The Standard - 2016 May 11 - Wednesday

VOL. XXX NO. 88 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 WEDNESDAY : MAY 11, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Mar, Poe accept losing to Digong

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MARCOS ASSAILS ‘SINISTER PLOT’ Palace hand seen in plan to oust Rody

By Christine F. Herrera and Joel E. Zurbano

SENATOR Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday bared a “sinister plot” by the Palace to install his opponent in the vice presidential race, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, as president by ousting Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte by impeachment.

Marcos said he was convinced that reports reaching them of a “Plan B,” which would set Duterte up for ouster, were coming true.

“It looks like they are pushing through with Plan B because they are holding back the transmission of votes from my bailiwicks to make it appear that congresswoman Robredo is leading in the unofficial quick count,” Marcos said in an interview.

The senator said the administration would do anything to achieve its goal to put Robredo in power after President Benigno Aquino III declared that he would stop Marcos from becoming vice president.

Plan B, he said, would make it appear that Robredo, the President’s party mate in the ruling Liberal Party, was slowly catching up through preelection surveys to establish a Next page fake trend.

Duterte starts searching for Cabinet men

Contested count. Volunteers of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) go about their work at the Pope Pius Catholic Center in Manila on Tuesday. LINO SANTOS

RODRIGO Duterte, the tough-talking mayor who claimed a decisive win in Monday’s presidential election, has begun to flesh out his likely inner circle as investors seek clarity on his economic policies.

With 90 percent of polling stations reporting, Duterte had secured 39 percent of ballots in an election held amid sporadic violence and delays. Former Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II was in second place with 23 percent.

Turnout was a record 81.6 percent of voters, well above 74.8 percent in the 2010 election.

The race for vice president remained tight. Congresswoman Leni Robredo led Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose dictator Next page

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Roxas, Poe concede to Duterte Marcos...

From A1 “This will give them the justification for a Robredo win,” he said.

“Once she is elected vice president, impeachment proceedings will be carried out to remove Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as President and install Robredo as president,” Marcos said.

He said the Palace’s Plan B scenario was to ensure that “the president will still come from the Liberal Party and will remain in control of Malacañang since its standard bearer, Mar Roxas, will not win.”

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. dismissed talk of Plan B as “irresponsible and reckless.”

But Marcos said Plan B had begun with preelection surveys that showed Robredo gaining, and was continuing with the way the quick count results were being reported.

He said many of the results from his bialiwicks in the Solid North have not been reflected in the partial and unofficial quick count of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV). “There are still votes from Isabela, Pangasinan and different parts of the North that have yet to be tallied,” Marcos said.

He added some of the results have not yet been transmitted because of protests at the local level, but in other instances, he saw no reason for the delay.

This explained how his one-million lead before midnight Monday had vanished overnight by Tuesday morning, when Robredo overtook him in the unofficial quick count.

“They are making sure it looks

Duterte...

From A1 father was ousted in 1986, by 185,000 votes.

Seeking to break the establishment mold exemplified by outgoing President Benigno Aquino III, voters embraced Duterte’s promises to reduce traffic jams on Manila’s congested roads and fight crime and graft. His support didn’t falter through a campaign that saw him make light of a rape incident, deny accusations of undeclared wealth and back the extra-judicial killing of criminals.

Duterte on Tuesday reiterated his vow to curb crime and corruption, and promised to humbly serve Filipinos the best he can.

“If I get to live to the day of my oath of office, I don’t have other desires than to serve the interests of the people of the Philippines. Nothing follows,” Duterte said in Davao City, promising to focus on improving education, health and agriculture.

In a television interview, Duterte promised to tone down his use of expletives once he is sworn in as president.

“I need to control my mouth. I cannot be bastos [rude] because I am representing our country,” Duterte told his friend Pastor Apollo Quiboloy in a television interview over Sonshine Network.

“If you are the president of the country, you need to be prim and proper, almost, I would become holy,” he added.

But Duterte now faces the challenge of sustaining investor confidence that helped fuel economic

like Robredo is leading by holding back my votes so that they don’t show up in the PPCRV count,” he said in Filipino.

Marcos also disclosed that operators in Mindanao were also trying to manipulate the election results in the LP-controlled Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The senator, however, said he remains confident that when all the votes are tallied, he would still win.

“If you add all the votes that have not been transmitted, I’d be ahead,” he said.

Marcos said he would gather more evidence of the manipulation in preparation for filing a complaint.

“We have to watch this closely so that we can show we really won,” he said.

Abakada Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz, Marcos’ political campaign adviser, said the “suspicious and alarming trend” being shown while the nation was sleeping ran contrary to the internal survey conducted by their camp.

“We are certain that we will win this election. Our internal survey is quite reflective of the Social Weather Survey exit polls which showed that Senator Marcos led the vice presidential survey with 34.9 percent as against Rep. Leni Robredo’s 32.5 percent,” Dela Cruz said.

Marcos has set up a “quick count” action center in his campaign headquarters to monitor the conduct of elections and the election results.

Marcos said his quick-count nerve center would allow all his volunteers and supporters to report directly to him what was happening on the ground.

“We will closely watch the developments. This is our own way

of monitoring the conduct of elections as well as the elections results.

We intend to actively participate in ensuring clean, honest and credible elections,” he said.

Marcos repeated his call to the public to be vigilant and take extra efforts to guard their votes.

“We cannot overemphasize this to our voters. We all need to be involved in this endeavor because our future is at stake here,” he said.

“We need to guard our votes. It is the only way to make sure that our true collective sentiments will be reflected in the final results,” Marcos said.

Marcos has asked the Commission on Elections and the PPCRV to terminate the unofficial count of votes for vice president, which showed Robredo ahead.

“It is unfortunate that while the whole country was asleep the glitch in the canvassing occurred and from then on we saw a progression of so-called updates that showed an alarming and suspicious trend reducing our lead, contrary to the results of independent exit polls and our own internal surveys,” Dela Cruz said.

“As we speak we are sending an urgent request to the Comelec and the PPCRV to terminate the unofficial count, which now stands at 90.99 percent,” he added.

“In the past, the unofficial count was designed not to be completed to avoid the possibility of confusion and conflict with the official one.

There is no reason for this not to be the norm this time around,” he said.

“Thus, although we are certain that if the unofficial count continues we will emerge victorious, we do not want the official canvass to be

conducted by the National Board of Canvassers [NBOC] preempted by the unofficial count.”

Dela Cruz pointed out that many votes from Marcos bailiwicks have not been transmitted, including Ilocos Sur, with only 11 percent; Nueva Vizcaya, 12 percent; Apayao, 18 percent; Abra, 11 percent; Lanao del Norte, 12 percent; Zamboanga del Sur, 9 percent; and Sultan Kudarat, 22 percent as of 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

As of press time, Robredo garnered 13,364,461 votes to Marcos’ 13,194,150 votes.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano came in third with 5,469,894 votes followed by Senator Francis Escudero with 4,599,961 votes, while Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Gregorio Honasan got 799,922 and 719, 266 votes, respectively.

Both Escudero and Trillanes have already conceded.

Amor Amorado, head of Marcos’ quick count center, said their internal count was based on a copy of the certificates of canvass that their people on the ground have gathered.

Meanwhile, former Biliran congressman Glenn Chong also said the Comelec and the Smartmatic must explain the reduction in the votes of Escudero and the apparent addition of an almost similar amount of votes to Robredo.

He noted that at 5:30 a.m. this morning, votes for Senator Escudero went down from 4,486,335 as of 4:59 a.m. to 4,449,913 votes or a deduction of 36,442 votes while votes for Robredo rose from 13,014,447 to 13,050,113 votes. He said the reduction in Escudero’s vote of 36,422 votes is almost identical to the addition of 35,668 votes for Robredo.

With Sandy Araneta

growth that averaged more than six percent under Aquino, while managing the expectations of an electorate swayed by populist pledges such as taming crime within six months.

Investors have previously expressed concern over his lack of economic experience and at-times whipsaw policy promises.

“For six years all I have to do is work,” Duterte told reporters on Monday in Davao. “Judge me not with the newspaper articles they come up with everyday. Judge me at the end of my term. If I do bad, shoot me.”

The peso rose 0.4 percent against the dollar as of 11:25 a.m. in Manila, after dropping as much as 0.3 percent from Friday’s close to 47.21 per dollar. The peso declined 1.8 percent in April in Asia’s worst performance.

The country’s benchmark stock index rose 0.5 percent, having fallen earlier by as much as 0.7 percent.

“There will be a honeymoon period moving forward as investors give Duterte the benefit of the doubt,” said Smith Chua, chief investment officer for the asset management and trust arm of Bank of the Philippine Islands. “His popularity is very resounding and investors are interested to see what he will do with this strong popularity and how he will conduct peace with other parties and run the government.”

Duterte hinted at possible Cabinet appointees, telling reporters in Davao City on Monday he may tap his childhood friend Carlos Dominguez III, who worked as Agriculture secretary for the late President Corazon Aquino, to head the Finance or Transportation departments.

Another friend, classmate Jesus Dureza, who was press secretary to former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, may lead a peace panel for a long-running Muslim insurgency in the south, while the job of foreign minister may go to his running mate Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, Duterte said.

“The two people he mentioned are very experienced,” said Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist at BDO Unibank Inc. in Manila.

“Their expertise is more of grassroot economics, they know the local front, what is lacking on the ground.

But it’s still too early given there are so many positions to be filled.

People are waiting for the others, especially the economic team, to get a better feel how policies will be crafted and the timeline.

Born in Southern Leyte province in the central Philippines, Duterte, whose lawyer-father was governor of the old Davao province, worked as a prosecutor in Davao for nine years before becoming vice-mayor in 1986. Two years later he took over as mayor, a post he has since held seven times. Once notorious as the nation’s murder capital, Davao is now one of the country’s safest and more prosperous cities.

Duterte has offered at-times contradictory comments on relations with China.

He said the Philippines will take a multilateral approach for now to its territorial disputes in the South China Sea, including working with the US, Japan and Australia. Still, earlier this month he said he’d consider direct talks with China, an approach that contrasts with Aquino’s move to take the case to an interna-

tional tribunal.

He’s said previously he’d take a jet ski out to islands reclaimed by China in the area to plant the Philippine flag, but also indicated he’d tolerate China’s presence if it built new railways in the Philippines. He has been less firm than Aquino in backing a stronger strategic alliance with the US, its major military ally.

Aquino has reached agreement to let the US station troops and operate bases in the Philippines for the first time in more than 20 years.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the US would wait until the election results were certified to comment. “When it comes to resolving the claims in the South China Sea, the United States is not a claimant,” but urges those who are to resolve their disputes through diplomacy, he said.

On crime, Duterte said he was “prepared to kill.”

“I will do it [fight drugs], even if they say I am an executioner,” he said. “Look what I did to Davao. I will not let down the people.”

Duterte’s spokesman Peter Laviña said the mayor is considering replicating some of his best known Davao ordinances on a national scale, including a nationwide liquor ban at certain hours of the day as part of efforts to curb criminality.

Davao’s ordinance prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages after 1 a.m., but high-end hotels are exempted from the ban.

“This can be adopted nationwide via consultation,” Laviña said. “This has nothing to do with denying us of our freedoms.” John Paolo Bencito, Sandy Araneta, Rio N. Araja, Bloomberg

By John Paolo Bencito, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rio N. Araja

SUPPORTERS shed tears Tuesday as administration candidate for president Manuel Roxas II conceded defeat to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the runaway winner based on partial unofficial results.

Roxas reminded supporters, however, not to lose hope and support Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, who was in a tight race with Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the vice presidential race.

“Digong, I wish you success,” Roxas said, referring to Duterte by his nickname. “Your victory is the nation’s victory.”

“Let us respect and accept the decision of our countrymen,” he added.

Accompanied by his wife former broadcaster Korina Sanchez and LP vice chairmen Franklin Drilon and Feliciano Belmonte, Roxas was initially scheduled to hold a media briefing at 10 a.m. but it was moved to 1 p.m. after he met with his running mate Robredo.

Roxas thanked his supporters for taking the journey with him despite all odds.

“Everyday, we faced challenges together. I know that many of you stuck your necks out in this fight.

But despite all of the challenges, you never left. You stood your ground.

You accompanied me until the end.

For that, I am very grateful.”

Roxas came in second to Duterte, based on the partial and unofficial count of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas-Parish Pastoral Council on Responsible Voting (KBP-PPCRV) Transparency server.

Roxas also urged supporters to continue being vigilant in protecting his running mate’s votes.

“Leni’s fight is not yet over. She’s still up and fighting. Let us continue to watch, pray and support [her.] Let us make sure that her votes will be counted right,” Roxas said.

“There are many tears in the room. Let me tell you: this is not a time for tears. For our country, we have had a peaceful successful transfer of power. It’s not about me.

It’s not about anyone. It’s about how we love our country and how we’ll do all that we can for her. She’s the only one.”

“While we are doing this for Leni, let’s start by building our beloved nation,” he added.

Toward the end of the campaign period when Duterte built up a commanding lead, Roxas asked Senator Grace Poe to talk about a united effort to stop the Davao mayor from winning the presidency, but neither side was willing to withdraw from the race.

Poe said she did not regret her decision to stay in the race, saying there was no guarantee that her votes would go to Roxas if she withdrew.

In a press conference before midnight Monday, Poe conceded defeat.

Poe, who ran an independent candidate, said she gave way to Duterte who was clearly leading the count and was chosen by the majority of Filipinos.

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Group to probe ‘irregularities’ THE National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections said Tuesday it will investigate the alleged irregularities in some poll precincts during the May 9 elections, claiming there were discrepancies in the voting results.

Namfrel head Corazon Akol said they will look into reports there was a precinct where 387 votes were counted even though it only had 375 registered voters.

She refused to name the precinct or to reveal further details due to a non-disclosure agreement with the Commission on Elections.

She said they will write a formal complaint to the Comelec about the matter, although that will not affect the counting of the votes. The anomaly would only be significant if many other precincts had voting discrepancies.

Meanwhile, the United Nationalist Alliance on Tuesday claimed many vote counting machines broke down nationwide.

“In Makati City alone there were 28 defective machines that resulted in confusion and long queues that discouraged voters to cast their votes,” the group said in a statement.

“Aside from Makati, we received reports that several areas also encountered VCM prob-

lems. These included South Cotabato; Valenzuela; Quiapo, Manila; Oriental and Occidental, Mindoro; Moonwalk, Parañaque; Virac, Catanduanes, Talang, Masbate; General Santos City; Surigao del Sur; Sangandaan; Biliran; Pangasinan; Zamboanga Sibugay; Danao, Cebu and Rizal.”

UNA spokesman Mon Ilagan said voters had complained against the mismatch between the receipts generated by the VCM and the actual votes cast.

“Voters from different localities across the country have reported that they voted for a particular candidate like Vice President Binay but received a receipt generated by the VCM indicating the name of ‘Mar Roxas’,’’ Ilagan said.

“We are now collating supporting documents evidencing these irregularities in order to determine whether the same show a systematic and widespread pre-conceived plan to sabotage the electoral process and mute the electoral will.” Vito Barcelo

Concession. Presidential candidate Grace Poe speaks at a press conference after she conceded as the ongoing tally placed her third with 21.87 percent in Manila on May 9, 2016. Anti-establishment firebrand Rodrigo Duterte was set to secure a huge win in the May 9 presidential elections, according to a poll monitor, after an incendiary campaign dominated by his profanitylaced vows to kill criminals. AFP

Abigail Binay declared winner in Makati THE Commission on Elections on Tuesday proclaimed Abigail Binay as the winning candidate for mayor in Makati City.

Binay, the incumbent representative of the city’s 2nd district, received 153,487 votes over her rival, Liberal Party candidate and incumbent Mayor Romulo Peña Jr. who received 137,803 votes.

“Ang pagiging lingkodbayan ay may naka-akibat na mga sakripisyo at pagtitiis,” Binay said.

“Ang lahat ng ating kailangan gawin ay higit sa ating sarili. Umasa kayo na magpapatuloy ang aking pagliling-

kod ayon sa itinakda. Maraming salamat po sa patuloy ninyong pagsuporta.”

Binay’s running mate Monique Lagdameo was also proclaimed winner with her 165,894 votes, beating Karla Mercado, Peña’s running mate and daughter of former vice mayor Ernesto Mercado who received 103,209 votes.

Abigail, who is in her third and final term as a lawmaker, is the fourth member of the Binay family to be elected mayor in Makati. First was her father, the incumbent Vice President Jejomar Binay followed by her mother Elenita Binay and her brother

Junjun Binay.

Her sister Nancy Binay is an incumbent senator.

Junjun was supposed to run for reelection in the city but his dismissal order from the Office of the Ombudsman over allegations of irregularities in the city prompted the Binay family and the United Nationalist Alliance, the political party of the vice president, to field Abigail.

Meanwhile, Abigail’s husband Luis Campos is also a leading candidate in the congressional race in their district, while actor and television host Jhong Hilario topped the list of the winning

candidates for councilor.

Makati, a city with more than 370,000 registered voters, has been a stronghold of the Binays since the vice president was appointed by then President Corazon Aquino as its officer in charge in 1986.

Elenita Binay served as mayor of Makati City from 1998 to 2001.

Junjun vacated his post in July last year to serve the sixmonth preventive suspension order against him in connection with the alleged irregularities in the construction of the Makati Science High School and City Hall Building II. Joel E. Zurbano

Estrada to serve another term

Confirmation. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna are confirmed election winners at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday. LINO SANTOS

MAYOR Joseph Estrada received another three-year term after he won the mayoralty race in Manila with 283,149 votes, defeating his rivals Alfredo Lim who received 280,464 votes and Rep. Amado Bagatsing who received 167,829 votes.

Estrada’s proclamation at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum took place despite the delay in the canvassing of the votes due to technical difficulties.

The Commission on Elections also proclaimed Estrada’s running mate Honey Lacuna as the winning candidate in the vice mayoralty race.

“A simple thank you is not enough. In this election, the true winner is you [residents] and our beloved City of Manila,” Estrada said in a statement.

Estrada said he was elated to have been given another opportunity to serve, adding Manila’s residents never gave up on him during his first months in office in 2013 when he was instituting reforms in the city.

By giving him another three years in office, he said, Manila’s residents only proved that “they love themselves, their families and their beloved city.”

He promised to come up with more programs and services now that the

city government had more than enough funds.

In his first year in office in 2013, Estrada was met by a P5.5-billion debt left by the previous administration, but he successfully paid the city’s financial obligations.

After the debts were settled in 2014, the city government started to have enough funds to implement much-needed programs and projects, including the P500-million modernization of the six public hospitals and 59 health centers of Manila.

The city’s revenue also increased from P6.6 billion in 2012 to P7.2 billion in 2013 and to P9.2 billion in 2014. By 2015, the city had built up a General Fund of P5 billion.

Estrada allotted P1.9 billion for his crime prevention program that included P136 million in back allowances of the members of the Manila Police District and the procurement of 41 new mobile patrol cars and 110 electric personal transporters.

All that resulted in the improvement of the MPD’s crime solution efficiency from 24.55 percent in 2013-2014 to 38.05 percent in 2014-2015. Joel E. Zurbano

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US patrols disputed sea anew

By Vito Barcelo

THE United States sent a guided missile destroyer on a freedom of navigation operation near Kagitingan Reef in the South China Sea even as a Taiwanese group of lawyers filed a motion for intervention involving the country’s arbitration case against China.

The US defense department spokesman Bill Urban said Tuesday the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence sailed within 12 nautical miles of Chinese-occupied Fiery Cross Reef to “challenge excessive maritime claims of some claimants in the South China Sea.” “These excessive maritime claims are inconsistent with international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention in that they pur-

port to restrict the navigation rights that the United States and all states are entitled to exercise,” Voice of America quoted Urban as saying.

China responded with anger Tuesday morning, with foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang telling a daily news briefing that the ship entered Chinese waters illegally and that the move threatened peace and stability in the region.

China has built a 10,000-foot runway and other military facilities

on the disputed island.

This operation marks the third time in less than a year that the US has conducted what it calls a freedom of navigation operation to challenge controversial territorial claims that China has made over islands in the South China Sea. Beijing rejects the operations and claims that the disputes have been exaggerated.

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said it has yet to see a copy of the plea of the Taiwan government-linked Chinese Society of International Law submitted to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

“I have to check this with our concerned office,” DFA spokesperson Charles Jose said in a text message, when asked for comment.

The unusual submission emerged

Payment withheld.

Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista explains what penalties may be meted on its supplier Smartmatic for the failure of dozens of its machines during Monday’s elections. LINO SANTOS

just as judges at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague are poised to rule on the Philippines’ landmark case, brought under the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea. The move could delay the judges’ ruling, now expected within two months, and potentially complicates worsening territorial disputes roiling across the vital trade route.

The UN tribunal decision will have a significant impact on China and its ties with other claimant states in the South China Sea. The case has been before the arbitration tribunal since January 2013, when the Philippines unilaterally initiated arbitration against China, with regard to the latter’s claims over much of South China Sea.

Comelec to assess vote-count machines

By Rey Requejo

THE Commission on Elections maintained that it will assess the performance of its service provider, Smartmatic International, particularly over the 2,300 machines that malfunctioned in Monday’s polls.

Comelec Commissioner Luie Guia said they will study the possibility of holding the company accountable for the failuers of the machines that the poll body leased from Smartmatic for the election.

“Of course, we will look into them and we would have to relate it to the issue of liability or accountability as provided by the terms of reference.

That is in the contract,” he said.

Guia added that they will include in the assessment field reports regarding the glitches suffered in different polling precincts.

“We don’t want any of these failures so we will really look into these reports,” the poll body official said.

On Monday, about 2.55 percent of the 92,509 VCMs had malfunctioned, with some 150 units replaced.

In the last elections, 4,760 out of 77,829 Precinct Optical Scan machines malfunctioned, with 171 had to be changed.

A total of 1,966 out of 76,347 PCOS machines had glitches and 205 were replaced, in the 2010.

Guia noted that among the possible penalties is the withholding of portions of the payment to Smartmatic, amounting to about P8 billion.

Church vows ‘vigilant collaboration’ AFTER several church leaders questioned the leadership qualities of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the country’s Catholic episcopacy pledged on Tuesday to “collaborate” with the incoming Duterte administration.

“The greatest promise the Church can offer any government is vigilant collaboration, and that offer, we make now,” said Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president Archbishop Socrates Villegas in a post-election statement issued on Tuesday.

At the same time, he assured of prayers and continued guidance those who will be elected in office.

“To those who have been voted to office, we assure them of our prayers, principally for wisdom, that they may discern God’s will for His people and courageously do as He bids,” Villegas added in a statement titled “Get up now, let us go!”

With this, the Catholic prelate asked Filipinos to also make an effort in working with the new government and to continue to be watchful.

“We urge our people to work with the government for the good of all, and we shall continue to be vigilant so that ever so often we may speak out to teach and to prophesy, to admonish and to correct—for this is our

vocation,” he added.

As for those who were not fortunate to be elected, Villegas noted that they should not be discouraged, but rather make themselves useful and focused in finding ways to make the nation great.

“To those who did not succeed, you, as persons, as sons and daughters of God, are infinitely so much more than the positions after which you aspired. Rather than becoming despondent and discouraged, you should challenge yourselves by asking how it is that the Risen Lord sends you “to make disciples of all nations,” the Lingayen-Dagupan prelate said. PNA

Near-death experience. Renowned photojournalist Sonny Camarillo

escaped death when a cargo truck slammed into the rear of his car at the corner of Central Avenue and Visayas Avenue in Quezon City on Monday.

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LP retains control of Senate

By Macon Araneta

Proclaimed. Leyte’s Provincial Board of Canvasser chairman Ma. Corazon Monallana (2nd, right) proclaims Yedda Romualdez (center) as winning congressional candidate for the 1st District of Leyte. With them are( from left) PBOC vice chairman Arlene Cordovez, Yedda’s husband Rep. Martin Romualdez and PBOC Secretary Ronelo Al Firmo. VER NOVENO

OAV sets record turnout

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

The number of Filipinos living and working abroad who were able to cast their votes for the 2016 presidential elections reached a new record, according to the chief overseas voting secretariat of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

DfA overseas voting secretariat chief edgardo Castro said that his committee and Comelec Commissioner Arthur Lim, chief of the OAV Steering Committee, set a voters’ turnout of 407,000.

“Official data was 407,000 out of 1.3-registered voters,” Castro said at the National Canvassing Center.

Castro said that the voters’ turnout this year broke the 12year record, surpassing the turnout of 233,000 filipinos who voted in 2004.

“But just remember what we are looking at is a high record of 233,000 in 2004, we have practically doubled that,” Castro told the reporters in an interview. he attributed the record to the Comelec’s aggressive campaign during the registration period. the OAV panel garnered 1.3-million registered voters, surpassing the 737,000 overseas individuals who were listed in 2013.

In the 2010 election, the voter

turnout was 146,650 or 24.86 percent while in 2013, there were 112,110 individuals who voted. the law mandated a monthlong overseas absentee voting which opened last April 9 in 95 Philippine posts worldwide.

In the OAV arena, presumptive president rodrigo Duterte and ferdinand “Bongbong” Mrcos Jr. led the presidential and vice presidential race.

At least 0.64 percent of OAV votes reached the transparency server of the Comelec at the National Canvassing Center in Pasay City.

Based on the unofficial report, Duterte garnered 5,096 votes from filipino living and working abroad, followed by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago with 999; Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel roxas came third with 708 votes; Senator Grace

Poe, 507; and Vice President Jejomar Binay, 157 votes.

In the vice presidential race, Marcos was the overseas filipinos’ top bet so far with 3,673 votes. trailing him was Senator Alan Peter Cayetano with 2,553 votes while LP bet Leni robredo was third with 896 votes. Senators francis escudero, Antonio trillanes IV and Gregorio honasan had 249, 54, 34 votes, respectively.

In the Senatorial contest, LP’s emmanuel Joel Villanueva led the race with 4,293 votes. trailing was emmanuel Pacquiao with 3,790; francis Pangilinan, 3,703; richard Gordon, 3,176; franklin Drilon, 3,56; Vicente Sotto III , 3,078; ralph recto, 2,938; Sergio Osemeña III, 2,921; Neri Colmenares 2,661; Maria Susana Ople, 2,637; Panfilo Lacson, 2,586; and, Juan Miguel Zubiri, 2,343.

If there will be no defections of “political butterflies” to the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP-Laban), the current party of presumptive President rodrigo Duterte, the Liberal Party will keep its hold on the Senate under the coming 17th Congress, according to analysts.

With three LP members making it to the “Magic 12” and another member set to graduate in June 2016, the current ruling party has the most number of senators at six.

Based on this number, LP will still dominate in the upper chamber. A likely addition to LP is Akbayan rep. risa hontiveros, who campaigned under its wing to win a Senate seat.

PDP-Laban has only one member in the Senate—its president, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. If former Justice Secretary Leila De Lima will not be dislodged from the No. 12 spot, there will be six LP members in the coming Congress. erstwhile tesda Director-General Joel Villanueva and partymate Senator franklin Drilon, a reelectionist, were already assured of seats in the Senate.

Another LP member in the Senate is President Noynoy Aquino’s cousin Bam Aquino who got elected in the 2013 mid-term elections.

Comebacking Senator francis Pangilinan maintained his No. 9 standing based on latest partial and unofficial count of the Commission on elections.

While there are three incumbent LP senators, the party will lose two of its members, teofisto Guingona who failed to make it to the “Winning Circle,” and “graduating” Senator Lito Lapid.

With world boxing champ Manny Pacquiao winning a Senate seat, there will now be five members of the oppositionist United Nationalist Alliance. the other Minority Bloc members are Senators Nancy Binay, JV ejercito, Gringo honasan and Jinggoy estrada who has remained detained at the PNP Custodian Center in Camp Crame over the pork barrel scam.

Task force to tackle poll cases

By Rey E. Requejo the Department of Justice has formed a special task force of prosecutors that will handle election-related cases from the May 9 general elections.

In a Department Order No. 328-B, Justice Secretary emmanuel Caparas assigned 10 prosecutors led by Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Pedrito rances to tackle cases with the Comelec. the panel has been tasked to conduct inquest proceedings or preliminary investigation of election offenses filed with the Comelec or DoJ. Also designated as members of the task force were Prosecutors rosemarie Gonzales, robert Ong, Michael John humarang, Alejandro Daguiso, florencio de la Cruz, rodan Parrocha, Jeannette Dacpano and Charlie Guhit, and Assistant Prosecution Attorney Agnes Bagaforo-Arellano.

Caparas ordered all regional and city prosecutors to assign two prosecutors in each city or province to assist local legal teams of Comelec.

“All the election charges referred by the Comelec to DoJ main office shall be subject to the approval of the prosecutor general. On the other hand, charges to be filed against persons in the city/provincial prosecution offices shall be subject to the approval of the provincial/city prosecutors concerned,” the DoJ order stated. the Supreme Court earlier directed trial courts to open on Monday to accommodate possible filing of poll-related cases or address matters requiring immediate judicial action.

Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez directed executive judges to report for duty and resolve cases with “utmost caution and dispatch.”

Cleanup. Ecowaste Coalition and volunteers start cleaning Quezon City of election

campaign materials in a manner that will not add to the country’s problem with waste and pollution. MANNY PALMERO

W E D N E S D AY : M AY 1 1 , 2 0 1 6

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NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Solon seeks labor code revision

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE chair of the House Committee on Labor and Employment has sought to amend Presidential Decree 442 or the Labor Code of the Philippines, as amended, to provide regular employment to workers repeatedly hired on probationary status.

Deputy majority leader Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles of Davao City in House Bill 5806 stressed the need for Congress to craft a measure that will address the issues blurring employeremployee relationship and the circumvention of the law on security of tenure through numerous employment engagements

such as probationary, project, fixed term, casual, seasonal, temporary and extra, which result in 5-5-5 work arrangement or contractualization.

“This bill seeks to define and classify employment relationship, amending Articles 279, 280 and 281 of Presidential Decree 442, to secure compliance with

Constitutional and statutory guarantee on the right to security of tenure,” Nograles said as he pushes for the passage of the measure during the last session days of Congress which will resume on May 23.

“All employees irrespective of employment status or position shall not be dismissed without cause and due process,” he stressed.

Under the measure, an employee, who is dismissed without cause and due process, shall be entitled to reinstatement without loss of seniority rights, full back wages and benefits.

The benefits, Nograles said, shall comprise of al-

lowances, commission including the coverage of Social Security System, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG and all other remunerations provided by law, company policy and collective bargaining agreement, computed from the time compensation was withheld up to the time of actual reinstatement.

Under the measure, all employees are deemed regular except those under probationary employment or those under industry-specific work arrangement the secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment may determine through tripartite approval.

Nograles’ bill provides that the engagement of

the same employee after the expiration of the probationary employment or contract of employment in industry-specific work arrangement would render the employment regular.

Probationary employment shall not exceed six months from the first day of service regardless of the nature of work to be performed. The probationary employee shall automatically become a regular employee after meeting the standards stipulated in the written contract of probationary employment.

The rights, terms and conditions of employment of a probationary employ-

ee shall not be lower than the minimum standards set by laws or regulations.

His or her job description and qualification standards to qualify for regular employment shall be in a written contract and made known by the employer to the employee at the time of his or her engagement.

The services of a probationary employee may be terminated for just and authorized cause under the Labor Code, or when he or she fails to qualify as a regular employee. However, the employer shall have the burden of proving that the termination is with cause and due process.

Persons with rare diseases get perks

Muntinlupa standoff. Policemen surround the Muntinlupa City Hall as supporters of former mayor Aldrin San Pedro stage a protest against the election result, causing a 12-hour standoff. San Pedro eventually conceded to his rival mayor-elect Jaime Fresnedi. DANNY PATA

Caloocan poll winners bared THE City Board of Canvassers of Caloocan on Tuesday formally proclaimed the winners for the mayoral, vice mayoral, city council and congressional posts.

Reelectionist Mayor Oscar Malapitan made a 62.3 percent lead against his rival First District Rep. Enrico Echiverri, who also served as mayor for nine years (2004-2013).

Malapitan got 302,000 votes. His son Liga president Dale Gonzalo Malapitan was also proclaimed rep-

resentative of the city’s first district.

In 2013, Echiverri’s son Ricojudge lost to the Malapitan patriarch.

Reelectionist Second District Rep. Edgar Erice retained his post.

Head of the Board of Canvassers lawyer Roderick Villostas and city prosecutor Ferdinand Valbuena led the proclamation of winners at the Bulwagang Katipunan before noon.

The event was attended by the winners’ family, supporters and other city officials.

Jun David

Winners all. Newly proclaimed Caloocan City candidates (from lef t): First District

Rep. Dale Gonzalo Malapitan, Mayor Oscar Malapitan, Vice Mayor Macario Asistio III and Second District Rep. Edgar Erice. The proclamation was held on Tuesday at the Bulwagang Katipunan, Caloocan City Hall. JUN DAVID

A LAWMAKER on Tuesday lauded the enactment into law of his proposal to promulgate a comprehensive policy in addressing the needs of persons with rare diseases.

Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting said the law signed by President Benigno Aquino III on March 3, 2016 will help provide patients with rare diseases and their families better access to adequate medical care, health information, and health care products needed to treat their condition.

“We laud the President for enacting into law our proposal.

Although rare diseases inflict a small number of individuals, treatment is usually life term and costly, making it beyond the reach of most Filipino patients,” said Tambunting.

Tambunting, a vice chair of the House committee on trade and industry, explained that a rare disease, otherwise called “orphan disease” is any health condition resulting from genetic defects that rarely affect the general population.

“There are 6,000 to 8,000 rare diseases, majority of which are genetic in origin and manifest at birth or early in childhood. Rare diseases are often chronic, progressive, degenerative, and life threatening. The quality of life of patients is often compromised by the lack or loss of autonomy, high level of pain and suffering for the patients and their family,” said Tambunting.

The law refers to rare disease as disorders such as inherited metabolic disorders and other diseases with similar rare occurrence as recognized by the Department of Health upon recommendation of the National Institutes of Health but excluding catastrophic (i.e., life threatening, seriously debilitating, or serious and chronic) forms of more frequently occurring diseases. Maricel V. Cruz

w e d n e s d ay : m ay 1 1 , 2 0 1 6

A7

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Coin toss decides mayoral contest BOCAUE, Bulacan—Mayoral candidate Joni Villanueva won in the best-of-five coin toss officiated by election officials after her total number of votes ended in a tie with her rival, Jim Valerio.

Villanueva is the daughter of Jesus Is Lord evangelist Eddie Villanueva.

Tension built after both camps questioned the integrity and the fairness of the process, which they said was susceptible to cheating.

But the Comelec Municipal Board of Canvassers here headed by chairman Deogracias Danao stated that pursuant to Comelec Resolution No. 10083—the “General Instructions for the Board of Canvassers on the Consolidation/ Canvass and Transmission of Votes”—both candidates should appear for drawing of lots after it has been recorded that they garnered the same number of votes.

Danao supervised the toss where Villanueva’s tail side won in three consecutive tosses. She was proclaimed mayor at around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. PNA

Unprecedented. Transgender Geraldine Roman, shown here campaigning in Orani, Bataan, has won a congressional seat. AFP

Transgender wins Congress seat Geraldine roman on Tuesday celebrated overcoming “bigotry, hatred and discrimination” as results showed she had become the first transgender politician to win a congressional seat in the predominantly Catholic Philippines.

After her victory in Monday’s election, Roman, 49, is being seen by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community as a source of hope in a country where Church influence means divorce, abortion and same-sex marriage are banned.

“The politics of bigotry, hatred and discrimination did not triumph. What triumphed

was the politics of love, acceptance and respect,” Roman told AFP after her victory for a seat in Congress representing the farming province of Bataan just northwest of Manila.

Roman, a Catholic, said she was looking forward to becoming a lawmaker so she could respond to critics who dismissed her as a one-issue politician not to be taken seriously.

“I’m elated, very, very happy.

I’m also excited to work. I realize that the burden is bigger because the stereotype of people about the LGBT is we are frivolous, that we have nothing substantial to say, so I have to prove them wrong,” she said.

Roman will be the highestranking openly LGBT politician in the Philippines, where other lawmakers have refused to come out for fear of losing support from the Catholic Church and other religious groups.

A political neophyte, Roman will succeed her mother as representative of Bataan, where her family has been a political force for three generations. Her mother had to stand down after serving the maximum number of three terms.

Roman’s father was a former congressman whose death in 2014 prompted her to consider continuing the family legacy.

Political families dominate Philippine politics, from the local to the national level, and belonging to such a dynasty was widely regarded as being crucial to Roman’s success.

‘We all have rights’ Still the constituents of Bataan overwhelmingly endorsed Roman, with the vote count showing she had secured 62 percent support.

“She is also a human being.

We all have rights. It’s not an issue to me that she is transgender,” farmer Bern Salenga, 49, told AFP during a campaign sortie in Roman’s home-

town before the election.

Roman has been living as a woman for two decades, and proudly wore a pearl necklace and pink lipstick while campaigning.

She had a successful career as senior editor at the Spanish News Agency. She speaks Spanish, French and Italian and won a scholarship to study in Spain, where she met her partner of 18 years.

She underwent sex reassignment surgery, and legally changed her name and gender, in the 1990s—a recognition she wants other transgender people to have.

In 2001, a law was passed making it impossible for transgender Filipinos to change

their name and sex.

Roman has vowed to campaign to lift those restrictions, and to push for an anti-discrimination bill that ensures equal treatment in the workplace, schools, commercial establishments and government offices.

Despite the focus on her gender, Roman said her priority was the people of Bataan, and to help more poor students nationwide get scholarships.

“Equality [is] not only in terms of gender but also in terms of socio-economic status. To be rich or poor should not matter. Whether educated or not, people should have the same opportunities so I’m going beyond gender to include more issues,” she said. AFP

Romualdez wives secure top posts in city, district

By Ronald O. Reyes TACLOBAN CITY—Two housewives from Romualdezes political clan secured top positions in the city and Leyte 1st congressional district.

Councilor Cristina Romualdez, wife of Mayor Alfred Romualdez, and Yedda Romualdez, wife of Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, won as mayor and congresswoman, respectively.

Cristina G. Romualdez scored a landslide victory with a total of 72,077 votes against rival candidate Neil Glova with 23, 612.

She was proclaimed by City Board of Canvassers

Chairman Susan Collamar, with Vice Chairman Ruperto Golong and Member of the Board of Canvasser Thelma Quitalig on Tuesday.

Cristina said she will continue the programs of her husband while thanking her family and supporters.

During her tenure as councilor, Cristina pushed for various programs benefiting the women, children and senior citizen sectors, particularly in the creation of Cristina Learn and Earn Program (CLEP) for livelihood support of the constituents.

Also proclaimed along Cristina’s Unity Team were reelected Vice Mayor Sam-

bo Yaokasin and reelected Councilors Edwin Chua, Edward Frederick Chua, Willy Domingo, Vangie Espiras, together with newly elected Councilors Aimee Grafil, Elvira Casal and Erica Chua-Pineda.

Meanwhile, Yedda Romualdez was proclaimed

by Leyte Provincial Board of Canvasser Chairman Atty Ma. Corazon Montallana, Vice Chairman Arlene Cordovez and Provincial Board of Canvasser Secretary Dr. Ronelo Al Firmo also on Tuesday.

She garnered a total votes of 142,076 against her rival lawyer Fiel Clemencio with 49,870 votes.

Quite the catch. A fisherman from Guiuan, Eastern Samar tries to get some fish on board a tricycle and on to the public market. MEL CASPE

W E D N E S D AY : M AY 1 1 , 2 0 1 6

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA eDITor

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

‘Generally peaceful’ BAcK chAnnel AleJAnDro Del roSArIo

[ EDI TORI A L ]

A cAll for chAnge THE runaway victory of presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte, who ran on the promise of change, is a clear repudiation of the failed policies of the last six years.

It is encouraging that among the first things Duterte did after casting his vote Monday was to call for national unity and healing after a particularly vicious campaign.

“These past few days were quite virulent for all of us. This is part of a day’s work in the elections. I would like to reach my hand [out] to my opponents, let us begin the healing now,” Duterte said.

The candidate’s call for unity contrasted sharply with President Benigno Aquino III’s desperate, last-minute appeal a few days earlier to the other candidates to unite to stop Duterte.

Duterte’s appeal suggested a shared goal; the President’s call simply targeted a common enemy. Candidate Duterte asked everyone to come together; the President sought to divide us yet again.

If the new president must change anything first, he might want to start with the divisiveness that President Aquino engendered in his six years in office. Instead of wearing the pin of the Philippine flag on his lapel, Mr. Aquino insisted on wearing the yellow ribbon that represented his political faction, a subtle but constant reminder that he was President only to those who voted for him, and not to the rest of the country, and that if you were not in his camp, you were just out of luck.

This was the same divisiveness that Mr. Aquino brought to his government, where one needed to be a friend, a political ally or a former classmate to land a plum position. In the Aquino administration, qualifications, performance and merit went out the window, and were replaced by the only thing that mattered to the President—personal and political loyalty.

This divisive approach guaranteed that the President would not benefit from the services of the best and the brightest, because no one political party can claim a monopoly on intelligence, expertise, talent and determination.

The disastrous effects of this approach are apparent to all, by way of city trains that regularly break down, a transportation agency that cannot even issue drivers licenses and car plates in a timely manner, and a government that is incapable of providing quick relief to Filipinos suffering from natural calamities such as storms and drought.

For far too long, we have suffered from divisions that Mr. Aquino encouraged. That is the first thing that must change.

ThaT close race

A lot of people were saying that it was going to be a very close race. They didn’t know that it wasn’t the battle for the presidency that was going to be really, contentiously fought.

It does boggle the mind: How could a lead of one million votes transmogrify into a deficit of a quarter of a million in an unofficial count that has

not had any significant change in any other race, in just half a day?

But I don’t think Rep. leni Robredo should start claiming victory in the vice presidential contest just yet. And to her credit, in her press conference yesterday, she didn’t really do so—even if her aura was of someone merely awaiting official confirmation of her unofficial quick-count win.

Still, I wonder why Robredo seems to have a ready explanation for the phenomenon of the vanishing

lead of her foremost rival for the position. According to leni, it seems that the votes gathered by Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had been counted first in areas where he is expected to be dominant, like Northern luzon; her votes came in later, she said, when the areas where she received more votes started arriving.

In the absence of an official and authoritative explanation from the Commission on elections, I guess Robredo’s will have to suffice. or not. to me, Robredo’s knowledge

A9

let’s see how this turns out. Some people will have a lot of explaining to do.

of what really happened on Monday smacks of inside information that she really should not be in possession of. After all, if we assume that nobody can really tell where and when the next batch of votes toted up in the unofficial tally are coming from, how on

earth would Robredo know?

And how come, if Robredo’s explanation is correct, did this bailiwick phenomenon not appear in any other contest?

If it is true that the Ilocanospeaking regions had been counted first, why is it that neither Vice President Jejomar

Binay nor Senator Grace Poe, who both trace their roots to the region, never took the lead in the same quick count?

Any serious attempt to analyze Robredo’s still-unexplained lead will have to take these things into account. That, and some strange statistical phenomena that started occurring on the night of May 9. *** The website Get Real Philippines (getrealphilippines.com) has noted

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-

“the almost algorithmic way with which Robredo chipped away at the initial one-million-vote lead of Marcos over several hours since the voting closed.” According to the article, the statistical aberration “has attracted the attention of many observers.” on Facebook, the article said, Benjamin Vallejo Jr. “plotted the progressive decrease of Marcos’s lead over Robredo over time and found an almost perfect linear correlation.”

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“The correlation plotted a straightpath downward trajectory for Marcos’s lead,” the article said.

“Di kapani-paniwala [Unbelievable]!” said Vallejo, a faculty member of the University of the Philippines currently working as an exchange professor at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, noting the perfectly straight line. talk about your daang matuwid.

Continued on A11

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

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer

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

tHe armchair experts and the Commission on elections describe last Monday’s national elections as generally peaceful.” But was it really? to those who failed to cast their votes, it was generally chaotic. Thirteen people were killed in election-related violence in Cavite and Maguindanao.

The polling places opened at 6 a.m. and were supposed to close at 5 p.m..

But many who were at their designated precincts early in the morning could not find their names in the voters list. to assuage the angry mobs outside the polling places, the Comelec extended voting to 6 p.m.

By 2:30 a.m of May 10, partial and unofficial returns showed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ahead, by more than five million votes, of liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas and independent candidate Grace Poe. Senator Poe conceded early, followed

by Roxas who yielded to Duterte at noon time, wishing his rival success.

Duterte made political history by being the first local official to pole vault directly to the presidency. The brash, tough-talking Davao City mayor bucked all the odds including his loose-lip cursing of Pope Francis and his bad joke that he should have been first when a beautiful Australian missionary was gang-raped in Davao.

He also threatened to sever diplomatic relations with the United States and Australia, two of the Philippines’ staunchest allies in the simmering territorial dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea. While the presidential race definitely belongs to Duterte, the vice presidency is still a heated race between Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos and Camarines Sur Rep. leni Robredo who surged ahead of the Ilocano bet at 3:30 a.m. yesterday.

The race for the 12 vacant seats in the Senate had a surprise leader in former tesda Director Joel Villanueva, the son of Jesus is lord Movement leader eddie Villanueva. A strong name recall also saw former senators Dick Gordon and Migz Zubiri land in the Magic 12. Senate President Franklin Drilon was crowding Villanueva for the Senate lead followed by Senator tito Sotto. others in the win column, if the numbers do not undergo a dramatic change during the official canvassing of votes, were returning senators Francis Pangilinan and Panfilo lacson, newcomer Sherwin Gatchalian and Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao who was at No.9 Winners in Metro Manila’s mayoral races were Manila Mayor Joseph 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 AY 1 1 , 2 0 1 6

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA eDITor

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

‘Generally peaceful’ BAcK chAnnel AleJAnDro Del roSArIo

[ EDI TORI A L ]

A cAll for chAnge THE runaway victory of presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte, who ran on the promise of change, is a clear repudiation of the failed policies of the last six years.

It is encouraging that among the first things Duterte did after casting his vote Monday was to call for national unity and healing after a particularly vicious campaign.

“These past few days were quite virulent for all of us. This is part of a day’s work in the elections. I would like to reach my hand [out] to my opponents, let us begin the healing now,” Duterte said.

The candidate’s call for unity contrasted sharply with President Benigno Aquino III’s desperate, last-minute appeal a few days earlier to the other candidates to unite to stop Duterte.

Duterte’s appeal suggested a shared goal; the President’s call simply targeted a common enemy. Candidate Duterte asked everyone to come together; the President sought to divide us yet again.

If the new president must change anything first, he might want to start with the divisiveness that President Aquino engendered in his six years in office. Instead of wearing the pin of the Philippine flag on his lapel, Mr. Aquino insisted on wearing the yellow ribbon that represented his political faction, a subtle but constant reminder that he was President only to those who voted for him, and not to the rest of the country, and that if you were not in his camp, you were just out of luck.

This was the same divisiveness that Mr. Aquino brought to his government, where one needed to be a friend, a political ally or a former classmate to land a plum position. In the Aquino administration, qualifications, performance and merit went out the window, and were replaced by the only thing that mattered to the President—personal and political loyalty.

This divisive approach guaranteed that the President would not benefit from the services of the best and the brightest, because no one political party can claim a monopoly on intelligence, expertise, talent and determination.

The disastrous effects of this approach are apparent to all, by way of city trains that regularly break down, a transportation agency that cannot even issue drivers licenses and car plates in a timely manner, and a government that is incapable of providing quick relief to Filipinos suffering from natural calamities such as storms and drought.

For far too long, we have suffered from divisions that Mr. Aquino encouraged. That is the first thing that must change.

ThaT close race

A lot of people were saying that it was going to be a very close race. They didn’t know that it wasn’t the battle for the presidency that was going to be really, contentiously fought.

It does boggle the mind: How could a lead of one million votes transmogrify into a deficit of a quarter of a million in an unofficial count that has

not had any significant change in any other race, in just half a day?

But I don’t think Rep. leni Robredo should start claiming victory in the vice presidential contest just yet. And to her credit, in her press conference yesterday, she didn’t really do so—even if her aura was of someone merely awaiting official confirmation of her unofficial quick-count win.

Still, I wonder why Robredo seems to have a ready explanation for the phenomenon of the vanishing

lead of her foremost rival for the position. According to leni, it seems that the votes gathered by Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had been counted first in areas where he is expected to be dominant, like Northern luzon; her votes came in later, she said, when the areas where she received more votes started arriving.

In the absence of an official and authoritative explanation from the Commission on elections, I guess Robredo’s will have to suffice. or not. to me, Robredo’s knowledge

A9

let’s see how this turns out. Some people will have a lot of explaining to do.

of what really happened on Monday smacks of inside information that she really should not be in possession of. After all, if we assume that nobody can really tell where and when the next batch of votes toted up in the unofficial tally are coming from, how on

earth would Robredo know?

And how come, if Robredo’s explanation is correct, did this bailiwick phenomenon not appear in any other contest?

If it is true that the Ilocanospeaking regions had been counted first, why is it that neither Vice President Jejomar

Binay nor Senator Grace Poe, who both trace their roots to the region, never took the lead in the same quick count?

Any serious attempt to analyze Robredo’s still-unexplained lead will have to take these things into account. That, and some strange statistical phenomena that started occurring on the night of May 9. *** The website Get Real Philippines (getrealphilippines.com) has noted

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-

“the almost algorithmic way with which Robredo chipped away at the initial one-million-vote lead of Marcos over several hours since the voting closed.” According to the article, the statistical aberration “has attracted the attention of many observers.” on Facebook, the article said, Benjamin Vallejo Jr. “plotted the progressive decrease of Marcos’s lead over Robredo over time and found an almost perfect linear correlation.”

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

“The correlation plotted a straightpath downward trajectory for Marcos’s lead,” the article said.

“Di kapani-paniwala [Unbelievable]!” said Vallejo, a faculty member of the University of the Philippines currently working as an exchange professor at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, noting the perfectly straight line. talk about your daang matuwid.

Continued on A11

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

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer

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

tHe armchair experts and the Commission on elections describe last Monday’s national elections as generally peaceful.” But was it really? to those who failed to cast their votes, it was generally chaotic. Thirteen people were killed in election-related violence in Cavite and Maguindanao.

The polling places opened at 6 a.m. and were supposed to close at 5 p.m..

But many who were at their designated precincts early in the morning could not find their names in the voters list. to assuage the angry mobs outside the polling places, the Comelec extended voting to 6 p.m.

By 2:30 a.m of May 10, partial and unofficial returns showed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ahead, by more than five million votes, of liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas and independent candidate Grace Poe. Senator Poe conceded early, followed

by Roxas who yielded to Duterte at noon time, wishing his rival success.

Duterte made political history by being the first local official to pole vault directly to the presidency. The brash, tough-talking Davao City mayor bucked all the odds including his loose-lip cursing of Pope Francis and his bad joke that he should have been first when a beautiful Australian missionary was gang-raped in Davao.

He also threatened to sever diplomatic relations with the United States and Australia, two of the Philippines’ staunchest allies in the simmering territorial dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea. While the presidential race definitely belongs to Duterte, the vice presidency is still a heated race between Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos and Camarines Sur Rep. leni Robredo who surged ahead of the Ilocano bet at 3:30 a.m. yesterday.

The race for the 12 vacant seats in the Senate had a surprise leader in former tesda Director Joel Villanueva, the son of Jesus is lord Movement leader eddie Villanueva. A strong name recall also saw former senators Dick Gordon and Migz Zubiri land in the Magic 12. Senate President Franklin Drilon was crowding Villanueva for the Senate lead followed by Senator tito Sotto. others in the win column, if the numbers do not undergo a dramatic change during the official canvassing of votes, were returning senators Francis Pangilinan and Panfilo lacson, newcomer Sherwin Gatchalian and Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao who was at No.9 Winners in Metro Manila’s mayoral races were Manila Mayor Joseph 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

A10 A turbulent yeAr for Duterte So, IT will be President Rodrigo “Digong” Roa Duterte for the next six years. Since the electorate has spoken, so be it. Santa Banana!

As a Filipino, a concerned citizen, a Roman Catholic and, foremost, a journalist, I am willing to accept him as our leader for the next six years despite my doubts.

The fact that Duterte has extended his hand in reconciliation with his rivals who engaged him in acrimonious exchange augurs well for a nation that has been so fragmented and divided for so long.

I have repeatedly said that the country needs to heal political wounds and to be united. Without unity, we can never move forward.

I do hope and pray that President Duterte, despite his foul mouth and profanities, can hit the ground running.

The challenges he needs to face are immense.

I am hopeful that the Du-Dirty we heard and saw during the campaign won’t be the same as the one who would actually occupy Malacañang. I say this because we saw him weep, unabashed, before his mother’s grave. It shows a humble, forgiving man with a soft heart, despite what he did and said during the campaign.

We have had enough of BS Aquino’s vindictive and hypocritical “Daang Matuwid” mantra. It was actually selective justice at work.

I am certain the first year of the Duterte administration will be This is why I hope a turbulent one. This is he chooses Cabinet why I hope he chooses members with Cabinet members with competence and competence and integrity. This will be integrity. a test of his credibility as a leader. Duterte must also realize that the country’s problems are more than eradication of crime, illegal drugs and corruption, which he vowed to end within three to six months.

It will be turbulent because his political enemies, especially the oligarchs who sank in billions of pesos for the continuation of the status quo, will surely file impeachment cases against him.

This is precisely why Senator Bongbong Marcos said that Plan B of the Aquino administration was to concentrate its grassroots political machinery in the election of administration vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo. They are hoping that if Duterte gets impeached and convicted, Robredo would become president, in which case BS Aquino will be protected from the suits that would be filed against him.

In so far as the Mindanao problem is concerned, Duterte, a Mindanaoan, will need the assistance of all stakeholders. He will have to engage not only the Moro Islamic Liberation Front but all the Moro separatists like Nur Misuari’s Moro National Liberation Front, the Sultanate of Sulu, the lumad, and even the Christians.

Duterte’s cry for federalism in Mindanao would take time. It will involve the amendment of the Constitution and consequent approval of the people through a plebiscite called for the purpose. Self-rule under a federal system of government is something devoutly to be wished.

To solve the Mindanao problem, all stakeholders must be involved. I am for the parliamentary system myself, a believer in federalism. But it’s a government structure that must be studied well. It cannot apply to regions mired in poverty like Muslim Mindanao.

Perhaps, under a Duterte administration, Mindanao can be developed. But development can come only when there’s peace. That will be a challenge to him as Mindanaoan. It’s no walk in the park.

While Duterte may have been accused of having close ties with National Democratic Front head Joma Sison, the President-elect can also have that advantage to talk peace with the communist insurgents. He must be warned, though, that the communist movement’s ultimate agenda is to take over the government.

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OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Duterte must heAl wounDs AnD unify Ph RoDRIGo Veloso Roa Duterte is the 16th president of the Philippines during the republic’s first 118 years.

Digong is the first president from Mindanao and the first Cebuano president since 1957. He says he is the first leftist and the first socialist Filipino president. Perhaps, because of those attributes, Duterte will perhaps be the most controversial and the most inclusive of our presidents.

I see the Duterte presidency as the first real opportunity for a president to heal the nation’s wounds and unify the country.

At 6:30 p.m. of May 9, with only 9 percent of the votes counted where he showed an early lead as the likely winner of the most bruising and bitter presidential election, Duterte offered his hand in friendship.

By midnight of May 9, when his lead over his nearest rival, Mar Roxas of Daang Matuwid, was more than 5 million votes, independent presidential candidate and third placer, Senator Grace Poe announced she would “give way” to the Duterte presidency. The concession is not surrender, Poe clarified, but “giving recognition and respect to our democratic system of government.”

At 1 p.m. yesterday, the second placer, Mar Roxas wished Duterte success, telling him, “your triumph is the triumph of our people and our country.” Mar said he fought a good fight and was proud to have carried the banner of Daang Matuwid.

Duterte is perhaps the first president to enjoy the trust and confidence of both the communist New People’s Army and the separatist Moro rebels.

The communist rebellion has lasted for 47 years while the Muslim separatist movement has lasted for 44 years. Both insurgencies are the longest in the world. About 500,000 Filipinos have died because of these insurgencies. They also spurred the most heinous violations of human rights.

Duterte has the political capital (he has nearly 40 percent of the vote and a six-million-vote advantage over Mar Roxas; the 40 percent is almost the same as BS Aquino III’s in 2010 while the six million is the same as Joseph Estrada’s margin in 1998) and the political will to execute the first real reaching out to both the communists and

the separatists. To the Muslims, he offers Mindanao as a federal government. To the communists, he offers significant participation in his government.

The ascendancy of Mindanao will affirm an ancient verity—Islam was dominant in the Philippines several decades before Magellan landed in Leyte in 1521. “And they (the Spaniards) settled here for 400 years. They enjoyed the fat of the land. And there was this war between the Spaniards and the Americans and Admiral Dewey smashed the Spanish Armada dyan sa Manila Bay. And so, in the Treaty of Paris ending that war, the Philippines was ceded to the Americans, as if the population were a chattel,” Duterte recalls.

As president, Duterte has vowed to “keep the integrity of this republic as one and that I have to provide, including the Moro people who do not want it, protection for everybody. That is the duty of the president.”

A likely peace will free thousands of soldiers and policemen who can then be deployed against the real and more pernicious enemies of the state—the criminal syndicates and drug lords.

For another group of enemies— the corrupt in government, Duterte can perhaps copy (he is fond of copying, since grade school, he says) the tactics employed by BS Aquino III against the late Chief Justice Renato Corona and against the outgoing vice president, Jojo Binay that terminated their government career and future.

As for a third enemy, China, Duterte has indicated he can ignore the Asean diplomatic tack of multilateral-only approach, to conduct bilateral talks with Beijing as regards the West Philippine Sea which the incoming President declares to be “really ours.” This probably means “sovereign rights,” which means ownership and the exclusive rights to develop and enjoy its oil, gas, minerals and other economic benefits, except freedom of navigation and overflights.

Duterte says he is willing to go into joint exploration and exploitation of

*** We certainly learned many things from the May 9 elections.

First, that the so-called grassroots political machinery no longer controls the electorate.This is also true with Vice President Jejomar Binay whose grassroots political machinery has remained intact through the years. No matter how strong political leaders are on the grassroots level, the people will always vote for the candidate they think will bring real change, and improve their lives.

People went for Duterte because he represents the real change they have been waiting for.

Second, while the bulk of the electorate is still immature, they can no longer be controlled by money. *** While the voting for the Magic 12 of the Senate is not yet over, I’d like to congratulate those who are already in: Ping Lacson, Dick Gordon, Migz Zubiri, Kiko Pangilinan

oil, gas and minerals which are part of Manila’s sovereign rights beneath the West Philippine Sea. The Chinese can pay Manila in kind, with railways systems for Luzon and Mindanao, the Philippines’ two biggest islands.

Joint development was originally a Chinese offer. It had one major precondition—the Philippine must first give up its exclusive “sovereign rights” to the area.

China’s nine-dash line map claims 80 percent of the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone which includes the oil and gas-rich Reed Bank and Malampaya. By yesterday, Duterte has changed his mind about willingness to conduct bilateral talks with China. He now welcomes the US and Japan to participate in such talks. Note: the US and Japan do not have South China Sea territorial claims.

Through Chinese invasion, the Philippines has lost two major reefs—Mischief in 1995, and Scarborough Shoal in 2012, thanks to the incompetence of the Aquino administration.

Duterte likes to remind people that he is half-Muslim (his mother was half-Maranao) and halfChinese in ancestry (his grandfather was Chinese from Xiamen). He traces his pedigree from Cebu but didn’t grow up there because his father relocated to Davao for better economic opportunity.

When Duterte was a child, he was aghast to discover that the lot on which his father had built a small house in Davao was not government land but one titled by somebody else. So he grew up being a squatter where he learned its lingo, its manners, and its antiestablishment mindset.

To refine that mindset, Duterte went to Manila’s Lyceum of the Philippines for his political science degree. He learned about socialism and communism from the likes of Jose Maria Sison (the CPP founder) and Jose David Lapuz, and foreign policy from Prof. Rosalinda Tirona.

Duterte was radicalized and joined the Kabataang Makabayan (KM), the youth arm of the CPP. “But I am not a communist,” he insists.

That background gives you a president who is a nationalist at heart and a poor man in upbringing, manners, and mindset. biznewsasia@gmail.com

and Win Gatchalian. I’m still crossing my fingers that others like former Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez would eventually make it.

The days of the movie stars and celebrities are over— the only exception being icon Manny Pacquiao, who is in the Magic 12.

Just how Pacquiao will contribute to legislation, I don’t know. Recall that former Senator Lito Lapid confessed that in all his time at the Senate, he was so embarrassed he could not even interpellate.

Pacquiao may be a hero to many of his boxing fans, but in this case the Filipino electorate is basically immature for electing him.

That’s why I see the need for an amendment of the election law requiring candidates for president, vice president and senator. They must at least have a formal education.

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Change the PhiliPPines doesn’t need Bloomberg editorial Like Donald Trump, to whom he’s often compared, the Philippines’ apparent president-elect Rodrigo Duterte won over voters with a crude and bombastic persona —or, if you will, his big mouth.

What the country he may soon inherit needs most, however, is a steady hand.

Duterte, a mayor who has proudly advertised his links to vigilante death squads in Davao City and threatened a “bloodbath” for criminals once he’s in power, has tapped into a deep vein of frustration with the political status quo. in truth, though, the Philippines is in better shape than it has been in for years. The country is forecast to grow faster than its neighbors this year, aided by low oil prices and continued healthy consumption.

Remittances are strong,

while a booming outsourcing sector could soon replace them as the country’s largest source of dollar revenues.

Outgoing President Benigno Aquino can’t take credit for all this good fortune. But he’s unquestionably leaving the country on a stronger footing than he found it six years ago.

The Philippines, the former “sick man of Asia,” now boasts a current account surplus, an investment-grade credit rating, improved competitiveness and steady growth in foreign investment. Aquino has gone after tax cheats and scored notable victories against official corruption.

Aquino, the son of former President Corazon Aquino, is a likable but diffident leader.

He has built his record on sober and unflashy reforms.

His successful efforts to widen the tax base have helped shrink the budget deficit.

ThaT close.. From A9 Statistician and Ateneo de Manila faculty member David Yap also monitored the downward movement of Marcos’s lead over Robredo and arrived at the same conclusion independently, the site reported.

Yap posted the following numbers on his Facebook site, with the figures on the left reflecting the increase in the tally and the right numbers showing the decrease in Marcos’ lead: 79.65% 530,043 80.40% 490,310

'generally... From A9 estrada, Quezon City’s Herbert Bautista, Guia Gomez in San Juan City and Abigail Binay in Makati. erap edged out former Mayor Alfredo Lim while Rep. Binay who’s on her last term as congresswoman proved that the Binay political family still has a large following in Makati.

What’s a Duterte presidency going to be like in the next

critical if the country is to build up its manufacturing industries—on his own. Yet much like Trump in the US, Duterte has done nothing to improve his standing among legislators, whom he largely derided during the campaign as “trapos,” or traditional politicians sucking the country dry.

Geopolitically, his election comes at a fraught moment.

A UN tribunal is set to rule soon on a case the Philippines brought against China’s expansive maritime claims in the Spratly islands chain. even as the Philippines has welcomed US military forces back to its shores for the first time in decades, Duterte has issued provocative and contradictory policy statements—in one breath threatening to ride a jet ski out to a disputed reef to plant the Philippine flag, in

82.08% 421,499 82.71% 389,818 83.84% 345,373 84.43% 322,584 84.90% 293,957 85.78% 248,466 “Starting from the 80 percent mark, [Marcos’] lead has been dwindling by 40,000 per one percent [increase in the count]. Ang linis ng progression [The progression is so clean],” Yap reported. “i’m calling it now: by 92 percent to 93 percent, Bongbong and Leni will be tied,” Yap predicted. “i’ve been tracking the returns and the increments make

six years? Roxas and Poe have made known in their concession statements that they will work with Duterte in his reform government. in case Leni Robredo emerges as vice president, Duterte should heed the handwriting on the wall that he should show more respect for women. The power of women’s vote has been proven with the election of Cory Aquino and Gloria Macapagal

#failocracy

Changes such as introducing online bidding for government contracts helped convince ratings agencies to give the country its first investmentgrade rankings. He’s rolled out a cash-transfer program for the poor and boosted infrastructure spending to around five percent of gross domestic product this year.

Certainly growth hasn’t trickled down enough: A quarter of Filipinos still live in poverty, and Manila’s crumbling and traffic-choked roads remain a nightmare.

But change will require patient work and coalition building. Duterte will need Congress’ help if he wants to pursue land reforms that would spread growth beyond Manila, or if he’s to open up more sectors of the economy, including mining, to greater foreign investment.

He can’t fix the power sector—

Arroyo. Robredo and Poe have proved that women in this country must be reckoned with in the polls.

Robredo, the widow of the late interior and Local Government secretary Jesse Robredo who perished in a plane crash, denied rumors she would not accept a position in the Duterte administration. She appealed for unity as did her running mate Roxas. She struck the

another offering to negotiate concessions with China in return for infrastructure investment. either move would undermine US efforts to build regional support for the rule of law in the South China Sea. As indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, himself a successful former mayor, might attest, skills that are effective locally don’t always translate at the national level.

A single figure, no matter how determined, can’t dictate outcomes the way he or she might in a city or town. What Filipinos need from their next leader isn’t brute strength but consistency and pragmatism, to reassure markets and to make deals possible. While Duterte hasn’t shown those abilities to date, part of his appeal is his unpredictability.

He should aim to surprise everyone.

the pattern so obvious.”

But Yap erred, obviously. As of 7:45 p.m. last night, with 93.78 percent of the quick count completed, Robredo was already ahead by 229,586 votes. The 200,000-plus Robredo lead was first set at the middle of the day yesterday, stabilizing at that level on average for the rest of Tuesday.

But the trend was apparently set in the early morning hours of Tuesday, when everybody thought Marcos already had the election in the bag. The story still doesn’t have an ending, what with less than 2.5-million votes still unaccounted for.

Let’s see how this turns out. Some people will have a lot of explaining to do.

right chord. Whether Duterte is your candidate or not, it’s time for healing and national reconciliation in the aftermath of a heated campaign.

Senator Antonio Trillanes who exposed Duterte’s alleged huge bank accounts at the Julia Vargas branch of the Bank of the Philippine islands and the mayor’s several real estate properties also said he would not be a hindrance to

the Duterte government.

Overall, Duterte’s two proposals to return the death penalty to curb a runaway crime and a move to federalism could be worth considering. it’s time to diffuse the power of empire Manila and the central government. Hopefully, this would bring about the economic development of Mindanao and its evolution from being, perpetually, a work in progress.

chong ardivilla

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Seeds advance; injured Tsonga out ROME—Three out of four men’s seeds booked secondround spots at the Rome Masters on Monday as Frenchman JoWilfried Tsonga pulled the plug on his participation due to a training injury.

Platini casts shadow over FIFA MEXICO—FIFA president Gianni Infantino opened a meeting of the football body’s new council in Mexico on Monday, as UEFA chief Michel Platini’s resignation following a sport ban cast a shadow over the event.

Infantino, who was Platini’s number two at the European football organization before taking over FIFA in February, lamented his former mentor’s downfall.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) maintained Platini’s ban, though it reduced it from six to four years, saying the penalty initially imposed

by FIFA’s ethics committee was “too severe.”

But the court said it was “not convinced” that the $2 million payment Platini received from FIFA in 2011 was legitimate.

The payment was ordered by world football’s disgraced ex-president Sepp Blatter, who was also brought down over the infamous transaction.

Infantino, speaking to reporters after the FIFA Council met in Mexico City, said that, as chief of football’s governing body, he must “respect the decision” by the CAS. “On a personal level, of course I’m very sad about this decision. I’ve worked with Michel for the last nine years,” Infantino said.

“We did some great things in UEFA together and I really want to keep these positive memories.”

Platini, once the frontrunner to succeed Blatter as the most powerful man in the sport, said after the ruling he had no choice but to resign and would keep fighting in Swiss courts to prove his “probity.”

Asked whether FIFA would seek to recoup the $2 million, Infantino said: “Decisions have been taken today, it’s not the question.”

Wolfgang Niersbach, the former head of the German football federation and a member of UEFA’s executive committee, said the court’s decision was “very grave” for “my friend Michel.” AFP

Archer Martin Clapton of the UK (R) holds his arrow in his teeth during the Invictus Games Orlando 2016 Archery Finals at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. AFP

Mauresmo, Murray announce coaching split PARIS—Andy Murray and Amelie Mauresmo announced Monday that they had mutually agreed to end the Frenchwoman’s two-year stint as coach of the two-time major champion.

Under Mauresmo’s tutelage, Briton Murray won seven titles, including his first two on clay, and reached the final of the Australian Open in 2015 and 2016.

“Working with Andy over the last two years has been a fantastic experience for me,” said Mauresmo in a joint

statement with Murray on her Facebook page.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of the great team of people he has around him. Dedicating enough time along with the travel has been a challenge for me. I wish him and team well and I hope he goes on to win many more titles.”

Mauresmo, who is a former world number one and also a two-time Grand Slam champion, took over as Murray’s coach in June 2014, after

the player and Czech Ivan Lendl decided to part ways.

She took some time off last summer whilst pregnant with her son, with Swede Jonas Bjorkman filling in in her absence.

The 36-year-old, who was the first woman to coach a top male player, has not been seen around the practice courts with Murray for several months.

“I’ve learned a lot from Amelie over the last two years, both on and

off the court,” said Murray.

“She’s been a calming influence in the team and we will all miss having her around.

“I’ll take some time to consider the next steps and how we progress from here, but I’d like to thank her for everything she has done, she’s been an invaluable member of the team.”

The biggest improvement in Murray’s game under Mauresmo has come on clay. AFP

Vorganov now free to race CATANZARO, Italy—Cycling’s ruling body on Monday lifted Russian Eduard Vorganov’s provisional suspension for testing positive for meldonium.

The Katusha rider was banned in February after he emerged as one of a slew of sportsmen and women who had tested positive for the Latvian-made anti-ischemia drug which boosts oxygen supply to the blood and tissues in the body.

The former Russian road race champion failed a control for the drug in an out of competition test in January.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) did not offer reasons for their decision to free the rider to compete again.

“At this stage of the process and until a ruling in this case the UCI will not make any further comment,” a UCI spokesman said.

Meldonium was only placed on World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)’s list of banned substances at the start of 2016.

On April 16, WADA said athletes could escape a ban for taking meldonium because it does not know for sure how long it takes the substance to leave the body.

Since being added to their banned list WADA report there have been 172 test failures, including Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova.

Russia has been particularly badly hit by the meldonium scandal with track and field athletes and swimmers among about 40 Russians caught. AFP

Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist arrives at Pimlico Race Course in preparation for the 2016 Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland. AFP

The sudden adductor problem with less than a fortnight left before the French Open is not good news for the seventh seed.

On court there were wins for Canadian tenth seed Milos Raonic, and 11th seed Richard Gasquet as second seed Andy Murray landed in Rome after splitting from coach Amelie Mauresmo a day after he lost the Madrid final to Novak Djokovic.

Thomas Bellucci sent 14th seed Gael Monfils to a 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) opening loss, with Monfils calling for the trainer after less than half an hour on court.

Tsonga said he would work to be fit for the start of Roland Garros.

“I was sick when I left Madrid for two days, and I came here and I tried to play a little bit to see how it goes,” Tsonga said.

“This morning I just stretched a little bit my adductor.”

Tsonga lost in the Madrid third round to Raonic and played a Monte Carlo semifinal against compatriot Monfils last month.

“This is not something good to be a little bit injured before Roland Garros. I hope I will have the chance to recover quick enough to prepare as good as possible.”

Raonic defeated Italian Marco Cecchinato 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to line up a massive challenge against Nick Kyrgios in the next round.

Kyrgios hammered Italian wild card Salvatore Caruso 6-1, 6-2 after reaching the semi-finals in Estoril and the Madrid quarterfinals in his last two clay events.

“Clay is probably my least preferred surface, to be honest. But I actually don’t play too bad on it. I think it suits my game quite well,” the Australian said.

“It gives me time to set up and really go for my shots and then execute.

If you’ve got a good serve you can serve for any surface.”

Kyrgios said he had not spoken with slumping Bernard Tomic, whose habit of giving away matches and not trying his best is becoming a major cross to bear for the Aussie. AFP

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Sochi doping claims meant to derail WADA meetings MOSCOW—Russia’s sports minister on Monday slammed claims that four Russian gold medallists at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics were drug cheats as an attempt to derail upcoming World Anti-Doping Agency meetings.

The allegations -- the latest in a string of doping accusations to rock Russian sport -- were made by whistleblower Vitaly Stepanov in an interview aired Sunday by American channel CBS. “The CBS film was purposely aired ahead of the meeting of WADA directors and founders,” Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told TASS news agency.

“Nothing is done just like that.”

Russia won 13 gold medals at the Sochi Winter Olympics. The names of the alleged drug cheats were not revealed in the CBS programme.

WADA will host meetings of its executive committee and its foundation board in Montreal later this week where they are expected to discuss doping in Russian sport, among other topics.

In the CBS interview, Stepanov -- a former official with the Russian AntiDoping Agency (RUSADA) -- cites Grigory Rodchenkov, former head of Russia’s now-discredited drug testing lab, as telling him that FSB state security service officers “tried to control every single step of the anti-doping process in Sochi”.

A statement published Monday by the Russian sports ministry said that Moscow was “certain about the transparency of doping control during the Olympic Games”.

“In addition to Russian specialists, doping control stations also employed foreign experts,” the statement said.

“Furthermore, a team of independent observers managed the doping control operations on a daily basis during the Games.”

Stepanov and his wife, banned 800-metre runner Yuliya Stepanova, appeared in a 2014 German television documentary in which they alleged doping was systematic in Russian athletics, prompting WADA to investigate the claims.

A WADA independent committee concluded in a report published in November there was evidence of “statesponsored” doping and mass corruption in Russian athletics.

The International Association of Athletics Federations suspended Russia over the report, with the IAAF council due to decide in June if the country’s athletes can compete in Rio. AFP

Dwyane Wade of Miami celebrates after the Heat won Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2016 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. AFP

Wade lifts Heat in OT LOS ANGELES—Dwyane Wade scored 30 points and had a clutch steal and dunk in overtime as the Miami Heat evened their second-round playoff series with a 94-87 win over Toronto.

The Heat stepped it up in overtime as Joe Johnson blocked two shots, Justise Winslow produced a tip-in basket and Goran Dragic had a key layup for Miami evening the best-of-seven series at two games each.

“That is just him being D. Wade,” Dragic said. “Unbelievable. He is unstoppable.”

Game five is Wednesday in Toronto where Wade will surely be enemy No. 1 after Toronto fans accused the Chicago, Illinois native of being disrespectful in game three for shooting baskets during the playing of the Canadian national anthem.

Wade heard cheers instead of boos on Monday as he

tied the score with 12 seconds left by driving to the rim for a basket. Toronto had a chance to ice the win in regulation but Cory Joseph missed a 15foot jump shot at the buzzer in front of a crowd of 19,600 fans at Miami’s AmericanAirlines arena.

Toronto, who played without injured center Jonas Valanciunas, got scoring from some unexpected sources—14 points each from DeMarre Carroll and Joseph.

Bismack Biyombo started in place of Valanciunas and tallied a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Va-

lanciunas is out for the rest of the series.

But Toronto’s starting guards were largely ineffective. Kyle Lowry had 10 points, and DeMar DeRozan, who was playing with a jammed right thumb, had nine points.

Lowry fouled out with 1:58 left in the fourth quarter after he was called for an offensive infraction.

Heat big man Hassan Whiteside also skipped Monday’s game with a knee injury. His status for game five is uncertain.

Veteran Amar’e Stoudemire started in place of Whiteside. AFP

Kings hire Joerger as head coach LOS ANGELES—Dave Joerger was named the new head coach of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings on Monday, two days after he was fired by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Terms were not disclosed, but Joerger agreed to a four-year deal worth $16 million with the fourth year of the contract a team option, according to American sports broadcaster ESPN.

The 42-year-old emerged Sunday as the top candidate for the Sacramento job after he had meetings with Kings vice president of basketball operations and general manager Vlade Divac. AFP

From waterless village to rowing in Rio PUNE—An Indian rower has achieved an improbable feat by qualifying for the Rio Olympics -– despite coming from a drought-plagued village where there is not even enough water to drink.

Dattu Bhokanal, whose father dug wells for a living, said that when he took up rowing after joining the army he was scared, because he had never seen so much water.

But just a few years on, and with his arid ancestral home hit by severe water shortages that have affected more than 330 million, Bhokanal is dreaming of single sculls glory as India’s only Olympic rower in Rio. “There is a huge water short-

age in our village,” said Bhokanal, referring to tiny Talegaon in Nashik district, around 165 kilometres (100 miles) northeast of Mumbai.

“We used to travel long distances to get water and also stand in long queues to get our buckets filled from water tanks,” added the 24-year-old of his childhood.

Earlier this month, the government said a quarter of the India’s population, spread across 10 states, had been hit by drought after two consecutive years of weak monsoons.

Bhokanal’s tale is all the more remarkable as he couldn’t even swim when he first started rowing, and also has the pressure of his mother being

seriously ill in hospital.

He joined the army in 2012, needing a way to support his family after his father died from bone cancer the previous year.

Stationed in the much lusher district of Pune, he couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw a vast expanse of water where recruits practised rowing.

At first Bhokanal was intimidated, and wondered why water was being used for sport when so many people in the farming belt were thirsty. But over time he defeated his fears.

“Eventually I got comfortable with the water and there was no looking back,” he told AFP. Bhokanal quickly showed

skill to match his impressive, lean six-foot frame and in 2014 he competed at the Asian Games in South Korea where he finished fifth.

During regional Olympic qualifying races in April in Chungju, also in South Korea, Bhokanal made the grade for the men’s single sculls in Rio de Janeiro in August.

“It feels nice that I am bearing the fruits of my hard work,” he told AFP. “But this instant stardom does not make me any different and I will not lose the focus of my goal.”

“I am still the same person looking to get an Olympic medal,” Bhokanal said, adding that his mother’s plight has only “strengthened (his) resolve”. AFP

Singer Keith Urban announces the starting lineup for the Los Angeles Dodgers before the game against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. AFP

W E D N E S D AY : M AY 1 1 , 2 0 1 6

A14

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Painters shoot for huge 3-0 lead

By Jeric Lopez

WILL Rain or Shine take a step closer to ending its drought, or will Alaska finally make it a series that everyone expected it to be?

The two protagonists resume their best-of-seven championship showdown in the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup, with the Elasto Painters shooting for a near-insurmountable 3-0 lead at 7 p.m. today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Already with a com-

manding 2-0 series lead, the Elasto Painters are aiming to put the embattled Aces on the ropes with yet another win that will shove them on the brink of winning their second franchise championship.

Still, Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao doesn’t want his wards to take their feet

off the gas pedal as he believes that the competitive finale will only get tougher as it goes.

“The good thing is we have a 2-0 lead and we have a two-game cushion, but it’s not safe against Alaska,” said Guiao. “It’s getting harder to win as the series progresses. We need to keep our focus.”

The series could’ve gone either way when Game 2 was hanging in the balance, but Rain or Shine superstar Paul Lee made sure Sunday night that his team remained in control after he

sank a buzzerCompton. “Our Game Today beating gamegeneral team (Finals, Game 3 - Smart Araneta Coliseum) winner to give character is one the Painters a 7 p.m. - Alaska vs. Rain or Shine of great resolve and we got to tough 105-103 win against Alaska in a very go out there and earn it.”

Following a sub-par competitive contest.

Alaska head coach Alex Game 1 showing, Alaska Compton feels that his had a better performance team isn’t being as sharp in Game 2, but was unable as it normally is and at this to close it out as Rain or point, with a must-win Shine had a stronger finish situation facing them, he in the pay-off period.

A 3-0 lead will certainly knows it’s time to man up give the Elasto Painters an for Alaska.

“We haven’t played smart even deeper advantage, and hard enough to win. moving them a win away With have to earn it now from winning their first with better precision,” said championship in four years.

Alaska is looking to avoid that whichever way possible, and its top gun in Calvin Abueva, the frontrunner for the Best Player of the Conference Award, needs to regain his usual form to help his team list a win in the finals showdown.

Guiao believes that Abueva’s lackluster performances in both games was a factor for Rain or Shine’s 2-0 lead.

“Calvin (Abueva) hasn’t played his usual game for the last two games,” said Guiao.

No changes in golf’s Top 10; Hahn rises PARIS—There were no changes in the top 10 of the world golf rankings on Monday, after James Hahn took the Wells Fargo Championship title previously held by Rory McIlroy.

Four-time major champion McIlroy stays at world number three, after a bogey on the 18th green at Quail Hollow ended his thrilling Sunday charge.

Australian Jason Day remains at the top of the rankings despite taking a week off, while American Hahn jumps from 134th in the world to 55th.

Official World Golf Ranking top 20: 1. Jason Day (AUS) 11.90 pts; 2. Jordan

Spieth (USA) 11.08; 3.

Rory McIlroy (NIR) 9.06; 4. Bubba Watson (USA) 8.10; 5. Rickie Fowler (USA) 7.69; 6. Henrik Stenson (SWE) 7.34; 7. Adam Scott (AUS) 6.92; 8. Dustin Johnson (USA) 6.69; 9. Danny Willet (ENG) 6.22; 10. Justin Rose (ENG) 6.03 11. Branden Grace (RSA) 5.37; 12. Patrick Reed (USA) 5.21; 13. Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 4.97; 14. Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 4.55; 15. Sergio Garcia (ESP) 4.20; 16. Brandt Snedeker (USA) 4.11; 17. Phil Mickelson (USA) 4.08 (+3); 18.

Zach Johnson (USA) 4.00 (-1); 19. J.B. Holmes (USA) 3.83; 20. Brooks Koepka (USA) 3.79 (-2)

Rain or Shine’s Paul Lee, shown here driving to the basket in Game 2, will be a marked man as the Painters enter their Game 3-showdown with the Alaska Aces.

Thais, Superal boost LPGT roster

The Thais, led by Amolkhan Phalajivin, will be up against a fired-up local field.

THE ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour resumes Wednesday, with former leg winner Amolkhan Phalajivin and fellow Thais Chatpara Siriprakob and Supakchaya Pattaranakrueng and local amateur ace Princess Superal boosting the compact cast clashing for top honors at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in Gen. Trias, Cavite.

Phalajivin, who humbled now LPGA Tour campaigner Cyna Rodriguez to score a breakthrough at Splendido two years ago, Pattaranakrueng and Siriprakob hope to come up with a strong start to fuel their respective bids in the 54-hole tournament serving as the fourth leg of this year’s tour sponsored by International Container Terminal Services Inc. But the Thais, who won two legs last season, will be up against a fired-up local field toughened up by a slew of talented amateurs, headed by Superal, who is out to nail her third victory in the country’s first ladies circuit organized

by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. at the Aoki layout.

Bernice Olivarez-Ilas, who edged The Country Club teammate Sam Martinez and Chihiro Ikeda to snare the LPGT Beverly Place Challenge crown last month, is indisposed and will not be around to shoot for a second title. But Superal and teammate Pauline del Rosario are in the fold to spearhead Team TCC’s quest for another plum in the circuit backed

by Custom Clubmakers, adidas, KZG, Sharp, Summit Mineral Water, Srixon, Champion, TaylorMade and Pacsports.

Yuka Saso, fresh from her victory in the Philippine Juniors Match Play Championship last week, and veteran internationalist Harmie Constantino are also expected to figure prominently in the title chase along with Jona Magcalayo and Korean amateurs Hwang Min-jeong and Euna Koh. Hwang also boasts of a victory on the LPGT, nipping Superal and Rodriguez at Mt. Malarayat last year,

making the lanky 15-year-old shotmaker another player to watch.

Ikeda, meanwhile, also resumes her quest for the elusive title while Jayvie Agojo, Sarah Ababa and Fil-Am Cristina Corpus gun for their second victory in the four-year old circuit.

Siriprakob drew Lovelyn Guioguio and Magcalayo in the first flight at 7 a.m. while Phalajivin and Hwang will start at 7:10 a.m. with Apple Fudolin followed by Ababa, Constantino and Sylvia Torres at 7:20 a.m.

Superal, the former US Girls’ Juniors champion, slugs it out with Pattaranakrueng, who placed third at Wack Wack last year, and Ikeda in the featured flight at 7:30 a.m. while Agojo sets out against Eva Minoza and Koh at 7:40 a.m. followed by the group made up of Del Rosario, Anya Tanpinco and England’s Sarah Henderson.

Saso starts at 8 a.m. with Korean Ji Won Kang and Lina de Guzman while Martirez, Corpus and Lucy Landicho make up the last group teeing off at 8:10.

W E D N E S D AY : M AY 1 1 , 2 0 1 6

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Fil-Cuban settles for bronze in San Diego

By Peter Atencio FIL-CUBANathlete Tyler Ruiz cleared 7.63 meters to bag the bronze medal in the men’s long jump recently in the 2016 Chula Vista High Performance Track and Field meet in San Diego, California.

Ruiz, whose father is from Cuba, finished behind gold medalist Ted Hooper, who had

a 7.70-meter performance, according to official results.

This was the 25-year-old Ruiz’s best showing after shifting from high jump.

His effort surpassed the Southeast Asian Games bronze medal standard, which Donovant Arriola reset last year in Singapore at 7.51 meters.

Ruiz also came close to the 7.69-meter performance of Ju-

lian Reem Fuentes in the recent Philippine National Open.

This makes Ruiz a top candidate for the coming Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia.

He shifted from high jump after tying the national record of 2.13 meters in 2012.

Prior to this, Rio Olympicsbound Eric Cray clocked 49.07 seconds and shattered two records in settling for the silver

medal in the men’s 400-meter action of the 2016 Kawasaki Golden Grand Prix Athletics World Championship in Tokyo Sunday.

Cray’s feat had him surpassing the national record of 49.12 seconds, which he himself set last year in the 2015 Cayman Island meet.

He also went past the 49.40-second mark, the new course record he set in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

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+

Volcanoes rip Malaysians in opener KUALA LUMPUR—The Philippine Volcanoes kicked off their Division 1 Asia Rugby Championships campaign on Saturday, in a 15 to 10 win over host nation Malaysia.

In wet conditions at the Royal Selangor Stadium, the Volcanoes found themselves in an uphill battle with the wet ball and a hostile crowd, chasing the scoreboard after an early penalty conversion to

Malaysia found them down 3 points to nil.

Team Captain Oliver Saunders had an off start, but debutant Derrick DeGuzman Broussard crossed the line for a five pointer before half time.

Malaysia fought back with a strong counter attack, scoring immediately in the second half to give the hosts a 10 point to 5 advantage. A try-saving interception by Harrison Carceller Blake set up Matthew Donato Saunders, catching the Malaysian team off guard with a quick tap off a penalty to even the score lines at 10-point all.

With the scores at a deadlock, it was the Philippines

which had the final say after the strong forward pack once again showed their dominance in the set piece, scoring off a pushover scrum. Man of the match Terry Javier Carroll scored the final try for the Philippines to secure the win.

“It was a tough opening game for us against the home team Malaysia. The wet conditions made it hard to play an expansive game as there

were a lot of handling errors.

I thought we were strong at set piece. We have a couple of areas in our game to adjust and we will work on that for our next game against Singapore” said Saunders.

The Philippines will take on an improved Singaporean team on Wednesday at 2.30 p.m. in their second game. The Singaporeans fell short to Sri Lanka in their opening match, 33 to 17.

Banned Indonesia eyeing Mourinho

Training in serene waters. Indian rower Dattu Bhokanal rows during a training session at the College of Military Engineering in Pune. Dattu

Bhokanal, a rower from a drought-stricken village in dusty western India where residents don’t have enough to drink has achieved an improbable feat—he’s qualified for the summer Olympics in Rio. AFP

Sabillo drops split decision to young Japanese champ

By Ronnie Nathanielsz FORMER World Boxing Organization world minimum weight champion Merlito Sabillo of the Philippines lost by a split decision in an Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation title fight in Sanda, Japan.

Sabillo figured in 12 hardfought rounds, but succumbed to 18-year-old WBO No.6 ranked 10-1-1, 5 KOs) Riku Kano, who grabbed the Silver OPBF belt from the WBO No. 1-ranked Filipino (25-3-1, 12 KOs) with a well-received decision (117-111 twice and 113-115).

Boxing writer Joe Koizumi

reported: “The shorter southpaw Kano made a good start and took the initiative, whipping the highly regarded Filipino veteran, 14 years his senior at 32. He also opened a gash over the left eyebrow of Sabillo in the fourth, after which the open scoring system indicated Kano leading on points, 40-36 twice and 39-37.”

Sabillo came back fighting in the middle of the contest to make it close as shown by open tallies after the eighth round, 78-74, 7775 for Kano, and 77-75 for the Filipino.

Kano, however, took back the leadership by concentrating on body attacks in later rounds that

apparently weakened Sabillo.

Kano aims to break the Japanese record of Hiroki Ioka, having acquired the world belt at the youngest age—18 years and nine months—in 1987.

Meanwhile, two Filipino boxers, Jimmy Borbon and Joel Taduran, were beaten easily in two mismatches in Tokyo.

Koizumi reported that former WBC super-feather champ and Japanese No. 1 southpaw Takashi Miura (30-3-2, 23 KOs) needed just 161 seconds into the initial round to dispatch Borbon (5-2-2, 3 KOs), with a single left leather on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.

Having been dethroned by Francisco Vargas in a grueling battle in Las Vegas last November, Miura participated in his first bout since then and made short work of the overmatched Filipino opponent by displaying his awesome power.

His rematch with Vargas is highly anticipated byJapanese fight fans.

In another bout, former WBC flyweight champ, lefty ex-Olympian Toshiyuki Igarashi (22-2-2, 11 KOs) swept almost all rounds, winning a lopsided verdict (10090, 99-91, 99-92) over Filipino Joel Taduran (7-2-1, 1 KOs) over 10 rounds.

JAKARTA—As former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho mulls his next move, an unlikely suitor has emerged in the form of the beleaguered Indonesian national team, which is banned from international football.

Indonesian Sports Minster Imam Nahrawi has announced that he wants Mourinho, who has been out of work since December after being sacked by Chelsea, to train the country’s national side.

Mourinho has been widely linked to Manchester United where Louis van Gaal has spent most of the season under siege, but Nahrawi hopes the 53-year-old Portuguese might pick sun-kissed, tropical Indonesia over chilly northwest England.

“This has been discussed with President Joko Widodo,” Nahrawi was quoted as saying by state-run news agency Antara on Monday in Jakarta.

However Nahrawi conceded that it was “not an easy thing to do”, particularly given the high cost of hiring Mourinho.

In addition, Mourinho would be landed with a team that currently cannot even compete internationally after FIFA suspended Indonesia in May last year over allegations of government interference.

The crisis began when the government sought to remove the football association due to a row over which teams could participate in the country’s top league, and the domestic game ground to a halt soon afterwards.

An interim league kicked off at the end of last month, but authorities and the football association are still at loggerheads and the FIFA suspension remains in place. The national side is ranked 185th by FIFA. AFP

A16

W E D N E S DAY : M AY 1 1 , 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

LOS ANGELES—Stephen Curry returned from injury to deliver an overtime performance for the ages Monday, scoring 17 points in the extra session to lift Golden State to a 132-125 win over Portland in game four of their playoff series.

Steph Curry back doing Steph Curry things

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors celebrates after hitting a shot during overtime in Game 4 of his team’s Western Conference Semifinals against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. The Warriors won, 132-125. AFP

Curry reminded everyone why he is the reigning league MVP, coming off the bench to finish with 40 points in 37 minutes of playing time as the Warriors moved to within one victory of the NBA Western Conference finals.

Curry, who sat out the past four postseason games with a knee injury, bagged all but four of Golden State’s overtime points as he outscored the Trail Blazers by himself in the extra session.

“It took me a while to get in the groove but it finally happened,” said Curry, who also had nine rebounds and eight assists.

(See related NBA story on A13) Warrior coach Steve Kerr started his news conference Monday by joking, “Steph will start on Wednesday night”, referring to game five.

Kerr said he expected to have to limit Curry’s minutes Monday to about 25. But after watching the way Curry rallied the troops, he threw that plan out the window.

“The guy has played one game in three weeks,” Kerr said. “I expected a lot of rust.

Nobody could have predicted that explosion.

“I figured he would find his stroke and make a few shots, but that was crazy.”

Curry didn’t enter the game until halfway through the first quarter, with the Warriors trailing 16-2 in front of a crowd of 19,500 at Portland’s Moda Center arena.

“I been through a lot in the last three weeks,” Curry said. “A lot of people helped me to come back and play.”

Klay Thompson scored 23 points and Draymond

Green collected 21 points, nine rebounds, seven blocked shots and five assists for the Warriors.

Damian Lillard scored 36 points and handed out 10 assists, CJ McCollum added 24 points, and Al-Farouq Aminu chipped in 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Blazers, who will attempt to extend the series by winning Wednesday at Oracle Arena.

Wade ‘unstoppable’ Curry scored the Warriors’ first 12 points of overtime for a 123-118 lead with 1:51 to go.

Harrison Barnes’ fastbreak layup extended the lead to 125-118 with 1:23 to play.

Lillard made a pair of free throws to cut the difference to 125-120 with 1:18 to go, but Curry drained another threepointer and it was 128-120 with 65 seconds left. The Blazers got no closer than seven points the rest of the way.

Meanwhile in the Eastern Conference game Monday, Dwyane Wade scored 30 points and had a clutch steal and dunk in overtime as the Miami Heat evened their second-round playoff series with a 94-87 win over Toronto.

“This is one heck of a series,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Was there any doubt this was going to overtime?”

The Heat stepped it up in overtime as Joe Johnson blocked two shots, Justise Winslow produced a tip-in basket and Goran Dragic had a key layup as Miami levelled the best-of-seven series at two games each.

“That is just him being D. Wade,” Dragic said.

“Unbelievable. He is unstoppable.” AFP

Power Camp lures 200 kids in Tay Tung High School TWO hundred boys, 6 to 18 years old, completed the Module 1 training of the Alaska Basketball Power Camp at Tay Tung High School, Bacolod last weekend as part of the Alaska nationwide outreach program for children.

The two-week long camp, designed by Philippine Basketball Association legend and Basketball Power Camp Director Jeff Cariaso, teaches the most important aspects of the game of basketball to boys and girls of all ages.

Alaska Aces’ assistant coach Topex Robinson, who gave participants certificates of completion, said the camps are part of

the Alaska outreach program for children nationwide to have a fun and productive summer.

The Alaska Power Camp does not just teach basketball skills, it also instills the value of discipline, perseverance, teamwork and determination in children according to Robinson. Additionally, children learn importance of proper nutrition for their growth and development.

Tay Tung High School Sports Director Jose Montalbo said the school was proud to open its campus to camp participants from Bacolod City as well as the islands of Negros, Panay and Guimaras.

Alaska not only helps boys and girls become better athletes through the Alaska Power Camps, but also helps them become productive members of the community.

Alaska believes that sports play an important role in instilling the value of discipline, determination, hard work, teamwork and sportsmanship among the youth. These fundamental values develop character and are necessary attributes for success as much as good health and proper nutrition.

For more information visit the website www.alaskapowercamp.com, alaskamilk.com and www.playph.com.

A young participant of the Alaska Basketball Power Camp applies his basketball fundamentals he learned from the nationwide outreach program for children.

B1

WEDNESDAY: MAY 11, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Markets cheer Duterte victory

By Julito G. Rada

THE Philippine peso and local stocks surged Tuesday, after the generally peaceful elections gave a clear mandate to Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte as the next president.

The peso rose the most in six weeks against the dollar as Duterte sought to ease investor concerns after claiming victory in the nation’s presidential election.

The peso gained P0.34 or 0.7 percent on Tuesday to close at 46.75 against the US dollar, the strongest close since April 22.

Nicholas Antonio Mapa, research officer of Bank of the Philippine Islands, said in a state-

ment that “as long as there are no anomalies, it won’t matter who wins, the peso will bounce back.”

“Today’s performance shows that was true, with the peso appreciating as there is no doubt of who will be our next leader,” Mapa said.

The currency also strengthened versus all of its 10 Asian peers as preliminary results showed Duterte, the tough-talking mayor of Davao city, won about 39 per-

cent of the vote. He said on Monday it was time to start a process of “healing,” and named potential cabinet members.

Uncertainty about his economic plans and lack of policy-making experience had sent investors to the sidelines in the weeks before the election.

“A Duterte win had been flagged for some time now, and the market has already largely priced it in,” said Julian Wee, a senior market strategist at National Australia Bank Ltd. in Singapore. “Going forward, the market will be watching what Duterte does, and the initial signs are mildly positive in that he seems to be making some overtures to the other players in the political establishment. ”

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, rose 183 points, or 2.6 percent, to close at 7,174.88 Tuesday.

The bellwether was up 3.2 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also gained 109 points, or 2.6 percent, to settle at 4,272.24, on value turnover of P8.8 billion.

Advancers led losers, 133 to 50, while 47 issues were unchanged.

Local financial markets were shut on Monday.

Duterte told reporters he might appoint Carlos Dominguez, a former agriculture secretary to the late President Corazon Aquino, as finance or transport chief, and may turn to his running mate Alan Cayetano as foreign secre-

Topping-off ceremony.

Robinsons Land Corp.’s executives and project partners lead the topping off ceremony for The Radiance Manila Bay-North Tower along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City. Shown attending the ceremony are (from left) D.M. Consunji Inc. building division vice president Gerry Punzal, Asya Design Associates principal architect Geoffrey Yu, DMCI senior vice president Luis Pastor, Robinsons Residences vice president for sales and marketing May LopezPrecilla, EPEA architect Mary Ann Espina, RLC vice president for project management Emmanuel Arce, Sincere Construction & Development Corp. vice president Cristina Co Ban Kiat and Constech Management Group vice president for operations Benjamin Cabral.

Business groups vow to support new administration

By Othel V. Campos BUSINESS groups on Tuesday welcomed the election of a new government led by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, saying they are ready to support his administration in ensuring sustainable growth.

The Makati Business Club said in a statement it was “ready to be an active and participative partner of government in ensuring sustainable and inclusive growth that benefits not just a select few but all Filipinos.”

“We call on all Filipinos to come together, to support our new leaders. Let us focus on those aspirations that unite us, rather than on the issues that divide us.

After all, despite our divisions, we all aspire for the common goal of authentic freedom and inclusive

development,” MBC said.

It said members were looking forward to the continuation of the public-private partnership program under the Duterte administration.

“To continue the momentum, one key component may be to continue, sustain and maybe speed up the PPP roll-out rather than review everything all over again especially since our PPP has been recognized globally as best practice,” MBC executive director Peter Angelo Perfecto said.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry also acknowledged the conduct of clean, honest and credible elections and the clear mandate received by Duterte. PCCI also welcomed the plan of Duterte to appoint former agriculture secretary Sonny Dominguez and press secretary Jess Dureza to his Cabinet.

“With brothers Paul and Sonny Dominguez joining his team as well as Jess Dureza, they can draft a plan to gain the confidence of the Filipino people. They are all seasoned businessmen,” said PCCI president George Barcelon.

Barcelon cited the importance of Duterte building his team in the next six months not only to start initiating developmental programs but ultimately to get a vote of confidence from his constituency.

Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings said the outcome of the Philippines election was not expected to have any immediate impact on the rating or outlook. Fitch gave the Philippines a rating of ‘BBB-’ with a positive outlook in April “When the rating agency affirmed the rating at ‘BBB-‘ with a positive outlook in April, the

agency had pointed out that it would wait and see whether the improvement in governance standards achieved under the administration of Aquino III can be sustained after the 2016 elections, in line with its rating sensitivities,” said Fitch Ratings associte director Sagarika Chandra.

“If that were to occur it could be positive for ratings. Fitch will monitor further developments closely. Fitch however continues to view Philippines’ underlying economic fundamentals as a strength, given its strong net external creditor position, declining general government debt and deficit levels, and positive growth momentum and these were key factors that drove the agency to reaffirm the rating at ‘BBB-‘ with a positive outlook, in April this year,” Chandra said.

tary. Dominguez owns a hotel and is Duterte’s childhood friend.

Once labeled Asia’s “sick man,” the nation of 101 million people has earned World Bank praise as the continent’s “rising tiger” under outgoing leader Benigno Aquino III, posting average annual growth of 6.2 percent over the past six years, the fastest pace since the 1970s.

“The business sector will also be anxious to see what policies Duterte has planned for the economy and investment,” NAB’s Wee said. “In the meantime, the market is likely to wait and watch, and we would expect that the dollarpeso would be fairly supported around current levels.” with Bloomberg, AFP

PSe comPoSite index Closing May 10, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,174.88 183.01

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing May 10, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P46.750

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P47.070 LOW P47.350 AVERAGE P47.247 VOLUME 725.000M

P426.00-P637.00 LPG/11-kg tank P35.40-P42.60 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P23.49-P27.07 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, May 10, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.2470

Japan

Yen

0.009233

0.4362

UK

Pound

1.440800

68.0735

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128803

6.0856

Switzerland

Franc

1.030291

48.6782

Canada

Dollar

0.771545

36.4532

Singapore

Dollar

0.729288

34.4567

Australia

Dollar

0.731400

34.5565

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653787

125.3835

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

12.5989

Brunei

Dollar

0.726639

34.3315

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.028471

1.3452

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.8647

Euro

Euro

1.138500

53.7907

Korea

Won

0.000852

0.0403

China

Yuan

0.153497

7.2523

India

Rupee

0.014983

0.7079

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.249377

11.7823

New Zealand

Dollar

0.676600

31.9673

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030692

1.4501 Source: PDS Bridge

WEDNESDAY: MAY 11, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Tuesday, May 10, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

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

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.68 12.02 19.6 0.225 78 17.8 62 88.35 52 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 148 20.6 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 3.95 4 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 1450 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 32 15.32 20.2 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 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 2.3 1.63 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 801 4.1 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 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 2.99 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 4.84 0.59 12 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 2.26 59.3 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

10.5 26.95 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69

6.74 12 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415

STOCKS

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3 2.84 45.5 45.2 99.50 98.50 93.00 89.20 39.85 39 1.56 1.46 14.2 14 16 15.26 0.570 0.550 79.4 78.6 15.10 15.00 51.00 49.90 107 103.5 356 356 273.8 260 30.25 30 178.1 170.6 1320.00 1320.00 59.50 57.80 1.55 1.55 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

44.05 44.5 43.5 Agrinurture Inc. 4.2 4.07 3.8 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.76 0.8 0.77 Alsons Cons.

1.4 1.72 1.44 Asiabest Group 13.9 13.94 13.02 C. Azuc De Tarlac 190.00 219.80 188.00 Century Food 19.12 19.9 19.12 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 187 209 186.4 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 18.02 18.1 18 Concepcion 45.05 47.8 46 Crown Asia 2.26 2.3 2.25 Da Vinci Capital 4.62 4.7 4.62 Del Monte 10.7 10.7 10.6 DNL Industries Inc. 8.870 9.100 8.770 Emperador 7.98 8.00 7.74 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.65 5.80 5.60 EEI 7.10 7.52 7.15 Euro-Med Lab 1.61 1.76 1.7 First Gen Corp.

19.64 20.6 19.64 First Holdings ‘A’ 64 64.5 63.7 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 14.70 14.70 14.70 Holcim Philippines Inc. 14.00 14.08 14.00 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.4 5.6 5.36 Ionics Inc 2.260 2.450 2.230 Jollibee Foods Corp.

226.80 230.00 223.00 Liberty Flour 35.00 35.00 35.00 LMG Chemicals 1.88 1.88 1.88 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.5 3.66 3.65 Manila Water Co. Inc. 28.25 28.25 27 Maxs Group 21.35 22 20.8 Megawide 6.4 6.4 6.33 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 336.60 343.60 335.00 MG Holdings 0.285 0.285 0.270 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.4 3.6 3.4 Petron Corporation 10.50 10.78 10.38 Phil H2O 3.16 3.16 3.02 Phinma Corporation 11.60 11.60 11.52 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 4.82 5.12 4.82 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.53 1.65 1.52 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.69 2.7 2.65 RFM Corporation 4.10 4.15 4.10 Roxas Holdings 4.55 4.55 4.4 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 206 220 206 SPC Power Corp.

4.14 4.13 4.13 Splash Corporation 2.59 2.59 2.51 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.150 0.152 0.148 TKC Steel Corp.

1.23 1.22 1.11 Trans-Asia Oil 2.50 2.56 2.43 Universal Robina 204.4 205.2 199 Victorias Milling 4.65 4.8 4.6 Vitarich Corp.

0.9 0.95 0.87 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.27 1.30 1.24 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.350 0.430 0.350 Aboitiz Equity 64.30 67.50 63.10 Alliance Global Inc. 14.36 14.36 13.98 Anglo Holdings A 1.09 1.12 1.12 Anscor `A’ 6.00 5.99 5.95 ATN Holdings A 0.440 0.510 0.450 ATN Holdings B 0.435 0.510 0.435 Ayala Corp `A’ 735 764 723 Cosco Capital 7.82 7.84 7.63 DMCI Holdings 11.70 12.20 11.66 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

5.70 5.78 5.60 Forum Pacific 0.204 0.280 0.224 GT Capital 1363 1376 1335 House of Inv. 6.20 6.06 6.04 JG Summit Holdings 78.40 82.60 77.00 Lopez Holdings Corp.

6.9 7.2 6.87 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.68 0.7 0.69 LT Group 14.4 14.5 14.36 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.65 5.82 5.57 Pacifica `A’ 0.0320 0.0330 0.0320 Prime Media Hldg 1.440 1.410 1.320 Prime Orion 1.770 1.820 1.780 Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.7 2.70 2.6 San Miguel Corp `A’ 66.95 66.80 66.00 SM Investments Inc. 913.00 946.00 912.50 Solid Group Inc. 1.14 1.18 1.15 South China Res. Inc. 0.79 0.79 0.79 Top Frontier 145.000 146.000 146.000 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3100 0.3150 0.3050 Wellex Industries 0.2000 0.2490 0.2000 Zeus Holdings 0.290 0.300 0.270 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.410 7.570 7.410 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 7.54 7.97 7.97 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.05 1.17 1.03 Araneta Prop `A’ 2.050 2.200 2.000 Arthaland Corp.

0.270 0.285 0.260 Ayala Land `B’ 33.850 34.400 33.850 Belle Corp. `A’ 2.95 2.97 2.91 Cebu Holdings 5.1 5.15 5.1 Century Property 0.510 0.53 0.510 City & Land Dev. 0.98 0.99 0.98 Cityland Dev. `A’ 0.980 0.990 0.980 Crown Equities Inc. 0.129 0.131 0.127 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.455 0.460 0.445 AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank MEDCO Holdings Metrobank PB Bank Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

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

Close

SHARES 15,513,791 97,565,288 242,151,557 250,605,306 99,002,650 369,328,652 1,081,774,784

2.85 45.5 99.50 90.95 39.75 1.46 14.2 15.3 0.570 78 15.00 50.00 103.5 310 260 30.2 171.5 1360.00 59.00 1.5

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3 45.5 99.50 93.00 39.6 1.56 14 16 0.570 79.2 15.00 51.00 107 356 265 30.25 178.1 1320.00 59.00 1.55

5.26 0.00 0.00 2.25 -0.38 6.85 -1.41 4.58 0.00 1.54 0.00 2.00 3.38 14.84 1.92 0.17 3.85 -2.94 0.00 3.33

52,000 9,000 4,970,630 1,667,560 36,400 87,000 20,200 284,400 303,000 4,656,870 95,100 112,800 160 10 800 259,800 1,700,980 5 145,780 1,000

44.5 3.96 0.8 1.68 13.5 219.80 19.84 209 18.1 46.1 2.28 4.62 10.7 9.050 8.00 5.80 7.52 1.7 20.5 64 14.70 14.00 5.42 2.430 230.00 35.00 1.88 3.65 28.25 22 6.4 342.80 0.285 3.42 10.78 3.07 11.60 5.12 1.60 2.66 4.15 4.4 216 4.13 2.58 0.152 1.22 2.56 205 4.8 0.94 1.29

1.02 -5.71 5.26 20.00 -2.88 15.68 3.77 11.76 0.44 2.33 0.88 0.00 0.00 2.03 0.25 2.65 5.92 5.59 4.38 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.37 7.52 1.41 0.00 0.00 4.29 0.00 3.04 0.00 1.84 0.00 0.59 2.67 -2.85 0.00 6.22 4.58 -1.12 1.22 -3.30 4.85 -0.24 -0.39 1.33 -0.81 2.40 0.29 3.23 4.44 1.57

1,593,600 455,000 309,000 45,930,000 1,400 20 750,100 12,410 126,000 1,100 300,000 9,000 37,500 4,575,900 1,075,400 6,613,800 271,800 6,000 2,271,200 227,580 100 9,200 38,700 3,566,000 1,485,060 100 6,000 18,000 1,287,100 642,800 407,500 131,610 210,000 6,564,000 3,201,200 20,000 2,500 1,629,000 333,000 273,000 385,000 3,000 19,090 2,000 99,000 1,230,000 5,000 1,382,000 2,356,100 101,000 7,237,000 243,000

0.405 67.50 14.36 1.12 5.95 0.510 0.500 764 7.69 12.20 5.74 0.260 1365 6.06 82.60 7.2 0.69 14.4 5.78 0.0320 1.330 1.800 2.7 66.40 943.00 1.15 0.79 146.000 0.3100 0.2330 0.300

15.71 4.98 0.00 -0.83 15.91 14.94 3.95 -1.66 4.27 0.70 27.45 0.15 -2.26 5.36 4.35 1.47 0.00 2.30 0.00 -7.64 1.69 0.00 -0.82 3.29 0.88 0.00 0.69 0.00 16.50 3.45

48,940,000 2,309,780 9,252,600 103,000 40,000 47,310,000 9,090,000 405,660 1,683,600 4,471,900 196,900 6,620,000 205,035 41,200 3,413,800 1,810,800 31,000 4,007,000 49,654,500 4,000,000 149,000 517,000 46,000 552,300 472,100 167,000 5,000 1,440 1,830,000 40,710,000 60,000

7.550 7.97 1.13 2.200 0.280 34.350 2.96 5.15 0.520 0.99 0.980 0.130 0.455

1.89 5.70 7.62 7.32 3.70 1.48 0.34 0.98 1.96 1.02 0.00 0.78 0.00

13,017,200 2,100 6,548,000 3,775,000 3,270,000 24,180,100 2,528,000 4,800 5,221,000 17,000 14,000 2,860,000 750,000

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 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

2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 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

Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. 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 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 2720 8.41 70.5 1.97 119.5 7 5.8 12.5 0.017

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 1600 5.95 17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 4 8.72 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 2.53 95.5 1 2.46 15.2

6.5 1.91 1.01 3.1 0.650 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 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. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp.

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

Discovery World DFNN Inc. Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ Imperial Res. `B’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings 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 12.7 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.236 6.5 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

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

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

TA Petroleum

-4,380.00 -31,000.00 24,900.00

70 525 120 8.21 12.28 111 1060 1047

33 500 101.5 5.88 6.5 101 997 1011

-3,935,096.00

84.8

75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ First Gen G GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

354,260.00 -88,921,819 30,321,134.00 723,120.00 2,587,628.00 -88,702,913.50 -2,352,095.50

-6,670,240 51,237,099.00 -4,884,610.00 -23,660,665.00 7,311,480.00 -3,367,872.00 -10 -138,920.00 -8,340,948.00 -1,996,252.00 -1,155,217.00 629,851.00 -26,341,898.00 -5,824,550.00 72,720.00 -726,000.00 2,370,278.00 -36,600.00 -906,505.00 4,477,450.00 2,576,523.00 3,731,814.00 -569,060.00 -600,274.00

-1,264,420.00 791,324.00

95,303,564.00 276,000.00 88,680.00 -49,350.00 16,212,476.50 -80,681,978.00

385,400.00 -135,515,450.00 -5,830,004.00 -10,071,112.00 903,186.00 51,500.00 -43,872,145.00 87,745,602.00 771,891.00 -4,720,290.00 -49,709,266.00 -340,800.00 -32,021,128.50 -75,415,125.00

-12,600.00 -1,045,970.00 -166,222,270.00 -512,340.00 244,920.00

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

High

VALUE 1,441,872,889.245 1,344,783,644.554 2,132,230,483.385 2,642,228,055.42 986,653,714.99 120,143,423.87 8,785,411,245.469

FINANCIAL 1,608.14 (up) 23.94 INDUSTRIAL 11,749.23 (up) 156.44 HOLDING FIRMS 7,064.83 (up) 223.10 PROPERTY 2,999.69 (up) 100.83 SERVICES 1,463.40 (up) 27.39 MINING & OIL 10,852.69 (up) 123.75 PSEI 7,174.88 (up) 183.01 All Shares Index 4,272.24 (up) 109.18 Gainers: 133; Losers: 50; Unchanged: 47; Total: 230

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

38.05 0.830 0.149 0.95 1.85 4.60 3.7 0.082 0.2600 0.530 8.52 26.70 1.51 3.1 22.65 0.86 6.45 1.010 4.580

38.1 37.05 37.95 0.830 0.830 0.830 0.158 0.158 0.158 0.97 0.93 0.97 1.87 1.78 1.85 4.30 4.30 4.30 3.89 3.57 3.85 0.085 0.083 0.083 0.3300 0.2600 0.2800 0.550 0.530 0.540 8.49 8.48 8.48 29.00 26.35 29.00 1.56 1.5 1.56 3.09 3.03 3.09 24.00 22.05 24.00 0.91 0.86 0.9 6.69 6.45 6.65 1.030 1.000 1.030 4.700 4.530 4.700 SERVICES 7.75 7.7 7.51 7.7 54.9 54.9 54.3 54.45 1.25 1.3 1.22 1.22 0.580 0.590 0.590 0.590 4.08 4.34 4.06 4.34 0.0550 0.0550 0.0520 0.0540 3.07 3.08 3.03 3.08 86.75 88.3 85.5 88.1 9.5 9.5 9.2 9.2 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 6.80 6.95 6.80 6.80 2178 2220 2102 2220 6.86 6.88 6.80 6.80 24.00 23.55 23.55 23.55 1.18 1.16 1.15 1.16 63 63.95 61.4 63.95 17.28 17.90 15.60 16.54 178 189.8 160 189.8 11.52 12.98 12.98 12.98 0.0099 0.0096 0.0096 0.0096 9.66 9.66 9.66 9.66 0.355 0.365 0.350 0.355 1.8700 1.9300 1.8400 1.8900 2.09 2.2 2.09 2.2 11 11 11 11 7.47 7.70 7.45 7.45 4.24 4.24 4.10 4.22 1.12 1.12 1.12 1.12 21.00 22.95 19.02 22.95 0.580 0.600 0.570 0.570 1.97 2 2 2 2.25 2.34 2.17 2.3 3.74 4.07 3.70 4.04 2.530 2.580 2.330 2.570 16.88 17.54 17 17.54 5.09 5.10 4.80 5.09 110.00 108.90 108.00 108.00 22.75 22.75 22.40 22.70 1660.00 1694.00 1621.00 1694.00 0.400 0.400 0.390 0.400 0.850 0.850 0.810 0.850 39.95 41.45 39.55 41.00 74.95 78.00 74.50 77.50 6.08 6.28 6.06 6.16 3.29 3.35 3.20 3.35 0.570 0.590 0.560 0.580 1.99 1.82 1.82 1.82 3.34 3.38 3.32 3.33 0.335 0.380 0.330 0.350 5.230 5.350 5.350 5.350 MINING & OIL 0.0041 0.0042 0.0041 0.0041 2.03 2.10 1.97 1.97 4.20 4.20 4.19 4.20 0.236 0.240 0.235 0.240 8.0000 7.77 7.69 7.7500 7.7500 7.8000 7.7500 7.7500 0.65 0.64 0.62 0.63 0.510 0.530 0.510 0.530 8.27 8.26 7.96 8.10 0.840 0.860 0.800 0.860 0.290 0.290 0.280 0.290 0.250 0.255 0.243 0.250 0.275 0.270 0.260 0.270 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 2 2 1.94 2 5.03 5.25 4.77 5.24 2.42 2.55 2.37 2.53 0.6000 0.5700 0.5700 0.5700 1.2500 1.2900 1.2900 1.2900 0.0093 0.0093 0.0092 0.0092 6.14 6.20 5.97 6.18 2.20 2.40 2.18 2.36 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 126.40 129.80 126.20 128.00 3.18 3.19 3.03 3.18 PREFERRED 53.55 53.9 53.6 53.7 530 535 535 535 118 116 116 116 6.62 6.5 6.5 6.5 1.07 1.09 1.09 1.09 108.5 111 111 111 1026 1027 1026 1026 1020 1024 1024 1024 105 105 105 105 110 110 110 110 80.5 80.5 80 80 77 76 76 76 78 77.5 77.5 77.5 75.05 75.05 75 75 75.15 75.5 75.15 75.2 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.880 2.990 2.810 2.990 SME 3.82 4 4 4 2.99 3.16 3.06 3.06 16.2 16.84 16.12 16.5 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 115 118.3 114.4 118.3

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

-0.26 0.00 6.04 2.11 0.00 -6.52 4.05 1.22 1.89 -0.47 8.61 3.31 -0.32 5.96 4.65 3.10 1.98 2.62

294,600 3,000 10,000 2,007,000 18,435,000 3,000 95,297,000 920,000 7,450,000 414,000 50,000 4,325,000 61,000 11,000 43,729,200 3,820,000 1,000 190,000 8,873,000

-1,692,040.00

-0.65 -0.82 -2.40 1.72 6.37 -1.82 0.33 1.56 -3.16 0.00 0.00 1.93 -0.87 -1.88 -1.69 1.51 -4.28 6.63 12.67 -3.03 0.00 0.00 1.07 5.26 0.00 -0.27 -0.47 0.00 9.29 -1.72 1.52 2.22 8.02 1.58 3.91 0.00 -1.82 -0.22 2.05 0.00 0.00 2.63 3.40 1.32 1.82 1.75 -8.54 -0.30 4.48 2.29

61,900 105,890 2,000 79,000 5,659,000 10,370,000 70,000 384,250 7,300 20,000 35,500 103,760 54,100 100 56,000 948,280 133,700 570 100 5,000,000 40,000 33,470,000 2,700,000 95,000 3,100 71,600 272,000 3,000 700 41,000 36,000 3,385,000 4,959,000 9,069,000 300 2,200 350 54,800 180,945 580,000 8,058,000 4,510,300 637,160 596,800 1,441,000 2,526,000 2,000 373,000 2,370,000 100

0.00 -2.96 0.00 1.69 -3.13 0.00 -3.08 3.92 -2.06 2.38 0.00 0.00 -1.82 0.00 0.00 4.17 4.55 -5.00 3.20 -1.08 0.65 7.27 0.00 1.27 0.00

184,000,000 76,000 -21,000.00 29,000 -8,390.00 90,000 27,100 12,000 -60,690.00 120,000 998,000 5,900 35,234,000 7,136,950.00 1,260,000 18,350,000 1,430,000 47,700.00 2,700,000 321,000 3,942,600 -7,182,478.00 118,000 230,000 10,000 20,000,000 2,095,900 -3,151,327.00 1,219,000 -13,620.00 96,600,000 359,140 -14,255,305.00 84,000

0.28 0.94 -1.69 -1.81 1.87 2.30 0.00 0.39 0.00 0.00 -0.62 -1.30 -0.64 -0.07 0.07

188,480 9,500 300 103,000 10,000 500 180 90 500 500 24,790 2,900 1,350 42,290 25,350

-6,643,874.50

3.82

115,000

-38,870.00

4.71 2.34 1.85

10,000 597,000 3,989,500

-30,310.00 -45,368,396.00

2.87

11,040

-349,640.00 -22,647,010.00 -117,477,930.00 25,000.00 -26,308,840.00 27,900.00 239,448,775.00

-7,376,660.00 1,520.00

12,257,550.00 -7,038,949.50 -695.00 43,482,070.00

-45,521,354.00

-36,000.00

-29,239.00 45,210.00

163,290.00 4,774,190.00 -59,060.00

-6,730.00 -162,687,400.00 -43,820.00 29,341,320.00 1,839,060.00 17,835.00 -366,050.00 1,120.00 -93,850.00

53,200.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Forum Pacific

0.260

27.45

Transpacific Broadcast

1.82

-8.54

Alsons Cons.

1.68

20.00

Prime Media Hldg

1.330

-7.64

Wellex Industries

0.2330

16.50

Keppel Properties

4.30

-6.52

ATN Holdings A

0.510

15.91

Agrinurture Inc.

3.96

-5.71

Abacus Cons. `A'

0.405

15.71

Omico

0.5700

-5.00

C. Azuc De Tarlac

219.80

15.68

Imperial Res. `A'

16.54

-4.28

ATN Holdings B

0.500

14.94

Roxas Holdings

4.4

-3.30

Philippine trust Co.

356

14.84

Centro Esc. Univ.

9.2

-3.16

IPeople Inc. `A'

12.98

12.67

Benguet Corp `A'

7.7500

-3.13

Conc. Aggr. 'A'

209

11.76

Century Peak Metals Hldgs

0.63

-3.08

WEDNESDAY: MAY 11, 2016

B3

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

Export plan. The Export Development Council composed of representatives from various government agencies and the private sector meet to identify programs, activities and projects aligned to the strategies included at the recently approved Philippine Export Development Plan 2015-2017. Trade undersecretary and EDC chairperson Nora Terrado (front seat, third from right) supervised the meeting at the DTI International Building in Makati City.

Semirara’s profit rises to P2.9b

By Alena Mae S. Flores

SEMIRARA Mining and Power Corp. owned by the Consunji Group said Tuesday net income after tax climbed 16 percent in the first quarter to P2.91 billion from P2.51 billion a year ago, on higher coal and energy sales.

“Net of eliminations, coal and power contributed P3.94 billion and P2.72 billion, respectively,” Semirara Mining said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

Semirara Mining said coal production increased 37 percent in the January-March period to 3.7 million metric tons from 2.7 mil-

lion MT in the same period last year.

Coal sales volume rose 21 percent year-on-year to 2.9 million MT from 2.4 million in first quarter last year.

The company said energy generation of Sem-Calaca Power Generation Power Corp. de-

creased 66 percent to 347 gigawatt-hours during the period from 1,014 GWh last year.

Sem-Calaca Power owns the existing 600-MW coal-fired power plant in Calaca, which the Consunji Group acquired from the government in 2009.

Unit 2 was on maintenance shutdown in the first quarter.

Total energy sales decreased by 57 percent to 424 gWh from 982 gWh in 2014. Meanwhile, subsidiary Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. generated 217 gWh while on testing and commissioning.

The company said that before eliminations, coal and power re-

corded net of P1.81 billion and P1.10 billion, respectively.

Semirara Mining earlier said net income was expected to reach around P10 billion this year, posting a double-digit growth from P8.45 billion in 2015 with the full commercial operation of the 300-megawatt expansion of the Calaca coal-fired power plant in Batangas.

Semirara Mining president and chief operating officer Victor Consunji said that “if all remain equal,” the company would hit P10 billion in net income in 2016.

“That’s the way we’re thinking because if we did P8.5 billion, and assuming we can control the

costs. But prices are still falling, so it’s hard to speculate,” Consunji said.

Semirara Mining posted a record profit of P8.45 billion in 2015, up 24 percent from 2014 despite a 13-percent drop in revenues to P24.68 billion due to low coal prices.

Consunji said the newly completed 300-MW coal plant expansion in Batangas was expected to contribute P2 billion to the company’s profitability this year.

Semirara Mining is also keen on the new 700-MW expansion of the coal plant in joint venture with Meralco PowerGen Corp. and Marubeni Corp. of Japan.

Aboitiz Land to launch Luzon projects Emperador’s first-quarter profit unchanged at P1.4b

By Jenniffer B. Austria Aboitiz Land Inc., the property arm of conglomerate Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., said Tuesday it plans to launch five new projects this year including three residential developments in Luzon.

Aboitiz Land executive vice president Patrick Reyes said in a recent analysts briefing the residential projects would rise in Capas (Tarlac), Cabanatuan City and San Juan (Batangas).

“We have three projects in Luzon that are in the final stages of development which we could hopefully launch before the end of this year,” Reyes said.

Reyes said Aboitiz Land in joint venture with Ayala Land Inc. was also set to break ground on a new urban enclave in Man-

daue City, Cebu.

Under the joint venture announced in 2014, both parties will build a 15-hectare mixeduse community in one of the most progressive areas in the country consisting of innovative residential, retail and office components.

The project was originally set to be launched in 2015 but was pushed back to June 2016.

Reyes said the joint venture partners tapped Landmark as an anchor tenant for the commercial component of the project. This will be first venture of Landmark in Cebu.

Aboitiz Land’s income contribution to parent firm AEV decreased by 15 percent to P536 million in the first quarter from P633 million recorded in the same period last year.

The property firm said it was positioned for a more exciting 2016 as various projects in the pipeline were being prepared for launch.

The company said to support growth initiatives, it was eyeing a P4.6 billion capital expenditures in 2016, almost three times higher than actual spending in 2015.

About 29 percent of the budget would be spent for land acquisition and 65 percent on project development, the company said.

Aboitiz Land, an established real estate developer in Cebu, has been preparing to become national player in the real estate industry to compete with property giants Ayala Land Inc., SM Prime Holdings and Megaword Corp.

EMPERADOR Inc., the liquor unit of tycoon Andrew Tan, reported a net income of P1.4 billion in the first quarter, nearly unchanged from the same period last year.

Emperador said in a disclosure to the stock exchange first-quarter sales reached nearly P9 billion, up from P8.89 billion in the same quarter last year.

The first quarter also marked a significant milestone with Emperador taking over 286-year-old Bodegas Fundador from Beam Suntory.

Emperador and Fundador brandy production facilities combined make Emperador Inc. the largest brandy entity in the world.

“We have an unprecedented and compelling ownership of vineyards, bottling facilities and distilleries.

We already have 1,500 hectares of vineyard land, roughly 1,000,000 square meters of cellar and bottling facilities, and three distilleries in Spain,” Emperador president Winston Co said.

“In 2014, the acquisition of

Scotch whisky company Whyte and Mackay jump-started Emperador Inc.’s transformation into becoming a world-class company. The acquisition of Fundador brandy sealed the deal making our company truly global with access to 100 countries,” Co said.

“Today, our brandy and whisky product portfolio is comprised of standard, premium, super premium and luxury offerings. While maintaining our brandy dominance in local liquor brands with Emperador brandy, we have enviable presence in foreign liquor brands in the Philippines with our Fundador brandy and single malt brands The Dalmore and Jura,” Co said.

Emperador is the world’s largest selling brandy brand and is also the largest liquor company in the Philippines. Its flagship product Emperador brandy is sold all over the Philippines, and is consumed more than other liquor products combined in the country.

Jenniffer B. Austria

B4 MetroPac to revive takeover of MRT-3

By Darwin G Amojelar METRO Pacific Investments Corp. may revive its proposal to the new administration to expand and take over the operation of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3, its top executive said Tuesday.

“I think a great deal of it will depend on who the next president is going to be. So, we just have to take the temperature.

We’d like to [revive proposal] but I guess we just have to wait and see,” MPIC chairman Manuel Pangilinan told reporters.

“MRT-3 was an unsolicited proposal. LRT was a bid, but similar issues, except MRT-3 is worse,” he added.

Metro Pacific earlier proposed a $524-million expansion of MRT 3 but the Transportation Department rejected the offer, opting for an equity value buyout of MRT 3.

Transportation pursued the buyout although Congress did not approve the P53.9-billion allocation in the 2015 budget for the government’s takeover of MRT. President Benigno Aquino III issued Executive Order No. 126 in 2013, directing the Transportation and Finance Department to buy out MRT 3 from Metro Rail Transit Corp., pursuant to the build-leasetransfer agreement.

Metro Pacific signed a cooperation agreement in 2011 with several groups holding rights and interests in MRT 3, including MRTC, Metro Rail Transit Holdings Inc., Metro Rail Transit 2 Inc. and Monumento Rail Transit Corp., giving the Salim-owned company an option to acquire 48 percent.

Metro Pacific has not exercised the option.

State-run Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines hold an 80-percent economic interest in MRT 3, while creditors of MRTC own the remaining stake.

MRT 3, which runs along Edsa from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, is serving 500,000 passengers a day, way beyond its rated capacity of 350,000.

The line has a fleet of 73 Czechmade air-conditioned rail cars.

Filinvest Land promo. Filinvest Land Inc. gives away three brand new cars to lucky buyers in the grand raffle draw of the Filinvest Joyride

to Your Dream Home Promo. The winners are Myria City Ltd. for a Toyota FJ Cruiser, Ephraim Baccay for a Toyota Innova and Lilian Galvez for a Toyota Wigo. Sixty other buyers won P25,000 each in three monthly draws held from January to March this year. Shown with his brand new FJ Cruiser is Loo Tze Chen of Myria City during the awarding rites held at the Filinvest Land head office in Mandaluyong City.

Budget gap jumped to P38b in 2 months

By Gabrielle Binaday

THE government incurred a budget deficit of P34.6 billion in February on increased spending, or nearly four times the gap of P9.7 billion yearon-year.

The February deficit brought the cumulative budget gap in the first two months of the year to P38.1 billion, or more than double the amount of P16.1 billion a year ago.

The government programmed a full-year budget deficit of P296.2 billion in 2016.

Netting out interest payments, the government posted a P13.3-billion budget deficit in February, a reversal of the P9.2billion primary surplus on year.

The primary balance in the January-toFebruary period stood at a surplus of P28.8 billion, or 47 percent lower than P54.1 billion a year ago.

Government revenues in February increased 5 percent to P139 billion from P132.8 billion year-on-year. Year-to-date collections increased 7 percent to P321.2 billion from P299.4 billion a yer ago.

“We continue to see robust revenue growth supporting the government’s investment priorities. Our financial position remains healthy.

Amid an uncertain global environment, maintaining a firm fiscal position is more important than ever,” said Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima.

Collections of the the Bureau of Internal Revenues in February increased 7 percent to P94.8 billion from P88.9 billion year-onyear. BIR collections in the first two months of 2015 also rose 7 percent to P224.5 billion.

Collections of the the Bureau of Customs in February contracted 1 percent to P27 billion, while year-to-date collection increased 3 percent to P58.1 billion.

The Bureau of Treasury posted the highest income growth of 33 percent in February to P5.8 billion, bringing the year-to-date

collections to P13.8 billion.

“This is 33 percent higher than the level a year ago due to higher dividends on shares of stocks held by the government as well as the NG’s share in Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. income and Manila International Airport Authority profit,” the BTr said.

Meanwhile, public spending registered a double-digit growth of 22 percent to P173.6 billion in February.

Expenditures in the first two months grew 14 percent to P359.3 billion from P315.6 billion recorded in the same period last year.

Interest payments accounted for 12 percent of the expenditures for the month from 13 percent a year ago, but were up 13 percent year-on-year to P21.3 billion.

“The significantly higher foreign interest payments for the month is attributed to the timing of interest payments for global bonds amounting to P3.7 billion which were recorded in January instead of February last year, thus providing a low base,” the Treasury said.

Metrobank’s net profit up slightly to P5.25b in 1st quarter METROPOLITAN Bank & Trust Co., the country’s secondlargest bank, said net income in the first quarter rose 3 percent to P5.25 billion year-on-year.

“Despite the volatility in the financial markets at the start of the year, the bank continued to make strides in its core business expansion, with sustained double-digit

growth in loans and low cost deposits,” the bank said in a statement Tuesday.

Low-cost deposits increased 11 percent in the first quarter, improving the CASA ratio to 59 percent of the total P1.2-trillion deposit base.

“The continued build-up of low cost deposits fueled the 17-percent expansion in net

loans and receivables to P873.4 billion, with key contributions coming from the corporate and consumer segments,” it said.

Having prioritized growth in key segments, net interest margins for the period improved to 3.6 percent yearon-year.

Non-interest income included P2.2 billion in fee-based

income, P2.5 billion in trading and foreign exchange gains and P1.8 billion in miscellaneous income.

Meanwhile, total operating expenses for the period was reported at P10.5 billion. Asset quality remained well under control with non-performing loans ratio at 1.1 percent.

Metrobank ended the first

quarter with consolidated assets of P1.7 trillion, and equity at P193.3 billion. Total capital adequacy ratio—a measurement of financial strength—on a Basel III basis remained well above the regulatory limit at 18.3 percent with Common Equity Tier 1 ratio at 15.0 percent.

Julito G. Rada

W E D N E S D AY : M AY 1 1 , 2 0 1 6

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

B5

Duterte seeks to calm markets

By Ditas Lopez and Andreo Calonzo

AFTER defeating his opponents in a heated presidential election in the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte is seeking to calm markets with a call for “healing” as he seeks to win over Filipinos and investors watching closely for how he will manage the economy.

“Past days have been virulent, I’d like to reach my hand to my opponents,” Duterte, 71, said in a briefing in Davao City after Monday’s voting. “Let’s begin healing now.” He claimed victory after preliminary results showed he secured about 39 percent of the vote, and named some potential cabinet members.

The early response from markets was a positive one. The peso strengthened against the dollar and all its major Asian peers. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index rose for the first time in three trading sessions, bucking the trend for emerging-market equities that extended their longest slide this year. Volatility in local shares will persist as investors gain familiarity with Duterte, according to the Bank of the Philippine Islands.

“There will be a honeymoon period moving forward as investors give Duterte the benefit of the doubt,” said Smith Chua, who helps manage about $10.6 billion as chief investment officer at the nation’s second-largest money manager. “His popularity is very resounding and investors

are interested to see what he will do with this strong popularity and how he will conduct peace with other parties and run government.”

The peso rose to 46.75 per dollar fron 47.09 Friday, prices from the Bankers Association of the Philippines show. The benchmark stock index gained 2.6 percent.

Local markets were shut Monday.

The country’s dollar-denominated bonds due in 2041 advanced for a fourth day, sending the yield down three basis points to 3.26 percent, according to Bloomberg Bond Trader prices.

Uncertainty about Duterte’s economic plans and his lack of policy-making experience had sent investors to the sidelines in the weeks before the election.

Duterte told reporters on Monday he may appoint Carlos Dominguez as finance chief or to head the transport department.

Dominguez was agriculture secretary in the cabinet of late President Corazon Aquino. He owns Marco Polo Hotel and is a childhood friend of Duterte.

“We’re looking for an administration that will have conti-

DUTERTE

nuity—almost seamless—particularly in infrastructure,” John Forbes, senior adviser at the American Chamber of the Philippines, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV’s Haslinda Amin. “The first challenge is going to be infrastructure because the growth of the economy has produced much more demand on roads and airports and seaports.”

Once labeled Asia’s “sick man,” the nation of 101 million people has earned World Bank praise as the continent’s “rising tiger” under outgoing leader Benigno Aquino III. It posted average annual growth of 6.2 percent over

Hocus pocus THE people have spoken, and the clear winner is the 71-year-old Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte who impressed many when he called for healing and unity –which should put his detractors to shame. Also a class act was Senator Grace Poe who lived up to her name, graciously conceding early when it became apparent that Duterte’s margin was too wide for anyone to catch up with. Roxas, who was the winner in all the surveys floated by recently formed survey firm D’ Strafford—has also conceded.

The vice presidential race, however, is another story as the tightly contested race continues to be a source of anxiety especially among supporters of Senator Bongbong Marcos, with suspicions of cheating due to a series of funny “incidents.”

Loud in the chatter is the curious halting of the count in bailiwicks of Leni Robredo and the decision of the Comelec BEI (board of election inspectors) to just transmit the results in the morning instead of continuing the count Monday night with Marcos still leading by almost a million votes.

By 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, Marcos’s margin has been effectively whittled down to nil. According to sources, the 3:00 a.m. window was supposedly the “magic hour”—you know, magic like abra cadabra and hocus-pcos—oops, we meant pocus. We also received reports about the curious discrepancies in the tally.

In the report at CNN, Robredo’s total votes as of 4:59 a.m. Tuesday was 13,014,447 while Escudero’s was 4,486,335. By 5:30 a.m., Robredo’s total reached 13,050,115 while Escudero’s number of votes amazingly went down to 4,449,913.

You do the math, and you would see that the unexplained 36,422 reduction in Escudero’s votes after 30 minutes is almost the same as the increase in Robredo’s votes of 35,668. The same anomaly was

monitored in the reportage of GMA that showed Robredo with 12,993,399 at 4:40 a.m. while Escudero has 4,479,913. By 5:30 a.m., Robredo had 13,050,115 while Escudero again had a reduced tally of 4,449,038. Typo errors? From two different networks? It looks like some kind of +-40,000 operation was in progress.

Our more nosey buddies also say that the votes for Escudero and Cayetano have remained static, with the latter’s numbers from Mindanao returns curiously low when he should be doing well in those areas. And what about those reports of pre-shaded ballots in ARMM? Some would argue, however, that there was no cheating or manipulation because “PCOS, eh” and Duterte still emerged as the top candidate for the presidential race. But we know that his margin is too wide, which would make it impossible for dagdag-bawas to be mounted against the avalanche of votes he received. It’s a different story however in a tightly contested race such as the one we are seeing for the position of vice president.

Let’s remember, he is a Marcos and the president is an Aquino who has made no bones about doing everything in his power—including use the office of the president—to thwart the young senator from winning the VP race—because that would have been such a big slap on his face which we know must be stinging now with the victory of Duterte as his successor. So hocuspocus? Your guess is as good as ours.

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the past six years, the fastest pace since the 1970s.

Despite those gains, poverty rates remain high and Duterte tapped rising discontent among millions of voters who feel they haven’t benefited from Aquino’s reforms. Faster growth and 4 million jobs created during Aquino’s six-year term led to record car sales, but also clogged up Manila’s already gridlocked roads as infrastructure spending failed to keep pace with economic expansion.

Duterte has been making positive signals to investors. He told online news website Rappler in an interview published on Mon-

day that he will consider raising the 40 percent foreign ownership limit in certain industries to win over investors. He also pledged to work with countries in the region to boost trade.

“Our mayor has been successful in making Davao investorfriendly,” Bonifacio Tan, president of Davao Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview. “The mayor really does what he says.

The mayor may be a bit emotional, when he speaks, when he gets mad, he sometimes expresses foul language. The way he talks does not show the real government official he will be.” Bloomberg

Govt sells insurance company for P1.05b

By Gabrielle Binaday THE Insurance Commission on Tuesday approved the sale of National Life Insurance Corporation of the Philippines to 6762 Holdings Corp. of businessmen Ricardo Cuerva and Ricardo Veloso for P1.05 billion.

The IC said the sale of the insurance company included 1,500 common shares, premium deposit fund, retirement fund, advances from shareholders and related parties, and deposit for the future subscription account of NLIC. The stocks and liabilities amounting to P2.648 billion fetched a price of P1.054 billion, or a net recovery rate of 35 percent to 40 percent, which could have realized a net liquidation value of just 7 percent, the IC said.

The insurance regulator said it gave NLIC and potential investors enough time to conduct a due diligence of the company.

The rehabilitation plan suggested by the IC-appointed conservator Ermilando Napa and NLIC policyholders included a possible entry of an investor to provide a better option to all affected parties.

6762 Holdings under a sale and purchase agreement signed on May 6 will incorporate a new company to be called

Rehabilitated NLIC. The new company will be allowed to use the corporate name National Life Insurance Company of the Philippines and required to comply with the statutory networth requirements applicable to insurance firms.

The IC recently increased the required minimum paid-up capital of insurance industry companies from P250 million in 2013 to P550 million by the end of this year. The minimum capital is to be further raised to P900 million in 2019 and P1.3 billion by the end of 2022.

“With the execution of the sale and purchase Agreement, we take a major step toward concluding the successful life insurer rehabilitation in the Philippine insurance industry,” Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel Dooc said.

“The Insurance Commission and parties representing various interests have worked together in an unprecedented way starting from the formulation and several modifications of rehabilitation plan until its implementation. I am satisfied that this transaction will enable us to complete the rehabilitation in a very positive fashion taking into primary consideration the best interest of the NLIC’s policyholders,” Dooc added.

WEDNESDAY: MAY 11, 2016

B6

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

Foreign investments jump 51% to $936m

By Julito G. Rada

Net inflows of foreign direct investments jumped 51 percent in the first two months to $936 million from $622 million a year ago, as investors’ confidence was buoyed by economic growth prospects and sound macro-economic fundamentals, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Tuesday.

Equity capital placements contributed largely to the inflows in the two-month period, up by 119.1 percent to $449 million from $205 million a year earlier.

“This was due to the increase in equity capital placements by 92.2 percent to $471

million that emanated largely from Hong Kong, Spain, Bahamas, Taiwan and Japan,” Bangko Sentral said.

These inflows were channeled mainly to agriculture, forestry and fishing; financial and insurance activities; construction; manufacturing; and real estate activities.

Partly offsetting these placement were withdrawals of $22 million. Net investments in debt instruments—or inter-company borrowings from foreign direct investors by their subsidiaries/affiliates in the Philippines—increased 23 percent to $355 million.

Meanwhile, reinvestment of earnings reached $132 million in the two-month period.

Data showed net FDI inflows in February declined 2.9 percent to $349 million from $359 million a year ago.

Investments in debt instruments recorded lower net inflow of $98 million from $122 million in the same month last year.

Equity capital investments grew 6.9 percent to $192 million as equity capital placements reached $211 million while withdrawals amounted to $19 million.

Gross equity capital placements came mainly from Spain, Japan, Hong Kong, the United States and Germany.

Bangko Sentral said by economic activity, equity capital infusions were mainly channeled to construction; manufacturing; real estate; accommodation and food service; and electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply activities.

FDI net inflows stood at $5.72 billion in 2015. Bangko Sentral expects net inflows to reached $6.3 billion this year, on the back of improving global economic conditions and robust domestic economy.

Bangko Sentral said the implementation of various private-public partnership projects, particularly in infrastructure, would give a strong signal to investors, boosting their confidence to invest in the country.

PH competitiveness. Trade Secretary Adrian Cristobal Jr. (second left) states that aggressively pursuing measures and policies to reduce the cost of doing business in the country is an effective strategy to enhance Philippine competitiveness. Joining Cristobal during the Ease of Doing Business news briefing are (from left) Bureau of Internal Revenue deputy commissioner Nelson Aspe, National Competitiveness Council co-chair Guillermo Luz and Bureau of Customs commissioner Alberto Lina.

PH seeks cigarette talks with Thailand

By Othel V. Campos THE Philippines is seeking bilateral talks with Thailand to resolve a dispute on cigarette trade between the two countries.

The Philippines submitted a request on May 4 to the compliance panel of the World Trade Organization for consultation with Thailand to review the latter’s compliance with the international body’s ruling on cigarette imports from the Philippines.

The WTO dispute settlement body issued a ruling nearly five years ago asking Thailand to implement a fair valuation scheme for imported cigarettes brought in by Philip Morris Thailand Ltd. from the company’s manufacturing facility in the Philippines.

The case filed by Thailand against Philip Morris forced the cigarette company to pay $2.2 billion in penalties for previous shipments that were allegedly undervalued by the Philippines as exporter, at a combined valuation estimate of $500 million.

The Philippine legal counsel said the issue should be resolved soon as Philippine tobacco exports to Thailand would be affected. It said PMTL should pursue the case as it was the one registered for paying the taxes.

Manila suggested that the most diplomatic way to resolve the case was to engage Thailand into bilateral talks or pursue another option, which was to file a case under Article 215 of the WTO. Article 215 provides the adoption of a mutually satisfactory solution by the parties that leads to the termination of dispute settlement procedure.

Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. is the biggest cigarette exporter to Thailand accounting for more than 40-percent share of its imports.

Under Thailand’s law, re-sale of domestic cigarettes was exempted entirely from valueadded tax, which is not the case for imported cigarettes that are subjected to VAT.

Govt set to issue implementing rules on competition law THE Philippine Competition Commission is set to issue the draft implementing rules and regulations on the Philippine Competition Act, which seeks to promote fair business and penalize anti-competitive practices.

PCC said it was inviting business groups and other stakeholders to attend consultations in Manila, Cebu City and Davao City on May

16 to 24.

Inputs of businessmen and other stakeholders will be important contributions to finetuning the IRR, it said.

The final and approved version of the IRR, which will be released in June, will allow PCC to fully implement the Philippine Competition Act. PCC chairman Arsenio Balisacan said public consultations would be a healthy exercise for

ensuring sound implementation of the law and effective operation of the PCC, which would have jurisdiction over all industries in matters related to competition.

“On one hand, the consultations will help educate Filipinos on the provisions of the Philippine Competition Act, as well as on the vital role of the country’s newly created anti-trust authority—the

PCC—in pursuing consumer protection and in opening various industries to more investments,” Balisacan said.

“On the other hand, the consultations will also help PCC get valuable inputs from our stakeholders,” he said.

The Philippine Competition Act, which was enacted last year, is a gamechanging legislation seen to help boost investment

generation and job creation across industries by putting in place a regulatory environment conducive for fair market competition.

Balisacan said the law complemented the goal of sustaining robust economic growth in the Philippines and making economic growth benefit a bigger proportion of the population.

Othel V. Campos

W E D N E S D AY : M AY 1 1 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Chapo moved to US by yearend MEXICO CITY—Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is expected to be extradited to the United States by the end of the year, a US official said Monday after a court approved the move.

A Mexico City judge ruled Friday that the extradition could go ahead based on cocaine trafficking charges lodged in a California federal court, judicial officials said.

But Mexico’s foreign ministry, which said it received the ruling on Monday, now has 20 days to make a decision and Guzman’s lawyers would subsequently have 30 days to appeal any extradition. If such an appeal is denied, another court would have to review the case.

“We’re still months away,” the US government official said on condition of anonymity, adding, however, that “we expect him to be extradited by the end of the year.”

An extradition within the same year of Guzman’s arrest would be relatively quick for Mexico’s judicial system, the official said.

In a reversal, President Enrique Pena Nieto asked the attorney general’s office to expedite the extradition process after he was detained in January.

Pena Nieto’s government had previously balked at sending Guzman to the United States before the Sinaloa drug cartel kingpin escaped from prison in July last year.

Guzman’s lawyer, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, told AFP that his client would fight the extradition unless he can negotiate the terms with US

authorities.

Guzman, who was abruptly transferred to a new jail on Saturday, has hired a US lawyer and would be willing to plead guilty in return for good US prison conditions.

“If we have an agreement, (the extradition) will proceed,” Refugio said. “Otherwise, we will fight extradition with everything we’ve got.”

But the US official warned that there would be no deals, telling AFP: “We do not negotiate.”

Guzman was unexpectedly transferred on Saturday from the Altiplano maximum-security prison near Mexico City to another penitentiary in Ciudad Juarez, a city bordering Texas.

Mexican officials said the move had nothing to do with the extradition process and that Guzman was moved because of work being done to boost security at Altiplano, some 90 kilometers west of Mexico City.

Eduardo Guerrero, head of the national penitentiary system, defended the decision, saying the Ciudad Juarez prison was secure even though it was ranked last among the country’s federal penitentiaries by the National Human Rights Commission in 2015.

“It’s a prison that today fulfills all the necessary characteristics to hold high-profile inmates,” Guerrero told Radio Formula.

Another Guzman lawyer, Andres Granados, said he was not allowed to see his client on Monday.

A heavy police and military presence was seen on the outskirts of the prison.

Analysts questioned Guzman’s transfer, given that Ciudad Juarez is a bastion of the Sinaloa drug cartel.

The drug capo first broke out of a high-security prison in western Mexico in 2001 by hiding in a

laundry cart. He was arrested in February 2014.

He escaped from the Altiplano prison in July 2015 through a 1.5-kilometer tunnel that led to his cell shower, but he was sent back there after being recaptured in January.

“It’s not logical that they would move an individual with money, wealth and power like Guzman, who has already escaped from the two most maximum security prisons that Mexico has,” said Mike Vigil, a retired chief of international operations at the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

Vigil said the Mexican government will likely extradite him to the United States and US authorities will never negotiate with the drug lord, adding that the DEA already rejected an attempt by Guzman to negotiate with the agency in the 1990s. AFP

ERRORS & OMISSIONS

E R R AT U M

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.

There was an error in the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) ad placement of Municipality of Masingal dated May 3, 2016. The correct ABC should have been Three Million Three Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 3,300,000.00) and not as published.

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REGION IV-A CALABARZON Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, INVITATION TO BID

Aftermath. A charred vehicle and homes are pictured in the Beacon Hill neighbourhood of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, on May 9, 2016, after wildfires forced the evacuation of the town. Fort McMurray is still 90-percent intact despite a week of damage from the wildfires devastating Canada’s oil sands region, Alberta’s premier said after touring the deserted city on Monday. Firefighters warned, however, that the tens of thousands of residents evacuated from the western oil city would not be able to return for at least two weeks. AFP

Tension at Canada evacuation center LAC LA BICHE, Canada—Frustration mounted Monday among the Fort McMurray evacuees, who are crammed into shelters after a traumatic flight from the Canadian oil city, as some turned to criticizing the official handling of the wildfires ravaging the region.

At the closest evacuation center to the fires, in Lac La Biche, about 300 kilometers south of Fort McMurray, security was doubled overnight and entry has become more tightly controlled.

“People are tired, they’re frustrated, they feel helpless, and sometimes they just lash out,”

said security guard Mustafa Abraham.

Abraham said half a dozen people had been briefly taken into custody by municipal peace officers and security guards, mostly for drunkenness or unruliness.

A special room was set up for rowdy evacuees.

Nearly 400 evacuees are staying semi-permanently at the center, one of 11 set up across Alberta province for the 100,000 residents of Fort McMurray, who were told they would not be allowed home for at least two more weeks.

Adding to the tensions, a number of evacuees with addictions are going through severe withdrawal, said

shelter officials, who are enforcing a zero tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol.

In the gymnasium of the local high school, which has served as a cafeteria for evacuees since last Wednesday, a scuffle broke out.

Security guards rushed to separate the two women, who were cousins, and escort them away.

“Tensions are boiling over,” said one evacuated resident, Donald Janvier.

The town of 3,000 swelled in population over the last week, providing food, accommodation and clothing to nearly 10,000 evacuees, although most have since

moved on to Edmonton or other major cities.

In campgrounds and roadside motels, where evacuees spent days trading tales of the harrowing escape, the talk has since turned to questioning the fire response and the political leadership in the province of Alberta.

Evacuee Elmer McDonald of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, which is under a state of emergency, said the response got off with a weak start.

“The fire was small at first. They didn’t respond fast enough (to douse it) and now it’s become huge,” he said, sitting outside a motel in Lac La Biche. AFP

The Department of Education, Region IV-A, through the 2016 General Appropriation Act intends to apply the sum of One Million Five Hundred Nineteen Thousand Four Hundred Three Pesos and 95/100 (1, 519,403.95) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to eligible payments under the contract for the provision of Security Services to the premises of the DepED RO-IV-A and NEAP CALABARZON. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Department of Education Region IV-A, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), now invites bids for the herein-mentioned Goods. Bidders must have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project with an amount of at least 50% of the ABC to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, i.e., in Section II, Instructions to Bidders. Bids received that exceed the ABC shall be rejected at bid opening.

Contract duration------------one (1) year Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.” Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138, A complete set of Bidding Documents may be inspected or purchased at DepED IV-A BAC Secretariat, located at Supply Office, Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal upon accomplishing a bidder’s information sheet and payment in cash of a non-refundable fee by interested bidders in the amount of Three Thousand Pesos (PhP3,000,00) to the DepED IV-A Cashier. Only bidders who purchased the Bidding Documents will be allowed to submit bids.

It may be viewed or downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhiIGEPS), www.philgeps.net. and the website of the Procuring Entity, www,depedcalabarzon.gov, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The schedule and venue of the procuring activities are as follows: Activity

Date and Time

Venue

Issuance of Bidding Documents

From May 6, 2016 to May 23, 2016 8:00am to 5:00pm (Mon, - Fri.)

DepED IV-A Director’s Conference Room

Pre-Bid Conference

May 11,2016 - 10:00 a.m.

-same-

Submission and Opening of Bids

May 23, 2016 - 10:00 a.m.

-same-

Prospective bidders are strongly encouraged to order or download the electronic copy of the Bidding Documents from the PhilGEPS website: www.philgeps.net. for them to be included in the Document Request List of the project. The pre-bid conference is open-to-all interested parties who may have or have not bought the bidding documents.

Bids must be delivered to the address and on the date and time stated herein. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the ITB Clause 18. A valid Bid Securing Declaration must accompany the bid(s) in lieu of a bid security.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend the opening of bids at the address, date and time stated herein. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The DepED Region IV-A reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, not award the contract(s), or annul the bidding process without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: Ann Geralyn T. Pelias BAC Chairman Virginia O. Bagacay BAC Secretariat DepED IV-A Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal 6458406 ( T S - M AY 11, 2 016)

(SGD) ANN GERALYN T. PELIAS BAC Chairman

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B8 Bangladesh set to hang country’s top Islamist DHAKA—Bangladesh police stepped up security at the capital Dhaka’s main prison where the authorities are expected to hang the leader of the country’s largest Islamist party for war crimes Tuesday.

Motiur Rahman Nizami, leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, could be hanged as early as Tuesday night after the country’s highest court published the final judgment upholding his execution order.

Nizami’s execution would exacerbate tensions in the Muslimmajority country after a string of killings of secular and liberal activists and religious minorities by suspected Islamist militants.

“He [Nizami] will now be asked whether he would seek mercy from the president. If he does not, the government can execute him any time,” Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said.

Officials read the verdict to Nizami on Monday night after he was brought to Dhaka Central Jail from a prison outside the capital, senior jailor Jahangir Kabir told reporters.

The Islamist leader did not say then whether he would seek any presidential clemency, Kabir said, and prisoners are normally given a 24-hour window after verdict publication to formally apply.

Nizami’s lawyer told AFP last week that he would not seek any pardon as it would require him to admit the crimes he was convicted of, including mass murder, rape and orchestrating the killing of secular intellectuals during the 1971 war of independence.

Three senior Jamaat officials and a leader of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have been executed since December 2013 for war crimes despite global criticism of their trials. All were hanged at the jail.

“Extra policemen have been deployed at the jail,” Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mofizuddin Ahmed told AFP. Heavily armed Rapid Action Battalion officers were also dispatched, the elite squad’s spokesman, Mufti Mahmud Khan, told AFP. AFP

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD US may reevaluate Myanmar sanctions YANGON—Washington’s new ambassador to Myanmar on Tuesday said the remaining sanctions had taken an “unintended” toll on the nation’s delicate economic development, as the US re-evaluates its embargoes on the former pariah state.

Gala. Paris Hilton (L) and Nicky Rothschild attend FIT’s Annual Gala to Honor Dennis Basso,

John and Laura Pomerantz and QVC at the Grand Ballroom at The Plaza Hotel on May 9, 2016, in New York City. AFP

Myanmar’s stunning transition from decades of repressive junta rule to a civilian-led government steered by Aung San Suu Kyi and her pro-democracy party was accompanied by the lifting of most Western embargoes.

The United States rolled back many of its sanctions to reward the reforms since 2011, but kept a clutch of blacklists targeting junta-era cronies and their sprawling business interests.

“We recognize that even these limited, targeted sanctions occasionally have unintended effects on the broader economy,” ambassador Scot Marciel said at a press conference in Yangon.

“Now, in the aftermath of the transition to the new elected government, we are again reviewing our sanctions,” he said, adding that he could not yet say what the result of next week’s review would be.

In December the US temporarily eased the restrictions on Myanmar’s ports to unclog trade into the fast-developing country.

The move freed businesses to import and export through the main Yangon port terminal, which is run by Asia World, one of the country’s largest blacklisted conglomerates.

Marciel said Washington would maintain focus on improving Myanmar’s human rights situation, but he anticipated a “different conversation” with Suu Kyi’s administration than with the previous quasi-civilian leadership.

He declined to be drawn on recent reports that Suu Kyi, in her role as foreign minister, had indicated that the US should refrain from using the term “Rohingya” to apply to the persecuted Muslim minority in western Myanmar.

Buddhist nationalists staged a protest outside the embassy last month against its use of the word.

Marciel said that communities around the world “get to choose what they want to be called”.

“That’s a fundamental international practice and we respect that. That’s been our approach here and that will continue to be our approach here,” Marciel said, without using the term Rohingya. AFP

Former mayors go on trial for genocide PARIS—Two former Rwandan mayors go on trial in France Tuesday facing charges of crimes against humanity and genocide over the 1994 massacres in the central African country.

The second trial in Paris by a special court created to go after suspected Rwandan killers who fled to France is expected to lay bare the strained relations between the two countries.

Two decades on, Rwanda accuses France of complicity in the genocide—in which at least 800,000 people died in a 100-day slaughter—because of its unwavering support for the Hutu nationalist

government at the time.

On the 20th anniversary of the mass killings two years ago, Rwanda’s minority Tutsi president, Paul Kagame, openly accused French soldiers of not only complicity in the genocide but of actually taking part in it.

On Tuesday, Octavien Ngenzi, 58, and Tito Barahira, 64, go on trial for allegedly playing a direct role in the massacre of hundreds of Tutsi refugees in a church in the eastern town of Kabarondo on April 13, 1994.

The pair were sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by Rwandan people’s courts, known

as gacaca, in 2009.

They were both mayors of Kabarondo, Ngenzi having succeeded Barahira in 1986.

They deny accusations of carrying out “massive and systematic summary executions” and implementing a “concerted plan aimed at the annihilation” of the Tutsi minority.

The killings in Kabarondo, a town near the border with Tanzania, took place with great speed.

The bloodshed was over by the end of April, when Tutsi rebels in the armed wing of what is now the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR) took control of the area. AFP

Reaction. Iraqis react on May 10, 2016, at the site of a car bomb explosion that hit the Shifta area in the city of Baquba the previous day, killing at least 10 people. Baquba and other towns in Diyala province have been hit by a number of large bomb attacks carried out by the jihadists. 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 WRITER

life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

H omE & L I v ING

LIFE

GREEn MAMA: CREATInG A SAfER WORlD, OnE hOME AT A TIME CaleidosCope World

by CAl TAvERA

I

n the previous two years, I found myself confined in the hospital a couple of times.

A few months ago, I had to undergo an outpatient surgery that intimidated me so much that after its results (they were good ones, thank God), I vowed to make a lifestyle change before I get weaker at only 35 years old. I decided to take up yoga and become more aware of my quality of food and the products that may affect my health.

It was around this time that a mother turned entrepreneur by the name of Andrea Fernandez Reloza decided to make a similar life transformation after becoming sickly herself. She started her new perspective on living by becoming more conscious of her diet through juicing and eventually becoming more aware of the commercial toxic products her family has been purchasing. She researched and was alarmed to find out that the items contained a lot of carcinogens so she decided to concoct alternatives to create a safer home environment especially for her children.

She found herself in the kitchen developing these eco-friendly goals. Through the process, she was able to formulate items that excluded parabens, sulfates and other harmful ingredients. On October 2015, the brand Green Mama was born.

Andrea shares, “For some time, I have been thinking about coming up with an all-natural, non-toxic family brand. I already had several products in mind. The next challenge while I was conceptualizing them was getting the right people to be on board for the brand, the right people who will help me with the formulations. It took several years to get the right formula that would benefit a healthy lifestyle.”

All her hard work paid off. Green Mama now offers products made from plantderived ingredients, premium essential oils, and are coconut oil based. She incorporated both local and imported ingredients. She was able to maximize our local virgin coconut oil as well as the herbs citronella, lemongrass, patchouli and bio enzymes.

The rest of the components were imported from the US, Australia and Europe.

Prior to Green Mama’s launch, Andrea wanted to ensure that the brand provided a wide selection for the entire family so she created products for the household as well as for wellness and personal care. Oh, she has something for the dogs and cats, too!

As a mom myself, I wanted to give my daughter a healthier home and was pleased to see several options under the housecleaning line. In case you are interested as well, check out these non-toxic items for your house: Mosquito defense spray 500ml, Chamomile room spray 100ml, Sleeping mist lavender 100ml, Bottle/toy cleaner 500ml, Bio enzyme deodorizing spray 1-liter, Toilet bowl cleaner tea tree eucalyptus 500ml, Poo-rific 50ml, Ants and roach killer 500ml and the Olive room spray 100ml. Andrea includes the Bio enzyme deodorizing spray

Families should look for alternative products to replace commercial toxic household items that may affect the family's health

Ants and Roach Killer

Bio Enzyme Spray

Chamomile Room Freshener

Lavender Sleeping Mist

Mosquito Defense Spray

Toilet and Bath Cleaner

Toy and Bottle Cleaner

Andrea Fernandez Reloza, founder of Green Mama

as one of the bestsellers. She shares that it works wonders in any type of household.

For now, this mother of two kids would like to focus on the wide range she has so far. Andrea shares that she is still a stayat-home mother with regular tasks but she now spends her free time entertaining clients and researching. She adds, “I have always wanted to convert my interests into something productive and worthwhile.” To spread the joy of safer havens, she made sure that her items are affordable as well.

These natural products range from P90 to P700. She is also pleased to announce that Green Mama will be opening its first store in Ayala Mall Solenad.

Andrea shares, “Even though Green Mama is still new, the products have been well received by everyone and that makes me really happy. Green Mama has something for everyone. Going green is definitely going back to the basics: Simple and clean green living.”

Green Mama can be found on Facebook at Green Mama Organic and Natural Products and Instagram at Greenmama_ph. For buyers, you may also contact 09177205808 or email greenmamathinksafe@gmail.com.

Follow me on Instagram @cal_tavera

Poo-rific

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

PET PULSE

Pet Express Doggie run 3K category winners

Proceeds of the Pet Express Doggie Run were donated to the Philippine Animal Welfare Society

6th PEt ExPrESS DoggIE ruN At Sm mALL oF ASIA

F

dogs that can be deployed anywhere in the world to help in the search and recovery of missing persons during disasters. The foundation believes that providing prompt response with specially trained canines can save lives during various disasters. During the run, the actor also encouraged others to join him in his advocacy.

Aside from PAWS and the Gerald Anderson foundation, also supporting Pet Express for the event are Metromart, Pedigree, Royal Canin, Hartz, Science Diet, Holistic Recipe, Cesar, SmartHeart, Alpo, Saint Roche, Wahl, Hartz, Ezydog, Bayopet, Canidae, Frontline and Eukanuba.

urry friends had a day of fun and fitness during the 6th Pet Express Doggie Run 2016 held recently at the SM Mall of Asia. Celebrities, kids and families who all share a common love for canine creatures all joined in the 1.5K, 3K and 5K runs and also enjoyed the various booths such as a photo booth and a Bubble Bath Grooming Truck that offered free grooming for the pets.

Considered as Manila’s biggest dogrunning event, the annual fun run is also one way to raise funds for the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of humane treatment of all animals.

Among those who joined the fun event was actor and dog lover Gerald Anderson, founder of the Gerald Anderson Foundation, with his buddy Hercules running by his side.

A non-profit volunteer organization, the Anderson Foundation trains puppies into becoming effective K9 search and rescue

Visit Pet Express stores at SM Cubao, SM Mall of Asia, SM Hypermarket Store in Makati, SM City Masinag, SM City North EDSA, SM City DasmariĂąas, SM Megamall and at the newly opened branch in SM City Fairview.

Become a fan of Pet Express Facebook Page at PetExpressPH and follow on Instagram and Twitter at PetExpressPH.

Kids having fun with their furry friends

Running with pets improves the fitness and health of both dog and owner

Twins Bianca and Beatrice delos Reyes with fur babies Britney and Kobe

Gerald Anderson with his K9 buddy Hercules

Geoff Morgan with his Beagle Lisa and Julian Agosta with his Aspin Mallibu

The Casimiro family with their dogs Velvet and Max

Jun Gallaza with his Aspin Husky won first place in the 5K category

Michael Mendoza won first place in the 1.5K category with his Chihuahua, Big

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

V

@LIFEatStandard

HAbItAt mANILA INtroDucES ItS SprINg/SummEr 2016 coLLEctIoN

isiting the 1,500 square-meter store of Habitat Manila in BGC usually ends up with one purchasing something from the lovely array of home furnishing selections and various wares. As it ushers in the Spring/Summer 2016 collection, home furnishing lovers and interior designers have more reason to visit the store.

Dubbed as Heliotropism, the showroom highlights the collection with vibrant lemon yellows, deep blues and playful summer patterns. Heliotropism is a term to describe the movement of life forms towards the face of the sun, usually seen in flowers like the sunflower where the bud slowly turns towards the direction from where the sun shines. This phenomenon makes its way to Habitat and lights up the showroom with summer hues that can make any part of a room come alive.

According to Habitat Design Studio creative director Pierre Favresse, the collection aims to inspire families to gather together during summer and enjoy the activities that the sun may bring, like Sunday brunch in a garden, a picnic in the park or on the beach, or countryside family summer weekend. “Habitat Design Studio draws inspiration from sunny regions to celebrate warm weather and the joy of being together,” he adds.

The collection features lightcolored furniture and accessories including several prints by young French designer Aisha Ravate. From kitchen accessories, picnic baskets and outdoor furniture, the collection is a reminder of great sunny escapades outdoors. “The collection gives pride to lemons, fruit of the South of France, bursting with life with a brilliant yellow that is an ode to summer,” says Favresse.

It seems like the Philippines’ warm season is taking longer than expected, which should gives us more reason to plan out the next outdoor get together, and Habitat’s Spring/

These colorful stonewares brighten up your brunch spread

Hadel Iron blue lantern

Heva Lacquered steel bench and chairs

Complete your picnic outdoors with a stylish folding chair in an Africa Canvas

Summer 2016 collection is the perfect store from which one can get lovely highlights for summer decorating and entertaining.

Heliotropism woven rugs

The Habitat Spring/Summer 2016 collection is available in Habitat BGC, at 28th Street and Fourth Avenue, on the 3rd Level of

Abenson, Bonifacio Global City. Soon, a new Habitat Manila showroom will open in UP Town Center, Diliman, Quezon City.

For the tita who needs quirky gadgets at home Admit it, the Tita in you always makes a beeline for the home section in department stores and a visit to Daiso Japan stores always leaves you with tons of paper bags that you filled with cute little gadgets that you convinced yourself to buy just because you think you need them. You can’t help it because they are so kawaii and the P88 price range makes the buys all worth it.

Since it’s almost impossible to stop you from hoarding things, here are a few clever kitchen item suggestions for your next visit to any Daiso Japan stores: 1. Silicone Egg Holder – It can be really messy when you’re trying to poach a perfect egg but with this Silicone Egg Holder, you can feel secure that the egg whites will not be floating everywhere.

2. Egg Timer – For that perfectly boiled egg, this cute egg timer isn’t just an eye candy, it’s also very functional as the color changes to signal soft, medium, or hard, to let you know when it’s time to scoop that egg out of the boiling pan.

3. Onion Shredder and Peeler- Even culinary experts would say you can never have too many greens on your

food, and the perfect topper for salads, soups and noodles are onion leeks and spring onions. But it can get messy shredding them up especially if you’re making large batches.

With Daiso’s Onion Shredder and Peeler, you can shred greens as much as you need in a shorter span of time compared to using a plain knife.

Silicone Garlic Peeler

4. Silicone Garlic Peeler – You always pass by this cute little gadget and never really understood how to use it. Well, if you’re always complaining that your hands smell of garlic after peeling them for your fried rice in the morning, this is the perfect little helper. Put a single garlic clove inside the soft silicone tube and just roll it in, and you end up with peeled little garlic cloves.

5. Mango Cutter – This one works like an apple core slicer. Just put your mango in the center, slide it, and you can easily get three parts – the two mango cheeks and the seed on the center.

6. Tomato Slicer – Remember that boiled egg slicer you used to play with in the kitchen as a kid? It kinda works like that, and this one makes perfect circle slices of tomatoes for your salads and sandwiches.

7. Banana Slicer – One-stop banana slicer to use when you’re preparing for your brekkie with oatmeal or sliced bananas

to pair in any of your powerfoods. Just put the banana at the bottom of the slicer, press it down and you’ll get slices of banana with a nice little zigzag design.

8. Dumpling Maker – It looks like that funny little teeth toy that you’d wind up as a kid.

Use it to make perfectly folded dumplings or if you’re a little creative, you can make tiny empanaditas with it. You need not use a fork anymore to lock the sides of your pastry as this clever little gadget does the sealing on the side.

9. Easy Rice Washer – Washing rice can get messy and sometimes you end up spilling grains of rice on the sink.

Using this Easy Rice Washer strains rice and prevents spilling those precious grains, so you can concentrate on just running the water and rinsing the rice. Good thing about this gadget is that you can use it for any grain rinsing including multiple grains, seeds or beans.

Daiso Japan is one of the retail formats operated by Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. It has 49 authorized stores in the country and today, you can also visit the recently opened store in Robinsons Townville Regalado, Fairview for other home needs and kitchen tools. To know more about Daiso Japan Philippines, visit DaisoJapanPH Facebook and @DaisoJapanPH on Twitter and @daisophilippines on Instagram.

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Furniture is best bought in summer LRI DesIgn PLaza hoLDs a buILDIng-wIDe saLe untIL May 31

B

uying or building a home almost always puts a dent in anyone’s pocket, a reason why many homeowners prefer to delay buying furnishings and other accents to give way to other more necessary purchases.

The good thing is, one-stop home, lifestyle, art and design destination LRI Design Plaza is matching the scorching summer heat with hot deals as it mounts a building-wide sale dubbed “Summer Specials” starting tomorrow, May 12, until May 31.

LRI’s annual sale gives way to homeowners who want to take advantage of the summer break to give their living spaces a stylish update.

Those who want to redecorate their home with designer pieces or create a unique look for every room may choose from the wide selection of classic, contemporary and modern high-end furniture, furnishings, lightings, accents and artworks that will be available at discounted prices. Furniture for offices and vacation houses will be also offered at marked down costs.

Each of the 40 showrooms will showcase items that will best match the look the buyers are going for. But should they need a professional opinion, there are also in-house designers with whom they can consult.

Further, aside from furniture and furnishings showrooms, bargain hunters will also find interior design studios, photography studios and a dance studio at LRI. Food and drinks during the 20-day sale will be provided by two restaurants.

LRI Design Plaza is located at 210 Nicanor Garcia St. (formerly Reposo St.), Bel Air II, Makati City, and is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

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HEART EvAngElISTA AnD DEnnIS TRIllO RECORD THEME SOng FOR SERIES ISAH V. RED

T

he returning TV pair of Heart Evangelista and Dennis Trillo is singing the theme song of the new soap Juan Happy Love Story that will premiere next week Monday on GMA Network. The two recorded the song and both are satisfied with the result. Dennis and Heart had worked together in a fantaserye several years ago and many thought the two would be a couple. But Heart found love with Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero whom she married the day after her birthday on Feb. 15, 2015, while Dennis had been romantically linked with other women, most recently with fellow Kapuso Jennylyn Mercado.

What’s Marian Rivera’s secret?

Andre Paras misses Barbie Forteza

Those who had followed the romantic comedy series That’s My Amboy said Andre Paras performance had improved considerably, and those who had become certified Andre fans are looking forward to his new project on GMA Network.

Andre admitted after the conclusion of That’s My Amboy he started missing Barbie Forteza.

“Barbie will always be the same person who makes everyone happy and at the same time you will enjoy your work because she is very makulit and super taas ng energy. I hope to work with her again,” he said adding that there is nothing between him and Barbie. None yet.

But they have become very good friends and comfortable in working with each other.

Jennylyn Mercado’s new show

Last Sunday, Jennylyn Mercado’s new show premiered on GMA News TV. It is called Dishkarte of the Day. A friend, Noel Añonuevo, is directing the show that also features Sam YG and Betong Sumaya as co-hosts. The show dishes useful kitchen tips and recipes

In her Instagram account, new mother Marian Rivera revealed her secret in posting pretty photos on her account. She said she has a white wall that she uses as background when she takes her selfie or photos of her daughter Letizia with her dad, Dingdong Dantes.

“May white wall ako sa bahay, dun ko siya kinukunan. Paulit-ulit kong pini-picture-ran, sobrang arte ko. Siguro ano, isa din ‘yan sa mga hilig kong gawin eh. Talagang mabusisi ako sa pag-aayos ng mga bagay-bagay.”

Kapuso stars Heart Evangelista and Dennis Trillo reunite onscreen via a new soap “Juan Happy Love Story”

digenous people of Pundahan with potable water last April 30.

In partnership with the Pink Women on Fire and Solar Power Initiative (SPIN) Project, Sef initiated a post-birthday celebration by immersing himself to the community and setting up a ‘Solar Powered Tubig Filtration System’. Through carbonfiltering, polluted water is processed to be more potable that results to 2400 glasses of clean water. The system requires minimal maintenance, making it ideal for remote sitios that have limited access to electricity and other advanced technology.

Sef plays his part in nation building and shares the reason for this advocacy. “This is my way of paying it forward. Aminin man natin o hindi, minsan nakakalimutan nating we have them around at minsan bumababa pa sila sa urban areas para humingi ng tulong. So ngayong nakakita ako ng opportunity, kinuha ko kaagad para ako naman ang lumapit at makapagbigay sa kanila,” the Kapuso star explains.

Meanwhile, another Kapuso star shares her big heart to the minority. Bubble Gang

mainstay Jackie Rice reached out to the elderly of Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Marikina to celebrate her birthday and spend time with them.

Jackie admits to have a soft spot for lolos and lolas for the mere reason of compassion. She feels that making them feel neglected is a bit cruel if not ungrateful as most of them spent their lives caring for their children.

“Yung iba sa atin, nakakalimutan na ‘yung matatanda ang nagbigay buhay, nagpalaki, at nag-alaga sa atin. Tapos ang ending, walang nag-aalaga sa kanila.

Ayokong maramdaman nila ‘yun kaya ginagawa ko ito.”

Aside from the fulfillment she gets from reaching out, she wants to be a role model.

“Pag nagbibigay ka, ang sarap kasi. At saka baka ito na yung way para mas dumami pa ang mga taong ma-inspire na tumulong.”

As public figures who have millions of followers on their watch, their compassion does not only help those in need but also encourage their fans to do the same and make a difference.

Sef Cadayona and Jackie Rice pay it forward

Punduhan, Bulacan shelters a Dumagat tribe, which, despite the advanced technology in the country, still has no access to clean water. As GMA Artist Center star Sef Cadayona celebrated his birthday, he took part in an initiative to provide the in-

Jackie Rice with the elders of Good Samaritan nursing Home in Marikina

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wEDnES DAy : M Ay 11, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

American wirter and comedian Thomas Lennon in a scene from the sit-com “The odd Couple”

Best pals. well-loved TV characters oscar Madison and felix Unger played by Matthew perry and Thomas Lennon, respectively

THE pERkS of woRkIng wITH MATTHEw pERRy wIThOuT wang2 nIckIE wang

A

merican writer and comedian Thomas Lennon has been friends with Matthew Perry (Friends), his co-star in the top-rating multicamera television sitcom, The Odd Couple, for a long time.

They first met in 1999, when Lennon guest-starred in an episode of Friends playing Perry’s identical twin. Then the two later joined up onscreen in the 2009 comedy 17 Again, which stars Zac Efron.

“I think back during that film in which he played sort of cranky type, slightly sarcastic cranky type person and I played a very nerdy little weirdo. I think that’s where we started setting the scene for this dynamic that we have, that we still have and bring to the show,” Thomas Lennon told The Standard in an exclusive phone

interview.

In real life, Lennon and Perry are polar opposites. But that practically makes them click together.

Lennon revealed that they enjoy to bicker each other in between takes because many parts of their personality genuinely drives each other crazy – just like what really happens to real-life good friends.

“I think a lot worked out because we’re not playing characters too different from our own selves.

And in the bad side, he’s pretty messy and I’m pretty neat. And I have some compulsive disorders but also we genuinely love each other and it worked pretty well,” he related.

While their personality plays a significant role in getting along, there are other factors involved that make their friendship strong.

“I also like Mathew Perry because I can drive around all his fancy cars. It’s a really nice perk,” he quipped.

In The Odd Couple, Lennon plays the role Felix Unger, the obsessively tidy professional photographer. Meanwhile, Perry (also developing and executive producing the series) is the slovenly Os-

cROsswORD puzzlE

answer PreVIOUs PUZZLe

ACROSS 1 Cheek makeup 6 Heavy-metal band 10 Canteen mouthful 14 Math term 15 Koh-i- — diamond 16 Antler prong 17 Starry prefix 18 Arizona “monster” 19 Longest arm bone 20 Plunging neckline

21 Geologist?

24 Detains 26 Spuds 27 Embroider, maybe 28 Looks mischievous 30 Attend a banquet 33 Mares’ offspring 34 Rock’s — Fighters 37 Press for 38 Barker, for one 39 Ancient ointment

40 Opposite of “paleo” 41 Saw 42 Watch over 43 Dragged off 44 London’s Big — 45 Coffee go-with 48 Freeloaded 52 Zookeeper’s favorite pastry? (2 wds.)

55 Wind dir.

56 Gala 57 Year-end tune 58 Persona non — 60 Eight in Venice 61 Plain 62 PC chip maker 63 Huff and puff 64 Poet — Teasdale 65 Useful thing DOWN 1 Cheer for a diva 2 Eye surgery tool 3 Downright 4 Polite word 5 Walks (2 wds.)

6 Black cattle 7 Spiral 8 Blockhead 9 Without getting caught 10 Doubles’ jobs 11 Oscar or Cornel

car Madison, a sportswriter and sports talk radio personality. The sit-com, which returned to RTL CBS Entertainment HD on April 15 for a second season, is the sixth screen production based on the 1965 play written by Neil Simon, following the 1968 film, a 1970 television series, a 1975 Saturday morning cartoon, a 1982 reboot of the 1970 series, and The Odd Couple II, the 1998 sequel to the 1968 film.

Here is an excerpt of our interview with Lennon: Do you think the show would still be this successful if you had a different partner/co-star?

I was very lucky when I first heard that this project existed and Matthew is looking for a Felix Unger and I thought, “Oh no.” This is way too much perspective. But I am exactly as annoying and uptight as that person has to be. And by the way, I’m not picking it at all that’s genuinely what I’m like. So as soon as I heard that the role was open, I just sort of knew that it was going to work out.

We know you can only tell us so much, but what should the fans expect in the new season? Any

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

12 13 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

— tube Neutral and first Devoured Holm and Fleming “Anything —?”

Injured at Pamplona McNally partner Lots of laughs Sooner than anon Way back when A twist of — LAX overseer Bobby of the NHL Strange Mossyhorn pros Now, to Caesar Quick bite Where Athens is First-rate (hyph.)

Jungle crusher Clear the windshield Prince Val’s wife Egg containers Thin toast Warms up Ms. Lauder Began a poker hand Director — Ephron Rip open Hosp. workers

new big developments? Are there big guests appearing in the show?

There are a lot of fun new things in the second season of the series.

First of all Teri Hatcher comes in as a new character, which is Oscar’s love interest. Felix is also getting more serious with Emily played by Lindsay Sloane. So that’s the romantic storyline. We’re both juggling sort of our romantic lives and then our bachelor lives and as best friends. And another amazing thing is Felix has a nude scene coming up which is very exciting. I’m thinking about two more weeks, three weeks for you.

If you were given the liberty to choose one person to appear for just one episode and play as your girlfriend who’s madly and deeply obsessed with you, who would it be and why?

Well, it clearly would be Helen Mirren. I mean that’s the most obvious thing in the world. That’s it. I am speaking in behalf of Felix and myself. I can imagine she would want to play Felix’s girlfriend but if it comes up I would tell her that the offer is out there.

It’s inevitable for you to be compared with the movie and

the original television versions of the show? What makes your tandem/show different?

Well certainly the biggest challenge was doing something that was worthwhile in its own regard and that wasn’t just a replication of Tony Randall and Jack Klugman’s show, which was amazing.

And certainly I know in the US, it’s a moderate hit. It seems to have connected with people. One of the challenges is what do you have that is something new at all. We are still figuring out but I think we’ve done quite well while still being true to the original premise.

Finally, you wear a lot of hats, which one do you enjoy doing the most, being on cam or being one of the people behind the camera?

It’s really hard to say. I guess certainly because when I’m writing in films, it’s a process that I love. Writing for a series can be maddening.

It is something that I really enjoy, the process of sitting and writing. It is one of my favorites in the world.

But nothing can really compare to performing to a live audience. The adrenaline rush is immediate and very strong.

wEDnES DAy : M Ay 11, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

APl.DE.AP SnuBS VAnCouVER EVEnT

Edward Benosa’s ‘Most Requested’ Edward Benosa is a versatile artist. That much he proved during his recent birthday concert, Most Requested, which turned out to be an evening full of surprises.

The first surprise was the set-up. Director Frank Lloyd Mamaril made such clever and imaginative use of the Teatrino’s very small stage. Every inch was maximized, such that there was even space for an LED screen, which enhanced the audience’s concert viewing experience. He complemented that with a well-chosen repertoire that made the most of Edward’s vocal strengths. The repertoire was varied: it went from the usual romantic pop ballads to acoustic numbers to rockflavored hits that surprised the audience who didn’t realize Edward had it in him to do those kinds of songs.

But because the show’s title was Most Requested, the segment that really drew attention was the “Most Requested” medley that included “You Are So Beautiful”, “Chivalry is Dead”, “Crazy”, “The Scientist” and the current radio and fan favorite, Charlie Puth’s “One Call Away”. Edward’s version was easy on the ears and a crowd-pleaser. The audience sang along with him, since they were familiar with the song.

Also surprising were Edward’s guests, DJ Chacha and Morisette Amon. DJ Chacha made the audience sit up and take note of her musical ability when she did a duet with Edward of the OPM hit “Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang. Morissette, Edward’s co-star in the stage musical Chuva Choo Choo (which will have a repeat/extended run in middle of this year) did a duet with him of “Sana Kahit Minsan”.

These two young voices are among the most promising of their generation, and they will definitely go places in today’s competitive music industry, either as solo artists or as a tandem.

But the night really belonged to Edward, who proved what a versatile artist he could be. Among the standout numbers were his performances of “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 (it was part of his Maroon 5 medley) and rocker Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ‘69”. Edward also did a medley of Justin Bieber songs that included the mega-hit “Love Yourself ”.

Also taking center stage were songs from Edward’s Star Music album. He performed several songs, including “Iingatan Ko”, and “Puso Kong Ito”. Of course, he couldn’t leave the venue that night without performing his biggest hit, “Di Man Lang Nagpaalam”. How appropriate indeed that he chose it to be his last song before he closed the show—or made “paalam”—to his very supportive audience that night which included members of his fan group, the Edward Benosa Loyal Supporters. Also beaming from the sidelines were members of Edward’s Star Music family headed by Roxy Liquigan, who has believed in Edward’s talent since day one, and composers and record producers Jonathan Manalo and Rox Santos.

It seemed that all the songs in the repertoire were carefully chosen. His closing song (before the encore of “Di Man Lang Nagpaalam” was “Best Day of My Life” originally by American Authors, and indeed, that day, April 16, did turn out to be the best day of Edward’s life. It was the day that he stepped up to the challenge, joined the big leagues and proved that while still a newbie compared to other, more established artists that have been around for 10, 20, even 30 years, he definitely has what it takes to take the ball and roll with it. He can and will go on to build a flourishing career in the music business. He obviously has the potential and the vocal chops to do that.

That much was clear that night, and will be even clearer in the months and years to come.

Pop balladeer Edward Benosa in a concert at Teatrino in Greenhills

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he Filipino-American rapper, record producer and singer of the Grammy Award-winning group The Black Eyed Peas, Apl.de.Ap, has not answered the invitation to grace the 118th Philippine Independence Day celebration on June 4 in Vancouver, Canada.

The United Filipino-Canadian Association in British Columbia (UFCABC), the conglomerate of over 20 Filipino community groups and associations in the province, chose Apl .de.Ap and folk singer Heber Bartolome to receive the Hero Award during the event where 50,000 Filipinos in Canada are expected to attend.

Bartolome sent his confirmation to attend and to receive the award, while there was no reply from Audie Vergara, manager of Apl. He did not respond to the email, snail mail, call and SMS from the UFCABC. DJ Buddah, a well-known good friend of Apl, assisted the organization for the communication with Apl. “He gave us the contact details of the manager, but unfortunately there was no reply,” said Joel Castillo, president of the UFCABC. The organization will shoulder the round-trip tickets, food and accommodation of Apl and his entourage.

“We hope Apl will consider getting his award, he is not obliged to perform. He will just receive it and celebrate with us on Independence Day,” added Castillo.

Part of the invitation letter to Apl said, “[The UFCABC wants] to honor you with an award for your achievement in the field of entertainment.

Your work with the Apl Founda-

By ROBBIE PangIlInan

Fil-Am rapper Apl.de.Ap to be conferred with a hero award from a conglomerate of over 20 Filipino community groups and associations in Canada

tion that helps various communities and children in the Philippines and throughout Asia, as well as your [hit song] ‘We Can Be Anything’ is an inspiration to many Filipinos for your selflessness and desire to help those in need. Your record label gives South East Asian artists a chance to break into the international music world, one that you have achieved and have been aptly recognized for. It is truly an

honor for us to give you this award for pursuing a dream in another country by working hard, by looking back and being grateful for your beginnings, and by paying it forward.”

The event coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Philippine Consulate in Vancouver. Performers like GG Star and former Darna actress and beauty queen Anjannette Abayari have confirmed their attendance.

Face your fears in ‘Generation Z’ Welcome to a vacation spot like no other in the horror-thriller Generation Z (also known as The ReZort) where an unusual kind of theme park is created to entertain visitors interacting with zombies as its main attraction. But all hell breaks loose when a zombie- rights activist hacks into the park’s security system and uploads a virus, which disables all security settings releasing thousands of zombies back into the wild.

Directed by Steve Barker who was on the lookout for something new having worked extensively in the horror genre previously. A huge fan of zombie movies, Barker, was drawn to the possibilities offered by Generation Z’s script: “Zombie movies are always now set in an apocalyptic world – this script fascinated me because we had won and this was something that I hadn’t seen before.

It’s not a traditional film but a throwback to the movies that I loved; John Carpenter movies, where you weren’t tied to just one genre.”

Generation Z is written by Paul Gerstenberger who is also a fan of acclaimed author Michael Crichton, was inspired to do a film with a new take on the genre, setting the story in a world after the humans have won the war against the zombie apocalypse. He further explored how humanity would recover after such a huge percentage of the population has been wiped out. “I was a huge fan of Michael Crichton and his tech

“Generation Z” is an upcoming thriller touted as “Jurassic Park only with zombies”

thrillers, like Jurassic Park and Westworld”, says Gerstenberger. ”So those were some of the influences in writing this.” According to Gerstenberger, the film explores the repetitive and cyclical nature of “man’s hubris.”

Finding the perfect location was crucial in conveying the fragile luxury of the postapocalyptic world.

Mallorca offered an incredible range of possibilities from hidden valleys to mountain retreats. Mallorca also lent itself well to the island aesthetics devised by Barker and the various Heads of Department: “we were after something that felt seductive and sleek. We wanted audiences to see the island as the island would want you to see it; something that felt very al-

luring and enticing” which was very doable on such a beautiful island.

Generation Z is a slick and contemporary thrill ride offering a fresh twist on the zombie film genre but first and foremost it is fun and entertaining, made to appeal to a broad audience of film fans: “It has a great sense of escapism and entertainment” explains Barker. “When I first read the script I was immediately struck by the unique proposition presented by the concept itself. It was a brilliant read and great fun to bring about”.

Generation Z opens on June 1 in local cinemas nationwide from Axinite Digicinema.

Check out the film’s trailer here: https://youtu.be/Wn_HuzZvLlg