The Standard - 2016 May 24 - Tuesday

VOL. XXX NO. 101 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 TUESDAY : MAY 24, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Duterte okays FM burial at ‘Libingan’

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VIGILANCE URGED TO PROTECT VOTE Marcos questions results in Senate privilege speech

By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Christine F. Herrera and Sara Susanne Fabunan

VICE presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged Filipinos Monday to observe “eternal vigilance” to protect the sanctity of their votes as he took to task the Commission on Elections [Comelec] for turning a blind eye to the massive cheating that marred the May 9 elections.

“What is at stake today is the sanctity of suffrage, which great leaders teach us must be guarded at every turn,” Marcos said in a privilege speech Monday. “Many attribute the phrase: ‘Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty’ to Thomas Jefferson. This is so very true.”

Without naming him, Marcos also took a swipe at President Benigno Aquino III, who had declared before the elections that he would do all in his power to stop Marcos from winning the vice presidency.

“We need leaders who are less interested in promoting their own interest, and their own party, and more interested in leaving behind the enduring example of free and fair elections,” said Marcos.

He said his call for eternal vigilance was not about him being cheated in the vice presidential race, but concerned all voters.

“We must, all of us, guard against coming intimidation, manipulation and even fraud by forces of the political status quo,” the senator said. This was truer today than it was two weeks ago, he added.

“This odious legacy of this government and the allegations surrounding it cannot be left investigated. Evidence cannot be left unreviewed. And truth cannot be left unspoken…

Because truth is the lifeblood of eternal vigilance,” said Marcos He told his colleagues in the Senate not to hold “false confidence” that the nation had free and fair elections if it did not.

“As captured by netizens through photos and videos, we see the same sad story in the Philippines.

Vote-buying has become ever more rampant, as have been the acts of terrorism, threats and intimidation,” said Marcos.

Marcos said they have received reports of information and communications technology (ICT) companies that were engaged by candidates to boost their chances in winning the automated elections.

He said parts of the package included access to official voters database and vaunted “magic laptops,” which they claimed could tap into the Comelec’s main Next page server.

Call for vigilance. Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his privilege speech during Monday’s resumption of sessions at the Senate in Pasay City. EY ACASIO

Jaclyn Jose wins big at Cannes filmfest

Big winner. Filipino actress Jaclyn Jose celebrates on stage with her daughter, Andi Eigenmann, after being awarded with the Best Actress prize during the closing ceremony of the 69th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on Sunday. AFP

SOAP star Jaclyn Jose won best actress at the Cannes film festival Sunday for her performance as a slum matriarch who falls prey to corrupt police in the film “Ma’ Rosa.”

Jose, the first Southeast Asian to win an award at the Cannes, said she had to forget everything she learned in her 30 years in the business for the role as a sweetshop owner and small-time drug dealer.

“The biggest challenge for me

was not to act. Especially since I am coming from television shows where I play loud and campy characters,” she told reporters.

The 52-year-old said she had to “tone everything down to zero”— for the stark, realistic portrait of a woman fighting to do the best for her family in director Brillante Mendoza’s gritty film, which was the only Filipino entry to the film festival this year.

It is a dramatic change from her regular job, playing a spoilt,

rich woman in the popular TV soap opera, “The Millionaire’s Wife.”

Variety magazine praised Jose for the “naturalistic grace” of her film performance, playing the matriarch of a family struggling to survive amid squalor.

The daughter of a Filipina mother and a largely absent American serviceman father, Jose first became famous in Philippine showbiz circles for her ethereal beauty.

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Digong slams retired archbishop Vigilance...

From A1 Marcos said he played down all the alleged offers as being hearsay until he saw it happening before his own eyes on Election Day. He recounted that at 7:30 p.m. on May 9, Smartmatic’s Marlon Garcia, a Venezuelan national, admitted entering a new “script” or computer command in the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting transparency server.

He pointed out that Garcia was earlier charged with electoral sabotage for doing the very same thing during the 2013 elections.

“Note that this change was done not before the elections, not when they were doing the pretesting, but during the transmission of results from our canvassing boards nationwide,” Marcos said.

After this particular act, Marcos said, his votes slowed down and the votes for another candidate started to accelerate—at an unprecedented and linear rate of 45,000 votes for every additional one percent of votes counted.

“What are the chances that this computer programming change can be linked to the odd pattern that emerged during the PPCRV quickcount? How sure are we that the computer change did not open windows of opportunity for trap doors, trojan horses, worms, or time-bombs to enter the system?” asked Marcos.

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista claimed the programming change in the transparency server was just a “cosmetic change,” and that it did not affect the elections results.

“What proof do we have of this? We have not seen any,” said Marcos, who slammed the poll body for its inaction despite proof of cheating.

“Every day netizens post new photos and videos of election fraud.

Police found thousands of pre-shaded ballots in an abandoned warehouse in Alaminos, Pangasinfan.

Unused SD cards were found in a trash can in Kabangkalan, Negros Occidental. There is video of election fraud in Datu Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

And yet, Comelec has done nothing. They would

Jaclyn...

From A1 But she has proved to be a versatile and hardworking actress, starring in

rather concentrate on immediate proclamation in the hope that the uproar will die down soon after,” he said.

In the same speech, he urged Congress to immediately proclaim presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, but aired his strong reservations in the canvassing of results of the vice presidential elections due to electoral irregularities on the two fronts—on the ground level and in the field of computer science and programming.

Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II, however, said that Congress, sitting as the national board of canvassers, would not “look beyond the face of the CoCs (Certificates of Canvass)” despite allegations that some of these may have been tampered.

Questions about the COCs would merely be noted, Gonzales said, as lawmakers are set to proclaim the president and vice president on June 7, or three days before Congress adjourns.

Kabataan Rep. Terry Ridon, poll watchdog Mata sa Balota and the Marcos camp urged Congress on Monday to investigate the irregularities that occurred in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, before it begins the national canvass.

Ridon specifically wanted Congress to order an investigation into reports that some 30 consolidated counting servers used to generate official CoCs had been shipped to warehouse in Sta. Rosa, Laguna on May 9 and “fixed” to rig the election results.

“Congress should not ignore this report that came out in The Standard.

The veracity of the account should be ascertained, and the 30 servers in question should be subjected to an independent forensic examination, even before both chambers of Congress begin the national canvassing this Wednesday,” Ridon said.

Asked what the national board of canvassers would do if the results of the official CoCs failed to match with the electronically transmitted votes, Drilon said: “I don’t want to preempt. There are rules on that. I would like to emphasize this: We cannot look beyond the face of the

CoCs.” So as not to delay the proceedings, Gonzales said the canvassers would give priority to uncontested CoCs. George Garcia, counsel for Marcos, demanded that the Commission on Elections make public what transpired on May 9 at the National Technical Support Center in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, where the CCS were allegedly brought for fixing after these failed to boot.

“We hope the Comelec will make public the list of provincial CCS or whatever CCS which were brought to Laguna for alleged repair due to non transmission or failure to receive transmission. A satisfactory explanation as to why and how is strongly urged,” Garcia said.

“This is one of those instances casting doubt on the purity of the recently concluded elections. The Filipino people deserve to know,” he added.

Mata sa Balota convener Rodolfo Javellana Jr. urged the IT experts, who were based in the NTSC, to come out in the open and reveal the truth.

The Mata sa Balota vowed to file more charges against the officials of Comelec, Smartmatic and poll watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting for allegedly not ensuring the conduct of elections would be honest, clean and transparent.

Bautista said the poll body would investigate the allegations about the servers, but also cast doubt on the credibility of The Standard because it was owned by the Romualdezes.

In a radio interview, Bautista admitted that he had yet to read the report published in The Standard, but warned the public to be discerning against some media outlets that release unverified claims of election cheating.

“These newspapers, look at who owns them. Because sometimes, their coverage of the news is slanted,” Bautista said in Filipino on radio dzMM. He then asked several groups who were claiming of election cheating to provide evidence of irregularities and rigging.

He said they were hearing reports of poll cheating, but no one was able to prove the allegations.

“We are open to whatever

dramas, comedies, horror stories, romances as well as television soap operas.

She has won numerous acting awards in her native country and worked with its most prestigious

filmmakers.

But it is her relationship with “Ma ‘Rosa” director Mendoza—a friend for over three decades— which has brought her into the international

evidence or proof that shows there was actual cheating. It is easy to make allegations, but every time we ask for evidence, that’s where they are lacking,” Bautista said.

On Monday, The Standard reported that IT experts hired by the Aquino administration said 30 consolidated counting servers that tabulated results to generate official CoCs were shipped to a Comelec warehouse in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, to be “fixed.”

The IT experts said some 2.65-million votes were generated for four contested provinces, including the vote-rich Davao del Sur and Pangasinan.

Bautista had refused to comment on the story to reporters covering the Comelec, but opted to be interviewed on the radio program.

Also on Monday, the Marcos camp said it would file criminal cases against Smartmatic executives and an IT representative of the Comelec in connection with the unauthorized change of the script in the transparency server on the evening of May 9.

Jose Amor Amorado, Marcos’ lawyer, said the respondents would be charged with violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act. The respondents are Smartmatic executive Marlon Garcia and project director Elie Moreno; Neil Banigued, a member of the firm’s technical support team, and Rouie Peñalba, Comelec information technology officer.

Amorado said the law makes punishable offenses that affect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data and systems including “illegal access of any part of a computer system without right.”

He said they have enough evidence to pin down the Smartmatic executives and the Comelec IT representative based on public documents and the pronouncement by no less than the Comelec that their interference in the system was not authorized.

“It is res ipsa loquitor— the thing speaks for itself,” Amorado said.

Earlier, Abakada partylist Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz filed a complaint against the respondents for violation of the Automated Election Law. With Joel E. Zurbano limelight.

She appeared in Mendoza’s first movie “The Masseur” 11 years ago and also his drama “Serbis,” which competed in Cannes in 2008. AFP

By John Paolo Bencito and Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

PRESIDENT-IN-WAITING Rodrigo Duterte turned up the heat on the Catholic Church Monday, warning Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz, who criticized him: “Don’t f--- with me, Cruz. I am no longer a member of the Catholic Church. I am a member of the Church of Duterte.”

In a press conference Monday night, Duterte pressed a hot-button issue for the Church, which opposes any form of artificial birth control.

“I am reinstalling the population control program [that will promote] three children only for every family,” Duterte said. “We will promote birth control.

People simply can’t follow the natural method; it’s biological.”

Earlier, Cruz challenged Duterte to reveal the names of prelates that he accused of committing grave abuses, and urged him to fight these people, not the Catholic Church.

“There are so many churchmen who have behaved miserably but the Church still stands so... there is a big difference between churchmen and the Church..

If he is going to be angry let him be angry at Church people and not the Church per se because it is useless. He will die and the Church will still be there,” Cruz said.

Cruz also turned down Duterte’s challenge to debate the bishops, saying this would be stooping too low.

“He can just reveal who they [the erring churchmen] are, and what they have done and where the proof can be taken. The Church has its own internal mechanism, to [deal with] errancy,” he said.

Churchmen are human and are sinners, Cruz said.

“They are not saints and consequently and some of us really betray our commitment,” he said, just like there was one Judas among the 12 apostles.

On Monday, Duterte said the Catholic Church is the most “hypocritical institution.”

In a press conference, Duterte vowed that no religious groups, campaign contributors or friends would affect his decisions in government.

Duterte lashed out at the Catholic Church for campaigning against him days before the May 9 elections, despite its “long history of wrongdoing.”

Describing his landslide win as a “public referendum” between him and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, which released a pastoral letter urging Catholics not to vote for him, Duterte challenged Catholic prelates to a debate

so that he can expose the alleged “sins of the Church” before assuming office on June 30.

“They campaigned against me, everybody was saying ‘Do not vote for Duterte.’ Fine.

I said, let this election be a referendum between me and the Catholic Church... Look, were you able to stop me?”

“You have been castigating me or criticizing me—you want a debate before I become president? Okay! Let all the bishops rise. I will tell you the sins of the Catholic Church beginning from the time the institution of the papacy was established,” he continued.

“I will lecture until June 29 [about] the sins of the Catholic Church, and whether or not you are still relevant. The most hypocritical institution is the Catholic Church,” Duterte said.

On Monday, he said he would defy the Church opposition to family planning by promoting a three-child policy.

Meanwhile, the Christian evangelist Apollo C. Quiboloy said Monday he is not using his ties with Duterte to gain special favors.

His camp, however, said that some people who consulted the pastor questioned the appointment of some members in the Duterte Cabinet, particularly those with “conflicts of interest.”

“I will always remain a friend but if it blocks the national interest of the country, I will move myself away so I cannot be a blockade to the national interest that the mayor sees himself right now—not only as a mayor but as the leader of this nation,” Quiboloy said at the headquarters of his Kingdom of Jesus Christ church in Catiptipan, Davao City. “ W h a t e v e r misunderstanding or controversy you heard, sometimes it’s just misinterpreted into small things. My friendship with Duterte will continue and the Kingdom Ministries will continue to pray for his continued success as our next president,” he added.

On Sunday, Duterte expressed his willingness to cut ties with anyone who tries to control his decisions as he brushed off Quiboloy’s complaints that he was being shut out of the discussions on who should serve in his new Cabinet.

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Trillanes found in indirect contempt THE Court of Appeals has found Senator Antonio Trillanes IV guilty of indirect contempt for claiming two of its justices were bribed to stop the suspension of former Makati Mayor Junjun Binay by the Ombudsman over the allegedly anomalous Makati City Hall Building 2.

The court ordered Trillanes to pay a 30,000-peso fine.

Trillanes on Monday said he merely performed his duty as a senator in exposing the corruption in the government when he said Binay bribed two justices of the Court of Appeals P25 million each to stop his suspension by the Ombudsman.

“More importantly, the allegation was not made through a press statement but was, in fact, the principal subject of a Senate resolution calling for a legislative inquiry,” Trillanes said in a text message.

He said he will file an appeal before the Supreme Court.

The appellate court had found merit in the petition filed by Binay in April last year, agreeing that Trillanes’ insinuation that two magistrates were paid P25 million each to stop his preventive suspension by the Ombudsman was baseless.

The court said it was convinced that the senator’s “malicious and baseless utterances and imputations against this Court and some of its justices” were intended to “abuse and interfere in the processes and proceedings of this Court and tend to impede, obstruct or degrade the administration of justice.”

The court rejected Trillanes’ defense of parliamentary immunity.

“From the foregoing, it is crystal clear that respondent was not in the exercise of his official function as as senator and as a legislator when he made those imputations against this Court,” the decision says.

“Accordingly, he cannot be saved by his claim of parliamentary immunity and the doctrine of absolute privileged communication.

“Needless to state, he is deemed an ordinary person when he made a baseless attack on the integrity and credibility of this Court and its justices.”

Trillianes is also facing libel charges filed by Binay before the Department of Justice over his allegations of bribery. Rey E. Requejo and Macon RamosAraneta

Race to lead Senate seen causing rift among allies THE race for the Senate presidency will likely cause a rift among the allies of presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte after two others expressed their intention to compete to clinch it.

Courtesy call. President Benigno Aquino III welcomes Saudi Arabia’s Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Ambassador to the Philippines Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Bussairy during their courtesy call in Malacañang on Monday.

MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU

Two parties unite for Speaker-to-be Alvarez THE Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party on Monday forged an alliance with the 40-strong National Unity Party to strengthen its support to incoming Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, the representative of Davao del Norte.

Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, president of the Lakas-CMD, expressed belief that detained former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who ran and won unopposed for her third and last term, will “play a key role in the 17th Congress should the Su-

preme Court allow her bail petition.”

“She is a former president who can contribute to the development of the country, a brilliant and a working one,” Romualdez said.

The Lakas-CMD’s alliance with the NUP came a week after the party of then President Arroyo entered an agreement with the PDP-Laban, stressing the latest partnership was about helping Alvarez to push the legislative agenda of Duterte, Romualdez said.

“We concur with the coalition agreement. This

is not similar to the coalition agreement we signed with the PDP-Laban. This is to strengthen the support of legislative agenda of incoming President Rody Duterte under the leadership of Alvarez as Speaker,” said Romualdez, the head of the House’s Independent Bloc.

“We [Lakas-CMD and Kampi] used to have very close ties, in fact we were very close until 2010. We are reuniting in pursuing the agenda of President Duterte.”

Said Reginald Velasco, NUP secretary general: “The purpose of this

[agreement] is to unite forces to have a common legislative agenda. Both parties will be supporting incoming President Rodrigo Duterte and incoming Speaker Alvarez.”

Like Lakas-CMD, Velasco said, the NUP would also enter into a coalition with PDP-Laban, the party that pushed Duterte to the presidency.

“The NUP will sign a separate agreement with the PDP-Laban. The NUP has 40 committed members and there are more congressmen who would like to join the NUP,” Velasco said. Maricel V. Cruz

Agreement. Lakas-CMD president and outgoing Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (2nd, left) and National Unity Party secretary genera Reginal Velasco sign a coalition agreement during their meeting at the House of Representatives. Witnessing the signing are Lakas-CMD secretary-general Butch Corpin (left) and Bulacan Rep. Apple Pancho. VER NOVENO

Aside from Duterte’s defeated running mate, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, Senators Aquilino Pimentel III and Vicente Sotto III are also aiming to become Senate president.

But Duterte has advised his allies to just talk things over and not make the matter public. He said those who wanted to vie for the post should just settle the issue among themselves.

He also reminded them that the competition should not lead to a power struggle as he claimed that he did not care if his allies would not constitute the majority in Congress.

Pimentel is the president of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban while Duterte is the party’s chairman. Sotto belongs to the Nationalist People’s Coalition, the country’s second biggest political party that recently forged an alliance with PDP-Laban.

Cayetano is a member of the Nacionalista Party, which was the first to form a coalition with PDP-Laban after Duterte emerged victorious in his presidential run.

The battle for the Senate presidency could also turn out to be a four-way fight since incumbent Senate President Franklin Drilon of the Liberal Party might also contest the position with Cayetano, Pimentel and Sotto.

Drilon on Monday said the LP members in the Senate were intact.

But when asked in a text message if he was confident of keeping his post when the new Congress opens in July, Drilon said: “The Senate presidency is determined by whoever has the support of 13 senators.”

Incoming senators Joel Villanueva (Cibac Party-list), returning Senator Panfilo Lacson (Independent) and Risa Hontivros (Akbayan Partylist) ran under the LP ticket.

But Villanueva and Lacson could not give a categorical response if they would back Drilon.

While he ran under the LP slate, Villanueva said, the Senate was an independent institution. He stressed he would remain chairman and president of the Cibac partylist group and cited his close personal ties with Cayetano, the godfather of his children.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

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Duterte Cabinet men start talking business

By John Paolo Bencito and Macon R. Araneta

By John Paolo Bencito

DAVAO CITY—Although President-in-waiting Rodrigo Duterte has not completed the necessary appointments, presumptive members of his Cabinet started talking about their plans of action on Monday.

Top on the list was designated economic planner Ernesto Pernia, who was named socio-economic planning secretary and head of the National Economic and Development Authority.

Pernia said in a television that Duterte’s economic program will focus on cutting governmental red tape and addressing infrastructure problems, including traffic, to encourage more job generation.

The former Asian Development Bank economist also echoed Duterte’s declaration on Sunday that his administration would pursue a “rapid and sustained implementation” of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act. “If you enable families to limit and phase their children to what they can afford and what they can provide for, then that’s going to have an effect on poverty and inequality,” Pernia said.

Designated agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol also reported on what he called an ongoing “Biyaheng Bukid [farm visits]” and vowed to intensify government intervention in agriculture, citing Samar as a model.

“A lot of areas in the country that are yet to get government attention, I saw people queuing for water but beside the sources of water were covered courts with names of politicians that do not directly benefit the poor,” Piñol told reporters.

Piñol said there appears to be “twisted mindset” in local governance that do not directly address poverty.

“This is the same illness which brought back my home province, North Cotabato, to the ignominious club of poorest provinces in the country from a lofty rating of No. 27 among the Top 30 in previous years,” he said.”Blame it on too much local politics.”

“After President Duterte assumes office, I will go back to Samar and lead the transformation of this very rich but poor island into a major food producer for the country,” he said.

‘Marcos may get Libingan burial’

Die hard fan. Former overseas worker Starsky Pastrana shows the images he had tatooed on his leg and arm, those of presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte as a youngster and as a mature man.

DANNY PATA

DAVAO CITY—Former President Ferdinand E. Marcos may be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani [Cemetery of Heroes], Presidentapparent Rodrigo Duterte said Monday.

“I will allow the burial of President Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Not because he is a hero, if people don’t like that term, but because he was a Filipino soldier,” Duterte told reporters during an evening news briefing.

“The issue about Maroc’s burial at the Libingan has created division amongst our people. Almost all Ilocanos have bad feelings about that,” he said. “If you don’t want to call him a hero, then just think of him as a soldier.”

Duterte said it is important to settle the matter soon because it has been simmering for a long time. “I’m okay [with burying Marcos at the Libingan] on his birthday,” the president-in-waiting added.

“Will it unite Filipinos? I don’t know, but I know there is one hatred I can erase,” he said.

The decision was a fulfillment of the promise Duterte made in February while he was campaigning in Marcos’ home province of Ilocos Norte, where he won in the race for the presidency with more than 100,000 votes, or 39 percent of all votes cast.

He said allowing a hero’s burial for the former president would help unite the country.

“I want to unite this country [but I cannot do that] if all the Ilocanos nurtured this [hard feeling about the Marcos burial]. Someone has to give. Let us just bury him so we’re done with that,” Duterte said during the campaign.

Duterte was warmly welcomed by his Ilocano supporters who called themselves “Aldub,” or Alyansang Duterte-Bongbong.

Cops probe concert deaths

By Joel E. Zurbano

Still friends. Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy called for a press conference on Monday to deny that he raised a raucus about not being included in the inner circle of incoming President Rodrigo Duterte and that they remain friends. JOHN PAOLO BENCITO

INVESTIGATORS are not ruling out the possibility that the deaths of five people during a concert in Pasay City On Sunday was caused by drug-laced drinks or a party drug, the police said Monday.

“They may have eaten or drunk something.

We are still waiting for the results of the toxicology examination. Then we will be able to establish facts on this case,” said Chief Insp.

Rolando Baula, chief investigator of the Pasay City Police.

Baula confirmed that two of the five fatalities died of massive heart attacks, but they have yet to determine what triggered the attack.

“We are also coordinating with the victims’ families and friends to shed light on the case,” said Baula, adding that his men are doing everything to determine what happened to the fatalities or what food and drinks they took before and during the party concert.

“Our latest report, accordingly, based on the initial findings on the autopsy examination conducted by Dr. Wilfredo Tierra of the [National Bureau of Investigation], Lance Garcia and Bianca Fontejon have the same causes of death, massive heart attack. That was the initial finding,” he said.

Baula’s men are also set to visit the US Embassy to talk with relatives of Eric Miller, an American citizen, who was also one of the fatalities.

The other fatalities were identified as Ariel Leal, 33, and 18-year-old Ken Migawa. Baula said the family of Leal declined to have his remains undergo autopsy.

The five individuals were found unconscious at different parts of the SM Mall of Asia Open Concert Grounds during the concert organized by a toothpaste brand.

A witness interview by ABS-CBN said the concert venue smelled of drug fumes. He also claimed spotting several supposed minors at the concert.

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Pump prices soar after supply cuts

By Alena Flores Oil prices went up by a hefty P1.25 per liter starting 6 a.m. Tuesday, following supply disruptions in major producing countries that sent world prices rising.

Jumping on the bandwagon. More and more lawmakers and other public officials are joining the Duterte bandwagon. PDP-Laban president Senator Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III administers the oathtaking of new party members (2nd from left) Congressmen Rolando Andaya, Rodolfo Fariñas, Franz Alvarez and Francisco Matugas, along with Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron who have chosen to align themselves with Duterte’s platform of governance. The ceremony held at Shangri-La BGC on May 21 was witnessed by PDP-Laban Vice Chairman Alfonso Cusi, the incoming Energy secretary under the Duterte administration.

Road mishaps No. 1 killer, says MMDA exec

By Joel E. Zurbano LACk of awareness of traffic rules is one of the causes of road accidents in the Philippines, according to Chairman emerson Carlos of the Metro Manila Development Authority.

But the information dissemination of traffic education must go down first within the enforcement agents, he said.

“We should begin with the enforcement agents because they are the ones managing traffic. If we begin with the road users, and our enforcers lack training and education about road safety, nothing will happen,” said Carlos during the Road Safety Forum at the MMDA main office in Makati City Monday.

Carlos said the government must also prioritize teaching the

youth by inserting traffic rules and regulations in the school curriculum. ”There should be traffic education and road safety in the high school curriculum. It should be mandatory. The youth need to learn before they reach the age that they could get student permit from LTO [Land Transportation Office],” he said.

Carlos also urged the LTO to enforce written and practical examination to ensure the knowledge of the applicant about road laws and safety. ‘‘This is very alarming. Road accident is the number one killer not only in Metro Manila or in the Philippines, but this is a worldwide trend.

The MMDA came up with the forum on road safety in a bid to

stop the increasing numbers of road accident in the metropolis.

Agency records showed that road accidents in Metro Manila has increased with 95,615 incidents in 2015, up by 5,357 compared to the 90,258 cases in 2014.

The total number of deaths last year was 519 up by 101 compared to the 418 deaths listed in 2014. Those injured in road accidents from 2014 to 2015 also increased by 1,000.

Based on the 2015 Metro Manila Accident Recording and Analysis System (MMRAS) report, motorcycles have the “highest fatality accident rate” with 262 the total number of deaths, followed by trucks (129) and private cars (125).

Motorcycles also topped the list of vehicles with the most number of injuries, posting 11,620 shares followed by cars (7,427) and public

utility jeepneys (2,161).

MMRAS, a program created by the MMDA aimed to improve road management in the metropolis, recorded 204 deaths and 10, 735 injuries involving motorcycle, making it the most vulnerable to road accidents in 2014. The motorcycles was followed by trucks and cars with the most number of deaths on the same year.

Quezon City topped the list of cities in terms of fatal road traffic accident followed by City of Manila and then Makati. This is because of the following several factors: - They are Central Business Districts (CBD’s) with high social and economic activity.

- Quezon City has the biggest land area (166.2 sq. km.) among the cities in Metro Manila, so as with the City of Makati and Manila.

The oil firms raised kerosene prices by P1.25 per liter, gasoline

by P1.20 per liter and diesel by P1 per liter.

“This is to reflect the movements in the international petroleum market,” Seaoil Philippines said.

Phoenix Petroleum Philippines said the price movement was “due to higher crude prices brought about by the tensions in Nigeria and the wildlife in Canada.”

Among the companies that issued price advisories as of press time include Phoenix, Seaoil, eastern Petroleum and PTT Philippines. Other companies are expected to follow suit. energy director Melita Obillo said over the weekend that oil prices are likely to go up this week due to “better overall demand, disruption of supply from Nigeria, production outages in Canada due to the wildfires and political crisis in Venezuela.”

The International energy Agency previously reported that the global oil market surplus will shrink later this year.

IeA, according to the energy Department, sees the oil market moving further toward balance, predicting a greater drop off in non-Opec supply and global demand growth remaining solid in 2016, noting the ramp up in Iran exports in April.

Non-Opec supply is estimated to decline this year to 800,000 barrels per day from 700,000 barrels per day.

Supply disruptions in Opec members—Nigeria, Libya and Venezuela, meanwhile, have collectively knocked out 450,000 barrels per day of output.

‘Firm can’t rent out MRT spaces’

By Rey Requejo The Department of Justice has upheld the legality of the decision made by the Department of Transportation and Communications not to issue anymore permits to Metro Rail Transit Development Corp.’s development and advertising rights over edsa MRT III unless it settles its obligations amounting to P2.4 billion as of January 2016.

In a 27-page legal opinion, Justice Secretary emmanuel Caparas stressed that while the provisions of the 1997 Build, Lease and Transfer Agreement between DoTC, and MRTDevco is quiet on nonpayment of development rights payments, the Civil Code mandates that a party is not required to comply with its reciprocal obligations in case the other party fails to comply with what is expected of it.

“Thus, insofar as disallowing permits on MRTDevco’s supposed advertising rights over the airspace above the stations, DoTC may argue that MRTDevco’s failure to make payments on the exercise of such rights [which has been admitted by MRTDevco] excuses DoTC’s obligation to issue the relevant permits,” the DoJ opined.

The Justice secretary also held that the DoTC was right in disallowing permits for MRTDevco’s supposed rights to lease out commercial spaces in the stations due lack of contractual basis.

“In view of the very nature of a permit as a privilege to do what otherwise would be unlawful and not as a right, and it would be irregular to extend MRTDevco permits for lessees on commercial stalls for LRT Phase 1 [edsa MRT III] as the same has no appar-

ent basis in the BLT Agreement, Tripartite and the Restructuring Agreement,” Caparas pointed out. earlier, DoTC Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Reggie Ramos sought for legal opinion on several issues concerning its agreement with MRTDevco with regard to the development of commercial premises in the depot and above the stations of MRT III. In particular, Ramos asked the DoJ’s opinion on whether or not the position of MRTDevco that the development rights and advertising rights under the BLT agreement and its amendments are separate and tenable; whether or not the DoTC can give permits to MRTDevco in relation to the exercise of its development rights despite MRTDevco’s non-payment of DRP; and whether MRTDevco’s claim over its rights to lease commercial stalls in MRT3 has any basis.

Drug suspect. Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation escort

Martin De Fong (2nd from right), a foreigner, after he was arrested in Bel-Air Sojo, Makati City. for possession of P15 mllion worth of ecstasy.

DANNY PATA

T U E S D AY : M AY 24 , 2 0 1 6

A6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Party-list nominee richest man in House

By Maricel V. Cruz

Romero’s vow. Newly proclaimed party-list Representative Michael ‘Mikee’ Romero of 1-Pacman (2nd from left) vows to make sure that athletes and coaches will receive their benefits due them under the law. With Romero are his sons Santi and Miguel. JUN DAVID

INCOMING congressman Michael Romero of 1-Pacman party-list has emerged as one of the richest members of the House of Representatives and the youngest billionaire in Asia.

The 42-year-old Romero is the first nominee of the party-list group which placed second in the May 9 race, earning two seats in the House. The second nominee for 1-Pacman party-list is the business adviser of Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao, who was the richest congressman in 2015.

Romero earned the tag the Philippines richest as published by Forbes Asia Magazine in 2013, when he was just 40 years old, and 2014.

Pacquiao was the richest House member with a net worth of P1.7 billion based on his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth he filed in the House.

The 2015 SALN of congressmen will be released by end of May.

In the 2013 Forbes list of rich Filipinos, Romero, then only 40, ranked 26th with an estimated $490 million or about P23.75 billion in net worth.

The following year, Romero’s fell six rungs lower, landing 33rd in the Forbes’ list.

Nonetheless, his estimated networth was placed at $375 million or P17.81 billion, higher than the combined net wealth of Pacquiao.

Romero, whose 1PACMAN recently forged an alliance with the Nationalist Alliance Coalition and vowed support for Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez as the next speaker, has presented a legislative platform that seeks to prioritize sports development, education and job creation.

Romero boasts two doctorate degrees in business administration and political economics.

He said the first bill he will file as a congressman is one that seeks to restore the National Economic Council that was abolished in the 1960s by the then President Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Lawyers blast shoot-to-kill policy

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Free Legal Assistance Group has criticized the plans of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to revive the death penalty and adopt a shoot-to-kill policy among other ways to fight criminality in the country.

FLAG, through its chairman Jose Manuel Diokno, who is also dean of the De La Salle University College of Law, expressed alarm over Duterte’s plan which was allegedly unconstitutional.

Diokno said the FLAG,

which was founded by volunteer lawyers in 1974 to provide legal aid to victims of Martial Law, took the position that “these actions are illegal and unconstitutional, render our legal system impotent and meaning-

less, and blatantly violate international law.”

The group argued that the “shoot-to-kill” proposal would violate the constitutional provision, which states that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without the due process of law.

FLAG also cited Article 11 of the Revised Penal Code, which limits the use of deadly force by authorities to reasonably necessary situations.

“The shoot-to-kill policy gives unbridled discretion to law enforcement officers to take the law

into their own hands and act as judge, jury, and executioner,” FLAG said, in a statement.

As for the death penalty, the group argued that it is anti-poor since most of the convicted heinous criminals cannot afford competent lawyers.

“The poor are vulnerable to the death penalty because they have no voice, no money, no power, and lack the resources to hire good lawyers. For exactly the same reasons, they will also be vulnerable to the proposed ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy of the president-

elect,” they said.

The FLAG lawyers added that the country would also violate the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights it signed on Sept. 20, 2006 and was ratified on Nov. 20, 2007 “without reservation” should it restore the death penalty.

“The Second Optional Protocol is the only international treaty of worldwide scope to prohibit executions and to provide for total abolition of the death penalty. States that

ratify the Second Optional Protocol are required to renounce the use of the death penalty definitively,” FLAG stressed.

“If the Philippine reinstates capital punishment [after having ratified the Second Optional Protocol], the country would be condemned for violating international law. It would be a great stigma,” it added.

Several sectors, including the Commission on Human Rights and Catholic Church, have already opposed these plans of Duterte.

DoTC loses five agencies to newly formed department PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III signed into law on Monday Republic Act 10844, creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology and effectively transferring to it certain agencies that used to be under the Department of Transportation and Communications.

The new law ensures the provision of a strategic, reliable, cost-efficient and citizen-centric information and communication technology infrastructure, systems and resources as instruments of good governance and global competitiveness, Aquino said.

It will ensure universal access to quality, affordable, reliable and secure ICT services, he said.

The law aims to promote the development and widespread use of emerging ICT and speed up the convergence of ICT and ICTenabled facilities.

Under the law, the DICT will be headed by a secretary, who will be assisted by three undersecretaries and four assistant secretaries.

The new law transfers to the newly created DICT the following agencies: Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO); National Computer Center (NCC); National Computer

Institute (NCI); Telecommunications Office (TELOF); National Telecommunications Training Institute (NTTI); and, all operating units of the Department of Transportation and Communications with functions and responsibilities dealing with communications.

As a result of the creation of this new department, the law renamed the present DoTC as the Department of Transportation.

The DICT law provides for a six-month transition period from effectivity for the full implementation of the transfer of functions, assets and personnel.

Sandy Araneta

Waterless. Residents of Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila may do a Jack and Jill routine but water isn’t flowing because Maynilad Water has cut off services for a week now. Maynilad says it has to make way for pipeline repair. DANNY PATA

T U E S D AY : M AY 24 , 2 0 1 6

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

DENR seeks recovery of chainsaws TACLOBAN CITY—Bothered that it may be used for illegal logging activities, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is seeking the immediate recovery of chainsaws distributed by the Philippine Coconut Authority to clear debris after the onslaught of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013.

DENR Eastern Visayas Regional Executive Director Leonardo Sibbaluca said that since the removal of coconut debris is now done, there’s a huge possibility that some people will use these chainsaws to cut trees.

“Are they going to use these chainsaw to pull out weeds? Of course not! This will surely be used for illegal logging,” Sibbaluca said.

Sibbaluca said that some foresters have already recovered chainsaws acquired by some individuals for post“Yolanda” clearing operations.

PCA Regional Manager Joel Pilapil said they are now on the process of recovering chainsaws borrowed by some groups and local government units since late 2013.

“Now that debris clearing is over, most individual operators have already returned the chainsaws. However, most units are still under the possession of local government units,” Pilapil said.

PCA records show that

of the 2,625 chainsaws distributed after “Yolanda,” 289 units are scheduled for return to the central government within the first half of 2016. Of the number, 151 are in Eastern Samar, 110 in northern Leyte, and 28 units in western Leyte.

The government has embarked on massive chainsaw distribution to remove fallen coconut trees in support to recovery activities for coconut farmers. The 2013 super typhoon has destroyed about 13-million trees in Eastern Visayas region.

Clearing was one of the priorities after the disaster considering that rotten coconut trees serves as breeding ground of rhinoceros beetle that is feed on the palm shoot.

The pest has been present in the region’s coconut farms even before “Yolanda” struck, but its population has been manageable, according to PCA. The beetle’s population usually starts to increase six months after a coconut tree is uprooted or sheared. PNA

Cops bust drug trade in Zambales prison

By Romeo Dizon

Back to school. A store in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, Happy Ashter Enterprises, is the only book store to operate after the devastation of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ two and a half years ago. MEL CASPE

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga—Police seized 589 sachets of dried marijuana, 28 sachets of shabu, chemicals and cash from a Zambales provincial jail inmate Monday said to be the leader of drug pushing activities involving both prisoners and guards.

Authorities identified the pusher as Alex Crisologo, a detainee of Cell No. 5, in the provincial jail in Iba. He is imprisoned for a previous drug-related offense.

A warrant issued by Cello Baguio, executive judge of the Regional Trial Court of Gapan City, provided the basis for the search.

Power firm rejects claims of Magat land owners

By Dexter A. See ALFONSO LISTA, Ifugao —The management of SN Aboitiz Power Magat has denied the serious allegations of several land owners affected by the P900-million Magat River Irrigation System Optimization Project on the alleged unfair settlement scheme in the acquisition of private properties that will be submerged with the completion of the project in the future.

Lawyer Mike Hosillos, SNAP vice president for corporate affairs, belied the allegations of the affected land owners, saying that such actions taken by the land owner

through his lawyer is an alleged form of harassment that could open the floodgates to the filing of a case of subjudice against them.

The SNAPM official revealed that of the 192 affected land owners, the company was able to settle almost all of them except for Magalgalit’s client who allegedly demanded a compensation of P25 million for them to waive their rights over their agricultural farm that will be submerged by the project.

He explained the MARIS optimization project is a product of an operation and maintenance agreement signed between SNAP Magat and the National Irrigation

Administration.

“We will not buckle down to the excessive demands of the affected land owners because they want to derail the project which will be beneficial to the greater majority of farmers in the lowland communities,” Hosillos stressed.

Hosillos cited the MARIS optimization project is a government project which should be unduly delayed simply because of the unsettled claim of a single claimant that is why they will explore all available legal means in order to get rid of the problem that will guarantee the smooth implementation of the optimization project.

Protester. Singer Imelda Papin, who ran as congressman in her district in Camarines Sur, shows a copy of her election protest before the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal against rival Noli Fuentebella. MANNY PALMERO

T U E S D AY : M AY 24 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

CHANGING THE CABINET AND THE CONSTITUTION

[ EDI TORI A L ]

A PENCHANT FOR PAYBACK FILIPINOS are big on being loyal and acknowledging debts of gratitude.

It’s our strong suit, but it could also be our undoing.

Nowhere are these contrasting effects more evident than in the current jockeying for positions under the incoming administration—local and national alike.

During the campaign, ‘benevolent’ contributors sink their resources— money, access to facilities, time and talent—into candidates who use them to widen their reach and make themselves more visible to the voters.

The unarticulated promise is payback in terms of appointments or favorable transactions. There may be no explicit agreement as to what would happen afterwards, but the “utang na loob” mentality guarantees that they would have at least a voice and would not be sidelined.

The winning candidates are thus placed in an awkward situation: They may choose to acknowledge that debt and act accordingly. If, however, doing so would be too objectionable or too controversial for them, they could then say that they would only make decisions according to how they see fit—but risk being called an ingrate.

For instance, an influential religious leader in Mindanao has denied holding grudges against presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte for allegedly ignoring his “suggestions” on how to populate the new Cabinet.

This religious leader has reportedly been magnanimous to the Davao City mayor during the campaign.

Duterte for his part has said he would entertain no endorsements from external parties because he would like to make decisions on his own. This, even as his initial choices have hovered between “acceptable” and “frustrating.”

We wonder to what extent this penchant for payback has doomed our nation to mediocre or even bad choices, just because politicians limit themselves to work only with those who have been supportive of them.

We wonder too how many would be called ungrateful for refusing to pay back a debt when it is unwise—even detrimental—to do so.

Today it is Duterte and all other officials who won the polls. But the dilemma has been here for decades and will remain for a long time.

It will hound us until those propped up by donations make it clear to their supporters that the rewards will come, not in the form of decisions favorable to them, but in transparent and merit-based appointments that would benefit the country as a whole.

CONFLICTED LIKE MARK LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES MARK Villar should prove that he’s not conflicted. And no, his mother can no longer do the talking for him.

President-in-waiting Rodrigo Duterte has asked his designated public works secretary, Rep. Mark Villar of Las Piñas and Vista Land, to submit a map of the real estate development projects of his family “so people will stop talking” about the ap-

parent conflict of interest in his appointment. Which prompts me to ask the question: Why go through all that trouble when you can find someone who isn’t conflicted to begin with?

But if Duterte wants Villar to show him a map, then that’s fine with me. I just hope the map that Villar submits will show how much land, to cite just one example, his family has bought up in the southwestern shore of the Laguna Lake, where the biggest project that the Department of Public Works and Highways is bidding out is slated to be built.

The latest news about that P123-billion project, formally

called the Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike, is that three bidders who expressed interest in it didn’t even submit formal offers by the deadline last March 27. And one of the three groups that pre-qualified for the bidding included the Alloy Pavi Hanshin LLEDP consortium, which is comprised of Malaysia’s MTD Group, South Korea’s Hanshin and the family of former Senator Manuel Villar Jr. The LLEDP, billed as the biggest public-private partnership (PPP) project of the outgoing Aquino administration, involves the construction of a 47-kilometer, six-lane express-

A9

I hope Villar discloses all of the potential conflictof-interest situations that may arise if he accepts his appointment.

way on top of a dike that stretches from Taguig to Calamba and Los Banos, Laguna, and also serves as an anti-flooding facility. The expressway will lead to the reclamation of 700 hectares of new land that will extend the current shoreline of the bay— abutting properties that Villar’s family already owns through its flagship property company, Vista Land.

Critics of the project have denounced it for not really being a solution to flooding in Metro Manila, as President Noynoy Aquino announced in his fifth State-of-the-Nation Address.

These include the small-fishermen’s group Pamalakaya and urban planner Felino Palafox Jr., who memorably compared

the project to “building a toilet bowl without a flush.”

The people on the opposite shore of the lake, in Rizal province, have also complained that the project could only cause major flooding on their un-diked side, since the proposed barrier would force water levels to rise. But what seems to have really killed the project —proposed in 2012 to the Aquino administration—are questions about the profitability of the proposed tollway.

In either case, I hope Villar discloses to Duterte all of the potential conflict-

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-

of-interest situations that may arise if he accepts his appointment at DPWH. And maybe, he should start addressing complaints against his presumptive assumption himself, instead of letting his mother do it.

That’s right, if Villar is going to assume this important Cabinet portfolio, maybe he should tell his senatormother that he can actually speak for himself. Letting her do that job only makes him look like a wuss—and an inalienable part of a family whose fortune is so dependent on government

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

public works projects. *** I wonder what got into Commission on Elections Chairman Andy Bautista yesterday, when he basically told broadcaster Ted Failon that this newspaper is engaged in biased reporting about the alleged Comelec-Smartmatic vote-rigging controversy. “You know these newspapers,” Bautista told Failon, “you have to look at the people who own them. The news that comes out in them is sometimes slanted.”

Continued on A11

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

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

AS THE Duterte administration is being assembled, I am staying away from commenting on the individual strengths and weaknesses of the names that have been proposed. Suffice it to say that there are good people in the incoming cabinet— with solid and stellar qualifications such as Carlos Dominguez, Art Tugade, Jess Dureza, Bebot Bello, Ernie Pernia, Salvador Medialdea, and Jun Evasco. I am still hoping that Gilbert Teodoro will eventually agree to serve in government again. And if, among others, Bayan Muna stalwarts Satur Ocampo (for agrarian reform), Liza Maza (for social welfare and development), and Carlos Isagani Zarate (for environment) are appointed, that would be really good for the basic sectors and a militant movement that must now learn to govern for the good of all stakeholders.

Certainly, the fact that a majority of the cabinet will now be Mindanawons is a positive development. Like the president they will serve, these Cabinet members will bring a different, non-imperial Manila-centric perspective to governing our country. It’s about time this happened. Indeed, it is good that for the first time, we will likely have a president and vice president that have not lived in Metro Manila for a good period of time and have spent most of their professional and personal lives in provincial cities.

The one constructive criticism I would raise about the emerging cabinet is its lack of diversity in age and gender. I hope the incoming President would fill up the remaining slots with people in their forties, including good women.

For youth, I am hopeful that someone like former Sarangani governor Migz Dominguez is appointed as local governments secretary. There are many others like Migz, active in the Duterte campaign, who are waiting in the wings to be called.

I assume that a post is being reserved for Leni Robredo. Although I will not call Leni the presumptive vice president as there has been no concession yet from Bongbong Marcos, its easy to foresee that she will be proclaimed soon and Marcos would have to file an electoral protest at the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

Like President Aquino, I will personally not criticize President Duterte for at least a year on governance and political decisions. I will if course participate in policy debates on human rights, climate change and environmental issues, and other important topics.

I encourage constructive opposition now from other citizens. It is sad and frustrating that much of our political elite have shamelessly abdicated their responsibility to fiscalize, with a majority in the Liberal Party joining the Duterte Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

T U E S D AY : M AY 24 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

CHANGING THE CABINET AND THE CONSTITUTION

[ EDI TORI A L ]

A PENCHANT FOR PAYBACK FILIPINOS are big on being loyal and acknowledging debts of gratitude.

It’s our strong suit, but it could also be our undoing.

Nowhere are these contrasting effects more evident than in the current jockeying for positions under the incoming administration—local and national alike.

During the campaign, ‘benevolent’ contributors sink their resources— money, access to facilities, time and talent—into candidates who use them to widen their reach and make themselves more visible to the voters.

The unarticulated promise is payback in terms of appointments or favorable transactions. There may be no explicit agreement as to what would happen afterwards, but the “utang na loob” mentality guarantees that they would have at least a voice and would not be sidelined.

The winning candidates are thus placed in an awkward situation: They may choose to acknowledge that debt and act accordingly. If, however, doing so would be too objectionable or too controversial for them, they could then say that they would only make decisions according to how they see fit—but risk being called an ingrate.

For instance, an influential religious leader in Mindanao has denied holding grudges against presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte for allegedly ignoring his “suggestions” on how to populate the new Cabinet.

This religious leader has reportedly been magnanimous to the Davao City mayor during the campaign.

Duterte for his part has said he would entertain no endorsements from external parties because he would like to make decisions on his own. This, even as his initial choices have hovered between “acceptable” and “frustrating.”

We wonder to what extent this penchant for payback has doomed our nation to mediocre or even bad choices, just because politicians limit themselves to work only with those who have been supportive of them.

We wonder too how many would be called ungrateful for refusing to pay back a debt when it is unwise—even detrimental—to do so.

Today it is Duterte and all other officials who won the polls. But the dilemma has been here for decades and will remain for a long time.

It will hound us until those propped up by donations make it clear to their supporters that the rewards will come, not in the form of decisions favorable to them, but in transparent and merit-based appointments that would benefit the country as a whole.

CONFLICTED LIKE MARK LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES MARK Villar should prove that he’s not conflicted. And no, his mother can no longer do the talking for him.

President-in-waiting Rodrigo Duterte has asked his designated public works secretary, Rep. Mark Villar of Las Piñas and Vista Land, to submit a map of the real estate development projects of his family “so people will stop talking” about the ap-

parent conflict of interest in his appointment. Which prompts me to ask the question: Why go through all that trouble when you can find someone who isn’t conflicted to begin with?

But if Duterte wants Villar to show him a map, then that’s fine with me. I just hope the map that Villar submits will show how much land, to cite just one example, his family has bought up in the southwestern shore of the Laguna Lake, where the biggest project that the Department of Public Works and Highways is bidding out is slated to be built.

The latest news about that P123-billion project, formally

called the Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike, is that three bidders who expressed interest in it didn’t even submit formal offers by the deadline last March 27. And one of the three groups that pre-qualified for the bidding included the Alloy Pavi Hanshin LLEDP consortium, which is comprised of Malaysia’s MTD Group, South Korea’s Hanshin and the family of former Senator Manuel Villar Jr. The LLEDP, billed as the biggest public-private partnership (PPP) project of the outgoing Aquino administration, involves the construction of a 47-kilometer, six-lane express-

A9

I hope Villar discloses all of the potential conflictof-interest situations that may arise if he accepts his appointment.

way on top of a dike that stretches from Taguig to Calamba and Los Banos, Laguna, and also serves as an anti-flooding facility. The expressway will lead to the reclamation of 700 hectares of new land that will extend the current shoreline of the bay— abutting properties that Villar’s family already owns through its flagship property company, Vista Land.

Critics of the project have denounced it for not really being a solution to flooding in Metro Manila, as President Noynoy Aquino announced in his fifth State-of-the-Nation Address.

These include the small-fishermen’s group Pamalakaya and urban planner Felino Palafox Jr., who memorably compared

the project to “building a toilet bowl without a flush.”

The people on the opposite shore of the lake, in Rizal province, have also complained that the project could only cause major flooding on their un-diked side, since the proposed barrier would force water levels to rise. But what seems to have really killed the project —proposed in 2012 to the Aquino administration—are questions about the profitability of the proposed tollway.

In either case, I hope Villar discloses to Duterte all of the potential conflict-

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-

of-interest situations that may arise if he accepts his appointment at DPWH. And maybe, he should start addressing complaints against his presumptive assumption himself, instead of letting his mother do it.

That’s right, if Villar is going to assume this important Cabinet portfolio, maybe he should tell his senatormother that he can actually speak for himself. Letting her do that job only makes him look like a wuss—and an inalienable part of a family whose fortune is so dependent on government

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

public works projects. *** I wonder what got into Commission on Elections Chairman Andy Bautista yesterday, when he basically told broadcaster Ted Failon that this newspaper is engaged in biased reporting about the alleged Comelec-Smartmatic vote-rigging controversy. “You know these newspapers,” Bautista told Failon, “you have to look at the people who own them. The news that comes out in them is sometimes slanted.”

Continued on A11

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

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

AS THE Duterte administration is being assembled, I am staying away from commenting on the individual strengths and weaknesses of the names that have been proposed. Suffice it to say that there are good people in the incoming cabinet— with solid and stellar qualifications such as Carlos Dominguez, Art Tugade, Jess Dureza, Bebot Bello, Ernie Pernia, Salvador Medialdea, and Jun Evasco. I am still hoping that Gilbert Teodoro will eventually agree to serve in government again. And if, among others, Bayan Muna stalwarts Satur Ocampo (for agrarian reform), Liza Maza (for social welfare and development), and Carlos Isagani Zarate (for environment) are appointed, that would be really good for the basic sectors and a militant movement that must now learn to govern for the good of all stakeholders.

Certainly, the fact that a majority of the cabinet will now be Mindanawons is a positive development. Like the president they will serve, these Cabinet members will bring a different, non-imperial Manila-centric perspective to governing our country. It’s about time this happened. Indeed, it is good that for the first time, we will likely have a president and vice president that have not lived in Metro Manila for a good period of time and have spent most of their professional and personal lives in provincial cities.

The one constructive criticism I would raise about the emerging cabinet is its lack of diversity in age and gender. I hope the incoming President would fill up the remaining slots with people in their forties, including good women.

For youth, I am hopeful that someone like former Sarangani governor Migz Dominguez is appointed as local governments secretary. There are many others like Migz, active in the Duterte campaign, who are waiting in the wings to be called.

I assume that a post is being reserved for Leni Robredo. Although I will not call Leni the presumptive vice president as there has been no concession yet from Bongbong Marcos, its easy to foresee that she will be proclaimed soon and Marcos would have to file an electoral protest at the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

Like President Aquino, I will personally not criticize President Duterte for at least a year on governance and political decisions. I will if course participate in policy debates on human rights, climate change and environmental issues, and other important topics.

I encourage constructive opposition now from other citizens. It is sad and frustrating that much of our political elite have shamelessly abdicated their responsibility to fiscalize, with a majority in the Liberal Party joining the Duterte Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

DIVIDING THE NATION TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

IF PRESIDENT-elect Rodrigo Roa Duterte, also known as “Du30,” a selfconfessed foul-mouthed killer and womanizer, did not self-destruct during the recent May 9 polls campaign, he’s self-destructing now, Santa Banana!

When he first asked to reconcile with his political enemies right after he won by over a six million votes over his closest rival, I praised him. To my mind, what this nation needs, first and foremost, is healing of political wounds and unity. Without these, we can never move forward.

I also praised him for his well-advised appointment of Davao businessman Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez as Finance secretary. He could not have named a better individual for the post.

Likewise, I commend the appointments of Perfecto Yasay as acting Foreign Affairs secretary and Andrea Domingo as chief of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

In their many years of public service, Yasay and Domingo have shown themselves to have honesty and integrity.

In the other Cabinet appointments, I draw the line.

I have also drawn the line against Duterte’s vow to eradicate criminality, trafficking of illegal drug and corruption within three to six months. I know they are not doable —unless Du30 proclaims martial law or gives himself authoritarian powers under a revolutionary government.

I am still asking—will he or won’t he became an authoritarian president?

I also draw the line with his advocacy for death penalty, specifically the execution of criminals by hanging. I believe in life, which only God can end.

Aside from the moral standpoint, Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino cites the fact that in 2007, after a long period of hesitation, we acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant on Civil Political Rights, an agreement that binds state-parties like the Philippines to the abolition of death penalty.

It is a treaty obligation against barbarism.

As Fr. Aquino wrote, we can of course denounce

the treaty, but that would make us a regressive nation on the important matter of human rights.

It’s bad enough that Du30 allegedly has a record of human rights violations.

The abolition of this treaty would certainly put the Philippines in the black list.

Du30 has now generalized that the Catholic Church is a hypocritical institution because he knows some bishops having mistresses. He lumps the Catholic Church with some scoundrels and lecherous members of the hierarchy. Du30 even questioned the Church’s relevance.

All this, because the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines issued a pastoral letter a week before the polls not to vote for candidates involved in immorality.

This, instead of healing political wounds and uniting the country.

I really don’t mind Du30 brushing aside complaints from his longtime friend and patron, the Christian evangelist Apollo Quiboloy, for ignoring him in the selection of his presidential appointments. That’s the president’s prerogative. We know how Quiboloy gifted the Davao mayor so many things and allowed him to use his jet for campaign purposes. Isn’t that the height of ingratitude?

Du30 claims he’s a leftist-socialist. There is a thin line between this and being a communist. I am reminded of Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, a socialist, who became president and started nationalizing all businesses. It is said that when a socialist crosses the Sahara desert, all the sand will disappear. My gulay, are we headed in that direction?

Note that a door has been opened for the entry of the National Democratic Front and the Communist Party to the government. They want the Visiting Forces Agreement

DUTERTE’S CABINET APPOINTMENTS INCOMING President Rodrigo Duterte is currently at his turf in Davao City where he is completing the list of people who will compose his Cabinet once he assumes office on June 30 this year.

Because Duterte is now in Davao City, many politicians seeking a post in the new administration have gone there during the past several days, with the hope of getting an audience with the presidentin-waiting. Many of them used to be staunch critics of Duterte, or supported Duterte’s rivals for the presidency. Now that Duterte is incoming president, these opportunists have conveniently comported themselves as clandestine Duterte supporters. Hopefully, these opportunists will not get anywhere.

So far, a number of persons have been either appointed to the Cabinet, or invited to join the Duterte administration. Some of them have been welcomed outright by the public, while some have been criticized by concerned sectors.

Peter Laurel of the Lyceum University has been offered the post of Education secretary. Laurel is ideal for that post because he has the administrative experience and competence for the job, and his honesty and probity are unquestioned. As of this writing, however, Laurel has expressed disinterest in leaving the private sector.

Laurel would have been an asset to the Duterte administration. He comes from the illustrious Laurel family of Batangas. The Laurels are known to be very nationalistic and they detest corruption in public service.

One welcome appointment made

by Duterte is that of Alfonso Cusi, a technocrat with extensive experience in the management of government agencies and corporations.

Duterte has chosen him to head the Department of Energy. and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States scrapped as a pre-condition for a peace process.

They also want all political prisoners released. I wonder: What’s next?

And if the communists are given the Department of Social Welfare and Development portfolio, they will have no less than P62.3 billion in their hands to dole out to the poor. That would indeed be a powerful takeover of the country by the communist insurgents!

The bottom line here is that instead of healing political wounds and uniting the country, Du30 will only succeed in dividing an already fragmented nation.

Even now, I am told by my sources in the Armed Forces of the Philippines that some military segments are already restive over the Du30 presidency,

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA An alumnus of De La Salle and the University of the Philippines, Cusi worked in the private sector for almost 20 years before he joined the national government.

Cusi’s first appointment was as general manager of the Philippine Ports Authority from 2001 to 2004.

He was the spearhead of the road and sealane program linking Luzon with Mindanao, which was eventually called the roll-on/ roll-off program. This program still operates today, and has improved the land and maritime transportation of persons and goods in the country.

There were no anomalies in the PPA reported during his term.

In 2004, Cusi became the general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority, the agency in charge of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It was during Cusi’s term when the Naia Terminal 3 opened and eased passenger and cargo traffic in the notoriously overcrowded airport complex. Unlike in the Naia today, the Naia during Cusi’s term had no bullet-in-the-baggage racket which harasses outgoing passengers.

There were no protracted power outages, and ceilings did not suddenly collapse on the passengers.

Foreigners who entered and left the Philippines by way of the Naia had almost nothing to complain about, and did not experience airport nightmares.

Later in 2010, Cusi became the director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

During his term, the status of Philippine aviation from the perspective of the European community

especially when he started waltzing with Joma Sison and Luis Jalandoni of the National Democratic Front.

Whether we like it or not, we are all in the same boat with Du30. This nation will either sink or swim with him. I’m not an alarmist, only a concerned citizen and journalist. *** The marching orders given by the Presidentelect to newly-appointed Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez is to clean up Customs, known as the most graft-ridden and corrupt agency of government. He wants to make all of the bureau’s transactions transparent. The first thing that Dominguez will do is to have all Customs transactions done in an open gymnasium where people can see what’s going on all the time.

That’s both doable and

improved significantly. In fact, Cusi succeeded in removing the Philippines from the watch list of international aviation scrutinizers. Less intense scrutiny from the international community meant a corresponding increase in the volume of trade and tourism in the country.

Cusi left the CAAP in December 2010, six months into the administration of President Benigno Aquino III so the latter could appoint people of his choice to important posts in his government. Soon enough, Cusi was back in private enterprise as the board chairman of a company with investments in shipping and food sales. Despite his accomplishments in government service, Cusi chose not to herald them.

As his track record attests, Cusi possesses uncommon skills in the management of government corporations, and he was successful in every government post he had held.

Observers describe Cusi’s management style as an ideal combination of conservative prudence and a willingness to try modernist strategies.

Duterte must have noticed Cusi’s track record sometime in the past, enough for Duterte to enlist Cusi as vice chairman of his political party, the PDP Laban, and to entrust Cusi with a sensitive post in his Cabinet.

On the other hand, objections from the public have resulted from two other appointments made by Duterte.

First is the appointment of Representative Mark Villar of the Villar-Aguilar political dynasty in Las Piñas City to the top post in the Department of Public Works and Highways. Critics stress that there is a manifest conflict of interest arising from his appointment, considering that his father, ex-Senator Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party, is a leading figure in the construction industry, and because his Continued on A11

practical.

If Sonny can take an unsolicited advice, he should also act on the long-standing problem of Customs. Some 900 personnel, many of them retired, still have not been paid their overtime, meal and transportation allowances amounting to no less than P1.7 billion.

The controversy started when the Board of Airline Representatives refused to give the Customs personnel the pay due them after working, beyond the mandated eight working hours every day, at the airport to assist arriving and departing passengers.

In September 2011, the Supreme Court ruled, in a judgment penned by Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, that domestic and foreign airlines should pay the 900 Customs personnel what is due them.

The problem was that Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and the long line of Customs Commissioners did not lift a finger to make the airlines pay the Customs personnel. They instead just abolished overtime. But, my gulay, those employees have given their hard work and dedication.

I hope Sonny heeds this in the name of justice and equity. *** Last Sunday, my wife and I visited a 102-old relative, the widow of my wife’s uncle, at her Medical City suite. Her name is Consuelo Capistrano.

Believe it or not, Mrs. Capistrano was still able to welcome all of us, and also able to have selfies with all of us. My wife and I love her, and she even had adobo cooked for us.

At 102 years, she can still converse with her visitors.

God bless her.

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

ANOTHER CRY OF WOLF ON AUTISM

By Faye Flam THE road to medical understanding is pitted with confounding news headlines. Take one last week warning that women exposed to too much of the ubiquitous vitamins folate and B-12 during pregnancy face an increased risk of having an autistic child.

The research, out of Johns Hopkins University, is part of a quest to unravel the causes of autism. The provocative folate finding is a valuable clue, but the way the university publicized it was not useful and potentially dangerous.

For years, doctors have been urging women who are even thinking about getting pregnant to take folate in the form of folic acid supplements. In the United States, flour and other foods are fortified with folic acid as well.

Getting too little is associated with serious and sometimes fatal birth defects. Furthermore, earlier studies showed that too little folate increased the risk for autism.

Making matters more complicated, blood levels of folate depend on genes that influence folate metabolism.

Columbia University epidemiologist Ian Lipkin, who is an author of a study connecting too little folate to autism, said it’s possible that there’s a risk at either extreme, but scientists won’t know without more data. His finding, announced in 2013, was part of a study of more than 100,000 Norwegian women and their children.

Lipkin and his colleagues are gathering data on genes, drugs taken during pregnancy, supplements, evidence of infections and other variable that might be connected to autism risk.

A number of studies have shown that genes have something to do with autism, but Lipkin says that doesn’t mean that autism is inevitable even in people who are genetically predisposed. Sometimes there’s what he calls a gene-environment interaction—a situation where genes pose more or less risk depending on diet or other conditions. That’s the case in

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Changing... From A9

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coalition majority in the House of Representatives while the party itself becomes the minority in that chamber. What a strange political animal the Liberal Party has become, and what a waste of resources and energy to build up such an organization for six years only to see it decimated in 10 days.

What is happening now in our politics is not however the fault of the party and its members.

It’s the 1987 Constitution that ordains such distorted politics and that is why we must begin the work of changing the charter right away.

I am excited that under a Duterte presidency, two longterm political goals I have desired that I did not think was achievable within my lifetime are now within reach: a permanent peace settlement with both Moro and national democratic revolutionary movements and a federal-parliamentary system of government. In the 1970s, I thought that the Marcos dictatorship would last forever and that the US military bases would always be with us. Before I turned 30, they were gone, even as we still deal with its vestiges as in the case of the electoral return of the Marcoses and the VFA/ EDCA debates. Could it be pos-

mother Cynthia is an incumbent senator who has the power to sponsor infrastructure projects.

The recent coalition signed by the NP, which is headed by Manny Villar, with Duterte’s political party, the PDP-Laban, already creates a conflict of interest problem for Manny Villar. His son Mark’s appointment to the public works portfolio aggravates that problem, and may end up compromising Duterte’s image as a crusader against corruption in government.

Second is the appointment of Salvador Panelo, a high-profile lawyer with many controversial clients, as Duterte’s spokesman and media bureau head. Panelo was once the lawyer of Andal Ampatuan Jr., the Maguindanao politician currently facing raps for his alleged involvement in the massacre of political opposition leaders and several journalists in his province.

Panelo infuriated the media and the public when he insisted that the charges against his client were fabricated.

Critics say that Duterte, who comports himself as a staunch enemy of criminals and evil-doers, will have a credibility problem if his spokesman is closely identified by the public with someone accused of involvement in an infamous massacre.

So far, many names in media are objecting to Panelo’s designation as the president’s spokesman.

Conflicted... From A9 That was a really cheap shot from the Comelec chairman, the insinuation that this newspaper—which has single-handedly continued to cover the controversy—may be taking orders from its owners to publish news about what is really a legitimate issue. As a prominent legal prac-

several other diseases, such as phenylketonuria, which can lead to severe brain damage, but only if affected children are exposed to phenylalanine, an amino acid present in many foods.

Lipkin’s results linking autism to low folate come from Norway, where flour isn’t routinely fortified with the nutrient. Those who took supplements were 40 percent less likely to have an autistic child. (Estimates of the rate of autism vary, but some consensus has formed around a rate of 1 in 68 people.)

The more recent study, suggesting a risk from too much folate, was carried out on 1,391 women and their children in Boston. The researchers examined blood levels of folate and asked about supplement use.

They found that about 10 percent of the subjects had unusually high levels of folate right before giving birth—about four times the level considered adequate.

Those women were more than twice as likely as the others in the study to have autistic children. A few women had very high levels

of vitamin B-12 and they, too, had a higher risk. Those with unusually high levels of both B-12 and folate had a huge risk—17.6 times the average rate.

Those findings weren’t presented in a peer-reviewed scientific paper, but were discussed at an autism meeting last week and publicized in a press release titled, “Too much folate in pregnant women increases risk for autism, study suggests.” Despite the alarming headline, lead author Danielle Fallin said the news shouldn’t have been taken to mean that people should stop using the recommended supplements.

It’s not clear whether the women at the high end were getting too much folate by way of supplements or fortified foods.

Fallin said she thinks genetic differences are likely to play a bigger role. She said the results don’t tell them whether the high folate levels or high vitamin B-12 caused the autism risk, or whether certain genes led to the high folate levels and increased autism risk through some other mechanism.

Lipkin said he hopes to get more than just statistics from his project. If the data show a drug or gene or supplement is associated with autism, he wants to know how it works.

That’s important, given how much health advice is based on statistics without an understanding of how foods or extra vitamins or even exercise affect the human body.

It will be fascinating to see how genes, folate and B-12 interact to influence brain development, but until the scientists figure it out, they need to exercise more caution in their publicity campaigns. History tells why.

Lipkin was among those who helped debunk the 1998 claim that autism was tied to childhood vaccines. Subsequent investigation revealed that the original vaccine paper was based on fraudulent science.

But to his continued frustration, he said, many people still avoid getting their children vaccinated. Health myths, once established, are nearly impossible to dislodge. Bloomberg

sible before I become a senior citizen (that’s a few years from now) that we will have permanent peace and will be able to establish a federal and parliamentary government?

On constitutional change, I start supporting the following: (1) a shift to federalism which creates states and/or regions which will have real power, and designed to end centralized control over budget and other governance decisions; (2) a Frenchstyle parliamentary system with a president having limited powers (foreign policy, defense, dissolution of parliament, and ceremonial functions) and elected through a run-off system so majority vote is achievable; 3) a parliamentary system that is principally party-list but with a possibility for individual preferences, bicameral but with a regionally elected and not a nationally elected Senate (so that less populated regions or states are not unfairly disadvantaged all the time; (4) a single, unified, and independent legal and judicial system with one Supreme Court except for the Bangsamoro, Cordilleras, and other indigenous peoples’ areas which, subject to reserved areas of law, may have their own customary legal and judicial system.

I believe that federalism can be implemented without fear of

dynastic rule if done with safeguards. Anti-dynasty features can be easily integrated into a parliamentary system which is anchored on political parties.

Aside from governance changes, I am in favor of liberalizing the economic restrictions on such areas such as public utilities, media, and the professions while keeping the current restrictions on land and natural resources.

I would like to have an expanded bill of rights and more effective remedies for their implementation.

I would like practical clauses on petition, initiative and referendum that would allow the people to directly participate in governance without the current restraints that make it almost impossible to do successfully. I am also in favor of changing the constitutional amendment process to make it easier to make modifications that might be required in a fast-changing world.

I am open to change these preferences based on policy evidence, cultural appropriateness and practicality, including ratifiability. I am hoping academic institutions will do the research and provide the policy analysis we need to make the right institutional choices.

Process-wise, a constitutional convention is a better approach.

These are not just amendments

or revisions but the writing of a new constitution. I also cannot see the possibility of both houses of Congress getting the 3/4 majority (18 senators) needed to adopt a progressive constitution.

Even a 2/3 majority (16 senators) to call for a constitutional convention is a tough proposition.

But a majority of both houses, the vote necessary to send the idea of a constitutional convention for decision by the people in a referendum, is doable.

In any case, an appointive constitutional commission should still be convened immediately after inauguration to do the groundwork—explore options, galvanize popular support, and be the political and educational arm of the president to press this agenda.

Ideally, Congress should enact the legislation for a convention by October 2016 in time for the barangay elections and have the delegates elected at the same time so it can convene by January 2017. It can take a year to draft a new constitution and the goal should be to have a plebiscite

by June 2018 before the filing of candidates for the 2019 elections.

Hopefully, in 2019, we would elect our first federal and state parliaments.

titioner, Bautista should know better than to use an ad hominem argument, attacking the messenger instead of responding to the message.

I think Bautista should stop worrying about who owns what newspaper and instead focus on the issues raised by Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other people who want to get to the

bottom of the alleged cheating that Comelec allowed its private Venezuela-based contractor to perpetrate. For starters, I’d really like to know from Bautista if it’s true that he has sole possession of the passwords that were allegedly given to Smartmatic’s Marlon Garcia on the night of May 9, when the supposed cheating through the changing of the

transparency server’s hash codes began in earnest.

That’s what Commissioner Rowena Guanzon once alleged, anyway, that the chairman has sole possession of the passwords that somehow ended up in Garcia’s hands. Stop worrying about newspaper ownership, Mr. Chairman, and answer the questions.

Facebook: tonylavs5 or Dean Tony La Viña Twitter: tonylavs

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Canada’s Hinchcliffe snatches Indy 500 pole CHICAGO—Canada’s James Hinchcliffe, who was nearly killed last year in an Indianapolis 500 practice crash, captured pole position Sunday for next weekend’s 100th running of the US oval classic.

On the final qualifying run for next Sunday’s race at 2.5-mile (4km) Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hinchcliffe drove his Honda-powered car to a four-lap qualifying average of 230.760 mph (371.372 k/hr).

Hinchcliffe was hospitalized last May after after a third-turn crash into the outer wall caused severe injuries, a steel rod from the car going through his right thigh and into his left leg, causing massive bleeding and a season-ending injury.

The 29-year-old from Oakville, Ontario, never doubted he would return to racing and one year later he has become the man to beat for Indy-

Car’s greatest prize.

“I came into this month hoping we would have a new story to talk about than last year and I think we did it,” Hinchcliffe said.

“Mom said she wasn’t missing a single lap of on-track action in case I tried to ‘kill myself’ again. Fortunately I didn’t do that.”

What Hinchcliffe did is win his firstever IndyCar pole at the Indy 500, a feat last managed by the late US racer Scott Brayton in 1995, and edge American Josef Newgarden for the inside front row spot by the fourth-smallest margin in Indy 500 history.

“It was right on the edge. I can hardly believe it,” Hinchcliffe said. “It’s crazy.

“This race is more pressure than any place else and being the 100th is more attention on it too. But we’ve got the best starting spot and we can go from there.”

AFP

Reason to cheer. An Oklahoma City Thunder cheerleader gives fans another reason to cheer as she performs in game three of the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena on May 22, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. AFP

Garcia rules Byron Nelson Championship WASHINGTON—Spanish star Sergio Garcia secured his first PGA Tour win since 2012 on Sunday after holding his nerve in a playoff to win the Byron Nelson Championship in Texas.

The world number 15 edged out Brooks Koepka on the first hole of a playoff at the TPC Four Seasons in Irving to claim the ninth US PGA win of his career.

The 36-year-old’s ninth victory saw him draw level with late great Seve Ballesteros for the most wins on the PGA Tour by a Spanish player.

“It’s awesome to be up there with Seve, it means so much,” said Garcia, who said his gutsy round had been in the spirit of his revered countryman, who died in 2011.

“I won it a little bit ‘a la Seve’ today,” Garcia smiled. “I was battling.

I was playing hard, chipping great, made some great putts.”

The win puts Garcia firmly on track to make the European team for this year’s Ryder Cup. “I played nicely this week, I know

I can play better,” said Garcia. “This is going to drop me nicely into the Ryder Cup points league, and that means a lot to me.”

Koepka was left ruing a late collapse on the back nine that saw him give up a three-shot lead to go into a playoff with Garcia, where his game swiftly unraveled.

“I really had no idea where the ball was going,” Koepka said.

“You’ve got to take some positives out of it, but it is disappointing.”

Garcia had been put in the driving seat on the first extra hole, the 429-yard par-four 18th, when Koepka smacked his tee-shot into the water hazard, forcing a drop.

It got worse for Koepka when his third shot landed way short of the green. With Garcia comfortably reaching the green in two, it meant Koepka was left needing to chip in

from the fairway to save par.

That miraculous task was beyond him, and Garcia two-putted to claim a confidence-boosting victory.

Garcia and Koepka advanced to the playoff after a nervy finale which saw both men drop shots on the back nine.

Garcia carded a two-under-par 68 to finish with a 15 under total of 265. Koepka joined the Spaniard on 15-under after a one-over 71.

Garcia’s round included six birdies and four bogeys while Koepka carded three bogeys and two birdies.

The critical period came on the back nine, when Koepka suddenly saw a three-shot lead evaporate as Garcia grabbed a share of the lead.

Koepka looked to be cruising when Garcia found the water on

the 14th and bogeyed.

Yet with victory beckoning, Koepka’s composure deserted him.

The first wobble came on the 406-yard par-four 14th, when his second shot missed and landed well wide of the green.

He got onto the green in three but had to settle for a bogey.

Another bogey on the 15th— which coincided with a Garcia birdie on 16—left the two frontrunners level. Both players parred the remaining holes to set up the playoff.

Elsewhere Sunday, world number two Jordan Spieth’s recent travails continued with a four-over final round 74 that left him five off the pace.

Spieth, aiming to bounce back to form after his Masters meltdown last month and a missed cut at last weekend’s Players Championship, struggled home with six bogeys and two birdies in his final 18 holes after starting the day in second place, two strokes off the lead. AFP

Murray, Wawrinka face Czech challenge PARIS—Andy Murray and defending champion Stan Wawrinka start their French Open campaigns on Monday against a pair of fiery Czechs on a day when Roland Garros plays catch-up after a rain-soaked Sunday.

Second seed Murray, a three-time semifinalist in Paris, takes on 37-year-old Radek Stepanek, the oldest man in the draw and one of a record 51 men over the age of 30 to start the first round.

Murray, buoyed by beating world number one Novak Djokovic to the Rome Masters title on clay on the eve of Roland Garros, holds a 6-2 career record over Stepanek.

But the wily Czech is a former world number eight who is a Grand Slam doubles and Davis Cup champion.

Despite his advancing years, Stepanek came through the qualifying competition and that’s a factor which makes Murray wary of the challenge.

“The qualifiers have played three matches. That’s tough,” said Murray.

“They are probably feeling pretty good about their conditions and comfortable on the courts.”

Stepanek is one of the game’s more entertaining characters whose antics on court occasionally get under the skin of opponents. AFP

McIlroy wins Irish Open

Down and dirty. Motorbike riders kick up dirt while competing in a motocross race at a racecourse in Thailand’s southern province of Narathiwat. The competition included teams from Thailand and Malaysia. AFP

DUBLIN, Ireland—A very emotional Rory McIlroy ended aa six-month winless drought, producing two of his best ever shots over the closing three holes to capture a first Irish Open title at the K Club.

Tournament host McIlroy displayed his enormous class, coming from a shot behind Scotland’s Russell Knox in first hitting a 256-yard 3-wood into the 16th hole to set up birdie, and then sending a laser-like 5-wood to within tap-in distance for an eagle at the last to win by three shots with a 12-under-par total.

McIlroy, who had been on the course earlier in the day to play three holes of his third round in the weather-affected event, went into the closing 18 holes leading by three, but after Knox birdied 14 and 15 the four-time major winner found himself a stroke behind.

“The 16th hole was the turning point in the tournament for me, so to birdie that hole and go one ahead of Russell, and then to finish the way I did in hitting that 5-wood into the last, was very pleasing,” said McIlroy.

“To win the Irish Open, to win your National Open, you don’t get many opportunities to do it. I knew I needed to take my chance and I am just glad I came up with the right shots at the right time.

“So those shots are right up there as among my career best. I go back to the 3-wood at Valhalla and I was three behind in the PGA Championship (2012), but the shot on 16 today was much better than that 3-wood.

“But in terms of shots under pressure when I needed to pull something off like that, the two are right up there with the best I’ve hit.” AFP

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Olivarez College stuns Jose Rizal-A OLIVAREZ College upset defending champion Jose Rizal University-A, 78-70, recently in the 22nd Fr. Martin Cup Summer Basketball Tournament at the St. Placid gymnasium of the San Beda CollegeManila campus in Mendiola.

Pruvil Bermudes led with 20 points for the Sea Lions, who finished their pre-season campaign with two wins and four losses in Group B. A 15-2 windup, which Bermudes touched off with his charity shots, allowed the Sea Lions to overtake the Heavy Bombers in the last five minutes.

The loss hardly mattered to the Heavy Bombers, who went on to formally bag a quarterfinal seat with their 4-2 record.

Paolo Pontejos showed the way for Heavy Bombers with 29 points, while Mark Cruz eked out 17.

In the junior division, the defending champion National University Bullpups smashed Ateneo de Davao, 76-42,

Jr Kings, Bolts win BARANGAY Ginebra San Miguel, Meralco and Phoenix turned back quarterfinal opponents Sunday and Games Today (Phil. Science High gym) advanced to 9:30 a.m. – San Miguel the crossover vs Ginebra semifinals of 11 a.m. – Meralco vs the CloudfonePhoenix Batang PBA 16-Under basketball tournament at the Philippine Science High School gym.

The Batang Kings duel San Miguel Beer for the first final berth at 9:30 a.m., while the Batang Bolts and Batang Fuel Masters clash for the other slot at 11 a.m. The winners dispute the Cloudfone-Batang PBA title.

Ginebra, behind Justin Mark Palisoc, Stacey Tibayan and Ragel Glennard Enorme, advanced by edging Mahindra, 62-58, after trailing, 38-35, heading to the fourth quarter.

Meralco, powered by Francis Glorioso, Jasper Dennis Gargar, Christian Jae de Leon and Gabriel Jaramilla, made it by dumping Rain or Shine in a quarterfinal game decided right in the first quarter, 18-9, while Phoenix, keyed

by Resty Damaso, Elmar Marsonia, Cayler Matthew Filio and Thyron Troi Macaspac, hung on to oust Alaska, 79-73, and catch the last bus to the Final Four.

while University of Perpetual Help crushed Manila Patriotic School, 94-68, and Emilio Aguinaldo College prevailed over JRU, 82-73.

Jelo Razon unloaded 20 points for the UPHSD Junior Altas, who moved closer to a semifinals berth in Group with their 7-1 slate.

Razon also made 20 points earlier in the week when the Junior Altas demolished Ateneo de Davao, 61-51.

Karl Penano struck with 10 points, while Daniel Atienza and Sydney Mosqueda hit eight points each for the NU Bullpups, who improved their win-loss record in second spot in Group B at 6-1.

Kerby Dulatre scored 23 points for the EAC Brigadiers in their third win in six matches.

In the women’s division, Antonia Wong poured 29 points for University of the Philippines as they stopped Far Eastern University, 61-59, and this gave UP its third win in four matches.

PCSO sectoral champ. Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Assistant General Manager for Administrative Sector Atty. Lauro A. Patiag (fourth from left) receive the PCSO Administrative Sector basketball team from Onofre Consolacion, Executive Assistant of PCSO General Manager Atty. Jose Ferdinand Rojas II, after the team ruled the 2016 PCSO In-House Sectoral Basketball Tournament at the Dumlao SportsCenter in Mandaluyong City. With them are PCSO's Alegria Asuit (second from left), Treasury Department Manager, Orlando Malaca (third from lef), Information Technology Services Department Division Chief, Atty. John Derek Porciuncula (eighth from left), General Services Department Manager and others members of the team. JOSEPH MUEGO

Volley rookies show wares st today in 1 Superliga Camp POTENTIAL top overall pick CJ Rosario and other incoming rookies get their chance to showcase their talent when they participate in the 1st Philippine Superliga Rookie Camp Tuesday at the Fil-Oil Flying V Center in San Juan.

Rosario, the 6’1” former NCAA Most Valuable Player, who saw action for Petron in the PSL Invitationals, will lead the hopefuls in a grueling four-hour camp that aims to give coaches and team owners a good idea on their potential before the league holds its 3rd Annual Rookie Draft on Friday at the 3rd floor lobby of SM Aura in Taguig.

Former national team mentor Sammy Acaylar of Cignal will be the drillmaster, while coaches Lungful Reyes of RC Cola-Army, George Pascua of Petron, Francis Vicente of Generika, Ramil de Je-

sus of F2 Logistics, Nene Ybanez of Standard Insurance-Navy, Ken Moleno of Perpetual and Villet Poncede Leon of Foton will act as observers, together with their respective team owners.

After the drills, incoming rookies will engage in a friendly match with the stars of the league led by Rachel Anne Daquis, Aby Marano, Cha Cruz, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Ces Molina, Maika Ortiz and Rhea Dimaculangan.

The camp will start at 1 p.m. and will be open to fans.

“We want to make it easier for

coaches and team owners to decide,” said PSL president Ramon “Tats” Susana, who just arrived from Tokyo after serving as control committee member in the FIVB Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

“But more than anything, this camp will give players a chance to showcase their skills and talents and gain confidence before our annual rookie draft on Friday. This is our way to discover the future stars of the league.”

Aside from Rosario, La Salle superstar Ara Galang is also expected to become an incoming PSL rookie.

Although she remains doubtful in joining the draft as she has yet to earn her degree in Entrepreneurship, she might be taken as a direct hire of F2 Logistics, which will parade the nucleus of the Lady Spikers like Mika Reyes, Kim Fajardo, Kim Dy, Cyd Demecillo, Majoy Baron and Dawn Macandili.

The Lady Spikers will not go

through the draft because they already saw action in the import-flavored PSL Grand Prix last year.

RC Cola-Army owns the top overall pick followed by Generika, Perpetual, Standard Insurance-Navy, F2 Logistics, Cignal, Petron and Foton.

But the draft order is not yet cast in stone as teams will have a trading period starting 12 noon today up to the draft proper.

“We know that the level of competition had already increased and everybody is eager to have a very strong roster. With that, we will give teams an ample time to tweak their respective lineups prior to the draft day on Friday,” Suzara said.

Also tipped to be taken in the first round are former Arellano stars Danna Henson and Angelica Legacion as well as former Davao standout Mary Grace Berte and former National University playmaker Jocelyn Soliven.

Dela Cruz, Tangalin grab HEAD titles

Zire Mina in action

ERINN Dela Cruz and second seed Neil Tangalin whipped their respective opponents to win their respective divisions in the seventh leg of 18th HEAD Junior Tennis Satellite Circuit recently at the Baguio Tennis Club in Baguio City.

The No. 1-ranked Dela Cruz outplayed Hannah Dela Cruz, 6-1, 6-2, to pocket the girls’ 18-and-under singles title, while Tangalin bagged the boys’ 18-and-under trophy by posting a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jonas Joseph Silva in the annual competition organized by Dynamic Sports.

Top seed Jhastine Red Ballado swept Khrysa Soriano, 6-0, 6-0, to clinch the girls’ 16-and-

under singles’ crown, before defeating Pia Bianca Wong, 6-0, 6-0, to take homethe girls’ 14-and-under trophy.

The grassroots satellite tournament was supported by HEAD, Chris Sports, Toalson, 92.5 FM Aksyon Sports, Reach Magazine, Philippine Tennis Association, Pilipino Mirror, ANC, Impact Magazine and Podcast.ph.

No. 1 Jonas Joseph Silva, meanwhile, bounced back in the boys’ 16-and-under singles’ finals by trouncing Zire Mina, 6-3, 6-2, to earn the crown, while Martin Buenaventura won via walkover against Eurydice Gaspar to claim the boys’ 14-and-under diadem.

In other finals results, Alexander Jacob Josue routed Adriana Janine Cabahug, 4-2, 4-1, to win the 10-and-under unisex crown, while Magno Jucutan beat Joewyn Rey Pascua, 6-2, 6-2, to bag the boys’ 12-and-under title.

Angelyn Atos bashed Angela Lucas, 6-1, 6-3, to claim the girls’ 12-and-under title.

The doubles’ champions were Angelyn Atos and Pia Bianca Wong (girls’ 14-and-under); Angela Tangalin and Sharry Caluza (girls’ 18-and-under); Eurydice Gaspar and Nemison Diaz (boys’ 14-and-under); and Neil Tangalin and Joshua De Guzman (boys’ 18-and-under).

The eighth leg will go to Agoo, La Union this week.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Cavs’ Jones get 1-game ban for hitting Biyombo NEW YORK—Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dahntay Jones was suspended one game without pay by the NBA on Sunday for striking Toronto Raptors center Bismack Biyombo in the groin.

The incident happened with 17.6 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 99-84 Toronto home victory over the Cavaliers, which snapped Cleveland’s 10-game win streak to open the playoffs.

The Cavaliers still have a 2-1 lead over the Raptors in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals with game four—the contest Jones will miss —on Monday at Toronto.

Democratic Republic of Congo center Biyombo pulled down 26 rebounds in a dominating performance Saturday, matching the most by any player in an NBA playoff game since 1984.

The league also fined Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey $25,000 for public criticism of officiating in his post-game news conference.

Either the Cavaliers or Raptors will face the Western Conference winner, Oklahoma City or defending NBA champion Golden State, in next month’s NBA Finals. AFP

Aces’ coach Compton earns praise from peers

By Jeric Lopez

FOUR finals appearances in the six conferences that he’s handled Alaska so far ain’t that bad for Alex Compton.

ATTENTION: STOCKHOLDERS OF PHILIPPINE SEVEN CORPORATION (PSC) This is to inform everyone that the PSC’s 2nd Quarter Interim Unaudited Financial Statement with Management Discussion and Analysis (2nd Quarter Report) shall be available in the company website www.7-eleven.com.ph at least 5 calendar days before the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting scheduled on July 21, 2016.

Upon request, a hard copy of the 2nd Quarter Report shall be provided free of charge as soon as available but not later than at least 5 days before July 21, 2016.

‘Alaska is the team of the future,’ said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao. ‘Coach Alex is doing a really great job with Alaska and I’m sure he’ll continue that and we’ll see them much more in the big stage moving forward.’

A Sure Bet for Progress in Gaming, Entertainment and Nation Building

All request may be sent to: Mr. LAWRENCE M. DE LEON Head, Finance & Accounting Services Philippine Seven Corporation 7th Floor, The Columbia Tower, Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong City,1550 Email Address: investor-relations@7-eleven.com.ph psc-corp@7-eleven.com.ph

INVITATION TO BID FOR SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF VARIOUS FRESH FRUITS FOR VIP BAR OPERATIONS UNDER ITB NO. PB16-016CEB The Philippine Amusement And Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Is inviting all interested bidder in its forthcoming public bidding for the Supply & Delivery of Various Fresh Fruits for VIP Bar Operations under ITB No. PB16-016CEB. Brief Description

Delivery Schedule Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC): Source of Funds:

( T S - M AY 2 4 , 2 016)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCH 209, MANDALUYONG CITY IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF MINOR ZYRELL FAITH CALUCIN GILTENDEZ SP. PROC. NO. MC16-9780 SPOUSES LASZLO KISS AND ANA MARIE CALUCIN KISS Petitioners. x------------------------------------------x

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.

All particulars relative to Pre-Bid Conference, Detailed Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its IRR. The schedule of activities is listed, as follows: Activities

This is a verified Petition for Adoption of minor ZYRELL FAITH CALUCIN GILTENDEZ praying that after due notice, publication and hearing, judgment be rendered declaring the minor Zyrell Faith Calucin Giltendez as the legitimate child of herein petitioners, with all the rights and privileges of a legitimate child under the law and thereafter she shall be known as ZYRELL FAITH CALUCIN KISS. Petitioner-husband is a citizen of Slovak Republic while petitioner-wife is a Filipino citizen and presently residing at No. 788 Hongxu Road, Bldg. 38 Room 201, Shanghai, 201103 P.R. China but while in the Philippines they stay at No. 161 Block 40 Barangay Addition Hills, Welfareville, Mandaluyong City. Petitioners were married on August 30, 2012 in the City Hall Marriage Registry, Hongkong. They have one child, Aladar David Calucin Kiss who was born in Shanghai, China on December 30, 2012. Petitioners desire to adopt Zyrell Faith Calucin Giltendez an illegitimate daughter of petitioner-wife with Ranilo Bulactin Giltendez whose present whereabouts are unknown. The adoptee has been under the custody of the petitioner-wife since birth and the petitioner-husband on the other hand, had taken the role of a father to the child, treating and giving her all the paternal care and support that she need since his marriage to the latter’s birth mother in 2012.

Petitioners are in a position to continue supporting and caring for all the needs of the child herein sought to be adopted. Petitioners have attended the Pre-Adoption Counseling held at the Department of Social Welfare and Development National Capital Region. Petitioners are more than sixteen (16) years older that the adoptees, in full and civil capacity and legal rights, are of good moral character and have not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude. They are physically, emotionally and financially capable of caring for the child to be adopted and possess all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications to adopt as provided by the law.

WHEREFORE, finding the Petition to be sufficient in form and substance, notice is hereby given that the instant case shall be set for Preliminary Conference before the Branch Clerk of Court on 28 June 2016 at 1:30 o’clock in the afternoon at the Regional Trial Court, Branch 209, Hall of Justice, Maysilo Circle, Mandaluyong City, at which date, time and place mentioned, all interested persons who may be affected thereby are hereby directed to appear and show cause, if any as to why said Petition should not be granted.

Pre-trial is set on 15 August 2016 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning.

Let this Order be published in The Standard, a newspaper of general circulation chosen by raffle, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks.

Copy furnished this Order the Office of the Solicitor General, the Civil Registrar General, Quezon City, and the Court Social Worker who is hereby ordered to conduct the necessary case study report and file with this Court her report at least three (3) days before the hearing.

Office of the Clerk of Court Regional Trial Court Mandaluyong City (TS-May 10,17 & 24, 2016)

(Sgd.) MONIQUE A. QUISUMBING-IGNACIO Presiding Judge Office of the Court Social Worker OCC-Regional Trial Court Mandaluyong City Office of the Solicitor-General 134 Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village Mandaluyong City

1. Issuance of the Bidding Documents

Office of the City Civil Registrar General National Statistics Office, Quezon City Atty. Elizabeth A. Andres Counsel for the Petitioners 2nd& 3rd Floors, EAA Bldg., No. 6, Road 3, Project 6, Quezon City

Schedule May 24, 2016 to June 20, 2016

2. Pre-Bid Conference

June 6, 2016, 2:00pm

3. Deadline for the Submission and Receipt of Bids

June 20, 2016, 2:00pm

4. Opening and Preliminary Examination of Bids

June 20, 2016, 2:01pm

Complete details of the project are indicated in the bidding documents which will be available to prospective bidder at the Bids and Awards Committee Secretariat Section (BACSS), acting as the BAC Secretariat, upon payment of the non-refundable cost for the sale of bidding documents in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (Php 5,000.00) Prospective bidder may also download the Bidding Documents free of charge from the following websites: www.pagcor.ph and www.philgeps.gov.ph and may be allowed to submit bids provided that bidder shall pay the non-refundable bidding fee not later than the date of the submission of bids. The Pre-bid Conference is open to all prospective bidder. Prospective bidder should present to PAGCOR’s Cashier located at the Sixth (6th) Floor, PAGCOR Corporate Office, New World Manila Bay Hotel, 1588 M.H. del Pilar Street corner Pedro Gil Street, Malate, Manila or at the Bids and Awards Committee Secretariat Section, Casino Filipino Cebu (BACSS, CF-Cebu) either the Bidding Fee Slip which may be secured from BASD/BACSS of CF-Cebu or a copy of this ITB in effecting payment for the Bidding Documents. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

PAGCOR assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bids.

In accordance with Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) Circular 06-2005 - Tie-Breaking Method, the Branch Bids and Awards Committee, Casino Filipino Cebu (BBAC, CF-Cebu)shall use a non-discretionary and non-discriminatory measure based on sheer luck or chance, which is “DRAW LOTS,” in the event that two or more bidders have been post-qualified and determined as the bidder having the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid (LCRB) to determine the final bidder having the LCRB, based on the following procedures: 1.

2.

07 March 2016, Mandaluyong City, Philippines.

Office of the City Prosecutor 3/F Hall of Justice, Mandaluyong City

Initial delivery is within seven (7) calendar days from the acknowledgement date of the Notice to Proceed while the remaining balance shall be delivered a staggered basis or otherwise advised. Subsequent deliveries of items shall be based on the table of calendar of deliveries with a seven (7) calendar days written advance notice.

The ABC for the project is in the amount of Three Million Three Hundred Fourteen Thousand Seventy-Nine and 35/100 (Php 3,314,079.35) VAT Exclusive, Zero-Rated Transaction.

Internally Funded

Bidder should have completed, within the last three (3) before the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidder. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

ORDER

Copy furnished:

Supply & Delivery of Various Fresh Fruits for VIP Bar Operations

In alphabetical order, the bidders shall pick one rolled paper.

The lucky bidder who would pick the paper with a “CONGRATULATIONS” remark shall be declared as the final bidder having the LCRB and recommended for award of the contract.

PAGCOR reserves the right to accept or reject any Bid, and to annul the bidding process and reject all Bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

Please address all communications to the Branch Bids and Awards Committee, thru BACSS, 3rd Level, VIP 5, Casino Filipino Cebu, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, Salinas Drive, Lahug Cebu City. Tel No.: 032-268-4989 or 2326272 local 5265.

(SGD) JOEL G. CANTOS Branch Bids and Awards Committee (BBAC), CF-CEBU

(TS-MAY 24, 2016)

The 42-year-old mentor has earned the respect of his peers in the Philippine Basketball Association for the job he is doing with the Aces.

Even though Alaska has just lost for the fourth straight time in the PBA finals this last Commissioner’s Cup, it seemed that most in the league haven’t lost faith on Compton and his coaching abilities.

No less than Rain or Shine owner Raymond Yu praised Compton for what he’s been doing for Alaska and said that he himself, along with the Rain or Shine management, believes in the Aces’ mentor’s competency.

“I think Coach Alex (Compton) will win strings of championships in the future. Bilib kami diyan, magaling yan,” said Yu. That came from someone who directly hired Compton back in Rain or Shine’s early days as the tactician started his coaching career as an assistant for the Elasto Painters back in 2007, before eventually finding his way to where he is today with Alaska.

Even Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao commended Alaska and its coach, saying that the Aces will remain a force in the PBA in the foreseeable future.

“Alaska is the team of the future,” said Guiao. “Coach Alex is doing a really great job with Alaska and I’m sure he’ll continue that and we’ll see them much more in the big stage moving forward.”

To show its faith to Compton, Alaska already locked up its coach and had him sign a guaranteed three-year contract extension just before the finals of the recently concluded Commissioner’s Cup. Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra slotman Greg Slaughter is set to undergo surgery any time this week to be able to fix his problematic ankle.

Slaughter’s ankle woes have been bothering him since halfway of last season and his doctors suggested he should go under the knife for it to be in tip-top shape again.

With this, Slaughter is set to undergo rehab and he will miss action for quite a stretch, skipping a stint with Gilas Pilipinas, which will play in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July. He will also miss the remainder of the PBA season, the Governors’ Cup which starts mid-July.

The Gin Kings will play the season-ending conference without their star center.

AIBA...

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that the ABAP has left open in case Pacquiao decides to compete in the Rio Olympics, which would be his last chance since he would be over the 40 year age limit for the 2020 Olympic Games.

The ABAP executive director informed The Standard that Dr. Wu told him “let me know (Pacquiao’s decision) because he (Manny) must decide first, then we talk.”

If Pacquiao, who was recently elected to the Philippine senate with over 16 million votes decides to follow the advice of his longtime promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, who said “Manny owes an obligation to the people who elected him to the Senate and needs to fulfill that obligation,” ABAP is likely to send Dennis Galvan who has been training with the national pool in Baguio City to the final Olympic qualifier in Azerbaijan.

Picson disclosed that the coaching staff had decided to send Mario Fernandez, Ian Clark Bautista and Eumir Marcial, whom he expects to “give it their all in a tough competition, where we expect them to be able to hold their own.”

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

A15 LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0 M+ P0 M

Pocari Sweat, UP clash in volley opener

Princess Superal (right) and Pauline del Rosario during the second round of the US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball stroke play elims. usga.org

PH golfers bag low medal honors in record fashion PAULINE del Rosario and Princess Superal posted a recordsetting total of 132 to gain low medal honors after the 36-hole US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship qualifier at the Streamsong Blue at Streamsong Resort in Florida Sunday.

The Country Club teammates combined for a 66 in the first round and trailed Sierra Brooks and Kristen Gillman but matched their feat in the next to assemble a 132 and beat their American rivals by two for top honors after the two-day stroke play elims.

Brooks and Gillman slowed down with a 69 for a 134 while Xinying Wang and Katherine Zhu finished with a 136 after two 68s.

Sofia Chabon and Mikha Fortuna, also of Team TCC, rallied with a 68 to end up tied for 14th at 140.

Superal, the former US Girls Junior champion, capped their sterling round with a superb shot from the fairway bunker from 120 yards, the ball hitting that of rival Lesli Hopping’s and resting just six feet off the cup, which she made for their sixth birdie in a bogey-free round.

“Princess’ last putt was very important,”

said the 17-year-old Del Rosario, an incoming freshman at University of Kansas, according to usga.org. “We wanted to shoot another six-under card.”

The Pinay golfers’ 132 thus broke the old mark of 133 set by Kendall Griffin and Athena Yang in last year’s inaugurals of the event at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

Superal, who plans to turn pro later this year, and Del Rosario lead 31 other teams from the starting field of 64 into match play phase, which starts Monday.

Two teams are disputing the last slot at presstime with the winners clashing with Del Rosario and Superal. Chabon and Fortuna will tangle with No. 15 Alyssa Lamoureux and Alexa Pano.

The event is one of the 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

PSA tackles Rio Olympics IT’S all about the country’s coming campaign in the Rio De Janeiro Olympics in today’s session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

Philippine Chef De Mission to the Summer Games Joey Romasanta will be on hand at the public sports program, aired live over DZSR Sports Radio 918 and presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp, to talk about the bid of the Filipinos to finally win for the country a first-ever Olympic gold medal.

PSA president Riera Mallari of The Standard enjoins all members to attend the 10:30 a.m. session.

PRE-TOURNAMENT favorite Pocari Sweat tests the mettle of a young but hungry University of the Philippines side as they slug it out in the opener of the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Open Conference this Saturday at The Arena in San Juan.

Former collegiate stars Michelle Gumabao and Melissa Gohing of La Salle and Myla Pablo of National University will spearhead the Pocari Sweat Warriors against the Lady Maroons, who will be coming into the event oozing with confidence following a strong Final Four finish in the recent UAAP volley wars.

Gametime is at 6:30 p.m.

Pocari team manager Eric Ty said he expects the Warriors, to be handled for Ateneo mentor Tai Bundit of Thailand, to use their experience and familiarity with one another against the Diliman-based squad.

“Although we have a new coach, most of the players have been together for about a year now and we will be relying on that the whole conference,” said Ty, whose team was formerly called Philips Gold.

The Lady Maroons, who bucked the odds to reach the semis in the UAAP, also boast of a slew of talented and rising stars, including Kat Bersola, Isa Molde, Justine Dorog, Diane Carlos and Nicole Ann Tiamzon.

“We’re here to gain as much experience as we can but if we can beat some strong teams, we’ll take it,” said UP mentor Jerry Yee. The National U Lady Bulldogs and the Team Laoag Power Smashers, formerly KIA, tangle in the opener at 4 p.m.

Jaja Santiago is expected to lead the way for the Lady Bulldogs along with Jorelle Singh, Aiko Urdas and rookie Raisa Sato against the Nes Pamilar-mentored Laoag Power Smashers.

NU coach Roger Gorayeb said they are using the tournament to atone for their failed semis bid in the recent UAAP.

Rio-bound Lariba to sharpen skills

By Peter Atencio RIO Olympics-bound table tennis player Ian Lariba will join professional tournaments in Japan and Korea in the coming weeks.

Lariba said her stint in the two countries will help prepare her for the tough competition she expects to face when sees action in Olympiad.

“I’m taking it one game at a time. For sure, mabigat ang kalaban,” said the 21-year-old Lariba, who talked about her preparations for the Olympics after arriving late to receive an Athlete of the Year award last Saturday at the closing ceremonies of the 78th Univer-

sity Athletic Association of the Philippines at the Bahay Alumni inside the University of the Philippines Diliman campus in Quezon City.

A women’s varsity athlete of De La Salle University, Lariba was one of four athletes that the UAAP feted as its top performers for Season 78.

Also named Athletes of the Year were Ateneo’s Jessie Khing Lacuna of swimming, Adamson’s Queeny Sabobo of softball, Ateneo’s Alyssa Valdez and trackster John Loyd H. Osorio, an incoming Grade 11 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics student of UE Manila.

It was the first time that the

league honored five athletes at the same time, with Lariba emerging as the most deserving because she qualified for the Olympics.

“This award is such an honor.

It surely builds confidence,” said Lariba, who took a break from a tournament she joined in Chinatown, Manila.

Lariba qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics through the Asian qualification tournament held in Hong Kong last April.

She was trained by Korean coach Kwon Mi Sook, a medalist at the 1989 World Table Tennis Championships.

Lariba was the 11th and last Asian to make it to the table tennis competition of the Olympic Qualifiers Kirstie Elaine Alora (Taekwondo) and Ian Lariba (Table Tennis).

Olympiad.

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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 Thunder humble Dubs for 2-1 lead Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives against Anderson Varejao of the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals at Chesapeake Energy Arena on May 22, 2016 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. AFP

WASHINGTON—Behind 33 points from Kevin Durant and 30 by Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder humbled defending NBA champion Golden State 133-105 Sunday to seize the lead in their playoff series.

The Thunder grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals and captured momentum with the lopsided blowout, making Tuesday’s fourth game at Oklahoma City crucial for both clubs.

“We have got to keep the same intensity, same attack mode,” Westbrook said. “They didn’t have the best record in the NBA for nothing. We’ve got to come back with the same mindset and play with the same intensity.”

Golden State, which set an NBA record with 73 regular-season wins, has not lost two games in a row all season but will have to quickly bounce back from an embarassment.

“Using our brains, making them compete, moving the ball— we didn’t do any of those things

PH golfers bag low medal honors TURN TO A15

and we got what we deserved,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

“I’m confident we’re going to come out and play a great game in game four. We’ll see what happens.”

Either the Thunder, who have won 10 best-of-seven series in a row when going up 2-1, or the Warriors will face the Eastern Conference winners, the Toronto Raptors or Cleveland Cavaliers, in next month’s NBA Finals.

In addition to sparking the highest-scoring performance by any team in any NBA playoff game this year, Westbrook and Durant each added eight rebounds and blocked two shots while Westbrook also contributed 12 assists.

“We’ve got a physical team, an athletic team and we tried to use that to the best of our ability,”

Westbrook said. “Our guys do a great job of putting in the work every day. My job is to put the ball in their hands.”

Thunder must keep passion Stephen Curry led Golden State with 24 points and Klay Thompson added 18, but Curry hit only 7-of17 shots from the floor, Thompson shot 8-of-19 and Draymond Green was 1-of-9. The Warriors were also outrebounded 52-38.

“Come game four, we have to grind them out,” Thompson said.

“We can’t have Westbrook and Durant combine to shoot 60 percent.”

Durant scored 23 in the first half while Westbrook added 16 as the Thunder leaped ahead in the second quarter and piled on more punishment in the second half, stretching the lead to 117-80 after three quarters and went on to match a club playoff scoring record.

“We were physical and we rebounded the ball well,” Durant said. “My teammates did a great job taking the pressure off me. We have to keep playing with the same energy and passion.”

Lariba to sharpen table-net skills for Rio TURN TO A15

The Thunder closed the second quarter on a 32-7 run to seize a 72-47 half-time edge, aided by the Warriors missing 21 of their last 23 first-half shots from the floor.

“Frustrating way to end the quarter,” Curry said. “It was a bad flow out there. We couldn’t stop it. That six minutes decided the game. That’s something we have to take care of in game four.”

Golden State lost their three prior playoff defeats in the past month by a total of 19 points, nine fewer than they lost by in game three.

“We got our butts kicked,” Kerr said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s one point or 30.”

Kiwi gets kick from Green Green kicked Thunder big man Steven Adams of New Zealand in the groin late in the second quarter and could face a suspension for game four.

“I wasn’t trying to kick somebody in the mid-section,” Green said. “I’m sure he wants to have kids one of these days.”

Thunder coach Billy Donovan praised the Kiwi’s toughness. AFP

AIBA chief confident pros will get OK in Rio

By Ronnie Nathanielsz THE president of AIBA, the international governing organization for boxing under the International Olympic Committee, is confident that professional boxers will be allowed to compete in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

ABAP executive director Ed Picson told The Standard that Dr. Wu Ching-Kuo “sounds dead sure” that the AIBA Congress scheduled for later this month or early June will ratify the change because he had “spoken to all the national federations and there have been no objections.”

“Dr. Wu called me in January to indicate he could swing a wild card entry for eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao,” said Picson, “with the approval of the International Olympic Committee, the Association of National Olympic Committees under president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad-Al Sabah of Kuwait and AIBA itself.”

Picson noted that only five weight categories are available for the wild card, one of which is the junior welterweight division Turn to A14

B1

TUESDAY: MAY 24, 2016

BUSINESS

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

DTI’s excellence awards. The Trade Department wins three top recognitions in the 2015 Philippine Quill Awards, the International Association of Business Communicators Philippines’ annual awards program for excellent corporate communications at Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City. Shown receiving the awards are DTI officials led by Undersecretary Nora Terrado (third from left), Assistant Secretary Ireneo Vizmonte (fourth from right) and corporate planning director Mary Jean Pacheco (fourth from left), along with their staff.

Lopez redeveloping Benpres lot

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Lopez Group is spending P6 billion to redevelop the one-hectare site of former Benpres Building in Ortigas Center into a two-tower office project to boost recurring income.

First Philippine Holdings Corp. president and chief operating officer Francis Giles Puno said in an interview at the sidelines of the annual stockholders’ meeting the company planned to build two office structures within the Benpres property that would serve as permanent headquarters for the Lopez Group and provide office space for lease.

“It will have two buildings and our estimate capital expenditures is P6 billion,” Puno said.

Puno said FPH would undertake the Benpres redevelopment in a bid to boost recurring income. The holding company may team up with real estate unit Rockwell Land Corp. to help in the redevelopment of the property, he said.

“Our plan is to firm up design this year and then we will tear down the existing building and start construction hopefully by 2018,” Puno said.

The whole development is slated for completion by 2021.

The offices of FPH group early this month transferred to Rockwell Business Center in Ortigas from Benpres to pave the way for the redevelopment of the property.

Benpres previously housed major Lopezowned companies such as Lopez Inc., FPHC

and First Gen Corp.

FPH, which has investments in power generation, manufacturing and property businesses, focused on boosting recurring net income, which is a better measurement of the company’s performance, as this eliminated one-off gains and losses.

FPH recurring net income has been on upward trajectory over the past five years, with a compounded annual growth rate of 35 percent to P5.2 billion from P1.2 billion.

“We engaged the entire organization in putting more focus on their customers’ needs and pain-points and assisted in sharpening existing business models with the goal of finding ways to make them repeatable and predictable successes,” Puno said.

“These efforts will continue throughout the following years as we aim to scale up the operations of our subsidiaries,” Puno said.

PLDT plans to sell remaining 20% stake in SPi

By Darwin G. Amojelar PLDT Inc. plans to sell its remaining stake in business process outsourcing provider SPi Global Holdings Inc., a top executive said Monday.

“We will look our options when the majority owner decides on what to do with those shares. If they can get good value on it, obviously it would be interesting to tag along,” PLDT executive vice president and head of enterprise, international and carrier business Eric Alber-

to said.

CVC Capital Partners, the majority shareholder of SPi Global, planned to sell its 80-percent shares in the outsourcing company it acquired from PLDT in 2013.

PLDT sold 80 percent of SPI Global to CVC for $300 million in 2013, while the country’s largest telecom company kept a 20-percent stake in the BPO service provider based in the Philippines.

According to CVC, SPi operates an offshore-based model primarily serving US and

Europe-based customers with more than 20,000 employees worldwide across 17 delivery locations in six countries including the Philippines, India, US, China, Vietnam and Nicaragua.

SPi has annual revenue of $213.6 million.

PLDT, partly owned by Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd. and Japan’s NTT group, earlier reported a net income of P6.22 billion in the January-March period, down by 34 percent from P9.48 billion year-on-year.

The company blamed the de-

cline in net income during the period to higher product subsidies and financing costs, and increased impairment charges related to the investment in Rocket Internet.

Core profit, which excludes foreign exchange gains or losses and other non-recurring income, dropped 22 percent to P7.21 billion in the first quarter from P9.28 billion last year.

Consolidated revenues amounted to P42.78 billion in the January-to-March period, up from P42.55 billion in the same period last year.

PSe c omPoSite

index

Closing May 23, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,306.69 7.66

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing May 23, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P46.790

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P46.700 LOW P46.860 AVERAGE P46.792 VOLUME 551.500M

P427.00-P620.00 LPG/11-kg tank P35.15-P42.25 Unleaded Gasoline

o

il P PriceS today

P23.75-P28.60 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Monday, May 23, 2016

F o r e i g n e x c h a n g e r at e Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.7720

Japan

Yen

0.009082

0.4248

UK

Pound

1.451100

67.8708

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128732

6.0211

Switzerland

Franc

1.009489

47.2158

Canada

Dollar

0.762777

35.6766

Singapore

Dollar

0.724061

33.8658

Australia

Dollar

0.721900

33.7647

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652590

124.0669

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266603

12.4696

Brunei

Dollar

0.721449

33.7436

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000074

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.028019

1.3105

UAE

Dirham

0.272264

12.7343

Euro

Euro

1.121200

52.4408

Korea

Won

0.000844

0.0395

China

Yuan

0.152688

7.1415

India

Rupee

0.014837

0.6940

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.245218

11.4693

New Zealand

Dollar

0.676200

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030604

31.6272 1.4314 Source: PDS Bridge

TUESDAY: MAY 24, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Monday, May 23, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 2.6 890 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 1.02 625 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 59 2.65

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

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 89 20.6 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 7.34 1450 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 40.3 15.32 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.37 3.87 8.45 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 1.65 5.9 801 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 1455 7.5 76 5.29 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 9.66 0.0670 2.31 1.61 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 2.26 837 5.3 49.55 3 4.84 0.59 12 4.2 3 0.030 1.23 0.550 59.3 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96

High

Low

FINANCIAL 4.04 3.74 46 45.5 103.00 100.70 92.50 91.55 38 37.6 2.95 2.95 1.52 1.44 14.3 14 16.98 16.42 1.85 1.85 609.00 600.00 0.600 0.560 86 83.8 0.97 0.97 14.80 14.50 23.70 23.70 51.35 50.70 102.4 96.3 270 269 31.65 31.35 200 194 65.00 64.45 1.55 1.53 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

45.2 45.9 45 Agrinurture Inc. 3.72 3.73 3.5 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.91 0.91 0.89 Alsons Cons.

1.87 1.93 1.87 Asiabest Group 14 14.1 12 Bogo Medelin 55.6 63 63 Century Food 21.3 21.95 21.25 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 195 203.4 193 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 18 18 17.7 Concepcion 46 45 45 Crown Asia 2.21 2.21 2.18 Da Vinci Capital 4.62 4.74 4.61 Del Monte 10.76 10.92 10.76 DNL Industries Inc. 9.700 9.800 9.500 Emperador 7.40 7.44 7.35 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.60 5.71 5.61 EEI 7.45 7.46 7.39 First Gen Corp.

21.6 21.7 21.25 First Holdings ‘A’ 67.1 69.4 67.1 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.64 12.58 12.20 Holcim Philippines Inc. 15.10 15.14 15.02 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.6 5.7 5.6 Ionics Inc 2.300 2.430 2.300 Jollibee Foods Corp.

235.00 238.00 235.80 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.35 3.45 3.45 Macay Holdings 39.90 39.90 39.80 Manila Water Co. Inc. 27.05 28 26.8 Maxs Group 24 24.9 23.55 Megawide 6.73 6.93 6.76 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 321.60 324.00 319.20 MG Holdings 0.290 0.300 0.275 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.33 4.60 4.60 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.41 3.4 3.4 Petron Corporation 11.10 11.40 10.90 Phinma Corporation 11.62 11.64 11.62 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 5.40 5.46 5.38 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.79 1.75 1.67 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.74 2.7 2.68 RFM Corporation 4.25 4.29 4.21 Roxas and Co. 2.3 2.3 2.3 Roxas Holdings 4.65 4.4 4.05 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 217 218.8 212.2 Splash Corporation 2.5 2.55 2.5 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.155 0.154 0.153 TKC Steel Corp.

2.08 2.10 1.92 Trans-Asia Oil 2.50 2.53 2.49 Universal Robina 202.6 205.2 199.1 Victorias Milling 4.6 4.6 4.6 Vitarich Corp.

0.88 0.89 0.86 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.30 1.33 1.30 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.430 0.440 0.420 Aboitiz Equity 72.00 73.40 72.00 Alliance Global Inc. 14.22 14.44 14.28 Anglo Holdings A 1.22 1.25 1.18 Anscor `A’ 6.10 5.95 5.95 ATN Holdings A 0.340 0.375 0.340 ATN Holdings B 0.335 0.380 0.335 Ayala Corp `A’ 794 816 797.5 Cosco Capital 7.69 7.76 7.52 DMCI Holdings 12.96 12.98 12.86 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

6.28 6.30 6.20 GT Capital 1380 1392 1379 House of Inv. 6.30 6.28 6.28 JG Summit Holdings 92.55 94.00 90.95 Keppel Holdings `A’ 5.2 5.21 5.2 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.65 7.88 7.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.69 0.71 0.7 LT Group 13.9 13.94 13.86 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.9 6 5.9 MJCI Investments Inc. 3.69 4.1 3.49 Pacifica `A’ 0.0320 0.0330 0.0320 Prime Media Hldg 1.320 1.330 1.320 Prime Orion 1.780 1.820 1.790 San Miguel Corp `A’ 73.40 73.40 71.00 SM Investments Inc. 955.00 969.00 955.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.20 1.17 1.16 South China Res. Inc. 0.91 0.89 0.85 Top Frontier 158.000 159.000 150.100 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3200 0.3150 0.3150 Wellex Industries 0.2140 0.2150 0.2060 Zeus Holdings 0.345 0.360 0.335 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.550 7.800 7.540 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.23 1.23 1.14 Araneta Prop `A’ 2.150 2.220 2.120 Arthaland Corp.

0.260 0.260 0.260 Ayala Land `B’ 34.900 35.500 34.800 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.14 3.15 3.11 Cebu Holdings 5.15 5.1 5.1

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

Close

SHARES 10,335,188 60,712,267 83,889,171 257,936,554 102,966,138 426,094,641 960,312,476

3.74 45.95 102.00 92.20 38 2.95 1.54 14.3 17 1.86 600.00 0.600 84.4 0.97 15.00 24.00 51.00 102.4 268 31.5 192.6 64.50 1.59

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

High

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

1.44 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 27 31.8 2.29 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

0.79 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39 23 22.15 1.6 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

Century Property 0.520 Crown Equities Inc. 0.131 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.500 Double Dragon 49 Empire East Land 0.810 Ever Gotesco 0.160 Global-Estate 0.98 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.94 Interport `A’ 1.28 Megaworld 4.11 MRC Allied Ind. 0.092 Phil. Estates Corp.

0.2700 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.460 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 42.00 Robinson’s Land `B’ 28.20 Rockwell 1.59 SM Prime Holdings 23.50 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.9 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 1.040 Vista Land & Lifescapes 5.040

0.00 -1.53 2.00 6.12 1.23 -4.38 -1.02 0.00 -0.78 3.16 10.87 9.26 4.35 -4.76 0.35 0.00 1.70 0.00 -1.92 0.79

1,089,000 2,990,000 802,000 3,612,300 265,000 700,000 4,325,000 4,754,000 31,000 14,459,000 78,160,000 220,000 490,000 2,600 2,404,100 18,000 13,651,800 1,106,000 306,000 3,305,400

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 119.5 7 0.017

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 830 1600 5.95 102.6 3.01 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 3.2 1 2.46 15.2

6.5 1.91 1.95 0.650 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 1.71 5 0.315 1.14

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

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

Discovery World DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Macroasia Corp.

Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

2.04 0.00 -1.54 1.59 0.00 -3.76 -1.82 -2.27 0.38 -4.19 3.19 0.58 0.52 0.65 0.30 -0.80 -1.20 -9.09 -0.52 -1.47 1.78 8.00 -0.37 1.56 2.40 -1.50 -1.72 1.01 3.59 -0.25 0.68 1.75 0.96 0.00 -1.20 0.00 0.00 -2.88 -0.58 -1.82 0.35 1.72 0.52 -0.59 2.86 -1.43

11,700 56,250 1,000 3,088,000 6,500 5,858,000 34,280,000 533,000 478,780 100 107,000 7,000 500 29,590 112,400 7,674,790 23,800 3,700,000 360,000 14,440,000 3,894,000 345,000 4,400 114,000 487,000 75,000 70,000 6,000 4,123,000 958,000 4,174,000 3,000 1,860 25,500 152,180 440,000 5,924,000 2,950,000 789,510 238,100 2,485,000 2,172,000 14,000 980,000 420,000 61,700

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 0.330 12.7 12.8 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 8.2 49.2 4.27 3.06 0.020 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 0.236 6.5 5.11 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 3.240 18.96 2.11 1.54 0.012 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

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

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

0.00 -6.97 -3.31 -2.88 2.08 4.38 -0.65 -3.77 -1.33 -2.25 0.00 0.00 -5.08 -6.25 -1.54 1.84 3.85 -2.96 0.00 0.51 -0.40 -6.78 0.00 -0.39 -1.79 0.00

101,000,000 1,591,000 -696,800.00 144,000 -13,160.00 10,400 800,000 33,200 30,700 -70,395.00 1,344,000 7,400 11,237,000 69,190.00 590,000 59,360,000 8,630,000 153,900,000 344,000 867,000 -942,840.00 472,180 121,000 1,400,000 11,000 5,664,600 -2,748,952.00 8,434,000 -234,980.00 32,000,000 44,700.00 314,610 15,098,445.00 930,000 36,800,000

121,600.00

70 515 8.21

33 480 5.88

-3,616,773.00 -54,904,685.00

1047

1011

84.8

75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I

0.00 -1.33 0.00 0.00 0.49 0.00 0.38 0.00 -1.28 0.00 0.00

838,030 3,000 51,000 20 18,260 400 20 22,270 14,000 54,190 21,100

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

2.43

45,000

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

5.46 -1.02 -0.33 2.07

17,192,000 31,830.00 10,000 39,000 1,092,300 -7,530,826.00

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

0.42

2,560

3.93 46 102.50 92.10 37.85 2.95 1.50 14.2 16.9 1.85 609.00 0.580 83.8 0.97 14.80 23.70 50.75 102.4 270 31.65 198 64.45 1.54

5.08 0.11 0.49 -0.11 -0.39 0.00 -2.60 -0.70 -0.59 -0.54 1.50 -3.33 -0.71 0.00 -1.33 -1.25 -0.49 0.00 0.75 0.48 2.80 -0.08 -3.14

516,000 26,300 993,660 657,810 19,300 30,000 73,000 12,100 177,800 75,000 140 457,000 3,123,250 1,000 18,600 4,000 43,740 150 90 54,600 2,520,900 32,460 27,000

45.2 3.64 0.89 1.91 12.9 63 21.85 203.4 17.84 45 2.2 4.69 10.76 9.800 7.40 5.65 7.40 21.7 68.35 12.20 15.02 5.7 2.320 236.00 3.45 39.90 28 24.9 6.87 322.00 0.290 4.60 3.4 11.22 11.64 5.41 1.70 2.7 4.25 2.3 4.19 218.8 2.51 0.154 1.94 2.50 200 4.6 0.88 1.33

0.00 -2.15 -2.20 2.14 -7.86 13.31 2.58 4.31 -0.89 -2.17 -0.45 1.52 0.00 1.03 0.00 0.89 -0.67 0.46 1.86 -3.48 -0.53 1.79 0.87 0.43 2.99 0.00 3.51 3.75 2.08 0.12 0.00 6.24 -0.29 1.08 0.17 0.19 -5.03 -1.46 0.00 0.00 -9.89 0.83 0.40 -0.65 -6.73 0.00 -1.28 0.00 0.00 2.31

2,321,300 321,000 233,000 8,943,000 128,900 300 1,640,000 30 80,900 400 245,000 372,000 23,500 4,181,200 168,400 5,119,700 148,500 536,200 49,970 59,800 48,100 27,300 3,583,000 426,750 1,000 2,400 1,180,200 613,300 529,200 193,000 100,000 1,000 827,000 4,660,200 900 1,180,500 558,000 71,000 4,136,000 4,000 4,000 1,460 1,463,000 3,890,000 2,680,000 774,000 3,775,570 10,000 5,304,000 71,000

0.435 73.00 14.36 1.18 5.95 0.355 0.370 804 7.58 12.92 6.26 1382 6.28 90.95 5.2 7.65 0.7 13.9 5.91 3.49 0.0320 1.330 1.800 73.00 957.00 1.16 0.85 159.000 0.3150 0.2110 0.335

1.16 1.39 0.98 -3.28 -2.46 4.41 10.45 1.26 -1.43 -0.31 -0.32 0.14 -0.32 -1.73 0.00 0.00 1.45 0.00 0.17 -5.42 0.00 0.76 1.12 -0.54 0.21 -3.33 -6.59 0.63 -1.56 -1.40 -2.90

2,770,000 1,876,570 3,331,700 229,000 11,100 20,140,000 1,540,000 219,840 2,123,400 8,371,900 532,500 74,630 20,000 1,394,500 9,000 3,008,800 20,000 1,012,400 24,865,600 9,000 4,100,000 33,000 145,000 130,260 177,160 140,000 165,000 2,740 1,040,000 2,310,000 3,940,000

7.550 1.17 2.210 0.260 35.000 3.15 5.1

0.00 -4.88 2.79 0.00 0.29 0.32 -0.97

211,100 -984,520.00 4,084,000 894,000 10,000 15,771,000 -23,480,935.00 1,331,000 2,233,250.00 29,200

1,100,260.00 -29,356,076 -16,704,817.50 -217,985.00 -12,960.00 -1,702,220.00 -40,020.00 -33,286,487.50 8,700.00 -1,033,566.00 98,930 10,506,004.00 318,565.00 -29,381,975.00 10,714,680.00 -8,022,715.00

901,570.00 -214,216.00 38,750,370.00 -7,788,310.00 486,174.00 2,191,570.00 -315,233.00 -235,580.00 22,530.00 -409,260.00 -152,154.00 8,914,005.00 -675,540.00 -46,562.00 -24,854,372.00 2,522,800.00 1,856,748.00 -5,429,320.00 1,890.00 2,026,420.00 48,100.00 10,000.00 -10,300.00 1,017,830.00 46,000.00 598,150.00 -26,000.00 72,547,481.00 -10,490,950.00

201,300.00 -4,317,285.00 8,863,205.00 14,284,680.00 -3,785,925.00 125,600.00 -14,599,697.50 -569,137.00 2,600,242.00 46,421,905.00

33,500.00

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

0.53 0.520 0.520 0.132 0.129 0.129 0.510 0.495 0.510 52.9 48.6 52 0.820 0.750 0.820 0.153 0.153 0.153 0.99 0.97 0.97 1.94 1.90 1.94 1.33 1.25 1.27 4.25 4.11 4.24 0.108 0.094 0.102 0.2950 0.2800 0.2950 0.500 0.425 0.480 40.00 34.00 40.00 28.45 28.00 28.30 1.61 1.56 1.59 24.00 23.20 23.90 0.91 0.88 0.9 1.040 1.010 1.020 5.160 5.050 5.080 SERVICES 7.35 7.5 7.34 7.5 52.1 52.7 52.05 52.1 1.3 1.28 1.28 1.28 0.630 0.650 0.630 0.640 11.1 11.1 11.1 11.1 4.25 4.28 4.08 4.09 0.0550 0.0560 0.0530 0.0540 3.08 3.09 3 3.01 92.65 93.5 92.65 93 9.55 9.15 9.15 9.15 1.88 2.1 1.94 1.94 6.95 6.99 6.92 6.99 970 975 975 975 2160 2196 2162 2174 6.58 6.68 6.58 6.60 62.3 62.7 61.8 61.8 16.70 16.70 16.00 16.50 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 0.0100 9.69 9.64 9.45 9.64 0.340 0.350 0.335 0.335 1.6900 1.8000 1.6200 1.7200 2.5 2.79 2.35 2.7 10.68 10.64 10.4 10.64 7.68 7.80 7.55 7.80 4.17 4.34 4.17 4.27 2.66 2.63 2.62 2.62 0.580 0.570 0.570 0.570 1.98 2 2 2 2.23 2.33 2.23 2.31 3.93 3.95 3.86 3.92 2.960 3.060 2.980 2.980 17.1 17.4 17.04 17.4 114.90 119.00 111.40 116.00 23.85 23.85 23.50 23.85 1660.00 1668.00 1638.00 1640.00 0.395 0.405 0.390 0.395 0.880 0.880 0.870 0.880 41.70 41.70 40.50 40.50 77.65 77.70 77.10 77.20 6.58 6.58 6.42 6.46 2.84 2.91 2.84 2.85 0.580 0.600 0.560 0.590 1.94 1.95 1.78 1.95 3.37 3.43 3.3 3.35 0.350 0.370 0.360 0.360 7.000 7.000 6.900 6.900 MINING & OIL 0.0042 0.0044 0.0042 0.0042 2.44 2.43 2.27 2.27 4.53 4.53 4.38 4.38 13.88 13.50 12.02 13.48 0.240 0.245 0.238 0.245 8.0000 8.35 7.65 8.3500 7.6500 7.7500 7.4700 7.6000 0.530 0.530 0.510 0.510 9.00 9.10 8.54 8.88 0.890 0.900 0.870 0.870 0.295 0.305 0.290 0.295 0.285 0.295 0.275 0.285 0.295 0.305 0.280 0.280 0.0160 0.1600 0.0150 0.0150 1.95 1.99 1.92 1.92 4.89 5 4.89 4.98 2.6 2.76 2.65 2.7 1.3500 1.3300 1.3100 1.3100 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 3.91 4.19 3.92 3.93 7.48 7.60 7.35 7.45 4.13 4.37 3.85 3.85 0.0140 0.0140 0.0130 0.0140 127.00 127.00 126.50 126.50 3.9 3.98 3.8 3.83 0.0130 0.0140 0.0120 0.0130 PREFERRED 51.6 51.95 51.4 51.6 525 518 518 518 6.26 6.32 6.26 6.26 1050 1050 1050 1050 1020 1025 1025 1025 106 106 106 106 106.1 106.5 106.5 106.5 81 81 81 81 78 77 77 77 75.5 75.5 75.5 75.5 75.8 75.8 75.6 75.8 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.880 2.950 2.880 2.950 SME 4.03 4.6 4.1 4.25 3.94 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.01 3.01 2.96 3 17.38 18 17.26 17.74 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 119.8 120.5 120.1 120.3

T op g ainerS VALUE 1,074,125,063.961 1,352,786,164.49 1,106,818,617.92 3,008,874,744.54 1,184,327,196.838 187,459,755.6794 8,008,704,889.549

Low

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,668.34 (UP) 6.01 INDUSTRIAL 11,727.62 (UP) 16.83 HOLDING FIRMS 7,384.21 (UP) 9.29 PROPERTY 3,084.88 (UP) 35.99 SERVICES 1,432.49 (DOWN) 11.06 MINING & OIL 11,359.04 (DOWN) 99.31 PSEI 7,306.69 (UP) 7.66 All Shares Index 4,393.16 (UP) 7.18 Gainers: 89; Losers: 90; Unchanged: 41; Total: 220

4,160.00 2,600.00 5,880,460.00 8,000.00 -833,580.00 -6,500.00 -14,874,750.00 41,860.00

-39,197,875.00 9,570.00 -85,718,475.00 -83,720.00 -10,615,620.00

42,880.00 72,150.00 -10,931,630.00 55,000.00 28,886,779.00 16,077.00 -749,720.00 -87,353,450.50

-17,250.00 -26,200.00 -13,500.00

131,000.00 2,925,320.00 576,060.00 -27,780.00 71,782.00 -4,750.00 -87,355,975.00 279,410.00 -10,624,250.00 -7,566,905.50 -1,581,290.00 5,700.00 -832,370.00 144,000.00

32,300,754.00 -315,500.00 -15,795,250.00

5,760.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Bogo Medelin

63

13.31

Roxas Holdings

4.19

-9.89

MRC Allied Ind.

0.102

10.87

IP E-Game Ventures Inc.

0.0100

-9.09

ATN Holdings B

0.370

10.45

Asiabest Group

12.9

-7.86

Phil. Estates Corp.

0.2950

9.26

Apex `A'

2.27

-6.97

Jackstones

2.7

8.00

PhilexPetroleum

3.85

-6.78

Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

4.60

6.24

TKC Steel Corp.

1.94

-6.73

Double Dragon

52

6.12

South China Res. Inc.

0.85

-6.59

Alterra Capital

4.25

5.46

Manila Mining `A'

0.0150

-6.25

AG Finance

3.93

5.08

MJCI Investments Inc.

3.49

-5.42

ATN Holdings A

0.355

4.41

Lepanto `B'

0.280

-5.08

TUESDAY: MAY 24, 2016

B3

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

MRC Allied pushes solar plant

By Alena Mae S. Flores

LISTED MRC Allied Inc. plans to put up a 60-megawatt solar power project in Cebu through a wholly-owned subsidiary.

“The company reports that the Department of Energy released the solar energy service contract number SESC No. 2015-10-261 in favor of Menlo Renewable Energy Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MRC Allied for the development of a 60 megawatt Naga solar plant,” it said.

MRC Allied disclosed plans to build a solar plant in Cebu in July last year.

Officials earlier said that they

planned to put up the solar facility inside the company’s 160-hectare industrial estate in Naga, Cebu.

The company plans to avail of the feed-in tariff for solar power projects, although the government has yet to announce whether there will be a third round of feed-in tariff grant for solar.

MRC Allied incorporated Menlo Renewable Energy in May last year to take advantage of the

emerging renewable energy industry in the country.

The company, formerly Makilala Rubber Corp., is a property development firm that has found a niche in the development of master planned, integrated residential, commercial, recreational, tourism and industrial areas within a single community or township.

The passage of Renewable Energy Law of the Philippines in 2008 ushered the entry of thousands of renewable energy projects in the country, including solar.

The Energy Regulatory Commission also asked the Energy Department to limit the solar power projects availing of the feed-in

tariff rate at 500 megawatts to lessen the impact on power cost.

“We computed the FiT rate based on 500 MW, so if it’s going to exceed 500 MW, definitely we have to adjust the [power] rates,” ERC chairman Jose Vicente Salazar told reporters.

FiT refers to incentives given to renewable energy developers such as solar projects in the form of fixed, high rate paid by the government for their power output.

FiT rates were incorporated in the power bill of consumers and are now known as FiT allowance.

The regulator earlier approved an FiT-allowance of P0.124 per kilowatthour, to be collected by National

Transmission Corp. and used to pay the renewable energy developers.

“The position of the commission is to limit to 500 MW [the solar capacity] until we determine the impact on the rates considering that our previous approval was for that [P0.124 per kWh],” Salazar said.

The department approved a 50MW installation for solar projects under the first round of installation targets at a rate of P9.68 per kilowatt-hour. The installation was increased by an additional 450 MW but with a provision that the power projects would be completed by March 15, 2016 to provide additional capacity for the dry months.

Stock market climbs; AEV up THE stock market rose slightly Monday, while the the rest of Asia moved cautiously as investors sat tight awaiting fresh news about a possible US rate rise and after G7 finance ministers pressed Japan not to weaken its currency.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 7.66 points, or 0.1 percent, to 7,306.69 on a value turnover of P8 billion. Losers edged gainers, 90 to 89, with 41 issues unchanged.

Security Bank Corp., the sixth largest lender in terms of capitalization, climbed 2.8 percent to P198, while DoubleDragon Properties Corp. surged 6.1 percent to P52.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., which has investments in power, banking, property, food and infrastructure, gained 1.4 percent to P73.

Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker, fell 1.3 percent to P200.

Global stocks had rallied in the previous session despite talk that the US Federal Reserve could raise interest rates in June, but analysts expect some market volatility ahead of further indicators.

A stronger yen weighed on Tokyo exporters after G7 finance ministers clashed over the weekend on whether Japan should intervene to stem the rise of its currency.

Oil prices were lower after Iran said it had no plans to join any output freeze by other major crude producers and as Canadian officials lifted the evacuation order for oil production sites north of Fort McMurray, which has been threatened by wildfires.

“Expect short-term share market volatility to remain high,” Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy at Sydney-based AMP Capital Investors Ltd., told Bloomberg News. With AFP

France unrest. A picture taken on May 23, 2016 in Cesson-Sevigne, suburb of the western city of Rennes, shows people queuing in a gas station following the blockades of oil depot during protest against proposed government labor and employment law reforms. AFP

Uniwide sues ex-SEC official, two former execs UNIWIDE Holdings Inc. is suing two of its erstwhile top executives along with a former official of the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly forcing UHI to forfeit P30 billion worth of assets and undergo receivership almost 20 years ago when it was still the biggest retail chain.

The surrendered corporate stocks and real properties include UHI’s flagship Uniwide Coastal Mall at Parañaque City’s Central Business Park II and a 40-hectare reclamation estate owned by Manila Bay Development Corp. whose officers are facing a plunder complaint for a separate but related case involving the Uniwide Group’s reversal of fortune.

Uniwide Group chairman Jimmy Gow accused Uniwide

ex-chief financial officer Jimmy Cabangis and ex-treasurer/ comptroller Corazon Rey of “illegally transferring” to publiclylisted UHI some P10 billion worth of trade credits and bank loans of sister firm Uniwide Warehouse Club Supermarket Operation, without prior consent of this group of companies’ management and board of directors.

Gow made the charges in a civil suit filed last week before the Parañaque Regional Trial Court, Gow also accused Cabangis of conspiring with Monico Jacob, who was then-head of the SEC Receivership Committee that subsequently took over the Uniwide Group, to wrest control of—and then sell at a bargain— the companies’ P30 billion worth of assets and shares of

stocks that Cabangis and Rey had earlier mortgaged to the creditor-banks.

Jacob was, at one time or another, SEC associate commissioner at SEC, governor of the Philippine Stock Exchange, chairman of Petron Corp. and Philippine National Oil Co., a senior executive at the Home Development Mutual Fund or PAG-IBIG, and general manager of the National Housing Development Authority.

Gow noted that Jacob was a partner of Cesar Buenaventura, who was Cabangis’ financial advisor, “thereby strongly indicating that Cabangis had connection with Jacob with whom he [Cabangis] conspired with the objective to transfer to SEC Receivership Committee the

control over the UHI and group of companies’ P30 Billion worth of assets in the creditor- banks.”

Almost three years ago, small investors of UHI sued for estafa Cabangis, Rey and MBDC chairman Jacinto Ng for conspiring to defraud the publicly-listed firm of P2.1 billion that led to Uniwide’s dire financial straits, with the construction of Coastal Mall and payment of unnecessary mall rentals under an “anomalous” lease contract.

“Cabangis, Rey and Jacob betrayed the trust and confidence reposed in them by UHI and the group of companiesm which lost not only the assets worth billions of pesos, but also the business opportunities caused directly by their conspiracy,” Gow said in Civil Case No. 2016-51.

B4 Koreans to build new hotel in Clark

By Othel V. Campos CLARK Development Corp. said Monday it approved another hotel project proposed

by Korean property developer Punta LWA Properties Corp.

The project is expected to add prestige to the developer’s current portfolio, according to CDC. CDC chairman and concurrent president Eliseo Santiago said the new tourism project would commence with the construction of a hotel by 2017.

Punta will develop the 4,443.23-square meter former site of Mimosa Mart along C.M. Recto Highway corner M.A. Roxas.

The boutique hotel will have villas and related amenities such as restaurants, coffee shop, cocktail lounges and wellness center. The Korean firm under the agreement will develop and operate the facilities for 25 years.

Punta also committed to employ about 50 local residents to support the operations and another 50 for the construction of the building.

Punta, an architectural design and construction company, has implemented several projects in other countries such as Publicis headquarters in Paris, France.

It also handled project management such as those of Mercure Hotel, Hado Group HQ and Hado 7 in Hanoi, Vietnam as well as foreign architecture coordination project for Lotte Jeju Art Villas and YIBD project both in South Korea.

CDC said it continued to grow as a viable investment hub and a preferred site of manufacturing companies.

CDC recorded revenues of P1.6 billion in 2015, the highest net income of P697 million and highest cash position of P2.3 billion last year.

Revenues in 2013 to 2015 accounted for 28 percent of the aggregate revenues in the last 20 years, based on the annual reports.

Travelers financial products. Visa, Cebu Pacific and Union Bank of the Philippines sign a memorandum of agreement formalizing a co-brand partnership to launch a series of financial products catering to travelers. The synergy between the three partners will benefit cardholders’ entire journey from booking and paying for their flights online to enjoying world-wide acceptance and special privileges from Visa. Shown signing the agreement are (from left) Visa Group executive for Asia-Pacific Chris Clark, Cebu Air Inc. president and chief executive Lance Gokongwei and Union Bank chairman and chief executive Justo Ortiz.

TVI secures permit for Balabag mining

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

THE Mines and Geosciences Bureau approved the declaration of mining project feasibility of TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc. for the Balabag gold and silver project in Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur. “With the approval of the DMPF, the company is now authorized to proceed to the development and operating period of the MPSA, which includes the extraction and commercial disposition of gold, copper and associated minerals within the contract area,” MGB said.

TVIRD is the local affiliate of TVI Pacific Inc., a publicly listed

Canadian mining company focused on the exploration, development and production of precious and base metals.

The company already received an environmental compliance certificate from the Environment Department for the Balabag project.

It also received the approval of the social development management program in May 2014.

TVIRD holds 100 percent of the mineral production sharing agreement area covering 4,779 hectares containing the Balabag epithermal gold and silver project.

The project is located 75 kilometers east-northeast of TVIRD’s Canatuan mine.

Balabag has an indicated mineral resource of 1.35 million tons with an average annual production rate of 193,000 metric tons of ore per year and with a mine life of seven years.

Exploration and development work were put on hold at the Balabag project in 2014, pending the receipt of all permits from the government.

The Balabag project requires a capital investment of P1.04 billion and is expected to gener-

ate P6.54 billion in revenues, of which the government is projected to benefit P742.70 million.

“Balabag is the fourth mining project to be successfully permitted by TVIRD in the Philippines over the past 11 years and I am confident that TVIRD will secure the necessary funds to move the project forward prior its listing on the PSE later this year,” said TVI chairman and chief executive Clifford James.

“At TVI, we are very pleased with this development as a permitted Balabag project will greatly support TVIRD’s efforts to list on the PSE and the listing could provide TVI with both a short and long-term source of funding for our resource acquisition and development activities,” James said.

Purisima welcomes designation of Dominguez as Finance chief

By Gabrielle H. Binaday FINANCE Secretary Cesar Purisima said Monday there will be a smooth transition for the next head of the department as a part of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s economic team for the next six years.

Purisima welcomed the designation of businessman Carlos Dominguez as the head of the DoF and ensured the new team would hit the ground running on day one.

“After speaking on the phone to congratulate Mr. Dominguez last Thursday, he and I met the next day to begin the transition

process. Mr. Dominguez is an esteemed businessman and public servant with a lengthy record of excellence,” Purisima said.

“There are three important things for any finance secretary: having the ear of the president, having the stomach to stand firm in advising him soundly even in the face of opposing political tides, having an understanding of government and an appreciation for good governance, and lastly, having an understanding of how business works and the economic landscape you’ll be navigating.

Mr. Dominguez has all three,”

Purisima said.

Purisima said he was confident that when he passed on his seat in the department, the economic team would be ready to sustain and improve the gains from the past six years.

“We extend our best wishes of success and look forward to officially passing the baton on June 30,” Purisima said.

The Finance Department is preparing a transition document detailing the state of progress across its various clusters and results areas, including revenue, liability management, privati-

zation, government-owned and controlled corporations and corporate affairs.

The transition document will serve to keep the new leadership abreast on where things are with the DOF’s priorities and projects.

Purisima said the DOF Manual of Institutional Knowledge was another document he was keen to pass on to Dominguez and his team.

The department said the manual would contain four volumes of documented learnings in the DOF over the past six years of the Aquino administration - best practices from the DOF Institute,

learnings on what could have gone better and recommendations moving forward.

The manual also codifies 200 processes and approval protocols, with templates of completed staff work and style guides.

“We take transitioning seriously and view it as an integral part of organizational development.

We want to ensure the new team has all the means and resources to succeed on day one. My team is coordinating with his in order to work with depth over the next month on a smooth transition,” Purisima said.

T U E S D AY : M AY 24 , 2 0 1 6

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

The death of e-mail “I HARDLY even check my e-mail anymore!” the giggly 20-something said to her companions.

The snippet of a conversation that I overheard last week seemed to confirm what Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg predicted when he declared that e-mail was dead in 2011 as he launched his social network’s own messaging platform.

“We don’t think a modern messaging system is going to be e-mail,” he said at the time, adding that the “next-generation messaging will be seamless, informal, immediate, personal, simple, minimal and short, but not e-mail.”

Today, five years later, Zuckerberg’s prediction seems to be coming true as more and more Facebook users let their e-mail accounts go idle in favor of the more immediate messaging channels that their social network provides.

As one of the few people remaining on the planet that still refuses to go on Facebook (for reasons I have explained before), I tried to understand why this was so.

In the office, I notice, Facebook users have their home pages constantly on their screens. This makes it a natural and convenient platform for immediately sending or responding to messages from their own circle of contacts.

Another reason Facebook is so convenient is that it is easy to tell someone to how to reach you. There is no need to tediously spell out your e-mail address; just tell him or her to find you on Facebook.

“There is also no spam,” one Facebook user says. “Because you control who your contacts are, nobody can send you spam without your permission.”

Facebook also makes sharing all types of content, including images and videos easy, the same user explains. “You just post it on your page and everybody in your circle of friends will see it. There’s no need to CC anyone,” she says.

These advantages notwithstanding, e-mail is still the de-facto communications platform for most businesses—although this, too, might slowly change.

A trailblazer in this shift is a French technology company, Atos, which launched its “Zero E-mail” program in 2011 in a bid to improve productivity.

Thierry Breton, chief executive of Atos, explained at the time that barely 10 percent of the 200 messages that his employees received on an average day was useful, and that 18 percent were spam. Managers spent between five and 20 hours a week reading and writing e-mails, he said.

“We are producing data on a massive scale that is fast polluting our working environments and also encroaching into our personal lives,” Breton said at the time. “At Atos we are taking action now to reverse this trend.”

By 2013, the company reached its target of completely eliminating internal e-mails, using instant messaging and other tools instead for collaboration.

In an interview with the BBC in 2012, Breton recalled that the Zero Email program was the result of an initiative to enhance the quality of work conditions for his company’s 80,000 employees.

Among the things the company found was that most of the young people that it was hiring were not using e-mail anymore after graduating from universities.

“They were instead mainly using instant messaging tools and social networks like Facebook--and for most of them, when they joined Atos it was first time they had ever worked with internal e-mail tools like Outlook,” he said.

Addressing other chief executives, Breton said: “I won’t say that in five years you won’t have internal emails - businesses will probably continue to have internal emails for the next 10 to 15 years.

“But some companies will move quickly to these internal social networks and instant messaging tools--and again this will be pushed by the young generation.

“In Atos the average age of our workers is 35 years--we are a young company.

Every year we hire roughly 10,000 new employees, most of them are below the age of 30, living in universities and college--they don’t use internal e-mail anymore, they are using a lot of new tools.

“We have to adapt ourselves to this new generation that will become our business colleagues tomorrow,” he said.

Not everyone believes e-mail is dead, of course. Nylas, the San Francisco-based maker of a cool, open-source e-mail client N1, believes it merely needs to be fixed.

“The world of e-mail is broken,” the company says on its website. “Old protocols, obscure data formats, and fragmented standards have left developers frustrated. And e-mail products woefully haven’t become collaborative or extensible...We want to change that, by creating a modern layer for email, contacts, and calendar. Our mission is to build elegant products for large complex systems.”

If you haven’t given up on your inbox just yet and want to take a peek at a modern and elegant e-mail system looks like, download N1 (https://nylas.com/) for free on your Linux, Mac or Windows PC. Column archives and blog at: http://www.chinwong.com

B5

Moody’s expects policy continuity

By Julito G. Rada

GLOBAL debt watcher Moody’s Investors Service said Monday the change in leadership in government will not have an immediate impact on the credit profile of the Philippines, as it expects broad policy continuity in the country.

Moody’s said the political transition in the Philippines—following the victory of Rodrigo Duterte in the May 2016 presidential election—would not immediately affect the country’s sovereign rating of ‘Baa2’ with a stable outlook.

“The incoming government will be formulating its economic and fiscal strategies against the backdrop of a favorable economic environment,” Moody’s vice president and senior credit officer Christian de Guzman said in the latest issue of Asean publication.

De Guzman said the Philippines showed sustained high eco-

nomic growth, while also demonstrating price stability, a robust external payments position and debt consolidation.

“We expect broad policy continuity in the country, with regards to economic and fiscal management,” de Guzman said.

Moody’s raised its investment rating of the Philippines a notch higher to ‘Baa2’ from Baa3 with a stable outlook on Dec. 11, 2014. The adjustment put it at par with that of Standard & Poor’s ‘BBB’ rating, S&P kept its growth forecasts for the Philippines this year at 6 percent and 6.3 percent in 2017, saying the economic outlook re-

mained bright despite the change in leadership after the presidential election on May 9.

S&P said in its latest report titled “Asia-Pacific Economic Snapshots” economic policies in the Philippines were unlikely to change significantly under the leadership of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and underlying demographic trends would continue to drive growth.

“A growing and educated middle class will continue to be absorbed by a combination of overseas employment and a booming outsourcing industry, driving consumption and investment even as external demand remains weak,” it said.

S&P, however said external factors, both from the real and financial sectors, were the biggest risks to sustained growth.

“Persistently low oil prices, despite helping the goods trade balance, pose a tail risk of sharply reducing demand for overseas Filipino construction workers in the Middle East – a major source of remittances,” it said.

MSME support.

Trade Secretary Adrian Cristobal Jr. leads 1,000 micro, small and medium enterprises from the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon during the first Shared Service Facilities Summit in Lucena City, Quezon. MSMEs asked for continued support from the agency to extend the SSF, a program that supports MSMEs with equipment sharing facilities. The Trade Department has already established 1,702 SSF projects in the country and targets 400 more SSFs by year end 2016.

Isuzu’s automotive sales increase 38%

By Othel V. Campos ISUZU Philippines Corp. said vehicle sales increased 37.5 percent in the first four months from a year ago, amid the sustained growth of the automotive industry.

The company said it sold 8,798 vehicles in January to April, up from 6,396 units sold in the same period in 2015, based on data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association.

IPC said that in April alone, vehicle sales reached 2,219 units, up from 1,999 units sold in April 2015.

“Isuzu Philippines is pleasantly

surprised to find out how close our sales in April came to those we have made in March, especially considering that it took the company nearly two decades to achieve that record,” IPC president Hajime Koso said.

“The result places us firmly on track to meet our year-end target, and indicates an upward trend not only for Isuzu, but also for the entire Philippine automotive industry,” Koso said.

Isuzu Crosswind contributed to sustained sales with 479 units sold in April and a total of 1,562 units in the first four months.

Both figures are improvements over comparable periods in 2015,

signifying the model’s steady demand in the local market, according to IPC. Supporting Crosswind sales in April were those of the flagship Isuzu mu-X sport-utility vehicle with 983 units, Isuzu N-Series light-duty trucks with 355 units, Isuzu D-Max pickup with 338 units and the company’s wide range of commercial trucks and buses with 64 units.

All models recorded gains from their results during the same period last year.

Isuzu said along with the company’s performance, D-Max and mu-X were offered through accessible ownership plans for the entire month of May.

B6

TUESDAY: MAY 24, 2016

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

Lopez Group drops coal plants A tale of two plurality Presidencies FIDEL V. Ramos was elected President of the Philippines in 1992 (and served for the Constitutionally mandated period of six years) and Rodrigo Duterte has just been elected President and should serve for the same number of years. Both ran in elections contested by the highest number of Presidential candidates in the political history of this country (seven in 1992 and five in 2016). Both were elected with less than a majority of the total number of votes cast in the 1992 and 2016 elections: 24 percent in Ramos’s case and 38 percent in Duterte’s.

There the similarity between the two men ends. In fact, the two men— the man they called (and still call) Tabako and the man they call Digong—could not be more different from one another.

President-elect Ramos went out of the 1992 election campaign and into the Presidency without leaving behind hurt feelings, bruised egos and battered friendships (except, of course, that of then-Presidential candidate Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who to this day claims that she was cheated). This is not the case with President-elect Duterte.

Duterte entered the campaign like the proverbial bull in a china shop and exited like one. He cussed (Pope Francis, among others), insulted (the ambassadors of the US and Australia and fellow-candidate Mar Roxas, among others) and badmouthed his way to the campaign finish-line. All of the victims of Rodrigo Duterte’s mouth have indicated a willingness to forget. But forgiving and forgetting are two different things, and I am prepared to wager that all of the President-elect’s victims are unlikely to forget.

In short, Fidel V. Ramos went into his electoral campaign, and exited from it, as a decent and respect-deserving person. The same cannot be said of the 2016 President-elect.

When he launched his candidacy for the Presidency in January 1992 FVR clearly was prepared for the enormous responsibilities of the nation’s No. 1 post. An engineer by virtue of his training at the Philippine Military Academy and the US Military Academy, FVR had three distinct achievements by the time he entered Malacanang: he had served as a combat officer in the Korean War, he had been the nation’s top policeman during the entire martial law period (1972-1986) and he had helped steer the EDSA Revolution to victory over the overwhelming military and police forces loyal to President Ferdinand E. Marcos. Being a son of a National Assemblyman and Secretary of Foreign Affairs—the late Narciso Ramos—FVR was steeped in national politics and foreign affairs at the time he took the Presidential oath of office. He ended his pre-Malacañang public career as the Secretary of National Defense.

When he is sworn into office on June 30, Rodrigo Duterte will, by contrast, be far less qualified to assume the responsibilities of the Presidency.

He had a forgettable stint as a public prosecutor after graduation from law school. His single term as member of the House of Representatives is not memorable. Indeed, Rodrigo Duterte’s only claim to fame is as the Dirty Harry-type chief executive of Mindanao’s largest city. No experience with international diplomacy. Very little experience in economic and social policymaking at the national level. And certainly no experience with managing anything bigger than a city police and budget.

Yet another instance of contrast between President-elect Ramos and President-elect Duterte.

Still another point of difference between pre-inauguration FVR and President-elect Duterte has manifested itself since Commission on Elections figures began to show that Rodrigo Duterte had defeated Mar Roxas by a margin of more than 6 million votes. That point is the process of putting together a Cabinet. By the time it became clear that he was the winner in the seven-candidate contest, FVR had already thrown around in his mind the individuals whom he wanted to tap for specific Cabinet positions—after all, after decades of national-level public service he had met countless businessmen, professionals and government executives— discussed national issues with them and had them quietly vetted to avoid possible appointment problems. Shortly after the election, FVR already had decided who he wanted to be his secretary of foreign affairs, secretary of national defense, secretary of finance and so on. Because of his personal knowledge and the careful vetting that had been done upon his instructions, none of FVR’s first appointees raised eyebrows or generated or elicited opposition. On their first day in office, FVR and his Cabinet were able to hit the ground running, in keeping with the new President’s military background.

By contrast, Rodrigo Duterte’s construction of his Cabinet can best be described as an ill-prepared and unsystematic patchwork. Every new appointment by the President-elect seems to be tentative or to be the result of a political accommodation or a desire to be surrounded by classmates and close Davao City friends. The appointment to the Public Works and Highways secretaryship of the son of one of this country’s leading real estate developers— now being roundly criticized—would never have happened in FVR’s day.

From Day One FVR was conscious of the fact that 76 percent of the voters had not voted for him. He realized that being voted into office by only one out of every three voters deprived him of the right to be reckless, wasteful or insensitive in the use of his newly acquired power. For that reason he exercised utmost care in his decision-making, especially about the composition of the Cabinet.

This appears to be not the case with President-elect Duterte. He talks and acts like he were elected by 62 percent of the voters rather than the other way around.

A tale of two plurality Presidencies. A tale of two successes? Or of one successful and one likely-to-fail Presidency?

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

By Jenniffer B. Austria

FIRST Philippine Holdings Corp. declared the group, along with unit First Gen Corp., would not invest in coal-fired power plants and called for a decarbonized economy.

FPH chairman and chief executive Federico Lopez made the announcement during the annual stockholders’ meeting of the company as he stressed the negative effect of emissions from coal-fired power plants in the environment.

“We are setting a higher bar for ourselves but, for us, it cannot be any other way. We will help power our nation’s growth ambitions yet achieve this in ways that recognize the need for a livable Philippines and a livable planet,” Lopez said.

“Today, let me state unequivocally and for the record that the FPH ad its subsidiaries will not build, develop of invest in any coal-fired power plant. I’m certain that without having to look too far, this country already has many alternatives that do not mortgage the future of our children and future of our planet,” Lopez added.

Instead of building coal-fired

power plants, Lopez said the Lopez Group would push with the development of geothermal power plants, as well as renewable energy sources like wind, solar and hydro.

“It is our aim that FPH and its subsidiaries will be among the bright navigating starts of the Philippine industry, blazing a path toward a decarbonized economy,” he said.

Lopez noted that some countrieshad already committed to do away with coal-fired power plants. Several top corporations were also “greening” their supply chains, he said.

“These are extraordinary times that call for extraordinary change and everyone must shift to thinking about the quickest route to a decarbonized economy. It’s just our mindsets and our conversation that need to be transformed”

Lopez said.

He said the company’s declaration against invest in coal-fired power plants would affect the company’s business prospects moving forward.

“It just a matter of shifting our focus elsewhere. It is quite liberating because we are going where the rest of the world is headed and for me it is important for the country to embrace this,” Lopez said.

First Gen earlier asked the government to increase the share of renewable energy in the country’s power generation mix to 50 percent to counter the damaging effects of climate change.

Lopez said the remaining 50 percent of the generation mix could be shared by other sources including low-carbon emission power projects.

Lopez said the Philippines performed a crucial role in the recent COP 21 climate talks in Paris, chairing the Climate Vulnerable Forum an international partnership of countries highly vulnerable to climate change, and the V20−the group of finance ministers representing twenty of the most vulnerable nations in the world.

Highland vegetables. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala inspects the vegetables showcased at the Highland Vegetable Investment Forum cum Trade Fair at the Benguet Agri Pinoy Trading Center on May 16 to 17, 2016. While in Benguet, Alcala attended a series of dialogues with investors, buyers, and farmer leaders who remain heedful of the consequence of the full operation of the BAPTC. Alcala assured them that the trading center would bring positive changes to their farming and trading system.

More sellers of fake cigarettes nabbed CUSTOMS and revenue agents, along with PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group operatives, armed with search and arrest warrant, held another store owner for the sale of fake Mighty brand cigarettes in Barangay Sta. Teresita, Quezon City.

CIDG agents Ringo Medalla and Crisanto Carag arrested Kevin Co Ong of King Co Store in Speaker Perez St. after he was caught in possession of fake Mighty Menthol soft pack and Mighty Full Flavor King Size variants through the complaint of a Mighty Corp. representative.

Ong was charged with violation of section 155 in relation to section 170 of Republic Act 8293, or the Intellectual Property Code.

The warrant was issued by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 93 Judge Arthur Malabaguio.

Aside from the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, violators may also be held liable for violating Republic Act 7394, or the Consumer Protection Act, and the National Internal Revenue Code, whose penalties range from one year to 12 years imprisonment and fines of up to P200,000, or both.

Meanwhile, NBI-Cabanatuan district office agents nabbed Jeffrey De Guzman Castro, also known as Puroy De Guzman, of Esguerra Village, Brgy. Esguerra, Talavera, Nueva Ecija for possession of large quantities of fake Mighty Full Flavor, Mighty Menthol 100s, Marvels Filter Kings and Marvels Menthol 100s.

Like Ong, Castro was also charged with violation of section 155 in relation to section 170 of Republic Act 8293 under a war-

rant issued by Cabanatuan City RTC Branch 26 Judge Johnmuel Romano Mendoza.

CIDG chief Police Director Victor Deona said the PNP remained vigilant against counterfeiters and warned individuals and business establishments against the sale and distribution of fake cigarettes.

“These fake products hurt the economy because they are not tax-paid. This is why they are being sold very cheap. The CIDG is serious in its crackdown on these fake products. Retailers and vendors are warned not to sell or distribute these contraband because we are ready to charge them and throw them in jail,” Deona said.

In earlier developments, CIDG arrested a woman at the Sta. Rita Public Market in Guiguinto, Bulacan for selling fake Mighty cigarettes.

T U E S D AY : M AY 24 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Volcano scorches Indonesian villages KARO, Indonesia—Indonesian rescuers searched for survivors in scorched villages and devastated farmlands Monday after a volcano erupted in clouds of searing ash and gas, killing seven people and leaving others fighting life-threatening burns.

Witnesses have described sheer panic as waves of gas and fine rock were unleashed from Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island Saturday, consuming farmers trying to flee the slopes of the highly active volcano.

The fast-moving flows—reaching temperatures of up to 700 C (1,300 F)—incinerated homes and left livestock blackened and peeling.

Agustatius Sitepu, the head of the local military in Karo district

where the volcano is situated, arrived to scenes of chaos as rescue crews raced to reach those left alive.

“The villagers who managed to survive were running around in panic, trying to save themselves,” he told AFP on Monday.

“There were only a few dozen.

They were terrified. They were covered in ash.”

The eruptions were so violent that towns as far away as 12 kilometers were covered in thick layers of ash, he added.

Those worst affected were all farming within the “red zone”—an area four kilometers from Sinabung declared off limits by authorities— when the volcano erupted.

Six bodies were recovered Sunday, with three others rushed

Indian climber dies on Everest

Iraq launches assault on terrorists in Fallujah

KATHMANDU—An Indian mountaineer has died on Mount Everest and two of his teammates are missing, expedition organizers said Monday, taking the death toll from the Himalayan climbing season to five.

The climber reached the 29,032foot summit on Saturday but collapsed while descending the Hillary Step ice wall and died the following day.

He was among four Indians who lost contact with operators on Saturday afternoon, said Loben Sherpa of Trekking Camp Nepal, which organized their expedition to Mount Everest.

Expedition officials made contact with him and teammate Sunita Hazra on Sunday and helped them descend to Camp 3, but the whereabouts of the remaining two climbers are still unknown.

“He died while the guides were bringing him down,” Sherpa told AFP. “We have sent a helicopter to bring Sunita back. We still don’t have any news on the missing two,” he said.

More than 350 climbers including 140 foreigners have successfully scaled the world’s highest peak this season after two consecutive years of deadly disasters.

But four other mountaineers have died in the Himalayas in the past few days.

An Australian woman died of altitude sickness on Saturday, one day after a Dutch mountaineer succumbed to the same illness after summiting the peak.

A Nepali guide perished Thursday after he slipped and fell 2,000 meters down Mount Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest peak.

Another Indian climber died after falling ill while descending from Mount Dhaulagiri in the Himalayas.

Meanwhile, guides and helicopter pilots have rescued more than 30 climbers following complaints of altitude sickness and frostbite, tourism official Gyanendra Shrestha told AFP. AFP

to hospital suffering horrific burns.

One of the victims succumbed to his wounds by nightfall, taking the official toll to seven, local disaster mitigation agency chief Nata Nail told AFP on Monday.

“Two more remain in the intensive care unit, suffering burns to 90 percent of their body,” he said.

Footage showed their clothes blackened and hanging off charred limbs as rescue teams brought them by stretcher to hospital.

Nail said rescue teams were still finding survivors on Sunday during sweeps of homes and farms in Gamber village.

Residents were ordered to evacuate Gamber in late 2014 due to the unacceptable risk from lava flows, dense ash and falling volcanic rock.

AFP

Opening. This photo taken on May 23, 2016, shows a geneval view at the opening of the World Health Assembly with some 3,000 delegates from its 194 member states in Geneva. AFP

NEAR FALLUJAH, Iraq—Iraqi forces have launched a major assault to retake Fallujah, the scene of deadly battles during the US occupation and one of the toughest targets yet in Baghdad’s war on the Islamic State group.

In attendance. Sarah Jones attends The Path Finale Cinespia Screening at Hollywood Forever on May 22, 2016, in Hollywood, California. AFP

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, commander-inchief of the armed forces, made the announcement early Monday and then visited the battle’s operations room.

“We are beginning the operation to liberate Fallujah,” he said in a statement. “The Iraqi flag will be raised high over the land of Fallujah.”

Abadi said that special forces, soldiers, police, militia forces and pro-government tribesmen were taking part in the offensive to retake the city, located in Anbar province just 50 kilometers west of Baghdad.

Iraqi forces had not yet entered the city, but an AFP photographer near Fallujah said they were advancing while aircraft carried out strikes on targets inside the city.

Abadi’s announcement settled the issue of which IS-held city Iraq should seek to retake next -- a subject of debate among Iraqi officials and international forces helping the country fight the jihadists.

Iraq’s second city Mosul was the US military’s recommended target, but powerful Iraqi militias may have helped force the issue by deploying reinforcements to the Fallujah area in preparation for an assault.

Iraqi forces have begun laying the groundwork for the recapture of Mosul, but progress has been slow and an assault to retake the city remains far off.

The US-led anti-IS coalition carried out seven strikes in the Fallujah area last week, and Iraq said it also bombed the city with US-supplied F-16 warplanes.

On Sunday, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command warned civilians still in Fallujah—estimated to number in the tens of thousands—to leave the city.

It said that families who cannot leave should raise a white flag over their location and stay away from IS headquarters and gatherings.

Officials said several dozen families had fled the city, but IS has sought to prevent civilians from leaving, and forces surrounding Fallujah have also been accused of preventing foodstuffs from entering.

Iraqi forces have in recent days been massing around the city, which has been out of government control since January 2014.

Anti-government fighters seized it after the army was withdrawn, and Fallujah later became one of IS’s main strongholds.

Fallujah and Mosul, the capital of the northern province of Nineveh, are the last two major cities IS holds in Iraq. AFP

T U E S D AY : M AY 24 , 2 0 1 6

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

Landmark visit. US President Barack Obama meets with Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (3rd R) in Hanoi on May 23, 2016. Obama praised the “strengthening ties” between the United States and Vietnam at the start of a landmark visit on May 23 as the former wartime foes deepen trade links and share concerns over Chinese actions in disputed seas. AFP

Arms ban on Vietnam lifted South Korea rejects North’s offer to talk SEOUL—South Korea on Monday rejected the latest proposal by the North to hold military talks, saying Pyongyang first needed to take steps towards abandoning its nuclear arsenal.

The North’s leader Kim Jong-Un offered the military dialogue during a speech to a recent congress of the ruling Workers’ Party—the first event of its kind for more than 35 years.

The North Korean military later urged Seoul to accept the offer to overcome the current “catastrophic state” of cross-border ties, proposing a preparatory workinglevel meeting in a message sent on Saturday.

But Seoul’s defense ministry, in a response sent across the border Monday morning, effectively rejected the proposal that it said made no mention of Pyongyang’s widely-condemned nuclear weap-

ons program, according to a ministry spokesman.

“A proposal for talks with no mention of de-nuclearization is mere posturing,” Moon Sang-Gyun told reporters, describing the latest talks proposal a gesture for “fake peace”.

“We will firmly keep the stance that taking steps for de-nuclearization should be the first priority when it comes to dialogue with the North,” he said.

Most of Kim’s speech at the party congress had been devoted to talking up his atomic weapons program, Seoul said earlier.

South Korea’s conservative President Park Geun-Hye insists Seoul would only consider engaging in substantive dialogue with Pyongyang if the North takes a tangible step towards denuclearisation. AFP

HANOI—US President Barack Obama on Monday scrapped a Cold War-era ban on weapons sales to Vietnam, as the ties between the former foes grow closer thanks to trade and mutual fears of Chinese expansion in the disputed seas.

The announcement, made at the start of Obama’s three-day visit to Vietnam, ends a decades-old embargo and will likely infuriate Beijing, which has been increasingly assertive in its claims to the disputed areas of the South China Sea. “The United States is fully lifting the ban on the sale of military equipment to Vietnam that has been in place for some fifty years,” Obama said at a joint press conference alongside his Vietnamese counterpart President Tran Dai Quang.

Obama said the move was not prompted by China’s regional maneuvers, but came as the countries enter a “new moment” that takes them towards a “normalization” of

ties.

Vietnam’s Quang welcomed the rollback of the ban, hailing the shared “common concerns and interests” that now bind the two countries.

The Obama administration has pitched this week’s trip as an opportunity to push ties beyond the period of rapprochement, with Vietnam now a vital plank in America’s much vaunted pivot to the Asia-Pacific region.

The visit is Obama’s first—and the third by a sitting president since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Direct US involvement in the conflict ended in 1973.

The nations have experienced an astonishing turnaround in their relations, from bitter foes physically

and psychologically scarred by a decade of war to regional allies.

Obama said he was “moved” to see thousands of locals lining Hanoi’s streets, craning with smartphones in hand for a view of his motorcade.

Washington and Hanoi share common security goals as Beijing flexes its muscles in the South China Sea, where Vietnam and several other nations also claim ownership of islands and reefs.

But historically Vietnam’s dismal human rights record has weighed against a full rollback of the arms embargo.

In a muted reference to its parlous rights situation, Obama said Washington “still had differences” with Vietnam on human rights but “modest progress” had been made.

The sentiment will jar with many long-persecuted activists and dissidents.

The one-party state still ruthlessly cracks down on protests, jails dissidents, bans trade unions and controls local media. AFP

China eyes new ways to censor Internet BEIJING—Chinese authorities are exploring new ways of imposing controls on the Internet, state-run media cited experts as saying Monday, after reports said state-owned enterprises may be encouraged to take stakes in video streaming websites.

The Communist country restricts access to foreign websites including Google, Facebook and Twitter with a vast control network dubbed the Great Firewall of China, and under President Xi Jinping it has tightened its grip on broadcast, print and online media.

Content deemed politically sensitive, violent or morally “unhealthy”

is regularly blocked.

The new regulations being considered by China’s censorship authority would allow a select list of SOEs to buy “special management stakes” of up to 10 percent in the country’s popular video streaming websites, giving them the right to oversee production and decision-making, respected business magazine Caixin reported.

The Chinese-language report was later removed from Caixin’s own website, although the text was widely reposted elsewhere.

Video sites such as Youku Tudou, acquired last year by tech giant Alibaba for an estimated $4.8 bil-

lion, and Baidu’s iQiyi.com could be affected, with greater scrutiny over content and potential modifications to in-house productions.

The move showed that the government hopes to tighten its grip on websites—mostly privately run— over which they have had “little influence” in the past, the state-run Global Times newspaper on Monday cited Xiang Ligang, CEO of telecommunication industry portal cctime. com, as saying.

“The government cannot punish [the websites] on a daily basis or shut down [a website] at will as it would trigger a backlash,” he explained. AFP

Winner. British director Ken Loach poses with his trophy on May 22, 2016, during a photocall after winning the Palme d’Or for the film ‘I, Daniel Blake’ at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. AFP

tuesday : m ay 24, 2016

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tatum aNCHeta EDITOR

BING PaReL

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BeRNadet te LuNas

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFeatstandard

a Rts, Cu Lt u Re & t eCH

LIFE

More and more Filipinos are discovering why the world is in love with whisky

Coco rocha in revel at the Palace last May 18 for the #Lovescotch event celebration

#LOvESCOTCh: DIAgEO CELEbRATES WORLD WhISky DAy WITh COCO ROChA In MAnILA

P

art of the celebration of World Whisky Day last May 21 was Diageo leading the campaign of #LoveScotch, a global movement that celebrates the world s love affair with Scotch.

Everyone was abuzz when Manila welcomed global ambassador for #LoveScotch, Canadian supermodelturned-designer Coco Rocha. She stayed in the country from May 18 to 20 to grace a series of events for #LoveScotch as well as photo shoots for numerous publications before she continued with the tour in India. The fashion industry was ecstatic to receive the fun and energetic Coco, and fans and fashion fanatics trekked to the exclusive event dubbed as #LoveScotch Night at Revel last May 18 to get a glimpse of their idol.

Whisky, especially Scotch, has always had the image of a drink that is only enjoyed by a tough older male. But recent market demands show that the palate of the younger crowd is growing more mature, and in the Philippines, whisky is getting its “cool” vibe as more and more speakeasy and posh bars highlight bottles of blended whisky and single malts.

People know Johnnie Walker, (but) they don t necessarily know that it s a Scotch, explains Diageo Philippines general manager Jon Good. Johnnie Walker in this country is famous but what it stands for and what it is, I think they need to understand that as well and if they do, it s only going to increase the connection of these people with this amazing brand, he adds.

Choosing Coco Rocha as the global ambassador for #LoveScotch movement aims to educate the younger market about the world s love affair with Scotch and to convert a new generation of drinkers to appreciate whisky. For Diageo, choosing Coco to be the face of the campaign will reverse any stereotypes of typical Scotch drinkers. We chose Coco because she s cool, she s down to earth and she loves Scotch, says Good.

Coco shares that her favorite way to drink Scotch is to add it with ginger ale, and she particularly loved the new concoction they served during the event at Revel which is Johnnie Smash (Johnnie Walker Black Label, lemon, sugar and mint).

Coco is joined by local Diageo ambassador, TV host, editor, columnist and celebrity influencer Raymond Gutierrez during

Diageo’s Global Master of Whisky Ewan Gunn educates the guests about the wonderful world of scotch

Coco rocha and raymond Gutierrez share their love for scotch by posting photos on the heart wall during the event

the #LoveScotch activities. During Coco s stay, Raymond showed her the ropes in getting to know the Filipino culture and introduced her to some of our cuisine.

A self-confessed new convert to whisky, Raymond is slowly getting to know about Scotch throughout the campaign. Good says they specifically chose Raymond because he is very new to Scotch and he s learning as he goes and he s on a discovery journey.

And for us, it s very exciting when you see someone in the moment learning and loving Scotch. Whether it’s Johnnie Walker or The Singleton, it’s exciting to see, Good shares.

a toast to scotch! – (from left) Diageo Philippines general manager Jon Good, global #Lovescotch ambassador Coco rocha, Philippine #Lovescotch ambassador raymond Gutierrez and Diageo’s Global Master of Whisky Ewan Gunn

scotch and food pairing at Desiderata Lounge–Johnnie Walker black Label paired with tuna tataki, Johnnie Walker Gold Label reserve paired with rossini Qua, the singleton 12 year old paired with Kurobuta and the singleton signature paired with Pears brochette

I think if you can amplify the journey that everyone s on, that s important. He s someone that people listen to, he s someone that people know is not a Scotch drinker, and he s finding his way. I think he does it in a very natural, very real way. He s telling it as it is.

Highlighting The Singleton and Johnnie Walker whiskies, Diageo held a series of masterclass events with Diageo s Global Master of Whisky Ewan Gunn during the #LoveScotch celebration in Manila. Gunn hosted a whisky-pairing event at Desiderata last

May 17, educating guests and the media about the new art of pairing whisky with food as well as the history and heritage of single malt The Singleton and blended Scotch Johnnie Walker. He also graced a masterclass for the bartenders of Philippine Diageo Reserve World Class.

To see more photos about the Manila event and the global movement or to share your love for Scotch, check out the #LoveScotch hashtag on Instagram.

EvEnt Photos by star sabroso

tuESday : m ay 24, 2016

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@LIFEatStandard

ARTS AND CULTURE ROUNDUP What’s on in theaters and galleries this week

ExhibiTS

CONCERTS Elena Monti Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila May 28, 7:30 p.m.

Altered States Artery Arts Space, Quezon City Ongoing until June 4 Five artists delve into the stream of consciousness flowing through popular media using their chosen medium. Zeus Bascon, Dina Gadia, Allan Balisi (aka Saturnino Basilla), Isabel Santos and Derek Tumala exhibit their respective paintings, drawings and sculptures in their hybrid states that represent transformative social fantasy.

The artworks on display – composed of a collection of tattoo design, collage aesthetic, ethnoastronomy and spirit portraiture – produce new arrangements of cultural representation, signification and identity.

For more information on this ongoing exhibit, call (02) 725-2837 or email arteryartspace@gmail.com.

In the days of my youth I was told what it is to be a man Artery Arts Space, Quezon City Ongoing until June 4 Monsters of creation portrayed with graphic violence are the main subject in Dean Africa’s latest solo. Africa’s current series of mixed media works illustrates concepts of conflict and change as forces that shape life in ways that are strange, wild, frightening, bewildering and captivating.

According to the University of the Philippines Fine Arts graduate, the pieces on exhibit are inspired by abstraction, sequential art, collage culture, cinematic horror, fantasy and the violence of everyday life. In addition to his studio practice, Africa self-publishes his own comics and music.

Call (02) 725-2837 or email arteryartspace@gmail.com to know more about this solo show.

Italian soprano Elena Monti is coming to the Philippines for an evening of classical vocal music.

Performing alongside Monti are our very own tenor Ronan Ferrer, pianist Raul Sunico, Musicgear Chamber and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra string ensemble under the baton of Maestro Ruggero Barbieri.

Monti enjoys a prolific concert activity and she has worked with various conductors. She also debuted in the most prestigious Italian and international theaters, including the Teatro alla Scala (La Scala Theater). The varied roles she sang include Mimì in La Bohéme, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and Violetta in La Traviata, among others.

Ticket prices are P1,300 and P1,800. Contact the CCP Box Office at (02) 832-3704 for inquiries and more information.

ThEATER PLAyS Walang Kukurap Function Hall, Philippine Coast Guard Headquarters, Manila May 30, 3:00 p.m.

Following successful shows in various government departments and agencies in previous years, Art in the Workplace (Sining sa Tanggapan) brings its Walang Kukurap theatrical play to the Philippine Coast Guard Headquarters in a bid to support the government’s campaign against graft and corruption.

The one-hour program will showcase the artistic talent of in-house artists from the PCG. The story chronicles an analysis of graft and corruption from the findings of artist-researchers and firsthand testimony of whistle-blowers and anonymous syndicate insiders.

The production, presented by Tanghalang Pilipino, is aimed at encouraging public workers to promote Philippine art and culture.

For inquiries and more information, contact the CCP Cultural Exchange Department at (02) 832-1125 locals 1708 and 1709.

LECTURES

Muralla Upper Gallery, Vinyl on Vinyl, Makati City Ongoing until June 4

Contemporary visual artists Eko Canlas, John Lawrence Canto, Mr. S, Quatro, Qudo and Rai Cruz come together in this group exhibition that showcases the noble Muralla street of the oldest district in Manila, Intramuros.

Through their introspection, observations, personal traces and memories of traversing through this one-way street in the form of their artworks, the six artists revisit the past to offer new interpretations of history and rediscover parallels marking our mutual passage through time.

For inquiries and more details, email info@vinylonvinylgallery.com or visit www.vinylonvinylgallery.com.

Multifunctionality in Taiwan’s Independent Art Space School of Design and Arts Cinema SDA Bldg., De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Manila May 24 Art curator Esther Lu shares today her expertise on how an independent art space in Taiwan serves as a breeding ground for ideas and cultural dialogue in this lecture that’s part of the initiative of the Museum of Contemporary Arts and Design’s MCAD Platforms.

Among many of Lu’s renowned projects include Big Family Business (2007) in Istanbul, Turkey and Good Gangsters in Town (2008) for the Taipei Fine Arts Museum in Taiwan. Her talk focuses on the Taipei Contemporary Art Center, an independent initiative founded by a group of artists, curators and scholars that offers a platform of expression among themselves.

Call (02) 230-5100 local 3897 or email mcad@benilde.edu.ph for inquiries and more details.

tuESday : m ay 24, 2016

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@LIFEatStandard

dIgItaL FILmmakErS rEcognIzEd at ‘cInEmanSanaS’ awardS

ilmmaking has changed drastically over the years, and nowadays, you definitely don’t need expensive cameras anymore to produce a good short film. This is the reason why Power Mac Center partnered with Pixelworx to launch the digital short film competition dubbed Pixelworx Cinemansanas to recognize the capability of every individual to become a digital storyteller.

Now on its second year, Cinemansanas showcased the ability of artists to produce very impressive short films through the use of iOS device lenses.

Pixelworx Cinemansanas’ special screening of entries and the awarding ceremonies took place at the Power Mac Center Spotlight in Circuit Makati.

Award-winning figures in the industry of filming and designated Pixelworx brand ambassadors such as independent filmmakers Mario Cornejo and Monster Jimenez, seasoned director Yam Laranas, and multi-awarded author and screenwriter Ricky Lee served as the judges for the competition.

According to Cornejo, it is the heart of the artist that he looks for every time he watches films. Jimenez said that the one and only condition in choosing a favorite film is if there is something in it that makes her feel alive.

Contenders did well in crafting their impressive works within the limitations of their iPhones, iPads and MacBooks. A series of workshops, including tutorials for Apple software iMovie, Garageband and the Final Cut Pro X was held at the store.

Judging was based on two criteria: Creativity of presentation, and the quality of technical elements. Power Mac Center Gift Cards were given away for the winners from both student and professional category.

Under the Student category, Seliada Asilo bagged the diamond award for her entry Flared and brought home P30,000 worth of Power Mac gift cards. The winning entry was about a blind boy whose imagination gave color to the darkness in his life. Jaime Mari Joaqin Asido Morados’s entry, The Boy Who Spoke, bagged the Platinum award which earned for him P15,000 worth of Power Mac gift cards, while Joel Griffiths won the gold award for his entry, Pagkilala, and brought home P10,000 worth of gift cards from Power Mac. For Dylan Ray Agcaoili Talon, no words can explain how grateful he is for winning the top prize that came with a

(Top row, from left) Pixelworx ambassadors Yam Laranas, Ricky Lee, Mario Cornejo and Monster Jimenez with Power Mac Centre Pixelworx Cinemansanas Professional category winners Dylan Ray Talon (Diamond Award), Edward Golla (Platinum Award) and Jessie Villabrille (Gold Award); (bottom row, from left) Power Mac Center marketing director Joey Alvarez with Pixelworx Cinemansanas Student category winners Dion Floreza and Caitlin Casinos for Joel Griffiths (Gold Award), Seliada Asilo and John Raymond Ilagan (Diamond Award), Jaime Mari Morados (Platinum Award) and Power Mac Center marketing manager AG Constantino

Cinemansanas entries were shown at the Power Mac Center Spotlight in Circuit Makati to give the audience a preview of the finalists

Power Mac Center Pixelworx Cinemansanas 2016 recognizes the capability of every individual to become a digital storyteller

P50,000 worth of Power Mac gift card in the Professional category. His entry, Biyahe sa Buhay ng mga Batang Bagot, is an actual footage recorded during the conversation of a group of friends reminiscing about past movies through a guessing game.

Edward Golla won the platinum award and

P30,000 worth of GCs for his entry. Seven and Ang Payo Ni Tita Whitney by Jessie Villabrille also won the gold award and P20,000 worth of Power Mac gift cards.

The winners in both Student and Professional categories also got the chance to have their films screened during the

program. “There were a lot of really impressive works when I saw the entries.

I actually watched it several times, and over and over again. The top requirement I look at is how the technical (element) was applied,” said Laranas. “Hopefully this is not the last Cinemansanas,” he added.

Online voting for Pixelworx’ People’s Choice Award was also officially opened recently, and all entries that made it to the finals were uploaded on the Power Mac Center YouTube channel. Announcement of the entry with the most number of likes will follow. For updates on Power Mac Center, check online channels @PowerMacCenter on Twitter and Instagram, and Power Mac Center on Facebook. – Marjaleen Ramos

resorts world manila introduces two annies Resorts World Manila (RWM), through its production outfit Full House Theater Company, introduces two young talents who will be playing the lead role in its latest theater offering, Annie. The role of Annie will be played by two local artists: 2015 Metro Manila Film Fest’s Best Child Performer Krystal Brimner, the nine-yearold who wowed judges with her portrayal of Angel in Erik Matti s Honor Thy Father; and 10-year-old Isabeli Elizalde who is taking her first shot at professional acting.

Annie is very positive, which is me. I like being positive always, says Krystal who donned the Annie red dress for the occasion. Annie s nice, she cares, and she s careful, she adds.

First-timer Isabeli is naturally ecstatic for the role. I m really happy that I ve gone so far, and that I ve made it this far, and that now, I am Annie I am now part of the play, she enthuses.

Among hundreds of Annie hopefuls, these two young ladies managed to stand

Resorts World Manila introduces Isabeli Elizalde (left) and Krystal Brimner (right) who will both play the role of the spunky and optimistic orphan girl Annie inspired by the famous Harold Gray comic strip

out. During the auditions, Krystal and Isabeli performed song excerpts from the

musical including the classic Tomorrow which caught the attention of Annie

director Michael Williams and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo who will be playing the role of Ms. Hannigan.

When the auditions were over, I said, ‘Finally, it s done!’ And then they told me that I was part of Annie, and I was super excited that I got the role, Krystal shares.

The auditions were fine. I actually liked performing in front of Tita Menchu and Tito Michael because I knew the songs and I got to sing them. I wasn t so pressured, Isabeli says.

We re very excited about Annie. We had so many challenges before we actually got the rights for the musical from MTI New York. Rest assured, RWM is behind Full House Theater Company and Ultimate Entertainment throughout the musical s run, says RWM chief operations manager for Entertainment Alou Almaden.

Annie is set to open this September at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila. For more updates, visit www.rwmanila.com.

tuESday : m ay 24, 2016

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

The first SM Stationery Art Fest at SM MegaMall

y

Art for All with SM StAtionery

oung and talented artists put a fresh and exciting spin on popular arts and crafts such as calligraphy, painting, doodling and comic book illustration during the first SM Stationery Art Fest held recently at the SM Megamall Mega Fashion Hall. Budding artists and art enthusiasts joined in the festivities that celebrated Filipino creativity and passion, made even more exciting with the presence of celebrity blogger and fashion design student Dani Barretto who shared some tips on fashion design, and how important it is to know your client and what he or she wants.

Other personalities who lent their expertise during the event include comic book illustrator Harvey Tolibao whose work for Marvel has earned him praises. Tolibao shared his illustration know-how with excited kids who illustrated their favorite Marvel characters, armed with new learning on the important use of basic shapes in illustrating human figures. What’s more, he also conducted a Marvel’s Civil War Interpretation artwork and elevated the excitement a notch higher when he raffled off his Iron Man artwork during the workshop.

Abbey Sy, who authored The ABCs of Hand Lettering, explained how one’s handwriting could create wonderful lettering by practicing with the right pens and pad. On the other hand, ink scribbler Alexis Ventura showcased styles and techniques in calligraphy by using the right nibs, inks and brush pens. Meantime, art enthusiasts had loads of fun learning about the chiaroscuro coloring technique from art coach and blogger Celeste Lecaroz-Aceron, while doodling felt like child’s play with encouragement and mentoring by artist Lei Melendres who told participants to unleash their creativity by making stories out of their doodles.

Painter Aaron Manaloto and artist Vin Quilop, meantime, demonstrated styles and techniques in basic sketching, watercolor painting and oil pastel painting, with selected participants receiving “best” awards for their artwork.

The #SMStationeryArtFest was held in partnership with Faber Castell Coloring Materials, Pentel Arts, Titus Pens and IFEX Fine Papers. For more information, visit www.smstationery.com.ph and follow smstationeryph on Instagram and Facebook.

Abbey Sy advises hand lettering enthusiasts to keep practicing with the right pens and a pad with at least 200-GSM

Art enthusiasts joined the fun and exciting workshops and visited booth activities

Artist Vin Quilop with Best in Watercolor Painting winner Stacci Rivera and Best in Sketching winner Fiona Ong

Celebrity blogger Dani Barretto

Colorista Celeste Lecaroz-Aceron

Aaron Manaloto’s artwork at the Pentel Arts Gallery

Relcy Bajio proudly displaying her sketch

Lei Melendres says various elements around us can become an inspiration for doodling

t uES DAy : m Ay 24, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

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InTERgalacTIc aDvEnTuRE In ‘RaTchET anD clank’

he latest out-of-this-world family movie Ratchet and Clank stars Award winning Sylvester Stallone along with a talented voice cast including Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Bella Thorne, Rosario Dawson, Jim Ward, James Taylor and David Kaye.

In Ratchet and Clank, two unlikely heroes struggle to stop a vile villain named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. Ratchet is the last of his kind, a foolhardy “Lombax” who has grown up alone on a backwater planet with no family of his own. Clank is a pintsized robot with more brains than brawn.

When the two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they must join forces with a team of colorful heroes called the Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy. Along the way, they will learn about heroism, friendship, and the importance of discovering one’s own identity.

Cora Veralux, a Galactic Ranger voiced by American actress Bella thorne

Ratchet, voiced by James Taylor, is the only Lombax anyone has ever seen. A typical impulsive teenager, Ratchet is a gifted mechanic and quite acrobatic. When danger calls he prefers to jump in feet first and to figure things out as he goes. His confidence always leads him into trouble but his quick reflexes and agile mind get him out of it most of the time. He is a bit of a loner, not wanting to rely on anyone but himself.

However, he is extremely loyal to friends that he has. Over the course of the film, he comes to consider Clank his one true ally and closest friend.

His true friend, Clank, voiced by David Kaye, is the personification of an innocent

book smart. He is a living computer filled with tons of data that he accesses freely.

However, he has only lived in the universe for a short time and retains a lot of the child-like curiosity one would expect from a creature who is only a few days old.

Clank’s strongest traits are his sense of morality and his heart of gold. He knows right from wrong and will go to any lengths to ensure justice is served. However, he doesn’s just jump in with both feet – he is cautious and mindful, using his considerable powers of reason to form a plan of attack first. In this sense, he is Ratchet’s opposite.

Bella Thorne, who rose to prominence in the television series Shake It Up and

starred in memorable teen movies such as The Duff, Perfect High and Frenemies lends her voice to Cora in Ratchet and Clank, a very tough, competitive and driven Galactic ranger. Though she’s in her teens, her maturity is way beyond her age and that of every other Galactic Ranger (with Clank’s exception). A nononsense teen, she has little or no time for humor or childishness but cares deeply for her teammates once they’ve earned her respect.

Family adventure starts in cinemas nationwide when Ratchet and Clank opens on May 26 (Thursday) from OctoArts Films International.

‘Pinocchio’ at Sm Cinemas The most rewarding family bonding experience is about to happen at SM Cinemas with its latest Family Movie Day weekend promo on May 28 and 29 featuring the latest version of the timeless story of Pinocchio.

Pinocchio is the latest recipient of the Gold World Medal at the recently concluded New York Festival from Carlo Collodi’s classic story. Directed by Stepan Gajdos, the latest reimagining of Pinocchio is a blend of real film and computer animation. Pinocchio comes to life when a good-hearted old toymaker named Gepetto carves a puppet from a wood that he found.

To Geppetto’s delight, Pinocchio comes to life - and like most little boys, he’s full of reckless whims and wild ideas.

His crazy escapades lead him into a series of madcap adventures from joining the circus to visiting the inside of whale. Along his journey, and throughout all the fun, Pinocchio learns to be considerate and courageous and learns what it takes to become a real boy.

From CrystalSky Multimedia, Pinocchio stars Germany’s most acclaimed actors, led

by Mario Adorf, best-known for his appearance in the Academy Award®-winning

German actor mario Adorf plays Pinocchio’s father in the latest film version of the classic story

the latest reimagining of “Pinocchio” is a blend of real film and CGI

The Tin Drum, Inka Friedrich (Summer in Berlin), Sandra Huller (Requiem), Ulrich Tukur (The White Ribbon) and Benjamin Sadler (Dresden), in a suspenseful and humorous adventure.

With SM Cinemas’ latest promo, families can choose to buy two tickets with two free tickets for kids, provided that children must be below 4 feet in height to qualify.

Patrons can also opt to buy four tickets and SM will give free coupons from their (malls’) partner merchants. For further details, please check SM Cinemas’ and CrystalSky Multimedia’s social sites (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter).

A scene from “Pinocchio,” a film directed by Stepan Gajdos

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t uES DAy : m Ay 24, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Kapamilya star Kathryn Bernardo (left) with her mom min Bernardo and event host Dimples Romana

“mother’s Day Picnic,” organized by lifestyle and Working mom magazine, was held at uP Sunken Garden

KAtHRyn, mommy mIn lEAD ‘motHER’S DAy PIcnIc’

L

ifestyle and Working Mom Magazine’s “Mother’s Day Picnic” was a tremendous success in once again bringing joy and wonderful memories to families that attended the fun-filled picnicthemed event last May 15 at the UP Sunken Garden in celebration of Mother’s Day. Much to the delight of the fans who have been anticipating to meet and greet the mother and daughter tandem Min and Kathryn Bernardo, the first 50 lucky guests who trooped to the event and bought their copies of Working Mom Magazine’s May issue got a free pass to the much-awaited segment.

In the magazine’s May issue, Mommy Min shares her joys and sacrifices in raising her successful children—Chrysler, Kaye (who joins Mommy Min and Kathryn in the inside pages, along with Kaye’s daughter, Lexine), and Kevin.

Hosted by actress and TV host Dimples Romana, the event featured six zones perfect for the whole family to enjoy: Family Zone which included booths for family picnic activities and games such as: face paint and Giant Jenga, a pet buffet and grooming from Dogs and the City, and a family photo booth courtesy of Nido; Mommy Zone which included booths for Nails by Girlstuff, hairstyling by Goody, eye brow makeovers from K Palette, ABS-CBN Store, O-Shopping, and Sky Cable; Kids Zone which included booths from Lego, Keywest International, Chicco, Fisher Price, and Craft Party Manila; Food Zone which included booths for Spud Buds,

Family bonding. the event features activities and games participants enjoy

Baga Manila merchants, Truck Bun, Sugartrails, and Mang Larry’s Ihawan; Working Mom Arts and Crafts Zone with activities courtesy of Craft Party Manila, art and crafts materials from Crayola, a bento box making activity from Glad; and toddler’s play area from Megabloks; and lastly the Sponsors Zone which included activity booths for Arla, ATC, Bio Oil, Ever Bilena, Petron, and for the UP Student Council.

Later that day, Lifestyle’s newest local shows Modern Girls and the new season of “A Pinch of Portia” were launched. Mod-

cROsswORD puzzlE

answer PreVIOUs PUZZLe

ACROSS 1 “Back in the — Again” 7 Sitcom waitress 10 Walk unsteadily 14 Like a wedding cake 15 Trail behind 16 Diva — Gluck 17 Niche 18 Hot time in Paris

19 Turn pancakes 20 Outer wear 23 Pile up, as wealth 26 Rubber-stamps 27 No rocket scientist 28 Level to the ground 29 Two, in Tijuana 30 Impair 31 Except 32 Trendy 33 Puzzling tools?

37 Keats offering 38 Spacewalk, to NASA 39 “— Note Samba” 40 Forfeit ender 41 Subsided 43 Family mem.

44 Rather or Aykroyd 45 Bad-mouth 46 Sighs of relief 47 Dunks 48 Pablo’s date 51 Devoured 52 — bumps 53 Coelacanth (2 wds.)

56 Garfield’s pooch 57 Charged particle 58 Blazing 62 Speeds off 63 Oaters’ Lash La — 64 Zeno followers 65 Kind of prof.

66 Lawyer’s deg.

67 — de corps DOWN 1 RR terminal 2 Feel crummy 3 Solstice mo.

4 Be half-asleep 5 T-shirt partner 6 Blissful spot 7 Speckles 8 Trellis units

TuESDAY, MAY 24, 2016

9 10 11 12 13 21 22 23 24 25 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 42 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 54 55 59 60 61

Curved molding White-water fans DeGeneres sitcom Mideast VIPs Not get renewed Trinket Old sayings Vine support Bea Arthur sitcom Montezuma subject Cote dwellers Skimpy skirts Highway divider Kids around with Sound Readies a present Sixth — Most nervous Set right Whipped-cream serving Oahu welcome Longish dresses Wall climbers Run — of Talents Slumber-party guest Courtesy env.

Mammal’s requirement 1101, to Brutus Va. zone

ern Girls hosts Gretchen Ho, Sam Oh, and Denise Laurel joined in the festivities and played fun games with the crowd.

Completing the ultimate Mother’s Day experience was Lifestyle’s very own Portia who conducted a cooking demo featuring Arla Cheesy Spread. Guests were also treated with samples of the Pesto Cream Coldcuts Sandwich.

The afternoon of family bonding was capped with a special serenade for moms rendered by ASAP Sessionista Richard Poon. Roses courtesy of Island Rose were also given out to mothers who were present during the event.

Other special treats were given out to the first 150 moms who registered online via the Lifestyle’s Facebook page. They received a special picnic basket filled with exciting treats and giveaways courtesy of Rebisco snack, Leslie and Farmer’s Potato, Sanicare sanitary set and Cheers set, Mott’s apple juice, Lotus Biscoff, Hunts, Absolute, Vitamilk, Clearascar, Toblerone, Insular, Arla, Goldilocks, and Nido. Additional 50 picnic baskets were given to the early birds who attended the event. Additional baskets were also raffled off during the event to lucky mothers.

Lifestyle is a Filipino cable television network owned and operated by Creative Programs, Inc., a subsidiary of the media and entertainment company ABS-CBN Corporation. The channel serves as a guide with a wealth of relevant and insightful content for multi-faceted Filipino millennial women. It is the channel to first recognize the need for lifestyle content that specifically caters to the preferences of Filipinas, and hence is the pioneer in local lifestyle programming. It balances a mix of acquired and locally produced lifestyle content that has also continuously evolved to suit the ever-changing needs and behavior of its viewers. On-air, online, mobile an on-ground, Lifestyle inspires and moves women to become better versions of themselves.

Lifestyle is available on SKYcable channel 52. For updates, like their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LifestyleTVPH , follow their IG account LifestyleTVPH and Twitter account @Lifestyle52.

t uES DAy : m Ay 24, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

How maine mendoza secures her future?

In spite of the several brand endorsements coming her way, Maine Mendoza is not one who would overspend or indulge on mere impulse. In fact, she admitted that she has become more practical and careful in managing her keep.

What further complements her being financially responsible is her partnership with a bank, which she described as very helpful way in securing her future.

Prior to becoming an official endorser of BDO Unibank advocating the “Abot ang pangarap pag BDO ang kausap” campaign, Mendoza, the famed social media queen and the other half of the phenomenal AlDub loveteam, said she already banks with BDO. “BDO and I have something in common. We’re both thinking of stability and we’re also giving our best in the field that we are into,” she said.

She added that she has become wiser in the way she wants her earnings to be managed.

“I am very blessed that at my age, I am earning more than enough for myself. But this does not mean that I get to spend a lot of money for luxury. I save for my future. Most of my earnings are in my bank account.

Thanks to my Nanay for the help in managing my income,” noted Mendoza.

Coming from a family whose success emanates from overseeing their businesses

well, it’s no surprise that Mendoza would naturally want her ideal man to be financially responsible.

“That is one of the qualities I take into consideration when I look for someone to be with. Not that I am looking for someone who is rich and all that, but I’d say I want to be with a man who knows how to handle his resources well. In that way, I know he’ll be a responsible partner in the future,” she related.

A self-confessed dreamer, Mendoza shares an advice to people particularly her generation on the importance of saving for the future.

“It is easy to spend but much harder to save. However, having savings would help us to be secured and prepared for what can happen to us in the latter part of our lives. It is also a big help if we consider finding the best partner to help us manage our income,” she ended.

BDo financial campaign advocate maine mendoza

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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GERAlD AnDERSon’S pERfEct DAtE

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ho will showbiz heartthrob Gerald Anderson pick as his Ipanema perfect pair?

Find out tomorrow 3 p.m. at The Trinoma Activity Center as Ipanema’s Perfect Pair promo concludes with a big bang.

One lucky female will get the chance to spend an unforgettable kilig date with Gerald Anderson, one of the hottest young actors today, plus an exciting all-expense paid trip to the Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu.

Fans will also get the chance to watch Gerald in person as he hits the dance floor and leaves all the girls swooning in heartstopping song and dance numbers.

The fun doesn’t end there. Ipanema will unveil its newest collection that will surely fire up summer fashion. Just head over to Bambu Trinoma and purchase an Ipanema footwear to get a VIP seat at the Ipanema Perfect Pair event and watch Gerald Anderson up close and personal and take home a special-edition VIP kit and other exciting prizes.

Apart from Gerald gracing the event, consumers are also in for a treat with a variety of booths they can check-out like the nail art & foot spa, and DIY flower crown tutorials and foot sticker tattoo, make-up and hair styling. Cool Ukelele artists led by Theobromine Band and Mang Pedring as well as Aia de Leon of Imago will also be on hand to add to the summer romance feel.

So, mark your calendar and join Ipanema’s Perfect Pair event at The Trinoma Activity Center.

Ipanema brand ambassador and Kapamilya star Gerald Anderson

Spellbinding tricks in ‘now you See me 2’ The Four Horsemen return in the thrilling caper Now You See Me 2 for a second mind-bending adventure, elevating the limits of stage illusion to new heights in hopes of clearing their names and exposing the ruthlessness of a dangerous tech magnate.

The illusionists (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Lizzy Caplan) return one year after outwitting

the FBI and winning the public’s adulation with their Robin Hood-style magic spectacles.

The man behind their vanishing act is none other than Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe), a tech prodigy who threatens the Horsemen into pulling off their most impossible heist yet. Their only hope is to perform one last unprecedented stunt to clear their names and reveal the mas-

termind behind it all.

Directed by Jon M. Chu and co-produced by David Copperfield, Now You See Me 2 sees returning cast Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman with new characters played

by Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Radcliffe and Jay Chou.

The magic returns in cinemas when Now You See Me 2 opens June 8 from Pioneer Films.

American actor mark Ruffalo in a scene from the magic caper thriller “now you See me 2”

television and film actor Dave franco (right) is Jack Wilder, one of the four Horsemen, a group of talented illusionists

Stellar cast. (from left) Woody Harrelson, Dave franco, Daniel Radcliffe, lizzy caplan and Jesse Eisenberg

t uES DAy : m Ay 24, 2016

C8

ISAH V. RED EDITOR NICKIE WANG WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

English businessman and philanthropist Sir Richard Branson

SIR RIchaRD BRanSOn hEaDlInES anc FORum

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he go-to-news source for the country’s top businessmen and leaders is bringing one of the world’s most innovative businessmen to the Philippines.

As part of its 20th anniversary celebration, ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel will be holding the inaugural Asian Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum tomorrow 2 p.m. at the Grand Plaza Ballroom of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila featuring global business leader Sir Richard Branson as guest speaker.

Branson, founder of Virgin Group, will be in town to share his insights and experiences to Philippine industry leaders and executives in the first of a series of leadership forums from ANC, deemed the gold standard in Philippine news.

Branson is credited for building from scratch an empire that has gone on to grow successful businesses in sectors including mobile telephony, travel, transportation, financial services, health and wellness, leisure and entertainment. In 2004, Branson established Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group, which unites people and entrepreneurial ideas to create opportunities for a better world.

Tickets to the Asian Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum, An ANC Leadership Series are now available on Ticketworld and are priced at P25,000 (Silver), P30,000 (Gold), and P35,000 (Platinum).

For ticket inquiries, visit www.ticketworld. com.ph or call (02) 891.9999. For corporate group sales, contact Inspire Leadership Consultancy at inquiry@inspireleaders.

Sir Richard Branson, one of the world’s well-known entrepreneurs and founder of the Virgin Group, will be in town for ANC’s Entrepreneurship Forum

com.ph or call (02) 631.0912. For more information on the Asian Innovation and

Entrepreneurship Forum, visit http://ancevents.abs-cbn.com

GmA News Online cements virtual presence during ‘Eleksyon 2016’ In an increasingly online world, leading broadcast organization GMA Network continues to blaze the trail as its online portal, GMA News Online, proved to be the netizens’ go-to news source during and immediately after the national elections held two weeks ago.

According to data from Effective Measure for worldwide audience for the period May 9 to 11, GMA News Online recorded 109,802,626 page views—the highest number of page views for three consecutive days, a feat that has never been achieved by any local site to date. GMA’s online portal had almost 90 million page views over ABS-CBN News, which only managed to get 19,940,178 page views during the same period.

GMA New Media Incorporated (GMA NMI), the Network’s forerunner in technology, collaborated with GMA News and Public Affairs to make sure that the online component of the Eleksyon 2016 coverage offered the most relevant, comprehensive and accurate online platform to adequately provide for the public’s need for electionrelated news and information.

GMA News Online delivered real-time election updates, including up-to-theminute partial and unofficial results for all positions in the national and local elections up to the clustered precinct level, accessible in all platforms and devices.

Using a proprietary technology developed

by GMA NMI, the Kapuso news portal offered “Smart Search,” which made it faster and easier for site visitors to find results by candidate, place or position.

The site also featured a map that showed

“Eleksyon 2016” is GmA News’ comprehensive coverage of the national elections

GmA News pillars Vicky morales, Arnold Clavio, Jessica Soho, mike Enriquez, mel tiangco, and Howie Severino lead the network’s coverage of the 2016 elections

the drill-down for the national elections, broken down per region, per province and per city. On top of that, the local results pages can further be drilled-down to show national and provincial results per city or barangay and clustered precincts.

The reliability and responsiveness of the website was stellar and unmatched by competition, having been able to respond at an average of 1 millisecond per request from May 9 to 11.

Netizens also preferred to get updates via GMA News’ various social media accounts.

As a news organization, GMA had the highest number of new followers on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Viber.

GMA was the first to tweet about the partial and unofficial election results on Twitter. It also showed statistics in terms of number of interactions surrounding the presidential and vice-presidential candi-

dates coming from Facebook and Twitter.

GMA News Social Media also utilized Facebook Live to keep netizens updated on Election Day. The GMA News Facebook page broadcasted periodic election news reports through the “GMA News-Facebook E16 Live,” while “Para po sa Bayan: The GMA-Facebook Jeepney” allowed some Pinoy voters in Metro Manila to share their voting experience. E16 Live and Para Po Sa Bayan videos have so far reached more than six million views.

The #DapatTama room on FireChat became the hang-out place for election discussions, while GMA gave Snapchat users behind-the-scene access to the ongoing #Eleksyon2016 coverage.

GMA also came up with #DigiDokyu, a series of short documentaries that incorporates mobile journalism in the Network’s election education campaigns. It is the first

television network that produced content for social media that was entirely shot and mainly edited using Android devices. During its launch on May 7, GMA produced 10 short documentaries about the five Presidential candidates’ supporters before the official campaign period ended.

In the next few days, #DigiDokyu series published nine more election-related stories that touched on the voters’ experiences, election heroes, and various #Eleksyon2016 behind-the-scenes.

GMA’s online feat in the Eleksyon 2016 coverage is a testament to the Network’s commitment of delivering Serbisyong Totoo. Without doubt, GMA is well poised to further harness technology and social media in order to strengthen the Network’s equity as the preferred source of news and information not only during the elections but all year round.