The Standard - 2015 December 11 - Friday

VOL. XXIX NO. 302 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 FRIday : dECEMBER 11, 2015 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Mar says Binay’s expertise is graft

A3

BULLETS PLANTED But justice chief denies syndicate at airport

By Rey E. Requejo

UNSCRUPULOUS airport personnel, and not a syndicate, were responsible for the “tanim-bala” extortion racket at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the National Bureau of Investigation said Thursday.

Justice Undersecretary Emmanuel Caparas said the task force formed to investigate the racket that victimizes unsuspecting passengers by planting bullets in their luggage found the airport personnel to be acting on their own to extort money from their victims.

“Based on the investigation conducted, the task force concludes that there was indeed an instance of the tanim-bala scheme. This had been perpetrated by corrupt OTS [Office for Transportation Security] officers for the purpose of obtaining under duress financial consideration in lieu of the filing of criminal charges on the unsuspecting passengers,” Caparas said.

“However, the likelihood of an organized syndicate involving OTS, Avsegroup [Aviation Security Group] and MIAA [Manila International Airport Authority] officers existing and operating in Naia was not established,” the Justice official added.

Caparas said the task force took into consideration all the documents gathered, interviews with airport personnel and passengervictims as well the analysis of past incidents in coming up with the conclusion.

Nonetheless, he said, the NBI would continue its investigation to The scam is real. Justice Secretary Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa shows the results of the NBI investigation on the bullet-planting scam at the airports on learn more about the scheme and find out why it persists today. Next page Thursday. Danny PaTa

Belmonte doubts BBL will be okayed

A4

UN demands end of atrocities vs lumad

By John Paolo Bencito A UNITEd Nations official on Thursday called for an end to atrocities against the indigenous people of Mindanao—called the lumad—and the immediate disbanding of all paramilitary groups that threatened them.

“The lumad have for decades been

disproportionately affected by the conflict and… have long been exploited for political use by all parties to the conflict. This must stop,” said Ola Almgren, the UN resident coordinator in the country as part of a forum to mark International Human Rights day.

“The UN agrees with the many calls for local armed groups, including IP

armed groups, to urgently and systematically be disarmed and disbanded and stopped from engaging in violence and criminal activities. The state must ensure that law and order is consistently maintained in all communities,” said Almgren at a forum organized by the Office of the Political Adviser in Next page Malacañang.

f r i D AY : D E C E M B E r 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A2

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

PH must get tough on terrorism, experts say

By Francisco Tuyay and Vito Barcelo

A COUNTER-TERRORISM expert said Thursday the government must develop stronger antiterrorism measures even as Australia and Singapore have recognized Islamist extremists as a clear and present danger to Southeast Asia.

Australia and Singapore, worried over the Islamic State threat in the region, forged stronger cooperation to meet security challenges in the face of the rapid rise of extremism.

“There must be a continuing process of overt investigation and data gathering in order to determine and approximate if the threat of terrorism in the country is really existing,” said the expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The meeting by defense and police officials from Australia and Singapore was held after the London-base Mail Online detailed the ISIS organizational structure highlighting the spread of terror across the globe, including five cells in the Philippines and two in Malaysia and Indonesia that pledge support to the Islamist extremists.

The five groups that pledge support to ISIS were the Ansar Khilafa Philippines, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Ma’rakat Al Ansar, Ansar Khilafa and the Abu Sayyaf Group, the Jemaah Islamiyah in Indonesia and Mahajidden Timor in Malaysia.

Singapore, the front-line state in the war of terror, has outline

UN...

From A1

The UN official reiterated shortand long-term actions the government should pursue to end the long-struggle of the lumad, including the disbanding of all armed groups; providing full protection to civilians and ensuring that noncombatants are not persecuted, harassed or harmed; and ensuring that law and order are consistently and effectively maintained throughout Mindanao.

Almgren took the Executive department to task for failing to fulfill its mandate to safegard the welfare of tribal groups and its slow implementation of the Indigenous People’s Rights Act. “All bodies mandated to uphold and implement the many elements of IPRA should be fully empowered to carry out their responsibilities and, at all levels, should be held to account should

measures to prevent homegrown extremism following the arrest of a self-radicalized Muslim lawyer that they said posed a security threat.

In the wake of global threat by ISIS in Southeast Asia, Australian Justice Minister Michael Keenan met with Philippine National Police chief Ricardo Marquez in Camp Crame Thursday to lay out cohesive intelligence measures amid the serious threat posed by ISIS following the series of gun and bomb attacks in Paris and West Africa that left over 100 dead and another hundreds wounded.

Military and defense officials, however, continue to belittle the threat by the Islamic State in the country saying local terrorist wanted merely to attract international prominence and to advance their banditry, including kidnapping for financial gain.

“There is what we call terrorism threat assessment,” the expert said as he recommended a serious evaluation and analysis of information emanating from various sources to determine the credibility of it.

He also underscore the need to review previous information relating the existence of various threat groups operating in the country, particularly in Mindanao where reports said that at least 11 foreign nationals whose mission remained unknown were spotted in different areas in the southern backdoor.

AFP spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla has said they have not received any credible threat from terror group out to launch attacks in the country, but Malacañang urged Filipinos to avoid public places and to be vigilant.

“You cannot assess or analyze information without looking back or reviewing information,” the security expert said.

“ISIS has the capacity to conduct a cross-geographical region opera-

they fail to do so,” the UN executive said.

“We also hear from IPs that they often no longer have faith in the very system designed to preserve and protect their land through the certification process. We have also been informed that once the land is titled, there can be tremendous challenges to physically taking over their land due to previous agreements that have not been terminated or the termination is not respected, as is required under IPRA. This goes against the very spirit and objective of this excellent legislation.” he added.

The UN official said lumad in the country must be able to “avail of credible and transparent redress mechanisms that will support the protection of their rights.”

The UN, in its State of the World’s IPs released in January 2010, said that while IPs make up only 5 percent of the world’s pop-

tions based on the level of sophistication of operations as they did in Europe, Africa and the Middle East,” the source added.

The government on Thursday welcomed the Australian government’s commitment to help the Philippines improve its surveillance, intelligence and forensic investigation to prevent a similar terror attack in Paris by Islamist militants in the Philippines.

The support to improve the fight against international and local terrorists was part of the PhilippineAustralian agreement signed between President Benigno Aquino III and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Manila in November.

Under the agreement, Australia and the Philippines will step up exchange of information, concentrating on the flow of Southeast Asian militants traveling to and from Syria and Iraq.

The increased cooperation was discussed by top Philippine police officials with Keenan and Federal Police Commissioner Neil Gaughan, who are on a tour of Southeast Asia.

A report also quoted a police official, saying “they always consider the potential threat posed by radicalized Filipinos supporting the ISIS.” “We are concerned with the risk of ISIS elements traveling to the country to promote violent extremism and, worse, to seek haven or use the country as a transit point in going to conflict zones,” the official who asked for anonymity said.

Counter terrorism officials from both countries are worried over the presence of about 2 million Filipino contract workers in the Middle East, some of whom are in Iraq and Syria and who may be radicalized by the Islamic State.

ulation, they constitute 15 percent of the world’s most poor, and suffer systemic exclusion from political and economic power.

Last November, the Commission on Human Rights branded the National Commission on Indigenous People, the lead executive agency tasked to implement the IPRA Law, as ineffective.

CHR Commissioner Roberto Eugenio Cadiz noted that the law was being used against the interests of the lumad, and that businessmen could enter their ancestral domains and grab their lands.

Also to mark Human Rights Day, the leftist Bagong Alyansang Makabayan called on the Aquino administration to stop military operations in Mindanao and to allow lumad who were driven from their communities to return tot heir homes.

“It has been three months since the lumad killings in Surigao del Sur which triggered the mass

Bullets...

From A1

“It would be easier for us to say this is over with this conclusion, with these findings...but the reality is these incidents still take place at the airport and for many reasons,” he said.

As a result of their findings, the NBI filed a criminal complaint before the Justice Department against six airport personnel believed to be involved in the extortion scheme.

Charged for violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act were Maria Elma Cens and Marvin Garcia, both OTS personnel.

Charged with robbery and extortion and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act were Senior Police Officer (SPO) 2 Roland Clarin and P/C Insp. Adriano Junio, SPO4 Ramon Bernardo and SPO2 Romy Navarro.

The charges were filed based on the complaint of Eloisa Zoleta and her stepson Lane White who was victimized by the illegal scheme in September at the Naia.

The two accused the airport officers of trying to extort P30,000 from them in exchange for the dropping of the case for possession of a bullet against White, who was detained for six days.

They were on their way to Coron, Palawan province, to scout for land on which to build a church when the incident occurred.

Zoleta said a bullet was found after White’s bag passed through the X-ray machine several times.

The complainants refused to settle the case prompting the airport officers to file charges against them before the Regional Trial Court of Pasay City.

The RTC judge threw out the case against Lane Thursday.

The Palace deferred comment on the initial NBI findings and said it would wait for the final report.

Earlier, President Aquino had played down the tanimbala racket, saying it victimized only a tiny portion of the millions of passengers who pass through the airport.

The statement drew flak from overseas workers, who are often victims of the extortions scheme.

Senator Francis Escudero said the bullet-planting racket at the NAIA was another reason to remove Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya.

“I have long been calling to remove the DoTC secretary. The tanim-bala [scandal] should be added to the reasons why he should be fired from the DoTC,” he said.

Escudero, however, said he was satisfied with the charges filed against those who were allegedly involved in the Lane case, noting that roberry with extortion was a grave crime and carried a heavy penalty.

The tanim-bala cases at the airport were not part of a political scheme to discredit the administration, Escudero said.

“They refused to accept there was a problem. Now the NBI filed charges. I hope they will take quick actions to put a stop to this,” he said. With Sandy Araneta, Joel E. Zurbano and Macon Ramos-Araneta

evacuation of people. The lumad refugee crisis, in Surigao, Davao and Bukidnon has not been decisively addressed by the Aquino regime. It seems that the government is fine with the idea that the lumad will spend the holidays in the evacuation centers,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes Jr. “We call on the people to press the Aquino government to stop the military operations in the lumad communities, to arrest the perpetrators of the killings and to dismantle the paramilitary groups. These are the essential requirements for the lumad to be able to return to their communities. Let us bring the lumad home in time for the holiday season,” Reyes added.

In the Tandag Sports Complex alone in Surigao del Sur, some 3,000 lumad have been staying for the last three months after the killings of three lumad leaders in Lianga in September.

In Davao City, there are some 600 to 700 lumad evacuees from various areas who have fled their communities because of military operations.

“The lumad crisis stands out as one of the worst cases of human rights violations for the year 2015. There have been reported cases of extrajudicial killings, displacement of communities, military occupation of schools and other civilian facilities, use of paramilitary groups and other violations,” Reyes said.

“To this date, and despite widespread condemnation here and abroad, no real and decisive action has come from Malacañang to address the crisis and ensure that the rights of the Lumad are protected,” he added.

During the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, hundreds of lumad camped out in Manila to call attention to their worsening plight.

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A3

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Vice president draws thousands in Negros Oriental

Forum in the south. Vice President Jejomar Binay addresses a forum attended by about 3,000 students and faculty members of Negros Oriental State University.

Roxas: Binay expert of graft, corruption LIBERAL Party presidential bet Manuel Roxas II on Thursday described Vice President Jejomar Binay as an “expert of graft and corruption” because he had repeatedly failed to answer the graft charges against him. “[Vice President Jejomar Binay] knows how to differentiate [between] graft and corruption,” Roxas told reporters.

“We should leave to the experts the manner of explaining how graft and corruption works. It’s good that he explained everything—maybe he has a personal experience on that.

It’s a mortal sin against God and we won’t allow that.”

Roxas also slammed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for approving of “summary justice” and favoring the revival of the death penalty.

“I cannot agree on summary justice,” Roxas said.

“Like right is might? Whoever has a gun can shoot a person? It’s like we’re returning to the dark ages wherein the powerful and those who have guns can rule.”

Duterte, who has openly admitted to pulling the trigger on criminals, says he believes the country needs the death penalty to punish wrongdoers such as those who peddle illegal drugs.

“If I were president, I would bring back the death penalty for crimes like drugs, rape, and kidnapping,” Duterte told dzMM radio on Thursday.

Binay, who is facing graft charges in connection with the allegedly

overpriced Makati City Hall Building II, told students of Silliman University in Bacolod that “graft” and “corruption” were not the same.

“Graft is about the abusive use of power; corruption is about mishandling money,” Binay said.

Roxas said Binay was trying to muddle up the issues against him.

“Vice President Jejomar Binay must be confused because of all the corruption cases against him. He insists on steering the conversation to other topics,” Roxas said.

He urged Binay to refrain from confusing the public by answering the allegations against him head on instead of spreading rumors against the Aquino administration.

“I think it’s best if he just answers... the allegations of corruption during his time as Makati mayor,” Roxas said. John Paolo Bencito

THOUSANDS of residents of Negros Oriental, known as “Roxas country,” threw their support behind Vice President Jejomar Binay when he visited the province this week and reiterated his commitment to eliminate poverty should he become the next president.

Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II received 707,313 votes against Binay’s 221,679 in Negros Oriental in the vice presidential race in 2010.

Binay, who spoke in front of more than 5,000 students at the Negros Oriental State University, said poverty is the root cause of all problems in society.

“Poverty is the source of all other problems like rising criminality and the growing number of Filipinos leaving for abroad to find work because of unemployment,” Binay said.

Binay visited several towns in Negros Oriental including Bacong, Dauin, Zambanguita, Siaton and Sta. Catalina.

He also toured Silliman University and proceeded to meet the representatives of sectoral groups, local officials and senior citizens of Sibulan, San Jose, Amlan and Tanjay.

Binay made his statement even as Rico Quicho, his spokesman, said despite an increase in infrastructure spending by 24.3 percent, the Aquino administration still failed to deliver on its promise to increase public spending because its expenditures were way below the P289.3-billion target.

Quicho also rejected presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda’s claim that Binay was not up-to-date on government spending, saying Lacierda wasn’t telling the entire story.

“Most of the spending was for infrastructure, but it was still way below the P289.3-billion target,” Quicho said.

Binay said that, as heirs of the nation, the youth had an obligation to participate in the elections and choose their leaders wisely.

“We need a president who knows the problem of the people,” Binay said, noting that a president should have the necessary management experience and should be able to hit the ground running.

He vowed that under his administration, he would increase the budget for colleges and state universities should he win the presidency.

He cited the government’s lack of support to state universities and colleges.

Binay, who was mayor of Makati for 27 years, recounted how the city government endeavored to transform the destitute Makati Polytechnic Community College into the prosperous University of Makati.

He stressed the importance of constant learning and continuing education to ensure competitiveness in the face of the Asean integration.

“There is no room for mediocrity. You must be outstanding in whatever you do,” Binay said. Vito Barcelo

Poe says all entitled to human rights

Integrity Summit. President Benigno Aquino III delives a speech at the Integrity Summit at the Shangri-La Makati on Thursday. Malacañang Photo Bureau

INDEPENDENT presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe, who has been fighting for the rights of children in need of special protection, said the country needs leaders who not only respect human rights but also uphold them in the face of challenges.

Poe, a foundling whose right to be elected to public office is being questioned by her political opponents, said a government that allows the rights of its constituents to be violated will not be able to lead the people.

Poe is the subject of four petitions before the Commission on Elections. All were filed by the allies of other presidential contenders who are seeking to remove her from the presidential race, and they claim she can’t run for president because she is not a natural-born citizen as required by law.

Another petition to disqualify her as a senator has been decided

in Poe’s favor by the Senate Electoral Tribunal, but the petitioner has appealed the decision before the Supreme Court.

“All persons are born on this earth with rights whether rich or poor, so everybody should be included and nobody should be left behind,” Poe said.

“Included here is the right to choose a leader.”

Poe said a government official abusing human rights is violating international Human Rights and has no right to lead.

She made her remarks as the world marked International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was made and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly 67 years ago in Paris.

The Philippines was among the UN members that drafted the Declaration, which is hailed as the most important piece of document to emerge from

World War II. Poe’s camp has often cited the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in defending her right to run for president despite being a foundling. Poe was abandoned at the Jaro church in Iloilo and was later adopted by actors Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces.

“We all have the right to a nationality, the right to belong to a country,” Poe said.

“I have always said that abandoned children are entitled to the same rights that all people enjoy. The circumstances of their birth do not make them lesser humans.” Poe said the Philippines’ Supreme Court, in its various judgments, has recognized the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and considers these rights in force in the country. It’s the reason she is confident in taking her legal battle to the highest court of the land. Macon ramos-araneta

F ri day : d e ce m b e r 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A4

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘No chance for BBL this year’

By Maricel V. Cruz and Sandy Araneta

DESPITE a presidential appeal for Congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law bill, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. admitted on Thursday that the House may not be able to pass the controversial measure before Congress adjourns on Dec. 19.

Belmonte noted that there are 19 congressmen who have expressed an intent to interpellate the measure which, according to preference surveys, has gained public disapproval because of several questionable provisions.

“For the BBL, at the very least, we will finish the period of interpellation [by next week],” Belmonte said, noting that Congress is scheduled to adjourn on Dec. 19 and resume session on Jan. 18 when re-electionist

lawmakers are expected to start their campaign activities.

While some of the interpellators have agreed to withdraw their request to question provisions of the bill after President Benigno Aquino III asked them to pass the measure before he steps down from office in July, other congressmen are insisting on questioning unpopular provisions.

Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat led what appeared to be a filibuster when he took all of eight hours

to finish his interpellation. Other lawmakers are expected to take the same amount of time.

Even if the Liberal Party chooses to railroad the measure in the House, the controversial bill faces rougher sailing in the Senate with several senators questioning the propriety and even legality of some provisions in the proposed BBL. “We have to plan very carefully the remaning few days in January and February. We should use it advantageously,” Belmonte said.

“The fact of the matter is that many people are talking as if the matter on the floor is the original draft. In fact, the committee report contains almost as many 50 amendments from original draft but many people do not know that,” Belmonte said.

Moreover, Belmonte said the House has yet to ratify the 2016 na-

tional budget, which is eagerly awaited by lawmakers from the ruling party. The chamber is expected to ratify the budget by next week.

Meanwhile, Malacanang denied on Thursday that Aquino has offered lawmakers some P1.5 billion for their projects in exchange for their approval of the Palace-proposed BBL. “There is no truth to the allegation,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., referring to reports that congressmen from the ruling party were each demanding P50 million in exchange for the passage of the BBL. During Aquino’s meeting with members of Congress in Malacañang, the President said passing the BBL has now become more imperative because of supposed threats posed by global terrorism and radicalization.

Arch of mercy. The Manila Cathedral, officially the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, is unusually awash in light a day after Manila Archbishop Luis Cardinal Tagle launched the church as one of a handful of churches with official ‘holy doors’ in connection with the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year of Mercy. DANNY PATA

GSIS set to release P850-m Xmas gift

By Gabrielle H. Binaday THE state-run Government Service Insurance System said Thursday it will release around P850 million worth of cash gift to its members in celebration of the Christmas season.

GSIS president and general manager Robert Vergara said the cash gift to their members is the agency’s way of sharing the earnings of their social insurance.

“This is our way of sharing with GSIS policyholders the earnings of the Social Insurance Fund comprising the contributions of members,” Vergara said.

Around 1.1-million members of the pension fund is expected to benefit from the P848-million cash gift starting Dec 15.

GSIS members whose compulsory life insurance policies have been in force for at least one year as of Dec. 31, 2014 and those whose policies have matured in 2014 will receive the benefit.

Also entitled to the cash benefit are members whose agencies were suspended as of Dec. 31, 2014.

GSIS members whose compulsory life insurance policies lapsed in 2014, however, are ineligible to receive the benefit.

Those whose policies were terminated due to death, retirement, or separation, as well as those with unpaid salary and consolidated loans or premiums for at least 12 months as of December 31, 2014, are likewise excluded.

GSIS will release the cash benefit through the GSIS eCard, or unified multipurpose identification card of qualified GSIS members.

PH gets 77 more armored troop carriers SEVENTY-SEVEN more M113A2 armored personnel carriers, intended for the Mechanized Infantry Division of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, arrived in Subic Bay on Wednesday evening, the military reported on Thursday.

The APCs is the first batch of the 114 M-113A2s donated to the AFP via the US Excess Defense Article program and is separate from the 28 modified M113A2s that the military acquired from an Israeli defense contractor for more than P800 million.

The second shipment of 37 APCs donated by the US is expected to arrive on Dec. 14 and

the remainder will be delivered later this month.

The EDA Program grants excess US military equipment, without cost, to qualified allied countries and the transfer of APCs is a result of a formal request made by the AFP to assist in their defense modernization efforts.

Last September, the Army tested six of the 28 M113A2s acquired from Israel and officials said army officials were generally satisfied with the capabilities of the modified APCs that were fitted with remotely controlled 50mm guns.

Mechanized infantry division commander Major Gen. Mayoralgo dela Cruz said most of the 28

APCs acquired from Israel will be brought to Mindanao.

Although the M113 was developed by the American firm Food Machinery Corp. and first used by US mechanized infantry in the 1960s, it became the most widely used armored vehicle of the US Army before it was replaced by the M2 and M3 Bradleys.

But there are still many M113s used by the US military in various support roles, like mortar carriers, engineer vehicles and command vehicles.

It has also been used in other conflicts, including the Persian Gulf War and the ongoing Syrian Civil War.

Crossing party lines. Presidential candidate Mar Roxas of the Liberal

Party and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chairman Chito Cruz join San Juan City Mayor Guia Gomez and her son San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor Estrada, both opposition leaders, during the launching of a housing project in the city. JANSEN ROMERO

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A5

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Dengue vaccine OKd in Mexico THE world’s first dengue vaccine won regulatory approval in Mexico on Wednesday, raising hopes that it could prevent more than 100 deaths there a year and eventually perhaps millions around the world.

Globally, dengue is the fastest-growing mosquito-borne disease, with as many as 400 million people infected every year, according to the World Health Organization.

The Dengvaxia vaccine is being manufactured by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi. The company has requested regulatory approval in 20 countries across Asia and Latin America, but Mexico was the first to give it the green light.

While the price tag has yet to be decided, the vaccine has the potential to be a “blockbuster” drug and generate more than $1 billion a year in revenue for Sanofi, said Olivier Charmeil, head of the company’s vaccines division.

“It’s a very important moment in the history of public health,” Charmeil told AFP, describing Dengvaxia as the “innovation of the decade.”

Mexico’s National Vaccination Council will meet to decide whether Dengvaxia will be among the vaccines the government distributes without cost, the head of the health regulatory agency, Mikel Arriola, told AFP. Mexican health authorities estimate the vaccine could prevent 8,000 hospitalizations and 104 deaths per year. AFP

Bomb squad. Members of the Quezon City’s explosives and ordnance division’s bomb squad unit conduct a refresher course on handling a bomb with use of the latest equipment and technology. LINO SANTOS

Graft trial vs Vitangcol gets Sandigan approval

By Rio N. Araja

THE Sandiganbayan’s Third Division on Thursday found probable cause to put on trial former MRT-3 general manager Al Vitangcol III on graft charges in connection with the questionable awarding of the contract for the train system’s maintenance.

“After a careful review of the records of these cases, the Court finds that probable cause exists against all the accused in all the charges against them,” the graft court said in its twopage resolution.

It backed the accusations of the Office of the Ombudsman, point-

ing out that Vitangcol and his coaccused committed graft.

The graft court also issued three hold-departure orders against Vitangcol and separate HDOs against his co-accused.

Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang directed the Immigration

bureau to bar all accused from leaving the country.

On Dec. 1, the Ombudsman filed graft charges against Vitangcol, along with executives of a private corporation, before the Sandiganbayan in connection with alleged irregular MRT-3 interim maintenance contract.

Named co-accused were executives of the PH Trams incorporators Wilson de Vera, Marlo de la Cruz, Manolo Maralit, Federico Remo and Vitangcol’s uncle-in-law, Arturo Soriano, who is now the provincial accountant of Pangasinan.

Vitangcol was accused of conspiracy with PH Transcom officials to

ensure the awarding of the contract despite the fact that PH Trams could have been automatically disqualified from participating in the procurement of the MRT-3 maintenance contract since Vitangcol was Soriano’s relative.

As head of the negotiating team and bids and awards committee member, Vitangcol “intentionally concealed” his relationship with Soriano to ensure the awarding, instead of disqualifying PH Trams from the bidding.

The anti-graft court issued arrest warrant against Vitangcol, who posted a P90,000 bail or P30,000 each for three counts of graft last Friday.

Romualdez: Justice for Pinay sex slaves

By Maricel V. Cruz

Martin’s gifts. Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (right) distributes food packs and toys to more than 1,000 patients of the Medical Social Service of the Philippine General Hospital during the annual gift-giving ceremony at the PGH activity center in Manila. VER NOVENO CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

HOUSE Independent Bloc and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Thursday called on President Benigno Aquino III to make the issue of providing justice to Filipinas who mere made sex slaves during World War II a top priority in the last six months of his administration as “malasakit” (compassion) to them when he meets with Japanese Emperor Akihito during his scheduled visit to the country early next year.

“President Aquino should realize the importance of this meeting because it

would be the first and only chance that he could have as the leader [of our country] in which he could directly bring the cause of our comfort women before Emperor Akihito” said Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa).

Romualdez, head of the House Independent Bloc, issued the statement following a Malacañang announcement that Emperor Akihito and his wife Empress Michiko will conduct a state visit to the Philippines from Jan. 26 to 30 next year supposedly in response to Aquino’s invitation.

“It is important for President Aquino to seize the moment. Seventy-four years had gone but justice remains elusive for those comfort women who suffered a lot of physical and sexual abuses from Japanese invaders during the 2nd World War,” Romualdez said.

“Therefore it is about time that justice be given to them [comfort women] and there is no one who could decide on that matter judiciously and expeditiously but the occupant of the Chrysanthemum Throne who is none other but Emperor Akihito” Romualdez said.

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A6 Estrada clan undecided on choice of presidentiable

By John Paolo Bencito THE Ejercito-Estrada political clan on Thursday raised the possibility of being divided on who among the presidential bets to endorse in the 2016 polls.

“It’s possible. We all have different opinions, but to show unity as a family—if there would be no objections, then we would eventually endorse one,” San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez told reporters in a chance interview on Thursday.

Members of the political clan have varying choices to support in the 2016 polls.

Senator JV Ejercito, for one , said he is inclined to support Senator Grace Poe while Senator Jinggoy Estrada is likely to support the candidacy of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

San Juan City Mayor Guia Gomez, meanwhile, is torn between her goddaughter, Senator Poe who is also a registered voter of San Juan and LP standard bearer Manuel Roxas II who served as Cabinet member during the Estrada administration.

“I don’t know. They are all our friends, so I don’t know who to support. Can it be through secret balloting? We have so many people to choose from,” Gomez said.

Former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada in a recent interview with radio station dzMM said that he will definitely support Poe—his goddaughter and daughter of his friend, the late action star Fernando Poe Jr. “It is very likely, because the father of Grace Poe was more than a brother to me,” Estrada said.

Ejercito said that the clan is also heavily considering to support Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who is “a very close friend” of the family.

“At first when Digong Duterte isn’t in the picture yet, it’s Grace or Binay. Even Mar isn’t far fetched because he became former Cabinet secretary. I think Mayor Erap’s confused,” Ejercito said.

“We haven’t talked about Duterte [with Mayor Erap] but we’ll see, it’s possible,” he added.

Ejercito denied rumors that the support of the political clan would fall on those who can support the eventual release of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who is currently facing graft charges.

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Pro-Poe coalition stresses respect for human rights MARKING the International Human Rights Day on Thursday, a broad coalition of groups supporting Senator Grace Poe’s presidential bid urged the Commission on Elections to uphold basic human rights as the pillar of civilized and democratic governments, notably the rights to nationality, democracy, fair treatment by fair courts, fair play and equality.

Speaking in behalf of the broadbased coalition here and overseas, Ang Grasya ng Masang Pilipino Movement spokesman Jose “Chichok” Samson lamented that Senator Grace Poe, being a foundling and shortly after her formal announcement to seek the presidency in 2016, has been subjected to a series and continuing violation of her human rights regarding her nationality or citizenship and even her tenure of

residency to exclude her from presidential race by mere technicalities.

“The three Comelec commissioners may have been guilty of abuse of discretion to exclude Grace Poe in the 2016 presidential elections by disqualifying her for allegedly being short of residency requirement without properly scrutinizing the documents presented such as the enrolment of her minor children in 2005, the buying of a house, securing of BIR tax ac-

ONE of the principal suspects in the killing of international car race driver Ferdinand “Enzo” Pastor on Thursday refused to enter a plea to the charge of murder before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court’s Branch 85.

Businessman Domingo “Sandy” de Guzman III said he did not conspire with Pastor’s wife, Dahlia Guerrero, to kill Pastor on June 12, 2014.

Judge Luisito Cortez ordered the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to detain De Guzman at the Quezon City jail annex at Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan in Taguig City.

De Guzman’s lawyer Dennis Manalo, earlier urged the lower

period of interregnum from Feb 25, 1986 through March 25, 1986.

“Without respect for natural rights, man cannot rise to the full height of his humanity. It will be a profanity to deny her the right. For as a human being, she has a natural right to life, liberty and property that she can exercise regardless of existing or non-existing laws and irrespective of the will or lack of will of governments,” Justice Puno wrote.

“Justice Puno’s inspiring words should properly locate not just our arguments but should properly locate us all in what we ought to be as children of God of the one Father and Creator of all. There are human rights precisely because there are natural rights of individuals proceeding from all as children of God of the same Father and Creator of all,” Samson said.

HR and polls. Two months before the 2016 election campaign period starts, human rights advocates and youth leaders call on Filipino voters not to give up their human rights in the upcoming May polls. DANNY PATA

Enzo murder suspect seeks bail

By Rio N. Araja

count number, the employment of her husband here—all indubitably show actual residence per law,” Samson, a constitutional law professor, explained.

“At the very least, Senator Grace Poe is entitled to her basic human rights to fair treatment by fair courts and in this case the Comelec, to fair play and equality and not to favor an administration candidate so as not to distort the truth and to preserve democracy by giving the sovereign Filipino the right to choose their leader,” he added.

In arguing his case for Grace Poe, Samson quoted a line from former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno who wrote a concurring opinion in the 2003 case (Republic v. Sandiganbayan) where Justice Antonio Carpio categorically said that the UNDHR and ICCPR must be applied even in the absence of a Constitution during the

court to allow his client to be detained at the National Bureau of Investigation because of threats to his life.

Manalo also filed a 17-page bail plea for the accused.

NBI agents arrested De Guzman in a hotel in Dasmariñas, Cavite on Dec. 3, 2015 after months of hiding.

De Guzman, the alleged lover of Guerrero, was charged with murder for plotting the killing of Pastor, while Pastor’s family sued Guerrero for parricide and said they received information that she fled the country for Malaysia through backdoor channels.

Pastor’s widow remained at large.

The International Criminal Police Organization included

Guerrero in its international watch list of wanted suspects.

PO2 Edgar Angel, alleged gunman and a member of the Pasay City police, pointed to De Guzman, along with Guerrero, as the mastermind behind Pastor’s death.

He was arrested on Aug. 23, 2014 along Boni Serrano Road, Barangay Libis in Quezon City after selling almost 100 grams of shabu to a police who posed as a buyer.

Pastor was the first Filipino to receive the All-Star Award at the Night of Champions hosted by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing in December 2013.

He became overall champion in the Euro-Nascar.

Philippine eagle hatches, a first in 2 years—curator A MONKEY-EATING eagle has been hatched in captivity in the Philippines, boosting the critically-endangered giant bird’s fight against extinction.

Found only in the rapidly vanishing tropical rainforests of the Philippines, the 3.3-foot long raptor gets its name from its diet of macaque monkeys and other small animals that share its habitat in Mindanao, the country’s main southern island.

The chick, hatched at a conservation center on Dec. 7, was the first in two years and the 26th in 23 years, Philippine Eagle Foundation curator Anna Mae Sumaya said.

Barely a week old, the “very active” hatchling can already lift its head and responds to bird calls, Sumaya said.

“This chick will make it.”

Also called the Philippine eagle, the bird is famed for its elongated nape feathers that form into a shaggy crest. Its

two-meter wingspan makes it one of the world’s largest eagles.

“This gives us hope that we can somehow supplement the Philippine eagle population,” Sumaya told AFP. The raptor is found nowhere else except the Philippines, where it is the country’s national bird.

There are about 600 monkey-eating eagles in the wild and 34 others, including the hatchling, are kept in massive cages at the center.

The Swiss-based International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists the species as “critically endangered,” due to hunting and the depletion of its habitat.

Gunshots account for nine in every 10 Philippine eagle casualties according to the foundation, which has also warned it was running out of safe places to release the captive-bred birds when they mature. AFP

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

La Union gov bet withdraws candidacy

By Dexter A. See SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union—The gubernatorial candidate of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan has withdrawn her Certificate of Candidacy to pave way for the substitution of the brother of incumbent Gov. Manuel Ortega.

Janet Cartas, a councilor of Barangay Gana, Caba, La Union, withdrew her CoC for the gubernatorial race at the provincial office of the Commission on Election here on Thursday, a few minutes before Mario Eduardo Ortega, the governor’s executive assistant, filed his substitution papers.

Cartas chose Mario Ortega as her substitute after Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos approved his candidacy. The senator’s father, former President Marcos, formed the KBL in 1978.

Jose Vicente Opinion, KBL’s chairman and president, issued Mario Ortega’s nomination which was received by lawyer Joel Gines, the Comelec provincial officer.

Mario Ortega, a former national vice president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, will be facing three other gubernatorial bets which include his nephew Abono Partylist Rep. Francisco Emmanuel ‘Pacoy’ Ortega III, son of the incumbent governor. Pacoy Ortega filed his CoC as an independent candidate.

Gov. Manuel Ortega is now on his third and final term. He has said he would retire from politics.

Also running for the gubernatorial post as an independent is Henry Bacurnay, the Undersecretary for External Affairs at the Office of the President, and former 2nd District representative Butch Dumpit of the National Unity Party.

Lumad support. A group launches an interfaith support network to help indigenous communities in Mindanao.

Dengue fever cases dip 73% in Eastern Visayas

By Mel Caspe

THE number of cases of dengue fever dropped 73 percent in Eastern Visayas, the regional office of the Department of Health reported.

As of end-November 2015, the regional epidemiology and surveillance unit recorded 1,407 cases of dengue with six deaths. This is significantly lower than the 5,139 cases with 21 deaths recorded last year.

The six deaths between Jan. 1 to Nov. 28 were recorded in Tacloban City, Laoang in Nothern Samar, Dolores in Eastern Samar,

Palo in Leyte, and Catarman in Northern Samar.

“This cycle is expected because in 2013 and 2014, dengue cases in the region were very high. Usually, it goes down every after two to three years,” said DOH-RESU chief Roderick Boyd Cerro.

Most of the cases were from Leyte province, comprising 39

percent of all those inflicted by the mosquito-borne disease.

Ages of victims ranged from two months to 82 years old.

The Health Department is closely monitoring possible dengue outbreak in urban areas where poor waste disposal contributes to high mosquito population.

“After super typhoon Yolanda, we organized dengue brigades to assist us in monitoring and information campaign,” he said in a press conference.

The World Health Organization said that dengue is spread through the bite of the female

mosquito (Aedes aegypti). The mosquito becomes infected when it takes the blood of a person infected with the virus.

After about one week, the mosquito can then transmit the virus while biting a healthy person. The mosquito can fly up to 400 meters looking for water-filled containers to lay their eggs, but usually remains close to the human habitation, according to the WHO. Dengue-infected persons suffer a high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting and swollen glands or rash.

Interfaith group launches support network for lumad

Fishing for forever. A man and a woman spend their time fishing along the banks of Sampaloc Lake in San Pablo City. DAVID CHAN

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY— Various groups launched Wednesday an interfaith network supporting the indigenous peoples in their fight for their rights.

Named ‘Higala sa Lumad’ [Friends of the Lumads] Network, the higalas will help protect indigenous communities primarily through campaign popularization.

Its members are composed of individuals and organizations from various denominations that will be monitoring the rights situation of the communities and will conduct quick response activities when needed.

These include fact-finding missions, lobbying, legal support, and online campaigns, among others.

“We have gathered over a hundred supporters not only from the Philippines but also from other countries the campaigns on indigenous peoples’ rights have reached,” said lawyer Czarina Golda Musni, core group member of the Higala sa Lumad.

The network is created under the ‘Healing the Hurt’ Project, an initiative aimed at addressing marginalization issues of the lumad. One of its components hopes to increase financial, material and other forms of support

for the protection and security of indigenous leaders and communities.

The inauguration program starts with a message from the project manager, Sr. Ma. Famita Somogod, MSM. The nun has previously worked with indigenous communities through the literacy and numeracy schools of the Missionary Sisters of Mary.

“As workers in lumad communities, we have experienced threats and harassments ourselves,” said Sister Somogod. “I am glad that despite the attacks on the lumad campaigns, many are still convinced that what we are fighting for is right.”

F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

WHY VOTERS ARE DRAWN TO DUTERTE

[ EDI TORI A L ]

OPEC LOSING CLOUT THE NEAR-COLLAPSE of international oil prices has weakened the status of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries as a commodity cartel. World oil prices have dropped to near seven-year lows, after Opec members failed to reach an agreement last week to curtail their combined production.

Oil prices have fallen to below $40 a barrel and there are no signs that they will recover, or even return to $100 just in June last year. The free fall marks a sharp reversal from years of surging oil prices amid the political tension in the Middle East. Falling oil prices are also a far cry from the era when Arab countries imposed an embargo in response to the US involvement in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. That embargo fortified Opec’s strength as a cartel and amplified the market value of oil as a precious commodity.

Falling oil prices will be a boon to struggling economies like the Philippines. They signal lower inflation rate in the near horizon, especially in countries that depend heavily on imported oil for power generation and transportation fuel.

Declining oil prices, however, are also a symptom of a weak world economy. Big economies like China, Japan and the Eurozone are consuming less oil because of weak consumer demand, causing world oil prices to plummet by over 60 percent in 18 months.

Excess supplies have also triggered the drop in oil prices. Oil extracted from North American shale rock and non-Opec countries are competing with the cartel’s output.

But policy makers know all too well that oil prices will stage a comeback, starting with a strong US economy. The Philippines, being heavily dependent on imported oil, should not be complacent in the wake of falling oil prices.

They should seize the initiative by encouraging the use of alternative and renewable sources of energy. The Energy Department, for one, should accelerate the implementation of electric tricycles to reduce oil consumption and protect the environment.

Tapping renewable energy resources is the best bet against Opec and the fuel it sells. Renewables also insulate the Philippines from the vagaries of the commodity market.

MAR’S DESPERATE TIMES LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES THE Philippines chalked up another dubious record this week, landing 19th in the world in illicit financial flows, also known as “dirty money.” A report of the US-based non-profit Global Financial Integrity said smuggling was the reason why the Philippines recorded an average of $9.03 billion in dirty money flows annually from 2003 to 2013, or a total of $93.494 for the same 10-year period.

Two things can be gleaned from this shameful citation.

First, smuggling remains a huge problem in the Philippines and second, the local Anti-Money Laundering Council is probably not doing its job of stopping illicit financial flows, the very reason for its existence.

It’s significant that GFI advised countries in its dirty money list to implement anti-money laundering laws already in place, like the one that created AMLC. Also, the group urged all countries to heed the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force, the Paris-based international group formed pri-

marily to curb terrorist funding and the laundering of drug syndicate money through the international banking system.

The sad truth is, AMLC has become just another a political tool for the Aquino administration in its campaign to destroy its perceived political enemies.

The great power of AMLC was first used (misused, really) in the successful Malacañangsponsored plot to remove Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012; it was also very much in display in the more recent attempt to freeze the assets in 242 bank accounts said to be owned or controlled by Vice President Jejo-

A9

Tying up political opponents in litigation has been elevated to a high art by Aquino’s chosen successor.

mar Binay, the better to portray him as corrupt.

But of all the accounts linked to Binay and people associated with him, AMLC was only ultimately able to identify one, containing P1.7 million, as a target for a freeze order. And AMLC failed to convince a Manila court that the account needed to be frozen, despite an offer from Binay himself not to touch the funds there until AMLC clears up its true ownership and provenance.

Binay has also sued AMLC, which is headed by Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco and run by a certain Julia Abad, for harassing him.

And the vice president’s people have a valid point when they

say that no one ever hears from AMLC except when the Aquino administration has a political enemy that it wants to take down.

Meanwhile, the GFI report shows that AMLC has failed to stop the flood of dirty money from smuggling, to say nothing of funding for terrorist organizations and drug syndicates. But for partisan political operations, AMLC has done a superb job—and will probably be performing that function for many years to come, now that this administration has shown how to “prop-

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-

erly” use it.

*** But tying up political opponents in litigation has really been elevated to a high art by President Noynoy Aquino’s chosen successor, the cellar-dwelling Mar Roxas. Binay is only the first target of the litigious Roxas, who keeps denying that he is involved in the legal troubles faced by his opponents—even if no one believes him.

The supporters of Senator Grace Poe are so convinced that Roxas is out to get their candidate through legal machina-

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

tions that they have already warned Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the latest darling of the pre-election surveys, that he will also join the list of those targeted for liquidation through this “gaming” of the legal system. And the only real thing that Binay, Poe and Duterte have in common is that they all seem unbeatable as far as the candidate of “daang matuwid” is concerned.

Supporters of all these three candidates have long identified prominent lawyer Avelino “Nonong” Cruz as the Continued on A10

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

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

DESPITE his brash talk and bragging that he has killed more than 1,700 criminals, Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte continues to fire up the interest of voters even as he hinted he may not be able to finish his term for health reasons.

Amnesty International, the Londonbased human rights watchdog, has raised its concern on what a Duterte presidency could be like. Summary killings and extrajudicial executions could be the norm.

Local human rights advocates caution voters to be careful what they wish for.

Some sectors, however, welcome how Duterte’s iron-fist treatment of criminals, particularly those who commit heinous offenses like murder, rape and drug-trafficking, which earned his city of Davao a reputation of being one of the safest cities in the world. There are even opinion writers who romanticize the tough, no-nonsense mayor perhaps because his rivals are blah, boring and perceived as the same rehashed politicians.

People like Duterte’s tough-guy image.

When he says he will feed and fatten the fish in Manila Bay with the bodies of criminals, somehow one gets a sense he can deliver on his threat.

I myself have given Duterte the moniker “Rody Do Dirty” as a play on words instead of the “Dirty Harry” tag of Manila Mayor Fred Lim who gained the rep after the Clint Eastwood role in the film of the same title. A reader who didn’t quite get it said I gave Duterte the Do Dirty label because I was an attack dog for a certain candidate. For the record, in the same column I wrote about Duterte, I made clear I don’t see anyone of the five presidential candidates worth voting for.

If Duterte himself said he’s going to do the dirty job of sweeping out criminals—feet first—then by all means, he has earned the tag “Rody Do Dirty.” It is dirty work, but someone has to do it because crime has gotten out of hand.

Local governments and police enforcers failed miserably in protecting the citizenry. There are even instances when policemen rob and rape female suspects in their custody. Clearly, Duterte’s surge in the SWS poll surveys as the most preferred candidate for president is being driven by the runaway crime. I have no problem with Duterte bringing back the death penalty and executing death convicts on a weekly basis. Who knows it may put the fear of God back in the dark heart of criminals who kill their victims.

It may also decongest death row in the national penitentiary.

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

F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

WHY VOTERS ARE DRAWN TO DUTERTE

[ EDI TORI A L ]

OPEC LOSING CLOUT THE NEAR-COLLAPSE of international oil prices has weakened the status of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries as a commodity cartel. World oil prices have dropped to near seven-year lows, after Opec members failed to reach an agreement last week to curtail their combined production.

Oil prices have fallen to below $40 a barrel and there are no signs that they will recover, or even return to $100 just in June last year. The free fall marks a sharp reversal from years of surging oil prices amid the political tension in the Middle East. Falling oil prices are also a far cry from the era when Arab countries imposed an embargo in response to the US involvement in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. That embargo fortified Opec’s strength as a cartel and amplified the market value of oil as a precious commodity.

Falling oil prices will be a boon to struggling economies like the Philippines. They signal lower inflation rate in the near horizon, especially in countries that depend heavily on imported oil for power generation and transportation fuel.

Declining oil prices, however, are also a symptom of a weak world economy. Big economies like China, Japan and the Eurozone are consuming less oil because of weak consumer demand, causing world oil prices to plummet by over 60 percent in 18 months.

Excess supplies have also triggered the drop in oil prices. Oil extracted from North American shale rock and non-Opec countries are competing with the cartel’s output.

But policy makers know all too well that oil prices will stage a comeback, starting with a strong US economy. The Philippines, being heavily dependent on imported oil, should not be complacent in the wake of falling oil prices.

They should seize the initiative by encouraging the use of alternative and renewable sources of energy. The Energy Department, for one, should accelerate the implementation of electric tricycles to reduce oil consumption and protect the environment.

Tapping renewable energy resources is the best bet against Opec and the fuel it sells. Renewables also insulate the Philippines from the vagaries of the commodity market.

MAR’S DESPERATE TIMES LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES THE Philippines chalked up another dubious record this week, landing 19th in the world in illicit financial flows, also known as “dirty money.” A report of the US-based non-profit Global Financial Integrity said smuggling was the reason why the Philippines recorded an average of $9.03 billion in dirty money flows annually from 2003 to 2013, or a total of $93.494 for the same 10-year period.

Two things can be gleaned from this shameful citation.

First, smuggling remains a huge problem in the Philippines and second, the local Anti-Money Laundering Council is probably not doing its job of stopping illicit financial flows, the very reason for its existence.

It’s significant that GFI advised countries in its dirty money list to implement anti-money laundering laws already in place, like the one that created AMLC. Also, the group urged all countries to heed the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force, the Paris-based international group formed pri-

marily to curb terrorist funding and the laundering of drug syndicate money through the international banking system.

The sad truth is, AMLC has become just another a political tool for the Aquino administration in its campaign to destroy its perceived political enemies.

The great power of AMLC was first used (misused, really) in the successful Malacañangsponsored plot to remove Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012; it was also very much in display in the more recent attempt to freeze the assets in 242 bank accounts said to be owned or controlled by Vice President Jejo-

A9

Tying up political opponents in litigation has been elevated to a high art by Aquino’s chosen successor.

mar Binay, the better to portray him as corrupt.

But of all the accounts linked to Binay and people associated with him, AMLC was only ultimately able to identify one, containing P1.7 million, as a target for a freeze order. And AMLC failed to convince a Manila court that the account needed to be frozen, despite an offer from Binay himself not to touch the funds there until AMLC clears up its true ownership and provenance.

Binay has also sued AMLC, which is headed by Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco and run by a certain Julia Abad, for harassing him.

And the vice president’s people have a valid point when they

say that no one ever hears from AMLC except when the Aquino administration has a political enemy that it wants to take down.

Meanwhile, the GFI report shows that AMLC has failed to stop the flood of dirty money from smuggling, to say nothing of funding for terrorist organizations and drug syndicates. But for partisan political operations, AMLC has done a superb job—and will probably be performing that function for many years to come, now that this administration has shown how to “prop-

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-

erly” use it.

*** But tying up political opponents in litigation has really been elevated to a high art by President Noynoy Aquino’s chosen successor, the cellar-dwelling Mar Roxas. Binay is only the first target of the litigious Roxas, who keeps denying that he is involved in the legal troubles faced by his opponents—even if no one believes him.

The supporters of Senator Grace Poe are so convinced that Roxas is out to get their candidate through legal machina-

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

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

tions that they have already warned Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the latest darling of the pre-election surveys, that he will also join the list of those targeted for liquidation through this “gaming” of the legal system. And the only real thing that Binay, Poe and Duterte have in common is that they all seem unbeatable as far as the candidate of “daang matuwid” is concerned.

Supporters of all these three candidates have long identified prominent lawyer Avelino “Nonong” Cruz as the Continued on A10

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

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

DESPITE his brash talk and bragging that he has killed more than 1,700 criminals, Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte continues to fire up the interest of voters even as he hinted he may not be able to finish his term for health reasons.

Amnesty International, the Londonbased human rights watchdog, has raised its concern on what a Duterte presidency could be like. Summary killings and extrajudicial executions could be the norm.

Local human rights advocates caution voters to be careful what they wish for.

Some sectors, however, welcome how Duterte’s iron-fist treatment of criminals, particularly those who commit heinous offenses like murder, rape and drug-trafficking, which earned his city of Davao a reputation of being one of the safest cities in the world. There are even opinion writers who romanticize the tough, no-nonsense mayor perhaps because his rivals are blah, boring and perceived as the same rehashed politicians.

People like Duterte’s tough-guy image.

When he says he will feed and fatten the fish in Manila Bay with the bodies of criminals, somehow one gets a sense he can deliver on his threat.

I myself have given Duterte the moniker “Rody Do Dirty” as a play on words instead of the “Dirty Harry” tag of Manila Mayor Fred Lim who gained the rep after the Clint Eastwood role in the film of the same title. A reader who didn’t quite get it said I gave Duterte the Do Dirty label because I was an attack dog for a certain candidate. For the record, in the same column I wrote about Duterte, I made clear I don’t see anyone of the five presidential candidates worth voting for.

If Duterte himself said he’s going to do the dirty job of sweeping out criminals—feet first—then by all means, he has earned the tag “Rody Do Dirty.” It is dirty work, but someone has to do it because crime has gotten out of hand.

Local governments and police enforcers failed miserably in protecting the citizenry. There are even instances when policemen rob and rape female suspects in their custody. Clearly, Duterte’s surge in the SWS poll surveys as the most preferred candidate for president is being driven by the runaway crime. I have no problem with Duterte bringing back the death penalty and executing death convicts on a weekly basis. Who knows it may put the fear of God back in the dark heart of criminals who kill their victims.

It may also decongest death row in the national penitentiary.

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

F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

WE KISS IN THE SHADOW PENSEES FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO THE STAR-CROSSED couple —Lun Tha and Tuptim—sang this, because the irascible King of Siam would have none of Tuptim’s dalliances. She was, after all, a gift of the Burmese king to him, an addition to his considerable harem.

If public interests are truly served by this deal, there is absolutely no point in keeping it a secret.

This is also Neri Colmenares’ complaint. No, he is not jealous about lovers kissing in the shadow. He is irate at the government that has apparently smooched with a consortium that calls itself the Light Rail Manila Corp. that counts in its roster of notables among the most prominent business names in the country. Neri is fuming, and he has every right to. Why did this kiss have to take place in the dark? In fact, in the petition that Bayan filed with the Supreme Court, the rule that a copy of the questioned contract or deed has to be attached could not be complied with—because none was available, none was made available. Apparently, the parties to the tryst really went by the lines of the song: “afraid to be heard!”

The deal—in every respect, a sweetheart deal—has to do with LRT 1 and the LRT 1 Extension.

The favored lover, LRMC, takes over the operations and the

Mar’s... From A9 architect of the strategy to tie up Roxas’ rivals in court, with a view to disqualifying them from running, putting them in jail or just to smear them in the hopes of taking them down a few notches in the surveys. Like Santa’s elves, lawyers in Roxas’ camp toil endlessly to find legal weaknesses in all the other candidates, who will then be sued by friendly “outsourced” counsel in order to cover their tracks.

ON MY WAY TO SIERRA MADRE

rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

MY TRIP from Heart Center, Matalino Street, Quezon City to Sierra Madre Cafe behind Edsa in Mandaluyong City last Friday, Dec. 4 at 2:30 p.m. should have taken me less than an hour even at this time of the year when traffic is heaviest along Edsa.

With the Highway Patrol Group managing the traffic, I thought all I had to do was reach Edsa and—if lucky—drive straight away to the place in less than 30 minutes like in the good old days.

Instead, I did it in three hours, reaching at 5:30 p.m. this café owned by my Tarlaqueño friend Bayani Aquino who has always denied being related to the famous Aquinos even at the height of their popularity.

Upon reaching East Avenue, I was soon caught up in a nonmoving traffic situation. I then decided that it was better turning right at BIR Road and then left at Quezon Avenue. To my horror, the traffic situation there was equally bad.

I thought it was better to turn left at Edsa and head toward Cubao, but before reaching Timog Avenue, I was again stuck in traffic.

I then decided to turn right at Eugenio Lopez Drive, ignored Samar Avenue, and after plodding along narrow roads made narrower by tricycles, parked cars, sidewalk shanties and people occupying them, I found myself at the Boy Scout Circle at Tomas Morato Avenue, ready to head for E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue.

I had to first hurdle this traffic-clogged street before turning left at Gilmore Avenue. It was also full of slow-moving vehicles, so I took the streets around Mt. Carmel Church before hitting busy Aurora Boulevard.

After passing SM Centerpoint, I turned left at V. Mapa Street and skirted the motel section of Old Sta. Mesa. Fighting it out with jeepney drivers, I eventually reached Shaw Boulevard near the old Mandaluyong Mental

Hospital.

Mandaluyong City Hall was just around the corner but because of some unfinished road constructions, I ended up in a long crowded street that cut across a “talipapa” where my car was the only vehicle curiously inching its way into the main street. By then, it had already gotten dark.

Finally, after getting directions from a group of “istambay,” I reached the circular road around Mandaluyong City Hall.

It was a place I least expected to see as the city hall of a local government unit that is headed by its mayor for 15 years who was once the concurrent head of the League of Cities and Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines—Mayor Benhur Abalos Jr. Curiously, it was President Cory who appointed his father Benjamin Abalos—then a trial court judge—as Mandaluyong officer-in-charge immediately after the 1986 Edsa Revolution.

Judge Abalos would be its elected mayor for nine years and chairman, briefly, of the Metro Manila Development Authority.

President Gloria MacapagalArroyo would eventually appoint him chairman of the Commission on Elections, a post he had to resign because of his involvement in the Chinese ZTE Deal scandal.

The city was ranked best in “Quality of Life” by the Asian Institute of Management in 2007 and even earned the title “Tiger City” during Mayor Benhur’s incumbency.

Surely, these accolades were awarded not so long ago.

The city hall complex that I saw was surrounded by a lake of murky and stinky floodwater that unknowing motorists like me had to endure. Of course,

the people who live nearby suffer more from these filthy conditions daily.

Disgusted, I stopped to ask bystanders how long the floodwater had been there. For months now, I was told, starting when the Department of Public Works and Highways began digging and unearthing the existing infrastructures.

The city is the lone district that House of Representatives Majority Floor Leader Neptali Gonzales II represents. Why he has tolerated this almost intentional wrecking job by DPWH is really a big wonder.

It couldn’t be because of politics. After all, the Abalos and Gonzales families have conveniently partitioned between themselves the city’s elective posts for decades now.

Maybe, both families only pay attention to the Mandaluyong segment of the affluent Ortigas Center on the other side of Edsa.

In any case, the economic successes of our key cities— Makati, San Juan, Quezon City and Davao City—cannot be attributed to the political family dynasties that have ruled over them for decades.

That they were these cities’ political leaders is only coincidental. The business tycoons were the ones who turned these cities into what they are today.

Mayor Digong Duterte is the exception. He deserves full credit for turning his once chaotic Davao City into a place of peace and prosperity.

I finally reached my friend’s café where he was patiently waiting. In jest, he commented that he feared I had proceeded to the Sierra Madre Mountains of Rizal.

In reply, I simply said – “If I did, I would have reached it sooner.”

I just couldn’t tell him that I prefer going up there to drive along its traffic-free long and winding road and breathe its fresh mountain air.

This was supposedly the scheme employed to disqualify Poe on residency and/or citizenship grounds, according to Senator Francis Escudero. The lawyer who filed a complaint against Poe, Estrella Elamparo, the senator said, is with the Divina law firm—the same one used by Cruz in the case he filed against his former partners in “The Firm” after its acrimonious breakup.

The three members of the second division of the Commission on Elections that ruled

recently against Poe, Escudero said, all have ties with Cruz’ law firm or the Aquino administration. Even Chairman Andres Bautista himself has been accused of being in on a plot to eliminate Poe, supposedly because of his own ties to the present government and Roxas.

The strategy seems to be, for the perennially trailing Roxas, if you can’t beat them, sue them. And if they can’t be disqualified or jailed, maybe they’ll lose some of their sur-

vey numbers, which will then go to Roxas.

But the strategy is so full of holes, it might as well be a sieve. As leading budget and political analyst Professor Benjamin Diokno has as pointed out, Roxas is actually the only pro-administration candidate; all the others can thus be classified as anti-administration.

“If Roxas’ survey numbers represent the pro-administration votes and the combined numbers of his opponents represent the anti-administration

votes, you’ll see how difficult Roxas’ situation is,” Diokno said. As the old joke says, if Roxas runs unopposed, unopposed will probably beat him, too.

So I guess you can’t really ask Roxas not to use every means possible to win—even if that means he can only win by making sure the rest of the field doesn’t even get out of the starting gate.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. And Roxas looks pretty desperate to me.

maintenance of the line and the construction of the extension.

Ostensibly, this is all in keeping with the Build-OperateTransfer law that the agreement supposedly invokes. It is meant to be a 32-year love affair, extendable to 50 years, and worse, Bayan claims, it embodies masochistic terms: The government it seems has committed itself to pay for whatever damage or defect the consortium find at the time of the take-over. With all the revenue from the operation of the lines going to the concessionaire, it does look very much like the offer an aging spinster offers someone young she has madly—stupidly—fallen for!

It is true of course that government is a poor manager.

This is a thesis that has been proved repeatedly. All that one has to do is to look at government-run facilities in contrast to those that are privately owned and managed. Privatization itself cannot be evil. But when you deal with a public utility that benefits millions of commuters in a deal that heaps favors upon an already favored circle, then the public has the right to know and the government has the duty to inform and to consult.

If public interests are truly served by this deal, there is absolutely no point in keeping it a secret. However, the public apparently first heard about it when Ted Failon took it up in his morning dzMM program, citing extensively from the petition that Bayan filed before the Supreme Court. The nation should not have heard it from Failon first. It should have heard of it from the government.

If, however, as the petitioners in the present case allege, that deal is lop-sided, unfavorable to the public and patently lucrative to the concessionaires, is not this the betrayal of public trust that renders high officials unworthy of office and deserving of the highest form of public censure?

FILIPINO PENSIONER HORACE TEMPLO

F R I D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A11

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ THE year 2016 promises to be better than 2015. Economic growth will be higher, at 6 percent, than the 5.6 percent for the first nine months of 2015 and a likely 5.8 percent for the whole of 2015.

Two reasons for the better prospects in 2016: One, we will have a new president. Two, the economy is very strong, fundamentally. Even if the president were a rat, it would continue growing. Sheer law of physics.

The Philippine economy is large —100 million in size of consumer market, more than $400 billion in purchasing power GDP, and $26 billion or P1.22 trillion in 100 percent value added remittances or more money than FDIs multiplied 10 times.

With 6.0-percent gross domestic product growth in the third quarter, the headline should have been: Philippines will miss its 2015 GDP growth target of 7.0 percent to 8.0 percent, sneers economist Ben Diokno on the economic performance for 2015.

Diokno says the Aquino administration is likely to miss its GDP target miserably, by 1.6 to 1.9 percentage points this year.

Under Aquino, economic growth has been decelerating, not accelerating. GDP growth was a high 7.6 percent when he took office in 2010. It fell to 3.7

Why... From A9 Whenever I take a taxicab, I often ask the driver who is his choice for president in 2016.

The answer in four out of five is Duterte. My random survey may not be as scientific compared to SWS but no one commissioned and paid me. Somehow, the taxi drivers’ response to “Dirty Rody” reflects their desperation to finding a savior from the perils they experience at the hands of “holduppers” who steal their earning, their taxicabs and sometimes even kill them to eliminate witnesses. I can empathize with their plight and the attraction

2016 WILL BE A FAR BETTER YEAR percent immediately in 2011, his first full year as President, because of under-spending.

Growth recovered to 6.7 percent in 2012, thanks to base effect of starting from a low number.

GDP improved further to 7.1 percent in 2013 but fell to 6.1 percent in 2014. Every quarter since then, economic growth has been on a downward spiral. This year, economic growth will fall below 6 percent for the first time in five years.

Aquino says if you vote for his anointed, fellow hacendero Manuel Araneta Roxas II, for president in 2016, you will have more of Matuwid na Daan. Matuwid na Daan is a false mantra.

It means incompetence, corruption, and slowing growth which translate into more Filipinos becoming poor and being jobless.

Two million more Filipinos joined the ranks of the poor during Aquino’s presidency. The economy, under his watch, refuses to create two million jobs year—the minimum number of new jobs needed yearly to reduce the unemployment problem. More than 12 million ablebodied adults have no jobs or are employed only part-time.

The main reason for slowing growth is that the government cannot spend the money it has budgeted to spend—especially for infrastructure and for agricultural modernization, in the past two years. The amount unspent is more than P500 bil-

lion—enough to rescue four million families from poverty for the next 10 years.

This under-spending explains why you have a serious food shortage of two million tons of rice every year, and you experience monstrous traffic jams in Metro Manila daily, for lack of trains, lack of roads, and lack of nearly everything that is basic.

Even average brain is in short supply. What you have are huge doses of incompetence, stupidity, and corruption.

Diokno suggests the correct way to analyze economic performance under Aquino is compare actual GDP with the administration’s own target, which in 2015 is GDP growth of 7.0 percent to 8.0 percent or a mid-point target of 7.5 percent.

Joseph Estrada’s former budget secretary writes: “The administration knows best—the country’s stage of development, the country’s openness [exports + imports divided by the GDP], its resource endowment, its administrative machinery, and so on. Hence, it is fair to measure its actual performance against its own target.”

Assuming that growth in the first three quarters holds for the entire year, the Aquino administration would be woefully short of its growth target by almost two percentage points (1.9 percent), which by any measure, is a significant underperformance.

Based on the past three quar-

ters’ growth, I forecast that the Philippine economy would grow by 5.8 percent in 2015.

Thankfully, by July 1, 2016, the Philippines will have a new president, one who is widely expected to be far better than Aquino III. A new leader means a new momentum, a sharper focus on jobs and the economy, and a more competent and hardworking administration.

BS Aquino has been seen as a vindictive, insensitive and donothing president. He claims economic growth of the past five years and a half as his legacy—a period when growth rate steadily went down, thanks to his government’s severe under-spending and lack of focus on heavy infrastructure investments to modernize the economy.

Aquino also claims improved governance under his Matuwid na Daan (Straight Path) mantra.

Yes, he might be personally honest, but a number of his cabinet members as well as nearly the entire bureaucracy are corrupt to the core, on top of being grossly incompetent.

Among the Asean-5 countries, the Philippines has the best growth perspective with an average growth forecast of 6.0 percent for 2016, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The DFA points to the strong momentum in domestic demand, buoyed by growing remittances as the main factor driving

growth next year.

According to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, the Philippines also benefits from improved attractiveness as a FDI destination.

Per the 2016 edition of the OECD Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China, and India, growth for the Asean-5 economies—Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam—shows “mild moderation,” but will remain “robust” at an average of 6.5 percent in 2016.

This is the second year in a row that the Philippines has the best growth forecast among the Asean-5 countries according to the OECD Economic Outlook. Growth forecasts for the other Asean-5 countries are 5.9 percent (Vietnam), 5.2 percent (Indonesia), 4.6 percent (Malaysia) and 3.1 percent (Thailand).

The growth forecast for China and India are 6.5 percent and 7.3 percent, respectively.

The OECD Economic Outlook is an annual publication on Asia’s regional economic growth, development, and regional integration process. It focuses on the economic conditions of the Asean member countries as well as the relevant economic issues in China and India in order to fully reflect economic developments in the region.

to Duterte’s brand of vigilante justice.

To be fair, there are some redeeming features of Duterte’s campaign platform like his proposal for a federal form of government and to abolish Congress IF it becomes an obstruction to meaningful reforms. The people are tired of lapdog legislators who sell out to the President to gain favors and pork barrel funds. But can we be assured that Duterte won’t abolish Congress just because it does not agree with his policy?

It’s such a leap of faith to entrust too much power on just one man without the Constitutional check and balance.

Spurious land titles Eric San Juan, host of the weekly news forum Balitaan sa Rembrandt, sent us this interesting item on the proliferation of spurious land titles in the country. The revelation is the subject of a 110-page book by activist and author Daniel Frieneza launched at the Hotel Rembrandt in Quezon City last week. Frieneza who did extensive research on how the use of the Torrens title dating from the Spanish times to the present, had been abused and given rise to hundreds of thousands of fake land titles.

Quite possibly, even the land where SM Megamall and Tri-

noma in Quezon City are sitting on could have doubtful provenance. This was according to lawyer Virgilio Pablico of the chief of the legal section of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group whose help Frieneza enlisted in the writing of his book. The proliferation of fake land titles was exposed in 1964 during the time of former President Diosdado Macapagal, Land Registration Commissioner Antonio Noblejas and National Bureau of Investigation Director Jolly Bugarin. Some 100,000 Original Certificates of Titles (OCTs) with no probative origin were discovered and the resolution of some of these cases

are still pending.

In his book, “The Torrens System: A Gateway for the Flooding of Fake Land Titles,” Frianeza chronicled how land grabbers took large tracts of land when the country was still under Spanish colonial rule.

The practice continued to the present where fake OCTs have been replicated into millions of Transfer of Certificates of Titles (TCTs). A flawed justice system that sometimes decide land litigation cases in favor of the moneyed and landed gentry abetted the ownership of fake titles.

I suggest readers buy the book if they have interests in real estate, business and the law.

#FAILOCRACY

biznewsasia@gmail.com

CHONG ARDIVILLA

F ri day : de ce m b e r 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A12

sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Hornet banned 4 games for doping NEW YORK—Charlotte Hornets center Al Jefferson, sidelined another week or two by a left calf strain, was issued a five-game suspension by the NBA on Wednesday for violating terms of its Anti-Drug Program.

Jefferson, who was hurt in the first quarter of a November 29 game against Milwaukee, will miss the first five games for which he is eligible and physically able to play.

Jefferson is averaging 13.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocked shots a game for Charlotte.

He boasts career averages of 16.9 points and 9.0 rebounds over 12 NBA campaigns with Boston, Minnesota, Utah and Charlotte.

No details were given about the nature of the violation or the medication involved, a typical move under US medical privacy laws.

But under terms of the NBA-union anti-drug deal, players are banned five games after a third positive marijuana test.

“We are disappointed in Al’s decisions that led to this suspension,” the Hornets said in a statement. “As an organization, we do not con-

done this. We have addressed this with Al. He is regretful and understands that we expect him to learn from this mistake.”

Jefferson issued an apology for making a poor decision but gave no further insight or details.

“I want to apologize to the Hornets organization, our owner, my teammates and my coaches for the poor decision that I made,” Jefferson said in his statement. “I know I have let people down, especially the Hornets fans that have been so supportive of me since I arrived in Charlotte two years ago.

“I am blessed to be able to play the game that I love for a living and I do not take that for granted. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly

sorry and I am committed to making smarter decisions in the future.”

In the worst-case scenario under current medical expectations, Jefferson would miss the remaining 11 games of 2015 and could return at Toronto on January 1.

Should he become healthy sooner, he might back for a December 26 home game against Memphis.

The Hornets are 12-8 and have won seven of their past nine games, losing only to unbeaten defending NBA champion Golden State and reigning Eastern Conference champion Cleveland.

Charlotte stands level fourth in the East, only one loss behind Miami for the Southeast division lead. Afp

Cheerdancers from the Arizona Wildcats cheer the first half of the college basketball game at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona. Afp

Bisera, Abaring zero in on PGT cards RAMIL Bisera and Richard Abaring fired identical 68s to assume the 1-2 posts after three rounds of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour Qualifying School at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club’s Aoki course in Cavite yesterday.

Bisera, who moved to joint third after a 73 in the second round of the four-day elims, leaned on a fiery backside 33 to spike his four-under card and wrest control at 216 heading to the final round of the event staking 50 berths for next year’s circuit.

In contrast, Abaring went on a birdie-binge

at the front, gunning down four and mixed three more birdies against three bogeys in the last nine holes to likewise shoot a 68 and join a faltering Danny Zarate, who wavered with a 75, at 218.

Artemio Murakami sustained his fightback from a poor 77 start with back-to-back 71s, taking solo fourth at 219 while Chris delos Santos also fired a 71 for fifth at 221 followed

by Nelson Huerva (74222), amateur Jobim Carlos (67-223), Al Cruz (68-223), Johvanie Abaño (71-223) and Belem Arancon (74-223).

Statue honoring Holmes unveiled

By Ronnie Nathanielsz FORMER outstanding heavyweight champion Larry Homes will be honored with the official unveiling of his bronze statute, where the Lehigh and Delaware rivers meet in Easton, Pennsylvania, the hometown of the fighter known as the “Eastern Assassin” on Sunday.

In an article in The Morning Callb, reporter Tom Shortell said that Holmes sized up his likeness Monday as crews installed a bronze statue of the boxing champion in a small park. He thanked the city and his wife, Diane, for the tribute, saying it’s something “people will be able to remember

Former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes poses with the statue made in his honor.

the rest of their life.”

Shortell said that as he looked up at the statue, which depicts the “Easton Assassin” throwing a punch, the champ was asked what it’s like to literally be larger than life.

“It feels great. It’s mindboggling when you think about something like this happening for you, to you.

I owe my wife all the gratitude because she put her effort [in] and she got it done,” said Holmes.

PH bet wins triathlon gold in Malaysia IN WHAT could be a preview of things to come with the possible inclusion of duathlon in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games, national duathlete Mirasol Abad did the nation proud by claiming the gold in the women’s standard-distance duathlon event of the Pariaman ASTC Triathlon Asian Cup 2015 event held on Nov. 28 at Pariaman, West Sumatra, Malaysia.

Abad led most of the 10 Km run – 40 Km bike – 5 Km run race and completed it with a time of 2 hours, 16 minutes and 40 seconds.

Eva Desiani of Indonesia finished 2nd place in 2:19:00, while Abad’s teammate Miscelle Gilbuena checked in at 3rd place with 2:23:47.

In the male standard duathlon event, Robinson Esteves and Jeric Buhian of the Philippines could only manage 4th and 5th places respectively, with times of 2:12:32 and 2:26:35.

Their compatriot 2014 Asian Beach Games duathlon bronze medalist Robeno Javier led the pack early until he suffered a flat tire during the first lap of the bike leg, by hitting a pot hole which prevented him from finishing.

Estevez, meanwhile, could not keep up with the two Indonesians and a Malaysian, while Buhian raced in bad shape after arriving the night before the race and consuming spicy food.

McDowell looks to build momentum MIAMI—Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell hopes for one last victory in 2015 at the 27th annual Franklin Templeton Shootout in a bid to boost his momentum for a busy campaign next year.

McDowell is among 24 players paired into two-man teams for the unique threeday competition hosted

by Australian legend Greg Norman at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.

The duos will compete in a scramble format in Thursday’s opening round, a modified alternate shot format on Friday and a better ball format on Saturday.

McDowell, ranked 55th, is paired with American Gary Woodland, a partnership that shared fifth last year after standing second entering the final day. Afp

f ri day : de ce m b e r 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A13

sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Parrenas battles Japanese champ

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

The few and the proud. The Philippine Marines Dragonboat teams, which topped the men’s and women’s events in the

recent Philippine Canoe Kayak Federation Club Crew Challenge, are shown during the awarding ceremonies held at the PCKF race venue at the CCP Complex in Manila over the weekend. The event, which also served as a get-together party of all teams and club members of the PCKF was organized by its president Jhonie Go and national coach Len Escollante.

Ali hits out Trump over Muslim ban WASHINGTON (AFP)--Muhammad Ali rebuked Donald Trump over his call to ban Muslims from entering the United States, news reports said Wednesday, as the boxing icon became just the latest high-profile name to lay into the presidential hopeful.

Ali, a Muslim, did not mention the Republican frontrunner by name, but a statement by the former heavyweight champ -- reported by NBC and ABC -- appeared directed squarely at Trump.

“Speaking as someone who has never been accused of political correctness, I believe that our political leaders should use their position to bring understanding about the reli-

gion of Islam and clarify that these misguided murderers have perverted people’s views on what Islam really is,” said the statement, referring also to recent terror attacks.

Ali, 73, was somewhat thrust into the debate when President Barack Obama mentioned Muslims were US soldiers and citizens and sports heroes, and Trump challenged people to think of a Muslim sports hero.

“I am a Muslim and there is nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world,” the statement attributed to Ali said.

“True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so-called Islamic jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion.”

An outspoken champion in his youth, Ali won the world heavyweight crown only to be banned from boxing for nearly four years in his prime for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War on religious grounds.

He was found guilty of draft evasion but the Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 1971 and his fight made him an iconic figure well beyond the sports world.

WORLD Boxing Organization Oriental super flyweight champion Warlito Parrenas faces a tough fight when he battles World Boxing Council champion Naoya Inoue at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo on Dec. 19.

British trainer Warren Evison told The St andard/b oxing mirror.com that Parrenas “certainly has a tough fight against Inoue, who is very fast and very strong.”

However, Evison said Parrenas has done some power training and is “relaxed while sparring is going well.”

“We are concentrating on more defensive work, as well as Parrenas’ foot-

work. He is definitely mentally ready and is focused because this is his last chance,” said Evison, pointing out that the one factor in his favor is that he has never lost to a Japanese opponent before.

The 32-year-old Parrenas has a record of 24-6-1 with 21 knockouts and is coming off a controversial split draw in an interim title fight against David Carmona of Mexico last July 24, despite dropping his foe in the second round and having him in trouble on occasions.

The 22-year-old Inoue won the WBO super flyweight title with a second-round knockout of Argentina’s Omar Narvaez on Dec. 30, 2014.

Africa can help save FIFA, says Prince Ali DAKAR—FIFA presidential contender Prince Ali bin al Hussein insisted on Wednesday that he can save the corruption-plagued organisation and that Africa will have a crucial role to play in the future.

Prince Ali is one of the contenders to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in February’s election with reform high on the agenda of all candidates in the light of an avalanche of bribery allegations and arrests.

“Football is the most popular sport in the world. The reputation of the organisation is opposite. We can change this and the election (Feb 26) to come is crucial,” Prince Ali said on a stop-off in the Senegalese capital.

“We cannot have a secretive organisation. We have to be open in words and in deeds. People have to have faith in us,” added the 39-year-old.

“My fear is if we do not get this right, there are a lot of people out there calling to change FIFA, to have a different organisation.

“But I believe the opposite— we must save it”.

Prince Ali made a pitch for crucial African votes -- the African confederation has 54 votes, the biggest electoral clout, in the 209 federations which make up FIFA. “Africa is crucial for what we want to do, to develop football.

We need to develop infrastructure, the stadiums, the teams.

The potential is absolutely incredible.

“The moment has come for Africa to play a leadership role.”

Prince Ali faces stiff competition if he is to succeed Blatter, the long-serving president who is serving a 90-day suspension from the sport.

UEFA president Michel Platini, despite also being banned for 90 days, remains hopeful of taking the top job.

The other candidates are Platini’s right-hand man at UEFA, Gianni Infantino, Asian football head Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa of Bahrain, Jerome Champagne, a former assistant general secretary of FIFA, and South Africa’s Tokyo Sexwale. AFP

Dagitab unveils 2-week tennis tilt LOCAL fans brace for a two-week tennis showcase as the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group tennis tournament fires off today with the top and rising players from the host city and nearby towns clashing for top honors at the Naga City Tennis Club in Cebu City.

The five-day tournament ending Tuesday also serves as the kickoff of a two-week tennis festival held in conjunction with the Dagitab Festival celebrations to be capped by an Open Championship on Dec. 16-22 featuring the country’s leading players.

They include veteran Davis Cuppers PJ Tierro, Johnny Arcilla and Jeson Patrombon and

regular campaigners Ronard Joven, Vicente Anasta, Fritz Verdad, Arvin Ruel, Deo Talatayod, Diego Dalisay, Kyle Parpan, John Mari Altiche, Leander Lazaro, Israel Abarquez and Kennex Abadia.

But the age-groupers take center stage first with the likes of Zethley Mae Alferez, Elizabeth Abarquez and Beverly Enriquez headlining the cast in the girls’ 16- and 18-and-under categories and Norman Enriquez, Greek Apduhan, Kevin Pantillo and Francis Navales tipped to slug it out for top honors in the boys’ premier 18-U section.

“We’re inviting all tennis players and fans in the Visayas to watch and support the PPS-PEPP Dagi-

tab Festival which will feature not only our young, upcoming stars but also the top players in the Open Championship,” said Mayor Valdemar Chiong of the NCTC, who also cited PPS-PEPP’s continuing effort to develop and promote the sport through a nationwide circuit.

“The huge turnout only inspires us to keep putting up tournaments, especially in the countryside, through the support of the LGUs, where the sport enjoys tremendous popularity,” said Palawan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro.

For details, call Bobby Mangunay, PPS-PEPP organizer and sports program development di-

Make a wish. Former boxer Oscar Dela Hoya attends Make-A-Wish

Greater Los Angeles Honoring Oscar De La Hoya, Michael Rosenfeld And Tom Mone at its Annual Wishing Well Winter Gala at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. AFP

F R I DAY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A14

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Arellano tossers share lead with SSC

Valdez shares Finals MVP award with volleyball fans

DEFENDING champion Arellano University overpowered San Beda, 25-18, 25-16, 25-20, yesterday to seize a share of the lead with San Sebastian College in the 91st NCAA women’s volleyball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

Jovielyn Grace Prado went on a spiking rampage and finished with a match-best 17 hits, while CJ Rosario, Danna Henson and Shirley Salamagos contributed 13, 11 and 10, respectively, to help the Lady Chiefs nail their fourth win in row.

“We just played aggressive, that was the key,” said Arellano University coach Obet Javier in Filipino.

San Beda exacted revenge on Arellano University in men’s play, pulling off a pulsating 22-25, 25-19, 25-14, 1725, 15-12 victory to move to solo fourth with a 3-1 record.

Yeshua Felix Manliclic and Mark Christian Enciso unloaded 17 points apiece, while team captain Alfie Mascarinas scattered 12 hits that propelled the Lions to victory.

It was another impressive effort for San Beda, which nearly pulled off a shock win over reigning titlist Emilio Aguinaldo College on opening day before absorbing a heartbreaking 25-21, 21-25, 20-25, 25-23, 10-15 setback.

The Chiefs fell to 2-2.

In juniors’ action, Arellano smothered San Beda, 25-15, 25-12, 25-21, to move up to solo No. 2 with a 3-1 card behind the leagueleading Perpetual Help, the defending champion, which is unbeaten in three starts.

Aldimal Waham provided the scoring punch with a match-high 21 points, 16 on kills, three on blocks and two on service aces.

CROWD darling Alyssa Valdez paid tribute to her horde of fans as she offered her Final MVP plum with her supporters after leading PLDT Home Ultera to a sweep of Army in the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Reinforced Conference championship at The Arena in San Juan last Sunday.

“This is for the fans,” Valdez told a GMA News TV Channel 11 reporter as she jubilantly hoisted and pointed her MVP trophy in the direction of her fans, who came out in full force to support her and the Ultra Fast Hitters against the equally star-studded Lady Troopers.

“I’m deeply, deeply grateful

for their loyalty and undying support. Win or lose, they’re always behind me.”

The reigning back-toback UAAP MVP needed only two games to re-display her enormous talent. She sauntered onto the court only at the eleventh hour for Game 1 and helped anchor Home Ultera’s stirring fight-

back from two-sets down to a thrilling five-set win. She sustained her form in Game 2 that saw the Ultra Fast Hitters eke out a four-set win to complete the sweep of their best-of-three series.

She finished with 25 points in the opener and took the Player of the Game honors in her first-ever appearance in the season-ending conference of the nation’s most popular commercial league in women’s volleyball after sitting out the elims and the semis.

Then drawing solid backup from American guest player Sareea Freeman, Gretchel Soltones and Sue Roces, Valdez scored 22 points in Game 2, bagged

the top player honors again and clinched the Finals MVP award, hands down.

“She is a treasure to have as a player,” said Home Ultera coach Roger Gorayeb said of prized player. “Despite her superstar stature, she doesn’t give me problems. She always comes on time for practice. She doesn’t want to discuss playing fees even if she’s the only player to date who can fill any venue she plays in.”

Valdez did everything in her power to be able to play in the finals. ‘ Gorayeb said she had actually appeared in Game One in white polo shirt and denim short shorts with

her Ateneo Thai coach Tai Bundit while her PLDT teammates were already doing stretching exercises.

When told by Valdez that her school had not yet given her the go-signal to play, Gorayeb had calmly pointed out to her that the big crowd almost filling the Arena had paid for tickets primarily to see her play.

Game 1 had started with Valdez nowhere in sight. In the middle of the second set, she had appeared in playing uniform to deafening cheers and screams. Whatever had transpired behind the scene, fans had surmised their idol must have somehow put her foot down this time.

Moment of truth for Vera, PH bets

By Randy Caluag

Surrounded by her PLDT Home Ultera teammates, Alyssa Valdez raises her MVP award.

Kawasaki’s San Andres is Rider of the Year again

Kenneth San Andres (center) receives his eighth straight Rider of the Year title from NAMSSA president Macky Carapiet. At left is San Andres’ girlfriend AJ Victoriano.

MULTI-TITLED rider Kenneth San Andres of Kawasaki-JBS Philippines received his eighth straight Rider of the Year title during the 2015 National Motorcycle Sports and Safety Association Gala Awards Night at the Speedworld MX Circuit, SM Bicutan recently.

After the final leg of the series held under the auspices of NAMSSA, headed by its president Macky Carapiet, San Andres was crowned overall champion of the Pro Open at Pro 125, leading his rivals for the honor by a mile.

“Thank God that I am still the MX Rider of the Year. All my hard work and sacrifices have finally paid off. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of my family, sponsors, and my girlfriend AJ Victoriano,” said San Andres, who began his streak of NAMSSA Philippine National Motocross Rider of the Year titles in 2008.

The Kawasaki rider is backed

by Foilacar Industries, KIA Global, Motul Philippines, Oak-

ley Philippines, Troylee Design, GoPro Philippines, Leatt Neck Brace, Pro Taper, Bell Helmet, Bridgestone Tires, Polisport, Laus Auto Group, R33 Car Exchange, Xotics Carwash, Halrey, GCG Pipe, JBS Motorcycle Parts, JM Stickers and General Manager Mark Lapid.

An awardee for motocrosss of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) last year, San Andres is actually coming off a sweep of both the Pro Open and Pro 125 categories of the national series, also at the Speedworld, Last month, San Andres cemented his status as one of Asia’s best riders after placing fifth runner-up in the FIM Asian Motocross Championships’ MX2 Class in Palembang, Indonesia, even as his father/coach Junjun San Andres placed second runner-up in the Veterans Class of the same tournament.

In the Batam Indonesia International Motocross, San Andres finished sixth runner-up from a field of 22 of the world’s best riders.

AFTER all the hype and trash-talks, Filipino-Italian Brandon Vera will be fighting a last-minute foe in Taiwanese Pau Cheng for the inaugural ONE Championship heavyweight title tonight at the Mall of Asia arena.

Vera was scheduled to clash with the dangerous kickboxing specialist Chi Lewis Parry, but ONE chief executive Victor Cui said the American is no longer coming.

“After multiple requests made by ONE officials directly to Chi Lewis Parry and his manager over the last few weeks, Chi has failed to submit his medical results and his drug tests for the fight this Friday. Additionally, he decided not to board the plane departing from London to Manila. He will not be fighting this Friday (today),” said Cui in his Facebook post.

Vera, a former top campaigner in the UFC, is eyeing his second victory in ONE: Spirit of Champions that is stacked with explosive bouts, featuring other Filipino contenders Mark Striegl, Ana Julaton, Geje Eustaquio, Ruehl Catalan and Eugene Toquero.

During a public workout in Makati, Vera (13-7) vowed that he will not be beaten in front of his countrymen as he seeks a successful follow-up to his debut win at the expense of Igor Subora in his debut earlier this year.

Even as a last-minute replacement, Cheng is no patsy. His two victories in the ONE cage were via stoppages.

Although with only two years of MMA exposure, Cheng, a former football player, is naturally gifted with enviable strength that can be a factor against the veteran Vera.

Just like Vera, Striegl is fighting a replacement in Australian Reece Maclaren. Striegl has lost only once in his 15 MMA fights, but he cannot be over confident against an unfamiliar opponent, who is making his debut in ONE cage.

Maclaren (7-3) has won three of his last four victories by submission.

What could probably turn out to be the main offering of the ONE’s Manila leg is the bantamweight fight between Julaton and Russian Irina Mazepa.

F R I DAY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6 DIGITS 00-00-00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

French probe 2021 world tourney award

SMB’s JayR Reyes (left) beats NLEX’s Jonas Villanueva to the rebound in a PBA Philippine Cup game won by the Beermen, 88-80, Wednesday night.

Alaska, Rain or Shine clash, try to boost semifinal bids

By Jeric Lopez

TWO heavyweights go on a collision course, with second-running Alaska meeting third-placed Rain or Shine in the resumption of the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup. The No. 2 Aces (7-1), armed with a four-game winning streak, and the No. 3 Elasto Painters (6-2), will figure in an all-important tussle at 7 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with both teams fighting for a Top 2 finish.

In the curtain-raiser, Barako Bull (4-4) looks to formalize its entry into the quarterfinals as it faces Blackwater (1-7), which will try to stay alive, at 4:15 p.m.

With the two outright semifinal berths still up for grabs, the Aces and the Painters are expected to go all out against each other

in this pivotal contest.

League-leading San Miguel Beer, which is half-a-game ahead of Alaska for first place with its pace-setting 8-1 slate, is already halfway getting the first of two outright semis tickets.

As the playoffs are fast approaching and he elimination round winds down to its final stage, Alaska coach Alex Compton believes that his team is peaking at the right time. He wants his Aces to come out on top against the Painters. ‘’I think we’re getting even better and we’re doing a good job this

conference,’’ said Compton. ‘’In the Tropang Texters last week. our league, you take any win you Barako Bull coach Koy Banal can get and hopefully said they are lookwe can have another ing to improve their Games Friday one against Rain or (Smart Araneta Coliseum) ranking.

4:15 p.m. - Blackwater vs, Shine.’’ ‘’We’re treating our Bull The Aces were 7 p.m. Barako last games with a lot of - Rain or Shine vs. challenged by lowly sense of urgency. We Alaska Meralco in their need to be in the best last outing, but still possible position,’’ emerged victorious, 88-86, to win said Banal, hoping that his squad their fourth straight, while the can crack into the Top 6 to earn a Elasto Painters were tripped by twice-to-beat incentive instead of Talk ‘N Text, 95-85, in its last game. a disadvantage in the next round.

Currently at No. 7, Barako As for the Elite, who lost, 102Bull is in a fairly good place, but 94, in overtime against Barangay to certify its entry to the next Ginebra last Saturday, it is still in round, it still needs one more win the running to make the playoffs, and it is hoping it can get the job but it needs to win all of its redone against Blackwater. maining games to have a chance.

The Energy will be entering this Right now, it is in ninth place contest with a lot of momentum and trails eighth-placer Mahiafter hacking out a hard-earned ndra by only half-game for the 105-98 overtime upset win over final quarterfinals berth.

PARIS—French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the awarding of the 2021 world athletics championships to the American city of Eugene, a judicial source said Wednesday, confirming a report by the BBC. Eugene was awarded the championships despite the traditional formal bidding process for such a high-profile event not taking place.

The new inquiry is not related to the ongoing corruption probe which led to the arrest and charging of Lamine Diack, the former president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the source said.

His successor Sebastian Coe came under fire for his close links to Nike, the multinational sportswear firm which is headquartered in the Oregon city of Eugene.

Coe has since stepped down from his paid role as an ambassador for Nike.

The Olympic legend, however, denied all claims of a conflict of interest in a position he had held for 38 years and paid a reported 142,000 euros (£103,112; $156,542) a year.

The preliminary investigation launched in France is understood to be looking at the various suspicions raised by the British media and to make sure that the French courts have jurisdiction.

The BBC last month published an email from a senior Nike executive that suggested Coe had lobbied Diack for the 2021 World Championships to be awarded to Eugene.

When asked if it had been in Nike’s interest for the event to be awarded to Eugene—which it was, without a formal bid process—Coe told a British parliament committee: “I don’t conclude that.”

On the nature of his communications with Nike, Coe said: “I was asked the question. I gave a view that Eugene needed to get back into the competition and get into the next bid cycle.” AFP

Championship day: In honor of Judy Araneta Roxas I ANNOUNCED last December 8, 2015 to the bridge players at my Duplicate Bridge Game that we would honor Ms. Judy Roxas at the special Championship Day on January 18, 2016.

What is little known about Judy: Judy and the late Sen. Gerry Roxas were avid bridge players.

Judy is better as the “Grand Dame of the Liberal Party,” Matriach of the Araneta Clan, and the wife of the late Senator Gerry Roxas. Today Judy is known as the mother of Mr. Mar Roxas, the candidate for president of the Philippines.

The date selected on January 18 is an auspicious date. It was the birth date of my father, the late Congressman Pedro Lopez who died in the plane crash with the late President Ramon Magsaysay. My family had inter-relationship with Mr. J Amado Araneta and Speaker Jose Yulo.

We will be honored by the presence of Judy if her schedule permits.

-oOoTournament Report—Showdown in Sonya, III

By Ron Klinger This was Board 22: SYLVIA LOPEZ ALEJANDRO

East dealer Neither side vulnerable North ♠K1073 ♥Q108 ♦K643 ♣A4 West East ♠A965 ♠QJ ♥6 ♥A74 ♦J109 ♦Q72 ♣J9873 ♣KQ1065 South ♠842 ♥KJ9532 ♦A85 ♣2 Mazurkiewicz vs. Ventin Room 1 South West North East Auken Mazurkiewicz Welland Jassem 1♣ 2♦* Pass 2♥ Pass Pass Double Pass 3♣ Pass Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ Pass Pass Pass Room 2

South West Gawrys Wrang

North Klukowski

East Upmark 1♣ 1♥ Double Redouble* Pass 2♥ Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ Pass Pass Pass In Room 1, perhaps North could have invited game after two diamonds. Jassem (East) led the heart four, won by the jack. East took the heart return and switched to the spade queen, ducked to the king. Declarer drew the last trump, as West discarded the spade six. There was no trouble setting up an extra spade trick for a diamond discard plus 420.

There is no genuine defense against four hearts, but Wrang found a way to beat it in the Closed Room. He led the spade six. Naturally enough, declarer did not fly king, and the spade jack won. The club queen went to the ace. After the heart queen won trick three, the heart eight was taken by the ace. Upmark played the spade queen. West took the ace and returned a spade, and East’s ruff meant minus 50; 10imps to VENTIN. Diamond vs. Monaco Room 3 South West North East

Fantoni Hampson

Nunes

Pass 2♥ Pass Room 4 South Drijver

Pass 3♥ Pass

Double Pass Pass

West Helness

North Brink

Greco 1NT 2♣ 4♣

East Helgemo 1NT 2♦* Double Redouble 3♣ 3♥ 4♣ 4♥ (All Pass) In Room 3, Greco wisely eschewed three notrump. Against four clubs, Fantoni led the heart deuce: queen and ace. The heart deuce went to the queen ace. Declarer lost one spage, two diamonds, and one club: minus 50.

In Roopm 4, Helness led the diamond jack, taken by the ace. The heart deuce went to the queen and ace. Nunes switched to the club queen to the ace. Declarer then played diamond king, club ruff, heart, heart to the king, and the diamond eight. With the spade ace onside, South lost only one spade and was able to pitch a spade on the thirteenth diamond: plus 420; 9 imps DIAMOND. Comments to: sylvia.alejandro@yahoo

F R I DAY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Isaiah Thomas (4) of the Boston Celtics handles the ball against the Chicago Bulls’ Jimmy Butler during an NBA game at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. AFP

Celtics use balanced attack to whip Bulls LOS ANGELES—The Boston Celtics warmed up for their critical game against the streaking Golden State Warriors on Friday night by holding on to beat the Chicago Bulls 105-100 Wednesday at the Boston Garden.

Forward David Lee scored six points and guard Evan Turner had two points and three assists during a 10-0 run early in the fourth quarter for the Celtics who turned a 77-77 tie into an 87-77 lead with 6:55 left on the clock.

“That was a good win because both teams were playing at a pretty high level throughout the course of the game,” Boston coach Brad Stevens said.

Boston, coming off a 3-2 road trip that included a stop in Mexico

San Andres is Rider of Year again TURN TO A14

City, improved to 13-9.

The Celtics have a date with NBA history Friday at home when they will attempt to snap the Warriors’ 23-game season-opening winning streak.

Turner and Lee came off the bench to finish with 13 and 12 points, respectively for Boston. Lee grabbed six rebounds and Turner had seven assists in the win. Forward Kelly Olynyk scored 15 points.

The Bulls closed within three with three minutes left, but five

straight points by Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas brought the lead back to eight. The closest the Bulls got again was four points.

Thomas finished with 20 points, five assists and five rebounds to lead eight Celtics in double figures. Thomas went scoreless in the first half.

Jared Sullinger had 16 boards and 10 points in the win. Sullinger was coming off a 20-rebound game in a win at New Orleans on Monday.

Forwards Jae Crowder and Amir Johnson added 13 and 12 points, respectively, and guard Avery Bradley had 10 points.

Jimmy Butler scored a career-high 36 points for the Bulls, who lost their third straight and are now 11-8.

Valdez shares award with fans TURN TO A14

Pau Gasol had 16 points and 15 rebounds, guard Derrick Rose added 12 points and six assists, forward Doug McDermott contributed 11 points and seven rebounds for the Bulls.

Raptors halt Spurs’ win streak Guard DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points and added six assists and the host Toronto Raptors defeated the San Antonio Spurs 97-94.

The Raptors, who won their second in a row, had a seven-point lead at the half and led by as many as 13 points.

The Spurs cut the lead to three late in the fourth quarter but got no closer and never led as Toronto snapped the Spurs four-game win streak. AFP

Donaire motivated

By Ronnie Nathanielsz FORMER five-division world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire is “more motivated and very happy” that WBO president Francisco Valcarcel has elevated his showdown against No.1-ranked WBO International super bantamweight champion Cesar Juarez to a world title fight this Saturday in Puerto Rico.

Nonito’s father/trainer Dodong Donaire told The Standard/boxingmirror.com that although both he and Nonito knew some weeks ago that the fight would be eventually for the world title, they were just waiting for the official announcement, which was made at the official press conference yesterday.

Dodong said that his son was just four pounds over the 122-pound limit and that he was confident the No. 2-ranked contender, who often sheds six pounds in one workout, could do that before the weigh in on Friday.

“Juarez is very confident himself and is looking for an upset, but we are not worried about that because Nonito won’t let him do that,” said Dodong. “We have a strategy and a counter for everything. Nonito can box, he can slug and is very smart this time.”

He revealed that Team Donaire will arrive in Manila on Dec. 17 and they are looking to give Filipino fight fans a real treat in the fight, which will be telecast by ABS-CBN on Sunday at 10 a.m.

Meantime, Dodong said Mike Bassel won’t be in Puerto Rico since he will be handling Bruno Escalante in a North American Boxing Federation title fight in Robston,Texas, also on Saturday against undefeated Oscar Cantu (12-0, 1 KO), a Texas resident.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

B1

FRIDAY: DECEMBER 11, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

PSe comPoSite index Closing December 10, 2015

8000 7700 7400 7100 6800 6500

6,820.60 27.65

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing DECEMBER 10, 2015 43.50 44.60 45.40

P47.190

46.20

CLOSE

47.00

HIGH P47.100 LOW P47.230 AVERAGE P47.182 VOLUME 519.600M

URC award. Food manufacturing company Universal Robina Corp. is awarded Marketing Company of the Year by the Asia Marketing

Federation, Asia’s foremost governing body of marketing associations. Shown receiving the award from AMF president Takuya Goto (right) and AMF honorary fellow and marketing guru Philip Kotler (third from left) are Nissin URC and Hunt’s URC business unit general manager Marcia Gokongwei (left) and URC vice president and group head for marketing Edwin Totanes (second from left) during a ceremony in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Manila Water goes to arbitration court

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

MANILA Water Company Inc. said Thursday it filed a notice of arbitration with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Singapore after the government ignored the notice of claim filed by the water concessionaire in April 2015.

“Through this notice of claim to the Republic of the Philippines via the Department of Finance, Manila Water called upon the government’s letter of undertaking to reimburse its losses in operating revenues arising from a significant diminution in the rate of return committed in its concession contract,” Manila Water said in a statement.

“These losses are expected to be

reimbursed as they are actualized for each remaining year of Manila Water’s concession, and which are at this point estimated to amount to P79 billion for the entire period of 2015 up to 2037,” Manila Water said.

The appeals panel handling the arbitration case of Manila Water and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System earlier ordered a tariff reduction in the east zone

which is served by the company.

The appeals panel ordered the company to reduce the P25.07 per cubic meter average basic charge by 11.05 percent. The decrease is equivalent to P2.77 per cubic meter.

Manila Water said the rate rebasing adjustment would be negative P1.66 per cubic meter this year, negative P0.55 per cubic meter in 2016 and negative P0.55 per cubic meter in 2017.

Annual CPI adjustments will also be implemented consistent with the company’s concession agreement with MWSS. The arbitration case arose from the decision of the MWSS to reduce the current basic charge of Manila Water by 29.47 percent or an average of P7.24 per cubic me-

ter for the 2013 to 2017 rate rebasing period.

Manila Water said in a letter of undertaking the government through the Finance Department undertook to indemnify Manila Water, against any loss caused by any action on the part of the MWSS resulting in the reduction of the standard rates “below the level that would otherwise be applicable in accordance with the concession agreement.

The company said it was denied a rate of return, which was “allowed from time to time to operators of long-term infrastructure concession agreements in other countries, having a credit standing similar to the Philippines” pursuant to section 9.4 of the concession agreement.

P487.00-P682.00 LPG/11-kg tank P35.15-P42.40 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P25.03-P28.48 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Thursday, December 10, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States Dollar

1.000000

47.1530

Japan

Yen

0.008238

0.3884

UK

Pound

1.518500

71.6018

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129022

6.0838

Switzerland

Franc

1.016880

47.9489

Canada

Dollar

0.737246

34.7634

Singapore

Dollar

0.711693

33.5585

Australia

Dollar

0.722282

34.0578

Bahrain

Dinar

2.657666

125.3169

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266560

12.5691

Brunei

Dollar

0.709170

33.4395

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000072

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.027816

1.3116

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

12.8388

Euro

Euro

1.102600

51.9909

Korea

Won

0.000847

0.0399

China

Yuan

0.155569

7.3355

India

Rupee

0.014970

0.7059

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.234412

11.0532

New Zealand

Dollar

0.663702

31.2955

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030410

1.4339 Source: PDS Bridge

Unemployment rate declined to 10-year low of 5.6% in October

By Gabrielle H. Binaday JOBLESS rate went down to 5.6 percent of the labor force in October this year, the lowest in 10 years, from 6 percent a year ago, as more jobs were created over the past 12 months, data from Philippine Statistics Authority show.

“This is also the first time that unemployment rate dropped below 6 percent. In fact, for the full year 2015, the country did better than the Philippine Development Plan target of 6.6 to 6.8 percent for unemployment. This is due to faster employment growth in the services and industry sectors,” said Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

Data from the quarterly labor force survey of PSA showed the number of jobless individuals declined to 2.372 million in October from 2.483 million in the same month last year.

The jobless rate eased as the number of jobs in the country increased by 940,000 over the past 12 months. The number of employed Filipinos reached 39.779 million as of October this year, up from 38.839 million in the same month last year.

Underemployment rate also eased to 17.6 percent in October from 18.7 percent a year ago. In absolute terms, there were 7.021 million underemployed individuals as of October, down from

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

7.279 million a year earlier.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the October unemployment rate was the lowest figure recorded in the past decade.

“Coupled with an improvement in employment and a decrease in underemployment, this serves as an indication of our economy’s robust growth. Our employment rate is currently estimated at 94.3 percent—an increase from last year’s 94.0 percent,” Lacierda said in a statement.

The labor force survey also revealed that labor force participation rate dipped to 63.4 percent in October 2015, mainly coming from the young working age population or those with ages 15

to 24 years.

“The decision among the 15- to 24-year-old population not to look for work during the period could be because they chose to pursue higher education or undergo training, as indicated by the increase in tertiary education enrol.ment rate, as well as the increase in technical vocational engagements among the youth,” Balisacan said.

Balisacan said the number of part-time workers seeking additional hours of work decreased by 7.9 percent, or equivalent to 334,000 less underemployed workers who work less than 40 hours per week.

Data showed that the number of workers in the services sector

grew by 2.1 percent, or an additional 440,000 workers employed while workers in the industry sector grew by 2.8 percent, or 169,000 more workers.

“This positive trend in the labor market is also reinforced by an improvement in the quality of jobs generated, as majority of the labor force found remunerative work and fulltime employment,” said Balisacan.

Wage and salary workers increased by 573,000. In terms of hours of work, the share of full-time employment to total employment increased to 65.2 percent from 63.7 percent. Meanwhile, part-time employment went down to 34.2 percent from 35.4 percent in October 2014.

FRIDAY: DECEMBER 11, 2015

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Thursday, december 10, 2015

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 4 17 30.45 2.6 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26 47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 20.6 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 33.9 90 13.26 293 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 7.34 238 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 1.3 2.17 0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 3.68 4.92 0.66 1455 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 6.55 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 974 1.39 156 0.710 0.510 10.5 26.95 1.99 41.4 5.6 5.59

STOCKS

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.81 2.6 46 45.95 101.00 99.90 83.35 82.40 38.95 38 2.48 2.48 1.32 1.25 9.98 9.98 15.3 14.8 18.98 18.34 1.7 1.7 0.560 0.550 80.65 79 0.93 0.93 16.60 16.40 23.00 22.70 52.00 50.75 102 102 290 290 32.6 31.65 137.8 135 1490.00 1460.00 57.05 56.95 3.05 3 INDUSTRIAL 35.9 Aboitiz Power Corp.

40 40.5 40 1.11 Agrinurture Inc. 4.85 5.04 4.8 1.01 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.71 0.71 0.71 1.86 Alsons Cons.

1.48 1.48 1.44 7.92 Asiabest Group 10.68 10.76 10.5 15.32 Century Food 16.78 16.8 16.62 10.08 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 21.55 21.6 21.4 29.15 Concepcion 41.5 43.5 42.5 1.5 Crown Asia 2.31 2.3 2.26 1.5 Da Vinci Capital 1.46 1.53 1.45 10.72 Del Monte 11.5 11.92 11.5 9.55 DNL Industries Inc. 8.800 8.8 8.550 9.04 Emperador 9.00 9.20 8.94 6.02 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.90 6.00 5.88 8.86 EEI 5.21 5.30 5.12 20.2 First Gen Corp.

23.85 24.25 23 71.5 First Holdings ‘A’ 67 67.3 66.6 13.24 Holcim Philippines Inc. 14.50 14.50 14.50 5.34 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.84 5.87 5.78 0.395 Ionics Inc 2.160 2.310 2.150 173 Jollibee Foods Corp.

210.60 210.60 208.80 12.5 12.46 LBC Express 12.5 34.1 Liberty Flour 28.10 30.50 29.95 23.35 Manila Water Co. Inc. 25.55 25.25 24.85 17.3 Maxs Group 21.6 21.6 21.2 5.88 Megawide 5.65 5.88 5.5 250.2 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 315.20 322.00 315.40 3.87 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.85 3.73 3.69 8.45 Petron Corporation 7.21 7.36 7.15 10.04 Phinma Corporation 11.76 11.50 11.50 3.03 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.80 3.80 3.80 1.95 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.72 1.72 1.67 1 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.21 2.22 2.21 4.02 RFM Corporation 4.03 4.03 4.00 1.65 Roxas and Co. 2.8 2.2 2.07 5.9 Roxas Holdings 4.5 4.6 4.6 161 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 127.7 127.6 124.9 1.55 Splash Corporation 2.49 2.55 2.45 0.138 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.146 0.148 0.143 1.02 TKC Steel Corp.

1.19 1.14 1.05 2.09 Trans-Asia Oil 2.18 2.19 2.15 152 Universal Robina 185.8 187 184.6 0.640 Vitarich Corp.

0.64 0.64 0.61 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.10 1.12 1.12 1.2 HOLDING FIRMS 0.44 Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.385 0.395 0.385 48.1 Aboitiz Equity 56.7000 57.6000 56.3500 20.85 Alliance Global Inc. 16.70 16.70 16.00 1.6 Anglo Holdings A 1.10 1.03 1.02 6.62 Anscor `A’ 6.40 6.45 6.40 0.23 ATN Holdings A 0.229 0.228 0.225 0.23 ATN Holdings B 0.235 0.234 0.232 634.5 Ayala Corp `A’ 728 734 725 7.390 Cosco Capital 7.62 7.72 7.62 12.8 DMCI Holdings 13.54 13.70 13.34 2.6 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5.9 5.8 5.61 1.15 F&J Prince ‘B’ 6 6 6 2.26 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

4.25 4.25 4.25 0.152 Forum Pacific 0.250 0.255 0.245 837 GT Capital 1220 1250 1224 49.55 JG Summit Holdings 71.00 71.45 70.25 4.84 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.09 7.18 6.88 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.73 0.73 0.71 12 LT Group 14.36 14.68 14.2 0.580 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.5 0.51 0.5 4.2 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.22 5.23 5.17 9.62 4.5 Minerales Industrias Corp. 9.89 9.88 0.030 Pacifica `A’ 0.0320 0.0320 0.0310 1.23 Prime Media Hldg 1.360 1.270 1.270 0.550 Prime Orion 1.770 1.770 1.760 59.3 San Miguel Corp `A’ 47.80 47.60 46.90 751 SM Investments Inc. 835.00 540.50 838.00 0.93 South China Res. Inc. 0.74 0.71 0.71 80 Top Frontier 72.450 72.350 72.000 0.211 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3000 0.3000 0.2950 0.310 Zeus Holdings 0.300 0.290 0.260 PROPERTY 6.74 8990 HLDG 7.000 7.150 7.000 12 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 7.37 7.00 7.00 0.65 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.85 0.91 0.85 30.05 Ayala Land `B’ 33.800 34.800 33.800 3.36 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.18 3.17 3.06 4.96 Cebu Holdings 5.06 5.12 5.06 2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 8.7 12.02 19.6 1.02 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

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

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

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

SHARES 7,381,515 52,727,059 85,057,062 122,353,090 199,684,353 621,782,762 1,093,837,282

2.89 46 100.50 82.80 38.9 2.49 1.32 9.98 15 18.34 1.71 0.560 80.5 0.93 16.60 23.00 50.80 102.9 290.2 32.95 138 1500.00 57.00 3.05

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.78 46 100.70 82.75 38 2.48 1.30 9.98 15 18.4 1.7 0.550 79 0.93 16.50 23.00 51.90 102 290 31.65 137.2 1460.00 57.00 3

-3.81 0.00 0.20 -0.06 -2.31 -0.40 -1.52 0.00 0.00 0.33 -0.58 -1.79 -1.86 0.00 -0.60 0.00 2.17 -0.87 -0.07 -3.95 -0.58 -2.67 0.00 -1.64

61,000 7,000 1,296,830 2,086,150 8,100 11,000 179,000 100 131,100 36,400 2,000 748,000 2,300,840 52,000 89,400 18,200 100 100 1,450 25,900 117,560 205 117,210 91,000

40.1 4.8 0.71 1.45 10.58 16.64 21.5 43.5 2.27 1.53 11.7 8.600 8.98 5.90 5.17 23.1 66.6 14.50 5.87 2.170 209.60 12.46 30.00 25 21.5 5.88 320.60 3.69 7.15 11.50 3.80 1.68 2.21 4.02 2.2 4.6 125.9 2.52 0.144 1.07 2.19 184.6 0.64 1.12

0.25 -1.03 0.00 -2.03 -0.94 -0.83 -0.23 4.82 -1.73 4.79 1.74 -2.27 -0.22 0.00 -0.77 -3.14 -0.60 0.00 0.51 0.46 -0.47 -0.32 6.76 -2.15 -0.46 4.07 1.71 -4.16 -0.83 -2.21 0.00 -2.33 0.00 -0.25 -21.43 2.22 -1.41 1.20 -1.37 -10.08 0.46 -0.65 0.00 1.82

2,677,500 1,020,000 200,000 399,000 400 212,300 1,388,600 153,500 762,000 1,662,000 144,100 5,351,100 1,005,400 9,394,500 141,700 529,200 172,490 201,200 173,700 2,833,000 4,152,990 77,300 2,300 1,904,000 64,100 3,082,500 468,530 11,000 368,500 1,500 37,000 125,000 184,000 282,000 3,000 2,000 116,050 584,000 3,900,000 66,000 1,314,000 1,907,570 628,000 2,000

0.385 57.6000 16.22 1.02 6.40 0.225 0.232 725 7.7 13.54 5.79 6 4.25 0.255 1224 70.45 7.06 0.71 14.26 0.5 5.2 9.86 0.0310 1.270 1.760 47.50 840.00 0.71 72.000 0.2950 0.290

0.00 1.59 -2.87 -7.27 0.00 -1.75 -1.28 -0.41 1.05 0.00 -1.86 0.00 0.00 2.00 0.33 -0.77 -0.42 -2.74 -0.70 0.00 -0.38 -0.30 -3.13 -6.62 -0.56 -0.63 0.60 -4.05 -0.62 -1.67 -3.33

140,000 1,354,870 15,373,600 6,000 9,100 1,660,000 390,000 319,530 2,446,100 1,698,300 187,200 800 5,000 240,000 56,575 1,015,260 1,533,600 91,000 316,100 500,000 17,854,700 578,100 36,100,000 16,000 168,000 189,200 231,240 9,000 2,840 200,000 2,160,000

7.130 7.00 0.86 34.600 3.08 5.12

1.86 -5.02 1.18 2.37 -3.14 1.19

6,200 1,100 5,190,000 21,705,400 4,495,000 5,200

229,990.00 -31,725,524 -29,879,937.50

-1,054,900.00 -45,940.00 -23,285,584.00 205,650.00 411,500.00 -520.00 -61,590 -5,520,469.00 -66,175.00 -724,470.00 -38,306,305.00 448,790.00

819,522.00 15,181,750.00 140,250 895,100.00 432,198.00 842,930.00 -6,793,636.00 5,257,679.00 52,218.00 -8,631,595.00 3,808,007.50 17,400.00 920,032.00 -6,540.00 -67,393,588.00 -292,475.00 303,025.00 283,200.00 36,005,526.00 30.00 -645,340.00

-76,280.00 -2,765,712.00

1,075,000.00 40,630,131.00 -1,920.00

31,648,847.50 -179,762,368.00

28,807,900.00 2,630,229.00 -3,514,680.00 21,250.00 -1,263,685.00 8,138,576.00 -204,847.00 2,441,430.00 5,795,130.00 43,400.00 135,520.00 -4,057,705.00 -103,885,040.00 -21,600.00

8,472.00 418,000.00 30,828,690.00 -277,550.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 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

0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 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

Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ 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

10.5 66 1.09 14.88 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 7.67 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 3.2 95.5 1 15.2

1.97 35.2 0.63 10.5 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 4.8 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 8.72 0.011 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.95 3.1 0.650 6

0.62 1.040 6.41 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 3 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 5 0.315 1.14

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

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

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 Macroasia Corp.

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Melco Crown Metro Retail MG Holdings NOW Corp.

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 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 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’ 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

70 553 120 1060 78.95 84.8

33 490 101.5 997 74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ First Gen G PCOR-Preferred A SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant Alterra Capital Italpinas Xurpas

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

High

VALUE 516,853,478.68 1,878,455,798.45 1,096,277,369.9575 1,460,892,196.70 1,484,732,833.43 73,607,291.0852 6,545,733,249.3075

FINANCIAL 1,517.84 (DOWN) 9.16 INDUSTRIAL 10,869.65 (DOWN) 43.92 HOLDING FIRMS 6,413.94 (DOWN) 1.94 PROPERTY 2,902.40 (DOWN) 0.29 SERVICES 1,542.01 (DOWN) 30.13 MINING & OIL 10,633.01 (UP) 1.29 PSEI 6,820.60 (DOWN) 27.65 All Shares Index 3,933.03 (DOWN0 18.96 Gainers: 45; Losers: 110; Unchanged: 54; Total: 209

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.55 0.92 1.05 0.121 0.455 25.25 0.830 0.160 1.03 1.82 1.13 4.47 0.081 0.2550 0.4100 8.7 27.20 1.43 3.22 21.55 0.74 7 0.900 5.290

0.57 0.56 0.57 0.90 0.90 0.90 1.050 1.040 1.04 0.122 0.121 0.121 0.455 0.450 0.455 25.25 24.85 25 0.830 0.830 0.830 0.173 0.160 0.160 1.05 1.02 1.03 1.83 1.79 1.80 1.19 1.13 1.19 4.5 4.31 4.34 0.082 0.080 0.082 0.2500 0.2500 0.2500 0.4100 0.4100 0.4100 8.7 8.55 8.6 27.75 26.85 27.00 1.43 1.43 1.43 3.13 3.12 3.12 21.60 21.05 21.15 0.73 0.73 0.73 7 7 7 0.950 0.890 0.900 5.290 5.110 5.180 SERVICES 7.35 7.35 7.15 7.15 64.2 64.4 63.75 63.85 0.500 0.500 0.500 0.500 10.96 10.96 10.96 10.96 25 22.6 22.6 22.6 4.80 4.79 4.55 4.56 0.0440 0.0450 0.0430 0.0440 3.4 3.4 3.35 3.35 83 83.4 82 82.85 10 10 10 10 5.24 5.39 5.00 5.37 1920 1920 1841 1841 7.10 7.10 6.80 7.00 1.23 1.22 1.22 1.22 71 71.4 70.05 71.4 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.2 0.010 0.010 0.010 0.010 0.167 0.167 0.167 0.167 1.3900 1.4200 1.4200 1.4200 2.1 2.05 2 2.05 8.69 8.70 8.44 8.44 4.20 4.19 4.09 4.10 2.25 2.30 2.30 2.30 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 0.560 0.560 0.560 0.560 2.71 2.75 2.45 2.5 3.83 3.87 3.80 3.84 0.255 0.265 0.260 0.260 0.870 0.930 0.850 0.850 4.61 4.60 4.60 4.60 21.00 21.00 20.95 21.00 2116.00 2130.00 2054.00 2054.00 0.440 0.450 0.435 0.450 0.820 0.820 0.800 0.800 34.00 34.00 33.90 34.00 68.05 68.20 67.75 67.90 6.16 6.16 6.00 6.11 3.82 3.90 3.80 3.85 0.460 0.465 0.460 0.460 3.53 3.69 3.51 3.69 0.340 0.355 0.330 0.350 4.260 4.230 4.040 4.100 MINING & OIL 0.0049 0.0050 0.0048 0.0048 1.85 1.95 1.85 1.85 4.21 4.20 4.19 4.20 5.5000 5.52 5.5 5.5000 0.64 0.64 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.6 0.62 7.60 7.70 7.36 7.36 0.74 0.75 0.73 0.75 0.285 0.290 0.285 0.285 0.190 0.193 0.185 0.190 0.200 0.200 0.200 0.200 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 0.011 0.011 0.010 0.011 2.11 2.17 2.03 2.03 6.34 6.56 6.34 6.38 2.78 2.82 2.75 2.78 0.6000 0.6000 0.5600 0.5600 1.3100 1331.0000 1.3000 1.3100 3.55 3.56 3.54 3.54 4.94 4.980 4.89 4.89 1.36 1.400 1.34 1.35 0.0110 0.0120 0.0110 0.0110 136.30 136.60 135.90 136.00 2.25 2.3 2.19 2.22 PREFERRED 65.05 65.25 65.05 65.1 520 520 520 520 115.6 115.6 115.6 115.6 1050 1050 1050 1050 78.05 80.7 79 79 83.5 83 83 83 79.3 79.2 79.2 79.2 78 79.5 79.5 79.5 80.7 80.85 80.5 80.85 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.650 2.650 2.650 2.650 SME 3.34 3.45 3.17 3.45 3.86 3.95 3.62 3.64 15.4 15.4 14.9 14.9 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 112 112 111.7 111.7

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

3.64 -2.17 -0.95 0.00 0.00 -0.99 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.10 5.31 -2.91 1.23 -1.96 0.00 -1.15 -0.74 0.00 -3.11 -1.86 -1.35 0.00 0.00 -2.08

735,000 1,000 6,000 1,710,000 2,180,000 795,700 72,000 1,370,000 202,000 23,538,000 45,000 35,206,000 300,000 1,500,000 80,000 28,000 7,524,100 36,000 20,000 12,180,100 29,000 300 553,000 2,827,400

81,380.00

-2.72 -0.55 0.00 0.00 -9.60 -5.00 0.00 -1.47 -0.18 0.00 2.48 -4.11 -1.41 -0.81 0.56 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.16 -2.38 -2.88 -2.38 2.22 0.00 0.00 -7.75 0.26 1.96 -2.30 -0.22 0.00 -2.93 2.27 -2.44 0.00 -0.22 -0.81 0.79 0.00 4.53 2.94 -3.76

61,400 4,130 929,000 100 300 13,150,000 30,300,000 137,000 376,340 100 244,700 145,245 70,700 55,000 4,150,270 600 15,000,000 20,000 1,000 56,000 767,200 558,000 1,000 100 86,000 30,781,000 15,180,000 150,000 54,886,000 1,000 6,400 105,210 120,000 7,951,000 9,728,800 261,360 684,800 1,455,000 780,000 111,000 250,000 482,000

-2.04 0.00 -0.24 0.00 -1.56 -1.59 -3.16 1.35 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3.79 0.63 0.00 -6.67 0.00 -0.28 -1.01 -0.74 0.00 0.22 -1.33

117,000,000 96,000 31,000 -33,580.00 7,000 63,000 305,000 27,500 4,041,000 32,120.00 20,000 2,320,000 700,000 43,100,000 198,500,000 290,000 452,500 -307,149.00 49,000 304,000 797,000 11,000 108,000 53,840.00 773,000 8,100.00 251,900,000 416,120 6,142,586.00 50,000

0.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.22 -0.60 -0.13 1.92 0.19

15,590 120 17,500 700 9,630 10,000 1,000 1,000 99,980

0.00

1,000

3.29 -5.70 -3.25

172,000 3,212,000 1,464,100

-0.27

3,340

455,000.00 4,437,865.00 -57,700.00 12,299,450.00 -69,200,360.00

-52,271,335.00 -90,239,760.00 -14,600.00 -2,100.00 -2,113,422.00

-10,111,130.00 -18,046,025.00 -36,622,050.00 -20,801,414.50

-307,292.00 8,180.00

-27,996,400.00 3,908,310.00 -133,280.00 -6,285.00 -75,850,270.00 -1,590,300.00 48,202,350.00 5,062,579.00 -2,370,730.00 138,000.00 -114,690.00

6,036.50 -525,000.00

-62,600.00 2,844,778.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Liberty Flour

30.00

6.76

Roxas and Co.

2.2

-21.43

Interport `A'

1.19

5.31

TKC Steel Corp.

1.07

-10.08

Concepcion

43.5

4.82

Berjaya Phils. Inc.

22.6

-9.60

Da Vinci Capital

1.53

4.79

Melco Crown

2.5

-7.75

Travellers

3.69

4.53

Anglo Holdings A

1.02

-7.27

Megawide

5.88

4.07

Omico

0.5600

-6.67

Century Property

0.57

3.64

Prime Media Hldg

1.270

-6.62

Alterra Capital

3.45

3.29

Italpinas

3.64

-5.70

Waterfront Phils.

0.350

2.94

Anchor Land Holdings Inc.

7.00

-5.02

DFNN Inc.

5.37

2.48

Bloomberry

4.56

-5.00

FRIDAY: DECEMBER 11, 2015

B3

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

Market retreats; Alliance, Globe fall

THE stock market fell Thursday on speculations the US Fed will finally raise interest rate next week.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index lost 27.65 points, or 0.4 percent, to 6,820.60 on a value turnover of P6.5 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 110 to 45, with 54 issues unchanged.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., the biggest telecommunications firm, declined 2.9 percent to P2,054, while rival Globe Telecom Inc. slumped 4.1 percent to P1,841.

Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan dropped 2.9 percent to P16.22, while unit Megaworld Corp., the largest lessor of office spaces, also tumbled 2.9 percent to 4.34.

A sense of unease, meanwhile, spread across Asian stock exchanges Thursday with investors spooked by the sharp sell-off in oil sending regional markets lower.

With crude sitting around seven-year lows energy firms came under further pressure, following more losses on Wall Street.

“Today is all about risk-off moves. Oil is still excessively low at this price—concerns this will be the status quo is making investors avoid risk for now,” Mitsushige Akino, executive officer at Ichiyoshi Asset Management Co. in Tokyo, told Bloomberg News.

While oil prices edged up in early Asian trade, the gains were marginal compared with the losses of around nine percent suffered since the Opec cartel on Friday decided against cutting output despite a global glut and weak demand. With AFP

Water treatment plant.

Manila Water Co. Inc. inaugurates the Taguig North Sewage Treatment Plant in Western Bicutan, Taguig City in a ceremony attended by Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, Defense Undersecretary Jesus Millan, Taguig Mayor Laarni Cayetano, Ayala Corp. president and chief operating officer Fernando Zobel de Ayala and several high-ranking public officials and partners. The plant with a capacity of 75 million liters of used water per day runs underneath the Liwasan ng Kagitingan at Kalikasan (Valor and Nature Park). The facility will treat used water for 292,000 residents in the cities of Taguig and Makati.

GMA-7 rejects offer of Singson, Pacquiao

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE majority owners of GMA Network Inc. rejected the offer of the group of former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson to acquire a minority stake in the broadcasting network.

GMA chairman and chief executive Felipe Gozon told reporters on Wednesday night confirmed that Singson and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao offered to buy a minority stake in the network.

The transaction did not push through.

Signs ODD things are happening in the world of tech.

This week, in a surprise announcement, Yahoo, one of the most iconic of internet brands has just announced it plans to spin off its core internet business, including its 35% stake in Yahoo Japan. In a February piece for Forbes, Gordon Kelly makes the point that Google is becoming Microsoft and Microsoft is becoming Google.

Meanwhile, in a piece for Verge just this Tuesday, Nick Statt called Apple out on bad design.

Brand identities shift quickly in the internet era, something which should be particularly worrisome for those who need to woo the millennials, both as customers and potential employees.

Inflection Yahoo’s recent announcement reverses an initial plan to spin off Yahoo’s stake in Alibaba, which would have created a large tax bill. CNBC reports that Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer explains that the hope is that this move will lead to a more rational valuation of Yahoo’s core business.

In fact, just in October of this year, CNBC’s Ari Levy pointed out that using Yahoo’s then market capital of USD29.5 billion, Yahoo’s investors were putting a negative value on Yahoo’s internet business – this in spite of the estimated USD 950 million expected earnings in 2015.

Maynard Webb, Yahoo chairman, pointed

“The owners decided that they want to focus on growing the business. In short, they don’t want to sell at this point,” Gozon said.

“We are not selling, but if we receive an offer that we will like, then we will sell. We are not going out there and to sell it,” he added.

out that while a sale of Yahoo’s internet business is not the most likely outcome, the board has a fiduciary responsibility to entertain offers.

In spite of owning a constellation of properties that together form the third most visited sites in the United States, Yahoo’s core online ad business has been eclipsed by Facebook and Google in recent years.

Clearly, part of Yahoo’s struggles have to do with its inability to grow its business against its more enterprising rivals.

Inversion Google, on the other hand, has recently come under scrutiny not only by analysts but by the millennial generation that is closely comparing Microsoft and Google as places to work. In a discussion on Quora on which company is more exciting to work for, certain interesting points emerged. Google is known for moon shots, great big leaps into the unknown. Microsoft is known for iterations, incremental improvements in its products. Google’s revenue base is essentially a single monolithic – online ads. Microsoft has a wider base of revenue. Google recruits on brand prestige. An entire movie has now made people aware that Google looks for people who are “googly”. Microsoft, it was pointed out, recruits the same type of tech geeks, but they don’t have extraneous brand promises. Perhaps more importantly, recent interns point to radically different work cultures. Interestingly, Microsoft is lauded as a company that is changing in a way that provides more latitude for learning and experience.

Gordon Kelly eerily points to an almost similar juxtaposition in Google and Microsoft’s approach to the markets. Kelly calls out Google for deprioritizing mobile and for pursuing defensive strategies in efforts to protect their main revenue stream while Microsoft works on replacing its own systems and making its

The Gozon, Jimenez and Duavit families own a combined 79 percent of GMA Network, which airs on Channel 7 on free TV. Majority shareholders of the broadcaster earlier agreed to sell about 30 percent of the company to businessman Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corp., but the negotiation was scuttled after more than one year of talks. Talks with the group of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. also did not push through due to price and regulatory issues.

Gozon, meanwhile, said the company expects net income to

office platform more open. As Google Chrome slows down, Microsoft’s Project Spartan targets a cross-platform browser focused on speed – Chrome’s original selling point.

Microsoft has also ended its conflict with Samsung, one of Google’s most important partners, in order to pre-install Microsoft applications on the Galaxy s6, the most recent generation of Android’s best-selling series of mobile phones. To add salt to Google’s wounds, Kelly even points to Microsoft’s Holographic platform as the most exciting moon shot in current tech space.

Reversion Elsewhere in tech, Apple seems to be faltering in what used to be the one thing it could never be faulted on – design. In a piece subtitled Unapologetically Bad, Nick Statt begins with the ugly casing on the newly introduced iphone 6 battery cases. Of course, Statt points out that many Apple products, such as the iPhone, continue to look gorgeous. But then he moves on to the unsightly bulge on Apple’s iPad Pro Smart Cover keyboard – while pointing out that Microsoft has had a slim and level version for years.

He points out the powerful stylus nicknamed the Pencil that works with the iPad Pro (reminiscent of the Samsung Note stylus which, again, has been out for years) and then explains the odd manner in which it needs to be charged. Unlike the Samsung Note stylus, which fits neatly into its home inside the body of the tablet, Apple’s Pencil sticks out awkwardly and somewhat dangerously from the body of the tablet. This reminded me of the unfortunately designed Apple chargers, which seem to be designed to fail.

Statt ends fittingly, with what is perhaps the most amazing of Apple’s design fails this year, the Magic Mouse 2. Now, look at your mouse.

It looks like a large beetle, right? (I hadn’t re-

hit over P2 billion this year.

“We will end the year now with more than 100 percent increase in our net income,” he said.

The network’s profit reached P1.804 billion in the January-toSeptember period, up by almost 80 percent over the the same period last year.

The company’s airtime revenues in the first nine months reached P9.373 billion, exceeding last year’s performance by 18 percent. Propelling the increase was flagship TV station GMA Channel 7 as it recorded an 18 percent growth in its topline.

ally thought about this until Statt pointed it out) Now, flip your beetle – er, mouse – on its back.

Now, stick a charger on the top. That’s how you charge the Magic Mouse 2. This is a design fail so epic in scale that I had to check to make sure this was not a gag article.

In an August piece for Forbes, Bert Dohmen summarizes some worrying trends about Apple stock. Most importantly, though, he points to some serious market indicators. In the last few years, Apple’s only significant market offering is a phone with a larger screen – something that has already been available in the market for years. The Apple watch seems to have flopped. iPad sales are done 34% with market share in table sales down to 25% from 65% in 2011. Even more worrisome, Apple’s iTUmes software has not seen a significant update in a market being flooded with significantly better apps.

Reflection In the management classroom, we talk about leading indicators and lagging indicators. Stock price anticipates changes in net income. Yahoo is making money but investors are already discounting Yahoo’s reality. Culture presages performance. Google’s crumbling culture is a warning of potential problems. Customer satisfaction presages market performance. Apple needs to worry about its future.

Kelly points out that the changes in Google and Microsoft are motivated by the same thing: Fear. The difference, of course, is that Microsoft is dealing with its fear by creating new spaces.

Google is digging in and creating barriers – effectively hindering its own growth.

Of course, reading the signs is important. But, it’s not just a matter of reading the signs. What you actually do with the knowledge matters.

Readers can email Maya at integrations_ manila@yahoo.com. Or visit her site at http:// integrations.tumblr.com.

FRIDAY: DECEMBER 11, 2015

B4

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

IN BRIEF

Factory output dips FACTORY production contracted 1.8 percent

in October from a year ago, as petroleum and beverage output weakened, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The PSA said in its monthly integrated survey of selected industries the growth in the volume of production index, which represented the output of 20 biggest manufacturing sectors, slowed from the 8.7-percent expansion in October last year.

The contraction in October was a reversal of the three consecutive months of growth since the 0.2-percent increment in July.

“For the months and years ahead, the government expects the manufacturing sector to exhibit stronger growth,” said Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

“But for this holiday season, driven by strong domestic demand, business firms are expected to increase production output in anticipation of brisker business activities. This will translate to higher volume of sales and possible expansion of businesses and new product lines,” he said.

Four major sectors registered double-digit decreases in the volume of production index, including petroleum products (-20.3 percent), beverages (-19.7 percent), food manufacturing (-15.7 percent) and wood products (-14.0 percent). Gabrielle H. Binaday

700-MHz allocation A GLOBAL association of mobile opera-

tors asked regulators in Asia-Pacific countries, including the Philippines, to allocate the 700-megahertz band for mobile broadband use immediately to take advantage of its socioeconomic benefits.

The GSM Association said further delays in the use of the spectrum could result in billions of dollars worth of losses in incremental gross domestic product growth.

Utilizing the 700 MHZ spectrum, which is well suited to providing mobile broadband coverage indoors and over large areas, can potentially increase countries’ GDP impact by tenfold, according to GSMA. GSMA said the Mobile Economy Asia study found that the spectrum use could create 2.1 million additional jobs for the region by 2020.

The ITU reinforced GSMA’s findings by globally harmonizing the 700-MHz band and allocating it for LTE use in ITU Region 1, which covers Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.

“The global harmonization of the 700 MHz frequency band that has been decided by WRC15 paves the way for manufacturers and mobile operators to offer mobile broadband at an affordable price in currently underserved areas,” François Rancy, director of the ITU Radio-communication Bureau said. Darwin G. Amojelar

Exports fell 10.8% to $4.6b in October

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

EXPORTS fell for the seventh straight month, as garments, agriculture, mineral and petroleum sales posted doubledigit decline from a year ago, data from Philippine Statistics Authority show.

The PSA said exports dropped 10.8 percent to a six-month low of $4.59 billion in October from $5.14 billion a year earlier. The October exports were also down from $4.94 billion in September.

This brought total exports in the first 10 months to $48.9 billion, down by 6.2 percent from $52.1 billion recorded in the same period last year.

“The lingering sluggish global demand, as well as the slack in industrial activity in the

United States and the recent economic adjustments in China, brought down the country’s exports. Exports performance in the succeeding months is also anticipated to remain weak given the slowdown in economic growth of the country’s major trading partners,” said Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

Barclays, an international bank, said the October exports came weaker than the expected 3-percent contraction for the month.

“The contraction in exports eased from the revised 15.5-percent drop in September from the original -24.7 percent. A relatively low base provided some support in October,” the bank said in a report.

Barclays said the “soft exports and weak momentum are consistent with the recent deterioration in the US ISM [Institute for Supply Management] new orders, which dipped to its lowest level since 2012, indicating that external demand remains sluggish.”

“In the absence of a meaningful pickup in

external demand, exports are likely to remain subdued, in our view,” the bank said.

The fragile global economy led to lower demand for the country’s agricultural, mineral and petroleum products.

Data showed that outbound shipments of minerals dropped 56.1 percent in October to $150.9 billion from $376.62 million in the same month last year. This is due to lower earnings from copper metal, copper concentrates and other mineral products.

“The lower volume of export of mineral products reflects the continued decline in the prices of metal commodities in the global market. International prices of iron ore and copper, which are the country’s two top minerals exports, declined significantly, resulting in lower revenue,” said Balisacan.

Agriculture exports tumbled 29.8 percent to $264.50 million from $376.62 million while petroleum sales contracted 57.9 percent to $22.87 million from $54.37 million.

Hot money flees FOREIGN portfolio investments or hot money fled from the local equities market in November, with a net outflow of $68.79 million, a reversal of the $369.9-million net inflow a year ago.

Fund managers concerned with the impending interest rates hike in the United States pulled out their investments from the local market last month.

Data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed that in the first 11 months, hot money registered a net outflow of $429 million, lower than a net outflow of $707 million a year ago.

“Investors reacted to the weak third-quarter corporate earnings report; renewed concerns on the prospects of interest rates hike in the US; and, this volume of transactions were brought by trading holidays,” Bangko Sentral said in a statement.

Foreign portfolio investments are overseas funds that are temporarily invested in local stocks, government securities and money market. These are also called “hot money” because of the ease they are invested in and taken out of the local markets.

Inflows fell 39.4 percent to $1.08 billion in November from $1.79 billion in the same month last year while outflows also declined 19 percent to $1.15 billion from $1.42 billion.

Julito G. Rada

Laguna solar plant JAPANESE companies Transnational Uyeno Solar Corp. and Sojitz Pla-Net Corp. inaugurated a solar photovoltaic system for Toyo Ink Philippines at the Carmelrey Industrial Park in Canlubang, Laguna.

“This is a first for a Filipino-Japanese firm in the country and marks the beginning of more projects and our serious commitment to growing the business,” TUSC general manager Jen Tablante said in a statement.

Transnational Uyeno was formed as a joint venture between Philippines-based Transnational Renewable Energy Corp. and Japan-based Uyeno Green Solutions Ltd. Toyo Ink Philippines president Takahiro Ochiai expressed satisfaction over the solar installation, which would lessen the company’s carbon footprint while saving on electricity costs.

“I know that there are numerous Japanese companies interested in investing in solar power and I tell them it is a worthwhile investment,” Ochiai said. Alena Mae S. Flores

China Bank expands CHINA Banking Corp., a lender controlled by tycoon Henry Sy, opened 10 branches in Metro Manila Thursday, bringing its total network to 342.

Six new branches are in Quezon City, three in Makati City and one in San Juan.

In Quezon City, the six new branches are located in E-Rodriguez-Acropolis, E-Rodriguez-Cordillera, Culiat-Tandang Sora, Damar Village, South Triangle and Mindanao Avenue branches. There are now 49 China Bank branches in Quezon City.

In Makati, where the bank’s head office is located, there are now 20 branches with the opening of China Bank Salcedo Village-LP Leviste, Legaspi Village-Amorsolo and San Antonio Village -P. Ocampo branches.

In San Juan, where there are four other China Bank branches, San Juan-J. Abad Santos branch is now also serving the banking needs of residents and businesses there.

Including the 165 branches of subsidiaries China Bank Savings and Planters Development Bank, the China Bank Group now has a total footprint of 507 branches. Julito G. Rada

Sy-Coson’s vision. SM Investments Corp. vice chairman and BDO Unibank Inc. chairman Teresita Sy-Coson (center) is awarded for her vision

and management excellence by business news magazine BizNews Asia. Sy-Coson led SM and BDO into becoming ‘huge, profitable, market dominant and pace setting conglomerates without losing their focus on consumer welfare and the betterment of society and the environment.’ Sy-Coson receives the award from former President Fidel Ramos (left) and BizNews Asia editor-in-chief Tony Lopez.

Absolut Distillers reviews Batangas power project

By Alena Mae S. Flores ABSOLUT Distillers Inc., a company controlled by tycoon Lucio Tan, is reviewing a plan to build a P500-million sugar mill and cogeneration power plant in Batangas amid the shortage of molasses.

“It might be put on hold until such time we see it necessary,” Absolut Distillers chief operating officer Gerardo Tee told reporters.

Absolut earlier said it would put up the new facility inside the recently completed 30-million liter-per-annum bioethanol facility in Lian, Batangas.

The planned sugar mill was supposed to produce 1,800 to 2,000 metric tons of sugarcane juice per day. The mill will crush

the sugar cane and process the juice into bioethanol.

Bagasse from the sugarcane will then be used as fuel for the cogeneration power plant. The mill can also use sweet sorghum.

Absolut’s newly constructed bioethanol plant, meanwhile, uses molasses as feedstock for bioethanol production. The government mandates a 10-percent bioethanol blend for gasoline under the Biofuels Law of 2006.

Tee said there was a supply shortage of 600,000 tons of molasses per year which would likely result in Absolut resorting to importation.

Tee said there was ongoing talks with the Sugar Regulatory Administration to help address the existing regulation on the P400 -per-

ton import levy on molasses.

Tee, who also sits as chairman of the Center for Alcohol Research & Development Foundation, asked SRA to remove or reduce the import level.

“The problem here is that there is an old SRA regulation imposing a P400 per ton of imported molasses. We want this removed. If molasses is no longer available here then we tend to import,” said Tee. “The import levy of P400 per ton is not needed anymore because molasses are now expensive even if imported. What we don’t want is to add to the cost of fuel for motorists. They may not feel the burden so much now that oil prices are low overall, but that will not stay low forever,” he said.

The planned sugar mill and cogeneration plant was originally expected to be completed by 2017.

“The next [step] would be setting up a mill so that we can buy cane and take advantage of its bagasse to run a cogeneration biomass boiler plant,” Tee said earlier.

He said construction of the sugar mill and cogeneration plant with power generation capacity of 3 to 4 megawatts would take almost two years.

Absolut was established in 1990 under the company Absolut Chemicals Inc., which was engaged in the manufacture of ethyl alcohol and liquefied carbon dioxide as fermentation by-products used for producing soft drinks.

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

B5

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Trafficking investigator seeks help in Australia BANGKOK—The police general who led Thailand’s probe into human trafficking said Thursday he was seeking political asylum in Australia, after fleeing the kingdom fearing for his life for implicating senior officials in the grim trade.

Thailand has long been a major hub for human trafficking and people smuggling, with rights groups accusing officials of turning a blind eye to the multi-million dollar trade—and even being complicit in it.

Major General Paween Pongsirin headed a police investigation into trafficking after dozens of shallow graves were uncovered on the Thai-Malaysia border.

They were the sites of trafficking camps where victims—mainly from Myanmar’s Muslim Rohingya minority and Bangladesh—were held in appalling conditions, many awaiting ransom payments from relatives for their release.

“I am asking for asylum because living in [Thailand] at this time is very dangerous,” Paween told AFP Thursday.

He added he was seeking asylum in Australia “because I have friends and people who assist me there”.

Paween declined to tell AFP where he was, but said he was no longer in Thailand. Australian media have reported he was in Melbourne.

The kingdom’s pivotal role in the trade emerged in May as peoplesmugglers abandoned thousands of migrants at sea or in jungle camps after a Thai crackdown.

Thai officials are accused of orchestrating smuggling routes through the south of their country to neighboring Malaysia, raking in huge sums of money over several years.

Dozens of people, including a powerful Thai army general in the south, Manas Kongpan, and other local officials appeared in court last month charged with trafficking.

Manas is accused of being a linchpin, using his local influence to funnel migrants through the south, though he denies the charges.

His alleged involvement is hugely embarrassing to the Thai junta, which seized power last year declaring themselves as the only institution capable of running a graft-free country. AFP

WORLD Nobel goes to Tunisia’s pro-democracy groups OSLO-The Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded on Thursday to four organizations that helped save Tunisia’s transition to democracy through dialogue, a method the laureates are keen to see applied in Syria and Libya.

Arrival. Actress Sloane Avery arrives at the Junior Hollywood Radio and Television Society

that hosted the 13th Annual Holiday Party at Greystone Manor on December 9, 2015, in West Hollywood, California. AFP

“Arms can never be a solution, not in Syria nor in Libya. There is a need for dialogue,” Abdessatar Ben Moussa, head of Tunisia’s Human Rights League, told reporters in Oslo on Wednesday.

“No blood and no fighters.”

Along with the Human Rights League, the National Dialogue Quartet is made up of the Tunisian General Labor Union, the Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts, and the Order of Lawyers.

The Quartet will receive the prestigious honor from the hands of the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s chairwoman, Kaci Kullmann Five, at a ceremony scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm (1200 GMT) at Oslo’s City Hall in the presence of Norway’s King Harald and the Norwegian government.

This year’s Nobel laureates in the fields of medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and economics will receive their prizes at a separate ceremony in Stockholm later Thursday.

The Quartet helped save the country’s transition to democracy at a sensitive moment in 2013 when the process was in danger of collapsing because of widespread social unrest.

The group orchestrated a lengthy and thorny “national dialogue” between the Islamists of the Ennahda party and their opponents.

In honoring the National Dialogue Quartet, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wanted to shine the spotlight on Tunisia as a rare success story to emerge from the Arab Spring, the movement of popular uprisings that started in the country.

While uprisings in neighboring Libya, Yemen and Syria have led to war and chaos, and to the return of repression in Egypt, Tunisia successfully adopted a new constitution in January 2014 and held democratic elections at the end of last year.

“Tunisia is an exception so far in the Arab Spring countries but this doesn’t mean that it may not be replicated in other countries,” said Houcine Abassi, secretary general of the powerful UTGG. “Differences, regardless of the nature of those differences, can always be overcome through dialogue,” added Fadhel Mahfoudh, the head of the Order of Lawyers.

But the democratization process remains fragile, amid the threat of jihadism. AFP

Harrison Ford back ‘home’ in new ‘Star Wars’ film SYDNEY—He has starred as the US president, swashbuckling Indiana Jones and a heroic CIA analyst, but Harrison Ford says it was when he stepped back on the new “Star Wars” set that he really felt at home.

“It felt like being home, to an extent. It felt good. I like to work. It was fun,” the Hollywood legend said in Sydney where he is promoting the hotly anticipated new installment of the franchise, “The Force Awakens”.

The 73-year-old, who was 35 when

the first “Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope” movie was released in 1977, reunites with original cast members Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) in resuming his role as Han Solo.

Ford said while Solo was “much the same in aspect”, new elements of his character would be revealed in the latest addition to the saga, directed by J.J Abrams.

“Well, there’s a bit of story that’s been invented that I think is very satisfactory that allows the audience to have an understand-

ing of the—of how the time’s been passed between—in the relationships of characters,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“And then it produces an emotional context which is really very useful. So, Han Solo is much the same in aspect, but if you were to cut through the trunk, you’d see a lot more rings in the tree.”

The veteran—also renowned for headlining the “Indiana Jones” franchise—said he enjoyed working with Abrams, who chose

to build plenty of physical sets rather than heavily used computer-generated imagery.

“Certainly, there are a lot of effects shots which are populated with computer effects.

But, having a physical set really is of great advantage for not just the actors who don’t have to pretend that they’re in a place that they’re not,” Ford said.

“I find that it adds a lot to the reality context,” he added in the interview late Wednesday, referring to the ability to experiment with physical sets. AFP

B6

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Sydney charges 5 over terror plot SYDNEY—Five people, including a 15-year-old boy, were charged Thursday in Sydney over a terror plot targeting a government building, with authorities expressing alarm at the age of those being radicalized.

ERRORS & OMISSIONS In Classified Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published. We will not be responsible for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

Republic of the Philippines Province of Bataan City of Balanga BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE OFFICE InvItatIon to BId no. Infra -099-2015 The Provincial Government of Bataan, through the Special Educational Fund99 intends to apply the below listed project w/ corresponding Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Name of Project 1.

2.

=P=5,539,996.72

Construction of Two (2) Storey Four (4) Classroom School Building, Roosevelt Elementary School Barangay Roosevelt, Dinalupihan, Bataan

=P=5,799,913.67

The Provincial Government of Bataan now invites bids for the above listed Projects. Completion of works is required on or before the maturity date stipulated on contract. Bidders should have completed, at least one (1) contract that is similar to the contract to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Office of Bataan Bids & Awards Committee and inspect the Bidding Documents from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the same office.

Bid documents will be available only to eligible bidders upon payment of a non-refundable amount of using standard rates approved by GPPB as stated on their Resolution No. 04-2012 listed below.

500,000 and below More than 500,000 up to 1 Million More than 1 Million up to 5 Million More than 5 Million up to 10 Million

Maximum Cost of Bidding Documents (in Philippine Peso) 500.00 1,000.00 5,000.00 10,000.00

More than 10 Million up to 50 Million More than 50 Million up to 500 Million More than 500 Million

25,000.00 50,000.00 75,000.00

The Provincial Government of Bataan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on December 17, 2015 at 10:00 A.M at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered on or before January 05, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated on IRR of RA 9184 and Bid Securing Declaration in standard form.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend opening of Bids at Bataan BAC Office. Late bids shall not be accepted.

In case of the above dates is declared a special Non-Working Holidays, it will automatically reset on the next working days.

Other necessary information deemed relevant by the Provincial Government of Bataan Activities 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Advertisement/Posting of Invitation to Bid Eligibility Check Issuance and availability of Bidding Documents Request for Clarification Opening of Bids

Schedule December 10 – December 16, 2015 Refer to date of Opening of Bids December 10, 2015 – January 05, 2016 December 23, 2015 January 05, 2016

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

For further information, please refer to: Engr. Josephine R. Valenzuela Provincial BAC / PEO Bataan Provincial BAC / PEO Office, Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan 047-237-9316 bac@bataan.gov.ph (TS-DEC. 11, 2015)

through those documents, putting physical and electronic surveillance together, we were able to build a case of conspiracy for five people involved in the preparation of these documents.”

Asked how developed the plot was, Phelan replied: “Enough for us to disrupt it at the time in December.”

The arrests were part of Operation Appleby, a rolling investigation into persons suspected of being involved in domestic acts of terrorism, foreign incursions into Syria and Iraq and the funding of terrorist organizations.

Canberra is concerned about the prospect of lone-wolf attacks by individuals inspired by organizations such as the Islamic State group, and has cracked down on Australians attempting to travel to conflict zones including Syria and Iraq.

The country lifted its terror threat alert to high over a year ago, introduced new national security laws and has conducted several counter-terrorism raids since.

The most recent were in October when four people were arrested in Sydney over the terror-linked murder of police employee Curtis Cheng.

The person blamed for that

killing, Farhad Jabar, was also only 15, and police subsequently said they were aware of 12 men or boys in the community who they believe could commit an act of terror.

Authorities said those charged Thursday were “associates” of the men accused of involvement in the Cheng murder.

Phelan added that while those detained were likely influenced by jihadists overseas, police were not alleging they were working to orders from Islamic State.

“It’s disturbing that we’re continuing to see teenage children in this environment,” New South Wales state Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn said.

“There’s absolutely no doubt that the fact that we’re charging a 15-year-old with a very, very serious offense, one that has a maximum of life imprisonment, this is concerning not only to us in law enforcement but should be concerning to everybody.

“How they’ve become radicalized we don’t actually know. We don’t know how the 15-year-old has got to the point where we will allege he got,” she added.

Six attacks in Australia have been foiled over the past year, according to the government. AFP

Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC)

Construction of Two (2) Storey Four (4) Classroom School Building, Mariveles National High School-Malaya Barangay Malaya, Mariveles, Bataan

Approved Budget for the Contract

The teenager and a 20-year-old man were seized at their homes Thursday morning and accused of conspiracy to conduct an act in preparation for a terrorist act.

Three others currently in jail, aged 21, 22, and 22, were later charged with the same offense, police said.

The arrests and charges stem from evidence gathered during pre-dawn raids in Australia late last year in which 15 people were taken into custody and an alleged plan to kidnap and behead a member of the public was uncovered.

Australian Federal Police’s Deputy Commissioner for National Security Michael Phelan said the plot linked to Thursday’s developments was not new, but related to last year’s operation where material about targeting a government building was first discovered.

“Last December, there were a number of documents seized as related to the search warrants we undertook in Sydney and those documents clearly talked about a plan and there was government buildings named in those plans,” he said, adding that one of them was the Australian Federal Police offices.

“As a result of putting all of that information together, working

(SGD) ENRICO T. YUZON BAC Chairman

NOTICE OF LOSS Notice is hereby given that (a) stock certificate no. A0545684of Manila Electric Company issued to Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation for 8,976 shares; and (b) stock certificate no. B0285677 issued to Augustinian Sistr of Our Lady of Consolation for 1,700 shares under affidavit of loss dated October 07, 2015 entered as Doc. No. 206, Page No. 41, Book No. V, Series of 2015 in the notarial register of Atty. Ruben M. Azanes Jr. (TS-NOV. 27, DEC. 4 & 11, 2015)

NOTICE OF LOSS Notice is hereby given that (a) stock certificate no. 66422 of Ayala Corporation issued to Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of La Consolacion Convent for 356 shares; (b) stock certificate nos. 157009, 166009, and 172841 of Filinvest Land Inc. issued to Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation for 125,625 shares under affidavit of loss dated October 22, 2015 entered as Doc. No. 282, Page No. 57, Book No. 100, Series of 2015 in the notarial register of Atty. Joel G. Gordola.

(TS-NOV. 27, DEC. 4 & 11, 2015)

NOTICE OF LOSS Notice is hereby given that (a) stock certificate no..

8019778 of Ayala Land Inc. issued to Augustinian Sisters for 1,000 shares; (b) stock cert. nos. 118681, 184072, 214082, 271715 of Bank of Phil. Islands issued to Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of La Consolacion Convent for 3,096 shares; (c) stock cert. nos. 123724, 123725, 183169, 213655, 271416 of Bank of Philippine Islands issued to Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolacion for 1,558 shares; (d) stock cert. nos. 154461, 184071, 214082, 271714 of Bank of Philippine Islands issued to Augustinian Sis of Our Lady of Consolation for 17,738 shares; (e) stock cert. no. B80899 of Union Bank of the Philippines for 940 shares under affidavit of loss dated September 21, 2015 entered as Doc. Nos. 26 & 25, Page No. 07, Book No. 30, Series of 2015 in the notarial register of Atty. Maria Theresita Patula. (TS-NOV. 27, DEC. 4 & 11, 2015)

Photo-op. Japan’s girl pop group AKB48 members Yuki Kashiwagi, Mayu Watanabe, Yui Yokoyama and Rena Kato pose for photographs as Japanese social networking service company Line announces the company’s live streaming service for entertainment, artists’ performances and their daily lives during a press conference in Tokyo on December 10, 2015. AKB48 ‘s total sales for a CD single marked 36,158,000 copies, the most ever by a recording artist in Japan, a survey announced on December 10. AFP

Airport siege death toll hits 50 KA N DA HA R— T h e death toll from a 27hour Taliban siege of Kandahar airport has jumped to 50, Afghan officials said Thursday, after a conference in Pakistan shored up international support for reviving the peace talks.

Eleven suicide attackers on Tuesday breached the high-security complex that also houses a joint Nato-Afghan base, taking families hostage and triggering firefights with soldiers.

The raid, which saw militants blowing themselves up among civilians before Afghan troops se-

cured the area, is seen as the most serious attack in 14 years of war on the complex, the largest military installation in the south of the country.

“Fifty of our innocent countrymen, including 10 soldiers, two policemen and 38 civilians, were martyred in the attack,” the defense ministry said in a statement.

It added that 37 people, including 17 army men and four policemen, were wounded.

“A group of 11 terrorists attacked a bazaar and a school in the airport complex, took up positions in the area and blew

themselves among civilians.”

The Taliban posted a picture on their website of the militants it said were involved in the attack. It shows 10 young men sporting trimmed beards, Kalashnikovs and identical military uniforms.

The face of one of them is obscured with blue ink for unknown reasons.

A military commander in Kandahar said radio intercepts showed some assailants were speaking Urdu, a language more common in neighboring Pakistan, the Taliban’s historic backer. AFP

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

MOTORING

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

B7

Isuzu’s rip-roaring weekend Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo

FOR THREE days, the public and motoring enthusiasts experienced what it’s like balancing on a trapeze and driving an off-road vehicle up a 180 degree metal slope. It was Isuzu Philippines Corporation ending the year with a bang as it staged a three-day “Off-Road Fest” held at the BGC Open Grounds in Taguig City.

“This event aims to highlight the 4x4 capabilities of its flagship models, the Isuzu Mu-X and the Isuzu DMAX pick-up. Visitors will be allowed to experience the true power of the new 3.0-liter VGS turbo variants of the D-MAX and mu-X as they traverse through specially made 4x4 urban test courses. Designed to demonstrate the vehicle’s performance, the test course includes an articulated ramp station, roller slips and the 40-degree traverse angle ramp. The highlight— is the giant 20-FT inclined steel ramp or—thrill hill— which will be the ultimate test to the vehicle’s power,” explained Hajime Koso, president of IPC.

Looking at the intimidating height of the metal ramp, I had second thoughts on driving a D-Max up that 40-degree ramp. On a dare

by Gen Tiu of PIAA, I threw cautions to the wind and mustered enough guts to tackle the off road ramp.

With off-road master Beeboy Bargas acting as my navigator, I managed to drive and conquer my fear of the off-road exercise. To be honest, the most heartthumping part was going down the ramp because it felt as if you were standing on end. The key according to Bargas, was to relax and to keep focused . It was both fun and scary.

Visitors were in for a lot of fun and surprises because

Customized mu-X and D-Max by Rhino Racks, PIAA, Overland and Black Rhino

aside from the 4x4 experience, Isuzu also prepared some parlor games, tents which sold parts and accessories and raffle promos throughout the three-day event. The main crowd drawer of the Off-Road Fest were the display of customized Isuzu D-MAX and MU-X by

Black Rhino wheels, PIAA, Rhino Racks of Australia and Overland 4x4 gear of Thailand. “This display allows the public to see the potential of the D-Max and MU-X to suit your personal preference,” says Joseph Bautista, head of Product Development at IPC. Keeping the festivities

alive were the daily performances to cap each night of the event – starting with the Itchyworms on first night of the event, followed

by DJ NIX Damn P on the second night and Pinoy Rock sensation The Dawn on the last Sunday night.

Likewise, Isuzu mu-X’s

brand ambassadors, Team Kramer graced the opening night and mingled with the crowd throughout the night.

“This three-day festival is also our way of saying thank you to the Filipino market for their continued support to our products over the years,” Koso said.

FAST FASTLANE Honda recalls 2014 City, 2015 Jazz

Immersive exhibit: Maserati at LA museum WHY does a Maserati look, sound and feel so uniquely different? How does Maserati honor bespoke traditions, built over its 101-year history, to create a thoroughly modern, state-ofthe-art driving experience?

To answer these questions and share the passion that defines Maserati, the Trident has partnered with the totally transformed Petersen Automotive Museum to create an immersive exhibit, “Made in Italy – Design to Line” featuring the company’s flagship super sport sedan, the Maserati Quattroporte S Q4. This educational exhibit will premiere in conjunction with the reopening of Petersen Automotive Museum.

“Maserati is in love with the automobile. With its profound history, the company is deeply committed to sharing its passion with this generation and the next,” says Christian Gobber, President & CEO, Maserati North America, Inc. “Maserati’s support of the Petersen Automotive Museum with our

education exhibit, ‘Made in Italy - Design to Line,’ made perfect sense from both global and local perspectives, given that the museum is located in Los Angeles, at the very heart of car culture,” continued Gobber.

Every Maserati begins as a vision. When realized, it becomes a sculpture that moves you. A designer’s inspired lines are transformed into complex components built up in careful sequence.

The creation of a Maserati combines state-of-the-art technology with traditional hand craftsmanship practiced by generations of Italian artisans.

The “Design to Production” exhibit brings this very story to life. Located prominently on the Museum’s second floor, the dedicated gallery will tell the story of how Maserati – a modern, high-tech, high performance vehicle – develops from a concept to reality. The story of this journey will be told through five chapters: 1) Raw Materials; 2) Body Shell; 3) Drivetrain; 4) Trims and Fin-

ishes; and 5) Final Product.

The manifestation of Maserati’s intellect laid bare in clay, leather, steel, and emotion, “Design to Line” defines the how and why Maserati is such a timeless performance automobile.

Maserati is one of the world’s most distinguished automobile manufacturers, with a reputation for engineering excellence and for creating cars of exceptional beauty. In 1963, Maserati mounted a race engine in a four-door sedan, forever changing the way the world looked at luxury motoring.

Today’s sixth-generation Quattroporte continues the Maserati tradition of building cars that blend high performance and supreme comfort, with a flair for design unique to Italian automobiles. Quattroporte’s sporting pedigree boasts Maserati’s remarkable racing heritage—including historic wins at the Indianapolis 500 and in Formula 1 with legendary driver Juan Manuel Fangio behind the wheel.

HONDA Cars Philippines, Inc. has initiated a voluntary preventive measure for select 2014 City and 2015 Jazz vehicles produced and sold in the country for immediate updating of the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) software. During the evaluation of the said vehicle models, findings state that the current software installed in the ECU causes high stress to the Drive Pulley Shaft inside the vehicle’s Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) which may result to some breakage during the operation. If not updated immediately, the Drive Pulley Shaft may break which may result in some serious problem to the vehicle.

There have been no reported incidents or injuries related to this concern here in the Philippines. This campaign is part of HCPI’s effort to ensure safety of these vehicles’ own-

ers and their passengers. HCPI advises customers to contact and set an appointment with the nearest Honda car dealerships and service centers nationwide. The ECU software updating would take only an hour.

HCPI “apologizes for any inconveniences caused to the owners of these vehicles and assures that this preventive measure is conducted to ensure their safety.”

Diesel engine protection from Motul MOTUL’S line of oil and lubricants has been tested in actual conditions and has been proven to provide ultra low-friction for more horsepower, incredibly smooth and almost no noticeable drop in rpms when shifting and instantaneous engine revs with noticeable gains in horsepower. Its high performance anti-wear additive increases engine life duration and decreases wear by reducing engine internal frictions resulting in smooth and

light acceleration.

As a company dedicated to protect your engine and maximize its output, Motul’s SPECIFIC CRDi Diesel 5W-30 is a 100% synthetic lubricant specially designed for new generation cars, powered by Common Rail Direct Injection Diesel engines. It is engineered to be compatible with catalytic converters and Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF).

SPECIFIC CRDi Diesel 5W-30 also provides excellent lubrication properties and reduced volatility. It is especially formulated to provide protection for diesel engines operating at high temperatures. The CRDi 5W30 also ensure engine cleanliness by way of a modern detergent and Motul’s innovative dispersant technology, which also assures excellent antiwear, anti-corrosion and anti-foam properties Motul’s diesel motor oil are certified to be compliant with Euro IV or Euro V emission regulations requiring an ACEA C3 engine oil.

It is engineered and designed to handle diesel soot and protects emission control systems in modern turbocharged diesel vehicles.

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5

B8

RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

MOTORING

The Ferrari 488 GTB debuts in Manila. The Prancing Horse opens a new chapter in its 8-cylinder history

with unveiling of the Ferrari 488 GTB.The latest V8 model provides track- level performance that can be enjoyed even by non-professional drivers for everyday use. At the sneak preview for media held at the Autostrada Motore at Bonifacio Global City Taguig City are: Willie Soong-chairman of Autostrada Motore.,exclusive distributor of Ferrari in te Philippines and Dieter Knechtel-Managing Director of Ferrari Far East Hub. MANNY PALMERO

T Refreshed RAV4

oyota’s popular compact SUV, the RAV4 was launched early this week iduring a Christmas lunch tendered by the country’s biggest manufacturer in Makati City. When it was launched in 1997, the RAV4 gained a following in the global market due to its youthful, sporty and stylish design cues. For 2016, it gets a refreshed look like its new daytime running light LED headlamps, new front fascia and a set of stylish 17’ inch wheels.

Powering this compact SUV is the same reliable 2.5 liter, Dual VVTi engine which is known for its fuel efficiency, high engine output and improved carbon footprint. The engine is matted to a six-speed automatic gearbox.”This is our most stylish RAV4 to date and I am confident that it will carve its own niche in the domestic market,” adds Michinobu Sugata, President of Toyota Motors Philippines (TMP), who is also set to end a sterling career here in the Philippines. “It is with great sadness that I leave my posting here and transfer the presidency of Toyota to a new individual. Its been a fun six-year run and the best and memorable moments of my career were spent here in your country,” he adds.

The 2016 RAV4 is also available in four all new color hues: Blue Metallic, Orange Metallic, Dark Red Mica and Bronze Metallic. Price of this compact SUV starts at P1.263M for the entry level 4x2 Active up to the high end 4x4 Premium with a sticker price of P2.066M. Dino Ray V. Directo, III

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 : 2 0 1 5

C1

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

ST Y L E & BE AU T Y

LIFE

The lush and sleek golf course design of Lacoste Chantaco during the launch event

L Mikaela Martinez and Ingrid Go carrying their new Chantaco handbags

Gina Dagdag, Lacoste Philippines’ Merchandise Group Manager and Rustans’ Maritess R. Tantoco

Mari Jasmine who also graced the event displays her handbag from the Lacoste Chantaco collection

A PERSONALIZED GIFT FROM LACOSTE

ACOSTE recently flew in authentic French craftsman Anger Pascal to create the perfect gift for Lacoste Chantaco handbag patrons last November 27 and 29. Lacoste branch Central Square was dressed in a sporty golf set up inspired by the favorite playground of champion golfer Simone Thion de la Chaume and her husband, René Lacoste. Customers were treated to a fun afternoon at the Lacoste Lounge while Pascal elegantly monogrammed each Chantaco handbag bought from its latest collection.

Six Asian cities– Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila flew in French master gilders who came from generations of French craftsmen whose attention to detail marks quality in any of the products they touch. For a personalized Lacoste gift this Christmas, top gilder artisans demonstrated the meticulous gold foil application and leather gilding process, appending the initials of the person (who bought the bag or the person they want to gift it to) to any LACOSTE Chantaco handbag or small leather goods.

The Chantaco collection’s distinctive leather and pale gold crocodile branding still boasts of its minimal yet contemporary design leather goods that makes for a great gift to a special loved one this holiday season. Born from the favorite sports of Lacoste founders, the Chantaco collection is inspired with sporty yet elegant appeal featuring the signature petit piqué leather with a texture evocative of a golf ball. If you’re still looking for a perfect gift giving item for a special someone this Christmas visit Lacoste stores and choose

The Lacoste Chantaco collection channels the brand's iconic French heritage style into modern occasion and everyday wear

Lacoste teams up with French Craftsman Anger Pascal to create elegantly monogrammed Chantaco leather items

from the Chantaco collection’s leather goods–Chantaco small wallet in two-tone leather, zip wallets, makeup pouches, zip crossover bags, zip tote bags, and Bugatti bags.

In the Philippines, Lacoste is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., a member of

SSI Group, Inc., and is located at Alabang Town Center, Central Square, Eastwood Mall, Estancia at Capitol Commons, Fairview Terraces, Gateway Mall, Greenbelt 3, Newport Mall, Podium, Power Plant Mall, Robinson’s Galleria, Robinson’s Magnolia, Robinson’s Place Manila, Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-la, Shangri-la

Plaza East Wing, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, Trinoma, Ayala Center Cebu, Abreeza Davao, SM Davao and Veranza KCC Mall. Lacoste Accessories is also exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. and is located at Gateway Mall and Glorietta 4. Visit www.ssilife.com.ph for more information.

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 : 2 0 1 5

C2

Skechers Go Flex Walk in Charcoal/Blue

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

Skechers Go Flex Walk – Ability in Charcoal/Turquoise

@LIFEatStandard

Skechers Go Flex Walk in Hot Pink

Skechers Go Flex Walk – Ability in Gray/Hot Pink

Skechers Go Flex Walk in Navy/Gray

Beat the Holidays with the Skechers GO FLEX WALK

W

e’ve seen almost all of our friends rant about traffic on our Facebook feed. With all the parties and ongoing sales for the Christmas season, it seems like the best option to get around in the city is to walk. Walking accomplishes two things – burning the excess bulge due to all that holiday eating, and actually getting to your destination on time.

This season, your best friend might just be the stylish upgrade in the all-new Skechers GO FLEX WALK. It’s stylish, vibrant, fun, and best of all, ultra-comfortable. The shoes are lightweight slip-ons that adapt to the movement of the feet for total comfort.

Goga Mat Technology with high rebound cushioning keeps every stride fluid and effortless, while the brand’s signature

Resalyte material softens each step while walking. They feel so light on your feet that you forget you have shoes on.

GO FLEX WALK also has a Memory Form Fit design with memory foam padding around the heel for a custom-feel fit, so you feel like the pair you have on have been molded especially for you. The flexible rubber sole provides stability in just about any floor or terrain you walk on.

Fast becoming a Millennial favorite because of its fun design, Skechers GO FLEX WALK comes in six different colors – black, black/hot pink, charcoal/blue, hot pink, navy/

gray, and taupe. Shopping or running your errands this holiday need not be painful; try on a pair and your feet will thank you for it.

Skechers GO FLEX WALK and other lifestyle and performance shoes are available at Skechers stores in Glorietta 2, TriNoma, Ayala Fairview Terraces, SM North Edsa, The Annex, SM Mall of Asia, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Place Manila, Gateway Mall, Lucky Chinatown, Market Market, Alabang Town Center, Festival Mall, SM Fairview, SM Dasmarinas, Paseo Sta. Rosa, Marquee Mall, SM Pampanga, SM Bacolod, SM Clark, Ayala Center Cebu, SM City Cebu, SM Davao, Centrio Mall, Cagayan de Oro and LimKetKai Mall CDO.For more information, visit Facebook at Skechers PH and follow @SkechersPH on Twitter and Instagram.

An Extraordinary Journey with Jewelmer Joaillerie Jewelmer showroom manager Joy Libay, Jewelmer's creative director Gaelle Branellec, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Ong, and Jewelmer's Retail ambassador Tess Catedral

Ngorm Hor Tea, Narin Tea, Thierry Tea, Lynda Him, Jewelmer chairman Manuel Cojuangco and Lorenzo Caldera

F

or one to reach his destination, he must humbly look back to his roots. This is the essence of a popular Filipino proverb that reminds people about the value of humility in their quest for success.

This was the thought behind Jewelmer Joaillerie’s gala event at the Rigodon Ballroom of the Manila Peninsula dubbed as “An Extraordinar y Journey” that celebrated over 30 years in the industry. The celebration also served as recognition for the men and women who have made the French-Filipino luxury brand a byword when it comes to the rarest of all South Sea pearl varieties – the golden South Sea pearl.

Sustainably grown in Jewelmer’s farms in Palawan, these treasures have won the hearts of pearl aficionados from all over the world. The brand’s fine jewelry, which is a harmonious blend of French design and Asian sensibilities, have been worn by royalty, celebrities, and notable personalities both in the Philippines and abroad.

French consul Christian Hue, Fortune Ledesma, Zelda Kinley, Max Kinley Michelle Barrera and Tim Yap and Johnny Litton

Matteo Guidicelli and Franco Laurel

Benny Aw, Olivia Limpe Aw, Solenn Heussaff, Jewelmer's executive VP and deputy CEO Jacque Christophe Branellec, Agile Zamora and Mia Arcenas

Lorenzo Caldera, Jewelmer's executive marketing manager Tricie Legarda, Johnny Litton and Jewelmer's group chairman Manuel Cojuangco Baby Fernandez, Daphne Oseña Paez and Princess Fernandez

Dr. Rommel Bautista, Rose Anne Bautista of Fino, Atty. Barney Almazar and Steve Todd

Owee Cruz from Rolls Royce Manila, Salome Uy, Tessa Prieto-Valdes, Linda Tan and Rhett Eala

Erwan Heussaff

The event also served as a homecoming of sorts as it brought together the best of French and Filipino cultures that are in the heart of Jewelmer. Guests enjoyed the finest quality French wine by Veuve Clicquot and a feast specially prepared by The Peninsula Manila’s executive chef Mike Wehrle. The Rigodon Ballroom was transformed into a dazzling

Host of the night Issa Litton, Olivia Limpe Aw and Tessa Prieto-Valdes

evening in Paris – a fitting reference to the brand’s French identity.

The program with Issa Litton as host featured Jewelmer’s newest corporate video that shares the story of the brand’s journey since its inception in 1979. This was followed by the launch of Jewelmer Joaillerie’s 2016 Spring/ Summer collection showcased by top Filipina models.

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 : 2 0 1 5

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

C3

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FOR MEN POP-UP BEAUTY

Last week on Pop-Up Beauty, it was the ladies that had all the fun when it came to gift giving for the Christmas season. But what about the guys? Based on experience, and I’m sure majority of my readers will agree, it’s harder to find holiday presents for the men in your lives. Well, look no more. Here are some awesome grooming gift ideas for men that will make great stocking stuffers this Christmas.

BY JIGS MAYUGA

ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA Acqua di Bergamotto Gift Set, P6650, Rustan’s

Ermenegildo Zegna’s Acqua di Bergamotto is reflective of the quality and craftsmanship of Zegna fashion and endowed with the true essence of Italian Bergamot, found only in Calabria, Italy where it is harvested exclusively for Zegna Fragrances. Touched by the warmth and fluidity of neroli, rosemary and vetiver notes – to a lighter, more refreshing form that is as crisp and as sensuous as Zegna’s refined white shirts. This gift box includes a full size fragrance, hair and body wash and deodorant stick. Perfect for the sophisticated gentleman.

CLARINSMEN Anti-Ageing Grooming Set, P3250, Rustan’s

To help men take care of their skin, Clarins has developed a special range of products designed with men in mind. Men’s shaving care products, moisturizing creams, anti-ageing creams to fight wrinkles, puffiness and dark circles, serums, toning treatments: trust ClarinsMen skin care products. This Anti-ageing set includes the ClarinsMen Revitalizing Gel which helps minimize the look of new wrinkles while toning and energizing the skin. The kit also includes a shampoo and shower gel and an active face wash.

CLINIQUE FOR MEN Sonic System Deep Cleansing Brush, P5,600, SM Aura

For a deep yet still comfortable clean, use the and ingenious NEW Clinique for Men Sonic System Deep Cleansing Brush with your favorite cleanser; its specially designed bristles deliver even better cleansing results than hand washing and for a closer, comfortable and less irritating shave. Apply a coin-sized amount of your face wash on the dampened brush head and press start.

Gently cleanse the cheeks with soft, lighter grey bristles and tilt the brush head to use the darker charcoal bristles in an up and down motion to clean the oilier t-zone. Use once daily for 30 seconds at night and work up to twice a day.

THE BODY SHOP Maca Root Shaving Gift Set, P2095, SM Megamall

Known for their ever-reliable Christmas Gift Sets, The Body Shop creates this holiday gift set as a perfect complement to every man’s shaving routine.

This includes their bestselling shaving cream that softens bristles and improves razor glide for a close, comfortable shave. Apply the shaving cream with the included shaving brush. The post-shave balm instantly soothes and contains Peruvian maca root that refreshes and cools the skin.

GILLETTE Fusion ProGlide Manual Men’s Razor with FlexBall, P459, Lazada.com.ph

Gillette Fusion ProGlide Manual Men’s Razor with FlexBall delivers precision shaving in every motion. Five thinner, finer blades cut as close to the root as possible, leaving you with a smoothness that’s difficult to replicate. An enhanced precision trimmer also allows you to help redesign facial hair. Each Fusion ProGlide razor comes equipped with a reformulated lubrication strip that contains more lubricants and a touch of mineral oil – all to give you an incredibly comfortable shaving experience.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @jigsmayuga

F R I D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 1 : 2 0 1 5

C4

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Boleando (Balley) double brown leather braided bracelet with silver-plated rounded beads

Bolatrasbola (Ballafterball) long leather earrings with silverplated beads and crystals in earth and purple tones

Ponte al quite (Dodgeball) double looped brown leather bracelet with silver-plated round shaped bead

Boling (Balling) necklace with several rows of silver-plated beads and handcrafted blue and green crystals, joined together by leather

Embolada (Ball fighting) brown leather bracelet with silver-plated beads

Boluda unique double bracelet made from silver-plated beads

Malabarismos (Juggling Balls) bracelet with silver-plated beads, earth tone crystals and brown leather

Pasando por el aro (Through the hoop) silver-plated articulated earrings with two irregular spheres joined together by two small rings

Hypnotic wide round hooped earrings

No hay bolas¼ (There are no balls) bracelet made from silver-plated rounded beads

Bolatrasbola (Ballafterball) earrings with silver-plated beads and handcrafted crystals in blue tones

Boling (Balling) bracelet with silver-plated beads, blue tone crystals and brown leather

Otra de bolas (Let’s have a ball) bracelet with silver-plated beads, earth tone crystals and brown leather laces

SPANNING THE UNIVERSE WITH UnoDe50’s LATEST COLLECTION

H

andcrafted jewelry inspired by the earth and sky will wow fans of Spanish brand UNOde50 that takes its artisanal jewelry and accessories to another dimension with its Universe Collection for Fall/Winter 2015.

The Earth is evident in jewelry that evoke strength and energy as seen in pieces that use metal alloys with hypoallergenic treatments and leather that has been tanned with vegetable dyes. The white and gray pearls on the other hand represent the lunar phases, while the stars distinctly shine with the tiny colored Swarovski crystals that give the pieces added accent.

Parts of the collection are planetary orbits – spheres and circular pieces – on XL silver plated chains, which takes the wearer through a virtual journey to the universe.

The Spanish brand’s 100 percent handcrafted pieces display the creativity, unique style and bold spirit that have made UNOde50 truly apart from the rest. Founded in the late 1990s by a group of designers who resolved to establish a brand of fashion

UNOde50’s Universe Collection is inspired by the earth and sky

The perfect fusion of two parts that make up our Universe: Earth and Sky.

jewelry and accessories that would break all existing molds, the brand started out with the original and exclusive philosophy of creating only 50 units for each design – giving birth to the trademark name. This unorthodox approach soon proved to be

an unqualified success, giving each piece a mark of distinction.

UNOde50 is located at the Second Level of SM Aura Premier, the Third Floor of SM Megamall’s Mega Fashion Hall, at the Second

Classic double-faced cowhide in bracelets and necklaces

Level of the SM Mall of Asia ‘s ‘Main Hall, at the Ground Floor of SM Makati, and at the Ground Floor of SM Store’s Branded Accessories Section in SM City Cebu.

Visit and like UNOde50’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/unode50.es

LAZADA ANNOUNCES 3-DAY GRAND CHRISTMAS SALE; NEW DEALS REVEALED

L

azada, the Philippines’ largest online shopping mall, is continuously striving to offer its customers the best possible online shopping experience especially this hoilday season. After the successful monthlong sale event last November 11, they’re announcing their threeday Grand Christmas Sale. Last month’s promotion generated over 2.4 million visits and over 120,000 items purchased on its website and mobile app in a single day. This holiday season, Lazada expects a surge that will surpass last month's sale. “We are expecting even more people to visit our platforms, especially the mobile ecosystem,

which includes iOS app, Android app and mobile website,” shares Lazada CEO Inanc Balci. “We are working 24/7 with our third party contractors and suppliers to ensure that the customer experience continues uninterrupted.”

Visit Lazada on December 10 to 12 and get 95 percent off discounts and access Shocking Deals, P12 Deals, and P99 Deals. “P12 Deals are our Christmas present to our customers. We know that Filipinos love giving gifts and P12 Deals make it more affordable,” says Balci. Shocking Deals will feature popular branded items at half price including an Apple iPad Mini 2 Retina 16GB, the most sought

after Hoverboard and a MyView 40’’ Full HD LED TV in limited quantities. Items on the deals were based on the social media requests of their fans. To avail of the 12 Peso Deal, be on the look out for their updates on social media to get the links on the special items. P99 Deals include bestsellers like the Push Up Pro fitness gear and the popular Hands-free Toothpaste Dispenser. The deals are so enticing you would want to be glued online just waiting for the deals to pop up. And if you think that you got the best of the promotion already from these exciting discounts, Lazada is offering more value for your money–every purchase made

on December 10 to 12 instantly qualifies the customer to a raffle draw to win Cebu Pacific airline tickets to international destinations as well as a brand new Hyundai Eon in the grand draw. And for BDO cardholders, you’re in luck to get more additional discounts when you purchase from their list of products.

“Lazada will continue to offer low prices with an even

larger assortment in 2016 and we will continue to improve our operations for customer satisfaction,” closes Balci.

For more information, please visit www.lazada.com.ph. For updates on Lazada’s latest innovations, as well as activities, contests and promotions, connect via Facebook at Lazada Philippines and @LazadaPh for Twitter and Instagram.

F RIDAY : DECEMBER 11, 2015

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C5

From left, Nikko Briguera, Nica Eala, Janina Dizon, Dr Bernice Ong, COPD ambassador Epy Quizon, Dr Patrick Moral, Dr Tim Trinidad and Jonnahs Singian

epy Quizon says #MakeTiMeForDaD beFore iT’s Too laTe

F

or 60 years, we Filipinos knew comedy by one name-- Dolphy.

But for the Quizon siblings, behind the cameras, and far from his legions of fans he was Dad, Tatay, Papa and El Kapitan— the captain of their ship.

It’s been three years since the Comedy King passed away and actor Epy Quizon recalls it was the most difficult time for their family.

“Our dad was a fighter. He was our general, our commander-in-chief, so watching him get weaker and trying hard just to catch his breath was very difficult for us,” Epy told media at the launch of #MakeTimeForDad advocacy against Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which claimed Dolphy’s life.

Just like the roles Dolphy often played in movies, Epy said “My father was a very charitable man.

He was a man for others. Its how I will always remember him.”

Epy admitted they had their disagreements. “Every time I have a problem or whatever, I called my Dad and the moment I hear his voice “Hello pa lang ok na ako, alam ko may kakampi na ako,” he said.

Dolphy was the epitome of a total entertainer whose talent in acting, singing and dancing was honed through years of experience and hard work. His talent was equaled only by his work ethic as he lived by the credo “the show must go on,” even after he got sick and was diagnosed with COPD. In the last few years of his life, while Dolphy continued to make people smile, his family was desperately trying hard to keep theirs, knowing that their patri-

arch was risking his health with every performance.

“Dad lived to perform, even if he was already wheelchair-bound and could barely stand, he would revert back into his old self whenever the cameras started rolling,” shared son Eric Quizon.

According to his son, actor-director Eric Quizon, his father was a heavy smoker who started smoking in his teen. “He was 45 when he went cold turkey after being diagnosed with emphysema and by that time, his lungs were so black.”

The damage to his lungs continued to progress with age and Dolphy was diagnosed with COPD at the age of 79, at that time only his partner Zsazsa Padilla knew of his condition.

Eric recalled his father initially tried to hide his illness, but he grew suspicious when Dolphy asked him to buy a portable oxygen concentrator, which he found out was for patients with COPD. “When he turned 80, he began carrying that oxygen concentrator everywhere he went. It was at the same time of the launch of his book and when we went on a US tour,” he recalled.

“The saddest part is seeing how your loved one deteriorates and there is nothing you can do,” Epy said.

The once vibrant Comedy King had become lethargic. Aside from frequent coughs and shortness of breath, Eric said his dad would complain of tiredness after taking a few steps.

From his yearly medical checkups, Dolphy’s hospital visits became more and more frequent until his doctors diagnosed him with COPD. That was the time Dolphy

CODP #MakeTimeForDad Campaign Ambassador Epy Quizon

Epy Quizon talking about his experience with Dad while suffering from COPD

decided to talk to his 18 children about his condition. Eric said it was one of the most difficult times for their family, knowing there was no cure for the disease.

In mid-2012, Dolphy was hospitalized again and after battling 13 bouts of pneumonia, Dolphy succumbed to the disease on July 10, 2012 at age 83.

Dolphy’s journey as a COPD patient has become the most familiar patient story for Filipinos as his constant hospitalizations and deteriorating health were always part of the news. #MakeTiMeForDaD As part of the commemoration of World COPD DAY, GlaxoSmithKline and the Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP), are spearheading a new campaign called #MakeTimeForDad. The campaign encourages family members to upload 30-second videos on Facebook and Instagram, stating a list of things they want to do or wish they could have done with their loved fathers. This would serve as a reminder for them to act now if they feel that their loved ones are at risk for COPD, and value each

moment they spend with them.

“Our dad died because of COPD and we just found out it is actually one of the leading causes of death in the country,” says Epy. “We want to educate people, and make them aware of the disease. We hope this will give them a clearer picture of how the disease affects not only the patient but the entire family,” he said.

“MakeTimeForDad encourages people to be more sensitive to the condition of their fathers especially those who smoke and are more prone to develop COPD”, says Dr. Barangan.

COPD is a progressive lung ailment that makes breathing difficult and invariably leads to death. It is the seventh killer disease in the Philippines, which is not surprising in a country where there are 17.3 million adult smokers. Unfortunately, only two percent of the 4.2 million Filipinos are diagnosed.

Cigarette smoking causes 80 to 90 percent of COPD cases. Aside from smoking, pollution - both indoor and outdoor - can also cause COPD, according to studies by the World Health Organization.

Patients who are suffering from COPD experience breathlessness, abnormal sputum characterized by a mix of saliva and mucus, and chronic cough.

As COPD is a progressive dis-

ease it becomes a familial problem, much like the case of the Quizon family. Once the father is affected, the rest of the family assumes the responsibility of taking care of the patient and they play an important role in a patient’s treatment journey.

People are often diagnosed with COPD when they are in the 50s and 60s. However, these diagnoses are relatively late as COPD can begin in your 40s.

“Do not make the mistake of a lot of patients who usually see their doctors when they are already in the later stages of COPD. It is easy to confuse COPD with other conditions such as smoker’s cough and shortness of breath due to ageing but if your father is a smoker and he begins to experience coughing with phlegm and an unusual breathing pattern, consult a doctor. He may be asked to get a spirometry exam to diagnose COPD,” says Dr. Gio Barangan, GSK’s Medical Director.

Spirometry is a simple breathing test that gauges how much and how quickly air moves out of the lungs. It measures the lung function in patients and determines the progression of the disease.

Dr. Barangan says if COPD is detected early, patients will have fewer limitations on their activity.

For more information on COPD, visit pinoycopd.com.

F RIDAY : DECEMBER 11, 2015

C6

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

...ARE tALkinG AbOUt

Alden Richards receiving his PMPC trophy

PeOPle ALDEn RiChARDS His arrival at the recently concluded PMPC Awards Night caused a commotion, which delayed the awarding ceremony for around 20 minutes. The floor director had to call the audiences’ attention to go back to their seats so they could continue the show.

This doesn’t happen or has not happened to any actor of his generation either. We’ve witnessed a few interruptions of some sort, but Alden’s arrival at the PMPC was just over the top.

...ARE nOt tALkinG AbOUt

SARAh GEROnimO The 27-year-old singer should assume the moniker Concert Queen. Not only she deserves the title more than anyone else, she’s also one of the few recording stars in this country that can stage a two-hour show performing only songs from her own catalog. Like in a recent sold-out two-night concert at the Smart Araneta, Sarah G. entertained thousands of concertgoers with songs she popularized.

Concert Queen Sarah G.

Newly crowned Miss Earth Angelia Ong

AnGELiA OnG This pageant crazy country has another reason to celebrate after another Filipina bagged a grand slam crown (grand slam pageant pertains to Miss Earth, Miss International, Miss World and Miss Universe). Angelia Ong, a 25-year-old Ilongga beauty, disappointed 84 other candidates who found their way in Vienna only to clap for the Philippine pride while she’s walking home with the crown.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 39 40

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Employs 5 Cellar, briefly 9 Wind resistance 13 Caesar’s garb 14 Polished off (2 wds.)

16 Country cousin 17 Slugger Moises — 18 Full of flavor 19 Shaman’s finding

20 21 22 24 26 27 30 34 35 36 37 38

“Bonanza” brother Long sigh Rumple Bede of fiction Thick carpeting Drive-in order Socks and shirts Wan Rather you — me Cat’s-paw Help the merchant Jedi allies

42 43 45 47 48 49 50 53 54 58 59 61 62 63 64 65 66 67

Tijuana aunt Humorist — Bombeck Tarzan’s transport Ascertain Kind of bee Ordered around — -de-camp Elvis swiveled them Digress Large green parrot Relieve tension Kind of rug Hits dead-center Soir follower Thin coating Kind of role Druid Hooray for me! (hyph.)

Many August people “Mack the Knife” singer

DOWN 1 Four Corners state 2 Recital piece 3 They’re often inflated 4 Bacon alternative 5 Rummage sale 6 Mirror fogger 7 Chicken wire 8 Noted mummy

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015

9 10 11 12 15 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 38 41 43 44 46 47 49 50 51 52 53 55 56 57 60

Crop threatener Cuba exports I.W. or Walter Kind of pool Jungle crushers Feedbag tidbit Bear’s refuge Allay, as thirst Naive ones Seize power Limerick, e.g.

Cheech’s partner Specks Bete — Adrenal, for one Strong cord Obvious The Crimson Tide Prune Soul Mae West role Slants Phone response Ride the rapids Opera tune Canasta play Franklin’s flier “The Mammoth Hunters” author Housecat’s perch Jazzy — James Feel crummy

Derrick Monasterio now a recording artist

Andi Eigenmann as Angela Markado

And I Love You So stars Julia Barretto and Miles Ocampo

DERRiCk mOnAStERiO It takes guts to try out something new even if you are not sure if you would fail miserably. Hence we are giving him major props since he can now tick singing off his bucket list. Derrick joins GMA Records signing an exclusive contract with the record company. But some people ask how can they take Derrick seriously as a singer when he hasn’t proven anything yet as an actor?

AnGELA mARkADO It’s too bad for Andi Eigemann who starred in the reimagining of the 1980 Lino Brocka film. The new version lacks logic, structure and creativity. It’s a complete waste of time and money to say the least.

It pales in comparison to the original version amid an obvious budget allotted for the film. It’s so disappointing Brocka might crawl out of his grave to give Carlo J. Caparas a slap on the face for bastardizing his opus.

AnD i LOvE YOU SO How did the teen drama starring Julia Barretto and Miles Ocampo fare in the ratings race? According to ABG Neilsen and TNS Kantar surveys, it’s a lukewarm reception for this new Kapamilya show.

By contrast, it’s rival show that centers on the life of a transgender woman got better ratings.

F RIDAY : DECEMBER 11, 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Janella Salvador

C7 Jessa Zaragoza

Jessa ZaragoZa baCk on stage for a ConCert next year

Janella’s dream to be disney princess comes true From c8

Janella Salvador might have burst onto the music entertainment scene as an actress, but she has quickly gained recognition for her sweet and exceptional singing voice.

After breaking into the music industry as Star Music’s OPM Pop Sweetheart, she is now officially a Disney princess after being chosen by Hong Kong Disneyland to represent the Philippines and sing its 10th anniversary theme song “Happily Ever After.”

Both the English and Taglish versions of the song, which Janella performed live for the first time in It’s Showtime last week, is included in the limited edition of her self-titled album under Star Music.

“I remember celebrating my seventh birthday in Hong Kong Disneyland 10 years ago when it just opened. I’m so honored, this time, to represent our country and sing its 10th anniversary theme song. Dreams do come true, and Disney never fails to prove that,” she said.

Janella’s solo self-titled album also features nine pop and inspirational songs. Included in the album is her carrier single “Ganyan Talaga,” composed by inspirational diva Jamie Rivera.

The making of the album was very special for Janella as her mother, singer-actress Jenine Desiderio, served as its vocal supervisor.

Janella’s album tracks also include her own versions of Sharon Cuneta’s “Dear Heart” and Donna Cruz’s “I Can.” Fans of her love team with Marlo Mortel, a member of boy group Harana, will surely enjoy their duet in “Kapag Tumibok ang Puso.”

Completing the track list are “Harana Na Na Na Na,”

Janella Salvador's self-titled limited edition album cover

“Tick Tock Love,” “Teka Muna Pag-ibig…,” and Himig Handog P-Pop Love Song “Mahal Kita Pero,” as well as the minus-one versions of the album’s nine songs.

The limited edition of Janella Salvador is available at all record bars nationwide for only P199. Digital tracks can also be downloaded via leading record stores across the nation and online music stores iTunes, Mymusicstore.com. ph, and Starmusic.ph.

For more information, visit Starmusic.ph or follow Star Music’s official social media accounts at Facebook.com/ starrecordsphil, Twitter.com/starrecordsph and Instagram.com/Starmusicph.

namesake’s new single in asia today

Namesake releases its new single “Worlds Away”. Continuing with the excellent response of the first single – “Borders and Fences” – release in Asia, the brand new single is sure to be a hit across the board.

“Worlds Away” the single and the video are absolutely spot on. The song uplifts the listener from its onset, keeping you on the edge of your seat with anticipation. The music video is another beautiful story.

The video is inspired by a current event theme in Asia filmed with the Namesake band members dressed as a group of beautiful military commandos and no other than The Supreme

Namesake

Leader of a controversial nation.

“Worlds Away” is being released across Asia today with the video to follow shortly after.

The concert scene is also in the upswing as Namesake is set to perform live in concert in some cities in

February and March 2016, plus with opportunities to see them on television and live streaming as well.

The band’s two singles, “Worlds Away” and “Borders and Fences” are being released by Imagen Records/Warner ADA. The band’s development is headed by CEO of Imagen Records Bob Winegard and 2016 Grammy nominee Morgan Rose.

Namesake is being managed by Rene Walter, CEO of Sanre Entertainment.

For more information on Namesake, follow them on Facebook and Instagram: Namesakerock.

Phenomenal Diva Jessa Zaragoza kicks off 2016 with her much-awaited return to the concert scene via her major solo concert dubbed I Am Me, on Jan. 15 at the Music Museum.

After a 13-year hiatus from the live concert circuit, Jessa feels that it’s high time for her to rekindle her passion for the one thing she loves most: singing.

After paying her dues as a hands-on mom to 12-year old daughter Jayda and spreading her wings as an actress and concert producer, the ever-youthful-looking porcelain beauty believes that she owes it to her loyal fans who have been clamoring to see and hear her reclaim her throne as one of OPM’s prized performers.

Jessa remarks, “I always thought that if I had to do a solo concert again, I would do it at a time when I’m most ready for it. My heart, body and soul should be one. I want to be fully prepared.”

However, more than just reprising her signature hits, the Kapuso actress also believes that her comeback concert should also be a revelation of sorts—an unveiling of her real musical self, as well as the unique palette of colors that have shaped her musical personality over the past years.

She says, “Through the years, I’ve discovered different colors of my gift, my voice, and that there are amazing techniques I can do, or songs I can sing. Everything comes out naturally when you’re being true to your own music.”

To make it even more meaningful, Jessa timed her show as a fitting prelude for her birthday on Jan. 30.

And just what exactly has she lined up for her eager fans?

She replies, “Aside from my hit songs, I’ll be singing songs that have influenced and molded me as the artist that I am today.”

“There are artists who I looked up to growing up, like Toni Braxton and Whitney Houston. There are also songs that I listened to when I was still a child. I remember, those were songs of artists with big voices.

I want those that challenge me and suit the color and texture of my voice.”

Despite having been more visible on TV lately in a slew of Kapuso teleseryes, Jessa reaffirms, “I can say that I’m 80 percent a singer and 20 percent an actress.

My heart belongs to the stage as a singer, and I’ve realized that more and more these past few years.”

Looking back, what would Jessa cite as the defining moment that validated her stature as a singer?

She pauses wistfully and muses, “When my first album Just Can’t Help Feelin’ and my song ‘Bakit Pa?’ became a hit worldwide, especially when someone tells me that even foreigners sing my song, or that when they were still young, they sang my songs, like these kids from the U.S. who didn’t really know how to speak Tagalog, but knew and appreciated ‘Bakit Pa?’ It feels so good to know that my music has become a part of their lives.”

Will her fans be in for any other surprise treats?

“I will be dancing! Haha! Just a little! My fantasy as a dancer will be showcased in this show. Haha! But seriously, I will be sharing different parts of my journey as a singer in this show. That’s why it’s entitled, I Am Me.” Aside from special appearances by hubby Dingdong Avanzado and Jayda, the concert also features surprise guests.

Produced by Phenomenal Entertainment, the concert also features Elmer Blancaflor as musical director, with concept and direction by Dingdong Avanzado.

Showtime is 8:30 p.m.

F RIDAY : DECEMBER 11, 2015

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

1

Daryl Ong Opens albay’s green Christmas 2

It is sparkling musical Christmas in Albay as it holds the fifth Karangahan Green Christmas Festival.

The presence of The Voice Philippines 2014 winner Daryl Ong spiced up the night.

The prized singer, also a TV animator, wowed the crowd with his hits and all-time Yuletide tunes. He joined the local government officials in the lighting of the native “green Christmas tree”.

Ong also sampled the native delicacies at the Culinaria Albay grounds at the Peñaranda Park in Legazpi City where the province’s wellknown local restaurants have set up booths in the food plaza that will run for a month.

Also spicing up the launch was the pageant of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges, which held its convention in the city.

Karangahan, which literally means merry-making, started in 2010 with Albay Gov. Joey Salceda initiating it to be the yearend festivity of the province to mark its environmental advocacy and disaster preparedness.

This year’s Christmas tree is made of karagumoy, a native plant from the coastal communities of Bacacay, Sto. Domingo and San Miguel Island in Tabaco City. Some 937,500 leaves of the plant were used in the 36-foot high tree.

For the past five years, Albay’s green Christmas tree has been made of earth-friendly and recyclable materials such as empty oil drums, pili nut seedlings, coconut husks and camote (sweet potatoes).

“Even as we keep it modest, the festival showcases the superlative skills of our creative community and the generosity of our patrons: The artists who create our Christmas tree and make our surroundings beautiful.

The artisans who craft our products, beautify our homes and surroundings,” Salceda said.

The weeklong fest features the Pastores Bikol, a century-old Christmas tradition, which depicts the shepherds’ jubilation with the birth of the Christ Child. Spearheaded by the Department of Tourism regional office, musical groups interpret “Pastores A Belen” (Shepherds to Bethlehem), a Spanish song composed by national hero Dr. Jose Rizal while on exile in Dapitan.

Introduced by Spanish priests in the late 1800s, Pastores is a practice across Bicolandia and a regular part of the ISAH V. RED Yuletide season in the region.

Gaily-dressed young boys and girls in colorfully decorated hats and arches, and accompanied by musicians dance around towns and are welcomed to the homes for snacks of native rice cakes.

Albay, one of Bicolandia’s important centers of history and culture, has become the home of the Pastores because it is popularly practiced here.

The late National Artist Ramon Obusan, founder of the famed Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group and a native of Camarines Norte, put choreography to the song to represent the Bicol folk’s jovial nature.

In the 70s, Legazpi City-based radio station People’s Broadcasting Network (PBN- DZGB) revived the tradition by launching a contest among Bicol’s students and youths. Its role has become pivotal because it revived a dying tradition and the song has been turned into household tune once more what with airwaves saturated with the Christmas melody.

Other events in the Karangahan Festival include cooking demos and competitions, entertainment shows, sporting tournaments, pageants and celebrity appearances.

3 4

5

➜ Continued on C7

Even as we keep it modest, the festival showcases the superlative skills of our creative community and the generosity of our patrons: The artists who create our Christmas tree and make our surroundings beautiful.

The artisans who craft our products, beautify our homes and surroundings – Joey Salceda, governor of Albay

6

1 Ong a hit among Albayanos 2 The Voice winner Daryl Ong with Albayano fans 3 Ong performs hits for the crowd at Peñaranda Park 4 Local dancers entertaining festival goers at Peñaranda Park 5 The Bikol Pastores is a glimpse on the past of Albay with the dancers’ Mexican inspired costumes 6 Albay Governor Joey Salceda leads the opening of Karangahan Green Christmas Festival