The Standard - 2015 December 29 - Tuesday

VOL. XXIX  NO. 320  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  TUESDAY : DECEMBER 29, 2015  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Beijing angered by island campers

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COURT STOPS POE DISQUALIFICATION

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Supreme Court issued temporary restraining orders Monday to stop the Commission on Elections from disqualifying Senator Grace Poe and cancelling her Certificate of Candidacy for next year’s presidential election.

Responding to petitions filed by the senator, Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno approved the issuance of the TROs, which would stop the Comelec from removing Poe’s name from the official ballot, Court spokesman Theodore Te said in a press briefing.

Under the court rules, the TROs would be subject to confirmation by the Court en banc when justices resume session on Jan. 12, 2016.

The Court also ordered the Comelec to answer Poe’s petitions within 10 days from the receipt of notice.

Oral arguments are set for Jan. 19, 2016.

Poe hailed the Court’s decision on the TROs, which came on the same day that she filed her petitions.

“I thank the Supreme Court for a just Next page

Palace: PNoy vow to die by rail not literal

By Sandy Araneta

Two petitions. Senator Grace Poe’s lawyer George Garcia holds up copies of the two petitions he filed at the Supreme Court on Monday asking it to reject the Commission on Elections’ rulings disqualifying Poe from next year’s elections. EY ACASIO

THE Palace said Monday that the promise by President Benigno Aquino III to have himself and Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya run over by a train if they missed a Dec. 31 deadline to extend the LRT to Cavite should not be taken literally.

With only three more days until Aquino’s self-imposed deadline and the LRT extension far from complete, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the President’s boast during a 2013 campaign sortie was merely “an aspirational statement.”

“The President was speaking with a sense of urgency when he announced his desire to see the project within two years,” Coloma said.

“Any reasonable person would understand this to have been an aspirational statement. Despite the delays, the government continues to pursue the project.”

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In his speech two years ago, the President boasted that when the LRT-1 Cavite Extension was completed by 2015, the system would have faster trains and be able to carry 250,000 more people.

“And if that doesn’t happen, here’s Secretary Abaya who’s in charge of the project; he and I will probably have ourselves run over by a train,” Aquino said in Filipino.

As early as July, a video of the President’s 2013 campaign speech in Cavite was posted on various websites and social media, with some critics saying they were eagerly awaiting the end of the year.

The LRT’s private concessionaire, Light Rail Manila Corp., said no progress has been made in the two years since the President made his campaign promise.

“There are no new developments for the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project as the notice to proceed hasn’t yet been given to LRMC by the DoTC [Department of Transportation and Communications],” the company said in a statement.

Abaya said the delays were caused by the failure in the project’s bidding process under the Public-Private Partnership Program.

“When the President made that announcement we were still leading up to the bid.

No one plans for a failure of bid…. No one showed up at the day of bidding,” Abaya said in July.

Abaya said the start of the construction is expected within the first half of 2016.

“Again, this is a PPP project. They are talking to their creditors,” he said.

The National Economic and Development Authority Board, which is chaired

by Aquino, agreed in 2012 to bid out the LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension and Operation and Maintenance project under the PPP Program.

The P64.9-billion project was awarded to LRMC in September of 2014 but the company only took over on Sept. 12 this year.

Under the agreement, LRMC will manage the LRT-1 for 32 years, during which it will also extend the 20.7-kilometer line by 11.7 kilometers.

“The private partner will undertake the design, construction, and financing of the Cavite Extension as well as the operation and maintenance of the integrated system upon completion of the project,” the PPP Center said in its website.

“The extension will serve future high-growth centers in the south like Cavite,” the LRMC said through a disclosure of its parent company Metro Pacific Investments Corp. in September.

The extension is expected to increase passenger capacity from the current 500,000, LRMC also said.

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China angered by young campers on disputed isle

By Francisco Tuyay

BEIJING expressed anger Monday after a group of young Filipinos camped out on Pagasa, an island in the South China Sea that both China and the Philippines claim as their own.

The voyage of the group, which calls itself “Kalayaan Atin Ito,” was aimed at protesting China’s intrusion in territories that are within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Lu Kang, said China was “strongly dissatisfied” by what the Filipinos have done, reiterating that China has indisputable sovereignty over the Spratly Islands.

“We once again urge the Philippines to

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and compassionate decision. From the start, I put my full faith in the judicial process. The Comelec denied our people their choices in an open election but I am confident that the Supreme Court will uphold the truth and the spirit of the Constitution,” Poe said in a statement.

Poe also thanked the Court for acting on her petition despite being on recess for the holidays.

In her petitions, Poe sought the immediate issuance of TROs because the Comelec said its decision on two disqualification cases against her would be executory if she failed to secure a TRO within five days.

“This is a matter of extreme urgency. Through arbitrary, capricious, and seemingly orchestrated, acts over the past two months, the Commission on Elections has single-handedly imperiled the sovereign right of the Filipino people to elect the 16th President of the Republic of the Philippines,” the petitions said.

Poe’s lawyer, George Garcia, said the five-day period on Poe’s case would have lapsed Monday.

In her two petitions, Poe asked the Court to reverse the decisions of the Comelec cancelling her Certificate of Candidacy, and instead allow her to run for President in the May 2016 elections.

Poe appealed to the Court to issue a TRO or status quo ante order enjoining the Comelec’s decision dated Dec. 23, 2015 granting the four petitions seeking to disqualify Poe from the presidential race on ground that she is not a natural-born Filipino citizen and for her failure to meet the 10-year residency requirement.

Garcia said they filed two separate petitions assailing the two resolutions issued by the Comelec’s First and Second Divisions, which were both affirmed by the Comelec en banc last week.

The Comelec’s First Division, in

withdraw all its personnel and facilities from the islands that it is illegally occupying, refrain from actions that are detrimental to regional peace and stability and not conducive to Sino-Philippines relations,” Lu said.

But a spokesman for the Armed Forces dismissed the Chinese reaction.

“They are dreaming. The island is ours,” said Col. Restituto Padilla.

Padilla added that the islands that China had occupied fall within the Philippines’ territorial jurisdiction.

The protesters, composed of 47 young men and women, led by ex-marine captain Nick Faeldon, held bonfire and other activities on Pagasa Island in a symbolic defiance of China’s expansionism in the South China Sea, including its construction of seven artificial islands in the disputed waters.

The group is expected to sail back to Puerto Princesa, Palawan for their departure to Manila on Dec. 30.

Padilla said personnel from the Western

its decision on Dec. 11, disqualified Poe based on the petitions filed by De La Salle University professor Antonio Contreras, former Senator Francisco Tatad and former University of the East College of Law dean Amado Valdez.

The poll body’s Second Division unanimously voted on Dec. 1 to disqualify Poe based on the petition of former Government Service Insurance System chief legal counsel Estrella Elamparo.

Poe’s petitions before the Court also questioned the timing of the release of the en banc’s resolutions on Dec. 23, saying that it was meant to ensure her immediate removal from the ballot for next year’s elections.

“Under these circumstances, Senator Poe humbly prays for the immediate intervention by this Honorable Court. She asks that the Comelec be enjoined without any further delay, from inflicting even more damage to her and the right of the Filipino people to choose their next President,” the petition read.

“The Supreme Court has the sole authority to decide on questions of qualification, and to uphold with finality the people’s right to choose the nation’s leader,” Poe said in a statement.

In her petition assailing the resolution of the Comelec First Division, Poe argued that the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion when, instead, of requiring Tatad to prove his allegation that she is not a naturalborn citizen, placed the burden on her to prove she is born of Filipino parents.

“Senator Poe submits that the issue of whether a foundling is a natural-born Filipino transcends her candidacy for President. What is at stake in this case is not only a foundling’s right to run for high public offices, but the enjoyment of a host of even seemingly ordinary rights or positions which our laws reserve only for natural-born citizens,” the petition read.

Command visited the youth, giving them provisions.

“We salute them and hailed what they have manifested as regard the concern over our territory in the West Philippine Sea,” Padilla said, referring to areas of the South China Sea that the Philippines claims.

“We also praised them for being nationalistic and patriotic and for forming a group to be able to sail to Pagasa Island.”

Earlier, the military had opposed the Kalayaan Atin Ito mission, saying it could complicate security concerns in the area.

On their journey back to Manila, Padilla said the Western Command would provide escort personnel to the youth group and their movement would also be monitored to ensure their safety.

The coordinator of the group, Joy Ban-eg, said the journey to Pagasa Island would not be the last but the first in a series of similar voyages that would be launched “in the near future.”

“The reality that a foundling will be deprived of these simply because she was abandoned at birth, without any trace of her biological parents [a circumstance that is not of her own doing] is highly material in this case,” the senator added.

Poe also challenged the Comelec conclusion that she intended to mislead voters with the wrong information in her Certificate of Candidacy.

The Supreme Court is on recess until Jan. 10, but its rules allow the Chief Justice to act on urgent cases without holding a session of the justices.

The issuance of any temporary restraining order or status quo ante order must be upheld by the majority of the justices when they next convene.

In a text message, Poe’s spokesman, Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian said the Court’s action would prevent “further damage to our democracy.”

“We are confident that in the coming days as the legal points are being threshed out, the SC will see the merits of our position that Poe is a natural-born Filipino and has met the required residency prerequisite,” Gatchalian said.

Now that her case has reached its final battleground, Poe said all she is asking for is a fair consideration of the facts.

“We are confident the SC will honor previous jurisprudence on the rights of foundlings to a country and citizenship. I also pray that they will carefully look into the facts of my residence and my actual physical presence in the country,” said Poe. Garcia, Poe’s lawyer, said they also filed a separate petition asking the three justices who voted against Poe in the Senate Electoral Tribunal to inhibit themselves from the proceedings.

The three magistrates are Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, and Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo De Castro and Arturo Brion.

Poe said she was hopeful that the Supreme Court will decide

the same way it did in her father’s case in 2004 and let the people decide in a “truly democratic” election.

The Palace said the high court is the final arbiter in such cases.

“We join our people’s hope and trust that any decision that will eventually be rendered on the matter would be imbued with fairness and justice,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. Also on Monday, Gatchalian denied reports that her running mate Senator Francisco Escudero, was abandoning Poe. Gatchalian said the partnership of the two independent candidates remains steadfast in working for a government that will push for inclusive growth.

“The Poe-Escudero tandem remains strong despite all the black propaganda being hurled against them,” Gatchalian said.

“These people have launched their attacks on Senator Poe and now have launched an offensive aimed at sowing intrigue within the Poe-Escudero tandem,” he said.

He said the recent story being circulated that Escudero has abandoned Poe is baseless and a barefaced lie.

“If the people behind this story plan to drive a wedge between the two candidates, they should stop wasting their time as the two candidates continue to fight this battle together, sideby-side,” he said.

Meanwhile, the pro-Poe Gawa at Prinsipyo Coalition said it welcomed supporters of the senator who stood by her in her hour of need but strongly condemned efforts by some quarters to break up the Poe-Escudero tandem.

“It’s unfortunate that a few infiltrators dispatched by the rivals of the tandem tried to join the gathering of supporters before the Supreme Court. We should be united in condemning the Comelec decision, instead of sowing intrigue,” the group said in a statement. With Sandy Araneta

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‘Public hanging for criminals’ A DUTERTE Presidency will see the return of the death penalty and the public hanging of convicted criminals to end criminality and corruption, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said once he gets elected to the country’s highest post.

“Within three to six months I will stop corruption in the government,” Duterte said in his weekly television program in Davao.

“I will stop criminality, I will stop drugs in other places. I will recommend to Congress the restoration of the death penalty by hanging in public. I will not hesitate to use the military and the police to stop it.”

Duterte also said half of the 3,000 to 5,000 drug lords would be eliminated once he and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, his running mate, were elected.

He would add P1,000 to the monthly salaries of school teachers.

“It’s time to finish the sad Christmas experience by our teachers,” Duterte said.

He said that in some areas the people were buying drugs with their farm animals.

“The drug trade has gone to the countrysides. They buy drugs using their pigs, their goats, their cows,” Duterte said.

He said he would propose to Congress the creation of special criminal courts to try drug cases.

He criticized the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, the law that protects the rights of minors in conflict with the law.

“It has not helped the country at all and instead has promoted criminality,” Duterte said of the law authored by LP senatorial bet and former Agriculture czar Francis Pangilinan. John Paolo Bencito and macon Ramosaraneta

Getting ready for Wednesday. Workers clean Jose Rizal’s monument in Rizal Park on Monday in preparation for his 119th death anniversary on Nov. 30. DaNNY Pata

Binay camp says dole to buy votes in 2016 THE camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay said Monday it fears this year’s P64-billion fund for the government’s conditional cash transfer program or dole to the poor could be used to bankroll the campaign of Liberal Party presidential bet Manuel Roxas II. It was Liberal Party stalwart and Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice himself who admitted that the CCT program, also known as the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program or 4Ps, would ensure “an easy win” for Roxas in 2016, said Mon Ilagan, spokesman of Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance.

“It only confirms the filthy plan of using the CCT fund af-

ter the congressman from Caloocan admitted that the 4Ps is LP’s mechanism to make Roxas win,” Ilagan said.

But Malacañang denied that this year’s dole to the poor would be used to bankroll the LP’s candidates.

“The CCT program has been implemented by the Aquino administration since the start and over the years, we have expanded the number of beneficiaries from 800 thousand families to 4.4-million families,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a text message to reporters.

“It is a program envisioned to implement the President’s credo of no one should be left behind.”

The CCT program gives

families cash for keeping their children in school and bringing them to local health centers for check-ups. It covered fourmillion households By October 2014.

But Ilagan said he feared the CCT funds would be used for something else.

“The distribution of CCT funds from January to May 2016 will definitely affect voting behavior. No doubt, it has become a legal mechanism to buy their way to Malacañang,” Ilagan said.

He said UNA was also convinced that the P3-trillion national budget for 2016 was nothing more than an LP war chest intended to “turbo-charge” the

chances of Roxas and the other LP bets in next year’s elections.

Ilagan also said they had received reports of organized “rumor brigades” systematically spreading stories about a supposed plan to cancel the program.

“This is part of a campaign to scare the beneficiaries into believing that if Vice President Jejomar Binay wins, he will stop the CCT program,” Ilagan said.

He said this was the reason why whenever the UNA team made the rounds, “we make it clear that VP Binay will continue the program” with modifications and “will strengthen it.” Vito Barcelo and sandy araneta

UNA: Roxas campaigning early

Ready for New Year’s Eve. Nurses at the Quirino Memorial Medical Center show the tools they will use to treat firecracker victims during New Year’s Eve. JaNsEN RomERo

AN OFFICIAL on Monday slammed Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II for tagging along with President Benigno Aquino III during a relief operation in Northern Samar on Wednesday, saying it was premature campaigning.

“Calamity victims don’t need Roxas or any highranking government official,” Rep. Fernando Hicap said in a statement in reference to the people affected

by Typhoon “Nona.”

“They need fast relief and rehabilitation work and not a high-profile relief stunt that is clearly part of the

Aquino administration’s premature campaigning in favor of its presidential bet.”

Roxas, who also visited Nona’s victims in Calumpit and Hagonoy in Bulacan the same day, denied he had been campaigning prematurely.

“I’m happy to see that the relief efforts here are organized and our countrymen here are getting help,” he said.

But Hicap criticized the Aquino administration “for not having a sense of urgency to help Typhoon Nona victims who mostly affected the provinces of

Northern Samar, Sorsogon, Mindoro, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija.”

“This administration truly never learned from the deadly and destructive effects of previous typhoons especially typhoon Yolanda. It continues to make a lackluster performance in terms of speedy relief and construction effort.

“Typhoon Nona’s victims will spend this Yuletide season in the evacuation areas, and adding to their burden is the slow delivery of services by the government.” John Paolo Bencito

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2 more deaths in clashes vs jihadists

By Francisco Tuyay TWO more government troops were killed and another was wounded after a suspected Abu Sayyaf struck a military installation in Sulu in what appeared to be a retaliatory attack to avenge the 26 deaths the extremists have sustained in two weeks of intermittent fighting in Mindanao.

Maj. Filemon Tan, spokesman of the military’s Western Mindanao Command, said the Abu Sayyaf extremists attacked the headquarters of the 22nd Marine Company at Sitio Palan, Barangay Mampallam, in Talipao, Sulu at 2 a.m.

Monday.

The latest deaths brings to nine the number of government troops killed in fighting that started when the military swept down on an Abu Sayyaf lair where Malaysian bomber Mohammed Najib Husen, supposedly the chief aide of known Islamic State sympathizer Dr. Mahmud Ahmad, was hiding.

Husen was killed after government troops attacked an Abu Sayyaf base at Barangagay Makalang in Al Barka, Basilan where Abu Sayyaf built a training camp with 28 structures including 10 dugin bunkers that can accommodate up to 250 people.

Three government troopers were killed in that attack, Tan said, while four more soldiers were killed as the extremists attacked a military outpost in Sulu last week.

Pro tossers. Market workers toss watermelons to each other in an interesting display of skills honed by years of experience. AFP

Prelate disappointed over economic reality

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

THIS year was a “very disappointing year” primarily because of the harsh socio-economic realities of the Filipino people, according to retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz.

Poverty has become the new normal, Cruz said, urging photographers to visit certain areas in North Harbor and other impoverished areas to see how the people’s reality.

“Almost all food commodities in the market are imported, if not smuggled,” Cruz, a former president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and now Archbishop Emeritus of LingayenDagupan He described outgoing President

Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III as “one who’s against the people, against population but at the same time uses people in the person of overseas Filipino workers whose remittances [keep] the country’s economy afloat.”

Cruz said there is no truth to President Aquino’s claims that the Filipino people are his “bosses” because in truth and in fact, his close collaborators, those handling public funds and appropriate them for

their own benefit, are the ones “who have Mr. Aquino’s ear.”

The slogan “daang matuwid is anything but matuwid”, he insists.

“Where’s the newly-enacted General Appropriations Act of 2016 coming from?” the prelate asked. He said most of the budget comes from direct and indirect taxes levied on rich and poor Filipinos.

“A significant portion of it would come from foreign borrowing,” Cruz further said. He added he fears the coming budget would be mishandled by government executives as in previous years.

He specifically mentions the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Conditional Cash Transfer where he believes beneficia-

ries are being shortchanged by some government officials.

In connection to this, Cruz expressed fears the upcoming May 2016 elections will not be free because “when people are poor, they are not free.” He said with a government budget of over Php 3 trillion, it would be easy to buy and sell votes.

The 81-year-old prelate said he believes the incoming administration equipped even with “a little intelligence, could do a lot for the people.”

The retired Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop said the country has transformed itself into a country of illegal drug manufacturing, women and children up for sale through the Internet and killings which occur regularly, among other concerns.

Palace names new appointees

Seizure. Quezon City police director Chief Supt. Edgardo Tinio shows off one of the illegal firearms seized in a new police crackdown. JANSEN ROMERO

Malacañang on Monday announced the latest appointments of President Benigno Aquino III, among them, Department of Transportation and Communications Undersecretary Reggie Boiser Ramos.

Ramos replaced Jose Perpetuo M. Lotilla, one of the DoTC officials named in several transactions marred with irregularity including the P3.8-billion motor vehicle license plates procurement.

The Palace also released the appointment of Ireneo Vigonte Vizmonte as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry, replacing Maria Lourdes T. Baua.

In the Department of Labor and Employment, President Aquino signed the appointment of Florante Ocular Perez and Lucila Castillo-Tarriela as members, representing workers sector of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity BoardRegion XIII of the DoLE’s National Wages and Productivity Commission.

Perez and Tarriela will serve for a term of five years, replacing Rolando Dahang and Francisco Floro, respectively.

Aquino also signed the appointment of Ernesto Santos Gregorio Jr. as Direc-

tor IV of the Department of Public Works and Highways, and Corazon Ignacio Flores as Director III of Department of Health.

Other presidential appointees include Ameurfina Dumlao-Santos, as member of Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development under the Department of Science and Technology.

Rolando Espinosa Peña and Elmer Bandayrel Billedo have been appointed as chairperson and member of the Professional Regulatory Board of Geology, respectively. PNA

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Political ads on PUVs okayed

By Rio N. Araja

TO cOnfOrm with a Supreme court order, the Land Transportation franchising and regulatory Board on monday issued a memorandum circular allowing political advertisements to be displayed on public utility vehicles once campaign period starts in 2016.

Ariel Enrile Inton Jr., LTFRB board member, said that the agency will not favor any political bet or party over another.

“LTFRB does not have the hand in choosing what people want to advertise,” he told The Standard.

Although LTFRB is under the supervision of the Department of Transportation and Communications, headed by Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya who is a Liberal Party officer, Inton said the board always takes an unbiased position.

Chairman Winston Ginez,

along with the Inton and another board member, Ronaldo Corpus, issued Memorandum Circular 2015-29, giving buses, jeepneys, trains, taxicabs, ferries, pedicabs and tricycles the authority to post, display or exhibit any election campaign propaganda.

In a 24-page decision dated April 14, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the 1-United Transport Koalisyon represented by Vigor Mendoza that filed a petition questioning the Commission on Elections’ Resolution No. 9615.

SC Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes’ resolution that it is legal for

public utility vehicles to be used in election campaign.

“The right to express one’s preference for a candidate is… part of the fundamental right to free speech Thus, any governmental restriction on the right to convince others to vote for a candidate carries with it a heavy presumption of invalidity,” the order read.

“We corrected or changed our old circular to conform with the high court’s order,” Inton said.

“Our job is just to regulate the placement of the political advertisements within the vehicle and issue an order [of approval].”

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT of AGRARIAN REFORM

Most wanted. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada confronts Bernie Ladia Y Nallares, the most wanted person accused of the murder of barangay chairman Reynaldo Jornales on Dec. 29, 2009. Nallares is also wanted by police for a series of robbery/ holdup in Manila and nearby provinces. EY ACASIO

‘Build central terminal to ease transport crisis’ LEyTE Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Monday urged the administration to address the transport crisis by building a Central Terminal outside Metro Manila.

The lawmaker said the Central Terminal should have adequate facilities and ample parking space for buses, taxis, jeepneys and private vehicles.

“This would help ease traffic congestion that unduly inconvenienced the public during the Christmas holidays,” Romualdez said.

The lawmaker vowed to file a resolution asking the Congressional Oversight Committee to investigate the government agencies that have done nothing to solve the growing transport crisis.

Romualdez also said the government should also address airport congestion and flight delays that had also inconvenienced many people who wanted to go home to the provinces to be with their families during the holidays.

“The government is correct in putting up a rail system from Manila to Clark International Airport in Pampanga to maximize its use and reduce congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport,” the lawmaker said.

He expressed the hope that the Manila to Clark rail project would push through as soon as possible and allotted enough funds.

Romualdez said government should show compassion or malasakit for commuters who suffer daily from heavy traffic, lack of adequate public transport as well as flight delays.

At the same time, the lawmaker also assailed the Department of Transportation and Communications for enter-

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ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 07 Series of 2015 SUBJECT : EXEMPTION OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENT PRIORITY PROJECTS FROM FILING FEES, BONDS, AND PARTICULAR DOCUMENTS FOR APPLICATIONS FOR LAND USE CONVERSION In order to effectively cater to the urgent needs of the public, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) finds it more prudent to exempt from the payment of applicable fees and bonds all applications for land use conversion involving priority projects that are under the control and supervision of the Head of the government agency concerned. Henceforth, the pertinent provisions of DAR Administrative Order (A.O.) No. 01, Series of 2002 are hereby amended.

SECTION 1. Coverage. This A.O. shall only cover application for land use conversion pertaining to projects certified as urgent and under the control or supervision of a particular national government agency.

SECTION 2. Certification from Head of Agency. In order to be exempt from the applicable fees and bonds, the Applicant must secure a certification from a national government agency concerned stating that the project: a. is urgent or a priority; b. will serve the public good pursuant to its mandate; and c. is under the control or supervision of the certifying agency.

Such certification must be signed by the head of the said government agency. The original copy of the certification must be submitted.

SECTION 3. Exemptions. Upon submission of the certification, the Application shall be exempted from the following:

ROMuAldEz

ing into a P3.81-billion maintenance contract for MRT3 with a FilipinoKorean- joint venture without going through a public bidding.

“The DoTC should justify the award of the contract as they failed to observe the bidding process particularly since it involves a big amount for the maintenance of the system,” Romualdez said.

“The government should spend taxpayers’ money wisely. We should not condone wasteful spending for MRT3 without really improving it since commuters still have to cope with higher fares, longer queues, and frequent breakdowns,” Romualdez said.

“This government lacks compassion for the people. In the coming elections, we should elect compassionate leaders,” he emphasized.

Romualdez is running for senator as a guest candidate of the United NationalIst Alliance. He has been endorsed by presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte and the coalition of party-list groups in Congress. He is a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association.

a. Filing fee; b. Inspection cost; and c. Bond to guarantee against premature conversion.

The performance bond, however, is not waived.

The following documents need not also be submitted by the Applicant for the particular Application: a. true copy of the certificate of title of the subject land as of 15 June 1988, and all successor titles until the present title referred to in Section 10.4 of said A.O., if applicable; b. true copy of the current Tax Declaration covering the subject property; c. proof of financial and organizational capability of the developer to develop the land; d. socio-economic benefit-cost study of the proposed project; and e. certification from the HLURB Regional Officer on the actual zoning or classification of the land subject of the application on the approved comprehensive land use plan.

SECTION 4. Applicability of Section 65 of R.A. No. 6657, as Amended, and Other Provisions of A.O. No. 1, Series of 2002. – All pertinent DAR Officers are hereby directed to strictly follow Section 65 of R.A. No. 6657, as amended, and the provisions of A.O. No. 1, Series of 2002 not otherwise affected by this A.O. SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. – All orders, circulars, rules and regulations, and issuances or portions thereof that are inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SECTION 6. Separability Clause. – Any judicial pronouncement declaring as unconstitutional any provision of these Rules shall have no effect on the validity of the other provisions not affected thereby.

SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. – This A.O. shall take effect ten (10) days after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Diliman, Quezon City, 15 DECEMBER 2015.

VIRGILIO R. DE LOS REYES Secretary

Standard – Dec. 29, 2015

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House probe of filmfest sought A HOUSE committee will look into why the Metro Manila Film Festival disqualified one of the entries to the best picture category.

Dishonored? Representative Dan S. Fernandez, flanked by Regal Films officers Ronald Stephen (left) and Agnes Maranan, holds

a copy of House Resolution No. 2581 that he has filed directing the House committee on Metro Manila Development to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the disqualification of the film, Honor Thy Father, from the entries to the best picture category of the Metro Manila Film Festival 2015. LINO SANTOS

INC kicks up intensified anti-poverty program INTENSIFIED programs to combat poverty and assist struggling communities in the country will be the top priorities of the Iglesia ni Cristo’s outreach programs in 2016, according to INC general auditor Glicerio Santos Jr., who on Sunday said that Executive Minister Ka Eduardo V. Manalo had directed INC officials to expand the Church’s anti-poverty projects, particularly the Lingap sa Mamamayan Program under the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation.

Santos said that under the leadership of Ka Eduardo, “much emphasis has been placed on the Church’s outreach and socio-civic

activities, which seek to benefit not just INC members, but also less fortunate communities around the country who need help.”

Santos said that two Lingap sa Mamamayan activities have already been scheduled to kick off 2016, with the first to be held at the Culiat Muslim compound on Jan. 2, and the second at the Taguig Muslim community on Jan. 9.

The Jan. 2 project is an annual activity held to commemorate the birthday of former INC Executive Minister Ka Eraño G. Manalo, a tradition now being continued by Ka Eduardo. The activity involves

free medical and dental services and the distribution of basic goods.

Immediately following these two activities is the launching of a new eco-farming site in Cotabato, which is expected to provide livelihood for 8,400 members of the lumad and b’laan communities.

“These projects are being undertaken consistent with our belief that God has given us the responsibility to reach out and take care of our fellow man, especially those in need,” said Santos.

“As long as we have countrymen who grapple with poverty, the INC will continue to do

what it can to provide means to help uplift their welfare.

Our goal is not just to help the needy—it is to help them help themselves.”

The new eco-farming site has an area of 16,000 hectares. Plantations that will produce bananas, corn, rice, and coffee with be put up to provide jobs for members of the two indigenous communities. The INC will also provide a mini water reservoir, farm equipment, farm input, land tilling tools, and vehicles for the use of the farms.

Aside from these 3,000 houses will be put up for the use of the lumad and b’laan families.

Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez on Monday filed a resolution directing the House panel chaired

by Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo to conduct an inquiry on the disqualification of the film entry Honor Thy Father.

Congress resumes session on Jan. 18, 2016 and the issue is expected to be taken up in a House probe.

Fernandez is one of the actors in the film topbilled and co-produced by actor John Lloyd Cruz and directed by Erik Matti.

In a letter to the film’s producer, Ronald Stephen Monteverde, MMFF overall chairman Emerson Carlos said the film was disqualified “due to your non-disclosure of your participation to the Cinema One Originals Film Festival as the opening film and after careful and thorough deliberation.”

The film was a late entry to the annual film festival after a slot became available following the pullout of an official entry in October.

In his resolution, Fernandez said on Nov. 8, Honor Thy Father was featured as the opening feature to the Cinema One Originals Film Festival 2015, noting that Monteverde had committed to the Cinema One invitation prior to receiving and accepting the MMFF offer to a slot.

He said that Monteverde informed the MMFF executive committee about this. He also said that the producer also submitted a sworn statement to the committee stating that the screening did not generate revenues and was a “by invitation” event only. PNA

No to ’crackers, yes to hornpipes

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Philippine Medical Association and Ecowaste Coalition on Monday appealed to the people to celebrate New Year using alternative noisemakers to minimize health-damaging toxic emissions, particularly in urban centers like Metro Manila.

The revelers, the groups said, might use torotot and home-made noisemakers that create no toxic fumes and wastes.

In support of the Iwas Paputok campaign of the Department of Health, the PMA sought the cooperation of the public to cut the environmental pollution caused by exploding firecrackers as well as the burning of used tires and garbage during and after the festivities.

“Aside from the well-reported firecracker-related injuries, the pervasive use of firecrackers and

fireworks contributes to air pollution that reaches levels deemed hazardous to human health,” said Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo, head of the PMA’s Environment Health and Ecology Committee.

“The particulate matter [PM] and other air pollutants from the detonation of firecrackers and fireworks will worsen our air quality, posing health risks, especially among children, the elderly, and individuals with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and heart ailments,” he added.

Citing data from the monitoring conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the groups said that air pollution soared to “dangerous levels” at the height of the New Year’s revelry last year.

DENR reports showed that the levels of PM 1O and PM 2.5 in some areas in Metro Manila rose to up to 2,000 micrograms per

normal cubic meter, way above the National Ambient Guideline Value of 60 mcg/ncm for PM 10, and 35 mcg/ncm for PM 2.5.

Based on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s guideline, air quality is “unhealthy” at over 100 mcg/ncm and is “hazardous” at 300 mcg/ncm.

“The extreme pollution from the unrestrained blasting of firecrackers and fireworks goes against the Clean Air Act, which recognizes the right of every citizen to breathe clean air,” said Aileen Lucero, Ecowaste Coalition coordinator.

“For a change, let us welcome 2016 in a safe and non-toxic way that will not inflict harm on humans, animals and the environment,” she said.

In Manila, Mayor Joseph Estrada ordered the Manila police chief Rolando Nana to intensify their campaign against illegal firecrackers.

Year of the monkey. Malabon Zoo owner Manny Tangco and Pacquiao the Orangutan use the hornpipe to demonstrate a safe way to welcome the New Year. 2016 is also the year of the monkey in Chinese lunar calendar.

ANDREW RABULAN

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

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NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Ruins. A man draws the ruins of Cagsawa church in Daraga, Albay. DANNY PATA

Govt rescue team finds missing Pinatubo hikers

By Francisco Tuyay

A GOVERNMENT search and rescue team yesterday recovered 27 mountaineers hours after they went missing at the crater of Mount Pinatubo in Porac, Pampanga Saturday.

Lisa Fabillar, duty operations officer at the Office of Civil Defense Region 3, said the moun-

taineers were all accounted for at about 1:30 p.m. by a composite rescue group composed of

police and disaster teams in the town.

Two of the trekkers suffered minor injuries.

Fabillar said the mountaineers were reported missing after they failed to meet their guide at a designated area Saturday near the vicinity of Mt. Pinatubo.

She added the trekkers failed to inform the tourism office of their

whereabouts before proceeding to Mount Pinatubo.

A huey helicopter from Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga was dispatched to search for the missing mountaineers, who did not belong to any specific organization.

The rescued mountaineers were all given water and food by the rescue group.

Fish trader shot dead in Samar

By Mel Caspe

A FISH trader was shot dead Sunday evening during a drinking session with friends in Purok 7, Barangay Balud, Calbayog City, Samar.

Calbayog PNP OIC Chief P/Supt. Ernesto Salvador Tagle identified the victim as Danilo Rosima y Din, 55, a resident of the said barangay. He sustained a lone gunshot wound in his forehead that resulted in his death.

Responding policeman P/Insp. Noel Justiniano Sagadal along with duty investigator SPO3 Mariano Fermilan said that victim was no longer in the place of incident when they arrived as he was already brought to the Our Lady of Porziuncola Hospital Inc. for immediate medical attention.

Sagadal said that they were informed that victim had been pronounced dead on arrival by attending physician Rophil Asuero.

Sagadal said that witnesses said the victim was drinking with friends in front of a store when a man wearing long pants, sleeveless shirt, with his face half-covered by a white towel and armed with a calibre 45 pistol shot the victim.

The unidentified suspect immediately fled on foot towards Barangay Hamorawon in this city.

The police recovered from the crime scene one empty shell of cal. 45 pistol.

The local police are conducting a thorough investigation to establish the motive of the killing and to determine the identity of the suspect.

The safer bet. The Kanyong Kawayan Festival discourages the use of dangerous pyrotechnics during the Yuletide season. GEONARRI SOLMERANO

P1.5 billion earmarked for South Cotabato road works GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The national government has approved the release of around P1.5 billion for the development next year of two major road networks in South Cotabato province.

South Cotabato second district Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez said the Department of Public Works and Highways has adopted upgrading of the Lake Sebu-Maitum road and the construction of the SurallahT’boli-San Jose road as among the top priorities for 2016.

He said the agency has allotted around P800 million for the reconstruction of the Lake Sebu-Maitum road to all weather standards.

Another P700 million has been set aside for the construction of the Surallah-T’boli-San Jose road, he said.

“These projects are already in the pipeline for 2016 and we expect their preparatory works to begin soon,” he said at an alumni gathering of a public high school in Koronadal City on Sunday night.

Hernandez said Surallah-T’boliSan Jose road will connect the municipalities of Surallah and T’boli in South Cotabato and Barangay San Jose in this city.

He said it will serve as an alternative route to the city airport in Barangay Tambler, the city fish port complex in Barangay Calumpang and other strategic areas in this city and nearby Sarangani province.

The 75-kilometer Lake SebuMaitum road network connects the municipalities of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato and Maitum in Sarangani.

The P1.39-billion road project was earlier endorsed by the Regional Development Council of Region 12 as among the region’s priority development initiatives. PNA

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

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

YEAREND STATE OF OUR POLITICS

[ EDI TORI A L ]

THE JESTER IN April 2013, while campaigning for the administration’s senatorial team in a high school auditorium in Cavite, President Benigno Aquino III uttered something we remember very clearly today.

“By 2015, we would not only be able to make travel from Baclaran to Bacoor faster, We would also have additional capacity for 250,000 passengers because of the LRT Line 1 Extension. If this does not happen, and there is Secretary Abaya who will supervise this project, the two of us will perhaps let ourselves be run over by a train,” Mr. Aquino said in Tagalog.

Today is December 29, exactly two days before the end of the year, and there have been no developments whatsoever with the train’s Cavite Extension Project. The Department of Transportation and Communications has not given any notice to proceed to the Light Rail Manila Corp.

The President and his transport secretary aren’t preparing to be run over by anything, either.

We really should not expect otherwise. A Palace spokesman said the President’s statement should not be taken literally. “The President was speaking with a sense of urgency,” Secretary Herminio Coloma said, “when he announced his desire to see the project ‘within two years.’”

“Any reasonable person would understand this to have been an aspirational statement,” Coloma said.

Between then and now, many reasons have been cited for the delay in the project. Abaya said it was caused by a failure in the bidding process under the publicprivate partnership program. The government is still pursuing the project, we are assured, and it will be just a matter of time.

How much time they have is a problem, because we are down to the last few months of the Aquino administration and the President and his allies are busy campaigning for their bet. Abaya, for his part, appears too busy awarding billions of pesos worth of maintenance contracts for the MRT 3 without the benefit of public bidding.

No, we don’t want our top officials lying on the tracks awaiting their certain deaths.

What we want, instead, are government leaders who take themselves seriously enough to refrain from making stupid statements even in jest. How can we not think of them as jesters when such nonsense escapes so freely from their mouths?

We wonder, too: Which part of “Daang Matuwid” is real and which is a joke?

What words uttered by the President were aspirational and which reflected reality?

Which promises did he intend to keep when he made them and which did he use for mere effect?

Mr. Aquino claimed he was a man of honesty and integrity. The people believed him in 2010. Five years later, we knew we should not have taken his promises literally.

LITERAL ROBBERY LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES IF IT’S from DOTC, then people shouldn’t take it literally. No actual projects are involved, anyway, because those involved just want a failed bidding, so they can award another big-ticket project to a favored contractor in a manufactured emergency.

The Department of Transportation and Communications has declared that it is now accepting bids for the 19-kilometer, seven-

station Light Rail Transit Line 6 from Bacoor, Cavite to Dasmariñas City, also in Cavite. DoTC said the project is part of government’s supposed “commitment to provide convenient, affordable, reliable, efficient and safe transport services.”

Now, the most glaring problem with bidding out the LRT Line 6 project is that the train line that connects to it, the Line 1 extension from Baclaran to Bacoor, still hasn’t gotten off the drawing board, years after it was approved. This imaginary train line, of course, is the subject of a speech given in 2013 by President

Noynoy Aquino, who vowed that he would have himself run over by a train if the Line 1 extension wasn’t completed by the end of this year, 2015.

Yesterday, the President’s spokesman, Secretary Herminio Coloma, bravely addressed the issue of Aquino’s promise to get killed by an onrushing train, together with his DoTC secretary, Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya.

It was worth a couple of laughs, at least. According to Coloma, the speech of the President was merely “aspirational” and should not be “taken literally.”

“Any reasonable person would

A9

Aquino and Abaya should not be run over by trains by yearend. That would make them get off the hook too easily.

understand this to have been an aspirational statement,” Coloma explained, three days before the year ends. “The President was speaking with a sense of urgency when he announced his desire to see the project [completed] within two years.”

Aspirational, of course, means something that seems unattainable but which is nonetheless worthy of being desired, like winning the lottery or buying a Hermes bag. It should not apply to government projects, especially to those that a President boastfully predicts will be completed, come what may.

If people can’t take a promise like building a train literally when the President himself makes the vow, how can you

expect them not to believe him when he says he will lie down on a stretch of track and get himself crushed by a train? As I’ve written previously, the promise didn’t sound like a joke — and, despite the current Herculean efforts at spin by Coloma, it certainly didn’t appear to be a mere aspirational statement. *** But going back to Abaya, I think I figured out the reason why this thick-faced Cabinet member and Aquino favorite didn’t run for office in the May elections.

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-

Abaya is apparently so obsessed with going into questionable midnight contracts at DoTC that he cannot be bothered to return to his real job of being a professional politician.

Right before Christmas, Abaya awarded, without any bidding, the nearly P4billion contract to maintain the Edsa Metro Rail Transit Line 3, using as basis government rules that allow such awards during emergency situations. Again, the amazing thing is, it was Abaya and his predecessor at DoTC, a certain Mar Roxas, who created the emergency in the

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

first place.

Roxas was the DoTC secretary who instigated the removal of the old maintenance contractor of MRT, the Japanese company Sumitomo, early in the Aquino administration. Abaya, who took over from Roxas, “only” signed the new maintenance deal two days after he took over at the department—even if Abaya also renewed the subsequent contracts for the “chop-chop” MRT contract farmed out to a bunch of never-heard companies that replaced Sumitomo.

Continued on A11

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

THE latest survey results from Social Weather Stations, Pulse Asia, and the Laylo Report are very interesting. Clearly, this is a volatile and competitive race, a virtual dead heat among the top four candidates—Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Grace Poe, Secretary Mar Roxas, and Mayor Rody Duterte. While Poe and Binay are clearly in the lead, Roxas and Duterte are not far behind.

For sure, voters are noticing the behavior of candidates. Perhaps, later on, issues will matter as well.

All the candidates can actually spin the survey results in their favor. Indeed, depending on whom you support, there is good news for Binay, Poe, Roxas, and Duterte.

VP Binay can certainly claim that the worst is over for him and that he has survived the damaging corruption allegations from the Ombudsman, the Senate and the media. Some think that the Roxas campaign went negative on Binay too early. With the VP surviving that premature offensive, he will now coast to victory. That is not likely and I would not let my guard down if I were in the Binay camp. Still, one can only admire the tenacity of the man. Certainly, he seems to be the one campaigning the hardest, spending time with ordinary people and leaders at the barangay level.

According to one friend of mine, who is doing nonpartisan voter education work, they have discovered that everywhere they go, the VP has been there before them.

Senator Poe can also argue that there is reason for her camp to celebrate the latest survey numbers. Indeed, it’s amazing that her numbers are still so high even with all the disqualification cases decided against her. In fact, a few of the pollsters have said that the only reason her numbers went down is because of the uncertainty of her candidacy. Once that uncertainty is removed, many of the voters she has lost because they thought she was already disqualified will flock back to her. A TRO from the Supreme Court would help reverse those losses.

In the meantime, she should continue her positive campaign, which stands out in this very dirty campaign, while assuring voters that she is here to stay as a candidate.

Secretary Roxas can also spin the survey results in his favor. He can claim a steady and consistent rise; from the numbers he had early this year, which was in the single digits, to the now Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

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

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

YEAREND STATE OF OUR POLITICS

[ EDI TORI A L ]

THE JESTER IN April 2013, while campaigning for the administration’s senatorial team in a high school auditorium in Cavite, President Benigno Aquino III uttered something we remember very clearly today.

“By 2015, we would not only be able to make travel from Baclaran to Bacoor faster, We would also have additional capacity for 250,000 passengers because of the LRT Line 1 Extension. If this does not happen, and there is Secretary Abaya who will supervise this project, the two of us will perhaps let ourselves be run over by a train,” Mr. Aquino said in Tagalog.

Today is December 29, exactly two days before the end of the year, and there have been no developments whatsoever with the train’s Cavite Extension Project. The Department of Transportation and Communications has not given any notice to proceed to the Light Rail Manila Corp.

The President and his transport secretary aren’t preparing to be run over by anything, either.

We really should not expect otherwise. A Palace spokesman said the President’s statement should not be taken literally. “The President was speaking with a sense of urgency,” Secretary Herminio Coloma said, “when he announced his desire to see the project ‘within two years.’”

“Any reasonable person would understand this to have been an aspirational statement,” Coloma said.

Between then and now, many reasons have been cited for the delay in the project. Abaya said it was caused by a failure in the bidding process under the publicprivate partnership program. The government is still pursuing the project, we are assured, and it will be just a matter of time.

How much time they have is a problem, because we are down to the last few months of the Aquino administration and the President and his allies are busy campaigning for their bet. Abaya, for his part, appears too busy awarding billions of pesos worth of maintenance contracts for the MRT 3 without the benefit of public bidding.

No, we don’t want our top officials lying on the tracks awaiting their certain deaths.

What we want, instead, are government leaders who take themselves seriously enough to refrain from making stupid statements even in jest. How can we not think of them as jesters when such nonsense escapes so freely from their mouths?

We wonder, too: Which part of “Daang Matuwid” is real and which is a joke?

What words uttered by the President were aspirational and which reflected reality?

Which promises did he intend to keep when he made them and which did he use for mere effect?

Mr. Aquino claimed he was a man of honesty and integrity. The people believed him in 2010. Five years later, we knew we should not have taken his promises literally.

LITERAL ROBBERY LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES IF IT’S from DOTC, then people shouldn’t take it literally. No actual projects are involved, anyway, because those involved just want a failed bidding, so they can award another big-ticket project to a favored contractor in a manufactured emergency.

The Department of Transportation and Communications has declared that it is now accepting bids for the 19-kilometer, seven-

station Light Rail Transit Line 6 from Bacoor, Cavite to Dasmariñas City, also in Cavite. DoTC said the project is part of government’s supposed “commitment to provide convenient, affordable, reliable, efficient and safe transport services.”

Now, the most glaring problem with bidding out the LRT Line 6 project is that the train line that connects to it, the Line 1 extension from Baclaran to Bacoor, still hasn’t gotten off the drawing board, years after it was approved. This imaginary train line, of course, is the subject of a speech given in 2013 by President

Noynoy Aquino, who vowed that he would have himself run over by a train if the Line 1 extension wasn’t completed by the end of this year, 2015.

Yesterday, the President’s spokesman, Secretary Herminio Coloma, bravely addressed the issue of Aquino’s promise to get killed by an onrushing train, together with his DoTC secretary, Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya.

It was worth a couple of laughs, at least. According to Coloma, the speech of the President was merely “aspirational” and should not be “taken literally.”

“Any reasonable person would

A9

Aquino and Abaya should not be run over by trains by yearend. That would make them get off the hook too easily.

understand this to have been an aspirational statement,” Coloma explained, three days before the year ends. “The President was speaking with a sense of urgency when he announced his desire to see the project [completed] within two years.”

Aspirational, of course, means something that seems unattainable but which is nonetheless worthy of being desired, like winning the lottery or buying a Hermes bag. It should not apply to government projects, especially to those that a President boastfully predicts will be completed, come what may.

If people can’t take a promise like building a train literally when the President himself makes the vow, how can you

expect them not to believe him when he says he will lie down on a stretch of track and get himself crushed by a train? As I’ve written previously, the promise didn’t sound like a joke — and, despite the current Herculean efforts at spin by Coloma, it certainly didn’t appear to be a mere aspirational statement. *** But going back to Abaya, I think I figured out the reason why this thick-faced Cabinet member and Aquino favorite didn’t run for office in the May elections.

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-

Abaya is apparently so obsessed with going into questionable midnight contracts at DoTC that he cannot be bothered to return to his real job of being a professional politician.

Right before Christmas, Abaya awarded, without any bidding, the nearly P4billion contract to maintain the Edsa Metro Rail Transit Line 3, using as basis government rules that allow such awards during emergency situations. Again, the amazing thing is, it was Abaya and his predecessor at DoTC, a certain Mar Roxas, who created the emergency in the

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

first place.

Roxas was the DoTC secretary who instigated the removal of the old maintenance contractor of MRT, the Japanese company Sumitomo, early in the Aquino administration. Abaya, who took over from Roxas, “only” signed the new maintenance deal two days after he took over at the department—even if Abaya also renewed the subsequent contracts for the “chop-chop” MRT contract farmed out to a bunch of never-heard companies that replaced Sumitomo.

Continued on A11

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

THE latest survey results from Social Weather Stations, Pulse Asia, and the Laylo Report are very interesting. Clearly, this is a volatile and competitive race, a virtual dead heat among the top four candidates—Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Grace Poe, Secretary Mar Roxas, and Mayor Rody Duterte. While Poe and Binay are clearly in the lead, Roxas and Duterte are not far behind.

For sure, voters are noticing the behavior of candidates. Perhaps, later on, issues will matter as well.

All the candidates can actually spin the survey results in their favor. Indeed, depending on whom you support, there is good news for Binay, Poe, Roxas, and Duterte.

VP Binay can certainly claim that the worst is over for him and that he has survived the damaging corruption allegations from the Ombudsman, the Senate and the media. Some think that the Roxas campaign went negative on Binay too early. With the VP surviving that premature offensive, he will now coast to victory. That is not likely and I would not let my guard down if I were in the Binay camp. Still, one can only admire the tenacity of the man. Certainly, he seems to be the one campaigning the hardest, spending time with ordinary people and leaders at the barangay level.

According to one friend of mine, who is doing nonpartisan voter education work, they have discovered that everywhere they go, the VP has been there before them.

Senator Poe can also argue that there is reason for her camp to celebrate the latest survey numbers. Indeed, it’s amazing that her numbers are still so high even with all the disqualification cases decided against her. In fact, a few of the pollsters have said that the only reason her numbers went down is because of the uncertainty of her candidacy. Once that uncertainty is removed, many of the voters she has lost because they thought she was already disqualified will flock back to her. A TRO from the Supreme Court would help reverse those losses.

In the meantime, she should continue her positive campaign, which stands out in this very dirty campaign, while assuring voters that she is here to stay as a candidate.

Secretary Roxas can also spin the survey results in his favor. He can claim a steady and consistent rise; from the numbers he had early this year, which was in the single digits, to the now Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

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

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A FAILING GRADE FOR PNOY TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

MY “Filipinos of the Year” are the 10 million overseas Filipino workers scattered around the world, mostly in the Middle East, who leave home to seek greener pastures because of lack of jobs and employment in their own country.

They are the ones that keep the Philippine economy afloat with their remittances. These could hit $29.7 billion in 2015, not including the money sent through unofficial means.

According to the World Bank, money sent home by Filipino migrants is forecast to be the third largest among the world, next to India ($72.2 billion) and China ($63.9 billion).

It is a reign of incompetence and insensitivity.

Migrants make sacrifices just so their families can have homes of their own and get medical care, and so their children can go to school.

Their billions of dollars in remittances keep our economy afloat, but the tremendous social cost cannot be quantified. *** From 2010 to 2015, the country had a reign of incompetence, ineptitude and lack of compassion by a President desperate to show that he is better than his predecessor.

Worst of all, we all saw Mr. Aquino’s vindictiveness as he made former President Gloria Arroyo and former Chief Justice Renato Corona the poster children of his “kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap” campaign. The problem is that the Daang Matuwid applies only to his political enemies—

never to his friends and supporters.

We also saw how the President misused and abused public funds through the Priority Development Assistance Fund and that mongrel called the Disbursement Acceleration Program to bribe both Chambers of Congress to do what he wanted.

His defining moment came when 44 police commandos got slaughtered by a combined force of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and other Muslim groups in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

BS Aquino III let his best friend, Police Chief Alan Purisima, take charge of “Oplan Exodus” despite the fact that Purisima was then suspended.

Worse, then-DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas II was kept out of the loop. He is now the administration’s presidential bet.

The President did not even have the courage to admit his mistake, much less apologize for it when it was revealed he had the ultimate responsibility and accountability for the massacre.

What happened in Mamasapano defined BS Aquino III’s true character. He did not even attend the arrival of the remains of the 44 police commandos because he preferred to honor a car manufacturer’s inauguration. *** Through the years when Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya sat in his office, we saw his utter incompetence, and even criminal negligence in addressing the transportation woes of commuters using the MRT 3. The President also said that traffic was a sign of progress while Abaya said it was not fatal.

We also saw the criminal neglect of Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, that Cabinet member who did not distribute relief to the Yolanda victims as intended.

I can go on and on. The albatrosses in the ship of

THE TRANSFORMATION BEGINS NOW

By Mogens Lykketoft ASK anyone for their abiding memory of 2015 and they will most likely recall a negative one.

Some will recall the horrifying stories of death and destruction caused by conflicts around the world, most notably in Syria where over 250,000 people have lost their lives and almost 11 million people have been displaced. Others will recall a sense of grief, fear and anger after violent extremists attacked, tortured, kidnapped and executed innocent civilians around the world. Others still might recall a simple but disturbing fact they heard in passing—that 2015 was the hottest year on record or that over 15,000 children continue to die annually, mostly from preventable diseases.

Yet, despite all of this, 2015 was also a year of progress and breakthroughs.

2015 was the year, for instance, when health workers and public officials supported by the international community brought an end to the Ebola Epidemic in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. It was the year when the UN Millennium Development Goals expired, having helped to reduce the number of people living in extreme poverty globally by over 50 percent. And it was the year when talks not tanks led to improvements in Cuba/US relations, an Iranian nuclear deal, a breakthrough in peace talks in Colombia, transition in the Central African Republic. And most recently, a roadmap on resolving the Syria conflict was agreed on in the Security Council; the hope is that finally we can begin to contain this horrible humanitarian disaster.

Each of these is a great achievement in its own right. But it was the adoption, by more than 193 members of the United Nations, of three major international agreements that gives me greatest hope for the state are there simply because they are friends and supporters of the President.

They are Abaya, Soliman, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Naia general manager Jose Angel Honrado. My gulay, they don’t even have the self-respect to resign!

The only members of the Cabinet who can be categorized as performers and achievers are Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo and Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras.

In the sub-Cabinet level are BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, former

future.

In September, world leaders descended on New York to embrace a new compact for people and planet anchored in 17 Sustainable Development Goals known as the SDGs. In Addis Ababa, just two months earlier, those same leaders committed to a new global framework on finance, capacity building, technology, trade, debt and other issues to support the realization of these goals. And in Paris earlier this month, after years of disappointment, they overcame divisions and agreed on how to avert catastrophic climate change while advancing human progress.

Through these agreements, governments everywhere have committed to advance three critical transformations in our world. First, they committed to address the root causes of poverty and hunger and to advance human development and gender equality everywhere. Second, they agreed to promote shared prosperity while transitioning to a low-carbon climate-resilient economy and protecting our natural environment. And, third, they agreed to improve governance at all levels so as to bring about more peaceful, just and inclusive societies.

Skeptics will of course question both the ability and commitment of governments to translate these agreements into real change. But not only do I believe that we can succeed, I truly believe that we will succeed.

Let me explain why.

After 50 years in politics, I have never seen negotiations that were more deliberative or more inclusive than those that gave rise to these agreements. The result is that these agreements have real political buyin at the highest possible level. They have also helped create a global movement for positive change, involving civil society, young people, private companies and more, that will be with us every step of the

Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino (now running for senator, but not under the administration despite his loyalty to BS Aquino III), Philippine Export Zone Authority Lilia de Lima and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Roberto Garcia.

Santa Banana, if I were to rate BS Aquino III’s Cabinet and administration, it would be failing grade of 6 in a range of 1-10. *** I got a while capizshell star in a see-through box from Mrs. Mary Grace Natividad Kelly Poe Llamanzares. Until now, I cannot understand why she gave me a gift. I

way over the next 15 years. And from the Millennium Development Goals to reduction in the price of renewables, many governments and many companies are demonstrating that the change we need is not only possible but already happening.

In 2016, however, we must build on this momentum and secure early implementation. To do so, we need action from all actors. As president of the United Nations General Assembly, this is my top priority.

Governments, for example, must identify and plan for the changes they need to undertake to reach these new Goals. They must invest in essential services so that all people can fulfill their potential. They must create an enabling legal and policy framework that encourages more responsible consumption and increased investment in sustainable infrastructure. And they must advance more transparent and inclusive governance so that everyone pays their fair share, people live in freedom and security; and societies become more cohesive and more equal.

At the international level, we need a United Nations system that is ready to give countries the support they need. We also need to ensure that exclusive economic decision-making forums, such as the World Bank and IMF, the G20, etc., become more aligned with this new Agenda.

In the area of peace and security, we need changes at the UN so that we can become better at preventing conflicts and protecting human rights, before it is too late.

The Sustainable Development Goals also demand action from the private sector. They must align their corporate activities with the essence of the new Goals. They can turn their innovation towards finding SDG solutions and partner with governments and other key actors to support and finance implementation. This includes the global Continued on A11

have written that under the Constitution, she is not qualified to run for President. I cannot also apologize because that would make me a hypocrite.

I guess, all I can do is to thank her for remembering me. I am sure Mrs. Llamanzares has given the same gift to other opinion writers and members of media.

Grace is intelligent and charming. She is gracious and well-bred.

Still, I believe she is but a neophyte and it is not yet her time.

To Mrs. Llamanzares, I thank you again for the very nice gift and for remembering me on Christmas. My gulay, my wife and I want to recip-

rocate, but what can we give her? Only the best of luck that she would win her cases. *** There are a lot of good things I wish for our country this coming year 2016.

The most important of all is the election of a new president who can heal the country of old political wounds.

This is my last column for 2015. I’ll be back next week. I’m just taking a few days off to recharge my batteries out of town and get away from the air pollution during New Year’s Eve here in Metro Manila.

Air pollution is bad for my health.

A blessed and happy New Year to all.

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

ANOTHER GRACE POE AD GONE WRONG

TWO weeks ago, an organiza- emotion, rather than to the rule tion called the ALL4GP Move- of law. Urging the justices of ment placed a half-page adver- the Supreme Court to disobey tisement in another newspaper the Constitution by allowing urging the Supreme Court to Poe to run for president is obdisobey the Constitution by al- jectionable enough. Coming lowing Senator Grace Poe to run out with a newspaper advertisefor president in the May 2016 ment urging the guardians of polls. It was an obvious call the Constitution to disobey the for disobedience because, as the charter is worse.

Commission on Elections ruled, Last Dec. 21, ALL4GP pubPoe is not a natural-born citizen lished a second paid advertiseof the Philippines. Under the ment in another newspaper.

Constitution, only natural-born This time, the advertisement Filipinos may be elected presi- quoted President Benigno dent of the Philippines.

Aquino III, ex-President Fidel The advertisement was pre- Ramos, and House Speaker Felipared in a hurry, as seen in the ciano Belmonte. Their remarks glaring clerical error in it— reiterated the organization’s pre“jutices,” said the advertisement, vious call to let the people decide instead of “justices.” It also cited Poe’s political fate. a dissenting opinion of a comEx-Chief Justice Artemio missioner of the Comelec, which Panganiban was quoted again, was favorable to Poe’s case, with- to the effect that when there is out identifying it as a dissenting a doubt involving elections, the opinion. Likewise, the adver- doubt should be resolved in fatisement cited the ruling of the vor of letting the people decide Senate Electoral Tribunal as if through the ballot. It was a repthe said ruling had become final etition of what he said in the preand executory. A photograph vious advertisement. of Poe appears on the left side The advertisement also quotof the advertisement, and a faint ed Representatives Win Gatchimage of the late film actor Fer- alian, Neri Colmenares, Samuel nando Poe Jr. appears beside her. Pagdilao and Roman Romulo.

If the arguments in that paid They were supposed to have advertisement are based on le- said substantially the same thing gal grounds, then they should Aquino, Ramos, Belmonte, and be raised before the Supreme Panganiban said, but with the Court, and not in an adver- additional remark that “the sentisement designed to appeal to timent of the people” is to allow

Poe to run in the elections.

Like the first advertisement, this one ends with a call on the justices of the Supreme Court to disobey the Constitution by allowing Poe to run for president.

Unlike the previous advertisement, this one spelled the word “justices” correctly.

As repeatedly discussed in the past, and as history teaches, “letting the people decide” is a dangerous recourse. The 1973 Constitution, that charter which President Aquino and his political dynasty hate, was deemed ratified in a manner outside of what was required under the 1935 Constitution, the charter then in force. Look what happened after that.

What is the use of a Constitution if it can be violated indiscriminately, or to accommodate a popular candidate? A violation of the Constitution is disobedience to the fundamental law of the land plain and simple, regardless of whoever violates it.

The representatives quoted in the advertisement say that the sentiment of the people is to let Poe run for president. Really?

What is their authority to make such a sweeping, self-serving statement?

It seems like the representatives overlooked that the Constitution is the most articulate voice of the people, as indicated in its

opening statement—“We the sovereign Filipino people ...” Unlike laws enacted by Congress, the Constitution was ratified by the people. The same Constitution mandates the disqualification of Poe from the presidential derby.

What about the rest of the Filipino people who, unlike Poe and her hacks, want to uphold the Constitution? Shouldn’t their sentiment count as well? Between a small group calling for a violation of the Constitution, and a larger collective of people urging that the Constitution be obeyed, the Supreme Court, as guardians of the charter, should side with the ones calling for the supremacy of the Constitution.

The number of votes Poe got in the 2013 senatorial elections is not a sufficient basis for the claim that the people’s sentiment is on her side. Landing first place in a Senate race is not automatically a mandate for the presidency. A voter may want a candidate to serve as senator, but it does not follow that the voter will also want that candidate to serve as president, or even as vice president. For instance, Senator Loren Legarda, a repeated topnotcher in the senatorial elections, was defeated in her two-time quest for the vice presidency.

The quote attributed to the representatives says, “... it amazes us that everyone is so concern

for Senator Grace Poe’s situation ...” If the representatives were quoted accurately, then they should take remedial lessons in English prior to the campaign, because the word “concern” should be “concerned.” Representative Romulo should scold ALL4GP considering that he is known to speak English fluently, and considering that he is a member of the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines, the premiere university of the country.

Poe herself is supposed to be the last person to allow a violation of the Constitution. When Poe assumed public office, first as chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, and later as a senator, Poe took an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Now, Poe wants to violate the same Constitution she took an oath to support and defend.

Truth to tell, Poe cannot deny that she has nothing to do with the ALL4GP advertisements. If Poe is true to her oath, then she should tell her supporters to stop their public call for disobedience to the Constitution. If Poe, the senator, has no reservations about disobeying the Constitution, what is to stop Poe, the president, from violating the same Constitution whenever she wants to?

ing to broaden his appeal.

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago continues to appeal to young voters. But she needs to be on the campaign trail to increase her chances. Social media is just not enough to expand and consolidate support.

On the vice presidential race, the most interesting development is representative Leni Robredo catching up and tying Senator Bongbong Marcos in the SWS survey. While Senator Chiz Escudero still leads all the surveys, he should not be complacent as Robredo, Marcos, and Senator Alan Cayetano are competitive.

The big question is what is the effect on Escudero and Cayetano if their presidential team mates are eventually disqualified.

The campaigns must now recalibrate themselves and essentially try to get votes from each other. They must soon discuss issues of importance to the voters—corruption, poverty, livelihood and jobs, social injustice, education, climate change and disasters, peace, etc. I hope that we will have robust debates attended by all the major candidates.

This is especially important with the possibility of Poe and Duterte getting disqualified. The big question is to whom will those votes go. What I am sure of is that it will not go to the party and the candidate/s who are seen to have manipulated the Comelec or other institutions to disqualify their preferred candidates.

For the Comelec, that is obvious given that appointees identified with the Liberal Party dominate it. Voters of Poe and Duterte will not forget that if their favored candidates are disqualified.

For the Supreme Court, it would be trickier to discern who can influence its decision— whether it is Binay, President Aquino, fraternity ties, the INC, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, others, or none at all. As for me, I always start with the belief that Supreme Court Justices come to each case with an independent and unbiased mind. As a lawyer and officer of the court, I will not speculate on such influence and also refrain on commenting on the legal aspects of the disqualification cases once petitions are filed in the court.

This I know though: With the uncertainty that will be created by the potential disqualification of Poe and/or Duterte, it probably makes sense for both Binay and Roxas to actually have the names of Poe and Duterte remain on the ballot. If the current numbers hold, where roughly all of the top four have one fourth to one fifth of the electorate, having the machinery and the cash on election day could carry either Binay and Roxas over the top.

Many people are disgusted with the campaign that is so far unfolding. I am, too. But I believe that Filipino voters can see through all the scum, lies, and manipulation. They know what they want, the poor and the youth especially.

It’s about the future—it’s all about the future. They will punish those who talk and act badly in the elections; they will shun those who seek to divide the country. Voters will choose the one with the right vision, who acts ethically throughout campaign, and who brings out the best in us as a people.

Literal...From A9

ment and the future of mankind, but the best for business, too.

Finally, change will not happen without action and pressure from civil society and ordinary people everywhere. Non-governmental organizations need to hold governments to account for the commitments they have made in 2015. Philanthropic

foundations need to support causes that are aligned with the SDGs and work more effectively with governments and other actors. And ordinary citizens, young people and others can use the incredible explosion in information technology in recent years to become key drivers of implementation.

If 2015 was a year of incredible breakthroughs, then 2016 must mark the moment when all of us begin to deliver, when we begin to make the transformation needed to a more sustainable and just world.

Yearend...From A9 respectable third or fourth place he finds himself in. It is obvious that Secretary Roxas has spent the most funds so far in this informal phase of the campaign and is showing results for that.

His not-so-secret weapon is President Aquino himself and with that the full machinery of the ruling party and the administration.

This could, however, backfire if Roxas is not seen as his own man, with his own mind and vision.

As for Mayor Duterte, his campaign definitely started with a bang with a special SWS Survey, commissioned by a supporter, giving him a wide lead over his rivals. It is not clear why his numbers in the regular SWS survey, taken two weeks later, dipped.

SWS President Mahar Mangahas attributes this to large shifts in election races, which he has encountered before. Regardless, Duterte can definitely a make a case that his baseline support is phenomenal, being a latecomer in the race. However, he would have to be more careful with his language and behavior if he is go-

The transformation...

From A10 finance industry which must now embrace the shift. Governments must ensure a framework of regulation and taxation for the private sector that makes it obvious that green investment is not just the best for the environ-

Facebook Page: Dean Tony La Viña Twitter: tonylavs

Mogens Lykketoft is president of the UN General Assembly.

In other words, there was no emergency at the MRT when Sumitomo was maintaining the line. The emergency and the near-total breakdown of the critical train system only happened because of what Aquino, Roxas and Abaya did to it.

And the solution to the mess is, yes, to bring back the singlecontractor system that worked so well before—with a twist. Because there was already an emergency, the contract could now be awarded to a Korean-led consortium that was backed up, according to my colleague Jarius Bondoc, by companies previously involved in plumbing supply and general merchandise.

No wonder Aquino said he wanted Abaya to be run over by a train with him. Literally, not aspirationally.

Abaya, of course, is now bidding out his Line 6 project—his being from Cavite, no doubt, having nothing to do with his push to make this a priority when so many other, equally important rail projects have been virtually (not literally) ignored.

All of this is why I think Aquino and Abaya (and maybe Roxas and Coloma with them) should not be run over by trains by yearend. That would make them get off the hook too easily.

What I’d like to see is all of these characters ending up in adjoining jail cells after Aquino steps down for the wanton destruction of the commuter rail system and robbery through lucrative midnight deals. Literally, naturally.

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Comanche chases line honors SYDNEY—American yacht Comanche was pressing towards line honours in the Sydney to Hobart on Monday, extending her lead over the equally damaged Rambler and determined to complete the race which has wiped out one quarter of competitors.

As the much diminished fleet pushed on towards Hobart, with expectations that the leaders would cross the finish line late Monday night, reports of more damage filtered through.

A savage southerly blasted the

This handout photo from Rolex shows US supermaxi yacht Comanche during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race off the coast of Australia. Supermaxi Comanche extended her lead over fellow US yacht Rambler in the Sydney to Hobart race. despite both boats being damaged by brutal conditions which saw many of the fleet retire. AFP

boats off the New South Wales coast on the first night at sea on Saturday, resulting in 32 of the 108 entries retiring from the gruelling 628-nautical mile race down Australia’s east coast.

Among the casualties were two strong contenders for line honours —eight-time fastest finisher Wild Oats XI, forced back to Sydney after her mainsail ripped, and supermaxi Perpetual Loyal with rudder damage.

With less than 50 nautical miles to go, Comanche was more than 30 miles ahead of 88-footer Rambler with Ragamuffin 100 and the Giovanni Soldini-skippered Maserati chasing them further back.

Australian entry Ragamuffin 100 was revealed as the latest of the supermaxis to be damaged, with the port daggerboard completely sheared off in the race organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

“We’ve had our fair share of problems but we’re still on track to get to Hobart and we haven’t given up,” sailing master David Witt said.

“We broke our port daggerboard; it snapped off. We don’t have one any more.

“We didn’t hit anything, we just dropped off a wave in the fresh stuff and loaded it up and snapped it off.”

Comanche hit an unidentified submerged object during fierce conditions on Saturday night which broke one of the 100-footer’s twin rudders and a daggerboard.

Skipper Ken Read had initially considered retiring but “decided to punch on through” and running repairs were made to the boat.

“I don’t care if we limp over the line. We are going to finish this damned race,” he said.

Comanche finished runner-up for line honours to Wild Oats XI in her first Sydney to Hobart last year, and has been a hot favourite after setting a new 24-hour monohull record of 618.01 nautical miles in July. AFP

Van Gaal on knife-edge as Man United tackles Chelsea LONDON—Manchester United’s besieged manager Louis van Gaal could see his troubled Old Trafford reign put out of its misery on Monday with fellow Dutchman Guus Hiddink cast in the role of executioner.

United’s 2-0 defeat at Stoke City on Saturday was their fourth loss in succession—the club’s worst run within a season since 1961—and reduced Van Gaal to a dead man walking in the eyes of the British media.

The Dutchman admitted afterwards that he could not be certain of the United board’s support and raised the prospect that he could choose to leave Old Trafford of his own accord.

“I have said already in former press conferences that it is not always that the club has to fire or sack me. Sometimes I do it by myself,” he said.

“But the scrutiny is all right for me, I am used to that.”

“A month ago we were first in the Premier League but we lost important games and now we have to come back in more difficult situations than last year because last year everyone believed and there was progression, now there is a fallback and that is different and everybody is

judging also different.”

Should United fail to win on Monday, they will end the year with their lowest points total in 26 years.

Chelsea dispensed with their own manager last week, Jose Mourinho paying the price for a calamitous start to the season, and the Portuguese is the favourite to take over at United in the event that Van Gaal departs.

Hiddink has replaced Mourinho as interim manager, reprising a role he previously performed in 2009.

The 69-year-old Hiddink began life back at Stamford Bridge with a 2-2 draw at home to Watford on Saturday that left the champions two points above the relegation zone in 15th place.

Diego Costa scored twice to earn Chelsea a point -- book-ending goals from Watford strikers Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo -- but will miss Monday’s game through suspension.

Loic Remy is expected to deputise.

“We will go to Old Trafford. It will be difficult, but I hope this team will show, in every game, the ambition like they showed against Watford,” Hiddink said. “We are going there for the win.”

Second-place Arsenal will hope to get their

title challenge back on track when they host Bournemouth on Monday, less than 48 hours after an embarrassing 4-0 defeat at Southampton.

With leaders Leicester City having lost 1-0 at Liverpool, victory would have sent Arsenal top, but they put in a bafflingly below-par display that resulted in their heaviest defeat of the campaign.

“These players have fantastic spirit. We want to respond from the disappointment,” said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

“I trust my players to respond well on Monday.

Bournemouth have played very well recently.”

Leicester remained top despite their first away defeat of the campaign, but on Tuesday face a taxing home game against third-place Manchester City, who returned to form on Saturday by crushing Sunderland 4-1.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side will be without captain Vincent Kompany, who aggravated a calf injury against Sunderland, but striker Sergio Aguero is likely to start after being rested.

Tottenham Hotspur moved into the top four on Saturday by beating Norwich City 3-0, Harry Kane scoring twice, and they face another promoted team on Monday in the form of Watford.

Tokyo Olympics to boost Japan economy TOKYO—Tokyo’s 2020 Summer Olympics could boost the economy by as much as one percent with construction and tourism helping to fuel growth, the Bank of Japan said Monday.

Investment in Olympicrelated construction, including a new stadium, will total 10 trillion yen ($83 billion) by 2020, with a building rush peaking in 2018, according to a report from the central bank.

The BoJ said the number of foreign visitors to the country was expected to reach 33 million in 2020, from 13.4 million in 2014.

It estimated that gross domestic product in the world’s number three economy in 2018—the high point of Olympicrelated impact—would get a boost of as much as six trillion yen, resulting in a one percent increase compared with overall GDP in 2014.

But that uptick would gradually fade by 2020, the central bank said, warning that Japan needs to create new demand so that the economic impact of the Olympics can continue after the event ends.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a key salesman for Tokyo’s Olympic pitch, has been trying to beat deflation and revitalise the economy since he took office three years ago.

Tokyo staged Asia’s first Olympics in 1964, when the government pushed public and private investment projects. It also unveiled the iconic Shinkansen, or bullet train, that symbolised the country’s rise from defeat in World War II to its emergence as a major economic power.

In recent years, however, Japan has struggled to stimulate its increasingly fragile economy, which has suffered years of deflation.

A rapidly ageing society —more than one in four people are over 65—is also weighing on the potential for future growth.

Japan’s economy saw a slight increase in the JulySeptember quarter, growing 0.3 percent—and reversing an earlier forecast of a contraction that had risked putting the country into recession for the second time in as many years.

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Eric to undergo knee operation

File photo shows Tiger Woods attending the match between Rafael Nadal of Spain and Fabio Fognini of Italy during their 2015 US Open third round men’s singles match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. Tiger Woods reaches his 40th birthday on Wednesday, still recovering from a third back operation with no timetable for another golf comeback and reflective comments about ending his epic career. Former world number one Woods has 14 major titles, four shy of the all-time record set by Jack Nicklaus, and 79 PGA victories, three off the career best held by Sam Snead. AFP

Tiger turns 40; Nicklaus mark a distant dream WASHINGTON—Tiger Woods reaches his 40th birthday on Wednesday, still recovering from a third back operation with no timetable for another golf comeback and reflective comments about ending his epic career.

Former world number one Woods has 14 major titles, four shy of the all-time record set by Jack Nicklaus, and 79 PGA victories, three off the career best held

by Sam Snead.

But to become lost in the numbers is to miss the point of what Woods has meant to golf, a unique talent who in his moment might just have been the world’s greatest sport star, the first black man to win a major golf crown sparking “Tiger-mania” and generating a curiosity from fans beyond golf long after his greatest days were behind him.

There’s an old saying that life begins at 40. Time to set aside childish dreams, like matching a boyhood idol, and lift up your children as you revel in what you have achieved.

But Woods said last week he feels at times like a teen and at others far beyond his years due to injuries.

“Mentally, people who know me know I’m like a five-year-old.

Physically, sometimes I feel old and sometimes I feel like a teenager,” Woods said.

“I don’t like the polar opposites of the two. I’d like to be somewhere in the middle where I feel 40.”

Woods has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open, in which he limped through a playoff on a broken leg to beat Rocco Mediate.

No light at tunnel’s end?

He has been through four knee surgeries, three back operations and a messy sex scandal. Oncemighty shots might only be memories. Forget record runs.

Just playing, let alone winning any event, seems a distant goal

now.

“There’s really nothing I can look forward to, nothing I can build towards,” Woods said at his foundation’s Hero World Challenge event earlier this month. “Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? I don’t know.

“Pretty much everything beyond this will be gravy. If that’s all it entails, then I’ve had a pretty good run.”

Woods will serve as an assistant captain of the US 2016 Ryder Cup team guided by Davis Love. But he has come to grips with the idea he might never play again.

“It’s not what I want to have happen and it’s not what I’m planning on having happen, but if it does, it does. I’ve reconciled myself to it,” Woods told Time magazine.

“Even if I don’t come back and I don’t play again, I still want to have a quality of life with my kids. I started to lose that with the other surgeries.”

He told Time that chasing Nicklaus, now 75, was about doing things at a younger age than when Nicklaus had achieved it. AFP

LOS ANGELES —Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe, the NBA team’s top scorer, will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, the team said Sunday.

Bledsoe was hurt on Saturday in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, an embarrassing defeat to a team that had won just one other game this season.

The Suns said the operation will be performed on Tuesday, and there is no timetable yet for Bledsoe’s return.

It’s a tough blow for the Suns, with Bledsoe averaging 20.4 points and 6.1 assists in 31 games this season.

The news came on the same day that ESPN reported Suns coach Jeff Hornacek’s job could be in danger.

Hornacek described Saturday’s loss to the lowly 76ers as “a low point” for a team in the midst of a 5-15 stretch.

“Now the confidence is lacking,” said Hornacek, whose team was expected to contend after the arrival of Brandon Knight last February and the offseason addition of Tyson Chandler. AFP

Falcons end Panthers’ quest for perfection LOS ANGELES—The Carolina Panthers’ pursuit of a perfect NFL season ended Sunday with a stunning 20-13 loss to the Falcons in Atlanta.

In the penultimate week of the regular season the Panthers were aiming to move to 15-0, but the Falcons -- routed 38-0 by the Panthers on December 12 -- had other ideas.

Julio Jones leapt over two defenders to reel in a spectacular 70-yard touchdown catch and rookie Vic Beasley sealed the triumph by forcing a fumble from Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in the final minute that the Falcons recovered.

“They may have taken us lightly, but we didn’t take them lightly,” Beasley said.

Newton had two chances to lead comeback drives late in the fourth quarter but couldn’t find the end zone.

“This is part of the journey,” said Panthers coach Ron Rivera.

“We have to refocus. But we’ve accomplished a lot. Let’s not lose sight of that.”

The 2007 New England Patri-

ots remain the only NFL team to post a 16-0 regular season.

After riding roughshod over the league that year, the Patriots were stunned in the Super Bowl by the New York Giants.

The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only team to record a perfect championship season -- going 14-0 in the regular season before winning three playoff games that included a Super Bowl triumph.

“I think we were just purely outplayed today,” said the Panthers’ Roman Harper. “And we couldn’t come out there and win at the end. That’s all we’ve done is find ways to win all year and we couldn’t do that today.”

The play of the game was Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan’s deep throw to Jones, who went airborne to beat linebacker Luke Kuechly then raced into the end zone.

“Just how we drew it up,” quipped Falcons coach Dan Quinn, whose team nevertheless saw their slim playoff hopes extinguished hours later when the Minnesota Vikings beat the New York Giants 49-17. AFP

Messi, Barca win big at soccer awards DUBAI—Barcelona and star player Lionel Messi triumphed at the seventh edition of the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Sunday, taking home the prizes for best team and best player.

Messi had travelled from Argentina to attend the ceremony.

“It’s very nice to receive these awards, but I always say that the team makes it possible,” said Messi. “It’s been an extraordinary year.”

Barcelona won five titles in 2015—the Spanish league title, the Copa del Rey, Champions League, European Super Cup and the World Club Cup.

Only the Spanish Super Cup eluded them with a loss to Athletic Bilbao.

Belgian coach Marc Wilmots was named best manager while Benfica took the award for best club academy.

Italy’s Andrea Pirlo and England’s Frank Lampard were lauded for their long careers. AFP

Corey Brown of the Carolina Panthers runs away from Kemal Ishmael of the Atlanta Falcons after a catch during the first half at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. AFP

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

A14

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Racela, Ayo named Coaches of the Year TWO coaches responsible for ending the title droughts of their respective teams share the spotlight when the UAAP-NCAA Press Corps and Smart Sports host the Collegiate Basketball Awards on Jan. 26 at the Saisaki-Kamayan in Greenhills.

Nash Racela and Aldin Ayo will receive the Coach of the Year award after steering their teams to their first collegiate championship since 2005.

Racela was the architect of Far Eastern University’s UAAP

championship victory earlier this month when the talent-laden Tamaraws outlasted the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in a thrilling finals series.

Two months earlier, Ayo

brought Letran back to the Promised Land in his rookie season as the underdog Knights foiled the San Beda Red Lions’ bid for the NCAA’s first six-peat with a dramatic win in the deciding third game.

It will be the first time that Racela and Ayo will receive the awards picked by sports scribes from national dailies and online portals covering the collegiate basketball beat.

Ayo, who will now handle La Salle starting next season’s

UAAP campaign, is the fourth rookie mentor to win the award after Ato Agustin in 2009 and Juno Sauler and Boyet Fernandez in 2013.

Other coaches who won the award in the annual event that honors the top achievers of the UAAP and NCAA are Norman Black, Frankie Lim, Eric Altamirano and Louie Alas.

The UAAP-NCAA Press Corps will also name its Smart Player of the Year and Collegiate Mythical Five.

Dianne Galendez shows her winning form in the second season of the SM Bowling Millionaires Cup.

Saludar gets toughest challenge yet

By Ronnie Nathanielsz WORLD Boxing Organization Asia Pacific minimum weight champion Vic Saludar, who is ranked No. 4 in the world, gets the biggest chance of his career when he battles Japan’s world champion Kosei Tanaka, the 20-year-old youngster with a record of 5-0, with 2 knockouts on New Year’s Eve in Nagoya, Japan.

One of the newest additions to the famed ALA Gym in Cebu, Saludar said he has been “more focused in training now because I know this is the biggest fight of my career.”

The 25-year-old Saluiddar, who has a record of 11-1 with 9 knockouts to his name, said this is a big chance for him as

his dream is to become a world champion, which is the reason he turned pro after a highly promising amateur career.

Should Saludar win, he will join Donnie “Ahas” Nietes, the WBO light flyweight champion as the second world title holder from the ALA Gym. Asked about possible adjustments against the Japanese world champion, Saludar indicated the adjustments will be done inside the ring, which will depend on how Tanaka fights.

He revealed he had discussed strategy with his coach and the plan is to |always be in a position in front of him, “so I would always be ready to strike anytime and to make fast adjustments.”

Saludar believes his advan-

tage is that Tanaka is not a powerful puncher.

“I would focus on that weakness and will try to catch him if there’s an opening. At the same time, I have to be careful against his punches that sometimes come quickly,” said Saludar.

Tanaka, in only his second fight as a pro, fought worldrated Filipino Ronelle Ferreras and won a comfortable victory.

In that bout, Tanaka demonstrated his speed and skills, despite having to take some solid body shots on the way to an eight-round unanimous decision on March 16, 2014.

Tanaka won the vacant world title with a stunning 12thround unanimous decision over Mexico’s favored Julian Yedras on May 30 this year.

Galendez wins SM Bowling Cup for 2nd year DIANNE Galendez took home the top prize of P1 million at the conclusion of the second season of the grandest bowling tournament in the Philippines, the SM Bowling Millionaires Cup. It wa Galendez’ second straight SM bowling crown, following last year’s Millionaires Cup, where she took home the grand prize of P2 million and a Chevrolet Sonic.

In a riveting game between Glenn Geluz and the 21-year-old Galendez, the former took a massive lead in the first few rounds but dipped in the middle of the finals, giving Galendez leeway to pick-up her game.

During the last round, the difference between Geluz and Galendez were two finishing strikes on Geluz’s end, in which he failed to deliver, allowing Galendez to win by 16 points.

Last year, Galendez rose to first place against 150 competitors.

As the divisions were separated into different categories this year (juniors, seniors, classified, and open), Galendez took home the top prize of P1 million, while her competitor went home with P500,000.

In the classified round, Hadji Baracal emerged as the winner, collecting P500,000 as well, while second placer Noel Abad won P250,000.

Galendez did not make the classified division where she was also a qualifier, but won overall in the open finals.

The second season of the SM Bowling Millionaires Cup succeeded the first Millionaires Cup held last year in December, in lieu of the SM Bowling and Leisure Center’s 25th anniversary.

Due to its success, SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc., the managing arm of SMBLC, decided to continue the bowling cup as an annual tradition, making it bigger and better than the previous year.

This 2015, the SM Bowling Millionaires Cup gave away a total of P4 million in prizes, with a different bowling format, and received over 1,000 entries and 300 registrants.

Ortega takes over as referee in title fight AT the request of the promoter of the World Boxing Organization mini-flyweight title fight between champion Kosei Tanaka of Japan and Vic Saludar of the Philippines, WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel has assigned Michael Ortega to take over from originally assigned female referee Sparkle Lee. WBO Asia Pacific head Leon Panoncillo informed The Standard/boxingmirror.com that “the change was at the request of the promoter to utilize the officials already there (in Japan) on other world title fights.”

The Tanaka-Saludar championship bout will take place in Nagoya on New Year’s eve.

In fact, Ortega had earlier been

appointed third man in the ring for the WBO super flyweight title defense of Naoya Inoue against Filipino challenger Warlito Parrenas in Tokyo on Dec. 29.

Ortega was in Manila in May 2012 and handled the WBO flyweight title bout in which Brian Viloria scored a ninth-round technical knockout over Omar Nino Romero at the Ynares Center in Pasig City.

He also served as referee in the middleweight title fight between Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Geale and has done a number of big fights.

Ortega, who is from Connecticut, is the son of the late 1950s and early 1960s welterweight contender Gaspar Ortega. Ronnie Nathanielsz

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

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Ginebra Gin Kings opt not to protest controversial tiff

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

P0 M+ P0 M

Raymundo, Carlos tie Chan, Alido at the top

GlobalPort’s Stanley Pringle tries to evade a doubleteam put up by Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar and LA Tenorio in a PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinal game won by the Batang Pier, 84-83.

By Jeric Lopez

BARANGAY Ginebra opted not to protest its controversial quarterfinal setback at the hands of GlobalPort last Sunday.

As the deadline of filing a formal protest regarding their quarterfinal defeat elapsed yesterday noon, the Gin Kings chose not to make a move, making the Batang Pier’s entry to the semifinals of the 2015-16 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup official.

After Ginebra coach Tim Cone signed the game’s scoresheet bearing GlobalPort’s slim 84-83 overtime triumph in the Knockout Phase Two of the quarterfinal war between the two squads, the Gin Kings opened the possibility of filing a formal protest and was given a 12 noon, Monday deadline should they wish to file one.

The Batang Pier’s victory was

surrounded by controversy as game officials did not call a fivesecond, ball-hogging violation on GlobalPort star Stanley Pringle when the spitfire got trapped

by Ginebra gunner Sol Mercado and Greg Slaughter with under eight seconds left and the Gin Kings having a good shot of getting the ball back.

Though it seemed like a fivesecond violation might have occurred in Cone’s view, there was no whistle made by the referees and Pringle eventually passed the ball in the dying seconds, allowing GlobalPort to escape with the win and enter the semifinals for the first time in franchise history.

After the final horn sounded,

Cone and the legions of Ginebra fans were irate, believing that Pringle committed the violation that could’ve given the Gin Kings one last shot of winning and advancing.

Cone and his wards didn’t leave the court right away and approached game officials and PBA leaders regarding a possible miscue on the part of the referees.

But tweets from Ginebra point-forward Joe Devance and Cone in their Twitter accounts may have signified the Gin Kings’ acceptance of their fate as they vowed to get better and looked forward to their next campaign. ‘’Let’s respect that. I love your passion and heart for us! They did their job and we didn’t.

Let’s continue to get better! #NSD #Ginebra,’’ said Devance through his @jdv_38 account as he addressed the situation and Ginebra’s fans.

On the other hand, Cone showed optimism despite his team’s exit from the All-Filipino conference. ‘’Players played their hearts out, fans screamed their hearts out. Despite the loss, that makes it a great night. We’ll be back stronger. #NSD,’’ said Cone in his @manilacone Twitter account.

Meanwhile, though Ginebra didn’t file a protest, PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa, through a statement, said that the four referees, Romell Gruta, Mardy Montoya, Bing Oliva and Edward Aquino, are all summoned to a hearing today to state their side on the controversial officiating.

“To be fair, we have scheduled a hearing for the four referees tomorrow (December 29) to determine their performance,’’ said the statement. ‘’After that, we shall come out with our official action on them.’’

INIGO Raymundo wavered at the finish and matched partner Jobim Carlos’ twoover 70 as they settled for a 140 and a share of the lead with Aidric Chan and Ira Alido in the second round of the NGAP’s fifth National Doubles Amateur Golf Championship at Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club in QC yesterday.

Raymundo fumbled with a bogey on an errant drive on the par-5 18th for a closing 33 and a 70 while Carlos also stumbled with a horrendous quadruple bogey on the par-3 16th marred by an errant pitch near a wall that hit a slope, the ball bouncing back and hitting him in the chin for a two-stroke penalty. Stung, he overshot the green twice before chipping in for that 7.

The pro-bound Carlos, however, birdied the last hole to salvage a 70 for that 140 in the aggregate format in the centerpiece Group I. Counting their 64 in the four-ball Sunday, Raymundo and Carlos pooled a 204 to tie Chan and Alido, who sizzled with a solid eight-under 62 in best-ball but could only churn out a 142 in aggregate as Chan faltered with a 40 and 36 for an eight-over 76.

That nearly put to naught Alido’s fiery 66 spiked by a backside two-under 31, enabling Raymundo and Carlos, who ruled the inaugural staging of the event in 2011 with Raymundo Gonzales, to force a standoff and virtually reducing the title race into a two-team affair with one round left in the three-day championship held under the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour and sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, PLDT and Metro Pacific Investment Corp.

Ryan Monsalve and Lanz Uy dropped five shots behind at 209 after a 146 while Jama Reyes and Tom Kim also pooled a 146 for a 211 and Justin Quiban and Miguel Shah laying another stroke behind at 212 after a 143.

Never say....died?

ARMAN D. ARMERO

STEP BACK THE spirit was willing.

There is no questioning Ginebra’s desire to win, but you have to consider that its opponent in the knockout quarterfinals last Sunday, the Globalport Batang Pier, had plenty of the same desire and willingness to make it to the next phase of the Smart Bro-PBA Philippine Cup. The result was Batang Pier winning by the slimmest of margins, 84-83, to advance to the semis, al-

though the Gin Kings had a valid reason to contest the result because of what coach Tim Cone and the rest of Ginebra fanatics claimed was a non-call on Stanley Prngle’s violation.

Pringle held on to the ball for quite a few seconds after he was hemmed in by a swarm of Ginebra defenders off an inbound play. Cone protested the non-call, claiming that the Batang Pier guard committed a five-second violation, which should have been called if a player held on to the ball five seconds or more without dribbling, passing or shooting the ball.

PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa had already said that he would summon the four referees who worked the game, but added that the Batang Pier is officially the winner of the match. The last I heard, Ginebra decided not to file a protest, making Batang Pier’s entry to the semis official.

But sadly, last Sunday’s game illustrated that the team’s never-say-die spirit died a little death.

Sure, the Kings hammered an improbable 92-89 comeback win against Star, but the real test came in the knockout game against the

Batang Pier, a scrappy team which refuses to quit against huge odds.

One can also argue that GlobalPort may have inherited some of that neversay-die spirit from Ginebra, because one, coach Pido Jarencio was a former key player of Ginebra during its glory days, and two, because they have on their fold another former player in Billy Mamaril, who incidentally, is the son of former Ginebra beanpole Romulo Mamaril.

But in my humble fivecent (again!) rendering, Ginebra lost because it was already at a disadvantage

against Batang Pier at the guard position.

GlobalPort played the better quarterbackedgame because it has the luxury of alternating three top guards in Stanley Pringle, Terrence Romeo and Joseph Yeo, who are all explosive scorers.

Ginebra, of course, has LA Tenorio, Mark Caguiao and Solomon Mercado and rookie Scottie Thompson, but only Tenorio played big in the endgame.

In contrast, Romeo and Pringle wrought havoc on Ginebra’s defense and finished with 20 points apiece, while Yeo hit a couple of

floaters in the fourth quarter that kept Batang Pier in the fight.

Ginebra’s bigs were also a disappointment, although Greg Slaughter did enough against Batang Pier’s gang-rebounding big men.

And there’s the point. The never-say-die spirit should infuse everyone on the team from every position, at every single moment. The desire to win should be a consistent, living thing. And in last Sunday’s game, it was the Batang Pier who displayed the qualities of an old Ginebra spirit.

Happy New Year to all!

T U E S D AY : D E C E M B E R 2 9, 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

Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder soars for a slam dunk against the Denver Nuggets at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder won 122-112. AFP

Westbrook keys Thunder win LOS ANGELES—Russell Westbrook poured in 30 points with 12 assists and nine rebounds on Sunday as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied for a 122-112 NBA victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets.

Thunder forward Kevin Durant added 26 points and 10 assists for his eighth double-double of the season as Oklahoma City bounced back from a Christmas Day loss to the Chicago Bulls.

As they had two days earlier, the Thunder got off to a slow start, largely because they were unable to contain Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried.

Faried scored 10 of his 25 points and pulled down three offensive

Galendez wins SM Bowling Cup for 2nd year TURN TO A14

rebounds in the first six minutes.

Denver, effectively double-teaming Durant, led 61-53 at halftime.

They extended the lead to 11 points to open the third quarter, but Durant scored 12 points in the third period to help the Thunder take a one-point lead into the final frame.

With 7:17 left in the fourth, Thunder center Enes Kanter completed a three-point play to give the hosts a 101-97 advantage.

Kanter added two free throws to

stretch the lead to six, and a layup from Joffrey Lauvergne, a Westbrook Dunk and a fastbreak Dunk from Serge Ibaka put Oklahoma City up 107-99 with 5:09 to play.

Denver again cut the lead to three but would get no closer, Durant delivering two layups and Dion Waiters converting a steal into a dunk as the Thunder rolled to the finish.

“I do think we’re capable of being better,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “I think we’ve shown that.

I think the concentration, the focus and just the will to defend at the level I think we’re capable of defending has to be an area we continue to grow and get better at.”

Grizzlies halt skid In Memphis, the Grizzlies snapped a two-game skid with a

112-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

With the win, the Grizzlies took their record to 17-16, avoiding dropping below .500 for the first time since Nov. 15.

“We just wanted to win,” said the Grizzlies’ Spanish center Marc Gasol, who scored 16 points with six assists. “Last night (in Charlotte) we played two and a half quarters of good basketball and it’s not enough.”

The Lakers went into the game allowing a league-worst 107.2 points per game, and could do little to slow the Grizzlies offense.

Memphis connected on 45 of 80 shots for a 56.2 percent average and handed out a season-

Ginebra opts not to protest controversial PBA game TURN TO A15

high 30 assists.

“We need to focus a lot more,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said of his team’s defense.

“Seems like we are stepping too slow. I don’t think it’s physical to be honest with you, because tonight the effort was there. From the mental standpoint, we just look like we’re fried.”

But Lakers veteran Kobe Bryant was again feeling the physical strain, this time with a sore right knee.

“Honestly, I wasn’t going to play,” Bryant said, adding that he changed his mind because he knew that with his retirement coming at the end of the season, fans across the country are turning out to see him play. AFP

TUESDAY: DECEMBER 29, 2015

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

B1

Inflation up in December—BSP

By Julito G. Rada

INFLATION rate in December likely rose from 1.1 percent recorded in November, on higher food prices and weaker peso, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said Monday.

“The BSP forecast suggests that December inflation could settle within the 1.1 to 1.9-percent range. The increase in LPG prices, upward electricity rate adjustment, transitory increases in food prices due to

typhoon Nona and the weaker peso could provide upward inflation pressures,” Tetangco said in a text message.

“Meanwhile, lower domestic rice and petroleum prices could keep inflation subdued for the month,” he said.

The peso depreciated by 5.6 percent against the US dollar this year, making several import items more expensive.

Tetangco said despite the expected higher prices in December, the full-year inflation in 2015 would remain below the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent. The government is set to release the December inflation data after the New Year.

“Moving forward, the BSP will remain watchful of economic and financial devel-

opments to ensure sustained price and financial stability,” Tetangco said.

Inflation rose to 1.1 percent in November from 0.4 percent in October. The November inflation was also slower than the 3.7 percent a year ago.

This brought inflation in the first 11 months to 1.4 percent, lower than Bangko Sentral’s target range.

Tetangco said earlier that with credit and domestic liquidity growth rates also stabilizing, “these signal that our stance of policy right now is appropriate.”

The Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, on Dec. 17 kept the benchmark interest rates steady for the tenth consecutive time since

October last year as inflation rate was expected to settle below the target range.

Key policy rates were retained at 4 percent for overnight borrowing and 6 percent for overnight lending.

The Monetary Board’s decision was based on its assessment of inflation dynamics and the risks to the inflation outlook over the policy horizon.

Latest baseline forecasts indicated that average inflation would likely settle below the target range.

“However, inflation is seen to return gradually to a path consistent with the inflation target for 2016-2017, as the effects of recent weather disturbances continue to be felt.

Meanwhile, inflation expectations remain firmly anchored within the inflation target band for 2016 and 2017,” the board said.

PSe comPoSite index Closing December 28, 2015

8000 7700 7400 7100

Best developer.

6800 6500

SM Prime Holdings Inc., one of the leading integrated property companies in Southeast Asia, is awarded the Best Real Estate Developer (Retail) in the Philippines for the third time

by Euromoney Magazine. Shown receiving the award is SM Prime executive vice president Jeffrey Lim (right) from Euromoney Magazine senior manager for Asia Marcus Langston.

6,983.61 18.81

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing DECEMBER 28, 2015 43.50 44.60 45.40

P47.160

46.20

CLOSE

47.00

HIGH P47.120 LOW P47.200 AVERAGE P47.166 VOLUME 280.750M

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

SEC clears merger of China Bank and Planters

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Monday, December 28, 2015

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.2750

Japan

Yen

0.008306

0.3927

UK

Pound

1.493400

70.6005

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129014

6.0991

Switzerland

Franc

1.013069

47.8928

Canada

Dollar

0.723589

34.2077

Singapore

Dollar

0.712048

33.6621

Australia

Dollar

0.731689

34.5906

Bahrain

Dinar

2.654985

125.5144

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266610

12.6040

Brunei

Dollar

0.709522

33.5427

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000073

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.027739

1.3114

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.8724

Euro

Euro

1.098100

51.9127

Korea

Won

0.000855

0.0404

China

Yuan

0.154409

7.2997

India

Rupee

0.015148

0.7161

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.232288

10.9814

New Zealand

Dollar

0.684510

32.3602

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030516

1.4426 Source: PDS Bridge

THE Securities and Exchange Commission approved the merger of China Bank Savings Inc., the thrift bank unit of China Banking Corp., and Planters Development Bank.

China Bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday the SEC approved the merger on Dec. 17, 2015.

“This is to inform the exchange that our executive committee noted this afternoon, the approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission on 17 December 2015 of the articles and plan of merger between China Bank Savings Inc. and Planters Development Bank,” China Bank said.

It said as a result of the merger,

China Bank Savings and Plantersbank would become a single corporation, with the former as the surviving company.

China Bank in 2014 acquired Plantersbank, a developmentoriented finance institution acclaimed as the country’s lead bank for small and medium enterprises.

China Bank said the integration process would create a new bank committed to supporting the growth of SMEs and strengthening China Bank’s presence in the SME and middle market.

Meanwhile, China Bank said its executive committee approved the appointment of Carlos Borromeo as senior vice president, chief financial officer and head of

financial management segment affective Jan. 1, 2016.

Other appointees were Marissa Espino as vice president 1, chief compliance officer and head of compliance office and Maria Cristina Hernandez as vice president 1, head of treasury financial institution under financial capital markets and investment segment.

China Bank posted an 8-percent increase in consolidated net income to P3.64 billion in the first nine months, on the back of stronger lending and lower cost of funding.

The three-quarter performance translated into a return on equity of 8.35 percent and a return on assets of 1.02 percent.

Net interest income grew 8 percent to P11.17 billion year-onyear as revenues from loans rose 8 percent, while interest expense dropped 6 percent as a significant block of high-cost funds (time deposits) was replaced by low-cost checking and savings accounts, which grew 16 percent.

This led to an improved net interest margin of 3.36 percent, from 3.23 percent a year ago.

Non-interest income declined 3 percent to P2.96 billion as trading gains fell 5 percent to P365.22 million, which was offset by the 15-percent increase in earnings from service charges, fees and commissions which stood at P1.38 billion. Julito G. Rada

TUESDAY: DECEMBER 29, 2015

B2

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

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

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 4.2 17 30.45 2.6 890 1.01 100 30.5 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.68 12.02 19.6 1.02 625 0.225 78 17.8 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

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

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

2.98 46.2 105.00 85.40 37 1.25 15 18.98 1.79 760.00 0.510 79.5 16.70 51.40 100 280 32 138 1440.00 56.95 3.1

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 2.89 31.8 109 9.4 0.98 241

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 15.32 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 5.34 0.395 173

33.9 90 13.26 293 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 238 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 1.3 2.17

23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.37 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 1.65 161 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 0.640 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

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

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

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

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phil H2O Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

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

Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Vitarich Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

41.35 4.65 0.7 1.33 10.28 16.54 20.05 41.5 2.3 1.6 13.26 9.260 8.98 6.07 5.39 1.67 22.4 65.4 5.8 2.420 220.00 12 24.8 19.92 6 312.00 4.00 3.95 6.98 2.97 11.60 3.85 1.56 2.21 3.95 2.3 125 2.46 0.144 1.00 2.18 185.9 0.6 1.11

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 0.152 837

76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 0.0670 1.61 84.9 974 156 0.710 0.510

49.55 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 0.030 0.550 59.3 751 80 0.211 0.310

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

Forum Pacific GT Capital IPM Holdings JG Summit Holdings Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

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

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

0.370 57.9000 16.72 1.05 759 8.08 14.00 5.91 4.10 0.210 1345 9.30 73.50 6.6 0.7 15 0.45 5.24 0.0300 1.860 49.00 865.00 69.550 0.2850 0.240

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Araneta Prop `A’ Arthaland Corp.

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

7.280 0.77 1.070 0.208 35.700 2.7 0.55 0.97 1.05 0.120 0.445

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

SHARES 9,891,368 30,652,497 55,660,616 61,811,941 151,265,145 119,963,294 431,708,481

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.96 2.85 46.2 45.3 104.90 100.80 85.30 83.00 37.8 37.1 1.27 1.26 15 14.9 19 18.3 1.79 1.79 695.00 695.00 0.520 0.510 81.95 80.05 17.00 16.70 52.20 51.00 100 98.15 282 279.2 32.5 32.35 139 137.8 1450.00 1440.00 57.10 56.95 3.1 3.1 INDUSTRIAL 41.55 40.6 4.7 4.65 0.72 0.72 1.36 1.34 10.3 10.08 16.6 16.48 20.5 20.1 43 42.9 2.35 2.3 1.65 1.59 13.28 13.08 9.280 9.200 9.00 8.91 6.20 6.06 5.49 5.39 1.66 1.66 22.75 22.4 67.5 65.45 5.8 5.68 2.700 2.430 223.00 221.40 12 12 24.75 24.5 20.4 19.9 6 5.62 322.00 311.00 3.95 3.95 3.99 3.7 7.15 7.00 3.41 3.39 11.78 11.60 3.85 3.70 1.64 1.56 2.25 2.21 3.95 3.95 2.4 2.4 125.3 125 2.46 2.45 0.145 0.145 0.99 0.99 2.19 2.17 185.9 182.2 0.6 0.59 1.08 1.08 HOLDING FIRMS 0.380 0.380 57.9000 57.6000 16.88 16.72 1.08 1.03 758 740 8.49 8.1 14.00 13.36 5.65 5.57 4.10 4.10 0.225 0.225 1359 1326 9.80 9.00 73.50 70.00 6.73 6.6 0.71 0.67 15 14.8 0.47 0.47 5.24 5.2 0.0310 0.0300 1.880 1.830 49.80 48.00 865.00 829.50 69.600 69.450 0.2850 0.2800 0.240 0.240 PROPERTY 7.220 7.030 0.78 0.75 1.130 1.100 0.210 0.206 35.600 34.500 2.8 2.71 0.56 0.55 0.97 0.97 1.100 1.02 0.120 0.120 0.450 0.445

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.96 46.1 104.90 83.85 37.1 1.27 14.9 19 1.79 695.00 0.520 81.7 17.00 52.20 100 280 32.4 139 1440.00 57.10 3.1

-0.67 -0.22 -0.10 -1.81 0.27 1.60 -0.67 0.11 0.00 -8.55 1.96 2.77 1.80 1.56 0.00 0.00 1.25 0.72 0.00 0.26 0.00

31,000 23,500 1,353,850 496,730 1,200 17,000 1,600 151,300 3,000 20 288,000 1,114,920 220,200 25,510 1,090 14,370 5,155,500 296,770 385 55,760 374,000

41.5 4.65 0.72 1.35 10.26 16.5 20.15 43 2.35 1.59 13.2 9.250 8.95 6.20 5.47 1.66 22.7 67.5 5.79 2.460 222.00 12 24.5 20 6 322.00 3.95 3.99 7.11 3.39 11.78 3.85 1.60 2.25 3.95 2.4 125 2.45 0.145 0.99 2.18 183.2 0.6 1.08

0.36 0.00 2.86 1.50 -0.19 -0.24 0.50 3.61 2.17 -0.63 -0.45 -0.11 -0.33 2.14 1.48 -0.60 1.34 3.21 -0.17 1.65 0.91 0.00 -1.21 0.40 0.00 3.21 -1.25 1.01 1.86 14.14 1.55 0.00 2.56 1.81 0.00 4.35 0.00 -0.41 0.69 -1.00 0.00 -1.45 0.00 -2.70

706,800 103,000 2,000 554,000 1,300 50,700 103,800 5,000 418,000 96,000 79,500 2,462,300 107,500 3,144,200 90,900 20,000 611,700 70,570 7,100 6,082,000 887,410 14,100 538,800 129,000 276,100 53,960 1,000 2,000 8,367,300 5,000 52,000 67,000 247,000 59,000 7,000 2,050,000 25,010 54,000 600,000 38,000 280,000 1,902,170 56,000 194,000

0.380 57.8000 16.80 1.03 750 8.46 14.00 5.65 4.10 0.225 1359 9.80 73.05 6.7 0.69 14.98 0.47 5.22 0.0300 1.830 49.80 865.00 69.550 0.2800 0.240

2.70 -0.17 0.48 -1.90 -1.19 4.70 0.00 -4.40 0.00 7.14 1.04 5.38 -0.61 1.52 -1.43 -0.13 4.44 -0.38 0.00 -1.61 1.63 0.00 0.00 -1.75 0.00

20,000 1,289,850 3,207,100 18,000 113,930 5,752,700 998,500 8,900 1,000 20,000 57,960 1,052,000 476,860 188,200 225,000 1,735,300 20,000 11,178,500 27,600,000 367,000 208,100 71,520 7,320 710,000 120,000

7.100 0.77 1.100 0.210 34.550 2.8 0.56 0.97 1.02 0.120 0.445

-2.47 0.00 2.80 0.96 -3.22 3.70 1.82 0.00 -2.86 0.00 0.00

525,000 507,000 6,000 550,000 5,106,400 1,868,000 544,000 34,000 42,000 120,000 510,000

427,455.00 4,636,191 -17,175,520.00 -3,710.00 1,092,634.00

29,081.50 165,463.00 -84,000.00 167,439,960 9,188,704.00 -1,282,905.50 3,100.00 -14,843,935.00 -33,500.00 -26,424.00 -77,400 -117,000.00 20,670.00 -7,780,909.00 -185,596.00 8,677,673.00 -124,956.00 -6,212,870.00 840,966.50 -1.00 -236,490.00 145,092,686.00 -1,124,240.00 566,936.00 659,160.00 -1,423,402.00 11,534,338.00 10,210.00 -58,400.00 7,400.00 15,400.00 -55,100.00 -3,950.00 -1,471,328.00

-64,453,379.00 3,600.00 5,400.00 -12,867,645.50 15,102,568.00 7,752,920.00 24,933,689.00 1,137,218.00

60,892,790.00 -196,000.00 -4,423,196.50 850,904.00 23,107,060.00 4,700.00 8,334,593.00 9,150.00 -99,490.00 -16,313,265.00 -418,694.00 4,800.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

10.96 0.97 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.72 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

2.4 0.83 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.39 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

Double Dragon Empire East Land Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Realty `A’ Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 7.67 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 12.5 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 3.2 95.5 1 2.46 15.2

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 4.8 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 8.72 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.95 3.1 0.650 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 4 18 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 2.28 8.8 79 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 Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Asian Terminals 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’ Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Macroasia Corp.

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

0.0098 17.24 0.330 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 6.47 0.236 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

Abra Mining Atlas Cons. `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

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

TA Petroleum

553 525 515 8.21 1047

490 500 480 5.88 1011

84.8

75

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

High

VALUE 529,072,600.57 776,301,077.09 636,786,974.84 522,695,386.66 548,736,531.49 52,982,890.80 3,081,949,636.46

FINANCIAL 1,551.27 (UP) 3.34 INDUSTRIAL 11,030.96 (UP) 48.16 HOLDING FIRMS 6,634.71 (DOWN) 6.33 PROPERTY 2,934.28 (DOWN) 53.36 SERVICES 1,537.19 (UP) 10.19 MINING & OIL 10,336.74 (UP) 71.94 PSEI 6,983.61 (DOWN) 18.81 All Shares Index 3,996.16 (UP) 1.50 Gainers: 91; Losers: 63; Unchanged: 45; Total: 199

Close

24.5 0.750 1.03 1.81 1.17 4.31 0.078 0.4500 27.15 1.46 3.08 22.40 0.74 0.840 5.200

24.85 24.5 24.6 0.760 0.760 0.760 1.02 1.01 1.01 1.83 1.80 1.80 1.16 1.14 1.16 4.33 4.25 4.3 0.082 0.082 0.082 0.4050 0.4050 0.4050 27.50 26.50 27.50 1.46 1.4 1.45 3.08 3.06 3.06 22.45 21.80 22.05 0.78 0.75 0.78 0.840 0.820 0.830 5.240 5.130 5.200 SERVICES 7.04 7.1 6.78 7.05 63.9 63.9 61.55 61.9 1.12 1.15 1.15 1.15 0.485 0.485 0.450 0.460 11.76 11.76 11.76 11.76 4.28 4.55 4.38 4.54 0.0400 0.0420 0.0400 0.0410 3.29 3.37 3.2 3.31 80.5 82.4 80.55 82 9.53 9.93 9.51 9.93 5.08 5.33 4.96 5.30 1900 1935 1880 1935 6.88 6.90 6.86 6.86 1.17 1.18 1.17 1.18 69.75 70.6 69.4 70 11.24 11 11 11 0.152 0.152 0.150 0.152 1.4000 1.4000 1.3500 1.4000 2 2.11 2 2.11 7.62 7.70 7.63 7.70 4.32 4.40 4.26 4.32 2.35 2.35 2.35 2.35 26.00 29.00 28.00 28.00 0.550 0.550 0.520 0.520 1.97 1.99 1.97 1.99 2.03 2.26 2.09 2.2 3.83 3.90 3.83 3.90 0.810 0.830 0.780 0.790 18 18 18 18 4.65 4.33 4.30 4.33 2.7 2.99 2.99 2.99 9.44 9.5 8.86 8.86 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 21.70 22.70 21.85 22.70 2076.00 2076.00 2010.00 2076.00 0.470 0.470 0.460 0.460 0.600 0.660 0.610 0.640 34.70 34.70 34.20 34.30 62.45 63.45 62.50 62.95 6.14 6.14 6.05 6.08 3.40 3.45 3.40 3.40 0.430 0.430 0.415 0.425 3.4 4 3.39 3.98 0.310 0.320 0.315 0.320 4.100 4.300 4.100 4.100 MINING & OIL 0.0050 0.0050 0.0049 0.0050 4.03 4.08 4.05 4.07 0.203 0.201 0.200 0.200 0.59 0.6 0.59 0.6 0.56 0.58 0.57 0.58 7.25 7.30 7.12 7.28 0.69 0.7 0.67 0.69 0.275 0.280 0.270 0.280 0.175 0.175 0.175 0.175 0.185 0.202 0.202 0.202 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 2 2.05 2 2.05 6.25 6.35 6.17 6.17 2.78 2.81 2.65 2.78 0.5400 0.5700 0.5700 0.5700 1.2700 1.2700 1.2700 1.2700 0.0094 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 4.31 4.40 4.30 4.38 1.29 1.29 1.28 1.29 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 134.00 136.00 133.50 135.00 2.12 2.2 2.06 2.2 PREFERRED 525 520 520 520 511 549 549 549 522 522 522 522 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.8 1019 1030 1019 1030 106.5 106.5 106.5 106.5 83 83 82.9 83 78.4 78.6 78 78.6 78.35 78.35 78.35 78.35 79.8 79.3 79.3 79.3 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.440 2.500 2.300 2.470 SME 3.12 3.1 3.09 3.09 2.86 2.85 2.84 2.85 2.97 3.42 2.92 3.42 15.5 15.62 15.4 15.54 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 114.1 114.2 112.9 114

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.41 1.33 -1.94 -0.55 -0.85 -0.23 5.13 -10.00 1.29 -0.68 -0.65 -1.56 5.41 -1.19 0.00

384,300 2,000 861,000 8,338,000 59,000 29,411,000 10,000 190,000 1,012,600 78,000 71,000 6,761,900 3,627,000 438,000 741,400

0.14 -3.13 2.68 -5.15 0.00 6.07 2.50 0.61 1.86 4.20 4.33 1.84 -0.29 0.85 0.36 -2.14 0.00 0.00 5.50 1.05 0.00 0.00 7.69 -5.45 1.02 8.37 1.83 -2.47 0.00 -6.88 10.74 -6.14 0.00 4.61 0.00 -2.13 6.67 -1.15 0.80 -0.98 0.00 -1.16 17.06 3.23 0.00

20,800 87,880 5,000 4,340,000 1,800 4,639,000 13,300,000 3,917,000 368,990 4,600 54,600 49,950 34,300 51,000 774,930 600 510,000 20,000 9,000 200,800 134,000 1,000 1,000 32,000 131,000 16,865,000 4,516,000 3,441,000 5,000 11,000 28,000 78,300 60 122,900 48,880 140,000 82,407,000 1,140,300 380,160 232,100 1,786,000 2,210,000 9,000,000 30,000 65,000

0.00 0.99 -1.48 1.69 3.57 0.41 0.00 1.82 0.00 9.19 -9.09 2.50 -1.28 0.00 5.56 0.00 6.38 1.62 0.00 0.00 0.75 3.77

3,000,000 29,000 30,000 77,000 57,000 1,300 1,499,000 70,000 2,060,000 30,000 88,200,000 306,000 754,400 17,000 1,000 103,000 1,000,000 52,000 132,000 21,200,000 324,970 207,000

-0.95 7.44 0.00 0.00 1.08 0.00 0.00 0.26 0.00 -0.63

19,680 60 100 800 11,100 12,200 58,360 63,800 1,000 260

1.23

47,000

-0.96 -0.35 15.15 0.26

32,000 11,000 2,091,000 296,300

-0.09

33,320

8,512,110.00 40,000.00 8,625,798.00 105,760.00 -56,656,460.00 53,870.00 4,646,241.50 -5,500.00 -45,600.00 -38,429.00

3,726,450.00 609,320.00 4,800.00

287,100.00 3,000.00 -60,770.00 -26,646,870.00 -5,319,210.00 17,736,590.00 -9,382,094.00 122,800.00 -4,059,920.00 301,300.00 -7,079,360.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Travellers

3.98

17.06

Phil. Realty `A'

0.4050

-10.00

Italpinas

3.42

15.15

Manila Mining `A'

0.0100

-9.09

Phil H2O

3.39

14.14

Manulife Fin. Corp.

695.00

-8.55

Paxys Inc.

2.99

10.74

PAL Holdings Inc.

4.33

-6.88

Lepanto `B'

0.202

9.19

Phil. Racing Club

8.86

-6.14

Melco Crown

2.2

8.37

Manila Bulletin

0.520

-5.45

Manila Broadcasting

28.00

7.69

APC Group, Inc.

0.460

-5.15

Ayala Corp. Pref 'B2'

549

7.44

F&J Prince 'A'

5.65

-4.40

Forum Pacific

0.225

7.14

Ayala Land `B'

34.550

-3.22

Premium Leisure

0.640

6.67

ABS-CBN

61.9

-3.13

TUESDAY: DECEMBER 29, 2015

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

Phoenix cleared to sell P3.5-b debt issue

LISTED Phoenix Petroleum Philippines received approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue P3.5 billion worth of short-term commercial papers.

Phoenix Petroleum, one of the more aggressive small oil companies, disclosed the approval to the Philippine Stock Exchange to sell up to P3.5 billion worth of SCTP. Phoenix Petroleum vice president for external affairs Raymond Zorrilla said the company would reissue P2 billion in the third week of January, while the balance of P1.5 billion would replace the outstanding P1.255 billion maturing in February 22, 2016.

“Please note that we paid, retired P2 billion of the total P3.5 billion SCTP that matured in October 2015,” Zorilla said when asked for comment.

Phoenix Petroleum, meanwhile, successfully listed its perpetual preferred shares series 3 on the PSE early this month, raising P2 billion to fund the company’s expansion plans.

Phoenix Petroleum said the 20 million perpetual preferred shares were the company’s biggest equity public offering to date. The issuance was at least three times oversubscribed.

The preferred shares are priced at P100 per share and issued in two sub-series—PNX3A with a dividend rate of 7.4278 percent per annum and PNX3 B with a dividend rate of 8.1078 percent a year.

PentaCapital Investment Corp., Multinational Investment Bancorporation and AB Capital and Investment Corp. were the underwriters of the STCP. “We have supported Phoenix Petroleum through the years, having underwritten their first and second perpetual preferred share through the years, having underwritten their first and second perpetual preferred share issue in 2010 and 2013 and are proud to assist them in this latest and largest undertaking,” PentaCapital Investment executive vice president and chief finance officer Jose Ma. De Leon said.

Multinational chairman and president Marilou Cristobal said “the preferred shares will fund key expansion projects of the company that will help maintain their position as the top independent oil player.”

The company plans to put up more retail stations and depots across the country to expand its network.

Phoenix Petroleum currently has a market share of around 7 percent. It started as a small enterprise in Davao City with only five stations and a few commercial accounts, and has grown to 450 outlets and served several industrial accounts across the country. Alena Mae S. Flores

B3 Investment pitch. Philip-

pine Ambassador to Portugal Philippe Lhuillier joins a business forum co-organized by the Asean Committee of Lisbon Portugal and Portuguese consultancy firm Sociedade Portuguesa Inovação in Porto in the northern region of Portugal. The business forum, attended by around 20 representatives of companies based in northern Portugal, is an initiative of ACLP chairman, Ambassador Mulya Wirana of Indonesia. The ACLP is comprised of the embassies of Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, the only three Asean countries that have resident embassies in Portugal.

Market falls; URC, Jollibee lead losers THE stock market declined Monday on worries about China, the world’s number two economy, amid holiday-thinned trading.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index lost 18.81 points, or 0.3 percent, to 6,983.61 on a value turnover of P3.08 billion. Gainers, however, beat losers, 91 to 63, with 45 issues unchanged.

Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker, fell 1.4 percent to P183.20, while Jollibee Foods Corp., the largest fastfood chain, dropped 0.9 percent to P222.

SM Prime Holdings Inc., the biggest property company, lost 1.6 percent to P22.05, while Ayala Land Inc., the second-largest, declined 3.2 percent to P34.55.

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second-biggest lender in terms of assets, rose 2.8 percent to P81.70, while Petron Corp., the larger of the two oil refineries, gained 1.9 percent to P7.11.

The rest of Asian markets broadly fell Monday as a decline in profits at China’s industrial firms reignited worries about the world’s number two economy, but bargain-buying helped Tokyo snap a five-day losing streak.

Industrial profits declined 1.4 percent to 672.1 billion yuan ($104 billion) in November, according to data released on Sunday

by China’s National Bureau of Statistics.

“We see weakness across industries, with few signs of improvement,” Steve Wang, chief China economist at Reorient Financial Markets in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg News.

The fresh figures weighed on mainland markets with Shanghai down 2.59 percent and Shenzhen off 2.18 percent by the close.

Most other regional markets were also in the red.

Seoul closed down 1.34 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was 1.08 percent lower in afternoon trade, Taiwan slipped 0.06 percent and Singapore fell 0.12 percent.

However, Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index gained 0.56 percent by the close as bargain-buying and a weaker yen lifted the market.

Sydney and Wellington were closed for a public holiday.

Shares in China Telecom dropped as much as three percent after news its head was under investigation for “severe disciplinary violations,” the latest high-profile target in a corruption crackdown.

On currency markets the dollar rose to 120.53 yen from 120.19 Friday in Tokyo, as investors bought back the US currency after it hit a two-month low against the Japanese unit last week. AFP

B4

Liquidity, loans sustain growth BANK loans and money supply posted yearon-year growth in the third quarter, amid sustained demand for credit by the private sector, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Monday.

Data showed that domestic liquidity, or the money supply circulating in the financial system, rose 8.7 percent in September to P7.8 trillion. The growth figure, however, was slower than the 9.3-percent increase in the second quarter.

“The increase in M3 [domestic liquidity] was driven largely by the 12.7-percent year-onyear growth in domestic claims

or credits to the domestic economy in September 2015,” Bangko Sentral said.

“Credits extended to the private sector grew by 12.9 percent, consistent with the sustained growth in bank lending.

Meanwhile, net claims on the central government rose by 16.5 percent,” it said.

Net foreign assets in peso terms rose 6.8 percent year-on-

year in September. Bangko Sentral’s net foreign asset position continued to expand during the month on the back of robust foreign exchange inflows coming mainly from overseas Filipinos and business process outsourcing receipts.

Meanwhile, outstanding loans of commercial banks, net of placements with Bangko Sentral, rose 12.6 percent year-onyear in the third quarter.

Data showed that including placements with Bangko Sentral, total loans also increased 12.4 percent.

The continued broad-

based growth in bank lending supported the sustained expansion of the productive sectors of the economy in the third quarter, Bangko Sentral said.

Loans for production activities, which comprised more than 80 percent of banks’ aggregate loan portfolio, expanded 13.2 percent.

The growth in production loans was driven by increased lending to real estate activities (up by 20.4 percent); electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply (27.5 percent); wholesale and retail trade, and repair of

motor vehicles and motorcycles (14.4 percent); and financial and insurance activities (16 percent).

Bank lending to other sectors also expanded during the month except for transportation and storage, other community, social and personal activities, and manufacturing, which declined by 0.1 percent, 0.3 percent, and 2.2 percent, respectively.

Loans for household consumption increased 12.7 percent in September, led by sustained growth in credit card, salary and auto loans.

Freelance jobs in PH increasing —Upwork

By Othel V. Campos

Bounty Agro’s accreditation. Bounty Agro Ventures Inc., the company behind the famous oven-roasted chicken Chooks-to-Go and several retail brands like Uling Roasters and Reyal, receives Investors in People Standard Accreditation, becoming the first and only one in the Philippine poultry industry to receive the award. Shown are executives of Bounty Agro Ventures receiving the Bronze Accreditation at the 5th IiP Concourse held at Henry Sy Sr. Auditorium of St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City.

PetroWind, TransCo sign FIT payment agreement

By Alena Mae S. Flores PETROWIND Energy Inc. signed a renewable energy payment agreement with National Transmission Corp. for the 36-megawatt Nabas-1 wind power facility in Nabas, Aklan.

The agreement allows Nabas-1 wind project to receive the feed-in tariff payment of P7.40 per kilowatt-hour from TransCo, which manages the feed-in tariff allowance fund.

The payment agreement took effect on Dec. 22, following a notice from TransCo, which uses the fund to pay renewable energy developers.

“With this development, PetroWind’s Nabas-1 wind power plant will receive offtake payment at the ERC-approved feed-in-tariff rate of P7.40 per kilowatt-hour starting next billing period,” PetroEnergy

Resources Corp. said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

PetroWind is a joint venture of Singapore-based CapAsia Asean Wind Holdings Cooperatief UA (with 40 percent), EEI Power Corp. (20 percent), and PetroGreen Energy Corp.

(40 percent). PetroGreen is a 90-percent-owned subsidiary of publicly-listed PetroEnergy.

“At the same time, for power exported to the Visayas grid starting last June 10, Nabas-1’s commercial operations date, which were initially settled at prevailing WESM [Wholesale Electricity Spot Market] prices lower than P7.40 per kWh, PetroWind also expects to receive incremental refunds,” it said.

The P4.5 billion Nabas-1 project, the biggest renewable and clean energy facility to date in Panay, is the first wind

power venture of PetroWind.

PetroWind and TransCo signed the Nabas-1 payment agreement on Aug. 26, 2015 but it was declared effective Dec. 22 following the latter’s review of PetroWind’s documentary submissions, including the Energy Regulatory Commissionapproved certificate of compliance-FIT or COC-FIT. The Nabas-1 COC-FIT was dated Dec. 1, 2015 but was released by the ERC on Dec. 11, vesting the project with a guaranteed offtake payment of P7.40 per kWh from June 10, 2015 to June 9, 2035.

The Nabas facility, consisting of 18 wind turbine generators made by Spanish firm Gamesa Eolica S.L. Unipersonal, started providing clean power to the Visayas grid on March 24, 2015 from 8 WTGs at the start of its commissioning tests. Test-

ing of the remaining 10 WTGs were completed on June 9.

Each turbine, 78 meters in height, has a capacity of 2 megawatts and located on a mountainous area in Nabas and Malay towns.

“Since March 24, PWEI has contributed over 15,000 MWh of electricity to the Visayas grid, making Aklan province the center of clean and renewable energy generation in Panay island. As important, this ERC approval formalizes PWEI’s and our parent company’s status as a power generation entity. PWEI looks forward to higher production of clean and renewable energy from Nabas as we enter the high wind season this third quarter of 2015,” PetroWind executive vice president for operations Francisco Delfin Jr. said earlier.

Freelance online jobs are increasing in the Philippines, as more Filipinos are attracted by flexibility and time management benefits, according to a study by freelance talent marketplace Upwork.

Upwork Philippines country manager Ron Cirujano said a new breed of independent professionals were now earning in foreign currencies at home.

“These online freelancers are not only bringing profits to their doorstep; they also get to enjoy growth in their careers and personal lives thanks to the greater freedom they have to pursue their desired lifestyles,” he said.

He said the success of online work in the Philippines rested not only on Filipinos’ proficiency in English but also on their hard work and dedication, along with their ability to communicate with companies from around the globe.

“With Internet connectivity becoming more and more available nationwide, it has become possible for Filipino talents to find career opportunities no matter where they are in the country,” he said.

Upwork said talented Filipinos could now find income opportunities without having to relocate to another city, which had long been the case in the Philippines.

It said for talents in the provinces, online freelancing was a means to receive the same income that workers enjoyed in cities.

This also helps reduce unemployment rates by immediately connecting skilled independent professionals to potential clients abroad, it said.

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

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

Are you a Facebook addict?

DO you become restless or troubled if you can’t use Facebook?

Do you have an urge to check your newsfeed or responses to your posts whenever you have free time? Do you find yourself spending hours browsing through Facebook every day? If you answered yes to all these questions, chances are you’re already hooked.

To get a more accurate reading, researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway led by Cecilie Andraessen have developed the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, which asks test subjects to respond to six statements with five possible answers: 1) Very rarely, 2) Rarely, 3) Sometimes, 4) Often and 5) Very often.

The statements are: 1) You spend a lot of time thinking about Facebook or planning how to use it.

2) You feel an urge to use Facebook more and more.

3) You use Facebook in order to forget about personal problems.

4) You have tried to cut down on the use of Facebook without success.

5) You become restless or troubled if you are prohibited from using Facebook.

6) You use Facebook so much that it has had a negative impact on your job or studies.

Scoring “Often” or “Very often” on at least four of the six items suggests that the respondent is addicted to Facebook, the researchers said.

Curiously, a separate study by Ofir Turel, a psychologist at California State University, found that the brains of people with compulsive urges to use Facebook show some patterns similar to those found in drug addicts.

In particular, LiveScience.com reported, Facebook addicts showed greater activation of brain regions associated with impulsive behavior. Unlike the brains of cocaine addicts, however, Facebook users showed no quieting of brain areas responsible for inhibition.

“They have the ability to control their behavior, but they don’t have the motivation to control this behavior because they don’t see the consequences to be that severe,” Turel said.

For the study, Turel observed how quickly 20 students responded to Facebook cues (logos) versus neutral cues (traffic signs).

The test subjects were then asked to press a button when they saw a Facebook cue, then told to do the same when they saw the neutral cues. All the while, their brain patterns were being monitored by functional magnetic resonance imaging.

“We found that a certain brain system called amygdala was hyperactivated in response to Facebook stimuli,” Turel told the Orange County Register. “This correlated with addiction scores.”

The good news, however, was that the inhibition system wasn’t impaired as it would be in drug addicts, Turel said.

“With a drug addiction, you want them to disconnect totally from drugs,” he told the Register. “This is more similar to food addiction because you don’t want to deprive them of the Internet, but teach them how to use it responsibly.”

Doing that might be harder than it sounds, however.

A study from Cornell University published this month in Social Media + Society identified four reasons people who decide to quit Facebook keep going back to it.

Based on data provided by 99daysoffreedom.com, an online campaign that encouraged participants to log off Facebook for 99 days, the study focused on those who tried but returned to Facebook before the 99 days were done.

The four reasons for their reversion, the Cornell Chronicle reported, were: Perceived addiction – Those who felt that Facebook is addictive or habitual were more likely to return, according to the group’s research.

One participant described this habitual aspect by saying, “In the first 10 days, whenever I opened up an Internet browser, my fingers would automatically go to ‘f.’”

Privacy and surveillance – Users who felt their Facebook activity was being monitored were less likely to revert, while those who use Facebook largely to manage how other people think of them are more likely to log back in.

Subjective mood – Researchers found that those who were in a good mood were less likely to renege on their pledge to stay off Facebook.

Other social media – Facebook users were also less likely to log back in if they had other social media outlets – like Twitter, the researchers added.

I take a merely academic interest in all this talk of addiction, of course, since I have stubbornly refused to use Facebook. To paraphrase former US President Bill Clinton, I tried Facebook and didn’t like it--and didn’t inhale.

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

B5

Govt debt payments grow 5.9% to P479b

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

THE government paid P479.35 billion to creditors in the first 10 months, up 5.9 percent from a year ago, the Treasury said Monday.

Data showed debt payments this year increased from P452.69 billion recorded a year ago, as the government increased its principal amortization.

The Treasury said debt payments represented 15 percent of total government expenditures in the 10-month period.

National government debt increased 4.3 percent to P5.96 trillion in October from a year ago, despite the higher debt payments.

Interest payments in January to October slightly dropped by 0.83 percent to P271.895 billion from P274.158 billion in the same period last year.

Principal amortization jumped 16.2A percent in the 10-month period to P207.451 billion from P178.536 billion a year earlier.

The Treasury said of the total amortization, domestic debt payments surged 51.5 percent to P149.800 billion while foreign amortization fell 27.63 percent to P57.651 billion.

Debt payments in October alone went down by 14.13 percent to P19.801 billion from P23.059 billion recorded in the same month last year.

The 45.19-percent decline in amortization pulled down debt payments in October.

Principal amortization dropped to P3.657 billion in October from P6.672 billion in October 2014 while interest payment declined 3.72 percent to P16.144 billion.

Local interest payments decreased 8.61 percent to P9.403 billion while foreign interest payments grew 4.06 percent to P6.741 billion.

“Interest payments for the month declined by 4 percent year-on-year to P16.1 billion due to lower domestic payments. As a percentage of total expenditures, cumulative IP for 2015 is at 15 percent compared to 17 percent a year ago,” the Treasury said.

Domestic debt amortization fell 81.93 percent in October to P753 million, offsetting the 15.97- percent increase to P2.904 billion in international debt amortization.

Wise saver campaign. Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Gawad Kalinga Community

Development Foundation Inc. sign a memorandum of agreement for the conduct of the Be a Wise Saver campaign to promote financial literacy and financial inclusion among GK communities nationwide. Shown during the signing of the agreement are (from left) PDIC vice president Jose Villaret Jr., PDIC president Cristina Que Orbeta, GK executive director Jose Luis Oquiñena and GK partnership manager Vangie Sesma.

Smart renews deal with MCA Music

By Darwin G. Amojelar SMART Communications Inc. said it renewed its partnership with the world’s number one music company, MCA Music Inc., in a bid to boost data revenues.

Smart and MCA Music, which launched the partnership two years ago, changed the music landscape in the country by being the first to offer convenient and affordable access to music anytime, anywhere via music service SPINNR. “We’re glad that MCA is continuing to partner with us to bring the best mobile music experience to millions of users nationwide through SPINNR,” Ariel Fermin, executive vice president and head of consum-

er business at Smart said.

Smart’s combined mobile Internet and broadband revenues rose 14.4 percent to P15.6 billion in the first nine months of 2015, on renewed digital strategy that focuses on new mobile data offers and digital partnerships.

This was supported by an upsurge in mobile data usage, which posted a 139-percent growth in the amount of data traffic being exchanged within Smart’s mobile network.

Smartphone penetration within the Smart and Sun networks stands at 35 precent.

Ricky Ilacad, chief executive at MCA Music, said the Smart partnership was a big boost to the music industry, particularly in making music

downloads more affordable and accessible to everyone through SPINNR. “SPINNR is a big instrument in promoting legitimate music downloads as basically anyone can download their favourite music without the use of credit cards or any complicated payment schemes,” Ilacad said.

SPINNR enables users to listen to their favorite songs on their smartphones wherever they want, at just the tap of a finger on the screen.

The service tore down the steep barrier preventing access to the latest digital services by allowing users to pay for their song purchases or streaming subscriptions using their prepaid loads or charge it on top their postpaid accounts.

TUESDAY: DECEMBER 29, 2015

B6

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

Japan’s factory output slumps T O K Y O — J a p a n’s factory output declined in November, official data showed Monday, falling back after two months of gains as the economy struggles to mount a recovery.

Tzu Chi volunteers. Volunteers from Tzu Chi Foundation’s operations center in Tacloban City gather residents of the five villages in

Catarman, Northern Samar, identified as the worst-hit areas of typhoon Nona, to distribute relief cards. The Tzu Chi volunteers on December 21 delivered basic relief goods for 2,673 households. Part of the relief goods is a 20-kilo sack of Taiwan rice. The Regional Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Council said Catarman, the provincial capital of Northern Samar, recorded the most number of destroyed houses. Among 23 towns of the province, at least 65,000 homes were washed out, including 15,119 in Catarman alone.

Authorities probe China Telecom head BEIJING—The head of China Telecom, one of the nation’s big three telecoms firms, is under investigation for “severe disciplinary violations,” the government said Sunday, the latest high-profile target in a corruption crackdown.

News of the probe into Chang Xiaobing, 58, was given in a statement on the Web site of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the watchdog of the ruling Communist Party.

The term is normally a euphemism for graft.

Chang had been “taken away,” according to an article in the

respected business magazine Caijing, which added that he disappeared just days before a meeting of the state-owned company planned for December 28.

A memo saying the meeting would be postponed was issued on the evening of the 26th, the article said. Chang’s phone was switched off and he had not responded to multiple calls, it added.

In August, after 11 years as chairman and party secretary of China’s second largest telecoms provider China Unicom, Beijing announced Chang would head China Telecom.

That decision, Caijing said, was made despite widespread rumors that the executive was under investigation.

It sparked speculation about an imminent tie-up between the two industry leaders and the third major player, China Mobile.

In April the state news agency Xinhua reported that China was considering merging scores of its biggest state-owned companies to create around 40 national champions from the existing 111.

Authorities have been pursuing a hard-hitting campaign against allegedly crooked officials since

President Xi Jinping took office in 2013, a crusade that some experts have called a political purge.

Several high-profile business leaders have been caught up in the web of graft investigations after authorities pledged they would turn their efforts to the state-owned enterprise system, a bulwark of graft that has resisted multiple attempts at reform.

The campaign is seen as an attempt to force executives of state firms, who jealously guard their prerogatives, to toe the party line, reducing resistance to structural reforms intended to bolster the slowing economy. AFP

The disappointing data—industrial production fell 1.0 percent from a month earlier— comes after separate figures last week showed persistently weak inflation and household spending.

The numbers underscore Tokyo’s challenge in conquering years of deflation and tepid growth with the prime minister’s “Abenomics” policy blitz.

Monday’s decline in factory output was worse than market expectations for a 0.4 percent contraction.

Output is taking “one step forward and one step back,” the ministry of economy, trade and industry said in a statement.

The government forecast stronger figures this month and in January.

“But we should not be so optimistic,” said Yusuke Shimoda, an economist at Japan Research Institute.

“One big concern is a slowdown in the Chinese economy, which is pressuring Japanese companies.”

On Friday, Japan said that core inflation, excluding volatile fresh food prices, ticked up 0.1 percent in November.

It was the first gain in five months but remains way below the Bank of Japan’s 2.0 percent target, as officials struggle to convince cautious firms to usher in big wage hikes to stir spending. AFP

Citizen of the Year 2015 ONE of the things that holds a democratic society together and that keeps it strong is the belief of the citizenry that their governmental institutions work and dispense welfare and justice in an even-handed basis.

When that belief weakens, a democracy is in trouble.

Of the governmental institutions that over the years have suffered a progressive diminution in prestige and public esteem, the Office of the Ombudsman is almost certainly one of the leaders. Created by the framers of the 1987 Constitution, the Office of the Ombudsman— an office with Scandinavian parentage—has suffered the misfortune of being headed by a succession of weak or visionless individuals.

In the face of the proliferation of instances of high-level official wrongdoing, the office either took no official cognizance or meted out unjustifiably weak punishments or, worst of all, dismissed cases on the ground of case weakness. Yet, the authors of the Ombudsman Act clothes that office with a wide array of powers to investigate, dismiss and prosecute erring public officials.

The legislators did so in order to make the Office of the Ombudsman an independent instrumentality of government and make the Ombudsman impervious to political challenge and influence. But things clearly have not turned out the way the framers of the Con-

stitution and the authors of the Ombudsman Act intended them to. This outcome was almost certainly due to the choices of President Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos and Gloria Arroyo—Joseph Estrada’s appointment authority was cut short—for the position of Ombudsman. A public office is only as efficacious as its holder wants it to be.

And so for a long time the Filipino people fretted and wished for the day when the nation would have an honest-to-goodness Ombudsman. They need fret and wish no longer, for the hour of deliverance is at hand. Paraphrasing Vatican language, habemus Ombudsman.

Her name is Conchita Carpio Morales.

A former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and regional trial court judge, Conchita Carpio Morales is arguably the most inspired of the numerous high-level appointments President Noy Aquino has made during the last five and a half years. Indeed, when P-Noy’s legacy is evaluated, Justice Morales’s appointment deserves to be regarded as one of its principal parts.

Indicative of things to come, the announcement of Justice Morales’s appointment as Ombudsman was not greeted with the question, “Why her?” That was understandable for the new Ombudsman’s reputation had well preceded her. Justice Morales’s entire career, which has been almost entirely

in the judiciary—her father also was a judge—has been untouched by scandal or serious criticism. And her competence and scholarliness are recognized by her colleagues and peers.

That Justice Morales is capable, as well, of firm conviction was perhaps best shown by her ponencia the constitutionality of the 2009 agreement covering the ancestral domains claimed by the Bangsamoro. Her ponencia declared in no uncertain terms as violative of the Constitutional provision on the territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines. It was no secret that the administration of President Gloria Arroyo was under great pressure from the governments of the US, Malaysia and the United Kingdom to sign the agreement.

Like a blast of fresh air blowing in newly opened windows, the new Ombudsman during her first two years in office has flexed her disciplinary muscles and begun to deploy the powers vested in her by the Constitution and the law creating her office. Cases that were gathering dust were rendered for the prosecution and hundreds of new cases involving officials high and low have been filed. Not only have dozens of new cases been filed but numerous officials who should have been dismissed many years ago are now receiving dismissal orders. Their

ranks have included members of Congress and governors.

But undoubtedly the most celebrated— and the most controversial—of Justice Morales’s dismissal orders has been the one she directed at the mayor of Makati City. Junjun Binay was not only dismissed; he has been disqualified from holding public office ever again. The same disqualification has been meted out to other erring high-level officials.

The Scandinavians, who place the highest value on the office of the Ombudsman, can relate to what Conchita Carpio Morales has been doing during the last two years. They doubtless are saying that she has been doing the things that an Ombudsman is expected to do. They can well claim her as one of their own.

Truly, habemus Ombudsman. For too long we didn’t have one. That is no longer the case.

For reminding us that one person, one citizen, can do so much to restore the Filipino people’s faith in the concept of rectitude in government, I cast my vote for Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales as Citizen of the Year 2015.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

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

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Chicago cops kill 2 more in new incident CHICAGO—Friends and relatives of two AfricanAmericans fatally shot by police in Chicago issued an emotional plea for justice Sunday, calling the incident the latest proof that the city’s officers are far too quick to use deadly force.

Family members held a press conference following Saturday’s police shootings of Bettie Jones, 55, a mother of five, and Quintonio LeGrier, a 19-year-old engineering student.

Both were shot and killed after police were called to a private residence in response to a call about a domestic dispute.

News reports said the teen struggled with mental health issues, and had been threatening his father with a baseball bat.

A short time after arriving on the scene, police opened fire, striking LeGrier, who they said was charging down the stairs carrying the bat.

Jones, LeGrier’s downstairs neighbor, who opened the door for officers as they arrived, also was struck by a

police bullet and died Saturday at the hospital.

Separately, police fatally shot another man within hours of the other two shootings, according to news reports, some of which said the man was armed but had dropped his weapon and had his arms raised when police opened fire.

Many in this midwestern city—already reeling from other recent incidents in which police are said to have been too ready to pull the trigger on their service weapons—condemned the shooting.

“This needs to stop,” LeGrier’s mother Janet Cooksey told reporters Sunday.

“No mother should have to bury her child, especially under these circumstances. The police are supposed to serve and protect us,” Cooksey said through tears. “Is it a badge to kill?”

She added, at the press conference attended by a couple dozen people, that her son was “a good child” and an honor student.

“Seven times my son was shot, once in the buttocks—that showed he was turning away,” said the grieving woman said.

“This needs to stop. No mother should have to bury her child.” AFP

‘Star Wars’ continues its box-office conquest LOS ANGELES— ‘‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens” continued its box office romp on North American screens, adding to earnings that already have shattered records, preliminary industry figures showed Sunday.

The latest “Star Wars” space epic surpassed the $1-billion mark in global box office sales in record time, Disney announced Sunday, as fans of the space epic packed theaters around the world.

Twelve days after it first hit screens, “The Force Awakens” has posted an estimated $545 million in ticket sales in North America and $546 million internationally, a statement said.

The highly anticipated seventh installment of the blockbuster saga has received mostly glowing reviews, and is being credited with breathing new life into the juggernaut Hollywood franchise launched by creator George Lucas in 1977.

In North America, Disney said, “The Force

Awakens” posted record Christmas Day box office sales of $49.3 million.

For the FridaySaturday-Sunday period, it earned an estimated $153.5 million, box office monitor Exhibitor Relations said.

Debuting in the number two spot was “Daddy’s Home,” a comedy about the emotional competition between a father and stepfather.

Starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, it brought in $38.8 million for the three day period.

In third with $17.5 million was another premiere, “Joy,” starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper.

The quirky tale of a mom whose marketing

mojo makes her a millionaire has earned solid reviews for the Oscarwinning co-stars.

Meanwhile “Sisters,” a comedy starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, landed in fourth with total revenue of $13.9 million.

Slipping to fifth place was “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip,” with $12.7 million.

The rest of the top 10 were as follows: 6. “Concussion” ($11 million) 7. “The Big Short” ($10.5 million) 8. “Point Break” ($10.2 million) 9. “Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2” ($5.3 million) 10. “Creed” ($4.6 million) AFP

NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION The public is hereby notified that BAYANIHAN ADVISORY, INC., a corporation organized and existing under Philippine laws, with registered address at 38th Floor, The Discovery Centre, 25 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Centre, Pasig City, Philippines, will be DISSOLVED through shortening of corporate term in accordance with Section 120 of the Corporation Code. The corporation’s dissolution will take effect upon approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission of the amendment made on the corporation’s Articles of Incorporation to shorten its corporate term.

(TS-DEC. 15,22 & 29, 2015)

B7

Municipality of Pateros OFFICE OF THE MAYOR BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE Metropolitan Manila INVITATION TO BID FOR HAULING AND DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE FOR THE YEAR 2016 (ITB-15-047) 1.

The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS through the 2016 LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUND intends to apply the sum of ONE MILLION PESOS PER MONTH (PHP1,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the HAULING AND DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE FOR 2016. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS now invites bids for HAULING AND DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE FOR THE YEAR 2016. Delivery of the services is required immediately upon issuance of the Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have experience in Hauling and Disposal of Garbage for the past FIVE (5) consecutive years and have entered into valid contracts with any different Local Government Units (LGU’s) prior to the date of submission and receipt of bids. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

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

4.

The contractor will provide garbage collection in the entire Municipality on a “TOTAL CLEAN UP BASIS”, and make available at least three (3) compactors with a capacity of 40 cubic meters or more, four (4) mini compactors with a capacity of 6 cubic meters to 16 cubic meters and five (5) units long dump trucks with a minimum capacity of 30 cubic meters. These vehicles are inclusive of the spare parts units and must be wholly owned.

5.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from BAC OFFICE, Mezzanine, Municipal Hall, Pateros, Metro Manila and inspect the Bidding Documents at the said address during office hours from 8:00 am to 5:00 p.m. from December 19, 2015 - January 05, 2016.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on December 19, 2015-January 05, 2016, from the above address and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (P25,000.00).

The Bidding Documents may also be sent through e-mail upon request of the interested party, provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents before the submission of their bids.

Bids must be delivered to the above address on or before January 18, 2016 @ 2:00 P.M. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in the form and amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Late bids shall not be accepted.

Pre-Bid Conference is scheduled on January 06, 2016 @ 2:30P.M. at the Conference Room, 3/F, Municipal Hall, Pateros, Metro Manila.

Bids shall be opened on January 18, 2016 @ 2:00P.M.. at the Conference Room, 3/F, Municipal Hall, Pateros, Metro Manila.

6.

The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS THRU BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE (BAC) 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.

7.

For further information, please refer to: ARLENE P. ORTIZ Head, BAC Secretariat Mezzanine, Municipal Hall, Pateros, Metro Manila Telefax: 641-7195 , December 15, 2015

(TS-DEC. 29, 2015)

(SGD.) ADELIO T. DOMINGO Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee

Municipality of Pateros OFFICE OF THE MAYOR BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE Metropolitan Manila INVITATION TO BID (ITB-15-040) PURCHASE OF BRAND NEW 18 SEATERS VAN FOR USE OF VARIOUS OFFICES 1. The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS through the 2015 LGU-FUND intends to apply the sum of ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED NINETY THREE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED PESOS (P1,293,200.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the above mentioned procurement. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2. The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS now invites bids for the PURCHASE OF BRAND NEW 18 SEATERS VAN FOR USE OF VARIOUS OFFICES. Delivery of unit is THIRTY (30) DAYS upon receipt of the Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed, within TWO (2) years prior to the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3. 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 restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from BAC OFFICE, Mezzanine, Municipal Hall, Pateros, Metro Manila and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from December 18, 2015 – January 05, 2016 from 8:00 to 5:00 p.m.

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (P5,000.00) December 18, 2015-January 05, 2016 from 8:00-5:00 p.m.

6. Pre-Bid Conference is scheduled on January 06, 2016, 2:00 p.m. at the Conference Room, 3rd floor, Municipal Hall.

7.

All bids should be place on the BID BOX located at the CONFERENCE ROOM, 3/F, MUNICIPAL HALL, PATEROS, METRO MANILA on January 18, 2016, 1:30p.m. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in the form of CASH OR MANAGER’S CHECK PAYABLE TO : MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS and in the amount stated in ITB Clause.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. Bids shall be opened on January 18, 2016 @ 2:00P.M.. at the Conference Room, 3/F, Municipal Hall, Pateros, Metro Manila.

8. The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS THRU BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE (BAC) reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

9. For further information, please refer to: ARLENE P. ORTIZ Head, BAC Secretariat Pateros, Metro Manila Telefax: 641-7195 e-mail: arlene@pateros.gov.ph, Dec. 15, 2015

(TS-DEC. 29, 2015)

(SGD.) ADELIO T. DOMINGO Chairman Bids and Awards Committee

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

B8

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

New films honor late Nazi hunter Fritz Bauer BERLIN—With two new films, German cinema has rediscovered the country’s fiercest Nazi hunter, former prosecutor Fritz Bauer, honoring a man who fought against post-war amnesia about the Holocaust.

A Jewish atheist and Social Democrat who spent time in a Nazi concentration camp before going into war-time exile, Bauer became “the most hated lawyer in Germany” after World War II, one of his biographers, Ronen Steinke, told AFP. Honoring him on the big screen with the stories of his two biggest battles places him “finally back where he belongs: in the collective consciousness,” said Munich daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

“Labyrinth of Lies” by Giulio Ricciarelli—Germany’s shortlisted submission for Best Foreign Language Feature at February’s Oscars—describes one of Bauer’s chief accomplishments, bringing to justice 22 former Auschwitz officials in the 1960s.

The story focuses on a fictional young, idealistic public prosecutor who works under Bauer and fights against a conspiracy of silence and resistance in a judicial establishment still filled with ex-Nazis.

“Do you want every German to ask if their father was a murderer?” the young prosecutor is asked angrily in the movie. “Yes, that’s exactly what I want,” he replies firmly. “I want these lies and this silence to end.”

Before the 1963-65 trial in Frankfurt, “a significant proportion of Germans believed the pictures of the [concentration] camps were Allied propaganda,” wrote prosecutor Erardo Cristoforo Rautenberg in the news weekly Die Zeit.

Bauer “wanted to break the silence on the Nazi crimes” at a time when West German society during its economic miracle years “preferred to turn the page” on the horrors of the Holocaust, said Steinke.

The target of hate mail, antiSemitic phone calls and a bomb threat, Bauer, then the chief prosecutor of central Hesse state in Frankfurt, was also the subject of a “neo-Nazi plot to assassinate him”, said his biographer. AFP

Border village. This picture taken on December 17, 2015, shows an ethnic Hoa (Chinese-Vietnamese) man riding a motorcycle past a row of Chinese-style houses at the Sino-Vietnamese border village of Pho Bang in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang. AFP

Japan to pay $8.3m to ‘comfort women’ SEOUL—South Korea and Japan reached a landmark agreement Monday on the thorny issue of wartime sex slaves that has long soured relations, with Tokyo offering survivors a one-billion-yen payment.

The deal would be “final and irreversible” if Japan fulfills its responsibilities, South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se said after talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.

Kishida said Japan agreed to offer a one-billion-yen ($8.3- million) payment to the Korean “comfort women” who were sexually enslaved by Japanese troops during World War II. “It’s not compensation. It’s a project to recover the honor and dignity of all comfort women and to heal

their emotional wounds,” he said.

“The comfort women issue... occurred with the involvement of the Japanese military... and the Japanese government acutely feels its responsibility.”

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered an “apology and repentance from the bottom of his heart” to the victims, Kishida said.

“I think the agreement we reached is historic and is a groundbreaking achievement,” he said.

The fate of the 46 surviving South Korean comfort women

is a hugely emotional issue in the country and a source of much of the distrust that has marred the relations with South Korea’s former colonial ruler for decades.

The United States has long pressed its two major Asian allies to resolve their disputes.

Under Monday’s agreement Seoul will try to relocate a statue symbolizing comfort women that stands in front of the Japanese Embassy through consultations with relevant NGOs, Yun said.

Tokyo has given priority to relocating the statue, seen as an embarrassing eyesore and an insult to Japan.

The South Korean foreign ministry said earlier on its Facebook page that the statue was erected by civilians and the government had no say over its location.

Yun said Seoul would refrain from bringing up the comfort women issue again in international forums such as the United Nations.

“I am very pleased to declare the successful conclusion of the difficult negotiations before the year is out, the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties,” he said.

Up to 200,000 women, many of them Korean, are estimated to have been sexually enslaved by Japan during World War II. They were euphemistically known as “comfort women”.

Seoul has demanded a formal apology and compensation for the survivors.

Kishida said that with Monday’s agreement, relations between Japan and South Korea would develop into “a future-oriented new era”. AFP

American artist Ellsworth Kelly, 92

Caravan. This picture taken on December 27, 2015, shows a caravan of camels crossing the Liwa Oasis, southwest of the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi, during the Dhafra Camel Festival. The festival, which attracts participants from around the Gulf region, includes a camel beauty contest, a display of UAE handcrafts and other activities aimed at promoting the country’s folklore. AFP

WA S H I N G T O N — T h e American artist Ellsworth Kelly, known for hard-edge paintings, simplicity of form in sculpture and brightly colored abstract designs in his printmaking, has died at 92, The New York Times reported Sunday.

The report cited Matthew Marks of the Matthew Marks Gallery in Manhattan as announcing the death of the prominent minimalist.

Kelly was born in Oradell, in New York state, outside New York City, and as a young man studies at the Pratt Institute before he shipped out to Europe

with the US military in January 1943.

After six years in Europe, the artist studied painting at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston after his discharge from the Army in 1945.

“It was very traditional. It was all painting nudes, not much color. I liked Kandinsky. I wanted to do something different,” he said in an interview this month with The Guardian, in which he was said still to be hard at work on his art.

“I give what I’ve got. It’s harder. I can’t work on really big

pictures any more, so the ideas are blocked a bit. But then, the visions were always too much,” Kelly said.

As an artist, Kelly’s key years were in Paris, which he had visited during World War II. Later, he returned to live and study in 1948 with support from the G.I. Bill—legislation that subsidized college educations for thousands of returning American soldiers.

Often classified as examples of abstract minimalism, many of Kelly’s paintings were of a single color, or two color blocks together. AFP

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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

A RTS, CU LT U RE & T ECH

LIFE Fools & Foes: Ralph Gonzalez, Isabelle Romualdez, Miguel Querubin and Gabba Santiago. (Photo by Patricia Zeta, art by Ginny Palma)

NO FOOLS, THESE:

YOUNG INDIE FOLK GROUP ROCKING MANILA’S MUSIC SCENE

N

o one would have ever thought that an unlikely group of four friends would be touted as a “rising star” in Manila’s indie music scene.

Composed of Isabelle Romualdez on vocals and bass, Miguel Querubin on vocals and guitar, Ralph Gonzalez on guitar and Gabba Santiago on drums, the four started their Fools & Foes band out of friendship and a common love for music.

Not that they all started out playing together. “Gabba and I have been friends since my first year in college; (while) he and Migs were friends since the first year, too,” says Isa, adding that she, Gabba and Migs are from De La Salle University while Ralph is from De La Salle-College of St. Benilde.

The friendship between Gabba and Ralph however goes far longer because the two have been friends since high school since they were together in another band. It was only on her third year in college that Isa was introduced to Ralph and Migs because they shared a common circle of music friends down south (read Alabang). Though the four belonged to different bands with varying genres like punk rock and metal, they supported each other, bound by one common thread: their love for music.

Asked how and why they thought of Fools & Foes for their band name, Isa shares, “We all collectively thought of the name. Aside from it sounding catchy to us, all of us members of the band have made fools of ourselves already, and we continue to every now and then. Our songs are usually about our foes – not necessarily people but more of our inner foes or foes of life."

Fans and music critics alike define their genre to be “math folk,” but the band does not feel confined to one definition as their varied influences definitely affect their sound and style.

“Our intention was purely to be an indie folk band at first, our sound pegs being The Staves and Angus & Julia Stone. But our personal musical tastes and preferences fashioned our music into how it is now, and we feel that it is a sound that we can be proud of because it just reflects who we are,” Miguel says.

Playing gigs left and right in some of Manila’s underground watering holes, Fools & Foes is definitely a name that’s always on a set list, and their following is steadily growing.

Starting out however was no easy feat for these young musicians. Busy with their jobs during the day – Isa is an account executive for a PR and communications company, Ralph is a kindergarten teacher and is a graduate student, Migs works for a Japanese company and produces music on the side while Gabba just finished college as a Dean’s

BY ROMINA LOUISE CUNANAN

Isabelle Romualdez on bass and vocals. (Photo by Marco Ugoy)

lister – the four would get together after work to practice their songs till the wee hours of the morning.

But having been friends first, their flow of work is more relaxed and laid back. Each member contributes to every lyric, rhythm and beat in all of their songs, with Isabelle and Miguel taking the helm. Even through small arguments and petty disagreements here and there, they still manage to keep everything chill, like the way they would when they simply go hang out and talk over a few drinks.

After a year of working on their sound, Fools & Foes has finally come out with their first EP, cited by Status magazine as “one of the best local music releases for 2015.”

Titled Underneath the Roots, the 5-track release is a mix of upbeat folk tracks and low, sentimental instrumentals. From being alone and becoming your full and true self with “Withering,” to remembering childhood memories and accepting the imperfections of growing up with “Lullaby,” the album focuses on one’s battle with inner demons.

“We are often our own worst enemies whenever we face rough patches; it’s easier to blame ourselves, and hide from our mistakes.

We want our music to be able to express that having your own little insecurities is perfectly okay; we are all only human, after all,” Isabelle reflects.

During the launching of Underneath the Roots at SaGuijo in Makati. (Photo by John Mari Marcelo)

With radio features of their singles to a packed crowd at SaGuijo during their recent EP launch, it looks like things aren’t slowing down for Fools & Foes soon. But even through their slowly growing fan base, they’re still grounded and focused on the very thing that brought them together.

“We don’t really plan anything. We want to stay true to our music and let it speak for itself. People might like it or they may not, but we think it’s our sincerity and heart in our

music that draws people in. We’re just doing what we love to do, and it’s amazing that people just happen to love it too,” they share.

The group is definitely digging in its roots in the local music scene, with more gigs and events in the pipeline all over the metro starting January. Catch the latest dates on their Facebook page (Fools and Foes). Underneath the Roots is available for digital download on Spotify, iTunes and Bandcamp.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

SEVEN ARTISTIC MASTERS TAKE ON MENTORING ROLE IN THE ROLEX ARTS INITIATIVE

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olex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative recently announced seven of the world’s most acclaimed artists who accepted the invitation to mentor the rising young talents for a year under their program. Since its launch in 2002, the initiative has built a remarkable artistic community that connects artists around the globe with talented and worldrenowned artists who serve as mentors.

The Rolex Arts Initiative is a biennial philanthropic program created by Rolex to mentor and hone artists from generation to generation and ensure that the world’s artistic heritage is passed on across cultures and continents.

The philanthropic program seeks out highly talented young artists from around the world and brings them together with the great masters for a year of creative collaboration via a one-to-one mentoring relationship.

This year, the seven artists announced at the ceremony held in Mexico last December 6 are David Chipperfield for architecture, Mia Couto for literature, Alfonso Cuarón for film, Philip Glass for music, Joan Jonas for visual arts, Robert Lepage for theatre and Ohad Naharin for dance, with the mentoring period to begin mid-2016.

“These seven artists have had a profound influence on their disciplines for decades and are held in high esteem by the public and their peers,” says Rebecca Irvin, head of philanthropy at Rolex. “We acknowledge their generosity in serving as mentors in the Rolex Arts Initiative. They will join the family of internationally acclaimed artists who have committed to passing on

David Chipperfield

Alfonso Cuaron

Mia Couto

Robert Lepage

Ohad Naharin

Joan Jonas

their passion and expertise to a younger generation and to be reinvigorated in their own art in return.”

British architect David Chipperfield is renowned for his diverse portfolio that includes his notable buildings – the reconstructed Neues Museum in Berlin, the Museo Júmex in Mexico City and the UK’s Turner Contemporary gallery, recently chosen as a 21st-century British landmark. The architect’s approach to architecture values “substance, permanence and meaning” above spectacle. The visionary choreographer of Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company, Ohad Naharin is known for pioneering some of the most inventive and intriguing styles of movement in contemporary dance, such

Philip Glass

as Gaga. His innovative choreography is seen as a growing force for both dancers and non-dancers.

Mentoring for film is director, screenwriter, producer and editor Alfonso Cuarón, known for his works in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men and Gravity (2013), which won him an Oscar for Best Director. For Literature, mentor is António Emílio Leite Couto, also known as Mia Couto – one of Africa’s foremost writers who uses creative language to craft evocative poetry, short stories and novels. The Mozambique-born author’s first novel, Terra Sonâmbula (Sleepwalking Land) that got him a 2014 Neustadt International Prize for Literature is considered among the 20th-century’s best African books.

Influential American composer Philip Glass, mentoring for music, is known worldwide for his evocative music compositions which include symphonies, concertos, film soundtracks and operas, the most famous of which is his collaboration with (former Rolex mentor) Robert Wilson Einstein on the Beach. For theater, the head of the multidisciplinary production company Ex Machina is opera and film director, playwright and actor Canadian Robert Lepage (who is known for his rock shows and circuses, including the Cirque du Soleil) will be doing the mentoring.

The mentor for visual arts will be internationally acclaimed performer and video artist Joan Jonas who brings forth her experience in visual arts for nearly 50 years.

A retrospective of her work was recently showcased in Milan and her new multimedia installation drew huge crowds to the US Pavilion at the 2015 Venice Biennale.

All over the world, panels of influential artists and arts professionals are selecting young talents who will be asked to apply to the programme. The mentor will personally choose a protégé from three or four finalists, whose names will be announced early in 2016.

The chosen protégé will receive 25,000 Swiss francs to support his or her participation in the program and an additional 25,000 Swiss francs for the creation of a new work at the end of the mentoring year. The mentors will be spending up to six weeks with their protégés in the setting that suits them best.

For more information about the Rolex Arts Initiative, visit rolexmentorprotege.com

T EC H TA L K

G CASH: An everyday all-in-one card

T

From left: MasterCard’s Jo-Ann Camacho, GXI’s Don Nino Santos and MasterCard’s Judith Dayrit

From left: MasterCard’s Chris Paraiso, GXI’s Oyo Ocampo and MasterCard’s Jason Briones.

his is the era of the all-inone card. This particular card combines debit, credit and ATM cards in one, and is popular abroad. Thankfully the Philippines is catching up.

Adding to the growing number of cards offering modern payment solution, G-Xchange Inc. – GCash operator and a Globe subsidiary – and MasterCard collaborate in the new GCash beep MasterCard. Promising to be your “everyday all-in-one” card, GCash beep MasterCard is an ATM card, prepaid card and a beep card that can also be used for MRT and LRT rides.

The GCash beep MasterCard lets users enjoy the convenience of cashless shopping both online and in retail stores, and provides an easier and faster way to pay for their MRT/ LRT commute. It also gives unbanked Filipinos the chance to have their own bank accounts and enjoy other financial services.

GXI and MasterCard top executives came in full force to the recent launch of the all-in-one card, led by GXI president and chief executive Xavier Marzan and MasterCard country head Poch Villa-Real.

Also present were GXI’s Franchette Chingcuanco-Cardona, Joseph Co, Don

GXI’s Franchette Chingcuanco-Cardona and Joseph Co

Nino Santos, Oyo Ocampo and Alfred Moreno. Representing MasterCard on the other hand were Judith Dayrit, Joann Camacho and Chris Paraiso.

“Harnessing technology to make life easier for customers has always been our thrust. We hope our customers will feel empowered having this card,” says Marzan.

According to Villa-Real, users of the card will have access to 40 million MasterCard merchants and ATMs worldwide. “With GCash beep MasterCard, users can now just swipe their card for their purchases and payments, here and abroad.”

MasterCard country head Poch Villa-Real and G-Xchange, Inc. president and chief executive Xavier Marzan unveil the new GCash beep MasterCard

The GCash beep MasterCard is now available at any of the 35 selected Globe stores and roving caravans nationwide for only P150. It comes with a free Globe SIM card and P30 GCash load. For loading cash funds, just visit any of the 10,000 GCash outlets including all Globe stores, 7-11 convenience stores, SM Department Stores and Puregold Supermarkets. among others. GCash subscribers can also load via mobile or online banking.

For more details, log on to www.GetGcashMC.com.ph

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Jose Joya's Blue Harbor (1966)

LEON GALLERY ENDS THE YEAR WITH A KINGLY AUCTION

Ang Kiukok's Door (1978)

Andres Barrioquinto's Into the Fray (2015)

Benedicto Cabrera’s Sabel (2003)

Ronald Ventura’s In Memorial (2001)

O

ne of the country’s premier galleries, León Gallery, ends the year with a momentous auction that saw significant works of art and collections put under the hammer, many of which broke records.

Artists, critics, collectors and art enthusiasts gathered on December 5 for León’s Kingly Treasures Auction 2015. The auction’s top sellers were Anita Magsaysay-Ho’s Four Women (1964) sold for P23.9 million, Ronald Ventura’s In Memorial (2001) for P16.4 million, Benedicto Cabrera’s Sabel (2003) at P11.7 million, Ang Kiukok’s Door (1978) at P10.5 million, and Torogan (1985) for P9.9 million and Blue Harbor (1966) for P9.3 million, both by Jose Joya.

The Tinio-Gabaldon Cabinet of the 19th Century broke records and is now the highest selling Philippine furniture to date after it was sold for P15.8 million. This elegant work made of kamagong and lanite once belonged to the most landed family in the Philippines.

Romulo Olazo’s Diaphanous B-LXXVII, the biggest Olazo to be sold at auction, went for P5.8 million, now the highest selling work by the late artist. Also included in the auction were modernist master H.R. Ocampo’s Talking Birds which was sold for P5.3 million, and zen master Lao Lianben’s Wood Void which hammered for P5.1 million.

Contemporary artists Jigger Cruz and Andres Barrioquinto also saw their works sold at record amounts with Cruz’s Blares of the Opposite going for P6.7 million, while Barrioquinto's Into the Fray fetched P3.11 million.

The Kingly Treasures Auction was the fifth successful auction of Leòn Gallery for this year following The Jim and Reed Pfeufer Collection, The Asian Cultural Council Philippines Art Auction, Spectacular Mid-Year 2015, and The Magnificent September Auction 2015.

With four successful and very significant auctions and the record-breaking finale with Kingly Treasures Auction, it was indeed a banner year for León Gallery.

From left: Derek Flores, Mimi Que, Isa Lorenzo, Hetty Que and Luis Ojeda

Anita Magsaysay-Ho’s Four Women (1964)

From left: Dennis Robles, Ramon Orlina, Nikki Benitez and Aji Tan

Abby Teotico and Rio Ambrosio

From left: Jaime Ponce de Leon, Josie Baldovino and Paulino Que

Isa Lorenzo and Daphne Kuok

From left: Sonny Tinio, Nikki Coseteng and Earl Digo

Robert Yu and Andoni Aboitiz

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

3D art on the wall shows Santa Claus giving treats away

Glide on ice with this interactive polar bear statue

@LIFEatStandard

The giant Christmas cake

Christmas reindeer on a snowy roof

This Christmas-inspired 3D art shows a cute baby wearing Santa’s costume

3D Interactive Art at SM Megamall

F

ilipinos love taking photos, and they would go to great lengths to have a selfie especially when the background is interesting and compelling. Shutterbugs now have the perfect background suitable for the season with the wonderful Christmas tableau courtesy of Art In Island: First Interactive 3D Christmas Art Museum at the SM Megamall Event Center.

Mallgoers can have themselves photographed in a snow globe, be part of Christmas cake art, join Santa and his jolly crew, or be a character in a storybook scene with Alice in Wonderland or fairies. By standing in their preferred spot in the tableau, they will not only be part of a photograph, they will also be creating their own art.

That’s because the famous Art In Island 3D art museum in Quezon City has brought some of its famous masterpieces to SM Megamall to give mall goers an opportunity to

Spread your wings: another interactive art that instantly puts angel’s wings on whoever stands in front of it

appreciate art more because of the contemporary take on the pieces.

Art in Island is the largest 3D art museum of its kind in Asia.

Founded by Korean Yun Jae Kyoung with other partners, it took 14 artists to complete the museum in Quezon City.

The stunning 3D interactive artworks can be touched, making the experience truly memorable. Aside from interactive 3D paintings that look real on photographs, the use of optical illusions, patterns, lights and colors create interesting perspective that are totally different from the real image.

Art In Island artists use different materials such as acrylic and oil paint to make the paintings look realistic. Their goal is to make known artworks become more accessible and appealing to a wider audience through the use of optical illusion and 3D paintings, to tickle the imagination of the viewers.

They live by the maxim “Be Part of Art” which makes the work of the artists different from the traditional museums where visitors are mere spectators and photography is mostly prohibited.

Experience the Art In island 3D Christmas Art Museum in SM Megamall until December 31 simply by presenting a single receipt purchase worth P500 from any shop and restaurants in SM Megamall and a P120 entrance fee.

An optical illusion brings SM and Art in Island execs inside the snow globe.

From left: SM Prime Holdings assistant vice president for Operations Christian Mathay; regional operations manager Jocelyn Lapid; Felicity from Art In Island and senior vice president for Marketing Jon Jon San Agustin

Niña Aliga, Art In Island graphic artist

This table and chair illusion 3D art will make the person who stands on the table appear very small.

SM Supermalls partnered with Art In Island to bring the First Interactive 3d Christmas Art Museum to Mega Mall

Grow your fairy wings with 3D Interactive Art

Interactive Alice in Wonderland – inspired art on the wall

T UES DAY : DECEMBER 2 9, 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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Josh Green in ‘Alvin And The Chipmunks 4: The roAd Chip’

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he Chipmunks we know and love, Alvin, Theodore and Simon embark on a journey across the U.S. and for the first time, they’re on a mission to keep their family together in the fourth installment of the hugely successful family adventure franchise in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip.

In their latest adventure, through a series of misunderstandings, Alvin, Simon and Theodore come to believe that Dave is going to propose to his new girlfriend in Miami…and dump them. They have three days to get to him and stop the proposal, saving themselves not only from losing Dave, possibly from gaining a terrible stepbrother, Miles, played by Josh Green.

The idea of Dave tying the knot doesn’t thrill the boys; in fact, they fear it’ll uproot their lives – and maybe uproot them from Dave’s home. Further complicating matters is Sam’s (Dave’s special friend played by Kimberly Willams-Paisley) teenage son, Miles (Green), who has an instant dislike of the Chipmunks.

“Miles is definitely introduced as the classic teenage ‘bad boy,’” says Green. “I also like comparing him to Alvin. Both cause trouble

and are loud and harsh. “Everyone has a little Alvin in them,” he continues. “You know, that voice inside that says, let’s go out there and cause a ruckus.”

In the midst of their hostilities, if not all-out war, The Chipmunks and Miles learn they do have one common goal: stop Dave’s wedding to Sam. The ‘Munks are afraid their family will change forever if Dave got married and, worse, Miles became their stepbrother.

Miles, says Green “is also not okay with Dave and Sam’s plan of, “Let’s get this family together, and we’ll all be happy now.’”

It’s a journey filled with adventure, laughs, music and lots of local color. But director Walt Becker also notes that it’s also about Alvin, Simon, Theodore and Miles finding their way into a kind of blended family. He further points to the film’s new blended family elements as an entryway to this new chapter in the Chipmunks’ lives. It’s no longer just the three boys and Dave Seville. Two new characters – a love interest for Dave, and her teenage son – enter the scene, and turn the ‘Munks’ life and family topsy-turvy.

“I think the idea of a blended family is one that many people

can relate to,” says Becker. “The Chipmunks are always trying to do the right thing, but end up doing it in the wrong way. You can mine a lot of comedy from those family experiences.”

Josh Green is a Bowie Maryland native and began his acting career performing in regional productions of plays, including The Goat, Or Who is Sylvia?, Rabbit Hole and Columbinus.

After high school, Green moved to New York to study the craft at New York University and pursue acting full time. He quickly branched out into television and film. Green was the guest lead in the pilot episode of ABC’s Black Box, and appeared in the critically acclaimed CBS series The Good Wife and CBS’s Unforgettable.

He shared the screen with Emily Van Camp in the feature film The Girl in the Book, and will be seen in the independent film Fair Haven with Tom Wopat.

Green recently made his New York stage debut in MCC’s Lost Girls, directed by Jo Bonney.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip opens Jan. 20 in cinemas nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Josh Green in the poster of the latest installment of The Chipmunks movie series

Morissette in stages sessions from C8

s

o, who’s Morissette?

An average guy (read: someone not into showbiz gossip) asks. The young woman who spends 85 percent of her waking hours watching TV and browsing the web and looking at showbiz news and gossip says, “The singer!” The guy retorted, “You mean Alanis?” The girl answered back, “No, Morissette, the singer!”

That may well be the banter of two people about Morissette Amon, the singer who is making waves in the live circuit these days.

She was recently featured in the season end of Stages Sessions Dec. 13 at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (CBTL) at the Fort. And, the crowd that jam-packed the coffee shop was enough for us to say the singer was, indeed, was on her way to stardom.

Her fans call themselves Mowienatics and they were all there, some even standing till the end of her performance as there were no more seats available, to show their love and support for her.

The 19-year old diva-to-be simply performed like it was her last as a way of acknowledging her fans.

Stages Sessions is a venue for artists like Morissette to be what they are, allowing them

Morissette Amon

to perform songs they couldn’t because of the images they have been molded by their recording companies or management.

And Morissette was glad she was invited to be part of it and even become its closing performer.

Stages Sessions will be back, I was told, next year, at the same venue. And, I believe many fans are waiting for its return after listening to some of the artists during the first sessions performing wholeheartedly and with gusto.

HHHHH Box offiCe supremACy By now, you know which movie won the best picture and performers as best actors/actress, but the box office race is not over yet.

After four days, the race is still

Morissette with Jonathan Wagner and Lance Busa

being fought between My Bebe Love: #Kilig Pa More and The Beauty and the Bestie. Fans of leading performers in either film claim the film of their idols is leading and so we let them relish their illusions. But, in the end, it will be the MMFF’s tally that will count.

The media will be swamped with claims from either camp that either film is leading, and, expectedly, scribes will dive and grab this for something they can dish in their columns or entertainment pages.

What’s important though is the crowd is pumped up to support the film they like to win in the boxoffice race. We shall wait until the last day, Jan. 3, which film has the legs to maintain its lead at the tills.

HHHHH mArimAr’s end is neAr In less than two weeks, Marimar, the current re-imagining on GMA 7, is going to fade to black. It seems the network has decided to have an abbreviated second version as the plot doesn’t thicken but instead is meandering. Perhaps the production staff can no longer see anything to make the plot even more convoluted as it is now.

Cutting it short while the figures are still better than they expected would mean with the series the Kapuso network succeeded in giving its rival, the Kapamilya network nights of serious thinking in how to arrest the ratings siege.

While it may be true that there

were nights Marimar nearly toppled its rival shows on the other network, figures in nationwide surveys indicate otherwise. To end it in a couple of weeks may even be good for the ratings of the show.

If the Kapuso network read the figures carefully, either those supplied by AGB or NUTAM or Kantar Media, then they should be guided on what kinds of shows they have to produce to make sure the other network wouldn’t have reasons to claim ratings lead. But if the network would merely rely on remakes, as if their duplication on screen would lead to better ratings, then they should not expect to maintain whatever lead they had gained this year.

T UES DAY : DECEMBER 2 9, 2015

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin is now the highest top grossing MMFF film of all time.

In Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy, Vice Ganda played 4 different characters

Top grossing MMFF FilMs From C7

2010 - Si AgimAt At Si EntEng KAbiSotE (GMA Films, OctoArts Films) Estimated gross ticket sales: P159 million Monsters keep on scaring and kidnapping children on Agimat’s (Bong Revilla Jr.) world and they seem capable of travelling in other worlds and with this, Agimat crosses over with them and discovers Engkantasya, the world of Faye (Gwen Zamora), Ina Magenta (Amy Perez) and Enteng Kabisote (Vic Sotto). As the story unfolds, it reveals that Satana (Bing Loyzaga) orders the monster to snatch children so she can use their blood to revive Ragat, the lord of darkness. Enteng has to rescue his wife with the help of Agimat to battle the monsters and the dark lord. Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote won Best Visual Effects and Best Make-up Artist awards.

2011 - EntEng ng inA mo (OctoArts Films, Star Cinema) Estimated gross ticket sales: P237 million Enteng ng Ina Mo goes around the lives of Enteng (Vic Sotto)

retiring as the perennial hero of Engkantasya and Ina (Ai-Ai de las Alas) longing for a partner who will be with her for the rest of her life. Satana (Bing Loyzaga) places Enteng under a powerful evil spell, to fall in love with another woman. This is where he meets Ina. As their relationship gets serious, Ina discovers Enteng has a family and a wife.

Enteng ng Ina Mo tied up with Shake, Rattle and Roll 13, both taking home three awards.

2012 - SiStErAKAS (Star Cinema, Viva Films) Estimated gross ticket sales: P394 million Comedy film Sisterakas is a story of rivalry between half siblings – Bernice (Vice Ganda) and Detty (Ai-Ai de las Alas) who are half siblings and whose childhoods are worlds apart. Detty grew up with a wealthy while Bernice and his mom are left to fend for themselves. Bernice becomes a wealthy and successful businessman years after, but his rudeness leads to his 75th assistant’s resignation. This is where he meets Detty and for him, this is his chance for a payback.

The main rival of Bernice’s company headed by talented Roselle (Kris Aquino) currently poses as a very strong competitor. Series of events lead to the two company heads fighting over Detty. Sisterakas took home two awards – Third Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Wilma Doesn’t.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 45 46 47 50 53 54 58 62 63 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Word on a battery 5 Woodwinds 10 Dry run 14 Journalist — Ducommun 15 Not rural 16 Comics penguin 17 Number of Muses 18 Corny 19 Scallion kin 20 Fido’s ID (2 wds.)

22 Aerie hatchlings

24 25 26 30 35 36 37 38 41 43 44

Down Under bird Karachi language Most ancient Mickey or Mighty Exasperate Doo-wop’s — Na Na Dull and unoriginal Brief look Field event (2 wds.)

Travel stopover Zoologists’ mouths

Shogun’s capital Entrap Eating at home (2 wds.)

Toward shelter Mother rabbit Intent Accustomed Polygraph flunker Banded quartz Annoy Ultimatum word Treats an icy road Zenith Wan Rendezvous Coil around

DOWN 1 Hawk 2 Jumble 3 Ding-a- — 4 Wobble 5 Anticipate the actions of 6 “It’s cold!”

7 Teahouse attire 8 Fridge raider 9 Golfer Sam — 10 Freeway’s lack 11 Type of sword 12 Bird treat 13 Clucks

2013 - girl, boy, bAKlA, tomboy (Star Cinema, Viva Films) Estimated gross ticket sales: P436 million Vice Ganda stars as the quadruplets in the movie. Long years of separation and the quadruplets, Girlie (Female), Peter (Male), Mark (Gay) and Panying (Lesbian), meet again when Peter needed a compatible liver donor. Mark is the only match but he sets a condition in exchange for his liver. Girlie, Peter and their father Pete (Joey Marquez) must experience the hardships he, Panying and their mother Pia (Maricel Soriano) have been through. In the process, Mark starts to give their family another chance and finally sees their good sides. The film won the Gender Sensitivity award, 2nd Best Picture and Best Actress for Soriano.

2014 - thE AmAzing PrAybEyt bEnjAmin (Star Cinema, Viva Films) Estimated gross ticket sales: P456 million The once humble Private Benjamin (Vice Ganda) becomes a worldwide sensation and the Philippine’s unkabogable soldier. In order to prepare him better, Benjamin is assigned under the new general, Wilson Chua (Richard Yap). Even though the sequel to The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin topped the box office record of 40th MMFF’s opening day, this film was not able to get any awards from 2014 Gabi ng Parangal. – Camille Caguioa

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2015

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Left Bank pal Okra dish Ms. Hagen Maximums Acrylic fabric Watchdog breed Yon maiden Feedbag bit Dismantle a tent Mecca resident Singer — John Cousteau’s sea Urgent requests — Lanka Most convenient “— to Billie Joe” Lightning by-product Of axons and such Fewest Whodunit award Kind of collar Van Gogh’s medium Pocket money Heavy hydrogen discoverer Wealthy in Baja Ticklish Muppet Over one’s head Even one Gridiron stats

Vice Ganda, Kris Aquino and Ai Ai delas Alas in 2012 top grosser Sisterakas The Enteng Kabisote movie series is an MMFF staple and has an accumulated box office revenue of a billion pesos

T UES DAY : DECEMBER 2 9, 2015

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

C7 Ryan Agoncillo and Judy Ann Santos in Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo

Bagong Buwan, a film top-billed by Cesar Montano is one of the most memorable MMFF films of the past decade

Poster of the first Mano Po film starring Richard Gomez, Ara Mina, Maricel Soriano and Kris Aquino

MMFF ThrowbaCk

Top-grossing MMFF FilMs

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hristmas season is definitely the most anticipated time of the year. To local movie patrons, this is also their most anticipated tradition because it means the spotlight is on locally made films.

Each year, moviegoers are treated to a two-week movie extravaganza known to many as Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). Now on its 41st edition, the annual film event continuous to break boundaries with a new roster of movies of varying genres.

As the 41st MMFF dominates the local movie houses, we are also intrigued on which film would perform better than the other. For decades, this has been the most exciting part of MMFF apart from the scandals that usually mar the Gabi ng Parangal.

Now, while the fans of Beauty and the Bestie and Pabebe Love:# Kilig Pa More (current MMFF entries) are having a word war on social networking sites, let’s take a look back at the most successful MMFF entries in the previous years.

2000 - Tanging Yaman (Star Cinema) Estimated gross ticket sales: P167 million Tanging Yaman is a story of faith, music and love within a family.

Three siblings – Danny (Johnny Delgado), Art (Edu Manzano) and Grace (Dina Bonnevie) – each with his own family revisit their hometown to deal with a

land dispute. Their mother, Loleng (Gloria Romero), has the dreaded Alzheimer’s disease. Despite living contrasting lifestyles, Loleng’s love for all of them is what binds them together, even if she expresses it in various ways. The film garnered the highest number of awards in the 26th MMFF, including Best Festival Picture, Best Director (for Laurice Guillen), and Best Screenplay.

2001 - Bagong Buwan (Star Cinema) Estimated gross ticket sales: P38 million Also known as New Moon, the movie explores Muslim rebellion in Mindanao and its effects on civilians. It delves into the war between the government (during President Joseph Estrada’s regime) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The story is told through the eyes of the Bangsamoro or Moros as they are commonly called. Directed by Marilou DiazAbaya, the film is about a Muslim doctor Ahmad (Cesar Montano) who tries to lead refugees to safety after vigilantes destroy their village prior to the war.

2002 - mano Po 1: mY FamilY (Regal Entertainment) Estimated gross ticket sales: P98 million The family drama focuses on the realities of Chinese Filipino families’ lives, mostly around a cultured Chinese Filipino family’s search for their own identity and place in Philippine history, as they

tell their own stories of joy and struggles. Mano Po is the most decorated film at the 28th MMFF bringing home 12 awards including Best Picture, Best Director for Joel Lamangan, Best Actor for Eddie Garcia, and Best Actress for Ara Mina.

2003 - CaPTain BarBell (Viva Films) Estimated gross ticket sales: P61 million The superhero film in 2003 is another adaptation of one of Mars Ravelo’s originals. In the movie, Capt. Barbell’s human form is Enteng (Ogie Alcasid). Enteng finds the mysterious barbell in a gym, where he works as a janitor, not knowing that the barbell gives his alter ego, Captain Barbell (Bong Revilla). Directed by Mac Alejandre, the film also makes the version of the character’s power and strength origins more detailed.

2004 - enTeng KaBisoTe: oKaY Ka, FairY Ko: The legend (Octoarts Films) Estimated gross ticket sales: P101 million The first installment of Enteng Kabisote film series is a comical journey of Enteng Kabisote (Vic Sotto), a tagalupa, who marries Faye (Kristine Hermosa), an engkantada and the only daughter of Ina Magenta (Giselle Toengi), queen of Engkantasya. The adventure all starts when Satana (Bing Loyzaga), the evil queen of Kadiliman turns her ire on Enteng’s family, but still gets defeated after numerous fights against Enteng, Benok (Oyo Boy Sotto) and Itim (Michael V.), who was once her apprentice.

2005 - enTeng KaBisoTe 2: oKaY Ka FairY Ko: The legend ConTinues (Octoarts Films) Estimated gross ticket sales: P108 miilion Engkantasya welcomes a new addition to Kabisote family, Ada (Angel Sy), Enteng (Vic Sotto) and Faye’s (Kristine Hermosa) baby girl. Darkness once again broods in both Engkantasya and in man’s world when Satana (Bing Loyzaga) has finally regained her powers. But with the help of the new allies, Alyssa (Marian Rivera), and Verdana (Jose Manalo), Enteng once again saves the fate of Engkantasya.

2006 - Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo (Star Cinema) Estimated gross ticket sales: P140 million Played by real-life couple, Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo, Kasal, Kasali, the rom-com is a story of a couple, a total opposites of each other, surprising their peers they fell in love with each other.

When Jed’s (Agoncillo) parents force him to migrate to United States, he unbelievably proposes to Angie (Santos). However, they realize that martal life is not like what they read in fairytales. The film did not just top the box office it swept the awards with nine awards.

2007 - saKal, saKali, saKlolo (Star Cinema) Estimated gross ticket sales: P122,900,000 (As of Jan. 12, 2008) The sequel to the previous year’s top-grossing MMFF entry topped the tills with Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo. It revolves around Angie (Judy Ann Santos) and Jed

(Ryan Agoncillo) as first-time parents experiencing the joys and pains of raising a child, realizing what parenthood always demands and that they need to sacrifice their own likes and interests for their baby.

2008 - ang Tanging ina n’Yong lahaT (Star Cinema) Estimated gross ticket sales: P171 million Family comedy Ang Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat is about a mother who tries to find her self-worth by being the president of the country. Starring Ai-Ai de las Alas and Eugene Domingo, it is the sequel to the 2003 comedy film Ang Tanging Ina. Anyone will admire Ina Montecillo (Ai-Ai de las Alas) as the epitome of a perfect mother. After more than 30 years of doing everything for her family, Ina then realized she has not done something for herself. She then finds her self-worth through ruling as the President of the Philippines.

2009 - ang PandaY (GMA Films) Estimated gross ticket sales: P99 million It is an adaptation of Carlo J. Caparas’ Panday komiks novel.

The story centers on Flavio (Bong Revilla Jr.), a blacksmith living in a quiet, uneventful life in a town almost untouched by Lizardo’s (Phillip Salvador) evil. Lizardo attempts to ruin their harmonious life on their dwelling place, and he even challenges Flavio with a duel by capturing his beautiful lady love Maria (Iza Calzado). A series of events take place that brings Flavio on the verge of a full-blown war against Lizardo. The film took home a total of seven awards. ➜ Continued on C6

T UES DAY : DECEMBER 2 9, 2015

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Jerome Ponce, Janella Salvador and Marlo Mortel

‘haunted mansion’ makes Presence Felt at the box oFFice ISAH V. RED REGAL Entertaiment’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry Haunted Mansion is making its presence strongly felt at the box office when it earned P10 million on opening day to land on third spot in the annual festival of Pinoy movies.

HM was not a big favorite when the eight entries were announced early this year considering that lead teen stars Janella Salvador, Marlo Mortel and Jerome Ponce have yet to prove their drawing power.

But the mother and daughter tandem of Mother Lily and Roselle Monteverde believed that these fresh talents can hold their own against movie giants and are now proven right in their pick of the three promising stars.

Of course, Mother Lily and Roselle also chose such a multiawarded director as Jun Lana to steer Regal’s horror entry to boxoffice success this year. The choice paid off handsomely as moviegoers scream their lungs out in terrifying scenes and come out of the theaters extremely horrified.

Public support to HM is overwhelming and Mother Lily

John Lloyd Cruz and Meryll Soriano in a scene from the drama Honor Thy Father

couldn’t be less grateful, “ Thank you for supporting Regal and I am very happy to gross P10M plus.

Me and Roselle plus the whole team try our very best to make this picture successful and considering our cast of stars who are all new but we try to make this new stars fulfill their goals in life.”

Due to HM’s impressive box-office performance, several theaters have been added to its roster of 48 cinemas since the third day.

These are cinemas at SM Tarlac, Baguio, Sta. Rosa, Lucena, Batangas, Waltermart Tanauan, Sta. Lucia, Robinson’s Iloilo, Dasmarinas and Bacolod.

Haunted Mansion is one MMFF entry you shouldn’t miss this holiday season.

HHHHH Piolo, other industry PeoPle recommend honor thy Father The Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB) found the film Honor Thy Father praiseworthy and gave it a grade of “A,” entitling the film a hundred percent tax rebate. The CEB gave credit to director Erik Matti saying that his work was a “gripping tale told masterfully,” with “skillful and exciting visualization.”

One board member described the screenplay as “thought-provoking, well-written, well-executed… builds up brilliantly to the climax.”

Many of the CEB members also commended John Lloyd for “stepping out of his comfort zone and for doing justice to a challenging role.”

Honor Thy Father has earned favorable reviews from filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts. Among those who have given their thumbs-up to the film include actor Piolo Pascual and writerdirector Antoinette Jadaone.

Even if actor Piolo had read its script prior to watching Honor Thy Father at a recent special screening, the actor still found the turn of events surprising.

Here’s what the star of On The Job had to say. “I definitely recommend the film… It’s out-ofthe-box. (As a viewer) you want to be entertained but you want to learn. So this film will give you that and more.”

Antoinette (who is the director of another MMFF 2015 film, All

You Need is Pag-Ibig) notes that HTF is also about love.

“It’s about romantic love, love for family, love para sa isang anak.”

She declares unabashedly, “Nagustuhan ko talaga. Ibang John Lloyd ang makikita nila dito. Sobrang refreshing para sa isang fan ng rom-com John Lloyd na makita siya sa ganitong film…

Ibang Erik Matti film. Ang ganda ng story. Ang galing ng actors. It’s a good film. And good films must be watched by people. Good films must be given a chance.”

Those who’ve seen Honor Thy Father swear while the movie is mind-blowing, it also gives a firm tug at the heart. A film with a “killer combo” like that is a true gem. ➜ continued on c5