at the company’s website (http://nextthing.com). The company says it can ship anywhere in the world, but given CHIP’s low pricetag, its likely that shipping will cost more than the computer itself. On the upside, how much tax can Customs slap on a device that costs $9?

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

Despite the revision, the Philippines’ growth trajectory was still seen as one of the highest this year, even outperforming those of neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

The Sept. 25 forecast of HSBC showed that the Philippines’ forecast this year was higher than Indonesia’s 4.7 percent, Malaysia’s 4.6 percent, Singapore’s 1.7 percent, and Thailand’s 2.6 percent. Vietnam’s was the highest in Southeast Asia at 6.3 percent.

HSBC saw the Philippines’ growth forecast slightly improving to 5.6 percent in 2016.

“Well, skeptics might still argue that it is China’s weakness that’s infecting everyone else, boomeranging back to the mainland in the form of weaker exports. But that can’t be the entire explanation,” HSBC said in its latest report titled “Don’t Just Blame China.”

“Let’s face it: for all their recent swagger, developed markets are hardly firing on all cylinders. So, don’t just blame China. Everyone’s got a role to play in keeping

the world economy right side up,” the bank said.

HSBC in July reduced its growth forecast this year to 5.6 percent from 6 percent earlier on the back of sluggish global demand and anemic fiscal expenditures.

HSBC said weak global demand dragged net exports in the first quarter of the year by almost 2 percentage points. It said the contraction in net exports offset strong growth in private consumption, resulting in a slowerthan-expected GDP growth of 5.2 percent in the first quarter.

The government later revised downward the first-quarter expansion to 5 percent due to lower growth estimates for public administration and defense, mining and quarrying, and agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing.

Economic growth rebounded in the second quarter, expanding by 5.6 percent. This brought the first-half average to 5.3 percent, well below the government’s 7 to 8 percent target range this year.

New Airbus arrival. Budget carrier Cebu Pacific accepts the delivery of its 32nd brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on September 26, 2015. The plane is the third of four Airbus A320 aircraft that the airline is set to receive this year. The brand-new Airbus A320 is the Cebu Pacific’s 13th aircraft that comes equipped with Sharklets, or 2.4-meter wingtip devices that enable airlines to reduce fuel burn by up to 4 percent on longer sectors. With an average age of 4.82 years, CEB’s aircraft fleet is one of the youngest in the world.

Call center firms bullish on employment

By Othel V. Campos THE call center sector is confident employment by companies in the Philippines will remain on the higher end of the growth target range of 18 percent in 2015.

Contact Center Association of the Philippines said of the 1 million employment generated by the information technology business processing outsourcing industry, the contact center sector remained the single highest contributor at 700,000 “Right now, we have around 700,000 directly employed.

This figure continues to grow, despite the huge base, especially if the BPO is big,” CCAP president Benedict Hernandez said Monday at the sidelines of an industry

forum held at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City.

Industry groups led by the Information Technology Business Processing Management and the CCAP signed an agreement with universities and the government to create a joint secretariat that will oversee collaboration.

“This a way to make sure that we continually scale up. The networking side is to identify how we can partner in terms of curriculum, internship and employment,” said Hernandez.

At least 50 universities and dozens of BPO companies attended the forum.

The cooperation will help the industry reach targets and set goals as well as maintain the country’s prominence as the leading global ITBPO destina-

tion.

Meanwhile, industry developments point to the contact center sector keeping its previous forecast of generating revenues of $13.5 billion in 2015, 13.3 percent higher than $11.7 billion in 2014.

Employment in 2015 is expected to reach 790,000 from 686,000 in 2014.

While Australia and New Zealand are emerging as a growth area for voice operations, the US continues to be the top market.

Customer service dominates call center operations with 36 percent of the market. This is followed by information technology help desk, financial and healthcare language.

The Philippines remains the top destination for voice and call center operations in the English language.

TUESDAY: SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

B6

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

More investments scams bared

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday warned the investing public against three companies engaged in illegal activities.

The SEC in an advisory posted on its Web site warned investors against dealing with Starnet Lifestyle General Trading Inc., Alliance of Networkers of the Philippines Organization Inc. and Bridge Team Effort Network and Marketing Corp.

The SEC found the three companies based on an investigation were selling securities not registered with the corporate regulator, which is a violation of the Securities Regulation Code.

“In view thereof, the public is hereby advised to exercise caution from investing their money into such investment scheme and to take necessary precautions in dealing with the above corporations,” the SEC said.

Bridges Team is a Cebu-based firm engaged in unauthorized selling of unregistered securities by

offering Internet-based software to the public. A buyer can purchase the software for P13,000 and becomes an investor by recruiting two more persons who then become the buyer or investor.

Starnet Lifestyle, meanwhile, is a networking company that offers personal care and wellness products to the public. The company encourages investors to buy three packages of personal care and wellness products for P23,644, equivalent to three accounts.

The SEC, however, said Starnet was not authorized to solicit investments. The company’s articles of incorporation filed with the SEC showed it was formed to operate as trader of “tech products.”

The SEC said it also found ANPO accrediting several corporations engaged in legitimate

business operations.

“The public is hereby informed that ANPO is not recognized by the commission as an accredited self-regulating organization and the commission is not bound by its issuances or accredit ions issued in favor of several corporations and entities,” the SEC said.

The corporate watchdog SEC earlier said several illegal investment-taking activities had recently proliferated in the country duping many Filipinos.

Some of these investment scams have tapped the social media, like Facebook and Twitter, to lure local investors and migrant Filipino workers as well.

To check the registration and licenses of these companies that are trying to sell investment securities, the SEC urged the public verify the names with the SEC’s Registration and Monitoring Department, Markets and Securities and Regulation Department and Corporate Governance and Finance Department first before making any investment.

Red Bull support. Maryland Distributors Inc. officials Gino Baltao (left) and Abel Manliklik (right)

turn over Energy Drinks to Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group Chief Supt. Arnold Gunnacao in a ceremony at Camp Crame in Quezon City. Maryland is the exclusive distributor of Red Bull Supreme Energy Drink. Red Bull joined other companies in providing support for HPG traffic enforcers. The donation aims to keep the traffic enforcers energized and alert while being deployed on the streets to manage metro traffic for at least 10 hours a day.

The greening of PH buildings ON JUNE 25, 2015, the Department of Public Works and Highways, Philippine Green Building Initiative, the World Bank and the bank’s affiliate, International Finance Corp., launched the GB Code, the referral code of the National Building Code (Presidential Decree No. 1096). PDBI is composed of accredited organizations associated with the construction industry.

The GB Code is primarily intended to improve the structural and operational efficiency of buildings for the protection of people from the effects of climate change.

The Code embodies standards for the enhancement of environmental and resource management. The standards cover the effective countering of harmful gases, efficient use of materials, first-class site selection, planning, design and construction and high-level operation, occupancy and maintenance of buildings.

Those who are covered by the GB Code will be helping the government counter the costly effects of climate change. The professionals involved—architects, designers, contractors, building owners and property managers—will do so by efficiently planning, designing, constructing and managing buildings.

Covered by the GB Code are residential condominiums with a minimum TGFA (total gross floor area) of 20,000 square meters, mercantile malls with a minimum 15,000 sq. m. of TGFA, office buildings with a minimum 10,000 sq. m. of TGFA, school buildings with a minimum TGFA of 10,000 sq. m., mixed-occupancy buildings with a minimum 10,000 sq. m. of TGFA and hotels and resorts with a minimum 10,000 sq. m. of TGFA. The GB Code sets standards and construction-industry best practices for air-conditioning and energy use, solar heat and glazing, day time lighting, WWR (wall-to-window ratio), natural ventilation, roof insulation, cooling systems, water fixtures, non-toxic building materials, materials recovery and indoor-environment quality. The Code’s approach to “green building” in this country is incremental in character.

Implementation of the GB Code is reviewed periodically by the National Building Code Development Office, which reports to the Secretary of Public Works and Highways.

If implemented faithfully, the GB Code will benefit the construction industry (through being required to construct sturdy, safe and efficient edifices), building owners (through the construction of high-quality buildings), building occupants (through enhanced safety and comfort), the power industry (through reduced load demand) and, last but not least, the government (through greater public safety and more efficient use of scarce resources).

Is observance of the GB Code mandatory, and if so, are there penalties for non-observance? In the literature I have read about the Code, I have seen no mention of penalties.

Neither have I seen any mention of the local government units.

The LGUs should be closely involved in the implementation of the Code. Most local governments are lax in the monitoring and supervision of the construction industry within their jurisdictions.

And how about the Department of Environment and Natural Resources? Since the Code speaks of such things as energy use and materials recovery, shouldn’t the DENR be closely involved as well?

The launching of the GB Code is undoubtedly a big step forward in the effort to rationalize the construction, use and maintenance of buildings in this country. The next step forward is faithful implementation of the Code. That looks like an even bigger step.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

Nation poised to reap demographic dividends—Bangko Sentral

By Julito G. Rada THE Philippines is poised to reap the potential demographic dividends in the long term as the government continues to increase investments in human capital development that improves the quality of labor force.

The Investor Relations Office of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said in a statement over the weekend the Philippines had a shot at becoming a major economic powerhouse in the coming years with rising investments in human capital development complementing the increasing number of the young population.

Investor Relations Office executive director Editha Martin said the government’s growing budget for human capital development showed the intention to further improve the quality of workforce and make the economy reap the potential demographic dividends.

“Consistently rising investments in health and education will help ensure that the Philippines does not miss out on the opportunity offered by its entry to the demographic window,” Martin said.

The Philippines starting this year until 2050 is considered to be within the “demographic

window,” loosely defined as a period when a great majority of the population are of working age.

Because the number of workforce far outweigh that of dependents, the increase in incomes may accelerate. But this can only happen if there is good quality of labor force.

Data showed that under the Aquino administration, the budget allocations for education and health increased substantially year after year. The budget of the Education Department stood at P367.1 billion for this year, up 18.6 percent from last year’s. That of the Health

Department was set at P108.2 billion for this year, up 19.2 percent from last year’s.

The budget for the Conditional Cash Transfer program, which encourages school attendance among children from poor households, meanwhile, is high in the government’s agenda. Its budget of P62.3 billion this year is six times the P10-billion allocation in 2010.

Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan stressed in a statement the need to sustain the trend of rising investments in human capital development.

“We need to understand that having a fast growing working-

age population is a boon for the economy, but only if we do two things: invest more and more in human capital development and make sure the job opportunities match the skills of the people,” Balisacan said.

The country’s chief economist cited the need to make education more accessible and intensify measures that will make the country’s investment climate more attractive.

The country’s working-age population of between 15 and 64 years old this year accounts for 66.6 percent of the total population of 101.6 million, according to an official projection.

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

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Putin, Obama in showdown UNITED NATIONS—Russian President Vladimir Putin squared up for a titanic clash Monday with his US rival Barack Obama at the United Nations as the Kremlin leader pushes for a new coalition against the Islamic State.

Putin and Obama are due to make competing speeches before the UN General Assembly in New York, and will come face-to-face for their first official meeting in over two years at a time of high tension.

In the run-up to the showdown, Putin isolated by the West over the crisis in Ukraine has dramatically thrust himself back into the

spotlight with a lightning push on the 4.5year conflict in Syria.

Moscow has put Washington on the back foot by dispatching troops and aircraft to the war-torn country and pushing reluctant world leaders to admit its long-standing ally Bashar al-Assad could cling to power.

The Kremlin strongman called in an inter-

view ahead of the UN summit for “a common platform for collective action” against Islamic State jihadists that would supersede a US-led coalition and involve Assad’s forces.

On the ground, Russia seems to have already started putting the pieces together by agreeing with Iraq, Syria and Iran that their officers will work together in Baghdad to share intelligence on IS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that, despite the sharp disagreements, he saw that Moscow and Washington shared a “desire to work together” on Syria af-

ter a meeting with his American counterpart John Kerry on Sunday.

But the US has expressed deep concern over Russia’s maneuvering in Syria and insists Obama will not let Putin off the hook over Ukraine after he shattered ties with the West by seizing the Crimea peninsula and allegedly fueling a separatist conflict.

“We’re just at the beginning of trying to understand what the Russians’ intentions are in Syria, in Iraq, and to try to see if there are mutually beneficial ways forward here,” a senior State Department official said. AFP

Awards during the second day of the 2015 Clinton Global Initiative’s Annual Meeting at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers on Sept. 27, 2015 in New York City. AFP Manila

Standard Republic of the Philippines

Taliban fighters attack key city K U N D U Z , Afghanistan— Hundreds of Taliban fighters launched a brazen attack on the northeastern Afghan city of Kunduz on Monday, trading heavy fire with police and soldiers in their third attempt this year to capture the provincial capital.

The siege came a day after a bomb attack on a volleyball match killed 13 and the Islamic State group carried out coordinated strikes against police in the country’s east, ending a brief lull in violence during the Muslim festival of Eid. “The Taliban launched an attack on Kunduz city from several directions,” Kunduz provincial police spokesman Sayed Sarwar Hussaini told AFP. “So far 20 Taliban insurgents were killed in the fighting in different parts of Kunduz, and four Afghan security forces were confirmed wounded,” Hussaini said.

“Right now, heavy fighting is ongoing between our forces and the Taliban in Khanabad, Char Dara and Imam Sahib, the main entrances into the city of Kunduz,” he said, adding that “security forces are repelling” the militants.

Earlier the Taliban had seized several security checkpoints near the city, an AFP journalist in Kunduz said, though it was unclear if they had held on to their gains. AFP

In attendance. Tony Bennett attends the Clinton Global Citizen

TODAY Department of Agriculture Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines www.philmech.gov.ph INVITATION TO BID

SUPPLY OF LABOR AND MATERIALS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING OF AGRICULTURAL TRAMLINE SYSTEM IN SAN NICOLAS, PANGASINAN 1.

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) through its General Fund intends to apply the below specified sums, being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) as indicated herein to payments under the contract for the Supply of Labor and Materials for the Construction, Installation and Commissioning of Agricultural Tramline System in San Nicolas, Pangasinan. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at Bid opening.

2.

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization now invites bids from eligible contractors with at least Small B PCAB license with experience on cabling system for the Supply of Labor and Materials for the Construction, Installation and Commissioning of Agricultural Tramline System in San Nicolas, Pangasinan: PROJECT

Supply of Labor and Materials for the Construction, Installation and Commissioning of Agricultural Tramline System in San Nicolas, Pangasinan (1,122 m cable span) Double track cable with 3 intermediate towers

Rare astronomical event as ‘blood moon’ emerges WA S H I N G T O N — Stargazers were treated to a rare astronomical event Monday when a swollen “super moon” and lunar eclipse combined for the first time in decades, showing Earth’s satellite bathed in blood-red light.

The celestial show, visible from the Americas, Europe, Africa, west Asia and the east Pacific, was the result of the sun, Earth and a larger-than-life, extra-bright moon lining up for just over an hour.

Images from France, Argentina and the United States, among others, capture the progression of the lunar eclipse to a striking red finale.

In Brooklyn, New

York, crowds of people gathered on plazas and sidewalks, gazing up at the sky and trying to take photos with their smartphones—though in other cities, including Washington, cloud cover hid much of the spectacle.

While the phenomenon was not visible in any major Indian cities, stargazers equipped with telescopes were able to catch a glimpse of the eclipse in the country’s remote northeast.

The event also led to speculation about an impending apocalypse among certain followers of the Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints.

The fears are believed to have been stoked

by a statement from Mormon author Julie Rowe, who regularly speaks to audiences about upcoming worldwide calamities.

Church officials were forced to issue a statement warning against panic, saying that while members should be “spiritually and physically prepared for life’s ups and downs” they should avoid “being caught up in extreme efforts to anticipate catastrophic events”.

The “blood moon”— which so far has had no apocalyptic consequences—appeared in stages across the planet as the satellite reached its closest orbital point to Earth, called perigee, while in its brightest phase. AFP

CONTRACT DURATION

PhP 3,889,484.48

150 CD

Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II Instruction to Bidders.

Rare event. A so-called “blood moon” can be seen behind a statue during a

total lunar eclipse in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on Sept. 28, 2015.

Stargazers were treated to a rare astronomical event when a swollen “super moon” and lunar eclipse combined for the first time in decades, showing Earth’s satellite bathed in blood-red light. AFP

ABC

3.

Biddng will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

4.

Interested Bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of PhP 5,000, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB. The method of payment will be in cash. The Bidding Documents shall be received personally by the prospective Bidder or his authorized representative.

Only those who have purchased the Bidding Documents shall be allowed to participate in the pre-bid conference and raise or submit written queries or clarification.

6.

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization will hold a Pre-Bid Conference open to all interested parties on October 2, 2015, 1:30pm at Executive Lounge, PHilMech Main Office, CLSU Compound Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

7.

Bids and eligibility requirements must be delivered on or before October 16, 2015, 1:30pm at Executive Lounge, PHilMech Main Office, CLSU Compound Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. All Bids must be accompanied by a Bid security in the form and amount stated in the Bid Data Sheet or an equivalent amount in a freely convertible currency. Late Bids shall not be accepted.

8.

Bid opening shall be on October 16, 2015, 1:30pm at Executive Lounge, PHilMech Main Office, CLSU Compound Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend.All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bid documents.

9.

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization 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.

PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR POSTHARVEST DEVELOPMENT AND MECHANIZATION (Formerly BUREAU OF POSTHARVEST RESEARCH AND EXTENSION) Main Office :CLSU Cmpd., Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija Tel. No. (044) 4560287 / 4560213 FAX No. (044) 4560110 Liaison Office : 3F ATI Bldg., Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City Tel. No. 9274019 / 9274029 FAX No. 9268159 (SGD) RAUL R. PAZ BAC Chairman

(TS-SEPT. 23 & 29, 2015)

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cESAR BARRioqUinTo EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

world

7,000 flee as ‘Dujuan’ bears down on Taiwan TAIPEI—More than 7,000 people were evacuated in Taiwan as ‘super typhoon’ Dujuan swirled towards the island Monday, gathering strength as it bore down on the east coast.

Torrential rain and high winds are forecast across Taiwan from Monday afternoon, with an earlier landfall now predicted—around 0900 to 1000 GMT—as the storm speeds up.

Crashing waves were already battering the northeastern coast by midday and fishing boats have been called back to shore.

Panicked visitors to the island’s east—many of whom had headed there for the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend—crammed onto trains away from the coast before rail services there were suspended.

High-speed rail services in the west were also canceled.

Authorities have warned that coastal areas could be particularly dangerous as tides are affected by the current “super moon”—a rare astrological event in which the moon appears brighter and larger.

This is because the moon has reached its closest orbital point to Earth and therefore has a stronger gravitational pull than usual.

The storm intensified as it approached Taiwan, with gusts of 227 kilometers per hour.

Taiwan’s weather bureau upgraded Dujuan to a “strong typhoon” Sunday, while other regional weather bureaus, including the Hong Kong Observatory, categorize it as a “super typhoon”.

“The whole of the island should heighten vigilance against severe winds and torrential rains,” a spokesman for Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau said.

Almost 3,000 people were evacuated Sunday from Taiwan’s Green Island and Orchid Island, which is popular with visitors.

More than 4,000 were moved Monday ahead of the storm.

New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu said they were from vulnerable areas, including the hot spring town of Wulai, just outside Taipei.

“In areas that could become isolated during the typhoon, sufficient rescue and communications equipment will be deployed in advance. We hope residents can cooperate with us,” said Chu. AFP

Anniversary. Pro-democracy demonstrators and activists gather outside the government headquarters building to mark one year since the start

of mass pro-democracy rallies calling for fully free leadership elections in the semi-autonomous Hong Kong on Sept. 28, 2015. The 2014 Occupy protests began after China’s central government claimed it was offering a compromise of sorts by allowing a popular vote for Hong Kong’s leader in 2017 but insisted candidates were vetted. AFP

Crowds back in Central a year after mass rallies HONG KONG—Yellow umbrellas and makeshift tents were back in central Hong Kong Monday as protesters gathered a year to the day since huge pro-democracy rallies brought parts of the city to a standstill.

But numbers were small in the early afternoon and with no concessions on political reform from authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong, disheartened campaigners say they do not plan to start more mass demonstrations.

Around 100 protesters gathered at the “Lennon Wall”—an outdoor staircase near the government headquarters that was plastered with thousands of multi-colored paper notes expressing support during the rallies.

Rows of yellow umbrellas— symbol of the pro-democracy

movement—several tents and a huge banner reading “I Want Universal Suffrage” lined the pavements.

At the height of the protests, thousands of tents sprawled across the major highway which runs past the Lennon Wall in the financial district of Admiralty.

One couple soon to be married posed for pre-wedding photos at the former protest site, the brideto-be wearing a strapless white wedding dress with a construction helmet -- often worn by protesters during the rallies.

Couples in the city frequently have commemorative photos taken ahead of their weddings.

“The photos will be shared with our kids and grandkids and will show them what was happening in the city at the time of our marriage,” said groom Issac Kan, 29.

Monday’s events were billed by activists as a time for reflection as they struggle to breathe new life into the movement.

Occupy Central was launched a year ago, calling for fully free leadership elections in the semi-autonomous city, following more than a week of student protests.

Thousands joined the already large crowds after police fired tear gas in the afternoon of September 28 last year, a move that shocked the public and galvanized the Umbrella Movement -- named af-

ter the umbrellas protesters carried to shelter from sun, rain, tear gas and pepper spray.

For more than two months the center of the city became an entrenched rally camp.

The main anniversary rally is due to start in Admiralty midafternoon and there will be a moment of silence at 5:58 pm (0958 GMT)—the time when the tear gas was fired.

Pro-Beijing groups were also due to march Monday afternoon and police will deploy around 3,000 officers to protest areas, local media reported.

Democracy rally organizers have not given turnout estimates, but commemorative events held over the weekend drew small crowds.

Those who attended voiced belief in the pro-democracy cause. AFP

Defenseless against Korean intruders

The flight goes on. Migrants and refugees wait to board a train near Gevgelija in southern Macedonia after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border on Sept. 27, 2015. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers and migrants—many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia—entering the country every day. AFP

NANPING, China—A threemeter barbed wire fence and the winding Tumen River are all that separate Nanping in China from North Korea, and after a spate of murders—allegedly by frontiercrossing intruders—frightened villagers are increasingly keen to leave, fearing neither the water nor the barrier are enough to protect them.

Over the past year at least 10 people have been killed by North Koreans—mostly soldiers—attempting robberies in the area, according to Chinese officials and state-controlled media reports.

Food security is a perennial issue

in North Korea, raising the specter of individuals driven by desperation to attack their wealthier neighbors in China.

Officially Nanping’s population is more than 6,000, but in reality it is becoming a ghost town. Most houses and buildings have been abandoned for years, many with broken windows and overgrown gardens.

Its people are ethnic Koreans and the younger generation’s multilingual abilities give them far better employment opportunities with South Korean firms elsewhere.

All have left, leaving only the elderly and a small Chinese mili-

tary contingent, along with local Communist Party secretary Wu Shigen, who is in his 30s and said he was by far the youngest person in the village.

He has a two-pronged plan for keeping the peace: a voluntary curfew and an information blackout.

“I tell all the residents not to go out at night, and to pay attention to their safety,” Wu said―although most of those killed were murdered in their homes.

“There are no witnesses for any of these attacks and we don’t tell the residents much,” he added.

“The less people know, the less they will be afraid.” AFP

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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

A RTS, CU LT U RE & T ECH

LIFE

Photographs taken in January and February 2015 by Arrigo Coppitz with some interior and exterior shots of Palazzo Spini Feroni

A PALACE AND THE CITY The new exhibition at the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo in Italy

A

s part of the 150th Anniversary of Florence, Museo Salvatore Ferragamo holds an exhibition at the Palazzo Spini Feroni to commemorate the 150 years since Florence was named capital of the Kingdom of Italy (1865-1870) and to celebrate the building’s history since it became the city hall in 1865.

The exhibition will include historical works of art and documents from other museums and private collections such as the Florentine Galleria d’Arte Moderna di Palazzo Pitti and Galleria dell’Accademia, the Parisian Centre Pompidou, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and many more.

The items to be exhibited weave the story behind the palace and the people who resided in it, bringing to light the history of the Palazzo Spini Feroni – which the Ferragamo family has painstakingly restored for the city – as a magnificent example of Medieval architecture.

Curated by Art History experts Stefania Ricci and Riccardo Spinelli, the intricate and powerful exhibition is designed by stage designer Maurizio Balò. The exhibit, which opened last May, will run until the 3rd of April 2016 and will be housed in different exhibition rooms. Going inside the exhibition is like traveling through time, going through the many phases of Palazzo Spini Feroni through the years. The journey begins with the world of Salvatore Ferragamo, who chose this palace in 1938 to be the place where he could receive his local customers. Ferragamo's fine artisanal products were complemented by the magnificence of the unique and historical place. Since he bought the place, he started to use the imagery of the palace in his product branding, on the company’s letterhead and the front of shoe boxes, advertisements and on the first Ferragamo silk scarf. Today, the palace remains as the company’s headquarters and a symbol of the

brand. The exhibit on the first room is told through photographs, film footage and the shoes on display – 650 evening styles and 264 daytime styles designed

by Salvatore Ferragamo and his daughter Fiamma from the 1950s to the 1960s.

The second exhibition room tells the story of The palace was built in 1289 as commissioned by Geri Spini from the family of the owners of one of Europe’s most influential banks, the Spini family. The room is designed with two large chests holding works of art and documents such as the painting from a private collection showing the Spini family tree, scrolls attesting to the wealth of the family and other collections and engravings including two scale models of the palace specifically created for the exhibition.

The emblem of the exhibition is inspired by a 360° view of Florence from the turrets of Palazzo Spini Feroni originally engraved by Ramsay Richard Reinagle for the 1806 publication of “Journal des Luxus und der Modern”.

The third room houses artworks that tell the story of The Palace between the 1600s and 1700s. The next room is dedicated to the revered poet, Dante Alighieri, and his love Beatrice. One of the highlights of this section is the painting of Dante Gabriele Rossetti (painter and founder of the pre-Raphaelite school) loaned by the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The scene on the

painting shows the Santa Trinita bridge, at the corner of Palazzo Spini Feroni, by the well where Beatrice drew water.

The next exhibition room contains Girolamo Segato and his “marvelous petrifactions.” Girolamo Segato is the most eclectic resident of Palazzo Spini Feroni who was fond of mummification of bodies, and the exhibit includes some of his works such as the ivory-colored petrified breasts of a woman. Room six showcases Palazzo Spini Feroni in the nineteenth century. Another room features artifacts of the palace, Florence, the Middle Ages and the current day including a video installation of a 24hour day inside and outside the palace.

Room eight recreates the renowned library Gabinetto Scientifico Letterario Vieusseux, which was located on the ground floor of Palazzo Spini Feroni from May 1873 to 1898. Room nine features the palace in the twentieth century depicted in the photograph displays including photographs of Palazzo Spini Feroni’s interiors and exteriors, shot specifically for the exhibition by the photographer Arrigo Coppitz. The last exhibit is The Luigi Bellini Gallery, inspired by the first art show organized by Luigi Bellini (11th generation dynasty of antique dealers) in 1932. It showcases different works displayed in the palace during those years.

During the inauguration of the exhibition, Salvatore Ferragamo’s boutique, located on the palace’s ground floor, was dressed like the unique windows of Palazzo Spini Feroni for two weeks, the windows giving a glimpse of what goes on inside the fashion house.

For more information about the exhibit visit www.ferragamo.com/museo. In the Philippines, Salvatore Ferragamo is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., a member of SSI Group, Inc., and is located at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s ShangriLa, Greenbelt 4, Power Plant Mall, Newport Mall and Alabang Town Center. Visit www.ssilife.com.ph for more information.

Workers in the Ferragamo footwear workshop in Palazzo Feroni, Florence, 1937. Archivi Alinari, Florence

The Ferragamo footwear workshop in Palazzo Spini Feroni, 1937.

Archivi Alinari, Florence In the late 40s, Salvatore Ferragamo commissed Pietro Annigoni to produce a painting (now lost) with the view of the building from Piazza Santa Trinita. For years, this image was used on the company’s headed paper, and on Ferragamo shoe boxes and carrier bags. Photo Arrigo Coppitz. Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, Florence

94 Ivory-coloured petrified breasts with dark-brown nipples, wooden case, glass and fabric from Museo di Storia Naturale dell’Università di Firenze, Biomedical Section (Anatomy), Florence

Enrico Pazzi, Head of Dante, before 1865, plaster. Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Florence

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@LIFEatStandard

THE NATION'S INTERNET CONNECTION WOES THE GIST

BY ED BIADO

I

t's been reported everywhere that out of 22 countries surveyed in Asia, the Philippines has the 21st fastest Internet speed. We're at the bottom of the list, right above Afghanistan. According to the list, Singapore has the top speed in the region at 122.43 Mbps. Compare that to our measly 3.64 Mbps.

Recent reports say that the government set a minimum speed

of 256 kbps, which is hoped to be a step in the right direction in setting standards for Internet service providers and phone companies.

By having a defined minimum, proponents claim, consumers will be able to get the speeds they were promised upon signing up for broadband plans.

One can argue that 256 kbps is still very low, even for a minimum, because modern websites are heavy.

Anything under 500 kbps means that loading them would take a long time. Slow loading rates would then translate to failure in launching some elements of the page, such as highresolution images and animations, which deprives the user of the complete experience.

Streaming – one of the most

popular activities online – cannot be fully enjoyed when speeds are low as videos would buffer for a long time and sometimes stop loading altogether. For people who require using the Internet for work, especially to send and receive big files, a slow connection eats into their productivity and this results in time and money lost.

The Philippines' slow Internet situation is apparently such a big deal that hacktivists have had enough. Last week, Anonymous Philippines, the local arm of the international network, hacked and defaced the website of the National Telecommunications Commission in protest of the issue.

“We, Anonymous Philippines, are sympathizing with our fellow Filipino netizens whose battle

A STELLAR CONCERT SERIES The Metro Manila Concert Orchestra stages 5 shows featuring world-class Filipino musicians Philippine musical excellence takes center stage as the Metro Manila Concert Orchestra presents five shows featuring world-class Filipino soloists for its 15th Crystal Anniversary Concert Season.

MMCO, the country's premier orchestra, has tapped Raul Sunico, Jose Artemio Panganiban III, Albert Tiu, Abelardo Galang II and Cristine Coyiuto together with her daughter Caitlin to perform under awardwinning conductor-composer Prof. Josefino Chino Toledo.

Opening the stellar concert series last September 18 at the Meralco Theater in Pasig City was world-acclaimed pianist Raul Sunico. In his show, titled "The Power of Prokofiev," the University of the Philippines and Juilliard-trained pianist performed the Prokofiev Concerto No. 3 of Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev.

Coming up next on October 21 is "The Amazing Brahms" featuring renowned pianist Jose Artemio Panganiban III. The concert will see Panganiban performing German luminary Johannes Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 for Meralco Theater's audience.

The classical music of Russian composer Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky will fill the Meralco Theater on November 30 as Cebu-born classical pianist Albert Tiu does Tchaikovsky Concerto No. 1 in his solo show "The Incredible Tchaikovsky."

Continuing the series next year is "The Enchanting Ravel and Rodrigo" featuring the mother-daughter tandem of pianist Cristine Coyiuto and flutist Caitlin on January 8 at the CCP Little Theater. Cristine, considered one of the top pianists in the Philippines, will perform French composer Maurice Ravel's Ravel Concerto in G, while Caitlin will showcase her rendition of Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo's Rodrigo Fantasie para un Gentilhombre.

For the final installment of the concert series, ace pianist Abelardo Galang II will perform his version of Russian composer, pianist and conductor Sergei Rachmaninoff 's Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3 in his "The Magnificent Rachmaninoff " show on February 5, also at the CCP Little Theater.

For tickets and inquiries, contact MMCO at (02) 216-6487 or (639) 17-5335747, or email stmarieeugenie60@hotmail.com

cries are the 'OVER PROMISED, UNDER DELIVERED' system of our internet service providers; it is the neigh direct proportionality of our Internet speeds and bandwidths in relation to price,” part of the hackers' message reads.

Currently, speeds can fluctuate so drastically and crash to as low as 10 kbps. Regular speeds for plans that promise 1 Mbps, on the other hand, average around 400 to 600 kbps.

Slow Internet speed is not the country's only connectivity problem. Another hot-button issue is the so-called fair use policy covering “unlimited” data promos offered by mobile service providers, which are essentially not unlimited since speeds are

lowered to dial-up modem levels when subscribers reach a daily or monthly data cap – something that Anonymous Philippines is also fighting against.

Subscribers are not asking for Singapore levels speeds. We realize that it's wishful thinking to hope for the ability to surf at over 100 Mbps in this country. But we certainly believe that we deserve more than the third-world kind of service currently being offered by telcos.

Unfortunately, we suspect that the telcos and maybe even the NTC don't share that belief. Perhaps for them, this is all we Filipinos are entitled to. And that is where the problem lies.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @EdBiado

TECH TALK

Crazy over #selfie with Samsung No question about it – Filipinos set the bar high in the selfie arena. The can really go ga-ga over selfies, days of so-so selfies will soon be over as posting their #blessed and #thankful the new Samsung Galaxy J Series ushers moments with friends and family every in the new age with an upgraded J-Fie opportunity they get, with every single experience. life event treated as an occasion worthy The special J-Fie features make it of celebration. effortless to achieve a The Philippines is flawless shot whenever known as the selfie capital and wherever. You can of the world, with selfies take your J-Fies in dark becoming the medium by conditions with the LED which stories are told and Front Flash, make the memories are preserved. whole gang fit with the Nevertheless, even the wide angle selfie feature, best attempts could still make sure that no fingers fall short, with a postare blocking the photo worthy selfie requiring and that challenging a great deal of time and angles are made easy effort to take the right by using the palm selfie angle, the right lighting feature, and instantly and then selecting a touch up and look fab filter before hitting the by simply sliding various share button. beauty face options. Out Recognizing the in the sun or inside a cave, growing trend, during a party or while Samsung Electronics has at a workout session, the Samsung Galaxy J5 introduced a device that Galaxy J Series will yield offers the best-in-class upgraded selfie nothing but exceptional J-Fies. experience with a selfie-ready, selfieCheck out the new Samsung Galaxy J friendly smartphone: the Galaxy J Series. Series at the nearest Samsung Experience With a 5MP front camera equipped with Store. Get updates on products and LED Flash, multiple J-Fie features and launches through Samsung Mobile large super AMOLED screen, the 5.0” Philippines on Facebook, @samsungph on Galaxy J5 and 5.5” Galaxy J7 definitely Twitter, or visit www.samsung.com.ph.

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@LIFEatStandard

ARTS AND CULTURE ROUNDUP What’s on in theaters and galleries this week

EXHIBITS Wallflowers: Gene Paul Martin Artery Portal, Artery Art Space, Quezon City Ongoing until October 7 For the fifth "evolution" of the Artery Portal, the Razzle Dazzle group exhibition highlights the latest artwork of Far Eastern University-educated contemporary artist Gene Paul Martin.

In his current series, Martin transitions from abstract images into compositions taking shape. Through his creations, he explores how space can be a point of awe and terror when orientation is uncertain: flat surfaces become textured, colors run wild, objects abstracted from the usual – altogether creating worlds far from the reaches of imagination.

For more information on this ongoing solo feature and on the group show, visit www.arteryartspace.com Handmade CCP Little Theater Lobby (Bulwagang Carlos V. Francisco) Ongoing until October 18 When art comes from craftwork, the individuality of the artist/craftsman arises such as these three artists' craft-based works on display at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

In this exhibit, artists Steph Palallos, Carmel LimTorres and Josephine Turalba showcase diverse art highlighting the very nature of handmade. Contrary to the global tendencies of crafts, their creations express personal experience instead of giving voice to a collective social message. Turalba uses leatherwork to re-imagine landscapes, while Palallos constructs garments that expose the ailing body. Lim Torres' installation of paper, ceramics and wood expresses hope amid ecological peril.

This exhibit is open to all. For more information, call CCP Visual Arts & Museum Division, Production & Exhibition Department at (02) 832-1124 local 1504/1505, (02) 832-3702, (639) 204700690, or email ccp.exhibits@gmail.com Renato Orara Silverlens Galleries, Makati City Ongoing until October 24 In this solo exhibition, Renato Orara presents the recent additions to his nearly three-decade-old series Ten Thousand Things that Breathe. Since the series began in 1989, it has steadily expanded and branched out to the Drawer Drawings, Library Bookworks, Blood Works and The Iraq War Memorial.

For the latest incarnations, Orara presents ballpoint pen drawings of objects in his surroundings or those he encounters beyond his home. The exhibition also features eight works from his series Library Bookworks, which is composed of books that feature his intervention with pen drawings of human ears.

Visit www.silverlensgalleries.com for more details on this exhibit.

THEATER PLAYS Romeo and Juliet Aliw Theater, Pasay City October 2 and 3 Love comes alive in graceful movements as Ballet Manila stages Paul Vasterling's "Romeo and Juliet" as the company's second offering for its 20th performance season.

Vasterling will be in Manila to personally oversee the staging, which also happens to be its Asian premiere. Vasterling will take charge of the interpretative choreography, while the Manila Symphony Orchestra, with Maestro Alexander Vikulov as the guest conductor, plays the musical score by Sergei Prokofiev.

Katherine Barkman will play Juliet with Abigail Oliveiro and Joan Sia as her alternates. Playing Romeo are Rudy de Dios, Brian Williamson and Elpidio Magat.

After officially hanging up her pointe shoes last year, Lisa dons them once again as she portrays Juliet's mother, Lady Capulet, opposite Nonoy Froilan who plays Lord Capulet.

Tickets are available at all Ticketworld outlets, online at www.ticketworld.com.ph, or call (02) 891-9999.

WORKSHOPS Shui Mo: Chinese Painting (Intermediate) Yuchengco Museum, RCBC Plaza, Makati City October 3, 10, 17, 24; November 7, 14, 21, 28; December 5 and 12

Chronicles of a Journey: Gerardo Diego and Julio Palacios in the Philippines Second Floor Function Room, Ayala Museum, Makati City September 30 to October 27 Get a chance to embark on a journey to the Philippines during the ’30s through the impressions of Spanish poet Gerardo Diego and scientist Julio Palacios as the Instituto Cervantes of Manila, Embassy of Spain, Ayala Museum and Fundación Gerardo Diego present this exhibit in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the first Cultural Embassy between Spain and the Philippines after the signing of the Paris Treaty.

Sent by the Spanish government, the two professors visited the country in 1935 to deliver a series of master lectures at the University of the Philippines and the University of Santo Tomas. During this period, they witnessed the vibrant Manila scene and the formation of Filipino identity. The selection of documents, press clippings, audio recordings and photographs courtesy of Fundación Gerardo chronicle everything they saw, heard and experienced along their journey.

Admission is free. For inquiries and reservation, contact (02) 759-8288 local 10 or email hello@ayalamuseum.org

Learn traditional Chinese painting techniques using water and ink (Shui Mo).

Calm your mind, meet new friends and unleash your inner artist in this 10-session workshop led by instructor Arsenia Lim (Pieh Tsai Shiu-Yuin).

Shui Mo is a freestyle technique to create paintings using a brush dipped in ink and water and onto rice paper. In this workshop, which is open to 15 years old and above with prior experience in Chinese or Western painting, subjects to be covered include lily, butterfly, hibiscus, carp and poinsettia.

Workshop fee is P6,500 excluding materials. Supplies can be purchased from the instructor on the first session. For more details, contact Elma Abrina at (02) 889-1234 or email emabrina@yuchengcomuseum.org

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PIONEER LAUNCHES STORIES OF HOPE PLAYWRITING COMPETITION

F

or several decades now, Pioneer – an established life and non-life insurance company – has been supporting the artistic community and Filipino talent.

It has always been inclined to the arts through sponsorships, coverage, and promotions of cultural events, covering theater plays such as Miss Saigon, The Little Mermaid, and Trumpet’s N.O.A.H. Last year, Pioneer rolled out the Stories of Friendship Video Competition that encouraged participants to share their take on friendship through a three-minute video, with Ateneo de Davao’s My Friends Who Ran taking home the first prize.

This year, Pioneer continues to show its support for the arts with the launch of the Pioneer Stories of Hope Playwriting Competition.

The writing tilt paves way for fresh ideas from young, aspiring playwrights who have ‘hopefull’ stories to tell about Filipino resilience or being positive despite challenging situations.

“Pioneer has always been inspired by the arts and with this, we are honored that Tanghalang Pilipino, CCP and Writer’s Bloc, Inc. have partnered with us in our Stories of Hope campaign,” said Pioneer Marketing Head Len Pozon.

“Through this partnership, we want to spark the curiosity and understanding of the theater community, as well as heighten the appreciation of Filipino culture among students,” she added.

College students nationwide are invited to share these stories of hope through a one-act play in English, Filipino, or Taglish. Submission of scripts will be open until November 06, and the winner will be announced on December 14.

A P25,000 cash prize plus insurance coverage from Pioneer await the winning entry. For complete details of the competition, visit www. storieslab.ph.

Pioneer marketing head Len Pozon with Tanghalang Pilipino director Fernando “Tata Nanding” Josef

VLF playwrights

Pioneer and partners

Art comes to life at the Proscenium

FINALLY, A SECOND RUN FOR BITUING WALANG NINGNING: THE MUSICAL "You're nothing but a second-rate, trying hard copycat!" So goes the famous line that got everyone stirred up on the first run of the controversial Bituing Walang Ningning: The Musical. For those who didn’t get to catch it, finally here’s your chance. Resorts World Manila and VIVA Communications, Inc. are now gearing up for the second run of the play this October 8.

Bituing Walang Ningning first came out in serialized comics after which it was adapted into a movie, then remade into a TV series. When Viva turned it into a musical play, it marks the first time that a contemporary drama has crossed over to Filipino mainstream media. It may be the first play that opened possibilities for classic Filipino movies to grace the theaters.

Bituing Walang Ningning: The Musical was born when RWM engaged VIVA honcho Boss Vic Del Rosario to come up with a worthy production that will truly

champion Filipino talent. RWM president Kingson Sian then sat with Full House Theater Company Entertainment and Productions artistic directors Michael Williams and First Lady of Philippine Theater Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo who all decided to pick one classic material.

After much deliberation, the concept to resurrect Bituing Walang Ningning as a musical was born.

“Bituing Walang Ningning: The Musical is perfect as it is geared up as a musical and it is about music and performance.

We’re hoping to make more projects like this with VIVA,” Yulo said.

With a successful first run, fans are just ecstatic to discover what new elements will come into the play on its return.

For more information and to get updates on the play visit www.rwmanila.com or call the Tourist/Visitor Hotline at (02) 908-8833. RWM is located across Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.

Rockwell Land’s newest residential address is holding a series of performances entitled “Embodied” at the premises of Power Plant Mall. The performances tackle the symbolism of what residents can expect from different aspects of living in Proscenium.

The performance is a choreographed presentation of dancers adorned in intricately designed body paint by artist Alfred Galvez, with the artworks representing Proscenium’s nature, lifestyle and artistic inclinations. Rockwell Land has always been known for its tributes to art, having named most of the residential towers after the country’s most respected artists like Hidalgo, Manansala, Joya, and Edades. With The Proscenium at Rockwell, the developer not only pays tribute to art but brings out arts to the lifestyle of its residence.

The property is positioned as the hub for arts and culture in the city. The 3.6-hectare development will house the residential towers, retail and dining facilities, a performing arts theater and the venue for the new Lopez Museum.

“The Proscenium is a truly unique development where residents will just be a few steps away from live theater performances, a few doors down from masterpieces and a short walk from a hectare of outdoor amenities,” said Valerie Soliven, Rockwell Land senior vice president for High End Residential.

“Embodied” performances were held for the entire month of September but will have a few more rounds by October 4 at P1 Concourse Level, Cinema and Proscenium Sales Lounge.

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

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‘ThE WAlk – 3D’ AT RoME FilM FEST T

he new film by Academy Award-winning director Robert Zemeckis, The Walk – 3D, will be presented at the 10th Rome Film Fest (Oct. 16-24).

Antonio Monda is the filmfest’s director under Fondazione Cinema per Roma, chaired by Piera Detassis.

The brilliant co-creator and director of the Back to the Future trilogy, Forrest Gump, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Contact, and Cast Away brings to the screen the true story of Philippe Petit, a French tight wire walker who amazed the city of New York by walking across a steel cable strung between the two towers of the World Trade Center.

As in his previous films, Zemeckis reconciles the classic forms of storytelling with a powerful use of avant-garde technology - in this case IMAX®3D - to create a movie that captures audiences with its spectacular storyline and imagery.

The star of the film, in the leading role of Petit, is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, one of the finest actors of his generation, equally at ease in major productions (Inception and The Dark Knight Rises by Christopher Nolan, Lincoln by Steven Spielberg) and independent productions (Brick and The Lookout).

Academy award-winner Sir Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler’s List, Shutter Island, and Hugo Cabret),

Gordon-Levitt plays a tightrope walker in the new Robert Zemeckis film

Charlotte Le Bon (Asterix & Obelix , Yves Saint Laurent), and James Badge Dale (24, The Pacific) are also in the film.

The Walk – 3D is based on Philippe Petit’s To Reach the Clouds (Faber and Faber).

“When I first heard this story, I thought, ‘My God, this is a movie that A: should be made under any circumstance, and B: should be absolutely presented in 3D,” explains Zemeckis. “When you watch a wire walker, you always have to watch by looking up at him. You never get the perspective of what’s it like to be on the wire. Our film will follow Petit’s story but will ultimately put you on the wire, walking with Philippe, and by presenting it in 3D, it is going to be spectacular and very emotional. I love the idea of a guy – a performance artist – who pulls off this great caper. The caper is illegal, it’s dangerous, but it doesn’t hurt anybody. It seemed like something out of another time – you don’t really see stuff like that anymore. It was almost like a fable.”

Rome Film Fest Artistic Director, Antonio Monda, declared: “Yet another magnificent film by a great director who can truly be an auteur while making incredibly spectacular films. Zemeckis’ cinema is, happily, both art and industry.”

The 10th Rome Film Fest will also dedicate a complete retrospective to Chilean director, screen-

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in The Walk -3D that will be screened in Rome Film Festival

Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraine is given a retrospective at the Rome Film Festival

writer, and producer Pablo Larraín. The retrospective, curated by Mario Sesti, artistic coordinator of the Selection Committee, will take place at the MAXXI – National Museum of the XXI Century Arts, which is producing the event in collaboration with the Embassy of Chile. “The Rome Film Fest is especially proud to be the first international festival to pay tribute to a filmmaker whose cinema seems to cut deep and with astonishing self-possession, like the scalpel of a prodigious surgeon, into the viscera of life. We have worked on this retrospective with the collaboration of the Embassy of Chile and

Charlotte Le Bon and Gordon-Levitt in a scene from The Walk-3D

of the MAXXI, the partnership with which is once again renewed and strengthened”.

The 39 year-old Chilean auteur, a remarkable talent with the capacity to imagine and create truly unique cinema, which has led him to become, with five films to his name, one of the most interesting filmmakers of his generation, will be in Rome to meet the audience of the Auditorium and to present his work.

In a trilogy with rare visual and emotional impact, Larraín adopted original perspectives to tell the story of the rise and fall of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship. A parabola that

went from Tony Manero (2008), presented at Cannes and winner of the Best Film Award at the Torino Film Festival, to Post Mortem (2010), in competition at the Venice Film Festival, to No (2012), starring Gael García Bernal, nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film.

His outstanding ability to provoke aversion and empathy, dismay and entrancement, in the characters and spaces of his films, emerged early in his debut film, Fuga (2006) and remained unchanged through El Club (2015), which won the Silver Bear in Berlin this year and will represent Chile at the next Oscars®.

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Cignal thanks million subsCribers

C Pelicula-Pelikula postcard

SPaniSh FiLm FEStivaL at GREEnbELt 3

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rom Oct. 8 to 18, Película-Pelikula, the Spanish Film Festival, will feature the best of contemporary Spanish cinema at the Greenbelt 3 Cinemas.

The 2015 edition will screen around 30 films.

Since its conception in 2002

by Instituto Cervantes, the Film Festival has been an annual attraction at the Ayala Cinemas with the best of Spanish and Latin American cinema.

Película-Pelikula is a combination of the Spanish word “película”, which means film, and its Tagalog derivation “pelikula”, echoing the cultural ties shared by Spain and the Philippines. By putting the two words together, it highlights the unique characteristics of this 2-week event as the biggest Spanish film festival in Asia.

The Festival has traditionally been graced by the presence of foreign filmmakers. On Oct.12, at 9:30 p.m., Spanish journalist

Ramón Vilaró will present his film, De aliados a masacrados (2014), a documentary about how the Filipino-Spanish population of Manila was decimated during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during the Second World War. On the following day, Oct. 13, the Czech filmmaker Lenka Kny will present his comedy Milagro en Praga (2013), and will have an open forum after the screening. The romantic comedy film is about two families, a Mexican family and a Czech family, who cross paths in Prague over the Christmas holidays. The screening is co-presented by the Embassy of Mexico and the Embassy of the Czech Republic.

Aside from those mentioned, the line-up of films shows a list of genres ranging from romance and comedy (Ocho apellidos vascos, Tres bodas de más, Gente en sitios) to documentary (Paco de Lucía, La plaga), suspense (Relatos salvajes) and drama (Hermosa juventud, Artico).

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ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Domain 6 Snake eyes 10 Catherine — -Jones 14 Aluminum giant 15 Hindu attire 16 Matinee — 17 Kind of pool 18 Leisure (2 wds.)

20 Cul-de- — 21 Well-practiced 23 The ones here

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— one’s teeth That yacht Arctic canoes Big-hearted Where Pisa is Vows venue Do something Stadium noise Point of an antler Ancient colonnade Sierra Madre gold High-IQ group Blew a paycheck

Breaks the rules Dairy machinery MGM motto word “The Ghost and Mrs. —” Gravy no-no’s Pick up Dernier — OK in hot water In a fog “Chicago” actor Natural impulse Banal Skippers’ OKs HI or AK, once Pita treats

DOWN 1 Wharf denizens 2 Director — Kazan 3 “Moneytalks” group 4 Mauna — 5 Foolish talk (var.)

6 Portfolio item 7 Dogpatch creator 8 Q.E.D. part 9 Edmund Hillary’s title 10 Dulcimer, e.g.

11 McClurg of sitcoms 12 Male cats 13 Helm position 19 Early anesthetic

The Festival will have a second leg made possible by Intramuros Administration and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in Intramuros, from Oct. 19 to 25. It is during this time that the exhibit entitled “Spanish Cinema in 20 Posters” will be displayed at the NCCA Building, alongside the film screenings. The exhibit will let you explore Spanish cinema by means of the posters of some of its most emblematic films, from the 1953 film Bienvenido Míster Marshall to the 2012 film Blancanieves, encouraging one to reflect on its history and to be inspired by the beauty of the advertising graphics, illuminating the visual style of the different cinematic periods.

And thanks to the collaboration of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), a selection of films shown in the Manila leg of the Festival will travel to other cities in the Philippines, namely Baguio, Iloilo, Zamboanga and Davao.

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Bad-mouth Hoedown partners Glitch Bolshoi rival Video-game pioneer Google rival Type of varnish Lava spewer Movie with a posse Storrs sch.

Box-score info “Rosamond” composer Dogs and hamsters Prod Bog Big bash Slip-ups Mongrel Manufacturer Links org.

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ignal TV has proven its leadership in the Philippine Pay TV market by being the first and only pay TV service provider to reach over one million subscribers as of August 2015. As a way of thanking its industry partners and friends, Cignal held a thanksgiving party on Sept.23 to mark this historic milestone --- not only for the company but for the entire television industry as well.

Cignal’s foray in the pay TV arena six years ago has literally shook the television landscape with its superb direct to home (DTH) satellite technology that ushered in the era of HD quality sight and sound never before seen on local TV broadcasts. Customers have taken a liking to this newest pay TV provider and have made Cignal no.1 in its class --- having exceeded one million subscribers; way ahead of its competitors which have been in the industry for decades now.

According to Cignal President and CEO Emmanuel C. Lorenzana, ‘’We owe it to our subscribers who have made us the no.1 pay TV provider in the country, to deliver the best viewing experience possible and to continue to expand and enrich our channel offerings. It is our firm commitment for Cignal to

take the lead in finding innovative ways to improve its services and to meet the changing demands of the Filipino viewer’’.

Cignal’s achievements rest squarely on its quality of service, having been the first in the industry to offer superior 100 percent digital pay TV service, and built-in HD plans. These are some of the industry innovations that brought Filipino viewers to the awesome viewing experience that they enjoy today.

As to how Cignal is going to maintain its no. 1 status, “The King of Pay-TV” still has a lot to offer as it charts its course for the future. “The Philippine pay TV market is still in its infancy compared to our Asian neighbors, like Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, so there is ample room to grow and we see a trend towards more diversity in television choices as people’s incomes increase and lifestyles continually change.

Cignal will continue to lead the industry in both content diversification and best in class infrastructure. All thanks to our links with PLDT and the MVP Group which give us access to the latest developments in digital and telecommunications technology,’’ Cignal Chief Operating Officer Oscar A. Reyes Jr. stressed.

Cignal's one millionth subscriber Rinaldi Lastima (second from left) with his family receiving 55-inch curve TV and a 5.1 Home Entertainment System courtesy of Dolby.

Also in photo are Cignal TV's VP for Marketing Guido Zaballero (leftmost) and Cignal TV's Manager for Prepaid Marketing Vito Villariba (rightmost)

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Megan Young

Ryzza Mae Dizon and Eleanor Dimaporo Lantud

Ryza Mae Dizon wins awaRD

MeGAn younG’s first tApinG-dAy jitters

“i

was very nervous,” reveals Miss World 2013 Megan Young when asked about her experience during the first live episode of the newest season of Starstruck.

“When I heard the heartbeat sound, it remembered when I was on the same stage when I was among the other contestants and we were holding each others’ hands while telling myself I could be sent home,” added the former Starstruck Season 2 Avenger.

Despite having “first taping jitters,” Megan is very delighted to work as the co-host of Dingdong Dantes, who she described as “someone we looked up to.”

“It’s a different kind of hosting.

I’m a bit nervous everyday, but I’m really excited and looking forward to the weeks to come. It’s great hosting with Kuya Dong.

When we’re on stage together I still observe and I am glad that I’m learning along the way even by just observing.”

After the first elimination last Friday, more excitement and revelations await viewers as the remaining 22 Starstruck hopefuls offer emotional performances. Viewers will definitely get to know more of them as they remember their pains and difficulties and the people whom they dedicate their performances.

from C8

Starstruck airs weeknights before 24 Oras on GMA. HHHHH pAellA key to Chiz’s reConCiliAtion with in-lAws So, it was paella that brought Senator Chiz Escudero and his in-laws together.

Escudero shared the story behind the much talked about reconciliation after years of Heart Evangelista’s parents’ initial refusal to accept her daughter’s relationship with the senator.

Now, Heart’s mom, Cecile Ongpauco, and along with her sisters are openly supportive of Chiz’s bid for the second highest office in the land. They were all there when the senator accepted, at ClubFilipino, Senator Grace Poe’s invitation to be her running mate in 2016.

Heart’s father was unable to at-

Chiz and Heart with her parents

tend as he was under the weather.

“Dasal, pagluluto at siguro may mga bagay-bagay lang na hindi mo na kailangang pag-usapan pa o pagkuwentuhan. Sa pagdaloy lamang ng panahon, anumang sugat naghihilom (Prayer, cooking or things that you normally don’t talk about..time heals the wounds that scarred our lives,” sais Chiz when asked what he did to make Heart’s parents finally accept him.

“Paella,” Chiz said when asked what softened Heart’s parents’ hearts.

Chiz showed off his cooking skills on TV when he made an appearance in Sarap Diva hosted by Regine Velasquez-Alcasid on GMA7.

Apart from paella, the senator is also proud of his adobo rice with crispy adobo flakes, his twins’ favorite.

C

by AyunAn GrAnde GuntinG

hild actress Ryza Mae Dizon of Eat Bulaga, merited the Golden Globe Awards for Business Excellence and Filipino for Entertainment. She received her trophy on Sept. 19 at the Manila Hotel.

Also awarded was Lanao Del Norte’s first Muslim female mayor, Eleanor Dimaporo Lantud, 47, in the field of public service.

Her foray into the male-dominated world of local politics is already a great achievement.

As mayor of Pantao Ragat, Bae Eleanor believes that education is the way to progress. Early on, she put up day care centers that provide education in the municipality. In the past, teachers found it inaccessible to reach Pantao Ragat. Hence, Bae Eleanor tapped local graduates and gave them work by letting teach in these day care canters.

She also facilitated the construction of a school building that was funded by the Department of Education and the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Using her people skills, Bae Eleanor gathered local leaders, datus, bais and the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, to improve the peace and order situation in Pantao Ragat.

Planning for candidacy as governor under the Liberal Party, she recently finished a general education course under the Department of Education’s Alternative Learning System (ALS).

“I want to widen my knowledge even if I was not able to get a college degree. Lack of academic credentials should not be a barrier to achieving

one’s ambitions,” she says in Tagalog. She topped the batch of 50 graduates who attended the rites in Baroy, Lanao del Norte.

Bae Eleanor hopes she can pursue her political dreams to further serve the public. She envisions the expansion of infrastructure, the provincial jail and the establishment of centers for abused women and children, a provincial library and sanitation and hygiene programs.

In her three terms, she became skillful at steering the political waters of the municipality and has been committed to accountability. In public work, for instance, Eleanor says provincial engineers should give priority in providing equipment for provincial projects instead of renting them out to private contractors.

Lantud has shown success in her family and religious life.

Married to Vice Mayor Lacson for 33 years and blessed with seven children, she reminds members to pray five times and to share their good fortune.

Another reason for effective leadership is her maturity, having learned from the lessons in life. “This has given me a better grasp of the effects of my ideas and actions. I more conscientious in making major decisions,” she says.

Bae Eleanor is admired for her integrity, putting the welfare of the municipality first above herself. She also has the humility to listen and welcome the ideas from colleagues.

“It’s not easy to be the Mother of the Municipality,” she says. “I always ask the punong bayan if there are problems. Communication is very important.”

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Regine with Gary Dujali and Patrick Tang

reGiNe VelAsquez At the theAtre At solAire ISAH V. RED The songbird is going to The Theatre at Solaire in November.

“This is a show that expresses my gratitude to PLDT,” says Regine Velasquez- Alcasid who a couple of months ago did a highly successful Regine Series Mall Tour to promote the telephone company’s new product called the Regine Series.

The Regine Series is PLDT’s campaign to rekindle interest on the landline phone system that seems to have been overtaken with

the advent of the mobile devices.

It offers new designs of telephone units that at best are excellent accents on the table at the living room, in the office or bedroom.

Velasquez is dedicating Regine at the Theater to her loyal fans, especially to PLDT HOME subscribers that make the Regine Series campaign a big success.

Coming on the heels of the highly successful Regine Series Mall Tour for PLDT HOME subscribers recently, Regine is ready for her much-anticipated concert comeback, Regine at the Theater on Nov. 6, 7, 20 and 21 at The Theatre at Solaire.

And just like in the Regine Series Mall Tour, PLDT HOME

subscribers get the first shower of good tidings. During a meet and greet session with the OPM icon on Sept.24, lucky Regine Series subscribers were given free concert tickets. More free concert tickets for the Nov. 20 play date will be raffled off to PLDT Landline subscribers who upgrade to one of The Regine Series Telset from Oct.1- Nov. 9.

Regine says in her usual humble self, “I’d like to say thank you to them who made the mall tour successful and the PLDT HOME Regine Series campaign an even bigger success. I was very happy because they told me units even went out of stock and subscribers have to line up to wait to get

I was very happy because they told me units even went out of stock and subscribers have to line up to wait to get my favorite, the red classic phone unit. Who would have thought of this reaction to the landline?

– Regine VelasquezAlcasid, singer and PLDT’s Regine Series ambassador Regine Velasquez-Alcasid

my favorite, the red classic phone unit. Who would have thought of this reaction to the landline?”

PLDT VP and Home Marketing Head Gary Dujali said, “With no less than the Asia’s Songbird as our ambassador for our landline campaign, it was only fitting to shine the spotlight on her by letting her do what she does best—delight audiences with her remarkable live performances. We look forward to sharing more of these musical experiences with our subscribers.”

Earlier this year, Regine capped a successful five-week mall concert tour presented by PLDT HOME to help promote the Regine Series line of limited edition landline phones, launched last Mother’s Day, featuring the Classic and Corded models at P75 per month, and the Cordless unit at P99 per month. PLDT HOME continues to bring new offers that creates the strongest connections at HOME. Subscribers of the telset series can also opt for the One Philippines Call Plan for unlimited PLDT-toPLDT NDD calls and P10/call to

Smart and Talk ‘N Text for just P75 per month. Those with loved ones abroad can choose the One World IDD Call Plan, which, for only P50 per month, includes 15 free IDD minutes to select international destinations and only P2 per minute in excess of the monthly allocation.

For more information about the Regine Telset Series, visit pldthome.com/landline.

HHHHH GMA Network’s pArtNership with Miss world philippiNes Promoting beauty with a purpose, GMA Network and Miss World Philippines continue their quest in finding the Filipina beauty that can encourage the world to make a difference as they signed a partnership deal last week, Sept.23, at the GMA Network Center.

From left are Arnold Vegafria, Miss World Philippines National Director Cory Quirino, GMA First Vice President for Program Management Jose Mari Abacan and GMA Senior Program Manager Mitzi Garcia. ➜ Continued on C7

Arnold Vegafria, Miss World Philippines National Director Cory Quirino, GMA First Vice President for Program Management Jose Mari Abacan and GMA Senior Program Manager Mitzi Garcia