The Standard - 2016 March 16 - Wednesday

VOL. XXX  NO. 35  3 Sections 32 Pages P18  WEDNESDAY : MARCH 16, 2016  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Binay: Is AMLC lying?

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‘MASSIVE CHEATING’

Poe raises specter of fraud with postponement, manual poll

By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Sara Susanne D. Fabunan and Maricel V. Cruz

PRESIDENTIAL candidate Senator Grace Poe warned that massive cheating could take place if the Commission on Elections postpones the May 9 elections or returns to manual voting.

“I am scared that if we go manual or if we defer the elections, there might be another [Hello] Garci,” Poe said, referring to a scandal in which former President Gloria Arroyo was caught on tape talking to

then Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, triggering accusations of widespread rigging in the 2004 elections in which Poe’s father, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., lost to Arroyo in the presidential race.

Told the Comelec had already set a date in case the elections are postponed, she blurted out: “That’s stupidity!”

Poe said the Comelec still had enough time to comply with the

Supreme Court order that they activate the printing of receipts on the vote counting machines.

She recalled in the automated election in 2010, the Comelec was able to reconfigure the compact flash or CF cards used by the machines in only a week.

“They can still do many things during the allotted time,” she said.

A poll watchdog on Tuesday said a postponement of elections would only benefit incumbent officials running for national and lo-

cal positions, and warned that they might use government resources to further their electoral goals.

Kontra Daya secretary-general Renato Reyes urged the Comelec to hold the elections on May 9 as scheduled and as required by law.

On Tuesday, Kontra Daya staged a protest in front of the Comelec office in Intramuros to denounce warnings by the Comelec’s technology provider, Smartmatic, that there could be a Next page failure of elections.

Senate hearing. Lorenzo V. Tan, president and CEO of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., testifies during the Senate hearing on the $100 million that was allegedly laundered in the Philippines on Tuesday. At right is Maia Santos Deguito, manager of the RCBC branch on Jupiter Street, Makati. LINO SANTOS

Marcos says all bets have backers

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Anti-laundering body sues RCBC manager THE Anti-Money Laundering Council filed a complaint against a branch manager of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. for aiding the withdrawal of $80.9 million stolen by hackers from Bangladesh’s foreign reserves ahead of a Senate hearing Tuesday.

Maia Santos Deguito of RCBC’s Jupiter, Makati branch, was accused by the agency in a complaint dated March 11 for allowing the withdrawal of the funds at a branch in the country’s financial district on Feb. 5 and 9 despite re-

quests from Bangladesh to stop the transfers.

Bangladesh central bank governor Atiur Rahman resigned over the case on Tuesday.

“At the time she allowed the withdrawals, respondent Deguito already knew that the money was stolen from Bangladesh Bank as there was already a request for stop payment,” the council said. The branch manager also failed to verify the identities of four other people named in the suit who withdrew the funds and who are believed to be fictitious.

Deguito’s lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio,

declined to comment, saying he hasn’t seen a copy of the complaint. Dequito denied any wrongdoing during an interview with radio dzMM and said she will testify at the Senate hearing.

Only $68,305 of the funds remained when RCBC put the accounts on hold, according to the complaint.

The complaint was filed at the Justice Department. The crime of money laundering is punishable by a maximum jail term of 14 years.

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Binay: AMLC said I have 1 account

By Christine F. Herrera

THE Anti-Money Laundering Council has admitted that it erred when it reported that Vice President Jejomar Binay had billions of pesos in 242 accounts, and is now telling a Manila court that he had only one account with a balance of P1.7 million in the vice president’s name, a spokesman for Binay said Tuesday.

“In its filings with the Manila Regional Trial Court, the AMLC admitted that only one bank account under the name of Vice President Binay, with a balance of only P1.7 million, and not billions as the agency earlier claimed, should be the subject of the asset protection order,” said Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, president of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance.

Tiangco said that aside from correcting its claim about Binay’s bank accounts, the AMLC also asked the court two weeks ago to drop JC Binay Foundation and Agrifortuna Inc. from its petition due to a lack of evidence.

“For more than six months, these accounts have been subjected to a thorough examination by the AMLC. The account holders became objects of ridicule and character assassination.

And now AMLC says they goofed? Ano, sorry na lang?” he added.

Tiangco said Binay, UNA’s standard bearer, sees the release of the outdated report as part of a well-orchestrated plot to destroy his reputation and stop his mission to win election as president.

“We have reviewed the headline published this morning in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, particularly the portions lifted by the PDI reporter from a supposed AMLC report. While we do not have a copy of this report, we can deduce that the said document appears to be the basis for the petition praying for an asset protection order filed by the AMLC before the Manila RTC last November 2015 or almost four months ago,” he said.

“Last year, AMLC claimed that these two entities were the only allegedly links of VP Binay to Mr. Gerardo Limlingan. But the AMLC’s recent motion constitutes an admission that it cannot prove its assertion...

Anti-laundering...

will issue a subpoena on Deguito and other respondents in the complaint and set hearings.

In its complaint, the AMLC Deputy Director Vencent Salido asked the DoJ to indict Deguito and four other respondents—Michael Francisco Cruz, Jessie Christopher Lagrosas, Alfred Santos Vergara, and Enrico Teodoro Vasquez, the supposed owners of the bank accounts where the $80,884,641.63 stolen by hackers from the Bangladesh Bank went.

The council included the four individuals in the complaint despite an initial finding that these names might be fictitious. The Filipino-Chinese businessman, William Go, to whom the amount was reportedly transferred before the money was laundered in local casinos, which were not included among the respondents.

The AMLC said Deguito, manager of the bank’s branch in Jupiter Street in Makati City, approved the opening of the bank accounts on May 15, 2015 based on fictitious identity documents.

The complaint said the names were not really the four unidentified persons who appeared in the bank for the opening of the fake accounts.

The council alleged that the branch manager facilitated the act of money laundering when she “allowed the opening of the subject bank accounts on 15 May 2015 based on identity documents that were verified to be fictitious.”

“Moreover, verification on the employment offices declared by the four [unidentified persons] during the account opening revealed that there were no ‘Cruz’ et al. that were connected therewith,” the complaint stated.

The AMLC said that aside from failing to verify the identities of the four depositors within nine months from the time the accounts were opened, she also allowed them to withdraw the stolen money from Bangladesh Bank. Deguito has already denied the allegation in the complaint.

Deguito, who was barred from leaving the country last week after the DoJ issued a lookout bulletin order against her, also denied approaching Go or offering him P10 million in exchange for keeping his silence.

From A1

At the Senate hearing, Deguito declined to answer questions, invoking her right against self-incrimination, given the cases filed against her by the AMLC. She offered, however, to tell everything she knew about the transaction in an executive session off the record.

RCBC president and chief executive officer Lorenzo Tan said the bank is conducting its own investigation into the alleged money laundering, but denied any knowledge of the transaction.

“On behalf of the bank, we vehemently deny and disavow any and all knowledge, complicity or participation in the alleged money laundering of $100 million in the Philippines,” Tan said in a statement read before the Senate session.

Tan also said that the branch manager of the bank should be the one to comply with the stop payment request.

The AMLC said a stop payment request was sent on Feb. 8, a holiday here.

In the Senate hearing, RCBC anti-money laundering officer Laurinda Rogero confirmed that the bank responded to the US Fed at 7:45 p.m. on Feb 9.

“I cannot confirm nor deny the request, but as a general rule, the branch manager should comply when there’s a freeze order,” Tan said.

Tan also denied knowing Deguito personally.

“To set the record straight, I do not personally know Ms. Deguito and have neither had nor maintained any relationship or direct dealing with her. More importantly, I have no personal knowledge of much less personal participation, in any of the transactions that are subject of this inquiry,” Tan said.

The Justice Department is set to conduct its preliminary investigation into the case.

Prosecutor General Claro Arellano said the AMLC complaint has been assigned to Assistant State Prosecutor Gilmarie Fe Pacamarra for preliminary investigation to determine whether there is probable cause to warrant the filing of the criminal charges of money laundering.

Arellano said the investigating prosecutor

In short, the AMLC flip-flopped not only once, but twice,” Tiangco said.

Tiangco blasted the AMLC for its inconsistencies and flip-flopping, which he said exhibited a clear abuse of authority.

He also decried the AMLC’s refusal to divulge its report in the damage suit and forfeiture case, preventing Binay from responding to its claims comprehensively.

“It seems that the copy of their report is exclusively for select media and LP officials. So much for ‘fairness’ and ‘due process’,” Tiangco said.

“In the petition it filed with the RTC, the AMLC alleged, under oath, that all accounts mentioned contain illegal funds belonging to the Vice President,” he said.

“However, just as the hearings of the case were about to begin—where the AMLC will be required to prove its allegations—it began asking the court to drop or exclude numerous accounts of several respondents. The AMLC claimed these accounts do not contain any funds that can be forfeited by the state,” he said.

At the same time, the Binay camp said it will ask the National Bureau of Investigation to identify the personalities responsible for the release of the supposed AMLC report used by the PDI in its banner story Tuesday.

With Vito Barcelo and John Paolo Bencito

Go denied any knowledge of the dollars from Bangladesh Bank that were allegedly consolidated into his account, converted into pesos and move to the accounts of casino operators.

Deguito earlier admitted she facilitated the opening of the accounts of Michael Francisco Cruz, Jessie Christopher Lagrosas, Alfred Santos Vergara, Enrico Teodoro Vasquez, which remained dormant until Feb. 5, 2016 when unknown hackers managed to transfer $81 million from the Bangladesh Bank to these accounts.

During the Senate hearing, Senator Teofisto Guingona III asked Dequito if this did not set off any alarm bells, but the branch manager invoked her right against self-incrimination and declined to answer.

Tan, on the other hand, said he could not talk specifically about the case because of bank secrecy laws, but said the bank had launched its own investigation.

The refusal by the RCBC executives to answer questions angered Guingona and Senator Sergio Osmeña III. “What are you hiding?” he demanded at one point of the bank officials.

He also said the money laundering could lead to the Philippines being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force, a move that would hurt overseas Filipino workers and the economy.

As the Senate began its probe, Kabataan partylist Rep. Terry Ridon stressed the need for Congress to pass legislation that would strengthen the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001.

Bangladesh Finance Minister A.M.A. Muhith announced the resignation of the chief of the country’s central bank, Atiur Rahman.

The theft from an account Bangladesh held with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has raised alarm over the security of the country’s foreign exchange reserves of over $27 billion. The hackers attempted to steal almost $1 billion and were only prevented from taking more than they did because of a basic typing error, the Bangladesh Bank’s deputy governor said last week.

Rahman, an economist, was appointed as the governor of the Bangladesh Bank in 2009 and had been due to retire in August.

Gabrielle Binaday, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz, Rey E. Requejo, Bloomberg, AFP

‘Massive...

From A1 “We reject threats of a failure of elections or proposals to delay the holding of the elections,” Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao said.

He also rejected the Comelec’s stated options.

“The public must not be made to choose between a flawed automated system and the prospect of the polls being delayed,” Arao added.

The poll watchdog also urged the Comelec not just to activate the voter’s receipt feature of the vote counting machine but also create necessary safeguards.

Arao said the receipts were important because they could show how accurate the vote result was.

“The Comelec is banking on so many reasons to oppose the printing of receipts, it forgets the most fundamental concern of the voters, to ensure that votes are properly recorded and counted. The foreign-controlled automated election system sold to us by Smartmatic does not guarantee that our votes will be properly recorded and counted,” Arao said.

The refusal to print receipts would cause people to doubt the outcome of the elections, he said.

“Why refuse safeguards? Why reject measures for transparency? The Comelec’s actions points to something sinister, by its refusal to implement safeguards, Comelec itself is the one undermining the credibility of the election results,” Arao said.

Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez on Tuesday joined calls from various sectors for the Comelec to “end its foolishness” and to ensure that the May 9 polls push through as scheduled, and that they are clean, honest and peaceful.

It is the duty of the Comelec to obey the Supreme Court and uphold the law, Romualdez said.

Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon accused the Comelec of floating the possibility of a postponement to enable the ruling Liberal Party and its candidates to gain an advantage.

“Not only is it unconstitutional to move the elections—it will also provide a huge advantage for [President Benigno] Aquino [III} and his party. As it is, the ruling Liberal Party already has unlimited control over government instrumentalities and public funds, giving them a huge advantage over their opponents,” Ridon said.

“Already, reports of President Aquino’s party mates using public funds and projects to bolster their party’s candidates are flooding the news. Postponing the elections would mean additional time for the Aquino administration to exploit government funds for their own partisan interests,” Ridon added.

Ridon noted several reports on how the Liberal Party uses bottom-up budgeting projects, the conditional cash transfer program, and even PhilHealth, in their campaigns.

“The Aquino administration is using the government’s coffers as their own election war chest. Who knows how many billions more will be funneled to Mar Roxas’ campaign if the elections will be moved to June,” Ridon said.

Ridon also slammed the Comelec for presenting “doomsday scenarios” to the nation instead of “addressing the technical requirements ordered by the Supreme Court with due diligence.”

In a meeting with the country’s major political parties Monday, the Comelec said there were two possible scenarios: one is to postpone the elections by three weeks, and the other option is to push through on May 9 without any assurance on the poll’s quality and credibility.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK w e d n e s d aY : M a r c h 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

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NEWS

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Poe enjoys slight lead in poll PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Senator Grace Poe enjoyed a slight lead over Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the May 2016 presidential race, according to the results of the latest Pulse Asia Research Inc. survey held in the first week of March.

A total of 28 percent of those polled express support for the presidential bid of Poe, and close behind her was Duterte at 24 percent.

Sharing third place were Vice President Jejomar Binay (21 percent) and former Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II (20 percent).

Meanwhile, three percent of those polled backed the candidacy of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

Vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo welcomed the continuing climb in her ratings.

“I’m happy that my numbers jumped high. We were praying that my numbers would rise, but I didn’t expect that it would jump high,” Robredo said.

The camp of Roxas said the erratic numbers in the surveys were a reminder that “it’s still anyone’s ball game.”

“Well, it confirms that this is still a very close, four-way race. With 55 days to go till the elections, it is still anybody’s elections,” Roxas’ spokesman Rep. Barry Gutierrez said in a statement.

Non-support for any presidential candidate was expressed by five percent of the registered voters.

Poe was the top choice for president in the rest of Luzon (36 percent) while Roxas led in the Visayas (37 percent).

The Mindanaoans were most supportive of the presidential bid of Duterte (47 percent).

In Metro Manila, the top picks for president were Poe (30 percent), Duterte (23 percent) and Binay (23 percent).

Statistically tied for the top spot in the vice presidential race were Senators Francis Escudero and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Escudero led the other vice presidential candidates with respect to secondchoice voter preferences. Sandy Araneta

and John Paolo Bencito

General Assembly. President Benigno Aquino III delivers his message during the 7th League of Provinces of the Philippines’ General Assembly at the Century Park Hotel in Manila on Tuesday. MAlAcAñAnG Photo BUREAU

‘All candidates have critics and supporters’ VICE presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Tuesday he was no longer surprised each time vandals spray-paint “Marcos pa rin” on the Edsa People Power Monument, a sculpture commemorating the bloodless People Power Revolution in 1986.

“These are issues that I have been hearing,” said the senator who is statistically tied at the No. 1 spot with Senator Francis Escudero in the vice president race in the recent SWS and Pulse Asia surveys.

Marcos made his statement even as the Edsa People Power Commission condemned the defacing of the monument.

The commission said the monument stood as “a symbol of the people’s triumph

over a dictatorship that distorted the rule of law and employed violence to impose its own political beliefs on an entire nation.

“This act of vandalism is an affront to all Filipinos who took a stand for human rights and democracy in the 1986 People Power Revolution,” group said in a statement.

“It belittles their heroism and sacrifice for our country.”

Marcos, a member of the Nacionalista Party, is running along with Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago of the People’s Reform Party. Escudero is the vice presidential bet of Senator Grace Poe, both of whom are running as independent candidates.

The son and namesake of the late strongman said all candidates had their

detractors and supporters.

Edsa People Power Commission spokesman Celso Santiago posted on Facebook a photo of the defaced lower part of the Edsa monument with the “Marcos pa rin!” slogan written on the yellow and orange tiles.

The EPPC said it was “regrettable that the monument, which is deeply valued by millions of Filipinos, has to be desecrated to convey the vandal’s own political thoughts.

“We believe that the vandal should have resorted to alternative means of selfexpression that respect both the rule of law and the viewpoints of others.”

Macon Ramos-Araneta and Sandy Araneta

Aquino urges govs to back his coalition

Promise. United Nationalist Alliance presidential bet Jejomar Binay vows to increase the benefits that senior citizens receive to improve their welfare in a speech in Sudipen, La Union.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday urged governors nationwide to continue supporting the “Daang Matuwid” Coalition candidates and top Liberal Party candidates Manuel Roxas II and his running mate Leni Robredo, saying they were the only ones who would be able to continue the administration’s programs.

Aquino delivered that message during the 7th League of the Provinces of the Philippines General Assembly at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.

“If your life is improving, and the lives of your countrymen are improving, I think we, especially the governors in every province, should lead and maintain our campaign for Daang Matuwid,” Aquino said in his speech delivered in Filipino.

He said there were no uncertainties when it came to Roxas and Robredo.

“I endorse Mar Roxas and I endorse Leni Robredo because I have no doubts they can deliver,” Aquino said.

“The Americans have a saying: ‘If it ain’t broke, [don’t fix it].” Sandy Araneta

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SC rejects petitions vs K-12

By Rey E. Requejo and John Paolo Bencito

THE Supreme Court rejected several pleas seeking to stop the implementation of the controversial K to 12 program of the Department of Education that added two years to the country’s education system.

The high court did not disclose the vote or release the arguments on which the decision was based, but a brief statement saying the entire court denied the consolidated appeal for a temporary restraining order and/or a writ of preliminary injunction stopping the program’s implementation.

The consolidated appeal consisted of six separate petitions of the Council for Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities of the Philippines, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Eduardo R. Alicias, Richard Troy A. Colmenares, Rep. Antonio Tinio and Ma. Dolores Brillantes filed at different times last year.

On the other hand, Education Secretary Br. Armin Luistro expressed relief at the SC decision.

“We thank our SC justices because [if its wasn’t dismissed], many students will be put in difficult time and it will be problematic for students if they can’t go to Grade 11 coming June,” Luistro said.

“While we have not received the official documents with the decision of the justices, this announcement allows DepEd and our stakeholders to focus on the urgent remaining tasks for the opening of Grade 11 by June this year,” Luistro added.

But critics of the program expressed their disappointment at the decision.

“The Supreme Court has turned a blind eye to the appeal of parents and

students especially the graduating Grade 10 students who are victims of the unfair implementation of the K-12. Teachers also raised much concern on the public school system’s unpreparedness for the K-12 and raised questions on the correctness of its curriculum,” said Gabriela Rep. Emmi De Jesus, one of the petitioners.

De Jesus said they will wait for a copy of the decision before they file a motion for reconsideration to overturn the Supreme Court decision.

“We want to carefully study why the petitions were dismissed given the fact that we are confident that the petitions filed raised valid issues of transcendental importance,” she said.

The Kabataan Party-list expressed “utmost indignation” over the decision of the high court.

“With the high court turning its back on the grave concern against K-12, there is no stopping the Aquino administration from pushing for the implementation of this program, despite the fact that the government is ill-prepared for its implementation,” Kabataan Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said.

“As it is, the quality of instruction under K-12 is also far from being assured. With the severe lack of facilities and teachers, the practice of shorter hours of instruction is set to continue in the decades to come,” he explained.

Thank you for your service. An honor guard carries the casket of the late former Senate president Jovito R. Salonga to the Senate session hall for a necrological service on Tuesday. LINO SANTOS

NPA stages 11 bombings, attacks

By Francisco Tuyay THE communist New People’s Army staged attacks in Masbate and Oriental Mindoro provinces on Monday leaving an army soldier killed and three others wounded while sowing fear in 11 areas where the insurgents are believed to have caused bomb blasts.

The military said the NPA staged the attacks to scare people into believing that the NPA is still a force to reckon with ahead of their 47th anniversary on March 29.

“The NPA is a diminishing group in Southern Luzon,” said Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya, commander of the military’s Southern Luzon Command

based in Lucena City. “As such, they resort to terror acts like these to project that they are still strong.”

Visaya’s spokesman Lt. Col. Angelo Guzman said the NPA detonated improvised explosive devices in 11 remote villages in Masbate on Monday morning.

The first explosions occurred at 4 a.m. in Barangay Miaga in Uson town followed by the second blast at 5 a.m. at Barangay Tunga in Esperanza town. The third happened at the Loving Forest Memorial Garden along the National Highway in Masbate City around 7 a.m. and the fourth at 7:15 a.m. at Barangay Tabuc in Mobo town.

After the four blast, there were seven other explosions, three of which separately occurred in the outskirts of Uson town hitting Globe cell sites in the villages of Crossing, Panisihan and Buenasuerte, while the other four occurred at Barangay Tabuc in Mobo; Poblacion District-2, Claveria, Ilaya, Balud in the boundaries of Dorongan, San Jacinto and Dapitan, San Fernando towns.

Col. Fernando Trinidad, commander of the Army’s 903rd Infantry Brigade said the blasts were part of the rebels’ propaganda tactics to sow fear in the people, but assured securiry forces in the island prov-

ince are exerting their best efforts to ensure the safety of civilians.

On Monday afternoon, the NPA staged attacks in Bongabon town in Oriental Mindoro, resulting in the death of government trooper the military did not identify pending the notification of his kin.

Another unidentified soldier was injured along with Senior Inspector Aldrin Rosales and SPO1 Amado Abiola, who were both taken to the provincial hospital for treatment.

Mayor Hercules “Bobot” Umali of Bongabon town confirmed the skirmishes in his town but could not give details because the fighting was still raging.

SC grants furlough to Arroyo

By Rey E. Requejo

Waiting to break a leg. Theater actors wait to be called during an audition for the popular theatrical play Miss Saigon at the Opera Haus in Makati City on Tuesday.

DANNY PATA

DETAINED former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria MacapagalArroyo received an early birthday gift from the Supreme Court after it promptly granted her plea for a birthday furlough next month.

In an en banc resolution, the SC resolved to allow Mrs. Arroyo to celebrate her 69th birthday with her family in their residence in La Vista Subdivision in Quezon City on April 5.

However, the SC only gave Arroyo three days from April 4 to 6 instead of the five-day furlough she had initially sought.

The former leader is be-

ing held under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Qurzon City while standing trial for her remaining case in Sandiganbayan involving the alleged P366million Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office fund anomaly.

Last December, the SC granted Arroyo relief when it approved her plea for a holiday furlough and allowed her to spend Christmas and New Year with her family in their Quezon City residence.

Last week, the SC has extended for the second time its order suspending the trial of Mrs. Arroyo.

The tribunal extended for 60 days, or until April

20, its status quo ante order halting the proceedings before the first division of the anti-graft court on the PCSO case.

Arroyo filed a petition with the high court in April 2014 seeking reversal of the final ruling of the Sandiganbayan first division in February 2014 denying her bail motion. The office of the solicitor general has not yet answered the petition.

In October last year, the former leader reiterated her plea and asked the tribunal to now rule on her case as she cited the recent report from the United Nations Technical Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said recommending her release from detention.

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A5

Transport group endorsement.

Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (center) gets endorsed by the four biggest transport groups in the country.

From left: Efren De Luna of Acto, Obet Martin of Pasang Masda, Zenaida Maranan of Fejodap and Lando Marquez of LTOP.The transport groups picked Romualdez for his malasakit platform for the transport and labor sectors.

VER NOVENO

Romualdez pushes climate department Senatorial candidate leyte rep. Martin romualdez on tuesday renewed his push for the creation of a separate department that would manage disasters and calamities in the country amid the statement of former US Vice President al Gore that over 13 million Filipinos may need to be relocated due to fast rising sea levels. if gets elected to the Senate, romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution association, vowed to file at the upper chamber his House Bill 3486 which seeks to create the Department of Disaster Preparedness and emergency Management or DDPeM to be headed by secretary of the Department of national Defense. He said the current national Disaster risk reduction and Management Council is not enough to address the various concerns during calamities. “the statement of former Vice President al Gore is another wake-up call for us to further solidify our efforts in fighting the challenges of global warning,” romualdez, who ran unopposed in the last polls and a former chair of the House committee on ethics and privileges, said. romualdez said his proposed separate department would be similar to the Federal Management agency in the United States. romualdez whose key platforms of governance focus on improving jobs, health, education, agriculture and disaster preparedness said the creation of a Femalike department is one of the lessons he learned from the tragedy brought by Super typhoon “Yolanda” almost two years ago, with his district in tacloban City having the most damage to lives and properties.

Napoles plunder trial cleared by high court to order their arrest,” te said. apart from the petitions of the two principal accused in the pork The Supreme Court has paved the way for the trial barrel plunder cases, the high tribuproceedings by the Sandiganbayan of the plunder charg- nal also dismissed the petitions of children Jo Christine and es filed against alleged pork barrel scam architect Janet napoles’ James Christopher questioning the Lim-Napoles in connection with the multi-billion-peso arrest warrants issued against them over the separate graft charges filed Priority Development Assistance Fund anomaly. against them by the ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan.

Petitioners all claimed violation of in its en banc session, the SC also “Wherefore, the petitions are disresolved to dismiss the similar plea missed for lack of merit. accord- their right to due process in assailof lawyer Jessica lucila “Gigi” reyes, ingly, the assailed resolutions and ing their indictment over the PDaF former chief-of-staff of Senator Juan orders of the office of the om- scam. napoles is currently serving jail Ponce enrile who is also facing budsman and the Sandiganbayan plunder trial in the anti-graft court. are hereby affirmed,” SC spokes- term at the Correctional institute napoles and reyes earlier asked person theodore te said, quoting for Women in Mandaluyong City the high court in their separate pe- from the resolution adopted by the after she was convicted by a Makati City regional trial court for the titions in 2014 to nullify the resolu- SC justices. tions of the Sandiganbayan and the “in so acting, the Court found that serious illegal detention of PDaF office of the ombudsman approv- neither the ombudsman nor the scamwhistleblower Benhur luy. reyes, on the other hand, is deing their indictment for plunder Sandiganbayan committed grave over the multibillion-peso PDaF abuse of discretion in finding prob- tained at the Camp Bagong Diwa in scam. able cause to charge petitioners and taguig City.

By Rey E. Requejo

Manobos flee amid ‘atrocities’

By John Paolo Bencito

On the stump. Senatorial candidate Francis N. Tolentino is swarmed by supporters and well-wishers when he visited Barangay Marulas in Valenzuela City on Tuesday.

EDWIN RABULAN

SeVeral Manobo families have fled their communities in San Miguel town, Surigao del Sur after army troops allegedly shot and wounded a lumad farmer Friday last week, the latest atrocity made against the indigenous people of Mindanao.

Karapatan, citing a report from its Caraga chapter, said ama Benjie dela Peña was shot twice by troops of the 36th infantry Battalion and the 2nd Special Forces in Purok 6 Barobuan in Bo. Caromata. the 25-year-old father of three was at his farm and then taken to a hospital in the town center by a village councilman. the next day, on March 12, some 33 families or 172 individuals forcibly evacuated from Purok 6, Barobuan to the barangay proper of Carmata because of military operations by the 2nd Special Forces of the aFP in the province. the shooting came after eastMinCom’s declaration that the province of Surigao del

Sur, the same province where the Sept. 1 Massacre in lianga happened, will be insurgency-free and ‘ready for further development’ by the year’s end.

Meanwhile in nearby agusan del norte, the military declared the province as “conflict-maneagable and ready for further fevelopment” on Monday. the military’s 4th infantry Division said that lawless armed groups like the new People’s army remnants have been sabotaging economic growth in the region. they caused destruction to lives and property by undertaking terroristic activities, and constantly deceived the people to resort to armed violence.

Surigao del Sur is where the worst wave of lumad evacuations happened last year following the Sept. 1 murders in lianga town of emerito Samarca, administrator of the alternative learning Center for agricultural and livelihood Development, and Manobo leaders Dionel Campos and Datu Bello Sinzo by the military-backed Magahat militia.

W E D N E S D AY : M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

A6 Manila among high-risk centers THE City of Manila placed second among the cities in 197 countries that face the highest exposure to adverse impact of climate change, a study of a United Kingdombased risk consultancy group showed.

Based on the Climate Change Vulnerability Index 2013 posted by Verisk Maplecroft, Manila followed the City of Dhaka in Bangladesh that topped the list of high-risk cities in face of earthquakes, fires and typhoons.

Maplecroft combined the research data on risks posed by tropical storms and cyclones, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, severe storms, extra-tropical cyclones, wildfires, storm surges, volcanic eruptions and landslides in more than 1,300 cities.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change also cited Manila as well as more than 100 other localities in high-risk tropical and subtropical regions that are most vulnerable and can expect to be battered by tidal surges, stronger typhoons and storms, and hit by deeper droughts.

The Philippine Office of Washington’s Climate Institute, on the other hand, stated that climate change would bring ill-health and water rationing to cities such as Manila and Cebu, along with rise in intestinal and mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis and chikungunya fever, as well as other ailments.

These alarming information were presented by Maria Isabel Lanada of the Center for Social Concern and Action of the De La Salle University, who was tapped by the city government of Manila for the disaster preparedness trainings.

Joel Zurbano

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Gatchalian in hot water over Kentex factory fire

By Rio N. Araja

THE Office of the Ombudsman has indicted Valenzuela City Mayor Rexlon Gatchalian for a fire that killed 74 workers in a factory of rubber slippers in May 2015.

On Tuesday, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales made public the filing of criminal charges before the Sandiganbayan.

Apart from Gatchalian, the city’s Business Permits and Licensing Office head Renchie May Padayao; Bureau of Fire and Protection offcials—city marshal

Mel Jose Lagan, Sr. Insp.

Edgrover Oculam, Fire Safety Inspectors Rolando Avendan and Ramon Maderazo, and owner of Kentex Manufacturing Corp. – Ong King Guan are also facing multiple counts of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and reckless imprudence resulting in

multiple homicide and multiple physical injuries.

Despite blatant violation of the Fire Code, the Ombudsman found that business permits and fire safety inspection certificates were issued by city officials.

Based on the investigation, Kentex failed to install a wet standpipe system, unserviceable extinguishers, lack of automatic fire alarm and sprinkler system, and absence of fire exit drills for workers.

Affidavits of the survivors attested to the fact “that Kentex’s exit gates were locked

or padlocked; there were no water sprinklers, fire extinguishers or fire alarms; and Kentex’s windows were enclosed with grills.”

The joint resolution stated that “in 2014, Kentex was inspected by BFP [Valenzuela] twice” and “on both occasions, its fire safety measures were declared deficient.”

Despite these deficiencies, city officials allowed Kentex to continue operations.

“The respondents’ acts or omissions, taken together, indicate a common understanding among them to turn a blind eye to Kentex’s

delinquency and its foreseeable consequences.”

As far as Ong is concerned, “he cannot evade criminal liability for the loss of lives” as “the safety of all persons and all operations within the premises rested upon his shoulders.”

Earlier, Gatchalian said the Department of Interior and Local Government and BFP were the ones issuing circulars recognizing one-stop shops to speed up the processing of business permits.

Gatchalian said the BFP never reported back the negative findings on Kentex.

Water exhibit. World Water Day 2016 is formally marked on Monday at Trinoma Mall in Quezon City with Manila Water and Manila Water Foundation aiming to raise awareness on the significance of water and water-related issues in day-to-day lives. Attending the exhibit on water to mark the event are (from left): Sevillo David, executive director of National Water Resources Board; Zoilo Andin, MWSS deputy administrator for finance; and Ferdinand dela Cruz, COO of Manila Water. MANNY PALMERO

‘Lacson underpass deal mother of all scams’

By Joel E. Zurbano

Plastic fantastic. Plastic wares whose uses are varied are peddled by an ambulant vendor in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Tuesday. ANDREW RABULAN

MANILA Rep. Amado Bagatsing has branded as “mother of all scams and corruption” the privatization of Lacson Underpass in Quiapo and promised to bring it back to the public if elected mayor in the May elections.

The congressman revealed that public funds were used to construct and renovate the underpass but its safety was compromised after it was transformed into a shopping center.

“Sidewalks and underpasses are all constructed beyond the commerce of man. In other words, these are all for public use. Public funds were spent for the use and benefit of the public, unfortunately, it was sold by Mayor Joseph Estrada,” Bagatsing said.

“Residents who used to walk

through this underpass have been affected. There are a lot of people that need to go home early and safely. But now they are forced to play “Patintero” with vehicles because the underpass is closed by night,” he added.

The management of the mall closes underpass at 9 p.m. and opens only at 9 a.m.

Apart from Lacson Underpass, the city government also planned to privatize 17 public markets in Manila, according to Bagatsing, who asked his colleagues to conduct a congressional hearing on the complaints of affected vendors.

More than 5,000 affected vendors sought the assistance of Bagatsing to prevent the city government pursue its plan to privatize the public markets based on its joint venture agreement with under the recently approved Ordinance 8346.

Bagatsing said the agreement is

a solid evidence that the city government violated the Cooperative Code of the Philippines which gives full protection and rights to public market vendors.

He added members of the city council passed the ordinance without consulting the market vendors.

Among the public markets involved are Quinta, San Andres, Sta. Ana, Trabajo, New Antipolo and Pritil.

“Each market cooperative has its own preferential rights under the Code. Why was this not observed then by Mayor Estrada and the city council? The management of the markets should not have been handed over to just anybody,” said Bagatsing.

Under the Bill of Rights, the lawmaker said, Filipinos have the right to be notified, be heard, and be part of the due process.

w e d n e s d ay : m a r c h 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

A7

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Sayyaf bandits slay 2 soldiers in Sulu

By Florante S. Solmerin

Two soldiers were slain when a group of Abu Sayyaf men under subleader Morasil Mudjahirin ambushed them Tuesday morning along the provincial road in Sitio Tibongbong, Barangay Igasan, Patikul, Sulu.

Initial reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City said the slain soldiers were Corporals Lamustre and Apiado, intelligence operatives of the 10th Infantry Battalion.

The ambush happened at around 8:10 a.m.while the two soldiers were on board a black motorcycle going to Barangay Buhanginan.

The soldiers were in civilian clothes to conduct intelligence operation in connection with the kidnapping of Canadians John Ridsdel, 68, and Robert Hall, 50; Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad; and Hall’s Filipina girlfriend Maritess Flor.

Last week, the ASG posted on Internet a video giving the foreigners’ families one month, from March 8 to April 8, to deliver the P1-billion ransom each or else they will be beheaded.

In response, the military said it will stick to the government’s “no-ransom policy” and work harder to rescue the victims before the ultimatum expires.

In the video that was posted on Facebook account Pamantasan Ng Tawheed At Jihaad Filibin, Ridsdel appealed: “…for my life they have to my family and this is so much bigger than family to the Canadian Prime Minister and the Canadian people in the world. Please do what is needed to meet their demand within one month or they will kill me or execute us,” Ridsdel cried.

Hall was next to appeal.

“My name is Robert Hall. I’m a Canadian citizen. I’m being…by the Abu Sayyaf for ransom the amount I don’t know what it is. But the Canadian government has to get off us out and do what is necessary to get us out here soon within one month before this happens,” he said.

“My name is Kjartan Sekkingstad…the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu Island. This is the last message, last message… friends and authority. Call a negotiation and try to meet their demands in 30 days or we are all dead.”

All the victims were on their knees including Flor. At their back were seven to eight terrorists and the others far behind and with their bare faces except one that appeared to be their leader.

Ombudsman junks case vs BCDA board THe Office of the Ombudsman has cleared the board of directors of the state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority from two cases filed by the Sobrepeña-led Camp John Hay Development Corp. due to lack of credible proof to support the complaints.

In a nine-page joint resolution penned by Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer Marianne M. Macayra and approved by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, the two cases filed by the CJHDevCo as represented by its Vice President for Litigation Manuel T. Ubarra Jr. against the BCDA board were dismissed.

The joint resolution read: “In fine, absent any credible proof in support of complainant’s allegationcharges, the complaint fails. WHeReFORe, these cases are dismissed.”

In addressing the complaints filed by CJHDevCo, the joint resolution read: “There is no proof that respondents [BCDA Board] acted with manifest partially, evident bad faith, or gross inexcusable negligence…There is, moreover, no proof that the alleged delay in the issuance of complainant’s [CJHDevCo] renewal of accreditation, permits, and clearances was due to respondents’ palpable intention to favor another party, or that it was motivated by ill will to secure personal and/or pecuniary benefits.”

The joint resolution went on to read: “Complainant, through VP Ubarra, admitted that it owed BCDA unpaid rentals…”

The joint resolution further stated that “on the basis of the foregoing, there is no substantial evidence to hold respondents administratively liable...”

While the Ombudsman cleared the BCDA board from the cases filed by Ubarra, the Metropolitan Trial Court, on the other hand, has convicted him for the crime of perjury.

Summer fun. Young survivors of Typhoon ‘Yolanda,’ who are still living at the National Housing Authority Temporary Shelter in Kalipayan District, Tacloban City, horse around amid the summer heat. MEL CASPE

Republic of the Philippines OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION NOTICE OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION Notice is hereby given to the public that the Commission on Higher Education will conduct a Public consultation on the “IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN AND DEPENDENTS OF SUGARCANE INDUSTRY WORKERS AND SMALL FARMERS, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “SIDA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM” on March 18, 2016; 9:00 A.M. to be held at the Sugar Regulatory Administration, Sugar Center Bldg., North Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City Copy of the “Implementing Guidelines for the Scholarship Program for Children and Dependents of Sugarcane Industry Workers and Small Farmers, otherwise known as the “SIDA Scholarship Program” may be obtained from the Office of Student Development and Services (OSDS) through the CHED Regional Offices (CHEDROs) or CHED website @ www.ched.gov.ph.

CHEDROs are enjoined to coordinate the attendance of participants in their respective regions. Confirmation of attending participants from the regions shall be done by respective CHEDROs particularly to the Presidents of member school of Association of Colleges of Agriculture in the Philippines (ACAP) and submitted to OSDS-Local Student Affairs Division through telefax number (02) 988-0001 at least five (5) days prior to the actual date of public hearing.

Travel and other incidental expenses of participants from CHED and other government institutions shall be charged against their local funds, subject to the usual accounting and auditing procedures. Participants from ACAP and private entity shall make the necessary arrangements with their respective school administrators for their expenses. Food during the public consultation shall be provided by CHED.

PATRICIA B. LlCUANAN, Ph.D. Chairperson ( T S - M A R . 16 , 2 016)

W E D N E S D AY: M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

BIZARRE

[ EDI TORI A L ]

USING THE DEAD A VEXING feature of our politics is the tendency of politicians to invoke famous relations who have died.

President Benigno Aquino III constantly refers to his father, a senator who was assassinated in 1983. Truth to tell, the President won election in 2010 mainly on the strength of public sympathy over the death in 2009 of his mother, herself a former president.

On the campaign trail, some candidates regularly trot out their dead relatives as if they were part of their entourage.

Senator Grace Poe often invokes her own late father, a movie actor who failed to win election as president in 2004 and died of a stroke in the same year.

Camrines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, the vice presidential candidate for the administration, often talks about her late husband, who was the Interior and Local Government secretary from 2010 until his death in 2012 in a plane crash.

The phenomenon—erroneously called necropolitics—is problematic not because the late relatives are unworthy, but because the qualities that made them notable—intelligence, courage, honesty, or concern for the poor, to name a few—were not automatically conferred to their living offspring or spouses.

When President Aquino speaks of the legacy of his parents, he implicitly associates himself with their intelligence, charisma and courage, even though his actions offer no basis for such an association.

When Senator Poe says she will continue her father’s struggle and fight for his cause, what does that mean? Her father, a show business celebrity all his life until he ran for president, had absolutely no track record in public service. Notwithstanding his charisma and his popularity among the common tao, he was never able to serve the poor in any official capacity because he had never been elected to office. He may have run on a platform of helping the poor—but promises are common currency in any political campaign—and not particularly valuable.

When congresswoman Robredo says she had never aspired for public office but felt obliged to when her husband died, we are compelled to ask why. Does she believe that she is the only one qualified to do as he did in government?

Invoking their memory of a dead relative is a political shortcut that short circuits thinking and tugs instead at our emotions, which certainly should not be the only criterion for choosing a leader.

Politicians who invoke the name of dead relatives do so, not only because it is convenient, but also because they believe that voters do not know any better. We need to prove them wrong.

DOING BANKSY PROUD LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES SOMEONE spray-painted proMarcos graffiti on the base of the Edsa People Power monument and, predictably, only the denizens of the Yellow palace were enraged. Given that the candidate now leading the surveys in the vice presidential race is Ferdinand Marcos Jr., I think many of those who saw the “Marcos Pa Rin!” sign at the preeminent Yellow shrine must have said, if only to themselves, “Well, why the hell not?”

A9

The spokesman of President Benigno Aquino, the one with the perpetually sleepy, just-gotout-of-bed look, intoned: “The vandals who wrote a revisionist slogan at the People Power Monument are inviting the justified anger of the Filipino people to defy the dictator’s armed forces and assert their determination to restore democracy in our beloved country.”

If the spray painters had really sent an invitation, nobody even called to send regrets. As of last night, there were no nuns or even any washed-up singers forming protective human chains around the monument or the various statues of spouses Ninoy and Cory, ready to lay

down their lives in defense of the images of those supposed icons of democracy.

The government agency created to guard the sacred flame of Yellowness, including the Edsa monument, was even more combative in its indignation than Sleepy. It was “regrettable that the monument, which is deeply valued by millions of Filipinos, has to be desecrated to convey the vandal’s own political thoughts,” the Edsa People Power Commission said.

“When we selfishly impose our own political beliefs on other Filipinos, we go down a slippery slope, we regress to the ways of authoritarianism and dictatorial rule,” it added. And here I was

As for historical revisionism, I think the Yellows are as guilty as anyone in that regard.

believing that graffiti artists like Banksy are actually engaged in freely expressing their thoughts, instead of being the agents and the advance scouts of oppressive dictators.

Candidate Marcos himself didn’t want to make a big fuss about the incident, either, which was the right thing to do.

If Bongbong had loudly denied any involvement in the matter, he would only be accused by the Yellows of overreacting—probably because he was guilty of instigating the desecration.

Marcos said all candidates have their own detractors and supporters. And, sensibly, he left it at that.

Some people have proposed that the defacing of the monument was actually perpetrated by the Yellows themselves,

so that they could find something to blame Marcos and his supporters with.

I disagree with this simply because asking those who still idolize the Aquino family to do such a thing—even if the objective was to blame Marcos—would be akin to asking a devout Catholic to smash an image of the Blessed Virgin; it’s just too sacrilegious to contemplate for them.

I even doubt if the spray-painter is really much of a Marcos fan, since he would know that Bongbong would be blamed for his act of vandalism. But I will admit that the sign-maker has a

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-

terrific sense of humor and is right now enjoying the furor he has caused.

Of course, if it was Marcos who had overreacted and the Yellows who had played cool, it would be a different story altogether. As it is, Sleepy and the EPPC that are now playing the role of the rabid partisans (dare I say “loyalists”?) and it is Bongbong who comes off as sane and logical.

As for historical revisionism, I think the Yellows are as guilty as anyone in that regard—and that most Filipinos already know this to be true. The fact that we may just see the return of 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

Marcoses through Bongbong after 30 years of intense pro-Aquino propaganda will prove that conclusively.

Nobody, least of all the Marcoses, protested when the giant concrete bust of Ferdinand was dynamited to dust some years back. But let someone with a can of paint write a proMarcos slogan on a Yellow monument and the Aquino crowd goes crazy.

Double standards, anyone? *** The withdrawal of Australian telco giant Telstra from the negotiations with 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

BENIGNO Simeon Aquino III has a track record of strange behavior like mentioning his yaya, cook and hair stylist in his last State of the Nation Address as if the country owed them a debt of gratitude for attending to the president. It will be recalled Aquino also criticized Catholic church officials in the presence of visiting Pope Francis. The two instances may be unbecoming of a president but at least Aquino did not do any harm to the nation except to raise questions about his impropriety.

Aquino’s apointment of Cabinet factotum Jose Rene Almendras as secretary of Foreign Affairs, however, has to be the most bizarre in his behavioral pattern considering he has only has three months left in his term and an incoming president will surely appoint his own foreign secretary. Why? “I appointed Almendras because he is someone I can trust to carry out my instructions,” said Aquino in justifying his decision to appoint his school chum who has no experience whatsoever in diplomacy and foreign affairs. Aquino’s action can only give us an insight into his selfish and small-mind thinking. To appoint someone who will do his bidding is hardly reason to fill the most sensitive of Cabinet positions with a political confidante. This, at a time when the country is confronted with an external threat from an aggressive China.

Even if the appointment of Almendras, a former energy secretary, has something to do with the proposal for a joint oil and gas exploration with China in the West Philippine Sea, it would be too late in the day. The Aquino administration has less than 100 days to carry out such a plan.

Besides, China has gone too far already in advancing its militarization of the disputed parts of the South China Sea. It is doubtful the Chinese will pull back and dismantle its military bases they built on reclaimed land in the Spratlys and the Paracels.

If the reason for the Almendras appointment is to fill the diplomatic roster with political ambassadors, that too looks remote to be approved by the bicameral Commission on Appointments with Congress no longer in session and politicians too busy campaigning for the May 9 national elections.

Aquino’s appointment of Almendras is also a slap on the face of Albert del Rosario who had served the country and this president well. Before he resigned for health reasons, Del Rosario named career ambassador and Undersecretary for International Economic Relations Laura del Rosario as acting secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The two are not related, nor am I to them.

Lula del Rosario, a UP law graduate and economist, had done such a good job in the preparations and successful 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

W E D N E S D AY: M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

BIZARRE

[ EDI TORI A L ]

USING THE DEAD A VEXING feature of our politics is the tendency of politicians to invoke famous relations who have died.

President Benigno Aquino III constantly refers to his father, a senator who was assassinated in 1983. Truth to tell, the President won election in 2010 mainly on the strength of public sympathy over the death in 2009 of his mother, herself a former president.

On the campaign trail, some candidates regularly trot out their dead relatives as if they were part of their entourage.

Senator Grace Poe often invokes her own late father, a movie actor who failed to win election as president in 2004 and died of a stroke in the same year.

Camrines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, the vice presidential candidate for the administration, often talks about her late husband, who was the Interior and Local Government secretary from 2010 until his death in 2012 in a plane crash.

The phenomenon—erroneously called necropolitics—is problematic not because the late relatives are unworthy, but because the qualities that made them notable—intelligence, courage, honesty, or concern for the poor, to name a few—were not automatically conferred to their living offspring or spouses.

When President Aquino speaks of the legacy of his parents, he implicitly associates himself with their intelligence, charisma and courage, even though his actions offer no basis for such an association.

When Senator Poe says she will continue her father’s struggle and fight for his cause, what does that mean? Her father, a show business celebrity all his life until he ran for president, had absolutely no track record in public service. Notwithstanding his charisma and his popularity among the common tao, he was never able to serve the poor in any official capacity because he had never been elected to office. He may have run on a platform of helping the poor—but promises are common currency in any political campaign—and not particularly valuable.

When congresswoman Robredo says she had never aspired for public office but felt obliged to when her husband died, we are compelled to ask why. Does she believe that she is the only one qualified to do as he did in government?

Invoking their memory of a dead relative is a political shortcut that short circuits thinking and tugs instead at our emotions, which certainly should not be the only criterion for choosing a leader.

Politicians who invoke the name of dead relatives do so, not only because it is convenient, but also because they believe that voters do not know any better. We need to prove them wrong.

DOING BANKSY PROUD LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES SOMEONE spray-painted proMarcos graffiti on the base of the Edsa People Power monument and, predictably, only the denizens of the Yellow palace were enraged. Given that the candidate now leading the surveys in the vice presidential race is Ferdinand Marcos Jr., I think many of those who saw the “Marcos Pa Rin!” sign at the preeminent Yellow shrine must have said, if only to themselves, “Well, why the hell not?”

A9

The spokesman of President Benigno Aquino, the one with the perpetually sleepy, just-gotout-of-bed look, intoned: “The vandals who wrote a revisionist slogan at the People Power Monument are inviting the justified anger of the Filipino people to defy the dictator’s armed forces and assert their determination to restore democracy in our beloved country.”

If the spray painters had really sent an invitation, nobody even called to send regrets. As of last night, there were no nuns or even any washed-up singers forming protective human chains around the monument or the various statues of spouses Ninoy and Cory, ready to lay

down their lives in defense of the images of those supposed icons of democracy.

The government agency created to guard the sacred flame of Yellowness, including the Edsa monument, was even more combative in its indignation than Sleepy. It was “regrettable that the monument, which is deeply valued by millions of Filipinos, has to be desecrated to convey the vandal’s own political thoughts,” the Edsa People Power Commission said.

“When we selfishly impose our own political beliefs on other Filipinos, we go down a slippery slope, we regress to the ways of authoritarianism and dictatorial rule,” it added. And here I was

As for historical revisionism, I think the Yellows are as guilty as anyone in that regard.

believing that graffiti artists like Banksy are actually engaged in freely expressing their thoughts, instead of being the agents and the advance scouts of oppressive dictators.

Candidate Marcos himself didn’t want to make a big fuss about the incident, either, which was the right thing to do.

If Bongbong had loudly denied any involvement in the matter, he would only be accused by the Yellows of overreacting—probably because he was guilty of instigating the desecration.

Marcos said all candidates have their own detractors and supporters. And, sensibly, he left it at that.

Some people have proposed that the defacing of the monument was actually perpetrated by the Yellows themselves,

so that they could find something to blame Marcos and his supporters with.

I disagree with this simply because asking those who still idolize the Aquino family to do such a thing—even if the objective was to blame Marcos—would be akin to asking a devout Catholic to smash an image of the Blessed Virgin; it’s just too sacrilegious to contemplate for them.

I even doubt if the spray-painter is really much of a Marcos fan, since he would know that Bongbong would be blamed for his act of vandalism. But I will admit that the sign-maker has a

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-

terrific sense of humor and is right now enjoying the furor he has caused.

Of course, if it was Marcos who had overreacted and the Yellows who had played cool, it would be a different story altogether. As it is, Sleepy and the EPPC that are now playing the role of the rabid partisans (dare I say “loyalists”?) and it is Bongbong who comes off as sane and logical.

As for historical revisionism, I think the Yellows are as guilty as anyone in that regard—and that most Filipinos already know this to be true. The fact that we may just see the return of 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

Marcoses through Bongbong after 30 years of intense pro-Aquino propaganda will prove that conclusively.

Nobody, least of all the Marcoses, protested when the giant concrete bust of Ferdinand was dynamited to dust some years back. But let someone with a can of paint write a proMarcos slogan on a Yellow monument and the Aquino crowd goes crazy.

Double standards, anyone? *** The withdrawal of Australian telco giant Telstra from the negotiations with 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

BENIGNO Simeon Aquino III has a track record of strange behavior like mentioning his yaya, cook and hair stylist in his last State of the Nation Address as if the country owed them a debt of gratitude for attending to the president. It will be recalled Aquino also criticized Catholic church officials in the presence of visiting Pope Francis. The two instances may be unbecoming of a president but at least Aquino did not do any harm to the nation except to raise questions about his impropriety.

Aquino’s apointment of Cabinet factotum Jose Rene Almendras as secretary of Foreign Affairs, however, has to be the most bizarre in his behavioral pattern considering he has only has three months left in his term and an incoming president will surely appoint his own foreign secretary. Why? “I appointed Almendras because he is someone I can trust to carry out my instructions,” said Aquino in justifying his decision to appoint his school chum who has no experience whatsoever in diplomacy and foreign affairs. Aquino’s action can only give us an insight into his selfish and small-mind thinking. To appoint someone who will do his bidding is hardly reason to fill the most sensitive of Cabinet positions with a political confidante. This, at a time when the country is confronted with an external threat from an aggressive China.

Even if the appointment of Almendras, a former energy secretary, has something to do with the proposal for a joint oil and gas exploration with China in the West Philippine Sea, it would be too late in the day. The Aquino administration has less than 100 days to carry out such a plan.

Besides, China has gone too far already in advancing its militarization of the disputed parts of the South China Sea. It is doubtful the Chinese will pull back and dismantle its military bases they built on reclaimed land in the Spratlys and the Paracels.

If the reason for the Almendras appointment is to fill the diplomatic roster with political ambassadors, that too looks remote to be approved by the bicameral Commission on Appointments with Congress no longer in session and politicians too busy campaigning for the May 9 national elections.

Aquino’s appointment of Almendras is also a slap on the face of Albert del Rosario who had served the country and this president well. Before he resigned for health reasons, Del Rosario named career ambassador and Undersecretary for International Economic Relations Laura del Rosario as acting secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The two are not related, nor am I to them.

Lula del Rosario, a UP law graduate and economist, had done such a good job in the preparations and successful 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

W E D N E S D AY: M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

A10

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A POE-BINAY FIGHT TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO PRESIDENT Aquino is now panicking. He is desperate—with 55 days before Election Day in May 9, if it will ever be held as mandated by law.

Now, I am convinced more than ever that Mrs. Llamanzares is the “Manchurian Candidate” of BS Aquino who knows that the administration candidate Manuel Roxas II cannot win.

Mrs. Llamanzares, who has an American husband and American children, is the alternative candidate of BS Aquino to prevent him from landing in jail when charges of treason, bribery, malversation of public funds, betrayal of public trust, and many others are filed against him after he steps down on June 30.

It’s not difficult to guess who will make it.

My gulay, why else would BS Aquino use his awesome powers as president, to the extent of using the Ombudsman and now the Anti-Money Laundering Council, to demonize Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is Mrs. Llamanzares’ closest rival in the surveys?

All this was clear from Day One, when BS Aquino started having one-onone meetings with Mrs. Llamanzares to convince the Senate neophyte, also has an all-consuming ambition to become president, to become the running mate of his anointed one.

Palace insiders told me that BS Aquino has gotten an assurance from Mrs. Llamanzares that he would not land in jail if she wins.

It is no wonder, too, that Mrs. Llamanzares terminated the hearings just as Senator Juan Ponce Enrile was seeking clarifications on the Mamasapano killings. She said that her report on the events surrounding the death of the 44 SAF commandoes stands, and that while the President was ultimately

responsible, his liability and culpability are negated.

And, of course, we know that the Supreme Court has declared the senator qualified to run for president.

Effectively, the Comelec has become toothless because the Supreme Court has overturned its decisions on Poe, with the justices deciding according to their whims and caprices.

Santa Banana, I saw this happening when Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, supposedly the “People’s Tribune,” lawyered for Mrs. Llamanzares, and Aquinoappointed Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, and Justices Marvic Leonen, Francis Jardeleza and Benjamin Caguioa started also lawyering for Mrs. Llamanzares during oral arguments. My gulay, they could not even be subtle about it.

The way I see it, in the last stretch of the campaign before Election Day in May 9, it will boil down to a fight between popularity and a well-fueled political grassroots machinery—between Mrs. Llamanzares and Vice President Binay.

With our kind of elections where it’s a fight of personalities, it’s not difficult to guess who will make it. Philippine history will attest to this. *** In the race for vice president, it looks like it’s between Senator Chiz Escudero and Senator Bongbong Marcos, who are statistically tied in the latest Social Weather Stations survey.

While there are efforts by some sectors to demonize Bongbong, recalling the “dark days” of Martial Law, I believe that people do not believe that Bongbong will be another Ferdinand Marcos. I also believe that the sins of father should not be inflicted on their sons.

This is why Bongbong’s numbers have improved, catching up with Chiz’s.

I have witnessed presidential elections since the time of the battle between then-President Elpidio “Apo Pediong” Quirino and Jose P. Laurel.

I know that the difference is made by having a solid constituency.

I also cannot believe that popularity is all there’s to it in winning a national election. Sure, Chiz is popular among the youth. But, Bongbong has much more than that, having Imelda’s charisma and the looks

CARPIO’S MUST-READ DISSENTING OPINION SENIOR Associate Justice Antonio Carpio delivered the most stinging rebuke of the Supreme Court and of petitioner Senator Grace Poe who sought the high court’s help to overturn unanimous decisions of the Commission on Elections last December disqualifying her as candidate for president and canceling her Certificate of Candidacy on two grounds—she is not a natural-born Filipino and she lacks the 10-year residency in the Philippines required of Filipino presidents.

On March 8, 2016, the Supreme Court, voting 9-6, allowed Poe to run for president by rejecting her disqualification by the Comelec.

Despite its seeming two-thirds majority vote, the Court failed to adequately convince a cynical public that Poe is indeed a natural-born Filipino and that she has lived in the Philippines for 10 years prior to the May 9, 2016 presidential election.

In any case, Grace remains the most popular presidential candidate in the land. She will get anywhere from 25 to 35 percent of the vote in a four-way fight, to eke out a convincing plurality victory. Filipinos don’t give a damn if she is indeed an alien, in the same way they don’t give a damn whether Jejomar Binay (their second choice) is indeed corrupt to the core.

Carpio implies that Poe could still be questioned about her qualifications even if she wins the presidency. If she is disqualified after election, somebody like Bongbong Marcos Jr., a strong frontrunner for vice president, will succeed her.

In biting sarcasm, Justice Carpio, an Ateneo-trained economist and his 1975 UP Law class valedictorian, disagreed with the decision. In his 22,000-word dissenting opinof Ferdinand E. Marcos.

And that what’s bothering BS Aquino. This is why he has zeroed in on the young Marcos.

If you think I’m for Bongbong Marcos, I am. As an Ilocano, while Chiz and his wife, Heart, are still my friends (I think), I believe it’s time for another Ilocano to rise. *** The postponement of the May 9 Election Day appears the most likely alternative in the face of the problems the Comelec is having. This comes after the Supreme Court’s decision mandating the Comelec to furnish all registered voters, some 54.3 million of them, the mandated verification audit report under the law.

What bothers me is why the Comelec did not provide for this eventuality since it was also a problem during the 2010 and 2013 polls. But, nobody questioned it. That’s why I must give credit to returning

qualification for the Office of the President—that of being a naturalborn Filipino citizen.”

“Those who voted for petitioner would have utterly wasted their votes. This is not how the naturalborn citizenship qualification for ion, he sneers: elective office mandated by the “With the ruling of the majority Constitution should be applied today, a presidential candidate who by the highest court of the land,” is deemed a natural-born Filipino Carpio argues. citizen by less than a majority of “There is no dispute that petithis Court, deemed not a natural- tioner is a Filipino citizen, as she born Filipino citizen by five Justices, publicly claims to be,” the justice and with no opinion from three concedes. “However, she has failed Justices, can now run for President to prove that she is a natural-born of the Philippines even after hav- Filipino citizen and a resident of ing been unanimously found by the the Philippines for at least ten Commission on Elections en banc years immediately preceding the (COMELEC) to be not a natural- May 9, 2016 elections. Petitioner is born Filipino citizen. What is clear not eligible to run for President of and undeniable is that there is no the Republic of the Philippines for majority of this Court that holds that lack of the essential requirements petitioner Mary Grace Natividad of citizenship and residency under S. Poe Llamanzares (petitioner) is a Section 2, Article VII of the 1987 natural-born Filipino citizen.”

Constitution. Petitioner’s certifi“This ruling of the majority will cate of candidacy (COC), wherein lead to absurd results, making a she stated that she is qualified for mockery of our national elections the position of President, contains by allowing a presidential candidate false material representations, and with uncertain citizenship status to thus, must be cancelled. Petitioner, be potentially elected to the Office of not being a natural-born Filipino the President, an office expressly re- citizen, is also a nuisance candidate served by the Constitution exclusive- whose COC can motu proprio be ly for natural-born Filipino citizens.” cancelled by the COMELEC under Carpio explains: “This means that Section 69 of the Omnibus Election the majority of this Court wants Code.” to resolve the citizenship status of Carpio also disagreed with the petitioner after the elections, and majority opinion that the Comelec only if petitioner wins the elections, has no power to disqualify a candidespite petitioner having already date for president and no power to presented before the Comelec all cancel the Certificate of Candidacy the evidence she wanted to present of such a candidate. That power, to prove her citizenship status. This the majority ruled, belongs to the will make a mockery of our election Supreme Court. process if petitioner wins the Retorts Carpio in his dissenting elections but is later disqualified by opinion: this Court for not possessing a basic Continued on A11

Senator Richard Gordon for raising this issue to the Supreme Court. It’s the law and the Comelec must comply!

Thus, if the May 9 polls must be postponed, the Comelec can’t blame anybody but itself. Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista and all the commissioners know the law, but they never lifted a finger to do anything about it.

The option of resorting to manual voting is certainly out of the question. That would be in violation of the Automated Election Law. *** I mourn the death of former Senate President Jovito Salonga, a statesman a nationalist and a national builder, having been a wellrespected and admired legislator.

I recall the days when I was still a bachelor. Just having passed the Bar, my first job was with the Salonga Padilla Law Office, which later became Salonga and

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

Ordonez Law Office, as a junior associate. I recall that my first assignment was the ejection of some squatters occupying the central part of the erstwhile ABS-CBN and Chronicle Building in Intramuros.

I prepared for that case for at least three weeks, and when I appeared before the judge at the Court of First Instance at that time, he asked who was the petitioner, and I stood up, and said, “Your honor, I am, and my name is Attorney Emiliano Jurado Jr.” The judge and asked, “Compañero, you must be new, and how are you related to Professor Jurado.”

He was referring to my elder broker, Desi, who was teaching law at that time.” I said “He’s my elder brother, your honor.”

Then the judge told the lawyer of the squatters and myself, “both of you come to my chamber.” When we were inside, the judge told me to tell my principals to

tell the Lopezes just to pay the squatters to solve the problem. The judge then turned to the lawyer of the respondents if it was all right to pay the squatters.

The lawyer said, “Yes, your honor.” And the judge stood up from his seat, and said, “Case dismissed.”

That incident caused my disillusionment to further my career in law. I said to myself that if cases can be arranged and settled by mere compromises, I’ll have none of it.

Thus, I became a journalist, instead of furthering my law career.

Insofar as Jovy Salonga is concerned, while I may have differed with him in some cases when he was PCGG chairman under the Cory Aquino administration, and as a legislator, I had nothing but respect and admiration for him.

To my former boss, Jovy, I’ll pray for you, and wish that you rest in peace with God.

W E D N E S D AY: M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

A11

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

WHY IS CHANGE SO HARD FOR CHINA?

By Christopher Balding ECONOMIC reforms are much like New Year’s diet resolutions: easily announced and easily forgotten. So perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that the pronouncements that have emerged from China’s National People’s Congress— pledges to slash overcapacity, open up the financial system, accept lower growth —echo unfulfilled promises from previous Party gatherings.

Still, China prides itself on being different. The country can seemingly create new industries overnight, and has waged an anti-corruption campaign that reportedly punished 300,000 officials in 2015.

Why does a state that holds so much power have so much trouble following through on its reform pledges?

Part of the answer is perception.

Observers tend to hear more than is intended in China’s declarations. This year, for instance, many pundits have welcomed the shift from a hard GDP growth target to a supposedly more realistic range —between 6.5 percent and 7 percent. The real growth rate is almost certainly lower than that already, however. The numbers themselves tell us little: Since 2010, the government has missed its target by only

Bizarre... From A9 outcome of the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit of Apec leaders hosted

by Manila that her boss thought she deserved at least to be caretaker of the premier department even for three months. It would have provided for a seamless transition for the incoming SFA appointee of the next president. This is a small token the career men and women of our diplomatic corps would have appreciated.

Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appointed career ambassador Delia Domingo Albert as the country’s first woman to head the department on the untimely death of Secretary Blas Ople. Arroyo made sure the DFA was in good hands before she replaced Delia Albert who served as foreign secretary from Dec. 23, 2003 to Aug. 18, 2004. After a decent interval, Arroyo appointed Alberto Romulo to the post.

The international arbitration court in The Hague,

0.16 percent on average every quarter.

We should expect similarly unbelievable consistency this year, regardless of what’s happening in the economy.

In other cases, Chinese officials pursue reforms in ways that actually reinforce the status quo. To stimulate consumption and thus reduce the economy’s reliance on credit-fueled investment, the government plans to increase investment this year—in part to keep workers at failing state companies employed. Authorities say they also want to support companies in more vibrant emerging industries with tax cuts. But they plan to make up for the loss in revenue by issuing new bonds, thus giving local governments more resources to coddle so-called zombie companies.

The contradictions become clear in the way Chinese officials talk about reform.

In a recent interview, respected central banker Zhou Xiaochuan was quoted as saying, “Because our country is moving from a centrally planned economy to a market economy … the government should play a bigger and better role.”

The regime’s focus on control gives the impression that authorities can micromanage most parts of the economy. In fact, China’s central government has less sway than one might imagine over local

meanwhile, is set to hand down a decision on the case filed by Manila against Beijing’s sweeping claim of nearly the entire South China Sea. While Beijing may not abide by the arbitral court’s ruling, an adverse verdict against it would make China an international outcast.

China’s militarization of the South China Sea and its bullying of Asian neighbors raised the alarm bells in the US, European Union, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Australia.

Their foremost concern is the freedom of navigation along vital SCS sea lanes through which trillion of dollars in commercial cargo pass through.

A military strike against those militarized manmade islands by the US is a scenario too frightening to contemplate. But wideranging trade sanctions could bring China’s floundering economy to its knees.

If that happens, China’s domestic problems could trigger internal unrest which could topple the ruling clique in the politburo.

#FAILOCRACY

governments, and not just because of the vast distances involved. Local officials are responsible for around 85 percent of government spending. Though central authorities do control roughly 40 percent of the revenue local governments receive, Beijing officials mostly have to rely on the bully pulpit, appeals to party unity and the threat of corruption investigations in order to get their priorities implemented.

Perhaps more important are the cultural barriers to reform. Within the bureaucracy, there’s little reward for overseeing failure. Top officials may say they want to slash the overcapacity that’s dragging down the economy, but subordinates know the best way to get ahead is by meeting growth targets. Provinces that depend on steel, shipbuilding and coal companies for public revenue are already pushing back against plans to shrink those industries. Entrepreneurs don’t want to admit failure any more than officials do. Even in good years, the US economy sees something in the range of 50,000 bankruptcies annually. China had barely 41,000 in the decade between 2003 and 2012, according to one study. Such numbers hardly suggest a system that actively addresses problems.

Carpio’s... From A10 “If one who is obviously not a natural-born Philippine citizen, like Arnold Schwarzenneger, runs for President, the Comelec is certainly not powerless to cancel the certificate of candidacy of such candidate. There is no need to wait until after the elections before such candidate may be disqualified.”

The justice cites Section 2(3), Article IX-C of the Constitution which he says also empowers the Comelec to “[D]ecide, except those involving the right to vote, all questions affecting elections x x x. “ The power to decide “all questions affecting elections” necessarily includes the power to decide whether a candidate possesses the qualifications required by law for election to public office.”

“This broad constitutional power

Doing... From A9 local conglomerate San Miguel to create a third cellular-mobile Internet provider is ominous. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Telstra, which had planned on investing $1 billion in the proposed joint venture, basically decided that the Philippine business environment was just too

None of this means that the government is powerless. Leaders can take a number of steps, both technical and cultural, to ensure reforms gain more traction. First, they can do a better job of creating incentives for cadres to follow through. Rather than demanding that local officials provide video evidence that they’ve shut down unprofitable factories, for instance, central leaders can base promotions in part on reducing overcapacity.

Similarly, the government could reward reformers who seek to highlight key problems, such as pollution, rather than trying to silence them. If the only avenue for success or advancement is to agree with a superior, bureaucrats will only impart the information their bosses want to hear.

Finally, China is going to have to encourage more market-based risk-taking.

If authorities want Chinese companies to innovate, they have to tolerate some spectacular failures along with resounding successes. Investors will have to lose money, rather than relying on state-owned banks or governments to prop up failed ventures in perpetuity. Otherwise, change will remain little more than a slogan.

Bloomberg

and function vested in the Comelec is designed precisely to avoid any situation where a dispute affecting elections is left without any legal remedy,” Carpio points out.

Clearly, Carpio stresses, “pursuant to its constitutional mandate, the COMELEC can initially determine the qualifications of all candidates and disqualify those found lacking any of such qualifications before the conduct of the elections. In fact, the COMELEC is empowered to motu proprio cancel COCs of nuisance candidates.” He cites the Timbol v.

COMELEC ruling of the SC itself.

Under Article II, Section 26 of the Constitution, “[t]he State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service[.]” This, however, does not guarantee “a constitutional right to run for or hold public office[.]” Carpio says to run for public office is a mere

“privilege subject to limitations imposed by law.”

Among these limitations is the prohibition on nuisance candidates.

Nuisance candidates are persons who file their Certificates of Candidacy “to put the election process in mockery or disrepute or to cause confusion among the voters by the similarity of the names of the registered candidates or by other circumstances or acts which clearly demonstrate that the candidate has no bona fide intention to run for the office for which the certificate of candidacy has been filed and thus prevent a faithful determination of the true will of the electorate.” x x x.

Emphasis supplied by Carpio.

Question: Is Grace Poe a nuisance candidate?

biznewsasia@gmail.com

unwelcoming for big investors who have reputations to protect.

What Telstra is saying is that, regardless of what the government in power says, corruption is just too endemic and the playing field too uneven to allow a real challenge to established players. And the Australian company is certainly not going to risk a huge amount

of shareholders’ money in a place where virtual monopolists are openly lobbying Malacanang Palace to keep out competition.

No wonder we can’t attract reputable investors who will provide jobs, give consumers more and cheaper choices and improve the overall economy. The cronies never left; they just turned Yellow.

CHONG ARDIVILLA

WEDNESDAY : M ARCH 16, 2016

A12 Iloilo Business Park is host of bikefest ILOILO CITY—Megaworld’s Iloilo Business Park is again hosting thousands of bikers in this year’s Iloilo Bike Festival.

Riding to promote the use of bike lanes and healthy lifestyle in Iloilo, the 72-hectare township served as the host venue of the weeklong festival, which officially started last Sunday. It will be highlighted by various bike-related activities, leading to the grand 2016 Iloilo Bike Festival Fun Ride on Saturday.

“Iloilo Business Park is committed to making Iloilo the the most bike-friendly city in the country. We welcome all participants to our township, which is a sustainable development that promotes the use of bikes, on our third year as venue host,” said Jennifer Ann Palmares-Fong, vicepresident for sales and marketing, Megaworld Iloilo Business Park.

Pocket events are currently being held around the township. Apart from the Fun Ride, other activities in the festival include a Bike Photo Exhibit, Bike Expo, Bike Training, Bike Festival Concert, Fun Bike Games, BMX Flatland, Pinta Siklista, Kiddies Bike Activities, Folding Bike Events, and a Food Festival and among others.

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and other officials will open the Festival Fun Ride event Saturday, where around 3,000 local and international bikers are expected to tour around the scenic locations in Iloilo. Iloilo Business Park will serve as the starting point of the event.

“The annual staging of Iloilo Bike Festival solidifies the purpose to gather the Ilonggo community and show its commitment to healthy living. Megaworld will always be supportive to this kind of initiative,” said Palmares-Fong.

Through the partnership of Megaworld with Iloilo City government, the 72-hectare Iloilo Business Park will serve as the official home of the annual Iloilo Bike Festival until 2023. This is to further promote road-sharing as bike lanes emerge and public safety practices in Iloilo City.

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Romero bats for creation of Department of Sports

By Peter Atencio

GIVING direct financial assistance to athletes and programs alike will help solve a lot of problems in Philippine sports.

This is one of the two fundamental changes that businessman-sportsman Mikee Romero will be seeking when he runs for congressman in the coming national elections.

And these changes, according to Romero, can happen with the creation of the Department of Sports, which will abolish the Philippine Sports Commission.

“At least, ‘yung direct financial budget makukuha mismo ng Department of Sports from the national treasury, umaasa kasi ang PSC sa PAGCOR at sa sweepstakes for assistance,” said Romero, who talked about his vision Tuesday at the Kamayan-Saisaki Restaurant in Padre Faura, Manila.

Businessman-sportsman Mikee Romero (center) explains the benefits of having a Department of Sports.

He added that it’s already bad enough that the PSC is depending on funds being given by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

“Hindi na aasa at mamamalimos sa PAGCOR at sa PCSO ang mga athletes kapag may Department of Sports na,” added Romero.

Another change that Romero sees with the existence of the DOS is that perennial problems like the lack of training, the need for a grassroots program and inadequate sports facilities can be addressed.

“All of these problems can be heard directly by the president. Kasi, kasama na sa cabinet ang sports,” added Romero, who is running under the 1Pacman partylist. 1Pacman stands for One Patriotic Coalition of Marginalized Nationals.

Romero currently owns a team in the Philippine Basketball Association, Globalport, and said he was convinced to run because of his ideals in sports.

He started opening up about his idea on the DOS way back in 2013 in his speech during the annual Philippine Sportswriters Associa-

tion Awards Night.

Back then, sports officials felt that its creation will not be possible.

But Romero, who showed up with his son Miguel, said this is a challenge that he is willing to take.

“In my lifetime, I will make it happen. I will put up the Department of Sports,” said Romero, who was once a president of the national sports association of shooting.

His experience as the president of an NSA gave Romero an idea of how it’s like to be a national athlete and how things are run in a sports association.

Around 3,000 bikers participated in last year’s Iloilo Bike Festival at Iloilo Business Park.

New faces win in Cebuana netfest

World bikefest. Christian Tan, Vice President of the Federation of School Sports Associations of the Philippine (left) shakes hands with Washington Ong to seal an agreement making Continental Bicycle Tires, which the latter distributes locally, as one of the major benefactors of the World University Cycling Championship set March 16 to 20 in Tagaytay City.

SHOWING the depth of young tennis talents in Metro Manila and the provinces, young netters emerged winners at the recent Quezon City leg of the 2016 Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series that attracted 273 hopefuls.

“This is what we need to see, an expansion of the base of talents for tennis in the country and we are happy that the Cebuana Lhuiller age-group tennis series is realizing its goal of discovering and nurturing these new tennis talents,” said sports patron Jean Henri Lhuillier, President/CEO of the sponsor-

ing company and current Philippine Tennis Association Chairman.

Alihon Talatayod came out as the only double winner in the boys’ side of the tournament, supported by Dunlop Sports, as he ruled both the 14-under and 16-under boys’ age-group competition.

He beat Lhuillier’s son Sebastian in the 14-under finals, 6-3, 6-2, and repeated in the 16-under finale with another straight-set victory over Zire Mina from Laoag, Ilocos Norte, 6-3, 6-3.

Immanuel Fuellas triumphed in the boys’ 18-under, defeating Oden Pagadunan from Cagayan de

Oro, 6-4, 7-5, while Miguel Vicencio from Bulacan edged out La Union native Marc Andre Jarata, 6-1, 5-7, 12-10, for the 12-under boys’ crown.Nathan So ruled the 10 & under unisex group with an abbreviated 4 - 0, 4 - 1 win over Darwin Cosca from Olongapo City.

The girls’ side had its own double winner in Quezon City bet Adeline Abadia, who beat separate opponents in the finals, making short work of Justine Maneja in the 12-under, 6-4, 6-2, and winning the 14-under after Nueva Ecija’s Jhastine Red Ballado retired in the championship match.

WEDNESDAY : M ARCH 16, 2016

A13

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Wawrinka advances, Murray bows out

Stephen Curry (no. 30) of the Golden State Warriors shoots against Jrue Holiday (no. 11) of the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. AFP

Curry turns 28, leads Warriors to 60th win GOLDEN State star Stephen Curry had plenty to celebrate on Monday, pouring in a game-high 27 points on his 28th birthday as the Warriors stayed perfect at home this season with a 125-107 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Warriors improved to 60-6 —becoming the fastest team in league history to reach 60 wins and the first since the 2007-09 Boston Celtics to record 60 wins in back-to-back campaigns.

With 16 games remaining, they continue to chase the record of 72 wins set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

Curry was feted with songs and chants to celebrate his birthday.

But it was Australian big man Andrew Bogue who sparked a

third-quarter surge with a rare three-pointer—the third of his career and his first since March 8, 2013—followed by a blocked shot at the other end.

His efforts ignited a 13-0 scoring run that put the Warriors well on their way to a 49th straight regular-season victory at home in Oakland, California, a streak dating back to last season.

The Warriors secured the Pacific Division title on their day off on Sun-

day thanks to the Los Angeles Clippers’ loss to Cleveland. They have won back-to-back division titles for the first time since 1975 and 1976.

“It’s a major accomplishment,” coach Steve Kerr said.

The Utah Jazz kept up their push for an NBA playoff berth with a 94-85 victory over LeBron James and the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.

Rodney Hood scored 28 points and Shelvin Mack added 16 oints, 10 assists and seven rebounds to lead the Jazz, who were without leading scorer Gordon Hayward who missed the contest with plantar fasciitis.

James scored 23 points and Kyrie Irving added 15 and Kevin Love 12 for the Cavaliers, who had won three straight coming into the game.

Cleveland looked primed to end their road trip on a high note when the raced to an 11-4 four lead courtesy of an alley-oop dunk from James.

But Utah battled back as Mack drained a three-pointer and French center Rudy Gobert converted a three-point play to key a 13-2 run that put the Jazz up 19-15.

Cleveland used a 14-3 run to take a slim lead late in the third and they went into the final quarter with the score tied at 66-66.

Trey Lyles scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter for Utah—before he was ejected for a flagrant foul against Channing Frye with less than four minutes to play. Frye was also tossed after retaliating with a head-butt to earn his second technical.

FRENCH Open champ Stan Wawrinka reached the Indian Wells fourth round while world No. 2 Andy Murray suffered a shock third-round exit at the hands of claycourt specialist Federico Delbonis on Monday.

Wawrinka toppled Andrey Kuznetsov 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) in the third round of the ATP and WTA hardcourt tournament and twotime Grand Slam winner Murray lost 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3) to 53rd ranked Argentinian Delbonis.

Wawrinka, who turns 31 later this month, has won two titles this year in Chennai and Dubai but has never made it past the quarter-finals in Indian Wells, one of the biggest events on the tennis calendar outside of the four Grand Slams.

Wawrinka next faces 15th seeded David Goffin of Belgium, who beat Guido Pella 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Murray’s exit left things wide open in the bottom half of the men’s draw, where Wawrinka, Richard Gasquet, Marin Cilic, Milos Raonic and Tomas Berdych all advanced.

Wawrinka is on a nine-match win streak in finals after beating Marcos Baghdatis in Dubai. He captured his third consecutive Chennai crown in January.

Last year he won four titles, including his stunning 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 upset win over world No. 1 Novak Djokovic to claim his first French Open crown.

Murray, 28, was playing in his first ATP Tour tournament since losing to Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open in January.

“It was a tough one to lose,” Murray said of the loss to Delbonis. “I fought hard to get into a winning position.

“I couldn’t go for my shots and when I did I made mistakes.”

Murray, who became a father on February 7 with the birth of his daughter Sophia Oliva, looked rusty after his layoff.

Murray’s forehand on match point sailed well wide and long, ending the two hour, 46 minute contest on Stadium Court.

NFL admits football’s link to brain disease Jake Muzzin #6 of the Los Angeles Kings and Brandon Mashinter #53 of the Chicago Blackhawks battle for the puck at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. AFP

THE NFL’s top health executive became the first senior league official to acknowledge a link between football-related head trauma and the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Jeff Miller, the NFL’s vice president of health and safety, was on Monday pressed at a roundtable organized by the Energy and Commerce Committee of the US House of Representatives on whether there was indeed a link between the hardhitting gridiron game and neurodegenerative diseases such as CTE. “The answer to that question is certainly yes,” Miller said.

However, Miller added it was unclear how that would affect the future of America’s most popular sport.

“There is a number of questions that comes with that,” Miller said.

“I think the broader point, and the one that your question gets to, is what that necessarily means, and where do we go from here with that information.”

In the buildup to Super Bowl 50 this year, neurosurgeon Mitch Berger, who leads the NFL’s subcommittee on long-term brain injury, said no link between football and CTE had been established.

Representative Jan Schakowsky of Illinois was critical of Berger’s comments, saying the league was “peddling a false sense of security” in downplaying the dangers of head trauma in football.

“Football is a high-risk sport because of the routine hits, not

just diagnosable concussions,” Schakowsky said.

“What the American public needs now is honesty about the health risks and clearly more research.”

While the league has previously acknowledged that head trauma, particularly concussion, poses a risk to the long-term health of players, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and other top officials haven’t taken definitive public stands on the matter.

In giving his answers, Miller cited the work of Boston University neuropathologist Ann McKee. McKee told committee members there is no doubt in her mind the illness, which can only be detected after death, is linked to playing football.

W E D N E S D AY : M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

A14

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

NZ team boosts PH rugby cast THE 28th Manila 10s International Rugby Festival unfurls its biggest, toughest competition yet with more than 36 teams, including top clubs from New Zealand and other rugby powers, plunging into action from March 18 to 20 at the Nomads Sports Club in Parañaque City.

North Harbour, New Zealand’s top side, raises the quality of competition in this year’s hostilities, leading foreign clubs from Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia Indonesia, UK, Japan, Australia and the US. Members of the Philippine Volcanoes suit up for various local clubs while the Philippine Under-14 and Under

16 teams, fresh from medalwinning performances in a Bangkok tournament, also strut their stuff in the twoday tournament, which features three divisions.

Local clubs come from all over the country such as Davao, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Pampanga, Subic and Laguna.

“This will draw top at-

tendance of over 36 teams, including two youth teams and we estimate a crowd of around 5,000 there,” Rick Santos, president of the Philippine Rugby Football Union and team owner of the Mavericks, said during yesterday’s PSA Forum.

Dubbed by ESPN as the “best social rugby tournament in the world” the Manila 10s is presented and hosted annually by the Manila Nomads Sports Club in partnership with the PRFU and ANZCHAM Philippines.

“This is the first time the U-14 and U-16 will be taking part; this will be the first time the top side in New Zealand is coming; and this will be the

Rugby president Rick Santos (third from left) announces the staging of the International Rugby Festival during an appearance at the PSA Forum, where he was joined by (from left) Alexander Aronson and Kenneth Stern of the Philippine Volcanoes and Mavericks Makati Player Lito Ramirez. LINO SANTOS

All eyes on Lee as Champ Tour starts THE ICTSI Champion Tour presented by Champion and Taiwan LPGA wraps up its two-week Manila swing at Manila Southwoods Wednesday with Korean Lee Jeong-hwa aiming for a sweep and Japanese Fumika Kawagishi seeking a payback at the Legends course in Carmona, Cavite.

With the rest of the 69-player starting field, including a compact local roster, all primed up to do better following mediocre finishes in last week’s ICTSI Champion Tour’s Splendido leg, the battle for top honors is expected to be fierce through all three days of the $75,000 championship.

But focus will be on Lee, who outgunned Kawagishi in a thrilling backside duel to snare a onestroke triumph at Splendido and head into this week’s event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. as the top favorite among a stellar cast led by Taiwan LPGA Tour campaigners.

Aside from the so-called

momentum, another thing going for Lee in the 54-hole championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. is she would be playing on a bunker-laden course with sleek putting surface she calls home.

But the soft-spoken Korean would opt to downplay her chances and her slight homecourt edge and instead stressed the need to stay focused throughout in the face of top-notch opposition in the event backed by adidas, Custom Clubmakers, KZG, TaylorMade, Champion, Summit Natural Drinking Water, Pacsports, Sharp and Rustans Supermarket.

“I will focus on my routine and just play one shot at a time,” said Lee, who capped her amateur career with a victory in the Philippine Ladies Open at Southwoods Legends course in 2012. “I’ll just focus on the things I can control and let’s see what happens.”

Kawagishi is also raring to make things happen this

toughest, most interesting and most social edition of the Manila 10s,” said Santos.

Volcanoes veterans Kenneth Stern and Alex Aronson and Lito Ramirez, the first homegrown player to make the roster of the national team coming out of the PRFU’s grassroots program, were also present in the forum and all expressed excitement to play under the Mavericks banner in the tourney.

Activities commence on Mar. 18 with a kick-off lunch attended by team members, partners and PRFU officials.

Matches fire off the next day with the finals and the stint of the youth teams wrapping up the exciting action on March 20.

PH hosts Suzuki tilt

Korean Lee Jeong-hwa is the top favorite from the stellar cast of the ICTSI Champion Tour.

week after a failed bid at Splendido that saw her blow a two-stroke lead with eight holes to play with a shaky windup. She actually birdied the final hole but still fell by one with the Yokohama na-

tive hopeful of finally pulling it off this time.

But a slew of others are also out to press their respective title drive in this second leg of the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour and the sixth stage

of TLPGA, guaranteeing a shootout among the TLPGA Tour mainstays, the local aces and a crack Thailand contingent out to keep the crown won by absentee Wannasiri Sirisampant last year.

THE Philippine Football Federation will leave no stone unturned as it prepares to host the most prestigious football tournament in the region for the first time late this year.

The country will stage one of the two groups in the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup from Nov. 19 to 26 at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan and the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.

“It’s a big challenge and an opportunity for all football stakeholders in the country,” said PFF general-secretary Ed Gastanes at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate on Tuesday.

“The coming months will be tough for the PFF, but what we’re doing is very important for football development. The cost is only secondary as it (the hosting) will be privatelyfunded.”

The three other countries that will join the Philippines in the group as well as the other bracket that will play in Myanmar will be known in the official draw on Aug. 2.

La Salle crowned baseball king; UST ties series with Adamson

By Peter Atencio

Winners and participants in the Dagupan City leg of the Ming Ramos Carlton Youth Age Group Badminton Championships pose with organizing committee head Joel Mabborang, Hector Aquino of Carlton, Dagupan City Sports Council director Finnela Sim, PDIR Federico Laciste Jr. (Ret.), PBA-Smash Pilipinas Development Committee head, and Technical Committee chief Efren Pollentes, during awards rites. The Imus Drive and Smash Lotus Mall in Cavite will host the next badminton regionals on March 19-20. For details, e-mail pbaevents2012@gmail.com.

THE La Salle Green Archers held off the Ateneo Blue Batters, 11-9, in Game 2 of the 78th University Athletic Association of the Philippines finals Monday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.

This allowed La Salle to regain the top honors, which they last held in 2003.

After scoring three runs early in the game, the Blue Eagles came to life and exploded with six runs in the fourth inning.

The three-time defending champions then pushed the lead further, 8-3, going into the bottom of the sixth.

La Salle then started com-

ing back, when Franco Hashimoto connected on a two-run single to trim the deficit to three, 5-8, before unleashing a six-run blast, capping it with a two-run single from Paolo Salud to clinch the win.

In softball, University of Santo Tomas blew a five-run lead, but recovered with a clutch seventh-inning run to get past “five-peat” champ Adamson, 6-5, and force a rubbermatch for the softball crown.

With two outs and the score tied at 5-5, the Tigresses found a way to send home the winning runner against the lackluster defense of the Lady Falcons.

With their best-of-three series even at 1-all, the Ti-

gresses and the Lady Falcons will dispute the crown on Friday.

Celestine Palma gave UST a glimmer of hope.

In volleyball, back-toback champion Ateneo de Manila got back the solo lead after a 25-17, 25-10, 2521 win over the Far Eastern University in the women’s division at The Arena in San Juan last Sunday.

The Lady Eagles won their second straight to improve to 8-2 ahead of erstwhile co-leader De La Salle University (7-2).

Reigning back-to-back Most Valuable Player Alyssa Valdez blasted 17 kills in her 20-point performance, while Jho Maraguinot had an allaround game with 10 points.

W E D N E S D AY : M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Dominance for Beermen, or revenge for Aces?

By Jeric Lopez THEIR paths cross again. But will it be continued dominance or retribution?

League-leading Alaska and nemesis San Miguel Beer meet again as they duel in a rematch of the Philippine Cup Finals in the continuing 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup today at 7 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Currently the Meanwhile, GloGames Wednesday league’s hottest team (Smart balPort, already strugAraneta Coliseum) with a five-game gling this conference, 4:15 p.m. - Mahindra vs. Rain or Shine winning streak, the suffered yet another Aces (5-1) want their 7 p.m. - Alaska vs. San Miguel blow as superstar Terrevenge on the Beerrence Romeo will be men (3-2). An added motivation out for the rest of the Commissionis a spot closer to a berth in the er’s Cup due to a calf muscle strain. next phase.

Romeo needs the entirety of In the opener, teams in the the remainder of the conference middle in Rain or Shine and Ma- to recuperate, hence, his services hindra, both at 3-3 and tied for will be missed the rest of this fifth, face off at 4:15 p.m. import-laden tournament by the

Batang Pier, who are also dealing with the ankle injury of their other star in Stanley Pringle, who is listed day-to-day.

Since their classic seven-game war in the All-Filipino conference Finals where San Miguel defeated Alaska for the third straight time to win the championship, both teams have shown that they are still very much capable of possibly making a return trip to the finale.

A15 LOTTO RESULTS

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

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

Navy’s Oranza nails another lap victory ROXAS CITY—Ronald Oranza of Navy-Standard Insurance claimed another lap victory to inch closer to his first race victory in Tuesday’s Stage 3 of the Visayas Leg of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2016 that started in Iloilo City and ended in front of the Robinsons Mall here yesterday.

Oranza, 22, clocked three hours, 15 minutes and 53.53 seconds in thisn 121.5-kilometer stage that pushed him closer to topping the Visayas Leg as he now has 43 general individual classification points, eight points ahead of Navy teammate Rudy Roque, who has 35 points.

“I really pushed hard in this stage because I really want to win,” said Oranza, who topped the opening stage in Bago City, Negros Occidental Friday and ended up second to Roque in Stage 2 in Iloilo City Sunday.

Seasoned Navy skipper Lloyd Lucien Reynante finished second in 3:16:39.26, while 2009 Tour champion Joel Calderon ended up No. 3 in 3:16: 57.21 to complete an all-Navy finish at the podium.

The day though belonged to Oranza, who hails from Villasis, Pangasinan. He now has owned seven lap wins but never the big one.

His long wait could end in a few days.

“I can’t wait,” said Oranza, whose best finish in this annual cycling race considered the biggest in the country today was third behind eventual winner Irish Valenzuela in the third edition three years ago.

Roque, who was tied with Oranza before the stage, fell to second and eight points off the pace.

Navy’s Jan Paul Morales, the Mindanao Leg champion, went on attack mode early as he broke away from the peloton, took the King of the Mountain and two intermediate sprint races of the stage and led for 75 kilometers.

But the strong winds wore him down and slowly but surely slowed down after the Oranza-led chase pack caught up with him in the final 20-km stretch.

The Calumpang, Marikina native wound up eighth in the stage and slid to share of No. 3 with Reynante in the overall race with 20 apiece.

Rounding up the overall Top 10 were Navy’s El Joshua Carino (19), LBC-MVP Sports Foundation’s Ronald Lomotos (19), Navy’s Joel Calderon (18), LBCMVPSF’s Rustom Lim (15), Navy’s John Mark Camingao (11) and LBC-MVPSF’s Mark Julius Bonzo (11).

LBC-MVPSF’s George Oconer, one of the cyclists favored to win here being the second placer to last year’s eventual winner Santy Barnachea, Oconer finally showed some teeth after a disappointing first two stages but still ended up No. 6.

Lollipop wins PCSO Maiden Race THE HOARSE WHISPERER JENNY ORTUOSTE

SECOND favorite Lollipop edged out the favorite in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office 3YO Open last Saturday (Mar. 12) at the Philippine Racing Club’s Santa Ana Park.

Lollipop came in fourth in the trial race held Feb. 26 and was sent off as second favorite before the actual race started. Frontrunning Indianpana grabbed the lead with Lollipop running off the pace. Strung out behind them were World Famous and Silhouette.

Lollipop rallied at the back and took front position at the far turn, going on to win by four lengths. The colt’s owner Mayor Sandy Javier, trainer Renato Yamco, and jockey Jordan Cordova are among those who will share the P600,000 first prize.

Their team also earned the P50,000 breeders purse. It was Mayor Javier’s Royal

Maverick Ranch that bred Lollipop (Twirling Candy x Heavenly Sister).

Total time 1:19.6 (422-23-27 ‘) for 1,300 meters. Silhouette 2nd, Indianapana 3rd, World Famous 4th. Big Cat Drama: early scratch. *** Wo Wo Duck (Real Spicy x Triregal) ruled the Philracom 2nd leg Import/Local Challenge last Sunday (Mar. 13). Twelve entries battled over 1,600 meters at Santa Ana Park, but it was the entry owned by lawyer Sixto Esquivias IV, trained by Renato Yamco, and ridden

by Jordan Cordova that hit the wire first.

Total time 1:42.6 (2924’-24-27). Tap Dance 2nd, Our Angel’s Dream 3rd, Love To Death 4th. *** The Philippine Racing Commission recently announced that in the interest of equitability, it amended a rule regarding suspended jockeys allowing them to ride while under a pending appeal.

Philippine racing rule (PR) 29-F states that “a

suspended jockey shall still be allowed to ride if he has already been declared for a race prior to his suspension.”

This was amended on March 2 by Resolution 23-16 by the addition of the phrase “or in case he has appealed his suspension.”

Section 1 of the same rule allows a jockey who is suspended for 12 racing days or less to be declared by his trainer or owner to ride while his case is still on appeal.

The amendment is a logical extension of that section to cover all similar cases regardless of the length of suspension.

The jockeys association had been requesting for the change in the rule for some time, pointing out that this ‘stay of execution’ while an appeal is pending is also the usual practice in the United States.

The jockeys said the most frequent instance when this rule came into question what when jockeys halted their jockeys during the race when they suspected lameness. The

jockey would then be suspended. In 99 percent of the cases, the investigation would validate the findings of lameness, but by the time the process had run its course, the jockey had already been suspended and lost corresponding income.

The amendment allows the jockey to ride until the completion of his appeal process. *** There’s still time to participate in the 2nd Jockeys Charity Footrace happening on Apr. 24 at Santa Ana Park.

The event raises funds for the Disabled Jockeys Fund. Sponsors may donate P5,000 for each jockey to run in the sponsor’s preferred outfit, such as a shirt with a corporate or charity logo.

There are many other ways to help the jockeys.

Please check out their Facebook page: New Philippine Jockeys Association. *** Facebook: Gogirl Racing, Twitter: @gogirlracing, Instagram: @ jensdecember

Women’s doubles open champion Alyssa Ysabel Leonardo and

Thea Marie Pomar (center) are shown with the other awardees after receiving cash prize and their trophy during the recent 9th Prima Pasta Badminton Championship at the Powersmash Badminton Center in Makati City. With them here are (from left) Alex Lim, Dominique Roque, Jessie Cuesta Francisco, Eleanor Christine Inlayo, Leonardo and Pomar, Alyssa Alvarez and Joella Geva Ramos De Vera, Gelita Aquino Castilo and Malvinne Ann Alcala. The tournament was supported by Smart, Boysen Paints, Mabz Builders, Monocrete Construction, Morning Star Milling, ILO Construction, Pioneer Insurance, Promax, Babolat, Vitwater, Regent Foods Corp., and Del Monte Fit N Right.

A16

W E D N E S DAY : M A R C H 16 , 2 0 16 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

RC Cola surprises Foton IMUS CITY—Jovelyn Gonzaga put on a Games Tomorrow show in (The Arena) leading RC 4 p.m. • RC Cola-Army Cola-Army vs Petron 6 p.m. • Foton vs Cignal to a gigantic 25-21, 25-17, 25-23 conquest of Foton Tuesday in the 2016 PLDT Home Ultera Philippine Superliga Invitational Conference women’s volleyball tournament at the Imus Sports Complex.

A comely spiker from Iloilo, the power-hitting Gonzaga caught fire early to help the Lady Troopers gain control and seal their fourth victory in this prestigious inter-club tourney bankrolled by Mikasa, Senoh, Mueller, Asics and Grand Sport with TV5 as official broadcast partner.

Gonzaga delivered 18 kills and three blocks for a game-high 22 points, while Joanne Bunag and Rachel Anne Daquis combined for 16 markers for the Lady Troopers, who formally captured the first seat in the final round after winning all of their four matches without losing a single set.

Another powerhouse side in Petron is also tipped to punch a ticket in the final round pending the result of its match against Cignal, which is still being played at press time.

A victory by the Tri-Activ Spikers will not only send them to the final round, but will also complete the three-team cast with idle F2 Logistics gaining access after winning four of its six games in the first two rounds.

A team from Thailand will also be joining the final round which starts on April 7.

But against the Toplander, RC Cola-Army looked solid and ready to contend for another crown.

Danna Henson of Foton scores against RC Cola’s Honey Royce Tubino and Joanne Bunag in a 2016 Philippine Superliga Invitational Conference women’s volleyball game won by the Lady Troopers, 25-21, 25-17, 25-23. ROMAN PROSPERO

Roach concedes: Pacman not as fast as he used to be

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

TOP Rank promoter Bob Arum predicted that the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley third encounter at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 9 will be an action-packed battle, even as trainer Freddie Roach conceded that the Filipino ring icon “is slowing down.”

“It’s going to be a shootout. They are going after each other,” Arum told The Standard.

Although nobody has seen Bradley spar and even Top Rank publicist Lee Samuels was not allowed to watch, Arum said “he (Bradley) is going to come out picking his spots but bombing away. It’s going to be a

Creation of Department of Sports pushed TURN TO A12

different kind of Bradley from the one we’ve seen before and a good example his style and what it will be can be based on his last fight with Brandon Rios.”

Bradley battered Rios, before being declared the winner by a ninth-round TKO last Nov.7, 2015.

After a visit to the Wild Card Gym of celebrated trainer Roach on Monday in Los Angeles, Arum said while Pacquiao didn’t spar, “he looked fine.

Very, very good.”

“The power is much better because he has, since before the Floyd Mayweather Jr fight last May 2, been struggling with his right hand due to a tear on his right shoulder rotator cuff.

Now, it’s fully operational and he’s much, much better,” said Arum.

The astute Top Rank promoter said that when the eight-division world champion “hits Freddie’s mitts with the right hand, the sound is probably even bigger than the sound when he hits with his left.”

Oranza claims lap win TURN TO A15

Roach himself conceded that the 37-year-old Pacquiao has slowed down a bit compared to the fighter, who scored a devastating knockout at 2:59 of the second round against Britain’s IBO super lightweight champion Ricky Hatton on May 2, 2009.

Roach told Boxing Scene: “It’s pretty much the same, but he has slowed down a little bit. I will honestly say that. He’s not the same guy who fought Ricky Hatton right now. Of course, he’s getting older but he’s still very capable.”

Arum disclosed that ticket sales are going well.

“It would be close to a sellout if not a sellout,” said Arum of the tickets, 80 percent of which were already gone.

WEDNESDAY: MARCH 16, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

The Queen in Manila.

The Tourism Department welcomes the maiden call of the MS Queen Elizabeth in Manila on March 8, 2016. Carrying around 2,500 tourists from the US, European Union and Australia, the visitors have toured parts of Manila and Tagaytay. More cruise calls are expected in the Philippines this year, as part of the DoT’s initiatives to push cruise tourism in the country.

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

BUSINESS

B1

Coal plants must stop—Gore

By Alena Mae S. Flores

FORMER US vice president Al Gore urged the Philippines to follow the example of the US in putting an end to the development of new coal power plants.

Gore, founder of the Climate Change Reality Project, said in his presentation to participants to the three-day climate change conference in Manila that electric generation capacity from coal plants in the US stood at 0.01 percent and oil at 0.07 percent in 2015.

He said hydro, biomass and geothermal

accounted for 2.3 percent of the total US energy mix. Natural gas contributed 26.7 percent, followed by solar at 32.8 percent and wind at 38.2 percent.

In the Philippines, coal recorded the biggest generating capacity in 2014 at nearly 30 percent, followed by oil at 23 percent, hydro at 18 percent, natural gas at 14 percent and geothermal at 10 percent. The remaining comes from solar, wind, biomasss and waste heat.

Gore advocated the use of renewable energy and urged the Philippines to “put a price on carbon in the markets and “a price on denial in politics.”

First Gen Corp. chairman Federico Lopez said there was a need for the government to look at the Philippines’ reliance on

Remittances rise 3.4% to $2b—BSP

By Julito G. Rada MONEY sent home by Filipinos working overseas increased 3.4 percent in January from a year ago, on sustained demand for skilled workers, despite the crude oil price slump that affected the Middle East.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Filipino migrant workers remitted $2.022 billion in January, up from $1.956 billion a year ago, but lower than the record $2.47-billion registered in December.

The 3.4-percent remittance growth in January was also slower than 4.9 percent in December and the full-year average of 4.6 percent in 2015.

Bangko Sentral is aiming for a 4-percent growth in remittances this year.

“Remittance flows from overseas Filipinos remained resilient, underpinned by the sustained demand for skilled Filipino manpower overseas,” Bangko Sentral said in a statement.

Data showed remittances from both land-based ($1.6 billion) and sea-based ($447 million) workers expanded 3 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively.

More than three-fourths of cash remittances came from the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Qatar and Japan.

coal projects in power generation.

“At the rate we are going, by 2025 we have 70 percent coal. We cannot say that the Philippines only accounts for that 0.3 of world’s global emissions. To me, it is not right to reason in that manner because whatever emission we spew goes to the same atmosphere,” Lopez said.

Lopez said First Gen, the country’s second biggest power generator, had no coal in its portfolio of power projects. Its portfolio includes geothermal, hydro, natural gas, solar and wind power projects.

“That layer of atmosphere is just like a thin layer of varnish around the globe.

When you put it that way, we don’t have much room to fill the atmosphere with more carbon,” he said.

“The later we reverse this trend of carbon emissions, the more drastic its going to be.

The more drastic its going to be for everyone trying to reduce emissions,” Lopez said.

“Right now, if you’ve got the opportunity to stop bringing these carbon emissions, you should grab that opportunity. It should have been done yesterday.”

The Energy Department plans to tighten the rules on coal-fired power plants to ensure the facilities meet the standards on emissions, fuel quality and coal handling.

Data from the department showed that as of June 2015, around 5,800 megawatts of installed capacity of coal-fired power plants were located across the country’s three power grids. The bulk or 4,775.6 MW was in the Luzon grid.

WEDNESDAY: MARCH 16, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Tuesday, March 15, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 0.92 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 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 0.74 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 BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank First Abacus 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

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 89 148 20.6 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 20.75 9.4 0.98 241

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 40.3 32 15.32 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.86 5.34 0.395 173

79 4 33.9 90 13.26 293 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 238 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

34.1 1.63 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.87 8.45 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 161 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 0.152 837 5.3

76 6.5 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 2.99 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 1.39 390 156 0.710 0.435

49.55 3.43 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 2.26 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 0.93 170 80 0.211 0.179

10.5 26.95 1.99 1.75 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96

6.74 12 0.65 1.2 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.93 2.85 45.9 44.8 105.50 103.60 88.05 85.35 36.8 36.6 2.99 2.98 1.45 1.45 14.2 14.1 15.4 15.18 0.7 0.6 1.79 1.7 590.00 590.00 0.610 0.560 83.9 83 14.78 14.68 53.05 52.00 102.2 100 281 279 31.1 29.5 155.5 154.7 1360.00 1340.00 57.50 57.05 1.53 1.53 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

43.65 44.2 43.5 Agrinurture Inc. 5.2 5.27 5.08 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.76 0.74 0.72 Alsons Cons.

1.51 1.51 1.49 Asiabest Group 10.96 10.8 9.95 Bogo Medelin 48.7 50 40 C. Azuc De Tarlac 170.00 165.00 165.00 Century Food 18.1 18.3 18.1 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 18.48 18.5 18.38 Concepcion 42.5 42.5 42.4 Crown Asia 2.43 2.43 2.38 Da Vinci Capital 5.71 5.85 5.55 Del Monte 11.9 11.92 11.64 DNL Industries Inc. 8.910 9.360 8.950 Emperador 8.10 8.09 7.96 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 6.17 6.28 6.19 EEI 7.35 7.48 7.00 Euro-Med Lab 1.55 1.57 1.55 First Gen Corp.

21.2 21.7 20.95 First Holdings ‘A’ 63.25 63.45 62.8 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.10 12.00 12.00 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.52 5.8 5.52 Ionics Inc 2.750 2.840 2.700 Jollibee Foods Corp.

229.60 235.00 229.60 LBC Express 10.98 10.98 10.04 Liberty Flour 30.90 34.00 29.50 Mabuhay Vinyl 2.91 2.91 2.91 Manila Water Co. Inc. 26.1 26.5 26 Maxs Group 18.5 20.9 18.7 Megawide 6.33 6.38 6.35 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 329.80 332.00 328.00 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.63 3.7 3.5 Petron Corporation 10.28 10.40 9.95 Phinma Corporation 11.50 11.66 11.48 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 4.18 4.18 4.10 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.68 1.67 1.60 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.63 2.79 2.65 RFM Corporation 4.10 4.20 4.01 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 161 164 160.5 Splash Corporation 2.45 2.45 2.43 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.156 0.157 0.152 TKC Steel Corp.

1.11 1.21 1.12 Trans-Asia Oil 2.70 2.83 2.70 Universal Robina 200 202 199.9 Victorias Milling 4.6 4.7 4.55 Vitarich Corp.

0.8 0.82 0.78 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.23 1.25 1.17 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.360 0.370 0.350 Aboitiz Equity 60.15 61.80 60.70 Alliance Global Inc. 15.86 16.10 15.88 Anglo Holdings A 1.15 1.12 1.05 Anscor `A’ 6.13 6.20 6.13 ATN Holdings A 0.285 0.285 0.275 ATN Holdings B 0.285 0.280 0.280 Ayala Corp `A’ 759.5 760 743.5 Cosco Capital 7.76 7.77 7.58 DMCI Holdings 13.10 13.60 13.10 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5 5.15 5.15 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

5.00 5.02 5.00 Forum Pacific 0.222 0.227 0.220 GT Capital 1415 1430 1415 House of Inv. 6.05 6.04 6.04 IPM Holdings 9.74 9.75 9.59 JG Summit Holdings 75.55 76.10 75.45 Jolliville Holdings 3.36 3.36 3.36 Lopez Holdings Corp.

6 6 5.82 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.72 0.74 0.7 LT Group 15.7 16.12 15.74 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.475 0.500 0.470 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.97 6.02 5.98 Pacifica `A’ 0.0330 0.0340 0.0320 Prime Media Hldg 1.390 1.360 1.360 Prime Orion 2.010 2.040 1.990 Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.7 2.75 2.61 San Miguel Corp `A’ 75.00 77.50 73.70 Seafront `A’ 2.3 2.28 2.12 SM Investments Inc. 915.00 947.00 920.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.14 1.14 1.11 South China Res. Inc. 0.74 0.76 0.76 Transgrid 160.00 160.00 160.00 Top Frontier 160.000 160.000 152.000 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3100 0.3350 0.3100 Wellex Industries 0.2040 0.2130 0.2030 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.250 7.270 7.230 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 6.96 7.75 7.75 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.90 0.90 0.87 Araneta Prop `A’ 1.410 1.520 1.420 Ayala Land `B’ 35.650 35.800 35.050 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.14 3.13 2.99 Cebu Holdings 5.16 5.16 5.14 Century Property 0.550 0.55 0.540 City & Land Dev. 0.97 0.97 0.97 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.100 1.140 1.010 Crown Equities Inc. 0.126 0.131 0.126 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.510 0.530 0.490 Double Dragon 36.4 39.4 37.05

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

Close

SHARES 12,934,360 94,142,428 174,692,119 116,978,244 627,240,377 334,280,471 1,363,490,736

2.95 45.8 104.30 84.70 36.7 2.99 1.45 14.16 15.18 0.71 1.7 585.50 0.570 83.9 14.80 52.95 102.1 275 31 155 1340.00 57.10 1.53

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.9 45.9 104.00 86.00 36.8 2.98 1.45 14.18 15.3 0.7 1.79 590.00 0.600 83.5 14.68 52.00 100 280 29.5 154.9 1340.00 57.40 1.53

-1.69 0.22 -0.29 1.53 0.27 -0.33 0.00 0.14 0.79 -1.41 5.29 0.77 5.26 -0.48 -0.81 -1.79 -2.06 1.82 -4.84 -0.06 0.00 0.53 0.00

126,000 9,300 2,162,390 1,370,410 322,400 3,000 100,000 12,100 363,700 13,000 26,000 120 3,126,000 2,828,130 36,700 77,900 4,020 4,580 1,112,400 1,021,680 60 91,260 121,000

43.55 5.22 0.74 1.5 10.48 43.2 165.00 18.1 18.5 42.4 2.38 5.69 11.64 9.350 7.96 6.25 7.09 1.55 21.5 62.85 12.00 5.52 2.770 232.80 10.98 29.50 2.91 26.25 19.3 6.38 329.00 3.6 10.08 11.50 4.17 1.65 2.65 4.10 162.5 2.43 0.156 1.18 2.81 200.4 4.7 0.78 1.17

-0.23 0.38 -2.63 -0.66 -4.38 -11.29 -2.94 0.00 0.11 -0.24 -2.06 -0.35 -2.18 4.94 -1.73 1.30 -3.54 0.00 1.42 -0.63 -0.83 0.00 0.73 1.39 0.00 -4.53 0.00 0.57 4.32 0.79 -0.24 -0.83 -1.95 0.00 -0.24 -1.79 0.76 0.00 0.93 -0.82 0.00 6.31 4.07 0.20 2.17 -2.50 -4.88

1,912,900 869,900 42,000 214,000 30,700 1,100 50 278,100 499,800 800 367,000 2,060,500 258,900 9,325,000 3,608,700 8,699,600 840,100 3,000 2,627,400 59,310 100 940,900 2,793,000 500,780 3,800 600 4,000 430,100 2,266,800 487,700 303,180 591,000 13,845,400 50,000 256,000 310,000 349,000 424,000 9,640 94,000 8,740,000 64,000 20,677,000 2,404,480 102,000 5,971,000 341,000

0.370 60.70 16.00 1.12 6.20 0.280 0.280 749.5 7.62 13.22 5.15 5.00 0.227 1415 6.04 9.74 75.95 3.36 6 0.71 15.74 0.500 6.01 0.0340 1.360 2.010 2.75 77.50 2.28 930.00 1.13 0.76 160.00 160.000 0.3200 0.2030

2.78 0.91 0.88 -2.61 1.14 -1.75 -1.75 -1.32 -1.80 0.92 3.00 0.00 2.25 0.00 -0.17 0.00 0.53 0.00 0.00 -1.39 0.25 5.26 0.67 3.03 -2.16 0.00 1.85 3.33 -0.87 1.64 -0.88 2.70 0.00 0.00 3.23 -0.49

190,000 801,010 9,316,400 105,000 36,000 1,040,000 280,000 411,430 1,558,600 8,916,400 10,000 22,100 220,000 124,295 56,500 1,702,000 2,175,080 2,000 2,991,700 219,000 2,245,900 130,000 40,537,600 78,200,000 9,000 931,000 8,000 573,290 4,000 297,020 869,000 50,000 100 161,650 16,290,000 1,190,000

7.250 7.75 0.89 1.500 35.250 3.01 5.14 0.540 0.97 1.020 0.129 0.500 38

0.00 11.35 -1.11 6.38 -1.12 -4.14 -0.39 -1.82 0.00 -7.27 2.38 -1.96 4.40

488,500 200 1,853,000 153,000 10,959,800 3,621,000 55,100 3,554,000 1,000 465,000 11,510,000 5,079,000 4,763,200

243,115.00 54,197,930 44,443,451.50

-1,817,876.00 64,900.00 -62,640.00 71,187,446.00 -1,874,654.50 -90,000.00 1,069,552.00 -11,274,315 50,883,556.00

27,109,095.00 -6,987.00

-12,630.00 3,935,496.00

-166,398.00 -1,819,276.00 25,970,020.00 -3,432,234.00 -2,662,528.00 -45,588.00 -25,380,375.00 -1,694,194.00 -1,507,631.00 -60,700.00 46,872,198.00

-6,546,020.00 -615,724.00 1,467,260.00 -15,190,778.00 405,380.00 707,480.00 487,250.00 -819,950.00 -911,525.00 -44,020.00 -1,560.00 28,773,260.00 -101,013,981.00 364,050.00 -8,000.00

27,778,822.00 -47,603,462.00

-139,581,510.00 1,967,726.00 5,789,340.00

-51,931,380.00 36,240.00 61,398,757.00 -2,101,799.00 11,460,530.00 23,609,158.00 -101,500.00 -635,221.00 52,589,265.00

-249,665.00 -26,400.00 1,205,482.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

0.97 2.22 2.1 1.8 8.4 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

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

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

Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp.

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

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 70.5 1.97 119.5 7 12.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 3.2 95.5 1 15.2

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 4.8 830 1600 5.95 17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 8.72 0.011 0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.95 3.1 0.650 6

0.62 1.040 22.8 6.41 4 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 14.54 3 2.28 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 1.71 5 0.315 1.14

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

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

DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Macroasia Corp.

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

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.236 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

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

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

70 553 525 120 515 111 1060

33 490 500 101.5 480 101 997

1047

1011

78.95 84.8

74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ First Gen G GLOBE PREF P MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

-6,290.00 125,345,645.00 200,910.00 970.00 -90,340.00 338,525.00

Close

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

High

VALUE 806,213,437.89 1,431,873,201.934 1,739,938,104.52 1,233,233,990.90 2,819,255,869.31 228,656,687.248 8,293,685,017.718

FINANCIAL 1,575.16 (UP) 1.88 INDUSTRIAL 11,598.65 (UP) 52.82 HOLDING FIRMS 6,956.95 (UP) 41.71 PROPERTY 2,921.02 (DOWN) 5.42 SERVICES 1,515.64 (UP) 19.60 MINING & OIL 11,410.36 (DOWN) 118.53 PSEI 7,148.26 (UP) 35.37 All Shares Index 4,124.00 (UP) 20.48 Gainers: 87; Losers: 101; Unchanged: 47; Total: 235

Close

0.890 1.04 1.70 1.26 3.74 4.14 0.104 0.2350 0.450 8.67 27.55 1.48 3.14 21.25 0.82 5.65 1.050 4.610

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.890 0.870 0.870 1.06 1.02 1.03 1.72 1.66 1.66 1.29 1.28 1.29 3.74 3.74 3.74 4.2 4.09 4.13 0.104 0.099 0.099 0.2310 0.2250 0.2290 0.450 0.430 0.445 8.7 8.67 8.67 28.95 28.00 28.55 1.5 1.47 1.5 3.14 3.09 3.14 21.50 21.15 21.30 0.84 0.81 0.82 5.41 5.31 5.33 1.060 1.010 1.020 4.640 4.550 4.600 SERVICES 7.14 7.14 6.9 7.09 57.25 58.6 57.5 58.3 1.23 1.3 1.26 1.26 0.530 0.550 0.520 0.550 10.3 10.98 10.98 10.98 22.5 28.3 28.3 28.3 4.95 5.24 4.88 5.14 0.0600 0.0610 0.0590 0.0600 3.15 3.18 3.16 3.18 84 86 84 86 9.9 9.9 9.9 9.9 6.35 6.41 6.30 6.39 956 956 956 956 1910 2110 1950 2074 6.95 6.95 6.90 6.92 18.26 18.14 18.14 18.14 1.30 1.30 1.28 1.28 65 67 65 65 4.20 6.20 5.00 5.50 11.3 11.3 11.3 11.3 0.0100 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 0.227 0.295 0.230 0.280 1.3300 1.3300 1.2800 1.2800 2.19 2.15 2.11 2.15 7.93 8.22 8.00 8.18 3.61 3.73 3.61 3.72 2.76 2.77 2.77 2.77 20.15 25.00 25.00 25.00 0.550 0.550 0.550 0.550 2.84 2.99 2.73 2.93 3.86 3.89 3.80 3.85 0.280 0.275 0.275 0.275 0.920 0.950 0.850 0.870 17.46 17.48 17.46 17.48 4.80 4.89 4.80 4.80 2.45 2.4 2.4 2.4 99.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 22.05 21.95 21.75 21.95 1901.00 1985.00 1901.00 1901.00 0.440 0.430 0.430 0.430 0.970 0.990 0.950 0.970 37.60 37.65 36.85 37.05 70.00 71.00 69.95 71.00 6.27 6.45 6.27 6.30 3.54 3.55 3.42 3.43 0.520 0.540 0.520 0.530 1.69 1.6 1.6 1.6 3.88 3.9 3.79 3.83 0.345 0.325 0.325 0.325 4.770 4.850 4.590 4.750 MINING & OIL 0.0045 0.0045 0.0044 0.0044 2.20 2.21 2.18 2.18 4.85 4.89 4.70 4.72 0.240 0.240 0.232 0.233 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.475 0.475 0.470 0.470 8.00 8.20 7.60 7.89 0.820 0.830 0.800 0.800 0.300 0.315 0.285 0.300 0.300 0.300 0.290 0.295 0.305 0.305 0.295 0.295 0.0120 0.0130 0.0120 0.0120 0.013 0.013 0.012 0.013 2.32 2.3 2.24 2.27 5.85 5.93 5.64 5.68 2.71 2.72 2.62 2.69 0.5500 0.5400 0.5400 0.5400 1.2500 1.2700 1.2500 1.2500 0.0091 0.0092 0.0092 0.0092 3.95 3.94 3.94 3.94 6.11 6.00 5.75 5.75 1.78 1.95 1.75 1.92 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 135.40 137.50 134.60 137.00 2.47 2.7 2.35 2.58 0.0083 0.0083 0.0083 0.0083 PREFERRED 57.45 58.7 57.5 58 520 523 516 523 530 530 530 530 117.8 117.8 111.6 117.8 527 529 515 515 108 110 107 107 1028 1077 1077 1077 1060 1061 1058 1058 1012 1020 1010 1020 104.9 103.6 103.5 103.5 107 107.9 107 107.9 81 81 80 80 82.8 82.9 82.8 82.8 76.5 76.5 76.5 76.5 76 76.5 76.5 76.5 77.2 77.4 77.15 77.3 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.580 3.950 3.590 3.650 SME 3.65 3.65 3.3 3.65 3.16 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.36 3.03 3.28 17.9 18.18 17.7 17.72 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 116.2 116.9 116 116.5

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

-2.25 -0.96 -2.35 2.38 0.00 -0.24 -4.81 -2.55 -1.11 0.00 3.63 1.35 0.00 0.24 0.00 -5.66 -2.86 -0.22

293,000 2,274,000 5,288,000 32,000 5,000 27,573,000 4,600,000 680,000 140,000 40,500 2,092,100 336,000 58,000 16,367,700 2,817,000 7,900 1,081,000 7,777,000

-0.70 1.83 2.44 3.77 6.60 25.78 3.84 0.00 0.95 2.38 0.00 0.63 0.00 8.59 -0.43 -0.66 -1.54 0.00 30.95 0.00 0.00 23.35 -3.76 -1.83 3.15 3.05 0.36 24.07 0.00 3.17 -0.26 -1.79 -5.43 0.11 0.00 -2.04 1.01 -0.45 0.00 -2.27 0.00 -1.46 1.43 0.48 -3.11 1.92 -5.33 -1.29 -5.80 -0.42

104,700 85,480 54,000 969,000 200 100 14,422,000 33,900,000 50,000 153,210 1,200 383,500 120 520,360 128,900 500 408,000 1,098,540 65,000 100 9,500,000 416,750,000 1,109,000 15,000 130,100 1,573,000 1,000 100 3,000 46,843,000 1,031,000 130,000 11,772,000 10,000 9,000 10,000 562,730 85,000 390,515 200,000 58,634,000 3,938,700 2,244,980 952,000 6,388,000 2,966,000 12,000 2,901,000 50,000 58,000

-2.22 -0.91 -2.68 -2.92 0.00 -1.05 -1.38 -2.44 0.00 -1.67 -3.28 0.00 0.00 -2.16 -2.91 -0.74 -1.82 0.00 1.10 -0.25 -5.89 7.87 0.00 1.18 4.45 0.00

69,000,000 -36,000.00 46,000 371,000 -57,600.00 1,490,000 386,000 250,000 514,100 21,736,000 2,142,280.00 470,000 102,320,000 11,010,000 -105,000.00 43,000,000 22,400,000 965,000 546,490.00 7,713,000 -11,127,841.00 157,000 5,000 46,000 2,000,000 10,000 4,728,200 -4,224,685.00 8,553,000 -188,030.00 32,000,000 533,170 20,946,933.00 2,283,000 -107,350.00 2,000,000

0.96 0.58 0.00 0.00 -2.28 -0.93 4.77 -0.19 0.79 -1.33 0.84 -1.23 0.00 0.00 0.66 0.13

48,570 13,800 10 67,890 10,240 20,000 10 275 8,680 4,000 2,200 2,020 74,610 91,600 114,100 230,240

1.96

6,484,000

6,870.00

0.00 -1.90 5.81 -1.01

18,000 17,000 2,009,000 1,109,400

-97,700.00 126,448.00

0.26

69,070

11,600.00

-211,220.00 -4,218,900.00

30,723,340.00 -57,010.00 -20,036,125.00

-11,386,600.00

10,666,300.00 -181,200.00 1,576,234.50 1,408,361.00 384,592,145.00 51,200.00 -4,144,609.00

268,720.00 24,390.00 166,300.00

8,329,570.00 -22,800.00 258,330.00 12,000.00 10,875.00 212,768,780.00 -23,485,160.00 69,305,275.00 17,715,740.50 -453,130.00 1,211,000.00 -4,751,800.00

728,515.00 2,260,000.00 55,000.00 3,468,000.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Imperial Res. `A'

5.50

30.95

Bogo Medelin

43.2

-11.29

Berjaya Phils. Inc.

28.3

25.78

Cityland Dev. `A'

1.020

-7.27

Manila Broadcasting

25.00

24.07

Philex `A'

5.75

-5.89

Island Info

0.280

23.35

Waterfront Phils.

0.325

-5.80

Anchor Land Holdings Inc.

7.75

11.35

Starmalls

5.33

-5.66

Globe Telecom

2074

8.59

NOW Corp.

0.870

-5.43

PhilexPetroleum

1.92

7.87

Transpacific Broadcast

1.6

-5.33

Asian Terminals Inc.

10.98

6.60

Vulcan Ind'l.

1.17

-4.88

Araneta Prop `A'

1.500

6.38

RCBC `A'

29.5

-4.84

TKC Steel Corp.

1.18

6.31

MRC Allied Ind.

0.099

-4.81

WEDNESDAY: MARCH 16, 2016

B3

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

Market climbs; Globe, Melco up STOCKS rose for the sixth day, bucking the downtrend in Asia, a day after the Philippines received the biggest equity inflow in six weeks.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, gained 35 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 7,148.526 Tuesday. The bellwether was also up 2.8 percent since the start of the year and 15 percent from this year’s bottom of 6,084.28 recorded on Jan. 21.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also advanced 20 points, or 0.5 percent, to settle at 4,124.00, on a value turnover of P8.3 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 101 to 87, while 47 issues were unchanged.

Eleven of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led

by Globe Telecom Inc., which jumped 8.6 percent to P2,074.

DoubleDragon Properties Corp. climbed 4.4 percent to P38, while Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corp. added 3.2 percent to close at P2.93.

Meanwhile, other Asian markets retreated Tuesday, with Tokyo sinking after the Bank of Japan held fire on fresh monetary stimulus, while energy companies slid following a drop in oil prices.

The Japanese central bank kept its record monetary stimulus unchanged as policymakers digested the impact of the negative interest rates announced in January.

The decision was widely expected, although analysts predict Governor Haruhiko Kuroda and his team will unleash more monetary firepower in the coming months to kick-start Japan’s weak economy.

Tokyo shares closed down 0.68 percent after the announcement, while the yen strengthened against its major peers. “The BoJ will keep a wait-and-see stance for a while,” Yasuhide Yajima, chief economist at NLI Research Institute, told Bloomberg News.

“I expect further easing in July, when prices data will clearly show they’re off target.”

Investors were closely watching the BoJ as concerns mount that central banks are running out of ammunition to boost the sagging world economy.

Last week, the European Central Bank unveiled dramatic new stimulus measures, while US Federal Reserve officials later Tuesday begin a meeting that will be closely watched for clues on whether it will delay raising interest rates.

Financial markets have staged a comeback from their worst start to the year in living memory, but investors are still nervous about signs of weak global growth— particularly in number two economy China.

Chinese stocks fell early Tuesday as news that the central bank fixed the yuan lower against the dollar heightened concerns, after poor economic data was released over the weekend.

With AFP, Bloomberg

Petron’s income doubles to P6.3b

By Alena Mae S. Flores

OIL refiner and distributor Petron Corp. said Tuesday consolidated net income jumped 110 percent in 2015 to P6.3 billion from P3 billion in 2014, despite the slump in global oil prices.

Petron said the significant profit increase was driven by a surge in sales volume, better refining margins and effective risk management.

“Petron beat expectations and posted solid results last year. Low domestic prices and continued growth in the Philippine and Malaysian economies, coupled with our strategic investments, enabled us to reach record-breaking sales volumes,” Petron president Ramon Ang said.

“We are right where we want to be as we continued to grow our business profitably and sustainably,” Ang said.

Petron said all business segments in the

Philippine and Malaysian operations contributed to volume growth as combined sales volumes reached 98 million barrels in 2015, up by 13 percent from 86.5 million barrels in 2014.

Petron increased sales with strong demand coming from reseller, industrial and LPG segments in the Philippine market.

Service station sales grew 11 percent by volume while LPG grew another 16 percent over 2014.

Meanwhile, the company’s rebranding and upgrading program in Malaysia reaped dividends. Retail gasoline volume increased 11 percent year-on-year.

Petron’s revenues fell 25 percent to P360.2 billion in 2015 from P482.5 billion in 2014, mainly because of the 50-percent drop in oil prices.

Benchmark Dubai crude averaged $51 per barrel in 2015, down from $97 in 2014. Dubai crude is currently averaging $30 per barrel.

Petron said the company performance was bolstered by proactive risk management to mitigate the impact of inventory losses and currency depreciation.

The company said despite the weak oil prices in 2015, the differential between crude and

finished products remained strong and the mix of higher value products improved, supporting refining margins which resulted in Petron’s operating income reaching P18.1 billion last year, up 138 percent from P7.6 billion in 2014.

Petron’s sales performance in the Philippines was supported by the initial test run and commissioning of the $2-billion refinery upgrade project in 2015.

Petron’s refinery hit a utilization rate of nearly 90 percent, with an average run of nearly 160,000 barrels per day in the first two months of 2016.

The company also continues to aggressively expand its service station network in both countries to push more profitable domestic sales.

As of end 2015, Petron had over 2,200 stations in the Philippines and another 570 in Malaysia.

“We are definitely on track to deliver better results this year as we reap the benefits of our expansion and upgrading projects. We are well-positioned to take advantage of business opportunities in the downstream oil industry and sustain our growth momentum,” Ang said.

Employment assistance. Aboitiz Power Corp. signs up for the Assist Well, or Welfare, Employment, Legal and Livelihood program of

the Labor Department. Shown is Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz (fourth from left) and other Assist Well partners during the agreement signing and new PhilJobNet media launch at Hive Hotel and Convention Place in Quezon City.

Globe, India’s Airtel team up to offer international calls

By Darwin G. Amojelar GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Tuesday it teamed up with India’s Bharti Airtel Ltd. to offer affordable international calls using mobile app airtel talk.

“We are very excited about this partnership with Airtel as we cement our commitment to help bridge the gap between Filipinos around the world and their loved ones back home through affordable calling services and rates,” Globe senior vice president for international business group Nikko Acosta said.

“Calling remains an effective

means to connect Filipino families with each other and through this collaboration, we are able to offer an affordable calling plan via airtel talk,” he said.

“This is indeed another milestone in the regional telco landscape as two of the biggest telcos converge to give customers another innovative service that gives customers access to unlimited calling at a price within reach,” he said.

Under the partnership, airtel talk users can make unlimited high-quality voice over Internet protocol calls to their Globe and Touch Mobile contacts for $14.99 or P700 for a 30-day period, or P23.30 a day.

“This partnership marks a significant milestone that will enable the Filipino diaspora residing globally to connect with loved ones back in Philippines using airtel talk at affordable rates. airtel talk currently caters to the communication needs of the ethnic diaspora and has launched features like ‘share credit with friends’ that allows users to share calling credit with those who are unable to buy credit due to any reason and ‘call me free’ which enables friends and family to call airtel talk users for free using any airtel landline or mobile,” Ajay Chitkara, director and chief executive of global voice and data business of Airtel

said.

To make unlimited calls to Globe numbers in the Philippines, an airtel talk user should download the airtel talk app, buy a Globe Philippines unlimited calling plan, and use the airtel talk app to call their relatives in the Philippines.

Bharti Airtel is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. The company ranks among the top four mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers.

Bharti Airtel had over 307 million customers across its operations as of end-November 2014.

B4 First Gen rescinds Avion gas plant deal

By Alena Mae S. Flores PRIME Meridian Powergen Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Gen Corp., on Tuesday terminated the turnkey contract with Istroenergo Group a.s., or IEG, and its Philippine branch Energy Project Completion Ltd. to build the 97-megawatt Avion open-cycle natural gas-fired power plant in Batangas.

“The contracts were terminated by PMPC due to IEG/EPC’s failure to comply with their obligations under the contracts, including, but not limited to, delay in completing the works,” First Gen said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

IEG is an engineering contractor based in Slovakia that was engaged by Prime Meridian to construct and commission the Avion plant. The project features General Electric LM6000 PC Sprint aeroderivative gas turbines that have the capability to run on natural gas or liquid fuel.

First Gen said Prime Meridian drew against the various performance securities issued by IEG and EPC amounting to $12.2 million and P146.8 million to complete the outstanding works required to commission the plant.

“During the coming weeks, the Avion plant will undergo further optimization and testing before it will be ready to commence commercial operation,” First Gen said.

Following the termination, First Gen said Prime Meridian was now able to focus on completing the commissioning of Avion plant “and will work directly with suitably qualified contractors as needed.”

The Avion project is being built at a cost of around $100 million to $150 million. It was earlier scheduled to be completed at the end of 2015.

First Gen is also building the 414-MW San Gabriel natural gas project, also in Batangas. The San Gabriel project is estimated to cost around $550 million to $600 million to build.

First Gen president Francis Giles Puno earlier said the output of the power projects would “initially” be sold at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, the country’s electricity trading floor.

Accounting issues. P&A Grant Thornton chair and chief executive Marivic Espano (second from left) receives the certificate of appreciation

from Sergio Cao (extreme left), president and chief academic officer of Manila Tytana College during the 2016 Manila Tytana Academic Conference.

The event is designed to bring together people from academe and other sectors to discuss and interact to better understand timely issues and arrive at informed resolutions of common concerns. Also honored are Winston Padojinog (third from left), president of University of Asia and the Pacific; Francisco Sebastian, vice chairman of Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co.; and Ben Paul Gutierrez, Dean of Cesar EAVirata School of Business, University of the Philippines.

Toyota, Mitsubishi move to join CARS

By Othel V. Campos

Toyota Motors Philippines Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. made official their interest to further invest in the Philippine automotive sector with a separate filing of accreditation to the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy program of the government.

Toyota first vice president for public and corporate affairs Rommel Gutierrez confirmed the company’s application to join the automotive incentives program.

The Philippines’ dominant automotive company committed to produce the Vios model, its best-selling compact sedan in the Philippines.

Mitsubishi also filed an application to join CARS to support the local automotive manufacturing industry.

“Mitsubishi Motors has been engaged in production and sales business in the Philippines for over 50 years. The Philippines

is one of the most important markets for us,” Mitsubishi Japan chairman and chief exectuive Osamu Masuko said in a recent briefing.

“It is indeed a great pleasure for Mitsubishi Motors to be able to contribute to the automotive industry of the Philippines facing a new development phase and also further make contribution to the economic growth of the Philippines even in the slightest terms,” he said.

Mitsubishi earlier said auto manufacturing in the Philippines would require an P4.3 billion in initial capital expenditure.

The investment will include the creation of a new stamping plant and capacity expansion.

The company will enroll the Mirage and Mirage G4 (Attrage in some markets) and start producing the vehicle from the beginning of 2017. Preparations for expanded production began in January 2015.

The company plans two shifts of 50,000 units each in its Sta. Rosa plant to support the increased assembly operations. Mitsubishi is currently producing the L300 and Adventure models in the Philippines.

The company is looking at the huge potential for sales growth, after Philippine market recently reached the stage of motorization with a base of over 100 million

population.

CARS provides fiscal and non-fiscal incentives worth P27 billion to three participating car makers, which are expected to produce at least 200,000 units each over six years.

Participating car companies may start enjoying the incentives on the poroduction of the 100,001th unit.

Car sales jumped 21.7 percent year-onyear in February, sustaining the doubledigit growth in January and putting the automotive industry on track to setting a record sales of 350,000 in 2016.

The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and Truck Manufacturers Association said their members sold 25,150 vehicles in February, up from 20,663 units delivered a year ago. The figures exclude the sales of industry group Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors, which has its own report.

Campi said the February sales were also 5.6 percent higher than the January volume of 23,808 units.

“So far, it has been a good start for the auto industry. Demand for mobility continues and industry players are ready to respond to the needs and demands of consumers” said Campi president Rommel Gutierrez.

BAP’s Tan eyes body to look into money laundering activities OUTGOING Bankers Association of the Philippines president Lorenzo Tan proposed to the incoming board of the group the creation of a committee that will look into counter-terrorist financing and money laundering activities in the country.

Lorenzo, president and chief executive of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said in a statement Tuesday said the industry must face up to the challenge of these activities, which introduced systemic and institutional risk.

“Given this unparalleled menace facing the industry today, I strongly propose to the incoming board and to the members of the association the immediate creation of a BAP Anti-Financial Crime Committee to be headed by a BAP board member with the specific mandate to look into financial crime compliance, anti-money laundering, counterterrorist financing and sanctions screening,” Tan said.

“This is unprecedented and has dire consequences on how we conduct business in our in-

dustry. We need to face up to the challenges which introduce systemic and institutional risk.

We have threats that originate from sources outside of our borders and beyond the reach of Philippine legal jurisdiction.

Threats that require new risk mitigating strategies and creative financial crime preventive tools,” Tan said.

Tan, who was implicated in the bank’s alleged involvement in an $81-million money laundering activity, said the committee should look into all means pos-

sible to help strictly implement relevant laws and regulations, including close coordination with the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

He said the committee should also identify loopholes in existing laws and regulations and lobby hard with legislators, regulators and banks’ governance boards for the needed amendments.

He proposed a comprehensive strategy to prevent similar incidents from recurring, in close coordination with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Anti-money

Laundering Council, Congress, law enforcement agencies and all financial institutions.

He said the industrymust have the singlemindedness for the consistent implementation of policies across all banks and financial institutions.

Tan said all banks must participate and contribute their expertise after the issue highlighted the sector’s vulnerability and exposed the banks’ directors, officers, and employees to compliance, operational and reputational risks. Julito G. Rada

W E D N E S D AY : M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

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

B5

Moveable elections WE can’t blame voters for feeling a bit suspicious about the probability of the elections getting postponed by (at least) three weeks as disclosed by the Commission on Elections. So instead of May 9, we might have the elections sometime in June. Why the feature that would issue receipts had not been installed in previous elections is a subject that our buddies are devoting debate time over, but like they say, that’s already water under the bridge. Many are worried about the implications of a “po-el”— but this is more palatable than a “no-el” because, heaven forbid, it could mean a postponement of the much anticipated departure of the current occupant of Malacañang. The thought was enough to send shivers down our buddies’ spines.

Filipinos being suspicious in nature, many are thinking that the “po-el” could be a bid to set the stage for a yellow victory, what with surveys now purportedly showing the chosen heir of President BS gaining ground and his numbers fantastically going up (although not yet of the leaps-and-bounds category), no longer the cellar dweller. “What gives? Or should I say, how much?” was the incredulous comment of one of our buddies.

Another disturbing thought is the possibility of disenfranchisement of overseas Filipino workers. According to ACTS OFW party list nominee and spokesperson John Bertiz, also lashed out at the Comelec for floating the idea that the April 9 Overseas Absentee Voting scheduled on April 8 would be moved to May 8—or a month of delay.

“The Comelec, by its own ineptitude, will disenfranchise more than a million overseas Filipino voters who could not actively participate in the coming elections,” the party list group said in a statement.

According to Bertiz, they fear a disenfranchisement due to the poll’s body’s “failure to keep up with its constitutional mandate of conducting orderly and credible elections, reminding that the Constitution guarantees that all Filipinos, including those residing or working abroad during election period, are given the same rights as all other Filipinos because they have a stake in running the country’s affairs.”

Why the poll body even has the temerity to consider moving or postponing the elections—both the overseas absentee voting and the regular one—leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth especially because many find the “limited time” excuse being given by the Comelec as inexcusable. Every time they are asked to do something like for example, give their reply to the SC, the commissioners say they are busy with the preparations and have little time to do something else. And yet they had so much time to disqualify Grace Poe, and one of them was so eager to DQ GP that she even wrote the decision posthaste even without the concurrence of the rest of the commissioners, a supporter of the lady senator pointed out. He has a point.

The thing is, the Comelec had plenty if time to prepare for May 2016—to see to it that the elections will be held in a credible and efficient manner with the use of PCOS technology. The thought of delaying or moving or postponing—or even to divert from using the billion-pesos worth of technology is an utter waste of time and hard earned resources of Filipinos including OFWs, the party list group said. Taxpayers’ money was used to pay for this supposedly ‘hi-tech’ solution, in the belief that Comelec is doing its “best” to perform its duties, the group added.

“With less than two months now to election, it will immensely affect the eagerness and determination of the OFWs to participate in shaping the future leadership of the country, just because some people did not do their homework. For them to doubt the credibility of the very institution who is supposed to protect the ‘sanctity’ of their vote is detrimental to their participation in future elections, making mute and void the entire efforts of so many for the Overseas Absentee Voting,” the statement further said.

Venecio “Vano” Legaspi, another nominee of ACTS OFW party list nominee based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, said the sentiments of the OFWs are clearly summarized thus: “We, the OFWs who have taken time to wait in queue for hours just to be able to register and be able to vote, some of us have even traveled from far flung areas of Saudi Arabia so we can personally update our biometrics, we had to take our day off or leave from work to participate and practice our constitutional rights—we are expecting that the Comelec will live up to its moral obligation to conduct the 2016 national election on the duly appointed time without delay.”

It is time for the entire leadership in Comelec to prove to the entire nation that it can work under immense pressure and that the poll body is capable of delivering what is expected of it: ensure that the 2016 National Election pushes ahead as planned, efficiently, with credibility and free from irregularity. So there— absolutely no to “po-el”!

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

Galleon Museum.

A replica of the galleon ships (above) used for trade from the 15th to the 17th centuries will be main feature of the dome-shaped Manila-Acapulco Galleon Museum (below) at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City. MuseodelGaleon Inc. is bringing to life the country’s trade heritage in the third quarter of 2016. Ushered by SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc., a unit of SM Prime Holdings Inc., the ManilaAcapulco Galleon Museum aims to give visitors a detailed history of the 250-year old global trade route where the Philippines and Mexico played major roles.

CEB expects profits on long-haul flights

By Darwin G. Amojelar

GUAM—The operator of Cebu Pacific expects to make profits this year for its long-haul business, with planned expansion of operations in the Middle East and the US. “It’s going to be profitable this year for the long haul operations. We incurred a small net loss last year,” Cebu Air Inc. general manager for long haul division Alex Reyes told reporters after the launch of its Manila-to-Guam flight.

Long-haul business contributes about 12 percent to the total revenue of Cebu Pacific.

Guam is Cebu Pacific’s sixth long-haul destination after Dubai, Sydney, Kuwait, Riyadh and Doha, Qatar.

Passengers flown on Cebu Pacific’s long-haul routes jumped 146 percent in 2015, on the back of increased presence in Australia and the Middle East.

Reyes said Cebu Pacific was the only low-cost carrier operating the Manila-to-Guam route, offering fares at 48 percent lower compared with the other airlines.

The total seat capacity between Manila and Guam is currently at 5,900 per week, on top of the weekly 1,440 seats that will be added to the market by Cebu Pacific.

Reyes also said the airline expects to launch the Manila-toHawaii route as soon as possible.

“As soon as we get all of the approvals in place, we will make an announcement. The hard part for us is matching the slots availability here in Manila as well

as the slots that are available on the other side. That’s always the difficult thing,” Reyes said.

He also said Cebu Pacific was looking at expanding operations in the Middle East, especially in Jeddah and Riyadh.

“Obviously we are interested in adding destinations in Saudi Arabia because of the 1.2 million Pinoys there,” Reyes said.

Reyes said passengers should “expect more travel opportunities from Cebu Pacific” with the arrival of over 40 more brandnew aircraft in the next five years.

CEB expects delivery of three more brand-new Airbus A320, 30 Airbus A321neo and 16 ATR 72-600 aircraft between 2016 and 2021.

Cebu Pacific’s 57-strong fleet is comprised of 8 Airbus A319, 35 Airbus A320, 6 Airbus A330, and 8 ATR 72-500 aircraft.

Cebu Pacific recorded a net income of P3.56 billion in the first nine months of the year, up 71 percent from last year’s P2.08 billion.

National Grid repairs damaged tower

By Alena Mae S. Flores NATIONAL Grid Corp. of the Philippines has completed the repair of Tower 25 along the Agus 2-Kibawe 138kV line in Lanao del Sur over two months after it was bombed by lawless elements.

The facility became inoperational December 24, 2015 after it was bombed and toppled by still unidentified lawless elements.

National Grid said in a statemen repair and restoration was hampered by the refusal of claimants belonging to the Sambitory family to give National Grid access to the tower site.

The restoration of the facility allowed the grid operator to transmit the electricity produced by state-owned Agus 1 and Agus

2 hydro power plants, with a combined installed capacity of 260 megawatts, to the rest of the Mindanao grid.

The restoration of Tower 25 began on March 5 after the court granted a temporary restraining order in favor of National Grid.

“We are very pleased with this development. We have been poised and ready to restore the facility as soon as it was toppled.

All we needed was access to the property. With the court issued injuncion, we were given legal cover to access the transmission facilities and begin restoration,” the company said.

Nineteen transmission towers last year were targeted by lawless elements, resulting in 16 toppled or damaged facilities.

NGCP repeatedly warned the public that the bombings, along with the planting of trees and vegetation underneath transmission lines, continued to aggravate the tenuous power supply situation in the region.

The company stressed the bombings only served to further increase the burden of the public, which must suffer through service interruptions when towers are bombed.

National Grid appealed to the local community and its leaders to help identify the perpetrators of the bombings, and negotiate with uncooperative claimants, who plant trees and vegetation underneath transmission lines, to prevent longer power interruptions.

WEDNESDAY: MARCH 16, 2016

B6 Republic opens new factory in Bulacan

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

Japan’s largest bank upbeat on PH, Asia

By Jenniffer B. Austria

By Julito G. Rada

REPUBLIC Cement, a cement manufacturer owned by Aboitiz Equity Ventures and CRH Plc. of Ireland, said Tuesday it opened a new cement finish mill at its Norzagaray plant in Bulacan, which will boost annual capacity by 850,000 metric tons.

Republic Cement said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the commissioning of the plant would increase the company’s production capacity and support the country’s growing infrastructure needs.

“This capacity expansion initiative reaffirms Republic Cement’s commitment to support our country’s growth through the provision of top quality cement and building materials,” Republic Cement president Renato Sunico said.

Aside from increasing its production capacity, the new plant will also enable the company to produce a broad range of highquality cement products.

Republic Cement said it contracted leading industrial engineering group Fives FCB to build the fully automatic, zero-water spray consumption, energy-efficient and zero-noise pollution FCB Horomill.

The new Horomill adds to the plant’s cement production capacity while also highlighting Republic’s commitment to sustainability with process stability.

It is designed to have low wear rate and to consume less energy, and is seen to decrease the plant’s energy consumption. It can also utilize CO2 neutral cement additives, such as fly ash, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

“More than increasing our plant’s production capacity, this new finish mill also strengthens our company’s sustainability initiatives through the implementation of environmentally responsive manufacturing processes,” Sunico said.

THE Bank of TokyoMitsubishi UFJ Ltd., the largest lender in Japan, said Tuesday the Philippine market will play a vital role to achieve its goal of becoming the top-tiered bank in Asia by 2020.

HHC expansion.

Home Health Care, a pioneer in assisted living facility for seniors, plans more residences in the coming years. Now with six homes in Quezon City and the Las Pinas-Paranaque area, HHC considers putting up branches in the other cities in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. It will hold a seminar on April 15 at the Century Park Hotel in Manila. Shown are HHC president Mary Jean Guno (left) and realtorbusinessman Wilson Lee Flores during a meeting about expansion and tie-ups.

IT jobs offer highest salary; PUP most preferred school

By Othel V. Campos INFORMATION technology topped the list of industries offering the highest compensation and the most number of jobs to fresh graduates, according to a survey by online jobs portal JobStreet. com.

Results of the survey, based on jobs posted on the Web site in October to December 2015, showed that IT and business process outsourcing jobs remained the most in-demand, with 149,753 listings out of the total 262,049 jobs available on the site.

JobStreet.com said graduates of IT courses received the

highest average monthly wage of P22,500 in 2015, an average increase of 0.3 percent from 2014.

Actuarial and legal services degree holders closely followed, with P21,391 and P21,132 in monthly salaries, respectively.

Ranking fourth and fifth among highest paid jobs for new graduates were healthcare and journalism, both with an average pay of at least P19,000.

Completing the Top 10 are jobs in the fields of training and development; quality control/assurance; PR/communications; merchandising; and customer service-related jobs.

Among the most in-demand job trends, jobs in telecommunications came in second with 2,791 in 2015 while retail and merchandising jobs ranked third with 8,131.

The survey, conducted with at least 551 companies from various industries, also showed that companies exhibited a strong preference for new graduates from state-run Polytechnic University of the Philippines, given the graduates’ drive to succeed, reasonable demands and an attitude that shuns personal entitlement.

The University of the Philippines, the most preferred educa-

tion institution in 2014, slid to the third spot and tied with Ateneo de Manila University while the University of Sto. Tomas maintained its ranking at the 2nd spot.

Other preferred universities are Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Far Easter University, De Las Salle University, Technological Institute of the Philippines, Mapua Institue of Technology, University of the East and Adamson University.

The companies with the biggest need for fresh graduates included accounting/finance industries, administrative and marketing.

Go Watanabe, the bank’s managing executive officer and chief executive for Asia and Oceania, said in a news briefing in Makati City the Philippines was a very important market for BTMU. He said the Philippines was the missing part of the bank’s regional expansion, and this was the reason why it acquired a 20-percent stake in Security Bank Corp. in January.

“Our aspiration is to become the top-tiered bank in the region by 2020 and the Philippine market will play a vital role to achieve that goal,” Watanabe said. “We will try to catch up with HSBC, Citibank and Standard Chartered by 2020,” he said.

Watanabe said the Philippines offered a lot of opportunities, given its robust economic growth which was one of the fastest in the region and its population of more than a hundred million.

“The Philippine GDP [gross domestic product] has been growing and based on an organic growth, we see much contribution from the Philippine market to BTMU in the region,” he said.

He said BTMU and Security Bank were willing to participate in the country’s public-private partnership projects through financing, most especially on infrastructure, the lack of which hindered the country’s attainment of full potential.

Watanabe said after its investment in Security Bank, BTMU would expand to India and Indonesia, but he did not give the timetable for the plan. “Maybe one year later, three or 10 years later,” he said.

BTMU acquired 20 percent of Security Bank for P36.9 billion ($782 million), making it the largest investment so far by a foreign financial institution in the Philippines.

Under the strategic partnership agreement, BTMU acquired newly-issued primary shares of Security Bank consisting of 150,707,778 common shares at P245 per share and 200,000,000 preferred shares at P0.10 apiece, or for a total investment of P36.9 billion.

The additional capital infusion from BTMU would be largely allocated to pursue Security Bank’s growth strategies.

W E D N E S D AY : M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Kim orders missile launches SEOUL—North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has ordered a nuclear warhead test and multiple ballistic missile launches, escalating Pyongyang’s face-off with the international community just days after being slapped with tough UN sanctions.

antee” of the warhead’s ability to withstand re-entrya major step in the North’s push towards a genuine ICBM nuclear strike capability.

South Korea’s defense ministry said it was skeptical of the claim.

“According to our military analysis, North Korea has not yet secured re-entry technology,” ministry spokesman Moon SangGyun told reporters.

North Korea has never tested an ICBM, although it has displayed such a missile, known as the KN-08, during recent mass military parades in Pyongyang. AFP

Tuesday’s KCNA report was accompanied by photos of The order came after Kim monitored what was deKim personally monitoring a test simulating the intense scribed as the successful simulated test of the warhead reentry technology required for a long-range nuclear strike heat a nuclear warhead would experience during atmoon the US mainland, the North’s official KCNA news spheric re-entry.

Protected by “newly developed heat-resisting material”, agency said Tuesday. the warhead was reportedly subjected to Military tensions have been soaring on the divided Korean peninsula since the North carried out its fourth nu- thermal flows five times hotter than those LEGAL NOTICE clear test on January 6, followed a month later by a long- associated with ICBM flight.

Notice is hereby The test was a complete success, the given that the estate range rocket launch that was widely seen as a disguised of the late JOSE P. agency said, and provided a “sure guarballistic missile test.

ABEJERO who died intestate has been The UN Security REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES extrajudicially Council responded REGIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION FOR REGIONAL TRIAL COURT settled among his BRANCH 212 earlier this month by heirs as per Doc. MANDALUYONG CITY ADVERTISING imposing its toughest No. 31, Page No. 8, Book No. VII, Series sanctions on North KoINQUIRIES of 2015 by Notary rea to date.

Public Atty. Rogelia Pyongyang, meanJ.Bolivar of Quezon PLEASE City. while, has maintained a daily barrage of nuclear CONTACT US strike threats against ORDER Republic of the Philippines AT both Seoul and WashCITY OF SAN PEDRO ington, ostensibly over Province of Laguna the ongoing, large832-5547 BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE scale South Korea-US or INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID military drills that the PR NO. 2016-0623 North sees as provoca- EMAIL US AT 1.

The City Government of San Pedro, Laguna through the 2016CDC Budget Approved by tive rehearsals for invathe Sangguniang Panglungsodintends to apply the sum of Php 2,000,000.00 being the sion.

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Supply and advertise@ Delivery Mini Dump Truck High Side (Remanufactured). Bids received in excess of In order to boost the the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. thestandard. reliability of the nation’s 2.

The City Government of San Pedro, Laguna now invites bids forthe following: com.ph nuclear deterrent still further, Kim said, a nuclear QTY UNIT DESCRIPTION 2 unit Mini Dump Truck High Side (remanufactured) warhead explosion test Engine: Diesel Engine Displacement: 4,300cc and firings of “several Fuel Tank Capacity: 100liters kinds” of ballistic rockets Tires: 7.00x16r Capacity: 3 Cubic meter loading capacity would be carried out “in a short time”.

Republic of the Philippines Delivery of the Goods is required within thirty (30) days upon receipt of Notice to Proceed.

Bidders should have completed, within two (2) years from the date of submission and “He instructed the relProvince of Bataan receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is evant section to make a Municipality of Dinalupihan contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. prearrangement for them 3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nonto the last detail,” KCNA discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations Procurement of 2 Units Ambulance Vehicle (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement said.

(REBID) Reform Act”.

The order came days GOODS 100-16-02-021 In addition,bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, after state media released or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock 1. The Local Government of Dinalupihan, through LDRFFMF Funds intends to apply photos of Kim posing belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the the sum of Three Million One Hundred Sixteen Thousand Four Hundred Pesos laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant (Php3,116,400.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments with what was claimed to to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138. under the contract for the Procurement of 2 Units Ambulance Vehicle. Bids received be a miniaturized nuclear in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from City Government of San Pedro, warhead capable of fitting Laguna and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8:30AM to 2. The Local Government of Dinalupihan now invites bids for Procurement of 2 Units on a ballistic missile.

9:30 AM only.

Ambulance Vehicle. Delivery of the goods is required on April 15, 2016. Bidders should have completed, within two (2) from the date of submission and receipt of Meeting with her cabiOffice of the BAC Secretariat bids, a contract similar to the Project equivalent to at least fifty percent (50%) of the 4/f Conference Rm. net ministers on Tuesday, ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, City Administrator’s Office South Korean President particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna Park Geun-Hye said 3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on North Korea’s endless non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and thedate, time and address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Bidding Documents in the amount of Php 5,000.00. threats reflected a “sense Procurement Reform Act”. of crisis” in Pyongyang at ISSUANCE OF ELIGIBILITY AND March 8 - 23, 2016 BIDDING DOCUMENTS: 8:30AM – 9:30AM its increasing diplomatic 4. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock BAC Secretariat and economic isolation. belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country 4/f Conference Rm. the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, City Administrator’s Office “If North Korea continCity Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138. ues its provocations and Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before the specified date and time. All confrontation with the 5. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Bids and Awards Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the Committee and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during international community amount stated in ITB Clause 18. office hours at eight o’clock in the morning to five o’clock in the afternoon. and does not walk the path DEADLINE OF SUBMISSION OF ELIGIBILITY March 23, 2016 6. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on of change, it will walk the REQUIREMENTS AND OPENING OF BIDS: 10:00 AM March 10-17, 2016 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee BAC Secretariat for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (Php 5,000.00). path of self-destruction,” 4/f Conference Rm. Park said.

City Administrator’s Office 7. Pre-bid Conference will be held on March 16, 2016 at 11:00 in the morning at BAC City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna nd While North Korea is Office 2 Floor Municipal Bldg, Dinalupihan, Bataan known to have a small 8. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before March 18, 2016 at 11:00 in Bid opening shall be on the same date and time for deadline of submission of eligibility requirements and submission of bids and shall be conducted at the Office of the BAC stockpile of nuclear weapthe morning. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable Secretariat. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. choose to attend at the address given above. Late bids shall not be accepted. ons, its ability to deliver them accurately to a chosen Bid opening shall be on March 18, 2016 at 11:00 in the morning at BAC Office 2nd 6. TheCity Government of San Pedro, Lagunaassumes no responsibility whatsoever to Floor Municipal Bldg, Dinalupihan, Bataan. Bids will be opened in the presence of compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their target on the tip of a ballistic the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids bid. missile has been a subject of shall not be accepted.

Further, City Government of San Pedro, Laguna, reserves the right to accept or reject heated debate.

9. The LGU of Dinalupihan reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract There are many quesbidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. tion marks over the North’s 7. For further information, please refer to: weapons delivery systems, For further information, please refer to: Mr. Merlin B. Paala with many experts believOffice of the BAC Secretariat AMELITA E. PEÑAFLOR ing it is still years from de- (SGD) San Pedro City Hall BAC Chairman San Pedro, Laguna veloping a working inter- San Ramon, Dinalupihan, Bataan Telefax No. 847.1722 continental ballistic missile (SGD) ARCELI SAMSON (signed) ENGR. FILEMON I. SIBULO that could strike the conti- BAC Secretariat Chairman San Ramon, Dinalupihan, Bataan nental United States.

Bids and Awards Committee

ERRORS & OMISSIONS

IN RE: PETITION FOR CORRECTION OF ENTRY IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH OF VAUGHN JOSEPH PUNONGBAYAN SALAZAR AND CANCELLATION OF THE FIRST CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH OF VAUGHN JOSEPH PUNONGBAYAN SALAZAR, JOSEPH TAWATAO LISING, JR., Petitioner, -versus-

SP. PROC. NO. MC16-9813

OFFICE OF THE CIVIL REGISTRAR OF THE CITY OF MANDALUYONG AND THE NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE, Respondents x-----------------------------------------------------------x

In Classified Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published. We will not be responsible for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

( T S - M A R . 16 , 2 3 , 3 0 , 2 016)

Raffled to this court on February 23, 2016 is the instant Petition instituted by Joseph Tawatao Lising, Jr. seeking for, (a) the cancellation of the Certificate of Live Birth registered on June 6, 2003, with Registry No. 2003 3437 under the name of Vaughn Joseph Punongbayan Salazar; and (b) retention and correction of the Certificate of Live Birth registered on June 25, 2003, with Registry No. 2003 3809 under the name of Vaughn Joseph Punongbayan Salazar by causing the complete name of the latter to appear as ‘Vaughn Joseph Salazar Lising”, the first name being “Vaughn Joseph”, the middle name being “Salazar” and the last name being “Lising”.

Finding the instant Petition and all the annexes attached in support of its allegations to be sufficient both in form and substance, let the Petition be heard on May 16, 2016 at 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon before this court located at the 2nd Floor, Old Building, Mandaluyong City Hall, Mandaluyong City.

Notice is hereby given to anyone who has objection relative to this Petition to state his/her grounds thereto.

Accordingly, let this Order be published at the expense of the Petitioner in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines to be raffled at the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Mandaluyong City, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks.

Finally, Petitioner is hereby directed to cause service of this Order together with a copy of the Petition and its annexes upon the National Statistics Office, the Office of the Civil Registrar of Mandaluyong City, the Office of the Solicitor General, and the Office of the City Prosecutor of Mandaluyong City.

SO ORDERED. Mandaluyong City, Philippines February 24, 2016.

(Sgd.)RIZALINA T. CAPCO-UMALI Judge COPY FURNISHED:

ATTY. TIBERIO U. PRADO Counsel for the Petitioner 98 H. Bautista Street, Concepcion Uno, Marikina City

RTC-OCC Mandaluyong City

OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL

OFFICE OF THE CITY PROSECUTOR Mandaluyong City

THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR Mandaluyong City

NATIONAL STATISTIC OFFICE 3/F Vibal Building, Times Street, Corner EDSA, Quezon City

(TS - MAR. 16,23, & 30, 2016)

( TS- M A R , 16 , 2 0 1 6 )

(TS-MAR. 16, 2016)

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD HK maids in ‘forced labor’ HONG KONG—Tens of thousands of foreign maids in Hong Kong are in “forced labor”, according to a new report that is fueling a growing criticism of the city’s treatment of its army of domestic workers.

Myanmar has first civilian president NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar— Myanmar’s lawmakers Tuesday elected a close aide and longtime friend of Aung San Suu Kyi to become the first civilian president in decades, a historic moment for the formerly juntarun nation.

Htin Kyaw, 69, hailed his elevation to the top post as “Suu Kyi’s victory”, a clear nod to her plan that he serve as a proxy for the Nobel laureate who is constitutionally barred from becoming president.

MPs erupted into applause after the result was announced following a lengthy ballot count by hand in the capital Naypyidaw, in which Htin Kyaw took 360 of 652 votes cast.

Myanmar is undergoing a dramatic transformation from an isolated and repressed pariah state to a rapidly opening aspiring democracy.

Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won a thumping victory at elections in November, allowing her party to dominate Myanmar’s two legislative houses.

But the military remains a powerful force and has refused to change a clause in the juntaera constitution that bars her from the presidency.

The veteran activist has instead vowed to rule “above” the next leader. Her choice of Htin Kyaw is seen as a testament to her absolute faith in his loyalty.

“This is sister Aung San Suu Kyi’s victory,” the newly elected president told reporters after the vote. “Thank you.” AFP

Opening night. Actress Jenn Lyon attends the ‘Hold On To Me Darling’ opening night-after

party at The Gallery at The Dream Downtown Hotel on March 14, 2016, in New York City. AFP

The study by the Justice Center estimates that one in six, or 50,000 of Hong Kong’s more than 300,000 migrant domestic workers mainly from Indonesia and the Philippines fell into the “forced labor” category.

Its findings come after a report by the UN Committee Against Torture in December urged Hong Kong authorities to reform the laws in order to protect the victims of forced labor and trafficking.

The plight of the city’s domestic workers was also thrown into the international spotlight by the highprofile abuse case of Indonesian maid Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, whose Hong Kong employer received a six-year jail sentence last year.

The new report defined forced labor as employment for which the worker had not been recruited freely, was not doing the job freely, or could not walk away from work.

Fourteen percent of those in forced labor had been trafficked into the city, it said.

“Hong Kong must come clean and acknowledge these problems. It can no longer afford to sweep them under the carpet,” said Piya Muqit, executive director of Justice Center, a non-profit rights group.

“Current regulations can actually increase the vulnerability of workers to exploitation and victims face very real barriers in seeking assistance and justice,” she said.

The debt incurred by unscrupulous employment agencies both in Hong Kong and the workers’ home countries also played a major role in trapping workers in their jobs, the report found.

“Forced labor does not always involve physical violence. There are many tools of coercion and deception,” said Victoria Wisniewski Otero, coauthor of the study that interviewed more than 1,000 workers.

One Indonesian maid named Indah told researchers she felt she had no choice but to continue working because of the debt she had incurred.

She also said she had no access to her passport, which was being held by her employer.

The study found migrant domestic laborers worked an average 70-hour week and more than a third were not given the full 24-hour rest period required under Hong Kong law.

The report called on the Hong Kong government to review legislation, improve workers’ living and working conditions, and penalize agencies that overcharge. AFP

Australia is gripped in endless summer SYDNEY—A heatwave has Australia gripped in a seemingly endless summer, with a run of recordbreaking temperatures even as autumn officially begins.

The Bureau of Meteorology has said the abnormal conditions were affecting almost the entire country in early March, the month that marks the start of autumn.

A lack of rain and cooler winds left the east coast suffering a prolonged stretch of hot and humid weather, it said in a special climate statement released on Friday.

Bureau climatologist Blair Trewin said Tuesday the heat was consistent with the “well-estab-

lished warming trend in long-term average temperatures” in Australia and globally.

“With overall warming average temperatures you would expect to see more warm extremes and fewer cold extremes and that’s exactly what we are seeing,” Trewin told AFP. The bureau said the extreme phase of the national heatwave ended around March 9-10, but the temperatures remained generally above average.

On the east coast, Sydney continued to sweat with its Observatory Hill post notching up a record 39 consecutive days of the temper-

ature reaching 26 degrees Celsius (79F) or above.

The previous record was 19 days set in March 2014.

“Sydney also had a record run of nights above 20 (Celsius),” said Trewin. “They had a run of 25 nights in a row above 20 which was terminated this morning by the narrowest possible margin it was 19.9.”

Trewin said it was too early to say whether this would be the nation’s hottest March, but a number of records had already been smashed with the temperatures running 10 degrees above average in some areas. AFP

Airlifting. The statue of the Archangel Michael, airlifted from the top of Mont Saint-Michel Abbey by a helicopter, is placed on the ground on March 15, 2016. The Center for National Monuments removed the statue, which also acts as a lightning rod, as part of the project to restore the lightning rod device. 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

H oME & L I v ING

LIFE Kristel Blancas Bahandi

Atelier sideboard

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Maze Cala high chair with pillow

REImAgInED TRADITIOnS PhiliPPine exhibitors to showcase Products in international furniture fair

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our established manufacturers and an upcoming designer from different regions in the Philippines will highlight Philippine craft in the April 2016 edition of Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan to be presented by the Center for International Trade and Exhibitions (CITEM) under the theme Alchemy.

Every material crafted from each industry showcases not just Filipino ingenuity but narratives of the creators seen in the details of their products that are veritable works of art. “The Philippines is in a historical moment, and it can take off by setting the fundamentals in a proper way. To do so, I need to look at not only the future but also where it comes from. It’s good to check our history and path to understand where we stand right now,” shares Carlo Cordaro, Italian-born owner of Atelier from Cebu, and a regular participant at the Salone Internazionaledel Mobile.

Carlo creates a marriage of the old and the new to his furniture designs that are almost reminiscent of the retro era, but done in classically designed colors using wood as the primary material and incorporating palm to add texture to the furniture.

“I want to establish the beauty of natural materials which when combined with techniques and skills, meet the benchmarks of good design,” says Carlo.

Another participant whose works are almost masterpieces of art when worn or displayed at home is the maker of Zacarias, designer Rita Nazareno who is also creative director Continued on C3

Maze chair

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

fire prevention month: exercising common sense

Help keep your home, neighborhood and community safe from fires by practicing safety tips

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arch is “Fire Prevention Month” in the Philippines not only because this month almost always has the most number of fire incidents all over the country, but because of Proclamation 115-A promulgated in 1966. The proclamation was issued to promote “safety consciousness among our people every day of the year as a positive preventive approach to a problem that can be solved by more caution, vigilance, sobriety, exercise of common sense and respect for the law.”

Then as now, the above makes sense.

Ask anyone and they’d tell you it is better for thieves to ransack their homes than for a fire to raze their abode to the ground. It’s rather unfortunate that “the exercise of common sense” is something that people forget, with reports that most fire incidents in the Philippines are caused by neglected appliances aside from faulty electrical wiring. We’ve heard of people turning on the gas stove to heat up leftover food and then promptly forgetting about it as they get so absorbed in the telenovela they are watching – a recipe for disaster.

Admittedly, most people use electrical equipment to prepare food, cool off and get some respite from the scorching temperature and of course, entertain themselves. If these appliances are abused or neglected, they can overheat and start a fire. Thus, taking safety precautions cannot be overemphasized to prevent fires in homes, offices, and communities.

Solane, a leading solutions company, provides the following steps to prevent fire accidents:

Use electronic appliances wisely

Turn off and unplug electronic devices and fixtures when not in use. Aside from conserving energy, this will also prevent a power surge and overheating of appliances.

Also, do not overcrowd electric outlets or extension sockets to protect the wiring against overheating.

check electrical installations

Have a professional inspect the household electrical wiring regularly for damaged cord and burned wiring. If they find anything that’s faulty, have it replaced with new cords and wiring. Don’t try to be a wiseass (or a skinflint) by trying to repair or replace the damage yourself (especially if you do not have any electrical know-how) just to save a few measly pesos because the consequences would be far more costly.

Dispose of UseD matchsticks anD cigarette bUtts properly

Whether you are inside the house or outdoors, do not carelessly toss away used matchsticks, cigarettes, and recently used ashtrays without making sure that their glowing embers are completely gone. The rule of thumb is if the item is too hot for you to touch with your finger, it is too hot to be thrown away. Do not smoke or light a match near flammable objects, like gas cylinders, gasoline and paint thinner. Better yet, do not smoke, period. And if there are children and pets around, make sure that the matches, lighters and cigarettes are out of reach.

keep combUstible materials away from soUrces of fire

Keep the stove a safe distance from fire-catching materials such as mitts, plastic utensils, curtains, and cooking oil.

If you need to light a candle (in case of brownouts), use a candleholder or put the candle on a suitable candle base in a place where it is out of reach of children. Make sure to blow off the candle after use and that its wick ember is no longer glowing before leaving the room.

keep an eye on yoUr cooking

The most common reason for home fires is unattended cooking, so when using the stove or other cooking equipment, stay in the kitchen and be alert. If you need to leave for a few minutes, check the

March is Fire Prevention Month but people should be safety conscious the whole year round

pot or pan regularly and use a timer. If you are frying or sautéing, heat the oil slowly to the suitable temperature then add the food gently in the pan so the oil won’t splatter. Make sure the oil is not too hot so it won’t catch fire. If you see wisps of smoke or smell the oil burning, turn the burner off then carefully remove the pan from the burner.

In the event that the cooking oil catches fire, slide the lid over the pan, turn off the burner, and let the pan cool for a long time. Important note: Do not panic and throw water on the burning oil – because the water will only cause the burning oil to splash and spread the grease fire.

get high qUality lpg for safe anD reliable bUrning

If your use LPG for cooking and heating, make sure to get a brand that provides good

combustion and rapid heat production. Of course, the LPG should be manufactured according to the highest standards. When requesting a LPG tank refill, ensure that the new tank is not defective.

There’s so much more that can be done to help fireproof your home and keep your neighborhood and community safe from fire accidents. By being proactive and prepared today, you can prevent and stop a costly tragedy not only this March but all year round.

Solane LPG provides safe, clean and reliable burning fuel for home and business needs. It also comes with the exclusive 7-point Safety Check service to ensure the proper handling and storage of the LPG tank. For more information, call the Solane Hatid Bahay Hotline at 8875555 or 0918-8875555.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

CEMEX Philippines introduces SHIELD or Safety and Health Initiative for Enablers, Leaders, and Doers Program to promote the importance of health and safety to its customers’ frontliners and contractors

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Part of SHIELD’s safety practices is installing first-aid cabinets equipped with medical essentials in almost 100 hardware stores nationwide

The saFeTy shield oF ConsTruCTion indusTry

ement manufacturer and building solutions expert CEMEX Philippines extends its health and safety values to its retail and institutional partners through its SHIELD Program.

The recently launched SHIELD, or Safety and Health Initiatives for Enablers, Leaders and Doers Program, promotes safety initiatives to its customers’ hardware store employees and contractors through its various projects. It provided the frontliners with a Health Wallet that comes with preloaded value which can be redeemed in the form of medical services, including consultation and check-up, among others.

In addition to the Health Wallets,

CEMEX also installed first-aid cabinets quipped with medical essentials ready to be used by store employees anytime in nearly 100 hardware stores nationwide. The company, through its SHIELD Program, furnished construction worksites with essential safety signages as well.

“When you’re in the business of supplying construction materials, how you take care of your people says a lot about the quality of products that you have,” remarked CEMEX Philippines marketing manager Jen Valenzuela.

She added, “Even more so than providing excellent service, it is our lifelong commitment and responsibility to ensure the health and safety of our community.”

CEMEX proactively trains its employees and contractors to become safety leaders who will promote high safety standards and best practices in the construction industry and in communities where it operates. The wearing of Personal Protective Equipment and practicing necessary caution are strictly implemented by the company especially among its contractors.

Like SHIELD, the company’s other programs aim to make safety a part of its employees’ everyday lives. These initiatives include the regular wellness programs for workers and their families, the Ligtas 24-Oras Program, and Listo Tayo! Road Safety Campaign for children which has already educated over 10,000 students in the Philippines.

“As a company which upholds a culture of commitment to responsible and safe operations, CEMEX aims to lead the way towards practicing the highest level of safety standards in the construction industry and encourage our partners and customers to do the same,” said CEMEX marketing officer Camille Ladores.

CEMEX Philippines is the manufacturer of the first eco-labeled cement brands in the country including Island Portland Cement, Rizal Portland Super, Rizal Masonry Cement, APO Portland Premium, APO Portland Cement, APO Masonry Cement, Palitada King and APO Pozzolan. For more information, visit www.cemexphilippines.com.

Enjoy Big Home Sales at SM Home this March When was the last time you bought new bed sheets or linens for your bedroom? Sometimes we head for the nearest clothes section rather than buy something for our home. Well, unless you’re one of the titas who loves home furnishings more than anything else in the department store.

From today until March 20, SM Home is giving 50 percent off on selected items – a great reason to head to their Home Furnishings Fair rather than your usual department store stopover. Get discounts on selected items like storage, organizers, kitchenware, glassware, linen and décor items. The wife would love anything for the bedroom, while big sister would certainly appreciate if you give back

REIMAgINED TRADITIoNS From C1

of the family-owned business, S.C. Vizcarra handicraft factory. Her designs highlight the use of wicker and her pieces embodies the brand’s forward thinking thrust when it comes to the design. While staying true with the traditional wicker manufacturing, her products exude contemporary bold designs.

In another part of the Philippines, Maze president Judith Maranang heralds creations from Pampanga where crafts such as woodcarving, metalwork and weaving thrive. Maze showcases products that are rich in heritage yet apt for the modern

her sandok (ladle) from the condo, or maybe it’s time to give Tita (who keeps urging you to take home food when you visit) a new Pyrex glass. Check out big discounts on beddings, towels, as well as furniture items like bed frames and mattresses from a variety of local and international brands.

Change your bed sheets and linens today as SM Home slashes 50 percent on its bedroom furnishings and other selected home items

Items on sale are of limited stocks and availability still depends on the branch.

Visit your favorite SM Home store right now located in SM Department stores nationwide. Check out the other items on the official SM Home website, www. smhome.com.ph. Follow SM Home on facebook.com/SMHome, Instagram @smhome and on Twitter @SMHome_Ph. Enjoy your gift giving! times especially with its contemporary use of details in its design. The company’s collection for Salone Internazionale Del Mobile will also feature a sustainable material, Permacane, a unique, patented rattan multi-layer lamination and cladding technology developed by Eduardo Yrezabal, who forged an exclusive partnership with Maze for Permacane’s use in furniture and décor pieces.

Another Pampanga homegrown brand will showcase its design for the trade – A. Garcia Crafts. Since 1989, the company has become a leading home sector brand catering to mainly buyers from the US and local clients. For this year, Alex Garcia and his son, Andy, see the fair as a good avenue to create more exposure for their brand. They’ve prepared a series of outdoor furniture made from metal and plastic.

The youngest exhibitor of the batch is CITEM’s Red Box awardee, Kit Blancas, a magna cum laude graduate from the University of Santo Tomas who obtained a degree in Interior Design in 2011. Armed with acquired skills through her tenures at Manila’s prestigious design houses and garnered praise for her commitment to advocacies such as sustainable practice and heritage preservation, as well as recognition for her interior and product design projects, Kit is set to woo the trade with resin-based creations.

Alchemy will be displayed at Pavilion 12 Stand F08 this April at Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan.

Zacarias Monolith and Bitzer Table Mushroom Lamp

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

S.O.S.: Save Our SpaceS T

his year’s Oscars was an amazing triumph for Leonardo DiCaprio and all his fans, including me. I remember CaleidosCope the exact moment he won. My friends World and I were glued to by cal tavera the television set and texting each other in anticipation during the Best Actor in a Leading Role category. When they FINALLY announced his name for best actor, everyone in the venue stood up, clapping for this long overdue victory. I am pretty sure viewers were screaming in their own homes and jumping for joy. I know my girlfriends did, telling me they felt it was like they won the award themselves.

What resonated with me after the ceremony was what the actor included in his speech. He seized the opportunity to promote his passion for a cause and what better time to do it? In case you were really, really busy and live in a home with no television, this was what he mentioned: “Making The Revenant was about man’s relationship to the natural world. A world that we collectively felt in 2015 as the hottest year in recorded history. Our production needed to move to the southern tip of this planet just to be able to find snow. Climate change is real. It is happening now.”

This Saturday, the world will be participating in Earth Hour, where we simply have to switch off our lights for an hour from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. as a symbolic act to honor the planet. It originated in Australia in 2007 and since then, the idea has increased in popularity, touching more than 7,000 cities and towns in over 150 countries globally.

It is a simple act for each individual or company but one that the campaign hopes is the beginning of creating a more sustainable world. It is a gentle reminder that we have to take care of our environment. Even in our simple, humble ways, we can take baby steps towards this, and I took the liberty of sharing some of my actions that we can easily incorporate into our homes and daily lives.

1. During the night, the whole household is asleep and we no longer need any light to do any work. I switch everything off except a couple of LED lights in case anyone wanted to go to the kitchen for a glass of water. This is so simple, anyone can apply this right away.

2. I live in a three-bedroom condominium and we used to cool two of the bedrooms with air conditioning. Three years ago, my bill would reach almost P8,000 monthly. The last two years however, we decided to take advantage of the wind that is present in our level to cool us and used electric fans. Because of this change in lifestyle, we didn’t need to use our duvets and comforters anymore which equates to less washing and water. If it really is too hot to do this and you need the air-conditioner, just use a timer so it stops after a certain hour.

3. As much as possible, I maximize the natural light present in my home. I love the sun and personally, everything looks better with natural light. I do not switch on those lights unless it is absolutely necessary which is around 5:45 p.m. when the sun goes down. We have a balcony so I sometimes use candles if I want dinner al fresco style with some ambience. Haha! It is also an excuse to make things more romantic with your partner. When you plan to use candles, make sure to shop for soy candles or 100 percent beeswax candles which happen to be non-toxic and smoke free. These natural products are carbon neutral.

Aside from saving the earth, it also saved me some money. For the past two years, my Meralco bill now ranges from P1,300 to P1,800 monthly.

That is a huge change from paying the previous P8,000 a month. I hope my personal story inspired you that it can be done and being conscious of the environment can start today. As Leonardo DiCaprio says, “It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating.”

Follow me on Instagram @cal_tavera

Soy candles or those made of beeswax are gentler to the environment

Save our Earth

Use natural light to save on electricity

Take advantage of our natural light

wEDnES DAy : m A RcH 16, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

(From left) ABS-cBn Publishing managing director mark yambot, ABS-cBn Publishing president Ernie Lopez, and The wrong message author Queen Elly

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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Jenny Ruth Almocera a.k.a. Queen Elly to her fans

Author picks ‘it’s showtime’ hAshtAg member As book cover model

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wrong message is a “social serye” that revolves around a love story expressed through a series of text messages and “emojis”

ueen Elly, author of the hit romantic online story Vince and Kath, is ready to make waves beyond social media as she debuts her first book on ABSCBN Publishing The Wrong Message.

Touted as a ‘social serye’ book, it revolves around a love story expressed through a series of text messages and “emojis” and attempts to answer the question, “can love begin with a wrong message?”

The story follows Elise, a sophomore college student who bravely sends an “I love you” text message to her long time crush Manuel.

But, Manuel doesn’t receive Elise’s profession of love.

It turns out that a stranger named Gab receives the message for Manuel. As Gab’s girlfriend discovers Elise’s text, Gab and his girlfriend fight and breakup, making Elise feel guilty for the wrong message she sent.

The Wrong Message is the first book launched by ABS-CBN Publishing this year.

At the recent book launch at National Book Store Trinoma, hundreds of fans eagerly waited in line to grab the chance to meet and greet Queen Elly and It’s Showtime Hashtag member Ronnie Alonte personally handpicked by the author to be her book cover model.

Queen Elly, who in real-life is 21-year-old Jenny Ruth Almocera, shot to fame earlier

KAPuSo AgEncy PARTnERS ExPERIEncE ‘LIP Sync BATTLE PHILIPPInES’ Lip Sync Battle Philippines host Michael V. and the show’s color commentator Iya Villania awarded the prizes to the winners of GMA Network’s special edition of Lip Sync Battle for its partner agencies at the star-studded 2016 GMA Thanksgiving Party.

The winning team from Mediaforce Vizeum Philippines composed of Sidney Juachon, Maria Gorospe and Klariz Floro received P1 million pesos worth of ploughback and P70,000.00 in cash.

The group from mediaforce, along with the other finalists, Starcom mediavest and Zenith optimedia, on the set of “Lip Sync Battle Philippines”

The group from Mediaforce, along with the other finalists, Starcom Mediavest and Zenith Optimedia, also recently visited the set of Lip Sync Battle Philippines, where they had the opportunity to witness the new Kapuso show live.

Meanwhile, Lip Sync Battle Philippines debuted to high TV ratings on Feb. 27, garnering a 25.6 percent household rating in Mega Manila based on Nielsen TV Audience Measurement data.

In the pilot episode, Dennis Trillo was the first winner after engaging in a showstopping showdown with My Husband’s Lover co-actor Tom Rodriguez.

Last Saturday, the local adaptation of the popular US program paired Aljur Abrenica and Kris Bernal, delighting their fans and with Aljur claiming the Lip Sync Champion Belt.

Lip Sync Battle Philippines airs every Saturday on GMA after Pepito Manaloto.

this year with the love story of Vince and Kath that she wrote and posted on Facebook that quickly went viral.

The newest Kapamilya author even shared with ABS-CBNnews.com that prior to Vince and Kath she occasionally wrote short stories based on personal experiences. She also draws inspiration for ‘kilig’ lines from her imagination and her friends’ love stories.

Queen Elly’s The Wrong Message follows a string of successful releases last year by ABSCBN Publishing including Stupid Is Forevermore and Besties, among others.

It is exclusively available iat all National Book Store branches nationwide at P125.00.

‘masters of Illusions’ captivating audiences in Asia Originally performed at the Magic Castle in Hollywood back in the early 2000, Masters of Illusion was revived for regular airing on television.

Featuring some of the best magicians in the world, each episode is a visual treat. Whatever your brand of magic is, the show has something for you. See mentalists, illusionists, and escape artists, just to name a few. Relive your love for this classic entertainment that’s full of modern twists.

Viewers should brace themselves for mind-boggling illusions, amazing sleight of hand, breath-taking escapes and even laugh out loud comedy routines.

Hosted by Dean Cain, Master of Illusions airs weeknights at 7:55 p.m. first and exclusive on Sony Channel.

Sony Channel is seen on SKYCable Channel 35, Cignal Digital TV Channel 60, Destiny Cable Channel 62, Cable Link Channel 39.

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charo Santos-concio with SKy chief operating officer march Ventosa and the SKy management team

The Voice Philippines’s Darren Espanto and morissette Amon during the second day “Sky Alive!” end

ABS-cBn’s charo Santos-concio with her granddaughters Julia and Talia, and SKy chief operating officer march Ventosa (left)

charo Santos-concio and granddaughters Julia and Talia with a model as Daenerys Targayen of HBO’s Game of Thrones at the iron throne display

In TV EnTERTaInmEnT, Sky IS ThE lImIT

m

ingle with the walking subscribers. And as part of our dead, sit on the iron goal to reach more people outthrone of Westeros, side Metro Manila, we have inbe a CNN anchor or a wIThOuT troduced a new and affordable Myx VJ for a day, or just take a product to give people a better wang2 selfie with your favorite cartoon cable experience,” SKYCable nIckIE wang characters. There were many acexecutive Joseph Russ Regaspi tivities SKYCable Corporation, told The Standard during the ABS-CBN cable and broadband event at Mall of Asia’s SMX Conarm, prepared for the attendees vention Center in Pasay City. to the first and biggest experiential cable He added that the theme park-inspired cable fair held over the weekend. fair was divided into several zones that can meet Dubbed as “SKY Alive!,” it’s the culmina- anyone’s entertainment requirements. tion of Sky’s 25th anniversary celebration.

The cable fair showcased general entertainThis two-day event brought together some ment, kids, learning, movies, lifestyle, sports, of the world’s highly in demand program- and the special Kapamilya zones, where atming networks to showcase an interactive tendees took part in interactive games and display of content, ranging from well-loved took home gifts and surprises prepared by hits to the latest season of top-rating shows. the different participating cable channels of “SKY has established itself as a pioneer- SKY. Indeed, the cable company made it a ing leader in digital cable TV. For 25 years, one-stop hub of entertainment’s best gatherwe have been constantly innovating to ing the biggest brand on cable TV scene unprovide the best experience for our valued der one roof. Participating channels include

cROSSwORD puzzlE 41 42 43 44 45 48 52

answer PreVIOUs PUZZLe

ACROSS 1 Muppet grouch 6 k.d. — of music 10 Mosquito, to us 14 Ambergris source 15 Livy’s route 16 James or Kett 17 Vikings 18 Average (hyph.)

19 Attention-getter 20 Victorian, e.g.

21 Physicist’s spring?

(2 wds.)

24 Avoids roadwork 26 Saffron dish 27 Homey dessert 28 Fix a manuscript 30 Censor 33 Dangerous 34 IBM and GE 37 Tall tale 38 Medicinal plants 39 No — luck!

40 Bellwether’s mate

Mares’ offspring Dock Blunts Pen brand Scale Puzzling things Cross your fingers (3 wds.)

55 Lauper’s “— Bop” 56 Town east of Wichita 57 Be different 58 Ruhr Valley city 60 Eaves locale 61 “Beowulf,” e.g.

62 Fields of study 63 Car-loan figs.

64 Nerve network 65 Coffee and steamed milk DOWN 1 Bought 2 Water’s edge 3 Gem weight 4 Hirt and Gore 5 Supply new gear 6 Kudrow and Bonet 7 Nefertiti’s god 8 Snug retreat 9 Sea basses 10 Rang out 11 Lucy’s sidekick 12 Amazing bargain 13 Florida bay

TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2016

22 23 25 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 38 39 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 53 54 59

Ending for depart Countless Undo Titles like Tarzan’s Playing marbles Casual farewell Order’s partner Sooner than Pull through Mongrel Fall mo.

Quiet sound Postpone (2 wds.)

Dry wines Bad mood So what?

(2 wds.)

Coffee choices Library sect.

Filmmaker — Kurosawa Eavesdrop Use crayons “Ulysses” writer Resource Plains harvest Intuit Where hackles rise Legal document Tijuana “Mrs.”

ABS-CBN HD, ABS-CBN Cable Channels, HBO, FOX, AXN, Discovery Channel, History Channel, Cartoon Network, and RTL CBS Entertainment.

a family affair

Families had the chance to have meet and greet sessions with their favorite celebrities and VJs from Myx and MTV, join kid-friendly art sessions, take selfies with mascots and cosplayers, take part in interactive games, and feast on food offered by the participating cable channels.

For the second day, ASAP20 stars Erik Santos, Angeline Quinto, Morisette Amon, Jed Madela, and Darren Espanto came in full-force to entertain the crowd singing big pop hits. It’s Showtime’s Hashtags, the allmale dance group regular of the noontime show, was also there to fire up the stage.

Families who love the art of cosplay took their “family goals” to a whole new level by joining the “SKY Alive” cosplay craze contest.

Joining those in costume was Kapamilya star and former Your Face Sounds Familiar celebrity contestant Myrtle Sarrosa who came in full cosplay gear at the Hero booth. Meanwhile, Sharlene San Pedro and Jairus Aquino also roamed around to take photos with cosplayers.

Family members, or even the entire family who came as their favorite TV or movie characters, won cash and cool rewards from the cable company.

For game show enthusiasts, AXN’s Cash Cab Philippines gave them a chance to enter the actual popular Cash Cab, play the role of contestants of the only mobile game show in the country. For music enthusiasts, Myx channel allowed them to join the open karaoke booth while RTC CBS had a mock recording studio where aspiring recording artists recorded their performance.

“SKY Alive!” was open to the public on March 12 and 13. The event was free for all SKY subscribers.

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YOung muSIcIAnS’ cOnDucTIng REcITAL

oung musicians Francis Concio, Toma Cayabyab, and Ejay Yatco performed with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra for their conducting recital after their three-day conducting workshop with Gerard Salonga to harness their skills in leading an orchestra.

Handpicked by the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra to train with Salonga, the three young musicians were exposed to learn the right skills and attitude in conducting as part of ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra’s mission to train potential young musicians to become the country’s next top conductors.

Salonga said their small-scale conducting workshop was conceived after their search for an assistant conductor a few months ago did not work out. “There’s obviously a chance that this could happen again and we can do a less extensive but more time appropriate workshop,” he remarked.

He furthered that interested people who want to be part of a conducting workshop need to possess basic qualities such as “understanding the basic conducting technique, mastering an instrument, and having a historical and theoretical background of music.”

Concio, Cayabyab, and Yatco showcased their mastery of the art of conducting an orchestra in front of their family and friends.

Musical scorer and arranger Francis Concio, son of ABS-CBN Executive Adviser to the Chairman, Chief Content Officer, and President of ABS-CBN University Charo Santos-Concio, performed John William’s “The Mission NBC” as his recital piece.

musical scorer and arranger Francis concio with his mom charo Santos-concio and family

Toma Cayabyab, a choral conducting major at the UP and son of Ryan Cayabyab, performed “Usahay” and “Atin Cu Pung Singsing,” both arranged by his father.

Heart dismisses bashers, not chiz’s

Heart Evangelista is inured by now of some people bashing her on the various social media sites. But she still gets affected when those haters target her husband.

“Siguro blessing na rin na kahit papano, 18 years na rin akong nag-aartista so yung mga paninira, yung mga controversies, medyo sanay na rin ako. Although I don’t think you could ever get used to hearing bad things about you,” Heart said.

Evangelista said the since her husband is consistently topping the surveys, it is not surprising that she reads unfavorable comments on her social media accounts.

“Grabe pala ang siraan, ganyan, siyempre ang daming mga trolls, ang daming mga bashers na parang grabe dati ako lang yung

bina-bash, ngayon pati pala siya, ganoon pala yun,” Heart ranted.

“Especially ngayon first time ko nagkaroon ngayon na parang sasabihin nila yung asawa ko ng kung anu-ano. So minsan nasaktan ako, ganyan-ganyan with matching teardrops syempre, minsan normal lang naman yun. Pero lagi niyang sinasabi na, you know, sinasayang mo lang energy mo parang ganyan-ganyan ang saya-saya naman namin sa bahay,” she added.

Her husband reminds her patiently not to mind the bashers. “Eh, alam namin yung totoo, so sinasabi niya, you know just be normal, be yourself, don’t worry about everybody else. Kasi alam mo yung totoo so parang ganun na lang siguro,” Heart explained.

‘my Love Donna’ marks return of Asianovelas in Kapamilya Gold

Asianovelas are finally making a return to ABS-CBN as the Kapamilya network premiered the much-awaited Korean drama My Love Donna, about finding for that one true love, last Monday.

Famous actor Yohan Ji (Joo Jin-Mo) hires ghostwriter Jenna Seo (Kim SaRang) to write his autobiography. In his life story, he reveals that he ventured into acting not because he wanted to become a star but because he thought being in the limelight would help him find his first love, Donna Ji. Yohan and Donna’s complicated romantic history began two decades ago. Back when they were young teenagers, Donna and Yohan already have a special kind of friendship that was quickly taken away

musical director, composer, and arranger Ejay yatco (third from left) and family with maestro Gerard Salonga (extreme left)

choral conducting UP major Toma cayabyab with his family and maestro Gerard Salonga

from them when Donna’s grandmother died and was adopted by a different family, leaving Yohan lonely and broken-hearted.

Many years after, fate brings them together again and the young man vows not to ever let her go. Finally, Johan and Donna take their relationship to the next level.

One afternoon, the two spend some quality time together when an accident that changes their lives forever happens.

All this time, Johan thinks Donna left him hanging again without properly saying goodbye. However, Yohan has no idea that they will be reunited soon because Jenna is actually Donna, who forgot about her past due to the accident.

My Love Donna airs weehdays after Tubig at Langis on ABS-CBN.

The ABS-cBn Philharmonic Orchesta with maestro Gerard Salonga and young musicians Francis concio, Toma cayabyab, and Ejay yatco

Meanwhile, musical director, composer, and arranger Ejay Yatco chose to perform his own composition “Friction.”

Salonga said the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra would play at Andrea Bocel-

li’s April 26 concert at Mall of Asia Arena.

“It started out as an inquiry so we sent videos of our classical performances. Magaling naman talaga ang orchestra so I’m not surprised that they chose us,” Gerard said.

ShOwbITz REcOmmEnDS ‘London has Fallen’ It’s racist and obviously unapologetic for being one. The movie opens mentioning the Philippines and Manila a couple times instantly getting local moviegoers’ attention.

And it doesn’t stop there, this sequel to Olympus Has Fallen bursts into a riot Gerard Butler as mike Banning, a Secret Service agent and Special even Marvel movie fanat- Agent in charge of the Presidential Protection Division ics will enjoy.

London Has Fallen, ironically, is not (really) about the capital of England. It’s a proud American brand all throughout. It emphasizes how the world superpower can triumph against extremists justifying the action it knows in keeping world peace. Nonetheless, it’s a work of fiction that masks itself as a political movie that utilizes Gerard Butler’s macho image. It falls flat for it’s not-so-impressive CGI but its fast-paced storytelling, intelligent humor, and high-octane action sequence make up for its flaws. Generally, London Has Fallen is a highly recommended movie as it leaves you at the edge of your seat. (NW)

¼.

but thums down

‘The Divergent Series: Allegiant’ Possibly the weakest of the Divergent movies to date, this third installment finds Tris (Shailene Woodley) venturing beyond the walled boundaries of Chicago, through the toxic deserts of the Fringe, and into the shiny arms of the Bureau of Genetic Welfare. Here, she encounters David (Jeff Daniels, smilingly sinister from the off) whose exposition of the city’s Factions is nothing but claptrap. He also wan- Theo James and Shailene woodley as Fourth and ders through overdesigned surroundings Tris in the third installment of Divergent series that are more amusing than helping the movie to have that gritty feel.

Veronica Roth’s source novel has been into two movies (the second part, Ascendant, is due next year). meaning that this treads a lot of water, separating Tris and Four (Theo James), removing the agency of the former, leaving the latter to do the heroic lifting work. The result is plodding stuff with a narrative device that becomes more boringly byzantine with each successive installment. Only Miles Teller seems to be enjoying himself as the disruptively disreputable Peter.

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Film and TV director antoinette Jadaone

singer and theater actress Lea salonga

Furniture designer Kenneth cobonpue

Photographer BJ Pascual

Lea SaLonga, Kenneth Cobonpue among new faCeS of uniqLo ISAH V. RED

U

NIQLO unveiled its new set of brand ambassadors for its 2016 Spring/Summer pieces. These include two globally recognized names – theater actress Lea Salonga and furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue.

Completing the roster are film director Antoinette Jadaone and fashion photographer BJ Pascual.

Best known for her world-class performances, Tony Award winner Lea Salonga has become one of the most remarkable artists today. The numerous merits did not hinder her from practicing her craft further to achieve excellent acts. Likewise, UNIQLO continuously enhances its pieces to deliver high-quality stylish and comfortable products for every Filipino.

Multi-awarded furniture designer, Kenneth Cobonpue shares that innovation is very important in his work. Quality also plays a big role and shouldn’t be taken for granted.

For him, everything should be well engineered, giving each piece an ageless look that can last for many generations. These qualities are the same attributes that Kenneth has seen in UNIQLO, a brand that produces innovative, functional and timeless pieces.

More than sticking to the basics, UNIQLO has always been a fan of collaborating with other renowned characters and personalities.

These are both global and local brands that continue to make UNIQLO exciting for its loyal fans, the same way that blockbuster director Antoinette Jadaone’s characters in her storylines keep her audiences engaged, making them look forward to her next projects.

The Philippines’ boy wonder of fashion photography, BJ Pascual has projects that run the gamut from fashion editorials to major ad campaigns. Running from one shoot to another, it is important for him to find clothing that can keep up with his busy

schedule. He always chooses pieces that are both comfortable and stylish, picking from UNIQLO’s wide array of stylish yet comfortable products.

These faces embody how UNIQLO enhances lifestyles by delivering stylish clothes made of high-quality materials, and are comfortable, innovative, and functional, , for every kind of people.

For more updates, consumers may visit UNIQLO Philippines’ website at www. uniqlo.com/ph and social media accounts, Facebook (facebook.com/uniqlo.ph), Twitter (twitter.com/uniqloph) and Instagram (Instagram.com/uniqlophofficial). ****

Voyage to rockville

An exciting new moment in Manila music history happens in just a few weeks when Arnel Pineda, lead singer of world famous rock band Journey, performs live on stage in his first global streaming concert.

Sanre Streaming, a division of Sanre Entertainment Worldwide, and the U.S. record label Imagen Records, has announced Arnel will perform a live, streaming concert on April 5, at the Newport Performing Arts Center, Resorts World complex in Manila.

Themed “Voyage to Rockville,” the concert will be streamed live and on edited delay around the world.

Arnel’s first streaming concert is in conjunction with the launch of Sanre Streaming, a new enterprise for the entertainment giant, Sanre Entertainment Worldwide. Arnel will perform songs from his upcoming album scheduled for release later in 2016 as well as other hits. He will be joined by special guest, 2016 Grammy Award nominee for best live performance, Morgan Rose of the band Sevendust.

Morgan is known throughout the music world as being one of the most dynamic drummers on the planet. Shortly after this concert, Arnel returns with Journey for their upcoming highly anticipated North American tour.

The apt title Voyage to Rockville comes from the idea that now everyone can be there, whether in the stadium, or concert

hall, or any venue, and join in, listening and watching music being performed live as they take a voyage with the bands and live audience as well to a very special place known as Rockville.

“With streaming concerts, we can all be together at the same time, the whole world, all at once, can be sitting front row, from wherever they are in the world! What an awesome time we live in!” Arnel said at a press conference. “We want everyone to take this voyage with us!”

Along with Arnel will be Namesake, a band from Atlanta, Georgia, which is widely acclaimed to be one of the most talented young acts on the planet. Their recently released hit song “Borders and Fences,” and their controversial current hit song and video “Worlds Away” is being featured on music broadcast and video outlets throughout Asia.

Sanre Entertainment, its affiliates and subsidiaries have become a major force

in the music and entertainment industry with offices in the North America and Asia. Sanre Entertainment is bringing its 21st Century approach to providing worldclass entertainment to everywhere and beyond. This is just the beginning of Sanre’s commitment to streaming entertainment.

Sanre intends to produce numerous concerts yearly for global streaming. If the excitement revolving around Arnel Pineda’s upcoming streaming concert is any indication, this is the beginning of something very big for the future of music, not just in Asia, but everywhere and beyond. @arnelpineda @namesakerock Tickets to Arnel Pineda Live in Manila Voyage to Rockville are now available at TicketWorld hotlines/outlets: 02 (8919999) 0917 (5506997) 0999 (954-5922) www.ticketworld.com.ph; www.namesakerock.com; www.imagenrecords.com and www.sanreentertainment.com.

Filipino rock singer and Journey frontman arnel Pineda will perform onstage with sevendust’s morgan rose and american rock sensation namesake