The Standard - 2016 June 29 - Wednesday

VOL. XXX NO. 137 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 WEDNESDAY : JUNE 29, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Abu Sayyaf using kids in crimes

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‘COMELEC CHIEF MISREAD RULES’ Commissioner invokes reso on travel authority

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

COMMISSIONER Christian Robert Lim on Tuesday accused Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista of misapplying and misquoting the rules on travel authority, saying he had no power to approve his own trip.

In a memo, Lim noted that the Comelec, as a constitutional body, is exempted from securing tavel authority from the Office of the President, but must follow the rules and guidelines that it promulgates.

The row over Bautista’s recent trip to Japan was the latest wrinkle in the ongoing turmoil at the Comelec that pits six commissioners against the chairman.

Earlier, the commissioners accused Bautista of a “failure of leadership” in a memo that raised 15 issues against him.

The commissioners now say Bautista traveled abroad without authority from the en banc, which could not designate an acting chairman while he was away. This, they said, meant they could not act on pending work.

Lim said an executive order clearly states that constitutional bodies should promulgate guidelines regarding the approval of travel authorities of their heads.

Based on a Comelec en banc resolution approved May 12, 2016, if the chairman needs to travel, the most senior member of the commission will sign the travel authority.

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File photo shows Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista (left) with Commissioners Al Parreño, Arthur Lim and Sheriff Abas during the National Board of Canvassers’ opening of ballot boxes at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. LINO SANTOS

Swim for fitness

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Aquino leaves 20 Congress bills unacted

By Macon Ramos Araneta WITH only two days left in his term, President Benigno Aquino III has yet to act on more than 20 bills approved by Congress, which will have to be refiled in the 17th Congress if he doesn’t sign them into law before noon of June 30.

Senator Vicente Sotto III said that if Aquino does not sign the 22 enrolled

bills before he steps down, they will be deemed “unacted” and will have to go through the entire legislative mill again in the 17th Congress.

Among the unsigned bills are an anti-carnapping measure, the proposed Foreign Ownership Act and the Basic Education Act. A few days from the end of his term, Aquino signed four measures, includ-

ing the Centenarians Act and the NBI Reorganization and Modernization Act. The Centenarians Act grants a P100,000 cash incentives and additional benefits and privileges to each Filipino centenarian. It does not, however, include a provision that would have granted them 75 percent VAT Next page exemption.

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Abu Sayyaf using kids in crimes

By John Paolo Bencito and Florante S. Solmerin

ARMED boys, some no older than 12, guard hostages while entire communities collude to prove a safe haven for the ruthless Abu Sayyaf bandits, a member of the incoming administration’s peace panel said Tuesday, citing the experiences of freed hostage Marites Flor.

Incoming presidential adviser on the peace process Jesus Dureza was instrumental in obtaining the release of Flor, who was abducted with her Canadian boyfriend Robert Hall, another Canadian John Ridsdel and a Norwegian, Kjartan Sekkingstad, in September 2015.

The Abu Sayyaf beheaded Ridsdel and Hall after the bandits did not get the ransom they demanded. Sekkingstad is still being held by the bandits.

“Marites said, ‘Sir, there are even children who would guard us with guns, some of them are 12 years old,’” Dureza told GMA News.

“They don’t have schools there, they don’t have facilities, they’re just poor,” Dureza said, adding that they were helping the bandits to gain a small share of the ransom they earn from the hostages.

Even the community would provide perimeter security for the bandits, making it more difficult for government security forces to obtain accurate intelligence.

“The members of the com-

‘Comelec...

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Lim is the most senior en banc member.

“Based on existing guidelines, there is no instance that a chairman applies and approves his own travel authority. This is simply a concept of checks-and-balances. The commission en banc remains a collegial body,” Lim said.

Bautista left for a vacation in Japan last week and arrived in Manila Monday.

Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said Bautista’s departure for Japan last Thursday left behind unsigned procurement documents and resolutions.

“Chairman Bautista did not have en banc authority to travel abroad and thus the en banc was not able to designate an acting chair, which is according to our rules,” Guanzon said.

Bautista brushed aside Guanzon’s statement explaining that he took his “privilege leave” to accompany his son to

munity will even provide them with a security cordon to protect these hostages and also the hostage takers,” Dureza said.

“Most of the community members also benefit [from the ransoms paid]…. In other words, it has been a source of livelihood for the community,” he said.

“They are just in it for the money. They find this a very lucrative way of earning money,” Dureza added.

Dureza said to combat the Abu Sayyaf, the government must maintain a presence in the far-flung areas that they have neglected or even abandoned.

He said while the problem required a military solution, the government must also deal with the environmental factors that have allowed the bandit group to survive despite sporadic government crackdowns.

“We cannot deal with this situation just because the people are saying that you should attack them at once. There is a community around it and you have to address the reasons why they are also involved in Tokyo from June 23 to 26.

He cited a June 21 memorandum, assuring acting commission secretary Consuelo Diola that his was “a personal trip that will entail no cost to the commission.”

He added that the chairman of the Commission on Audit and the Ombudsman also issue their own travel authorities.

Bautista also denied that there was no acting Comelec chairman while he was in Japan. “I referred to existing memos so the senior commissioner is acting chair in my absence,” he said.

The poll chief also reacted to the decision of his colleagues’ plan of three commissioners not to participate in the operational preparations of the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls, saying that the move was “unprofessional.”

An en banc meeting Tuesday lasted an hour, after which Bautista faced the media.

In a hoarse voice, Bautista

that way,” Dureza said.

“They are isolated. They are very poor. They don’t have schools there. There is no government there. They have not felt the presence of government. We should also address that, not only the terrorists there,” he added.

Dureza declined to reveal other information provided

by Flor as some of them might have tactical value to the military and the police.

“They should be isolated from these bad guys. ‘That should be our entry point.

While you deal with an iron fist with the bad guys, you have to deal with the community out there,” he said.

The Abu Sayyaf released Flor, a native of Valencia, Bukidnon, after months of captivity after she and her companions were snatched from a resort on Samal Island in Davao del Norte in September 2015.

Earlier, Duterte said the Abu Sayyaf must be clear if it wants to be treated as an enemy, and said he was open to a dialogue with the group.

“The Abu Sayyaf, they are not my enemies. I know that is connected with the issue of Mindanao. I would like to clear. Would they? Are they willing to talk? Or just fight it out?” Duterte told his Cebuano supporters.

Duterte also vowed a “day of reckoning” for the Abu Sayyaf, after they beheaded two Canadian hostages when the deadline for their ransom passed.

Duterte said that they are said the meeting was “a cordial kind of dialogue” where they discussed many matters, including the preparations for the October elections.

Guanzon agreed, saying Tuesday’s meeting was “very different” from previous ones.

“It was very professional.

Fast. That’s the way a meeting should be,” she said.

Guanzon said their memo to Bautista was not discussed in the en banc meeting because it wasn’t on the agenda, which the chairman controls.

“It’s inappropriate to raise that in an en banc because there’s an agenda that the chairman controls. So, if it’s not in the agenda, we cannot bring it up,” she said.

During the meeting, Guanzon said, the en banc discussed the pending cases that need to be addressed immediately.

She also said it was not the right time to raise the memo because Bautista had lost his voice.

“That is a standing request.

But I thought it was not the right time to say it because he has no voice,” she said.

still negotiating for the release of Sekkingstad.

Dureza said the government couldn’t simply launch an attack because innocent lives were at stake.

“We have to talk to them [Abu Sayyaf] to save lives, but it’s not in the context of peace...

The full force of the law will have to be applied here,” he said.

He added that the administration cannot take a single approach in dealing with the bandit group because the situation on the ground is complex.

“The situation is complicated. You cannot put it in one box,” he said when asked whether the Duterte administration’s policy regarding the Abu Sayyaf will be negotiation or launching an offensive.

“It has to be a calibrated approach,” Dureza added.

But incoming Armed Forces chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya pledged a “24x7 fight” to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf.

“We are planning to fight the ASG 24/7. We would like to defeat the ASG the fastest way,” he said.

Even as the Abu Sayyaf released Flor, it abducted seven Indonesian sailors in the Sulu Sea, eight days after Hall was beheaded.

Visaya added that the Armed Forces has more than enough resources as the military has 11 battalions deployed in Sulu alone hunting these terrorists.

“There will be some procurement, and there will be

She added that the other members of the en banc will wait for Bautista to regain his voice.

“Let us see because for all we know maybe the chairman is writing a reply... He has no voice. So let us be patient,” Guanzon said.

She added that while they are willing to be patient, Bautista cannot simply sweep their issues under the rug.

The leaked memo detailed at least 15 issues raised against Bautista by Commissioners Christian Robert Lim, Arthur Lim, Luie Guia, and Guanzon.

Lawmakers were split Tuesday over the possible postponement of the barangay elections in the wake of the incoming Duterte administration’s resolve to pursue a federalist system of government.

Outgoing Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said a postponement “amounts to a term extension” for the barangay officials.

Belmonte also said that a deferment of elections would require a law. With Maricel V. Cruz

realignment of resources also,” he said.

The incoming AFP chief also said civilian support and cooperation are needed in addressing the ASG threat.

“We have more than enough forces to match them but they are very hard to locate on the ground, so it is essential for civilians to cooperate,” he added.

“In our military operations, we have to separate the terrorists from the civilian communities in order to cut off their logistics and contain them in areas conducive for battle where there would be no civilian collateral [damage]. Once that separation is done we have to build safety measures to make sure these terrorists don’t have a chance to return and mingle or blend into the community again for cover,” Visaya said.

Visaya said the use of force was still the most viable approach to eliminate an armed threat such as the Abu Sayyaf.

“For example in Sulu, we’ve have enough soldiers already deployed there and we don’t have to deploy more. As of now, up to 11 battalions or roughly 5,500 soldiers are already there, more than enough against the ASG, which according to the latest report, has only 500 or 1,000 maybe. All we’ve to do is craft a practical and doable plan in a comprehensive manner on how to deal with the Abu Sayyaf problem, and we already have that plan,” he said.

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Aquino...

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Senator Nancy Binay, a sponsor of the bill in the Senate, lauded its passing and thanked the President for recognizing and respecting the contribution of senior citizens.

Senator Loren Legarda hailed the enactment of the NBI Reorganization and Modernization Act, which she helped draft.

The law mandates the modernization of the NBI through acquisition of state-of-the-art intelligence and forensic equipment, and maintaining an elite and competent personnel through the provision of competitive compensation packages, including training, insurance benefits and scholarship grants for NBI agents and employees.

“Amid increasing demands upon the NBI in the investigation of high profile and complex cases such as human trafficking, cyber pornography, drug cartels and rice smuggling, we really need to modernize and reorganize the agency,” she said.

“The NBI must maintain a modern work system, as well as competent and highly trained personnel who will be at par with their foreign counterparts, especially in light of the constantly evolving modus of crimes and to ensure that it can effectively carry out its mandate,” Legarda said.

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‘Impeach moves on Duterte to be blocked’

Turnover. House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. turns over a 1955 bronze bust of National Hero Jose Rizal and a copy of the 1935 Constitution to Secretary General Marilyn Barua Yap during the deed of donation and acceptance at the House of Representatives. MANNY PALMERO

Court dumps petition vs deadline extension THE Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking to nullify the Commission on Elections decision extending the deadline for filing Statements of Contributions and Expenditures at the request of the Liberal Party.

The petition was filed last week by retired Army Col. Justino Padiernos of the People’s Freedom Party and lawyer Manuelito Luna of the 1-Abilidad party-list.

But the high court dismissed the petition on a technicality.

The Comelec welcomed the high court’s decision.

But the United Nationalist Alliance expressed disappointment over it.

“We mourn the passing of The Rule of Law,” UNA spokesman Mon

Ilagan said.

“Sadly, its final breath was taken away by a democracy-driven institution that is supposed to uphold the highest standard of integrity, impartiality and respect for the Rule of Law.” The high court cited the failure of the petitioners to attach a duplicate, original or certified copy of the Comelec resolution as required by the Rules of Civil Procedures.

“Petitioners merely submitted news reports in lieu of the required

number of the assailed resolution,” the high court said.

“As petitioners failed to state the exact date of promulgation of the assailed resolution, the averments regarding the timeliness of petition are also defective.

“We remind petitioners that this Court cannot act upon a petition for certiorari that does not contain the assailed issuances and wholly relies upon printed news accounts. In sum, the failure of the instant petition to comply with these basic requirements constitutes a sufficient reason for its dismissal.”

The petitioners claimed that the 30-day deadline was set under Republic Act 7166 and that the poll body “is constitutionally and statutorily mandated to enforce and administer all election laws and regu-

lations relative to the conduct of an election, plebiscite, initiative, referendum and recall.”

They said the extension made by the Comelec was tantamount “to an impermissible amendment of Section 14 of R.A. 7166.”

They said the Comelec’s decision was “unfair” and set a bad precedent.

The party mates of Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte in the PDPLaban were set to file a similar petition with the high court as earlier announced by Davao del Norte Rep. and incoming House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

Voting 4-3 on June 16, the Comelec granted the LP’s motion for extending and moving the deadline for submitting the SOCEs to June 30. Rey E. Requejo, Sara Susanne D. Fabunan and Vito Barcelo

LAWMAKERS will shield President-elect Rodrigo Duterte from any impeachment complaint that might be filed against him, outgoing Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said Tuesday.

Any move to oust the former mayor of Davao would have no chance.

“Let’s face it: the chances of that [impeachment] is zero and nobody would even think of it,” Belmonte told reporters.

At the same time, one of the vice chairmen of the Liberal Party appealed to all sectors to unite behind the new administration and allow Duterte to fulfill his mandate without any threats of impeachment.

“Let’s give the new President a chance to run the country without talk of impeachment or anything like that,” Belmonte said.

Duterte said the other day he was not afraid of a possible impeachment over his policies.

“Impeachment? Go ahead! I will do what I promise to the people,” Duterte said in his farewell speech as mayor of Davao City during a flag-raising ceremony on Monday.

He said he won the presidential elections because he carried the right message.

Belmonte, who was among those who voted to impeach President Joseph Estrada, Chief Justice Renato Corona and Ombudsman Maria Merceditas Gutierrez, assured Duterte of the support of the members of the 17th Congress.

Duterte had nothing to “fear.”

Belmonte dismissed as baseless talks that the LP was plotting to impeach Duterte to allow their party-mate, Vice President-elect Leni Robredo, to succeed him.

“That is a big joke, pure intrigue. And I am pretty sure that such talks do not come from the media,” Belmonte said.

He said he was confident that Duterte and Robredo would be able to work together for the common good of the people. Maricel V. Cruz

Roman to sue those who will call her congressman “I AM not a man so address me as congresswoman,” Bataan Representative-elect Geraldine Roman, the first transgender woman to be elected in Congress, said on Tuesday.

“I will file cases against those who will call me congressman,” she said.

“I am legally and anatomically female.”

Roman, 48, was among the members of the 17th Congress who attended outgoing House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte’s turnover of a bronze bust of national hero Jose Rizal and an original copy of the 1935 Constitution to the Lower House.

She vowed to support lesbian gay bisexual transgender issues, such as same-sex marriages and the proposed Anti-Discrimination Act, as a lawmaker.

Roman had sex reassignment

surgery in New York when he was 26, and then had his name and gender legally changed.

Former Bataan Rep. Herminia Roman is her mother.

Roman had earlier admitted that the proposal to allow samesex marriages in Congress would not pass even if she supported it.

“I’m just trying to be realistic here. If you want to pass same-sex marriage [legislation], you have to more or less [test] the waters in Congress,” Roman said.

“Congress is a numbers game, and if you try to pass same-sex marriage, it might not prosper. I don’t think it’s going to be passed.”

Roman said it would be more appropriate to allow “civil unions” in order not to hurt the sensibilities of Filipinos in a predominantly Catholic country. Maricel V. Cruz

Visit. Vice President Jejomar Binay visits Vice President-elect Leni Robredo at her home in Quezon City Monday afternoon to offer his congratulations to his successor.

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Tugade seeks extra powers

By John Bencito

GENERAL aviation operators not directly involved in airline operations will be asked to leave the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport to provide additional aviation space, incoming Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said Tuesday.

Salute to the CS. Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya is intercepted by journalists as he reported for work at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. FLORANTE SOLMERIN

New era ending ‘Imperial Manila’ starts PRESIDENT-elect Rodrigo Duterte takes office this week looking to end the domination of “Imperial Manila” with a radical shift to federalism that he says is vital to fighting poverty and ending a deadly Muslim separatist insurgency.

Duterte, who won last month’s elections in a landslide, has vowed to have the Constitution rewritten to achieve his bold plans—which would see power devolved from the central government in the capital to newly created states governing the current 81 provinces.

“It [the current system] is an excuse for them to hang onto power in Imperial Manila. They have always been

there in one single office, running the Philippines,” Duterte said in a speech during the election campaign.

Such comments are typical fare for Duterte, an anti-establishment figure who relentlessly rails against the elite that has mostly ruled the Philippines since independence from the United States after World War II. Duterte will on Thursday take over from Benigno Aquino, who remains a generally popular figure but nevertheless comes from one of the remarkably small number of wealthy clans that have long dominated national politics and overseen one of Asia’s biggest rich-poor divides.

Duterte will become the first presi-

dent from the vast southern region of Mindanao, which is one of the nation’s poorest areas and home to decades-old communist and Muslim insurgencies that have claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Highlighting his antipathy for Manila rule, Duterte snubbed his proclamation by Congress as the winner of the elections—an event normally rich in tradition and ceremony.

Duterte has also travelled to the capital just once since winning the election, and vowed to spend the bulk of his six years as president based in Davao, which has less than two percent of the nation’s population and is 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Manila.

Under Duterte’s federal set-up, the states will be largely autonomous and allowed to retain most of their income, rather than remitting it to the central government, which he believes will be a key driver of economic growth in the impoverished countryside.

He has said the central government would retain essential national functions, such as defense, foreign policy and customs.

Duterte has repeatedly said one of the main benefits of federalism would be to end separatist rebellions waged by the country’s impoverished Muslim minority because they would in effect have autonomy in the new states. AFP

LP urges equality in House

By Maricel V. Cruz OUTGOING Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. advised his successor Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan to adopt the “good camaraderie tactic” he employed during the 16th Congress in dealing with members of the Liberal Party.

At the same time, a congressman who requested not to be named appealed to the leadership of the PDP-Laban to stop trying to recruit LP members because that might make the “super coalition” in the House untenable with more LP members in the House than PDP-Laban members.

Belmonte stressed the need for the ruling PDP-Laban “to establish good relationship” with its coalition partners in the 17th Congress, like he did when the LP assumed power in 2010.

“Our policy then was to establish a good relationships with your allies, treat them fairly, treat them equally, and give recognition to them,” Belmonte told reporters.

“That is my way of bonding with them rather than forcing them to join the party,” Belmonte added, apparently referring to the declared plan of the PDP-Laban to reduce LP to a “bitesized” minority of 20 member.

Belmonte also hinted that he might again pursue the challenge of being the next minority leader in the incoming 17th Congress because of the difficulty in finalizing a coalition agreement between the PDP-Laban and the LP. This developed as a congressman who refused to be named expressed alarm at the massive recruitment being undertaken by members of the PDP-Laban among the future members of the 17th Congress.

Last hail to the Chief. President Benigno Aquino III receives a

saber from acting military chief Lt. Gen. Glorioso Miranda during a testimonial parade on Monday. MALACAÑANG PHOTO

Tugade said he will issue a notice to general aviation operators to move out of the 44-hectare airport within his first 100 days in office, but they will be given sufficient time to do so.

“We will give them enough time to move out.

I cannot say they have to move out outright. I have to give them also an alternative place to go to,” Tugade said in a television interview.

Among those to be affected by the order are companies involved in plane charters, air cargo, aviation training and aircraft maintenance, Tugade said.

He noted that one of the causes of air congestion at the Naia is the abuse of slot privileges and the turnover time of airplanes.

“The ideal slot capacity of Naia is 32. As far as I know, they are reaching up to 40 to 41 right now,” Tugade said.

Under the new plan, he said from 18 to 22 percent of airport space will be freed if general aviation operators not directly involved airline operations move to nearby Sangley Air Base or Fernando Air Base in Lipa, Batangas.

Tugade said he can hasten the relocation of general aviation operators if he had special authorization stemming from the special powers he had earlier proposed for President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to deal with the lingering crisis in the transportation sector.

“I need emergency powers to do these things. First is to remove aviation. Second is to fix Sangley for their immediate move-in,” Tugade said, adding that he had already spoken with some private plane owners who have not opposed the proposal.

He noted, however, that there’s no need to transfer the Naia to the Clark International Airport in Pampanga. “There is no such thing as transferring one airport to another. All of these airports can coexist,” he said.

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Marcos bent on pursuing protest vs Robredo

Poll body to PPCRV: Explain quick count mess

By Joel E. Zurbano

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

CITIng massive cheating in the May 9 elections, Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to file today with the Supreme Court his electoral protest in connection with the vice presidential race.

The protest came a month after the national Board of Canvassers proclaimed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo as the duly elected president and vice president, respectively.

Robredo, who ran under the ruling Liberal Party of outgoing resident Benigno Aquino III, won the vice presidential race with 14,418,817 votes, up by only 263,473 against the votes received

by Marcos.

But the only son and namesake of the late strongman former President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared that the cheating carried out in the May 9 elections was massive and unprecedented because it has become institutionalized.

The young Marcos said he will present the “true results” of the elections so that he can assume the position that is being warmed up for him.

“We will definitely show the true results [and] “I will eventually take my seat that is being kept warm for me,” said Senator Marcos during a press conference at Annabel’s Restaurant in Quezon City on June 11.

His camp claimed around three million votes have not been counted.

Marcos stated that while he expected there would be irregularities in the polls, he did not expect it to be as uncouth and flagrant as what was carried out in the recent elections.

“I could not imagine that anyone could be so cavalier about the electoral protest and again this partisan effort over the elections was something that is unprecedented. And I think it reflects a lack of concern as to what people think—walang pakialam talaga. That is something that we have never anticipated. We never imagined that people holding high office could possibly behave in such a manner.”

The Commission on elections on Tuesday asked its citizen arm, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, to explain allegations of vote manipulation stemming from the discrepancy in the votes garnered by party- list group Confederation of Non-Stock Savings and Loan Association.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez did not discount the possibility of the poll body investigating Consla’s ’s claim but stressed that it is the obligation of the PPCRV first to address the issue.

“The letter is basically pointing out discrepancies between

the PPCRV count and the Comelec count. Recently, the PPCRV has admitted that there were some miscalculations on their part. So I think in the first instance the people who should do the explaining is the PPCRV,” Jimenez said.

The Comelec official PPCRV

should look into its system first to determine why its quick count did not match the Comelec’s official tally.

“You look at the problem. In this case, the discrepancy is between an unofficial source and the official result. So look at the unofficial [result] before you disturb the official one,” Jimenez pointed out.

Jimenez said the Comelec was willing to assist the PPCRV in explaining the discrepancy but it should be done in accordance with the process.

In the case of Consla, Jimenez said the “logical first step would be to look at the PPCRV results since its officials have said they are willing to explain the discrepancy.’’

In its letter-complaint, Consla noted how the PPCRV Quick Count, which was sourced from the Transparency Server, showed on May 9 that the party-list group already has 342,513 votes.

The next day, the party-list group noted that the PPCRV tally showed they already have 523,753 votes at 11 a.m. and 555,896 votes by 12 noon to occupy Rank #14 in the tally.

The results were posted on the Twitter feed of the PCCRV which became the basis for the complaint by Consla.

Earlier, a candidate for Buhay party-list group executed an affidavit attesting to the discrepancy on the votes garnered by Consla.

Return to sender. Cause-oriented groups holding mini-replicas of container vans filled with garbage picket outside the Canadian Embassy in Makati City to ask Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to order the return of Canadian waste which was shipped to the Philippines last year.

DANNY PATA

Comelec told: Clarify party-list formula

By Rey Requejo

Greening of the bay. Employees of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources plant 1000 mangrove propagules along the coast of Manila Bay at Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila on Tuesday, June 28. DANNY PATA

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday required the Commission on Elections to comment on the petition filed by several winning party-list groups questioning the allocation of their seats in the House of Representatives for the incoming 17th Congress.

The SC ordered the Comelec to submit its answer to the petition filed last June 17 by party-list groups An Waray, Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines and Citizens’ Battle against Corruption.

SC spokesman Theodore Te said the Comelec was given 10 days from notice to comply with the order.

The petition named eight other winning party-list groups—Ating Agapay Sentrong Samahan ng mga Obrero Inc. (Aasenso), Serbisyo sa Bayan Party (SBP), Magdalo Para sa Pilipino (Magdalo), Una ang Edukasyon (1-Ang Edukasyon), Ma-

nila Teachers Savings and Loan Association Inc. (Manila Teachers), Kusug Tausug, Aangat Tayo and Agbiag Timpuyog Ilocano Inc.—as other respondents who were likewise directed by the SC to file their respective comments.

Petitioners specifically asked the high tribunal to “correct the allegedly disproportionate allocation of seats for the party-list representatives for the 17th Congress.”

They questioned the formula applied by the Comelec and sought additional seats in Congress, which were instead distributed to the eight party-lists at the bottom of the list.

Under the formula, the number of additional seat is determined by multiplying the percentage of votes garnered by the party-list (quotient of the number of votes garnered and total number of votes cast) and the number of remaining seats available. The whole integer in the product represents the number of additional seats to be assigned to a party-list.

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2 agencies slam case reversal

By Rey E. Requejo

The Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Group and Philippine Drug enforcement Agency on Tuesday asked the Department of Justice to overturn its resolution dismissing their criminal charges against Marine Lt. Colonel Ferdinand Marcelino.

Mayor’s oath. Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr. swears in Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco at the Court of Appeals building in Manila. ANDREW RABULAN

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They cited the transcription of selfrecorded phone conversation between Marcelino and Yan showing that “the two planned to transfer the drugs inside the laboratory because they thought that PDeA is monitoring the area” and that they also “planned to give the drugs to a certain Tony.”

The PNP-AIDG and PDeA reiterated their allegation that the presence of the two respondents in the house in Manila where P256 million worth of shabu was seized last January could be considered circumstantial evidence.

“Lest we forget is the fact that respondents arrived at the subject house together, equipped with a key and with full authority from the owner of the house. These circumstances unarguably constitute a primafacie evidence that they are in control of the subject premise,” they argued.

The agencies also branded as “next to impossible” the requirement of the investigating prosecutor for them to “show independent evidence of prior knowledge from [respondents] of the presence of dangerous drugs at the unit for them to be considered in possession of the confiscated drugs.”

With these arguments, complainants asked the DOJ to reverse and set aside its resolution issued last week.

US, AFP sabotaging peace talks with Reds, NDF warns

Metro Manila Bulacan Pampanga Cavite Laguna Batangas Pangasinan Naga Legaspi Cebu Iloilo Davao General Santos Cagayan de Oro

Plan Package

In a 16-page joint motion, the PNPAIDG and PDeA appealed to the DOJ prosecutors reverse its findings and instead pursue the filing of court cases of conspiracy in manufacture and possession of illegal drugs under Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, against Marcelino and Yan Yi Shuo.

The anti-narcotics agencies said the dismissal of their charges by Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva was “utterly baseless, exceedingly arbitrary and grossly unjustified.”

According to them, they have submitted sufficient evidence to establish probable cause, which is the only requirement for filing of the cases in court.

“In preliminary investigation, the investigating prosecutor should only determine whether or not there is probable cause in the complaint filed against the respondent and not proof beyond reasonable doubt,”the complainant stressed.

The complainants also questioned the DOJ findings, insisting they have submitted “strong and adequate evidence enough to cause not only the filing of the [case] in court based on probable cause but also to convict the respondents beyond reasonable doubt based on existing laws and jurisprudence.”

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(TS-JUNE 29, 2016)

The spokesperson of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines Fidel Agcaoili said the US government and the Philippine military are bent on spoiling the upcoming peace negotiation between the Philippine government and the Communist Party of the Philippines-NDF. Agcaoili issued this statement after a court issued on Tuesday a warrant for the arrest of 15 activists for cases of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

Among the 15 people facing the charges are Rius Valle, Rev. Jurie Jailed, hanimay Suazo, Ryan Laniba, Tony Salubre, Jimboy Marciano, Mary Ann Sapar, Jaja encasio, Pedro Arnado, Kerlan Fanagel Sr., Stella Matutina, Restita Miles, Isidro Andao and Kharlo Manaro. The court recommended

no bail against the accused.

The NDFP spokesman said the government of President Benigno Aquino III is running after activists who are fighting for the rights of the indigenous people.

“Why are they issuing a warrant of arrest now?,” Agcaoili asked.

Valle, one of the accused, belied the allegations of kidnapping and serious illegal detention of more than 700 lumad evacuees in the United Church of Christ in the Philippines haran. he said that the cases against them were clearly filed to sabotage the upcoming peace talks.

“It is so clear that they are doing this to sabotage the efforts of peace between Net and the Philippine Government in the incoming [Rodrigo] Duterte administration,” Valle said.

Ombudsman spared from probe of DAP-PDAF implementors The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied a petition seeking to compel the Office of the Ombudsman and Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales to investigate and if evidence warrants, file charges against those behind the implementation of the Disbursement Acceleration Program and Priority Development Assistance Fund.

In its en banc session, the high court dismissed the petition filed by losing senatorial candidate

Greco Belgica and Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco during its regular en banc session.

SC spokesman Theodore Te said the Court ruled that acts sought to be compelled by petitioners are not ministerial acts but are discretionary acts.

According to the tribunal, mandamus will issue only, according to the SC when there is a showing that a clear, legal right to the act demanded exists; respondent has the duty to perform the

act because it is mandated by law; respondent unlawfully neglects the performance of such duty required by law; the act to be performed is ministerial, not discretionary; and there is no other plain, speedy and adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law.

“None of these elements exist and thus mandamus does not lie and petitioners are not entitled to the relief sought,” the SC held.

Rey E. Requejo

w e d n e s d ay : j u n e 2 9, 2 0 1 6

A7

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

PDEA burns drugs worth P2.1m

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera

Joyride. Two girls ride their carabaos along the national highway in Aleosan, North Cotabato, after a full day at the farm. OMAR MANGORSI

4,000 drug pushers, users surrender to Reg 12 PNP GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Nearly 4,000 illegal drug pushers and users in Region 12 have surrendered in the past several weeks in line with the Philippine National Police’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

Supt. Romeo Galgo Jr., public information officer of the Police Regional Office 12, said Tuesday the pushers and users surfaced and vowed to transform their lives, shunning

illegal activities.

He said 2,490 of them are from South Cotabato, 1,342 from Sultan Kudarat, 114 from this city and 12 from North Cotabato.

On Monday, over a

thousand drug pushers and users surrendered in Sultan Kudarat at a ceremony held at the provincial gymnasium in Isulan town.

The activity was witnessed by incoming Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno.

The PRO-12 earlier urged drug personalities in the region to surface or surface voluntarily to local

police units.

Those who surrender will be assisted to ensure that they stay completely away from illegal drugs and related activities.

“This campaign is part of our enhanced illegal drug reduction efforts,” Galgo said in a statement.

He said those who would want to undergo drug rehabilitation will be assisted

by PRO-12 in coordination

with local stakeholders.

The office would also link with the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority and concerned local government units for the provision of livelihood assistance for those who would surrender.

“We will help ensure their proper reintegration in our communities,” Galgo added. PNA

DAVAO CITY—Over P2 million worth of confiscated illegal drugs was burned by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 11 in Davao City on Monday afternoon to show support for President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign against prohibited substances.

The destroyed drugs consisted of 170.2625 grams of shabu, 17,007.85 grams of marijuana and 5.97 grams of cocaine hydrochloride, for a total street value of P2.163 million.

According to PDEA 11 spokesperson Noli Dimaandal, the burned drugs were confiscated from the 157 drug operations in the city.

PDEA 11 Director Adzhar Albani said that efforts have been made to comply with Duterte’s six-month deadline in suppressing illegal drugs.

“The burning has been part of our routine since 2002 and also an effort to show to the incoming president that we are with him on his campaign against illegal drugs,” Albani said.

He added that the burning belies allegations that the PDEA recycles the drugs it has confiscated.

Lake Sebu fish kill claims P3.9m worth of tilapia

Street show. Dancers parade in costume during the Buyogan Festival in Abuyog, Leyte. MEL CASPE

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Around P3.9 million worth of tilapia were destroyed in another major fish kill in lakes Seloton and Sebu in Lake Sebu town in South Cotabato.

Justina Navarrete, chief of the South Cotabato Office of the Provincial Agriculturist said Tuesday the fish kill occurred in portions of the two critical lakes in the last three weeks, with the onset of almost daily rains in the area.

She said it affected five fish cage operators situated in Sitio Lamsufo in Lake Sebu and one in Lake Seloton.

The fish kill, which is the fourth in Lake Sebu this year, destroyed around 4,000 kilos of tilapia in Lake Sebu and 320 kilos in Lake Seloton, she said.

“It was caused by the sudden change of the weather in the area,” Navarrete said.

She was referring to “kamahong,” a phenomenon caused by the sudden rise in the water’s temperature.

“Kamahong,” which usually occurs during the rainy season, triggers the

rise of sulfuric acid in the lake’s waters that eventually caused the massive fish kill.

Rex Vargas, OPAG’s fishery coordinator, said the phenomenon occurs when cold rainwater, which is heavier than warm water, settles at the abyssal zone of the lake.

“This causes the upturn or upwelling of warm water carrying silts, sediments and gases such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, sulphur and methane gas produced by the decomposing organic matter such as fish feeds,” he explained.

Vargas said such situation results in the reduction of dissolved oxygen in the water, “forcing fishes to take in oxygen directly from the atmosphere and eventually die.”

In April and May, around 10,800 kilos of tilapia were destroyed in a series of fish kills blamed on “kamahong” in lakes Sebu and Seloton. The municipal government reported the first fish kill in January. PNA

W E D n E s D Ay: j u n E 2 9, 2 0 1 6

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

VIRTual REalITy TOny lOpEz

stamping out redtape

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Brexit fallout Brexit—UK’s decision to leave the european Union—is roiling the global markets. The surprising referendum result has brought another uncertainty to the global economy, with fears of a weaker UK creating panic among financial investors.

The peso and the local stock market tumbled following the results of Friday’s UK referendum. The British pound sank to its lowest in more than 30 years, while global stock markets plunged.

Britain’s vote to exit from the 28-nation bloc already erased almost $4 trillion off the value of global equities, as investors sold what they consider riskier assets on worries of trade disruptions and political paralysis amid the fragile global economic recovery.

UK trade agreements and other economic arrangements with the eU will likely be decoupled, with nations negotiating separate deals to further their relations with Britain. its secession from the 28-nation eU economic bloc spells uncertainty and will affect those relying heavily on British trade.

Credit rating agencies, this early, have sensed UK’s dilemma. Brexit will certainly cause disruption to world trade and it will take time for the UK to realign its economy.

The Brexit fallout, meanwhile, will have little effect on Philippine trade and on migrant Filipino workers in the UK. Still, the contagion in the global financial markets will weigh on the peso and the local stock market.

The peso dropped below 47 against the US dollar Monday after investors sought safer havens amid the Brexit uncertainty. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expects the global financial turmoil to persist at least in the shortterm period, while assuring the Philippines has the economic fundamentals to weather the storm. it may be too early to talk about the possibility of a global recession in the aftermath of the Brexit. The incoming administration of President-elect rodrigo Duterte, however, should not be complacent. The new government must keep the country’s economic fundamentals solid to minimize the shocks coming from other continents.

GoodBye, NoyNoy (1) lOwDOwn jOjO a.

ROblEs (First of three parts) MAyBe in some future election, a presidential candidate will come along with the same combination of an excellent political pedigree to go along with nearzero previous experience—but with a gift for sloganeering and self-promotion. And we, the voters, will say: “not him, we already saw what happened when

we voted for noynoy Aquino.”

Tomorrow, Aquino will end six mostly performance-free years as president. Assuming he doesn’t end up in jail like his two immediate predecessors right after stepping down, Aquino said he expects to rest in his mother’s house and travel by car around the country.

What is also expected to happen is the start of a sober evaluation of Aquino’s term, an assessment no longer blinded by the awesome machinery for propaganda that was the only real infrastructure that this president

built. yes, Aquino saw early on the value of good propaganda, which got him the presidency despite his handicap as a nobody with famous parents.

And so, Aquino greatly expanded the once-tiny Office of the Press Secretary, revamping it so that it required three Cabinet-level heads instead of one. It was the only original idea his administration had and it served Aquino in good stead, keeping him in office despite the many man-made and natural calamities that his government would suffer over its six years.

A9

It was laissezfaire by unimaginative laziness—but with a lot of propagandasavvy creditgrabbing.

Indeed, everything else that Aquino claimed were his achievements during his term were really programs he continued from previous administrations or the result of incredibly good luck. All the bad things that happened to him were, unfortunately, of his own or his men’s doing.

And the things that should have happened but didn’t, that were promised but weren’t fulfilled? That’s noynoy doing noynoy things—also known as noynoying, which is roughly translated into “talking a big game but doing nothing.”

Let’s get this straight, like the much-derided straight path it-

self: noynoy did not grow the economy.

The national economy grew “organically,” as they say, as a result of the policies originally implemented in the time of Fidel Ramos and continued by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The main drivers of economic growth in the past six years were record-breaking OFWs remittances (sent home by second-generation workers who followed in the footsteps of the Marcosera pioneers) and BPO workers (who thrived in an industry started in the

Ramos years, even if falsely claimed

by Mar Roxas). Furthermore, the economic growth experienced since 2010 really happened because of renewed international investors’ interest in emerging markets like the Philippines, after markets like the US, europe and Japan started drying up.

The financial and economic reforms started by Ramos and Arroyo bore fruit in Aquino’s term, when a worldwide low-interest regime made it possible for investments in the Philippines to

The standard 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, 8325556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.thestandard.com.ph; E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

OnlInE

can be accessed at: thestandard.com.ph

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

become attractive. Aquino and his men will not admit it, but the Philippines was merely the beneficiary of these wide-ranging policy reforms because the country was ready when the good times returned regionally and worldwide after several upheavals and cyclical downturns. *** But while Aquino claims the economic gains that happened in his watch as his greatest achievement, he always fails to Continued on A10 Rolando G. Estabillo Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

One of the first things President Duterte must do is stop the crippling red tape in government.

For business, permits or processes must done in three days. no more than five signatures should be required. That was his rule in his native Davao where he was mayor for 22 years. The Davao model should be replicated nationwide, in all LGUs, pronto.

Otherwise, all mayors and governors who fail to meet the standards should be shot on the spot, without due process. If you ask me, politicians who are corrupt to the core do more damage to the people and to the country than the vilest drug lord or the meanest Abu Sayyaf kidnapper.

For ordinary Filipinos, things like police clearance, national Bureau of Investigation clearance and passports must be done in one day. Police and nBI clearances should be in 10 minutes. The Land Transportation Office used to be able to process licenses in 10 minutes. That should be the norm—10 minutes.

Driver’s licenses should be good for three, even five years, not for just one year. Renewal should be done online and on the spot, if the applicant has no derogatory record.

Duterte said before the government has procured plenty of computers. They should be put to good use, for the benefit of the people.

The ease of doing business and the cost of doing business have deteriorated in the country in recent years, under the “clean” government of BS Aquino.

Worldwide, the Philippine ranking in starting a business is down nine rungs, from 156th to 165th this year, registering property down 10 rungs, from 102nd to 112th, protecting minority investors down 23 rungs from 132nd to 155th, ease of paying taxes down two rungs, from 124th to 126th, enforcing contracts down 22 rungs from 118th to 140th, and trading across borders down 34 rungs, from 61st to 95th. These global downgrades for the Philippines came even while BS Aquino was preaching Matuwid na Daan.

The downgrades prove one thing—the Philippines became an even more corrupt place for doing business. Because the more red tape there is, the more the corruption is. early last June, eight government agencies vowed to revoke or repeal some 4,000 rules and regulations deemed burdensome and irrelevant in a bid to eliminate red tape that seriously impacts the competitiveness of the economy.

Abolishing most of the unwanted rules and policies, however, will require the consent and approval of one of the most red tape-laden institutions in the Philippines —Congress which is in the stranglehold of political dynasties and oligarchies.

But the repeal-or-reduce-red-tape initiative Continued on A11 Publisher Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Maan Ilustre Advertising and Marketing Head Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

W E D n E s D Ay: j u n E 2 9, 2 0 1 6

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

VIRTual REalITy TOny lOpEz

stamping out redtape

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Brexit fallout Brexit—UK’s decision to leave the european Union—is roiling the global markets. The surprising referendum result has brought another uncertainty to the global economy, with fears of a weaker UK creating panic among financial investors.

The peso and the local stock market tumbled following the results of Friday’s UK referendum. The British pound sank to its lowest in more than 30 years, while global stock markets plunged.

Britain’s vote to exit from the 28-nation bloc already erased almost $4 trillion off the value of global equities, as investors sold what they consider riskier assets on worries of trade disruptions and political paralysis amid the fragile global economic recovery.

UK trade agreements and other economic arrangements with the eU will likely be decoupled, with nations negotiating separate deals to further their relations with Britain. its secession from the 28-nation eU economic bloc spells uncertainty and will affect those relying heavily on British trade.

Credit rating agencies, this early, have sensed UK’s dilemma. Brexit will certainly cause disruption to world trade and it will take time for the UK to realign its economy.

The Brexit fallout, meanwhile, will have little effect on Philippine trade and on migrant Filipino workers in the UK. Still, the contagion in the global financial markets will weigh on the peso and the local stock market.

The peso dropped below 47 against the US dollar Monday after investors sought safer havens amid the Brexit uncertainty. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expects the global financial turmoil to persist at least in the shortterm period, while assuring the Philippines has the economic fundamentals to weather the storm. it may be too early to talk about the possibility of a global recession in the aftermath of the Brexit. The incoming administration of President-elect rodrigo Duterte, however, should not be complacent. The new government must keep the country’s economic fundamentals solid to minimize the shocks coming from other continents.

GoodBye, NoyNoy (1) lOwDOwn jOjO a.

ROblEs (First of three parts) MAyBe in some future election, a presidential candidate will come along with the same combination of an excellent political pedigree to go along with nearzero previous experience—but with a gift for sloganeering and self-promotion. And we, the voters, will say: “not him, we already saw what happened when

we voted for noynoy Aquino.”

Tomorrow, Aquino will end six mostly performance-free years as president. Assuming he doesn’t end up in jail like his two immediate predecessors right after stepping down, Aquino said he expects to rest in his mother’s house and travel by car around the country.

What is also expected to happen is the start of a sober evaluation of Aquino’s term, an assessment no longer blinded by the awesome machinery for propaganda that was the only real infrastructure that this president

built. yes, Aquino saw early on the value of good propaganda, which got him the presidency despite his handicap as a nobody with famous parents.

And so, Aquino greatly expanded the once-tiny Office of the Press Secretary, revamping it so that it required three Cabinet-level heads instead of one. It was the only original idea his administration had and it served Aquino in good stead, keeping him in office despite the many man-made and natural calamities that his government would suffer over its six years.

A9

It was laissezfaire by unimaginative laziness—but with a lot of propagandasavvy creditgrabbing.

Indeed, everything else that Aquino claimed were his achievements during his term were really programs he continued from previous administrations or the result of incredibly good luck. All the bad things that happened to him were, unfortunately, of his own or his men’s doing.

And the things that should have happened but didn’t, that were promised but weren’t fulfilled? That’s noynoy doing noynoy things—also known as noynoying, which is roughly translated into “talking a big game but doing nothing.”

Let’s get this straight, like the much-derided straight path it-

self: noynoy did not grow the economy.

The national economy grew “organically,” as they say, as a result of the policies originally implemented in the time of Fidel Ramos and continued by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The main drivers of economic growth in the past six years were record-breaking OFWs remittances (sent home by second-generation workers who followed in the footsteps of the Marcosera pioneers) and BPO workers (who thrived in an industry started in the

Ramos years, even if falsely claimed

by Mar Roxas). Furthermore, the economic growth experienced since 2010 really happened because of renewed international investors’ interest in emerging markets like the Philippines, after markets like the US, europe and Japan started drying up.

The financial and economic reforms started by Ramos and Arroyo bore fruit in Aquino’s term, when a worldwide low-interest regime made it possible for investments in the Philippines to

The standard 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, 8325556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.thestandard.com.ph; E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

OnlInE

can be accessed at: thestandard.com.ph

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

become attractive. Aquino and his men will not admit it, but the Philippines was merely the beneficiary of these wide-ranging policy reforms because the country was ready when the good times returned regionally and worldwide after several upheavals and cyclical downturns. *** But while Aquino claims the economic gains that happened in his watch as his greatest achievement, he always fails to Continued on A10 Rolando G. Estabillo Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

One of the first things President Duterte must do is stop the crippling red tape in government.

For business, permits or processes must done in three days. no more than five signatures should be required. That was his rule in his native Davao where he was mayor for 22 years. The Davao model should be replicated nationwide, in all LGUs, pronto.

Otherwise, all mayors and governors who fail to meet the standards should be shot on the spot, without due process. If you ask me, politicians who are corrupt to the core do more damage to the people and to the country than the vilest drug lord or the meanest Abu Sayyaf kidnapper.

For ordinary Filipinos, things like police clearance, national Bureau of Investigation clearance and passports must be done in one day. Police and nBI clearances should be in 10 minutes. The Land Transportation Office used to be able to process licenses in 10 minutes. That should be the norm—10 minutes.

Driver’s licenses should be good for three, even five years, not for just one year. Renewal should be done online and on the spot, if the applicant has no derogatory record.

Duterte said before the government has procured plenty of computers. They should be put to good use, for the benefit of the people.

The ease of doing business and the cost of doing business have deteriorated in the country in recent years, under the “clean” government of BS Aquino.

Worldwide, the Philippine ranking in starting a business is down nine rungs, from 156th to 165th this year, registering property down 10 rungs, from 102nd to 112th, protecting minority investors down 23 rungs from 132nd to 155th, ease of paying taxes down two rungs, from 124th to 126th, enforcing contracts down 22 rungs from 118th to 140th, and trading across borders down 34 rungs, from 61st to 95th. These global downgrades for the Philippines came even while BS Aquino was preaching Matuwid na Daan.

The downgrades prove one thing—the Philippines became an even more corrupt place for doing business. Because the more red tape there is, the more the corruption is. early last June, eight government agencies vowed to revoke or repeal some 4,000 rules and regulations deemed burdensome and irrelevant in a bid to eliminate red tape that seriously impacts the competitiveness of the economy.

Abolishing most of the unwanted rules and policies, however, will require the consent and approval of one of the most red tape-laden institutions in the Philippines —Congress which is in the stranglehold of political dynasties and oligarchies.

But the repeal-or-reduce-red-tape initiative Continued on A11 Publisher Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Maan Ilustre Advertising and Marketing Head Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

W e d n e s d ay: j u n e 2 9, 2 0 1 6

a10

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

MisundersTanding news reporTing tO the pOint emil p. juradO Vice President-elect Leni Robredo says incoming President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is playing hard to get because she can’t seem to get an appointment to see him.

Leni should realize that the incoming President simply does not want to see her, period. Duterte believes his friend, Senator Bongbong Marcos, lost to her because of cheating. She must be really dense if she cannot see through this.

Duterte definitely has no love lost for Leni. *** Last week, i got a pleasant surprise from the Rotary club of Manila, the most prestigious rotary club in the region. i was informed that the RcM Journalism Award committee, chaired by Jose Manuel Romualdez, and the club itself, through president eusebio Tan, that i have been chosen as Special Awardee of the Year.

The Rotary club of Manila, the first in Asia, organized the RcM Journalism Awards in 1995 to recognize outstanding contributions of individuals in the tri-media (print, television and radio).

The awarding ceremonies are scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, at 5:30 in the afternoon at New World Hotel in Makati. i have mixed feelings about the award. i am proud and happy but at the same time humbled. This is such a prestigious organization. i say “thank you” from the bottom of my heart. *** incoming President Duterte complains that the reason he will no longer give interviews to the press is that the media always give his statements a slant, an interpretation that is far from what he intended. This is why he will only appear at the People’s Television Network—the government’s own network.

Santa Banana, Duterte has a mistaken notion of media having a right or wrong slant. The truth is, objective reporting as we know it no longer exists. everything you read in newspapers and hear on the TV or radio is subjective— depending on the biases and prejudices of the writers and the news organizations themselves.

My generation of journalists who stuck to the 5Ws—who, what, where, when and why—is gone. While we still stick to facts, we also give things a slant which our readers want to get.

Mr. Duterte must realize that what he says or does is always news to the people. *** He also told his audience dur-

ing his last flag ceremony as mayor that the so-called Daang Matuwid of BS Aquino is crooked.

That’s nothing new.

Duterte added that corruption was so prevalent during the Aquino administration that officials routinely used government resources to advance their own political interests. We have also known this. This is why the Daang Matuwid mantra was rejected: People wanted real change from the status quo.

Of course everything has a slant.

What Duterte said about the BS Aquino administration is intended for members of his cabinet so that they would not use their office for their personal political agenda. He wants a corruptionfree administration. That’s a tall order. in any case, what he said was a dire warning for members of the cabinet. They should take heed. *** i cannot understand why Lopez clan and ABS-cBN heiress Gina Lopez, a self-proclaimed environmentalist and staunch anti-mining advocate, accepted the post of Department of environment and Natural Resources secretary.

The jewelry she wears, the mobile phone she uses, the kitchen wares that cook her food and the laptop she carries around are all from mining activities.

She is much like those priests and bishops who protest mining but who use chalices and metal cups to contain hosts for Holy communion. i hate to say it, but they are all hypocrites.

Mining per se is not bad. it’s irresponsible mining which contaminates the water with tailings, and that should be stopped. i agree with Duterte when he says he will only tolerate responsible mining. And that’s precisely why there’s the Mining Act—to promote responsible mining.

Actually, if you ask me, the term “Department of environment and Natural Resources” is a contradiction in terms. You cannot place environment in the same plane as natural resources. When government gives permits for mining, logging, fishing and other forms of activities that affect

The prez and The press ReGReTTABLY, the conversation between President-elect Rodrigo Duterte and the news media has turned sharp and shrill. All but lost in the noise is the two parties’ common duty in law and tradition to serve and to inform the Filipino people on issues, events and policies that affect their interest and welfare.

A president—all at once the chief executive, fount of foreign policy, manager of the national household, guardian of peace and order, commander of the uniformed services, and arbiter of policy conflicts—is the most important pivot of news and policy in the land. The President is mandated by law to lead the nation and to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance.

But the constitution also upholds the citizens’ rights to free speech, free press, free expression, and peaceable assembly. it guarantees as well their right to due process, equality before the law, access to information, justice, and life.

As “the people’s private eye in the public arena,” the news media serve as custodian and gatekeeper of some of these rights. it’s a task that must be accomplished, and the President-elect’s predecessors as well as the nation’s journey from democracy to dictatorship and back illustrate why and how we must inquire into, inveigh against, and investigate questionable public officials and agencies, on the citizens’ behalf.

Thus, despite his vexation with those he calls the “lowlifes” and the “mouthpieces” in the news media, we must at all times cover him, his actions, and his statements. in truth, the news media

must report more—and better— about him, his policies and his actions, with our reports guided by the best standards of accuracy, fairness and context.

This we must do even as we note at least two disturbing “messages” from the President-elect.

First, by saying that “corrupt journalists ... vultures of journalism can die for all i care [because] you’re asking for it,” he mocks the memory of 172 journalists (at latest count) killed in the line of duty since democracy’s rebirth in 1986.

The last report filed by a majority of those slain journalists precisely exposed crime and corruption, the same social ills that he says he wants to curb. Sadly, not a single mastermind or principal suspect in these murders, including state agents, local warlords, and criminal elements, have been held to account.

Second, whether intended or not, his volcanic language has dampened, indeed chilled, the daily reportage, so that journalists with valid, if testy, questions are seemingly forced to eat expletives by way of a response.

To be sure, corruption in the news media is as real as the 16-million vote that secured the victory of the President-elect. To be sure, corruption afflicts both individuals and agencies in the news media, and has evolved into a subculture with a language all its own.

As anywhere else, however, corruption in the news media is a supply-demand chain. One solution offers a key role for the incoming administration: Slay it at the source. The government’s own media agents, as well as politicians and corporate PRs who offer more than stories to get favorable

Goodbye... From A9 point out that, compared to other countries and especially to our neighbors, the Philippines really missed out. it could have grown a lot more, but it didn’t.

While Aquino, for instance, points to GDP and FDi growth rates never before seen hereabouts, he never says that because of our much smaller base and humbler starting position, we really didn’t grow as fast and as much as our Asean neighbors.

Like Mar Roxas claiming a five-fold increase in survey ratings, Aquino doesn’t say that we started at single digits, which is why we still cannot grow fast enough to achieve the First-World status that the President says he has in store for us, as long as we stay on Daang Matuwid.

But what did Aquino do to the economy in six years that worked so well? Nothing except, as one prominent businessman said recently, in a sightly different context, to get out of the way and do nothing. our natural resources, necessarily there is a cost on environment.

What i’m saying is that it’s time to separate environment from natural resources, and combine environment with climate change.

Natural resources is so broad that it should be one department in itself. *** i don’t know why Duterte

coverage or to spike bad news, must, in the President-elect’s words, “stop it.” Another solution calls for quick action from media managers: Provide better pay and protection for journalists.

But here’s the thing: The institutional capture of the news media by politicians has begun in some parts of the country. Local politicians and their families have acquired ownership and control of print and broadcast media agencies, and certain local government units have bought block-time segments using public funds. The corruption of the news media thus also involves partisan political interests driving editorial processes—as the President-elect knows full well.

Yet for all the supposed differences, the news media and the President-elect have complete agreement on one factor: the urgency of a Freedom of information Law. The issuance of an FOi executive order on Day One of his presidency should prevent the 17th congress from tarrying in its task.

An FOi Law will provide the necessary institutional and legal framework for full and true functional links between transparency and accountability in government, and for the right of all Filipinos to access information in order to take part in nation-building.

We in the news media wish the incoming administration success in all its endeavors. As journalists and as citizens, we commit not only to do journalism right and better, but also to uphold and defend free speech, free press, free expression, and the people’s right to know.

Philippine Press Institute

What Aquino provided, some analysts have explained to me, is not innovation or reform but stability. Of course, stability really means that the business community was confident that the government would still be there the following day, week, month and year—that was all business needed in a boom cycle and it would do what it does best, which is to be profitable.

But Aquino’s term was only profitable for his friends in business, chiefly new-old crony capitalists like the Ayala family. Precisely because Aquino did nothing much, he allowed select business groups to thrive with hardly a care for the poor—whom he never really did have empathy for as the heir to hacienda owners. call it laissez-faire by unimaginative laziness — but with a lot of propaganda-savvy credit-grabbing.

Aquino’s term was very good for some businessmen, but hell on earth for the poor, who represented the majority and who would eventually reject everything that he stood for.

(Continued tomorrow)

appointed ernesto Abella his spokesman when there’s TV5 man, Martin Andanar. The latter is definitely more articulate and presentable than Abella.

While Abella may be a better spokesman than lawyer Salvador Panelo, i think the best choice is Andanar, who is now head of the presidential communications group.

Why can’t Andanar be both head of the Palace communications group and spokesman at the same time? A presidential spokesman is seen every day speaking on behalf of the President.

Abella may be an evangelist, but, unfortunately he lacks the credibility and appearance of somebody who can speak for the President. Andanar does.

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A11

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Farewell...hail!

So I See LIto banayo

of January 2010, just as Noynoy was technically even-steven with manny Villar at 36 to 34 in the surveys, Serge osmeña took over and asked me to assist him. we had to bring Villar’s numbers down, the only way to widen the gap between him and Noynoy. It was unpleasant, but it had to be done. The prize was no less than the presidency of the land for the son of the man who introduced me to the world of politics. we made it, and triumphed even over President Joseph Estrada, a personal friend whom I served until the last day of his abbreviated stay in the palace by the dirty river.

The unpleasantness of the campaign tactics later took its toll upon me when I myself served under PNoy. But that’s another story, too long for this musing.

Tomorrow, President Aquino rides from his past glory, which was malacañang, into his political sunset on Times Street. But his-

tory will be kind to the man. Fare thee well, mr. President.

Tomorrow too, a new leader takes the helm at malacañang —rodrigo roa Duterte, born in maasin of the then-undivided Leyte to a Cebuano father and a mother from Agusan, but who was reared in Davao and lived most of his 71 years there.

He will be the first mindanao leader to become president of the republic, and the first Bisaya to be so elected since 1957, almost six decades ago.

He comes with great promise, at a time when the people are sick and tired of a polity that does not reward them enough for the toil and taxes they render to it.

The resentment over public trains that do not run right, over traffic in the metropolis that does not move, over petty crimes that victimize them and their children day in and day out, over the proliferation of illegal substances that have become all too com-

Statement on the PronouncementS on mining oF the environment Secretary-deSignate

Stamping out... From A9

Tomorrow, Benigno Simeon Aquino III, son of Ninoy the martyr and Cory the president, will leave malacañang, his narrative as the country’s 15th president to be thenceforth written by history.

Farewell to the President who brought the country back into the approving eyes of the international community and to years of continued economic growth. It has been a winning streak for big business and stock market investors, for real estate magnates, with leavings for their many agents in the trade. Sadly for us consumers, though, the last six years have been quite a boon for the big guys whose economic domains are ensconced in government’s regulatory “capture.”

Farewell to the President who has demonstrated that a leader can last his term without having to be corrupt, as contra-distin-

guished from predecessors who were either personally corrupt, or allowed kin to profit immensely from government deals.

Yet whether due to inability to discern, or tolerance borne out of abiding loyalty to “friends,” the outgoing President suffered in the esteem of many Filipinos precisely because he allowed incompetents to continue presiding over some of government’s most important agencies.

Add to that the perception of many that the outgoing President was unable to feel the real public pulse, or was rather insensitive to the plight of the ordinary man because he himself was extraordinarily born to wealth and privilege.

This writer worked to make him president in 2010. I was conscripted into the campaign after watching how his numbers, astronomically high after the death of his mother, went zooming downwards after a few months of dismal misdirection. By the end

Philippine Business for environmental Stewardship THE Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) is alarmed over the statements made by the incoming Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural resources against mining, which essentially questioned the existence of “responsible mining” in the Philippines.

PBEST, as an environmental NGo, advocates the compliance of the country’s businesses with all the environmental rules and regulations. The convenors of PBEST believe that instead of being branded as the enemy of the environment, industry should be leading the cause of environmental stewardship given its resources and culture of innovation. we place emphasis on stewardship to connote sound management of resources or sustainable development that upholds the principle of intergenerational equity.

In line with this advocacy, PBEST, through its lead convenor and professor at the UP National Institute of Geological Sciences Dr. Carlos Primo C. David, developed the Environmental Performance Tracking Program (EPTP), geared to, among others, provide industry with a selfregulating tool. For the first run of the EPTP, PBEST challenged the controversial mining industry to be open to scrutiny.

Some of the biggest mines in the country responded to the call, and PBEST observed that responsible mining does exist. It means operating in a way that follows the various laws and regulations and going beyond what is required with respect to social development and environmental programs.

The group arrived at this conclusion after site

visits and analyses of documentary evidence and other factual information gathered.

This is where PBEST takes issue.

To say that “where there is mining, there is poverty” is bereft of factual basis. This statement may be an understandable claim from advocates, but it sends the wrong signal when it comes from the next head of DENr, the government agency tasked to properly implement the environmental laws of the land.

Policies, especially those involving the very complex field of environment, must be grounded on facts and science, not on emotions or any other agenda. officials must have the necessary skill and technical competence to be able to adequately dispense with their sworn duties. with the kind of pronouncements from the incoming secretary, PBEST fears that the environmental policies of this administration will reflect the same disregard for facts and science and the failure to distinguish between the role of an advocate and the responsibility of a regulator. on the issue, PBEST stands by its finding that there exists responsible mining as distinguished from illegal and destructive mining. Dr. David, in the policy book entitled “Thinking Beyond Politics, said: “It must also be noted that illegal small-scale mining is responsible for the significant environmental damage being charged to the mining industry at large today. Small-scale mining is largely unregulated, both from an environmental and fiscal perspective. Small-scale miners generally do not have environmental protection or mitigations systems in place, and hardly pay the taxes due to the government.”

monplace, over the neglect that characterizes government service, on top of perceptions of official indifference to all of the above, all these put together, catapulted the son of mindanao into the realm of public esteem and voter approval.

He has much on his plate.

There are so many promises to keep. There are great expectations he must fulfill.

But the people who elected him into the highest office in the land, as well as those who did not, all together, must do their part as well.

There is a simple act that all of us must perform from hereon— follow the law. respect the law.

Do it because the man we elected to the presidency will not only keep reminding us of that obligation, but would instill fear in the hearts of those who transgress. Do it because we should love our country.

And so, to rodrigo roa Duterte, as he takes the first steps in his rendezvous with destiny— Hail!

might have gathered momentum because of the order of incoming President Duterte to reduce processing of permits and papers to no more than five signatures and in less than three days. Failure to do so will bring about questioning by the big boss—Duterte. And you know by now how he deals with recalcitrants—with extreme prejudice and to the point of death.

Some of the rules/orders to be discarded involve incredible minutiae or small-mindedness. Like a department order designating a driver for an officer going to Baguio, how much a bureaucrat must receive as honoraria, and reclassification of status of LGUs which already have been reclassified by Congress. In other words, the first 4,000 rules to be discarded will not improve much the daily life of ordinary citizens.

There remain 13,000 rules Filipinos must comply with in dealing with government. Duterte still has the best rule—five signatures max, in three days, max. or else.

The National Competitiveness Council (NCC) with an initial seven participating agencies, namely the Departments of Trade and Industry (DTI), Finance (DoF), Energy (DoE), Budget and management (DBm), Tourism (DoT), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Land Transportation Franchising and regulatory Board (LTFrB) are launching Project repeal to signify their commitment to reduce the regulatory costs by repealing or amending unnecessary, costly, and out-dated rules in their respective agencies.

During the 1st repeal Day last June 13, 3,959 issuances were promised to undergo repeal or amendment, mainly composed of Department Administrative orders (DAo), Joint Administrative orders (JAo), memorandum orders (mo), and Circulars. of 3,959, 1,900 are subject for repeal, while 2,032 previously repealed rules are to be subject for deletion/delisting from official websites and rosters of regulations and laws, 22 similar issuances are subject to consolidation into one legal document, and five are for amendment or deletion of certain provisions.

This is part of an initial 17,388 laws and issuances gathered for review by the Project repeal Technical working Committee from different government agencies.

Some of the rules submitted to the committee date back to the Commonwealth and martial Law periods. NCC expects the list to expand as the other agencies and the public have continued to submit proposals.

Project repeal was inspired by reform initiatives of other countries like United Kingdom (red Tape Challenge), Australia (Cutting red Tape Initiative), South Korea (regulatory Guillotine) and Vietnam (Project 30). Fourteen other countries have also such similar undertakings.

Prior to the creation of Project repeal, four government agencies started their own anti-red tape measures. For instance, DTI revoked 133 DAo and JAos last year to streamline the issuances that affect its frontline operations. DoF, on the other hand, ordered the review of all policies including those of its attached agencies (SEC, BoC, BIr) for rationalization. The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) have their own regulatory improvement programs. biznewsasia@gmail.com

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Britain’s boy from nowhere wins LONDON—Wimbledon heavyweight champions Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer were overshadowed by a new British hero on Monday in the stocky frame of world number 706 and old folks tennis coach Marcus Willis.

World number one Djokovic cruised to an easy 6-0, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 victory over Britain’s James Ward, comfortably demonstrating why his recent French Open triumph allowed him to pass the $100 million prize money barrier.

That staggering sum was then put into thrilling perspective courtesy of beefy 25-year-old Willis, nicknamed ‘Cartman’ after the South Park cartoon character and who had earned just $65 in prize

money this year before Monday.

The fairytale continues with an unlikely match-up against seventime champion Federer and a guaranteed £50,000 ($66,000).

Willis defeated Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania, ranked 652 places above him, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 out on a raucous Court 17 where fans sung ‘walking in a Willis wonderland’.

The club player who makes a living as a coach teaching youngsters and senior citizens tennis skills at

$30 an hour, and still lives with his parents, had been on the verge of quitting in February.

But then he met dentist Jenny Bate, who became his girlfriend, and who persuaded him to have one more shot and not go to Philadelphia where he had been offered a job as a coach.

“She told me not to go, so I didn’t. I do what I’m told,” smiled the tournament sensation.

The gamble has paid off in spectacular style for a man who is the lowest-ranked qualifier to make the second round of a major since Jared Palmer at number 923 at the 1988 US Open.

Willis was last into the pre-qualifying competition for Wimbledon,

where he played three matches and then battled through three more ties to book a place in not only his first Grand Slam event but his first main tour competition.

“It’s all surreal, a little bit out of hand,” said a shell-shocked Willis.

Top seed Djokovic, who holds all four majors and is bidding for a third successive Wimbledon title, goes on to face France’s Adrian Mannarino.

A fourth Wimbledon title would make him just the second man since Don Budge in 1938 to win five straight majors.

It would also put him threequarters of the way to becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete the calendar

Grand Slam.

“The first nine games were flawless,” said Djokovic, who raced out into a 6-0, 3-0 lead before Ward, ranked at 177, steadied the ship.

- Ivanovic crashes Djokovic has won six of the last eight Grand Slams, taking him to a career tally of 12 -- within two of Rafael Nadal’s mark and five behind Federer’s record.

Federer, whose last major triumph was at Wimbledon in 2012, saw off Argentina’s world number 51 Guido Pella, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.

The 34-year-old’s 303rd Grand Slam singles victory moved him within three of Martina Navratilova’s record. AFP

Navy foils Bruins, tops Cobra regatta TOP favorite Philippine Navy nearly sank to upset-conscious Bruins A before eking out a narrow win in the 300-meter men’s open standard division of the second leg of the rain-delayed Cobra Energy Drink-PDBF Dragon Boat Regatta at the Manila Bay last Sunday.

Capping a long day and with dusk fast approaching, the Seamen foiled the spirited challenge of the Bruins paddlers, once mentored by ex-national coach Manny Maya, in topping the race by a whisker in one minute and 16.64 seconds to their rivals’ 1:16.90.

Philippine Air Force was third (1:17.70), while Philippine Coast Guard wound up fourth (1:18.47) in the event held overlooking the Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard in Manila and supported b Cobra, the country’s leading energy drink.

The Coast Guard bets earlier took top honors in the 300-meter mixed standard finals (1:16.14) with Navy (1:17.30) and Air Force (1:18.05) placing second and third, respectively, in the competition organized by Cobra and the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation.

Air Force, on the other hand, showed its mettle in handily capturing 300-meter women’s small boat title (1:33.60) in the field that drew another huge field of 51 teams.

The Coast Guard team also ruled the women’s small boat B division (1:40.32), Triton A the mixed standard B category (1 :19.87) and Blue Phoenix the men’s standard B class (1:19.22).

Despite a heavy noon downpour that stretched the schedule a little past sunset, the paddlers showed patience and unity in remaining until the awarding ceremonies was over.

PDBF president Marcia Cristobal thanked all the participants for supporting the Cobra regatta second leg “Despite the heavy rain and the strong waves mid-day, the paddlers showed bravery and true strength. But we also wanted to make sure that the race is safe so we had to pause,” said Cristobal.

Maria sharpens business skills

Switzerland's Roger Federer returns against Argentina's Guido Pella during their men's singles first round match on the first day of the 2016 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London. AFP

LOS ANGELES—Maria Sharapova plans to make good use of the time on her hands thanks to a two-year doping ban from tennis.

The Russian star, a savvy businesswoman whose commercial interests include her Sugarpova brand of candy, indicated on social media on Monday that she would be attending a Harvard Business School course.

Sharapova posted a photo of herself in front of a sign for the prestigious school on her Facebook page.

“Not sure how this happened but Hey Harvard!

Can’t wait to start the program!” she wrote, adding a graduation cap symbol.

Sharapova, 29, has vowed to appeal a two-year doping ban stemming from a positive test for meldonium, which was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list in January. AFP

Argentina begs Messi not to quit

Celebration. Fans of Iceland celebrate at a public screening of the UEFA Euro 2016 Round of 16 football match England v Iceland, taking place in France, in Reykjavik, Iceland. AFP

BUENOS AIRES—Argentine football legend Diego Maradona and the country’s President Mauricio Macri urged Lionel Messi on Monday not to leave the national team despite his vow to quit after a humiliating defeat.

The Barcelona superstar left the field in tears after missing a spot-kick in the Copa America Centenario final shootout against Chile on Sunday.

He promptly told reporters he was quitting, throwing Argentine football into turmoil ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

“He has to stay because he still has playing days ahead of him,” Maradona was quoted as saying by La Nacion newspaper online.

“He will go to Russia in form to be world champion.”

Messi, 29, is widely rated as

the best player in the world, but Sunday’s loss was his fourth defeat in an international final for Argentina.

After an outpouring of disappointment by fans online, Macri joined the calls for the Barcelona superstar to stay with Argentina.

“He called him and told him how proud he feels of the national team’s performance and asked him not to listen to the criticism,” a spokesman for Macri told AFP by telephone.

The 1986 World Cup winner Maradona, 55, blamed Argentina’s recent lack of trophies on the country’s football association (AFA).

He accused it of not supporting Messi and letting him take the blame for Sunday’s defeat.

“Those who are saying he should quit are doing it so that we won’t

see what a disaster Argentine football has become,” La Nacion quoted Maradona as saying.

Messi and the squad landed back in Buenos Aires on Monday evening after the tournament in the United States.

Television cameras followed their coach but the players had yet to make any comment to the media.

Messi is loved in Barcelona but his friends complained of how harshly he has been judged in his homeland.

“This lad is just saturated with criticism and being so badly treated,” said Ernesto Vecchio, who was Messi’s first coach in his native city of Rosario.

“I don’t want him to quit but when I put myself in his shoes it seems unfair that they should look to him as the savior when there are 11 players on the team.” AFP

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Wolves add Chinese part-owner LOS ANGELES—Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor will bring in the NBA’s first part-owner from China in a deal to add two new investors to his ownership group, ESPN reported Monday.

Citing unnamed sources, ESPN said the deal will allow Taylor to remain the club’s controlling owner.

Last week, he closed a deal to bring in Jiang Lizhang, a Shanghai-based businessman who founded the Chinese marketing company Double-Edge Sports.

Jiang has worked with the NBA in China, ESPN reported.

He is thought to have purchased five percent of the Timberwolves and another five percent of their sister WNBA franchise the Minnesota Lynx.

Taylor has also sold a share of the team to New York-based real estate magnate Meyer Orbach.

Taylor said last year that he planned to sell 30 percent of the team to Steve Kaplan, a minority owner with the Memphis Grizzlies, however, that deal fell through. AFP

Air Force faces Laoag Games today (Semifinals) 10 a.m. – Sta. Elena vs Cignal (S Turf) 1 p.m. – IEM vs Air Force (S Turf) 4 p.m. – Air Force vs Laoag (V League) 6:30 p.m. – BaliPure vs Pocari (V League) AIR Force aims to sustain its strong elimination round showing as it tangles with nemesis Laoag even as Pocari Sweat and BaliPure renew its brewing rivalry in today’s start of the best-of-three semifinals of the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Open Conference at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Jet Spikers spoiled what could’ve been a possible blockbuster finale as they turned back the erstwhile unbeaten Pocari Lady Warriors, 20-25, 25-17 25-22, 25-15, late Monday to clinch the top seeding in the Final Four and relegate their victims to No. 2 and a semis clash with the No. 3 BaliPure Water Defenders.

Air Force, on the other hand, takes on Laoag, which repulsed University of the Philippines, 25-21, 19-25, 25-22, 26-24, also last Monday for the last semis seat in the seasonopening conference of the league sponsored

by Shakey’s.

The 2016 USA Men’s Senior National Basketball Team poses for a picture with some fans during a press conference at Dunleavy Milbank Center in New York City. AFP

US bares cage squad NEW YORK—LeBron James, who cemented his status as an NBA great in leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the championship this month, won’t play for the USA at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

USA Basketball named a 12-man squad for the Games on Monday that didn’t include James, confirming last week’s reports that he had withdrawn from consideration for the team.

Cleveland star guard Kyrie Irving, who played a key role alongside James in bringing the first sports title to Cleveland since 1964 with the Cavs’ seven-game NBA Finals victory over the Golden State Warriors, is on the 12-man squad that will try to bring a third straight Olympic gold home to the United States.

Irving was the Most Valuable Player in the 2014

FIBA Cup. The New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony becomes the first man to represent USA Basketball in four Olympics and will try to become the first American man with three gold medals after playing on victorious US teams in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.

And Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant will go for another gold four years after setting a US Olympic record with an average of 19.5 points per game in London.

“I think I can speak for the entire coaching staff and say we’re extremely excited about the team we will field for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro,” said

Jerry Colangelo, managing director of the USA Men’s national team. “I love our depth, which is another indication of the depth of talent our national team program is blessed with. We’ve got a great mix of talent, scorers, past gold medal winners and outstanding youth.”

The squad also includes Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes of the Golden State Warriors —who racked up a record 73 regular-season wins before falling to Cleveland in the title series.

Nine players—Anthony, Jimmy Butler, DeMarcus Cousins, DeMar DeRozan, Durant, Paul George, Green, Kyle Lowry and Thompson— were 2016 NBA All-Stars.

“Looking at this team, our overall balance is what strikes me,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “We have lightning-quick guards who can score as well as distribute the basketball. We have great shooters and explosive

scorers, we’re big and athletic, and I think we’ll really be able to defend.”

But the talent pool has been reduced by a raft of defections by NBA stars, with James topping the list of those opting out.

“I could use the rest,” James told Cleveland.com last week, citing the grind of having logged so much court time through six consecutive trips to the NBA Finals.

NBA Most Valuable Player and scoring leader Stephen Curry of Golden State said during the finals that he would not play in Rio. Star guards Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City, Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers and James Harden of Houston also backed out of consideration, as did San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Washington forward John Wall, Clippers forward Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis of New Orleans and Portland’s Damian Lillard.

Shell chess South Luzon leg slated

Job will be. President Barack Obama is seen with the Minnesota Lynx at the White House to celebrate winning the 2015 Championship on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. AFP

THE search for future chess stars resumes next weekend when the 24th Shell National Youth Active Chess Championships holds the Southern Luzon leg on July 2 and 3 at SM City Batangas Event Center in Batangas City.

Organizers of the country’s longest-running talent search expect another full-packed field in all three divisions, this being a regular stop of the annual circuit sponsored by Pilipinas Shell, a global leader in power, energy and gas technology.

The innovative chess tournament is open to all Filipinos, non-titled

players who are bona fide students certified by their respective schools and registrars. Registration is ongoing. For details, contact tournament director Alex Dinoy at 09183705750 or 0922-8288510, or Southern Luzon leg coordinator Ronald Berdera at 0946-6538080.

Registration forms can be downloaded at the Shell website www.shell.com.ph/ shell_chess. Listup is on a first-come, first-served basis with a maximum of 400 participants.

Play will be a nineround Swiss system tour-

nament with time control of 20 minutes with five time-delayed mode (Bronstein system).

The circuit kicked off with the National Capital Region leg two weeks ago with Marc Bacojo topping the kiddies’ division, Julius Gonzales ruling the juniors’ section and Lawrence Magura snaring the seniors crown.

The troika along with their respective runnersup and third placers plus the top female players in all categories thus gained berths in the national finals slated Oct. 1 and 2 at SM Megamall.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Ramirez: We need private sector support INCOMING Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez on Tuesday said even with the support from government, the PSC will still need help from the private sector to make things happen.

“The government cannot do it alone. We need corporate support,” said Ramirez, all set to return to his old post and take over outgoing PSC chairman Richie Garcia.

Ramirez, PSC chief from 2005 to 2009, was tapped by President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to head the government sports agency. They are long-time allies in Davao City, and Ramirez played a key role in the recent campaign.

“I have a scheduled meeting with two members of the private sector this Saturday,” said Ramirez, who graced Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate, and was joined by new PSC commissioners Ramon Fernandez, Arnold Agustin, Charles Maxey and Fatima Celia Kiram.

Ramirez will take his oath as new PSC chairman on June 30, while the four commissioners will be sworn in in Malacanang on July 1.

Ramirez said he will continue to reach out to the top officials of government-owned-and-controlled corporations like the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., which remits as much as P50 mil-

lion from its monthly gross income to the PSC, and the Philippine Racing Commission.

“Then we will sit down with more members of the private sector,” said Ramirez, who was PSC chief when the Philippines hosted the 2005 SEA Games and won the overall title for the first time.

During that successful campaign, the private sector, through the initiatives of former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, contributed heavily and made sure the athletes had everything they needed in terms of training and preparation.

Ramirez said this early, the PSC and the Philippine Olympic Committee, with the help of government and private sector, should look forward to the 2017 SEA Games in Malaysia and the 2019 SEA Games to be held in Manila.

“The private sector can help take care of our athletes,” said the 66-yearold educator from Davao, referring to the old and tested Godfather program, where a private corporation or individual can choose an individual athlete or a team to fund.

ERRORS & OMISSIONS In Classified Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published.

We will not be responsible for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

AUCTION SALE

ACME PAWNSHOP

1st Level Glorietta 3 Ayala, Makati and its branches in Mejalco Bldg., Buenavidez St., Legaspi Village, Makati and L & R Bldg., Pasay Road, Makati auction sale on July 05, 2016, 2:00 pm Alabang Town Center, Alabang Zapote Road, MJ Holding Bldg., Almanza Las Piñas, Circle C G14, #17 Congressional Ave., Bahay Toro D1, Quezon City at 9:30 am. All items pawned February 29, 2016. Notary Public

(TS-JUNE 29, 2016)

Republic of the Philippines Province of Ilocos Sur Local Government Unit Santiago Ilocos Sur INVITATION TO BID The Municipality of Santiago, Ilocos Sur through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites registered contractors to apply for eligibility and if found eligible to bid for the hereunder contract: 1.

Name of Project Location Brief Description Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) Source of Fund Contract Duration Cost of Bid Documents

: : :

Provision of Fertilizer Santiago, Ilocos Sur In organic fertilizer

: : : :

4,000,000.00 RA 7171 7 CD 5,000.00

Paddle’s Up champs known on Sunday THE inaugural champions of Paddle’s Up will be known Sunday when the Philippine Dragon Boat Tour holds its fifth and final leg at the Manila Bay. Race starts at 7 a.m., with cash prizes and trophies to be given to the leg and overall winners in the men’s (Open) 20 seaters, women’s 10 seaters, and mixed masters 10 seaters.

Champions in each class will be determined through point system accumulated during the first four

legs of the meet held in Manila Bay, Laguna, Batangas, and Subic.

“So far the turnout of the tournament is ok, a lot of people are participating,” said Paolo Fernandez of Solar Sports, which serves as the official coveror of the novelty meet featuring top dragon boat teams and clubs in the country.

Fernandez appeared in the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate on Tuesday with dragon boat coach Duchess Francine Go.

Aside from the competition itself, there will be entertainment and performances by some of the country’s top bands to make the event more festive, added Fernandez in the same session presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

The meet also serves as prelude to the country’s hosting of the Asian championship in Palawan later this year.

A Sure Bet for Progress in Gaming, Entertainment and Nation Building INVITATION TO BID FOR THE SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF TWO (2) LOTS PRINTING SUPPLIES UNDER ITB NO. PB16-066COR-06 The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is inviting all interested bidders in its forthcoming public bidding for the Supply and Delivery of Two (2) Lots Printing Supplies under ITB No. PB16-066COR-06.

Lot No.

Brief Description

1

Supply and Delivery of Consumables

2

Supply and Delivery of Maintenance Kit

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) (VAT Exclusive, Zero-Rated Transaction) One Million One Hundred Twenty-Eight Thousand Four Hundred Twenty Pesos (PhP1,128,420.00) Eight Hundred Seventy-Three Thousand Eight Hundred Twenty Pesos (PhP873,820.00)

TOTAL ABC

Two Million Two Thousand Two Hundred Forty Pesos (PhP2,002,240.00), VAT Exclusive, Zero-Rated Transaction

Delivery Schedule

The complete schedule of deliveries is provided in Section VI (Schedule of Requirements) of the Bidding Documents

Source of Funds

Internally Funded

Bidder should have completed, within the last three (3) years 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”.

The BAC will conduct the procurement process in accordance with the Revised IRR of RA 9184. Bids received in excess of the BAC shall be automatically rejected at the opening of bid.

To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI), purchase bid documents and must meet the following major criteria) prior registration with Local Government Unit-Santiago, Ilocos Sur (b) Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership, corporation, cooperative, or joint venture, (c) completion of a similar contract costing at least 50% of ABC within a period of 10 years, and (d) Net Financial Contracting Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment for at least 10% of ABC. The BAC will use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the eligibility check and preliminary examination of bids.

Unregistered contractors, however, shall submit their applications for registration to the Local Government Unit-Santiago, Ilocos Sur before the deadline for the receipt of LOI. The Local Government Unit-Santiago, Ilocos Sur will only process contractor’s applications for registration, with complete requirements, and issue the Contractor’s Certificate of Registration (CRC).

The schedule of BAC activities is as follows:

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 1. Issuance of the Bidding Documents

Schedule

1. Advertisement/Posting of Invitation to bid/Request for Expression of Interest

June/25/2016

2. Issuance of Bid Documents

June 27 to July 11, 2016

3. Pre-bid Conference

July 1, 2016 @ 10:00 AM

4. Receipt and Opening of Bids

July 15, 2016 @ 10:00 AM

The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BD’s) at Local Government Unit-Santiago, Ilocos Sur, upon payment of a non-refundable fee as stated. The Pre-bid Conference shall be open only to interested parties who have purchased the BD’s. Bids must be accompanied by a bid security, in the amount and acceptable form, as stated in Section 27.2 of the Revised IRR. Mailed intends shall not be entertained.

Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as specified in the BD’s in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC Chairman. The first envelope shall contain the technical component of the bid, which shall include the technical component of the bid, which shall include a copy of the CRC. The second envelope shall contain the financial component of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid as determined in the bid evaluation and the post-qualification.

The Local Government Unit of Santiago, Ilocos Sur reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bid and to annul the bidding process any time before Contract award, without incurring any liability to the affected bidders.

Approved by: (SGD) NESTOR C. PERALTA JR. BAC Chairman

Schedule June 29, 2016 (Wednesday) to July 19, 2016 (Tuesday)

2. Pre-Bid Conference

July 7, 2016 (Thursday) at 2:00 p.m.

3. Deadline for the Submission and Receipt of Bids

July 19, 2016 (Tuesday) at 2:00 p.m.

4. Opening and Preliminary Examination of Bids

July 19, 2016 (Tuesday) at 2:00 p.m. onwards

Complete details of the project are indicated in the bidding documents which will be available to prospective bidders at the Procurement Department (PD), upon payment of the non-refundable fee for sale of bidding documents based on the following matrix: Approved Budget for the Contract

BAC Activities

(TS-JUNE 29, 2016)

Incoming PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez (center) reveals his sports programs during a guesting at the PSA Forum in Shakey’s Malate. He is joined by PSC Commissioners Ramon Fernandez (left) and Celia Kiram (right). EY ACASIO

Cost of Bidding Documents (in Philippine Pesos)

More than 500,000.00 up to 1 Million

1,000.00

More than 1 Million up to 5 Million

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 bidders.

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 either the Fee Slip for the sale of bidding documents which may be secured from PD 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 bidder 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 Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) 4 shall use a non-discretionary and non-discriminatory measure based on sheer luck or chance, which is “DRAW LOTS,” in the event that two (2) or more bidder 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. In alphabetical order, the bidder shall pick one rolled paper.

2. 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 bidder.

Please address all communications to the Bids and Awards Committee thru PD, Room 203, Second (2nd) Floor, PAGCOR House, 1330 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, Manila, Tel No.: 524-3911, 521-1542 local 223 or 671.

(SGD) CELESTINA R. ADOR Chairperson Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) 4

(TS JUNE 29, 2016)

Tornadoes...

From A16

“The girls showed how well they can adapt to the changes that we’re giving. Even if that’s not their natural position, they still showed great composure.”

De Leon said they will be welcoming six players

on board—Aby Marano, Jen Reyes, Rachel Anne Daquis, Jovelyn Gonzaga and imports Lindsay Stalzer and Ariel Usher for the Asian tourney.

“That’s why I’m preparing their mindset,” she said. “I want them to follow my instructions and be ready for whatever possibilities, even if they need to change their natural playing positions. We all know that we’re preparing for the Asian Women’s Club Championship so at this point, everybody has to level up, everyone has to step up.”

University of Santo Tomas star Cherry Rondina and former La Salle stalwart Carol Cerveza had six points apiece for Foton, which needed a little over an hour to smother the young Spikers.

Cindy Imbo and Maribeth Lara had six points apiece for Amy’s, which fell to 0-3.

W E D N E S D AY : J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 6

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

TNT, Phoenix complete import cast for Gov Cup

By Jeric Lopez

THE import cast for the upcoming 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup is finally complete.

Talk ‘N Text and Phoenix have finally chosen their respective imports, both of them fresh faces, after not being able to strike a deal with their first choices.

The Tropang Texters acquired the services of former Kansas star Mario Little, who was instrumental for the Jayhawks in the NCAA Division I during his stint there. He last played in the Korean Basketball League for Anyang.

On the other hand, the Fuel Masters are tapping former USC Trojan and NBA D-League veteran Marcus Simmons as their reinforcement.

Both imports are set to arrive this week.

The hiring of Little and Simmons by Tropang TNT and Phoenix upped the number of new imports to four.

There are eight returning reinforcements.

The imports of the other 10

teams are: James White (Mahindra), Bill Walker (NLEX), Marqus Blakely (Star), Arizona Reid (San Miguel), Paul Harris (Barangay Ginebra), Eric Dawson (Blackwater), Dominic Sutton (GlobalPort), Allen Durham (Meralco), Dior Lowhorn (Rain or Shine) and LaDontae Henton (Alaska).

Initially, Talk ‘N Text already had NBA veteran Jason Maxiell as its original import, but he went over the 6’5” height limit upon measurement at the PBA office.

The former longtime Detroit Piston starter was officially measured at 6’5 11/16” in two measurements at the PBA office, making him ineligible to play.

Only Mahindra and Black-

water are allowed to have imports beyond 6’5”, with 6’9” as the limit, due to their poor performances in the first two conferences.

For Phoenix, the first option was Deandre Liggins, but a deal was never finalized.

Both Tropang TNT and Phoenix have a lot of catching up to do with their imports as the other teams are already practicing with theirs as early as last month.

The Texters, in particular, are hard-pressed to deliver in the season-ending conference as they have yet to find success this season even if they were considered a favorite to win a title in pre-season predictions.

Ikeda pads Orchard lead to 5 strokes DASMARIÑAS, Cavite—Chihiro Ikeda came out a bit better than the rest in their struggle at the Player’s demanding backside, closing out the weather-delayed round with a 41 for a 76 and pulling away by five over Lovelyn Guioguio and two others after two rounds of the ICTSI Orchard Golf Championship here yesterday.

The field, hobbling with soaring scores in tough conditions in the first five holes at the back, endured another hour-long delay due to lightning with Ikeda barely surviving the ordeal with three pars and a bogey to wind up with a 41, her 76 giving her a 36hole total of 148.

But it still proved enough to widen her overnight three-stroke lead as the erstwhile contenders fared even worse with Heidi Chua, who carded a 75 in the first round, limping with an 85 and amateurs Marvi Monsalve, Daniella Uy and Felicia Medalla fumbling with 77, 78 and 84, respectively, after churning out identical 76s.

Guioguio turned in the best card of one-over 73 but the veteran campaigner also faltered at the finish, blowing a one-under card with bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 to drop into a tie for second with Jayvie Agojo and Monsalve at 153, five shots off Ikeda.

Monsalve actually battled from fourdown to within one after No. 10 with three birdies but the top amateur from Southwoods stumbled with two double bogeys and a bogey in the next four holes and emerged from the break with three straight bogeys to reel back.

Agojo, seeking a follow-up to her first Ladies Philippine Golf Tour win in 2014, also bogeyed three of the last five holes for a 75, still a decent score given the severe playing conditions.

Uy also closed out with a 41 and slipped to solo fifth at 154 while Sarah Ababa carded a second 78 for a 156 in a tie with Korean amateur Hwang Min-jeong, who skied to a 79.

Fil-Am Cristina Corpus also ballooned to an 80 for a 157 while Chua tumbled all the way down to joint ninth with Medalla at 160 heading to the final 18 holes of the P750,000 event sponsored by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

LOTTO RESULTS

Chihiro Ikeda hacks her approach shot on No. 7

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

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

Ochoa bags 3rd straight jiu-jitsu gold from US meet

By Maxine Lagman FILIPINA jiu-jitsu fighter Meggie Ochoa struck gold for the straight time in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in the United States.

For the past three years, the 26-yearold athlete has been competing in the World Championship competition in Long Beach, California, winning the gold everytime.

Ochoa began her streak in the 2014 World Jiu Jitsu Championship as a white belt, before clinching her second gold medal as a blue belt last year and her third this year, adding up to her growing pile of accomplishments.

Ochoa competed again this time under the blue belt roster, confessing that she had a hard time taking her opponents down.

“Nahirapan ako sa laban kasi pagaling na nang pagaling ‘yung mga athletes,” she said, adding that opponents from Mongolia, Brazil and the United States have given her a hard time.

Ochoa is often asked why she chose jiu-jitsu as her sport as most look down on her because of her height. But she said that it does not hinder her from winning a fight, even though most of her opponents are taller than her.

“Ang unique [ng jiu-jitsu] kumpara sa other sports, kasi kahit anong body type ka, puwede kang manalo. [It is] technique over strength,” she said.

Ochoa, however, is not about to rest on her laurels.

“May purple, brown and black belt pa.

Malayo pa ang pupuntahan ko,” she said, looking at the Japan Asian Beach Games in September as a possible destination.

The three-time world champion , however, is not yet sure whether she will be able to make it to the line-up, but her training continues.

Low Profile cops PCSO Silver Cup THE HOARSE ship races of the PCSO. WHISPERER The other is the PCSO JENNY ORTUOSTE

AS EXPECTED, Ruben Dimacuha’s Low Profile took the 2016 Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Silver Cup last Sunday (June 26) at Santa Ana Park.

The 5YO colt guided by Mark Alvarez and trained

by CM Vicente posted a time of 2:05.2 (25-23’-2624’-26’) for the 2,000-meter race, one of two flag-

Presidential Gold Cup held every December.

Dixie Gold, last year’s PCSO Gold Cup winner, settled for second to Low Profile in the Silver Cup this year. In last year’s Silver Cup, Dixie Gold placed third to Low Profile’s second; Skyway was the longshot winner.

Kanlaon 3rd, Messi 4th, and Gentle Strength 5th and last. Superv and Tan Goal were scratched from the race.

*** Last Sunday was the first time in many years that I had not attended a PCSO race, especially one as important as the Silver Cup. My excuse is that I attended our college graduation ceremony at the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Mass Communication (I’d skipped the University graduation in the morning, it was too early), where I received my PhD Communication degree.

Perhaps because of

its novelty—it’s the first work of its kind, as far as I know—my research work “Kulturang Karera: Communicating Philippine Horseracing Culture” received the Best Dissertation award.

I will be converting it into book form and hopefully it will be published soon, with thanks to the National Book Development Board for the writing grant they awarded me to accomplish this. *** The third leg of the

Philippine Racing Commission Triple Crown series for elite 3YO will be held on July 10 at San Lazaro Leisure Park, along with the 3YO Local-Bred Stakes and the Hopeful Stakes.

The declaration for the Triple Crown 3rd leg won’t be held till July 4, so there’s no lineup yet.

In any case, it is sure to be an interesting race. *** Facebook: Gogirl Racing, Twitter:@gogirlracing, Instagram: @jensdecember

A16

W E D N E S DAY : J U N E 2 9, 2 0 16 RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Jaja Santiago (left) of Foton scores against Amy’s Christine Sto. Domingo in a 2016 Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference women’s volleyball game won by the Tornadoes, 25-14, 25-7, 25-18. ROMAN PROSPERO

US NCAA veteran lifts Red Lions past Pirates DAVON Potts came through with another clutch performance as San Beda College survived a pesky Lyceum of the Philippines University, 91-86, on Tuesday to stay on top in the 92nd NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

Potts, a 23-year-old transferee from US NCAA Division II Cal State, scored 12 of his team-high 19 points in the fourth quarter, including a crucial triple that gave the Lions the lead for good and a second straight victory.

Potts was also impressive in his first game, as he had 16 points, including nine in the final period in an 89-85 SBC victory over reigning titlist Letran in last Saturday’s opener at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.

“I’m just here to contribute and help the team win,” said Potts.

Skipper Dan Sara contributed 14 points, five rebounds,

US bares cage team for Rio TURN TO A13

five assists and two steals, while imports Donald Tankoua and Arnaud Noah combined for 22 points and 12 boards.

Javee Mocon, riding on a teambest 18-point performance last time, was all over the place with 11 points, 13 caroms, four assists and a block.

It was Potts though who came out the biggest.

“He was just clutch again,” said San Beda coach Jamike Jarin of Potts.

The Pirates, paced by Wilson Baltazar’s game-high 24 points, fell to their second straight defeat.

Earlier, Letran made up from

its stinging setback to San Beda last time and turned back a fiesty Emilio Aguinaldo, 76-72, for its first win.

Rey Nambatac unloaded a career-high 33 points, while John Quinto scattered 17 points to lead the Knights.

The Generals were led by Hamadou Laminou’s 23 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks but just fell short in the end and absorbed their first defeat in two outings.

The scores: First Game Letran 76—Nambatac 33, Quinto 17, Balanza 7, Sollano 6, Apreku 4, Calvo 4, Balagasay 2, Luib 2, dela Pena 1, Ambohot 0, Bernabe 0, Sario 0, Vacaro 0 EAC 72—Laminou 23, King 14, Munsayac 14, Morada 10, Onwubere 4, Pascua 3, Corilla 2, Diego 2, Aguas 0, Estacio 0, Guzman 0, Mendoza 0, Neri 0, Serrano 0

Games tomorrow

(The Arena, San Juan) 9 a.m.- CSB vs Mapua (jrs) 10:45 a.m.- LPU vs San Beda (jrs) 12:30 p.m.- JRU vs Perpetual (jrs) 2:15 p.m.- Arellano vs San Sebastian (jrs) 4 p.m.- Letran vs EAC (jrs)

Games Friday

(The Arena, San Juan) 12 nn.- Arellano vs San Sebastian (srs) 2 p.m.- St. Benilde vs Letran (srs) 4 p.m.- Jose Rizal vs Perpetual Help (srs)

Quarterscores: 15-10; 26-24; 4134; 62-51; 76-72 Second Game San Beda 91—Potts 19, Sara 14, Noah 12, Mocon 11, Tankoua 10, Bolick 8, Presbitero 7, Navarro 2, Soberano 2, Adamos 0, Carlos 0, Optana 0 LPU 86—Baltazar 24, Nzeusseu 18, Ayaay 12, Marata 11, Alanes 9, Serafico 4, Alban 4, Bulawan 2, Soliman 2, Malabanan 0, Magbuhos 0 Quarterscores: 20-16; 42-40; 64-all; 91-86

Ramirez: We need private sector support TURN TO A15

Tornadoes tinker with plays, but still prevail TINKERING with its plays, Foton made short work of Amy’s, 25-14, 25-7, 25-18, Tuesday in the 2016 PhilipGames Tomorrow pine Su(Cuneta Astrodome) perliga 4 p.m. – F2 Logistics vs Generika All-FilipiStandard Insurance no Con- 6 p.m.vs– RC Cola-Army ference women’s volleyball tournament at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Six-foot-four Jaja Santiago stood tall as the Tornadoes coasted to their second straight win in this prestigious interclub tournament bankrolled

by KLab Cyscorpions, Asics, Grand Sports, Mikasa, Mueller and Senoh with TV5 as official broadcast partner.

The Tornadoes are now in second spot with a 2-1 win-loss record, while RC Cola-Amy, F2 Logistics and Petron remain on top of the team standing with 2-0 cards.

The Tri-Activ Spikers, however, can claim the solo leadership if they emerge victorious over Cignal in the second game still being played at press time.

Santiago played in the open and middle positions, but still remained brilliant, finishing with 12 kills and three blocks for 15 points for Foton coach Villet Ponce-de Leon, who continues to experiment with her lineup in preparation for the AVC Asian Women’s Club Championship in Manila from Sept. 3 to 11.

“We have to see all possibilities,” said De Leon, who steered Foton to a Cindrella run to clinch the Grand Prix crown last year.

Turn to A14

B1

WEDNESDAY: JUNE 29, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

Brexit’s impact minimal—Neda

By Gabrielle H Binaday

The National Economic and Development Authority said Tuesday the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union will have minimal impact on the Philippines.

Economic Planning Secretary and Neda director-general Emmanuel Esguerra said the country’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals made it adaptable to external volatilities, such as the exit of the UK from the EU, also known as Brexit.

“The direct effect of Brexit does not seem substantial, even as we expect that domestic financial markets will experience volatility and huge swings in capital flows in the short term due to uncertainty. Despite this kneejerk reaction, the economy stands

on solid footing given its strong macroeconomic fundamentals,” Esguerra.

Neda said the UK economy accounted for 2.4 percent of world economy in purchasing power parity terms in 2015, and direct Philippine exposure to the UK economy was minimal.

Merchandise exports and imports between the UK and the Philippines was small, accounting for only 0.9 percent and 0.5 percent of the total in 2010 to 2015, respectively.

“However, the indirect effects

via its impact on the EU bloc and the knock-on effects on the rest of the global economy bears watching. Diversification of export markets and products, increasing competitiveness and strengthening domestic demand would therefore be important,” Esguerra said.

He said in terms of external debt, borrowings from EU countries including the United Kingdom, France and Germany amounted to $6.8 billion or only 8.8 percent of the country’s total external debt.

The country’s debt stock remained largely denominated in US dollar (63 percent) and Japanese yen (12.4 percent), according to Neda.

“As such, the depreciation of the euro and UK pound is not expected to have significant positive effects on debt service,” said

Esguerra.

Neda said that in terms of investments, net equity placements from the UK accounted for 4.9 percent, on average, from 2010 to 2015. However, it noted a 20.2-percent jump in share in 2015.

Meanwhile, the share of remittances from the UK averaged 5.3 percent from 2010 to 2015 and grew 9.5 percent annually.

Annual deployment of Filipino workers to the UK accounted for only 0.26 percent of the total in 2010 to 2014. New hires to the UK consisted mostly of nurses, at 88 percent in 2014.

Tourist arrivals from the UK accounted for 2.7 percent in 2010 to 2015, growing by 9.3 percent annually.

Tourist arrivals from the UK showed resilience in times of adverse events during the period.

PSe comPoSite index Closing June 28, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,666.69 49.21

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing June 28, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P46.895

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P46.860 LOW P47.230 AVERAGE P47.052 VOLUME 883.800M

P427.00-P620.00 LPG/11-kg tank P36.35-P43.45 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P24.75-P29.60 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, June 28, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate

Security Bank listing. Security Bank lists on the Philippine Stock Exchange the 150,707,778 new common shares that it issued to The Bank

of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. on April 1, 2016. Shown during the bell ringing ceremony at PSE are (from left) Security Bank president Alfonso Salcedo, vice chairman Paul Ung, Takayoshi Futae of BTMU, Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., Security Bank chairman Alberto Villarosa, PSE chairman Jose Pardo, PSE director Vivian Yuchengco, PSE president and chief executive Hans Sicat and other PSE executives.

Currency

Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.0730

Japan

Yen

0.009805

0.4616

UK

Pound

1.322000

62.2305

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128856

6.0656

Switzerland

Franc

1.022599

48.1368

Canada

Dollar

0.765052

36.0133

Singapore

Dollar

0.734053

34.5541

Australia

Dollar

0.732200

34.4669

Bahrain

Dinar

2.651816

124.8289

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266845

12.5612

Brunei

Dollar

0.731368

34.4277

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.028297

1.3320

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.8174

Euro

Euro

1.103000

51.9215

Korea

Won

0.000848

0.0399

China

Yuan

0.150184

7.0696

India

Rupee

0.014727

0.6932

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.243902

11.4812

New Zealand

Dollar

0.699400

32.9229

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030728

1.4465 Source: PDS Bridge

Meralco acquires 49% of San Miguel’s power unit in Bataan

By Jenniffer B. Austria BUSINESSMEN Manuel Pangilinan and Ramon Ang sealed their first joint venture in power generation, documents show.

Documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission showed that Meralco Powergen Corp., a subsidiary of Pangilinanled Manila Electric Co., acquired a 49-percent stake in Mariveles Power Generation Corp.

Mariveles Power is a whollyowned subsidiary of SMC Global Power Holdings Inc., the power

arm of San Miguel Corp. which is led by Ang. SMC Global said MGen and Zygnet Prime Holdings Inc., a company headed by businessman Iñigo Zobel, subscribed to 2,500 and 102 common shares of MPGC, respectively.

“As a result, SMC Global Power holds 49 percent of the outstanding capital stock of MPGC while MGen holds 49 percent and Zygnet 2 percent,” SMC Global Power said.

SMC Global did not provide the value of the transaction.

The deal was completed on June 16.

MPGC was formed to develop, construct, finance, own, operate and maintain a 4x150-megawatt circulating fluidized bed coalfired power plant and associated facilities in Mariveles, Bataan.

The construction of the power plant is expected to be completed by 2019.

The joint venture partnership came after MPGC signed power supply agreements with Meralco.

Another SMC Global unit Central Luzon Premiere Power Corp.

also signed a supply deal with Meralco for the delivery of up to 528 megawatts of electricity.

CLPPC intends to construct, own and operate a 600-MW circulating fluidized bed coal-fired power generating facility in Pagbilao, Quezon. The project is slated for completion by 2019.

Ang, who is the president of San Miguel, earlier said the two projects with a total capacity of 1,200 megawatts would cost a combined $2.4 billion.

Ang said in June, San Miguel was in advanced stage of negotia-

tions with the group of Pangilinan for a possible joint venture in the development of a $10-billion international airport.

Ang said both parties would wait for the government to issue guidelines for the airport bidding before finalizing their joint venture partnership.

Aside from the airport project, San Miguel was also in talks with Pangilinan’s group for other big ticket projects the government planned to bid out in the future, including tollways and railway projects.

WEDNESDAY: JUNE 29, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Tuesday, June 28, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 10.4 2.6 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 6.12 1.02 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 89 148 20.6 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 3.95 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 1.3 2.17

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 40.3 32 15.32 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 2.3 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.37 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 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 76 5.29 6.66 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 0.0670 1.61 2.99 84.9 974 1.39 390 156 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 49.55 3 3.52 4.84 0.59 12 4.2 0.030 0.550 2.26 59.3 751 0.93 170 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

10.5 26.95 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 1.48

6.74 12 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 1.1 0.97

STOCKS

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.36 3.32 47 46.1 110.10 107.90 97.95 96.30 38 37.7 4.18 3.81 1.36 1.36 14.2 14 17.94 17.58 6.81 6.80 1.89 1.85 0.550 0.530 87.5 86.5 0.94 0.92 14.98 14.94 22.80 22.80 58.90 56.65 105 104.3 263 258 32 31.9 200.2 198.9 1361.00 1350.00 65.30 64.10 1.52 1.5 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

46.8 46.5 46 Agrinurture Inc. 3.74 3.74 3.62 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.85 0.85 0.83 Alsons Cons.

2.04 2.13 1.98 Asiabest Group 12.28 12.38 12.26 Bogo Medelin 55.1 55.05 55.05 C. Azuc De Tarlac 204.00 220.00 204.00 Century Food 21.35 21.8 21.35 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 176 175 150.1 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 16.22 16.44 16.04 Concepcion 46.95 47.25 45.05 Crown Asia 2 2.07 2 Da Vinci Capital 5.5 5.72 5.52 Del Monte 11.42 11.42 11.02 DNL Industries Inc. 9.390 9.400 9.280 Emperador 7.01 7.08 6.80 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.63 5.67 5.55 EEI 7.43 7.70 7.39 Euro-Med Lab 1.8 1.82 1.66 First Gen Corp.

25.3 25.3 24.5 First Holdings ‘A’ 67.8 68 67 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 11.80 11.90 11.90 Holcim Philippines Inc. 15.00 15.10 14.92 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.54 5.59 5.54 Ionics Inc 2.410 2.460 2.330 Jollibee Foods Corp.

233.20 235.20 233.60 Liberty Flour 32.10 32.10 32.10 LMG Chemicals 1.8 1.8 1.73 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.17 3.6 3.25 Macay Holdings 36.00 38.65 36.00 Manila Water Co. Inc. 26.4 26.6 26.4 Maxs Group 29.65 29.65 28.55 Megawide 6.45 6.6 6.45 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 320.00 320.00 315.00 MG Holdings 0.265 0.270 0.265 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.30 4.41 4.41 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.29 3.31 3.29 Petron Corporation 11.06 11.08 10.80 Phil H2O 3.19 3.2 3.2 Phinma Corporation 11.54 11.56 11.56 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 6.04 6.04 5.90 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.70 1.70 1.63 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.71 2.97 2.72 RFM Corporation 4.19 4.20 4.18 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 210 210 200 Splash Corporation 2.58 2.58 2.53 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.145 0.148 0.146 TKC Steel Corp.

1.62 2.20 1.65 Trans-Asia Oil 2.39 2.42 2.36 Universal Robina 205.8 205 203.8 Vitarich Corp.

0.88 0.88 0.87 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.22 1.30 1.22 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.375 0.375 0.360 Aboitiz Equity 75.00 76.20 74.05 Alliance Global Inc. 15.38 15.40 15.12 Anglo Holdings A 1.18 1.17 1.17 Anscor `A’ 6.06 6.10 6.00 ATN Holdings A 0.380 0.380 0.370 ATN Holdings B 0.375 0.380 0.370 Ayala Corp `A’ 850 854.5 841 Cosco Capital 7.73 7.74 7.7 DMCI Holdings 12.70 12.70 12.46 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

6.29 6.30 6.25 GT Capital 1469 1470 1438 JG Summit Holdings 84.90 84.80 83.65 Keppel Holdings `A’ 5.8 6.5 5.35 Keppel Holdings `B’ 6.75 7.38 6.9 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.7 7.7 7.57 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.68 0.69 0.68 LT Group 16 15.76 15.5 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 6.65 6.74 6.6 Pacifica `A’ 0.0320 0.0320 0.0320 Prime Orion 1.800 1.830 1.790 Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.7 2.69 2.69 San Miguel Corp `A’ 77.05 78.50 77.00 SM Investments Inc. 970.00 970.50 957.00 South China Res. Inc. 0.86 1.13 0.86 Transgrid 185.00 185.00 185.00 Top Frontier 190.000 192.000 187.000 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3050 0.3100 0.3000 Wellex Industries 0.1970 2.0100 0.1950 Zeus Holdings 0.315 0.315 0.300 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.650 7.740 7.700 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 6.32 7.90 7.40 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.26 1.26 1.22 Araneta Prop `A’ 2.200 2.210 2.160 Arthaland Corp.

0.285 0.285 0.285 Ayala Land `B’ 39.400 39.350 38.600 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.28 3.35 3.27 Cebu Holdings 5.13 5.13 5.13 Century Property 0.495 0.5 0.490 City & Land Dev. 1.01 0.91 0.91 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.020 1.140 1.030 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 Filipino Fund Inc. I-Remit Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

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

Close

SHARES 8,015,490 74,982,745 102,289,331 116,707,766 131,542,688 599,956,792 1,035,542,130

3.36 46.95 110.00 97.95 38.1 4.19 1.39 14.2 17.68 6.83 1.78 0.540 86.5 0.94 14.90 22.80 56.65 104.9 261 31.9 198.9 1361.00 65.00 1.5

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.33 47 108.70 97.00 37.9 4.18 1.36 14 17.74 6.80 1.87 0.550 87.5 0.94 14.98 22.80 57.50 105 258.4 31.95 198.9 1355.00 64.80 1.52

-0.89 0.11 -1.18 -0.97 -0.52 -0.24 -2.16 -1.41 0.34 -0.44 5.06 1.85 1.16 0.00 0.54 0.00 1.50 0.10 -1.00 0.16 0.00 -0.44 -0.31 1.33

99,000 16,700 880,970 1,528,400 76,400 31,000 1,000 5,200 84,900 4,800 8,000 291,000 3,113,780 2,000 159,400 1,000 207,620 1,000 1,470 146,200 294,240 250 22,850 23,000

46.25 3.62 0.83 2.09 12.38 55.05 220.00 21.75 172 16.3 47.25 2 5.61 11.38 9.300 6.83 5.55 7.55 1.82 24.65 67.8 11.90 15.00 5.55 2.330 235.00 32.10 1.8 3.4 38.65 26.5 28.55 6.45 317.00 0.270 4.41 3.29 10.80 3.2 11.56 6.02 1.65 2.87 4.20 209 2.53 0.148 1.93 2.38 204 0.87 1.30

-1.18 -3.21 -2.35 2.45 0.81 -0.09 7.84 1.87 -2.27 0.49 0.64 0.00 2.00 -0.35 -0.96 -2.57 -1.42 1.62 1.11 -2.57 0.00 0.85 0.00 0.18 -3.32 0.77 0.00 0.00 7.26 7.36 0.38 -3.71 0.00 -0.94 1.89 2.56 0.00 -2.35 0.31 0.17 -0.33 -2.94 5.90 0.24 -0.48 -1.94 2.07 19.14 -0.42 -0.87 -1.14 6.56

1,394,800 161,000 985,000 7,310,000 1,800 20 110 155,900 1,110 902,100 700 5,821,000 331,800 6,300 1,809,900 5,818,800 6,637,000 96,600 2,000 2,988,200 45,860 1,000 74,400 103,400 2,802,000 611,860 50,900 18,000 88,000 2,000 1,051,600 826,100 7,100 35,010,892 440,000 2,000 598,000 1,819,100 1,000 1,500 969,300 191,000 654,000 309,000 2,110 24,000 840,000 25,806,000 1,070,000 1,131,360 887,000 18,000

0.365 74.05 15.18 1.17 6.00 0.375 0.375 845 7.73 12.60 6.25 1446 84.00 5.69 7 7.7 0.69 15.6 6.68 0.0320 1.790 2.69 78.00 970.00 1.00 185.00 192.000 0.3100 0.2010 0.300

-2.67 -1.27 -1.30 -0.85 -0.99 -1.32 0.00 -0.59 0.00 -0.79 -0.64 -1.57 -1.06 -1.90 3.70 0.00 1.47 -2.50 0.45 0.00 -0.56 -0.37 1.23 0.00 16.28 0.00 1.05 1.64 2.03 -4.76

310,000 679,980 8,892,800 1,000 11,400 9,070,000 500,000 122,580 214,800 4,845,300 83,000 146,080 2,601,020 14,000 20,400 998,600 4,000 2,121,200 23,383,500 30,000,000 1,303,000 5,000 26,550 148,720 8,393,000 40 33,840 1,300,000 2,960,000 3,940,000

7.700 7.90 1.24 2.170 0.285 38.800 3.28 5.13 0.495 0.91 1.110

0.65 25.00 -1.59 -1.36 0.00 -1.52 0.00 0.00 0.00 -9.90 8.82

31,000 800 1,221,000 155,000 110,000 9,665,400 689,000 21,000 1,770,000 1,000 15,000

696,670.00 15,346,664 -66,741,639.50 -943,710.00 12,710.00

10,910.00 148,867,278.00

813,536.00 -12,900.00 3,378,795 -25,251,142.00

-3,254,010.00 3,362,970.00

-57,320.00 23,550 -42,460.00 -5,700.00 -6,326,024.00 -4,639,062.00 -4,459,754.00 -4,501.00 19,254,570.00 -855,430.50 -975,000.00 82,018,446.00

36,000.00 -17,767,345.00 4,316,655.00 -43,860.00

1,602,480.00 -11,564,240.00 -14,975.00 -12,050.00 -276,520.00

-92,400.00 28,454,064.00

-18,250.00 -9,274,935.00 -30,925,256.00 -6,100.00 -38,000.00 -30,491,250.00 -889,620.00 -18,127,372.00 -28,998,070.00 -35,844,624.50 -4,049,760.00 1,317,362.00 25,304,799.00 454,400.00 531,050.00 -24,452,545.00 -193,260.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

9,900.00

High

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

Crown Equities Inc. 0.132 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.610 Double Dragon 60 Empire East Land 0.790 Ever Gotesco 0.147 Global-Estate 0.96 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.99 Interport `A’ 1.26 Keppel Properties 5.10 Megaworld 4.49 MRC Allied Ind. 0.096 Phil. Estates Corp.

0.2750 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 40.50 Primex Corp.

9.71 Robinson’s Land `B’ 29.60 Rockwell 1.75 Shang Properties Inc. 3.2 SM Prime Holdings 26.20 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.9 Starmalls 7.14 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 0.970 Vista Land & Lifescapes 5.130

-1.52 3.28 -0.08 0.00 8.16 1.04 -1.51 0.00 -1.96 -0.45 -1.04 -1.82 -1.23 -0.41 2.53 1.71 0.00 0.38 0.00 -11.48 0.00 -0.58

1,050,000 9,461,000 673,280 492,000 150,000 660,000 12,528,000 110,000 3,700 17,494,000 31,740,000 410,000 4,800 145,200 1,767,800 878,000 27,000 19,288,800 380,000 5,300 474,000 4,437,400

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 70.5 1.97 119.5 7 5.8 12.5 0.017

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 830 1600 5.95 17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 4 8.72 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 95.5 1 15.2

6.5 1.91 3.1 0.650 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 1.71 5 0.315 1.14

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

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

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

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

0.97 -1.37 1.56 0.00 0.00 -0.41 2.24 0.00 -1.02 0.10 3.16 0.53 -1.41 4.17 0.17 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 11.47 -7.27 1.23 0.00 0.21 -1.52 0.60 1.78 -0.86 2.53 -1.53 0.00 -1.72 1.21 1.28 0.71 0.16 1.05 2.92 -0.21 -1.44 0.00 -3.28 0.12 2.50 -0.47 -0.32 -1.72 0.00 -0.90 0.00 2.01

22,700 393,000 3,000 677,000 100 13,200 7,400,300 8,060,000 826,000 133,620 800 5,000 63,200 10 114,805 12,900 7,200 45,000 1,907,080 340,600 330 1,500 38,900,000 345,000 3,530,000 2,831,000 21,000 2,200 377,300 221,000 1,000 15,000 10,904,000 603,000 6,039,000 3,000 6,000 10 42,500 117,790 2,930,000 36,559,000 1,568,400 822,370 378,300 4,091,000 275,000 15,000 342,000 40,000 35,600

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 0.012 0.013 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’ Benguet Corp `B’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Pet. `A’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

-2.38 -12.50 0.00 0.00 -0.13 -3.28 2.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 -3.14 -1.92 0.00 0.00 0.58 -0.61 -0.37 0.00 0.00 -8.33 0.49 -0.82 -0.25 0.00 0.00 3.83 0.00

72,000,000 26,416,000 -24,759,930.00 245,000 -73,090.00 3,200 19,700 315,000 5,390,000 1,000 10,656,000 698,450.00 260,000 40,720,000 3,590,000 137,750.00 75,700,000 238,500,000 532,000 2,113,000 1,940,090.00 132,000 11,000 3,000,000 100,000 1,000 5,726,100 -861,493.00 2,424,000 191,130.00 92,400,000 441,700 -9,165,052.00 226,000 19,000,000

70 525 515

33 500 480

1047

1011

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ GLOBE PREF P PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred I

-1.18 0.00 0.09 3.85 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.16 0.00 0.00

452,600 3,850 1,100 5 60 2,800 20,500 11,670 12,790 76,850

0.00

43,000

1.62 0.00 -0.84 -2.26

738,000 1,000 814,000 486,400

-0.63

3,070

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,736.31 (DOWN) 5.88 INDUSTRIAL 11,755.85 (DOWN) 82.77 HOLDING FIRMS 7,512.09 (DOWN) 50.44 PROPERTY 3,370.18 (DOWN) 13.92 SERVICES 1,616.19 (DOWN) 5.82 MINING & OIL 11,121.11 (DOWN) 60.76 PSEI 7,666.69 (DOWN) 49.21 All Shares Index 4,567.28 (DOWN) 20.67 Gainers: 82; Losers: 94; Unchanged: 57; Total: 233

Close

0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 3.1 4.13 0.090 0.290 23 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

0.131 0.130 0.130 0.640 0.610 0.630 60.5 58.05 59.95 0.790 0.790 0.790 0.160 0.143 0.159 0.97 0.95 0.97 1.99 1.95 1.96 1.26 1.21 1.26 5.00 5.00 5.00 4.51 4.46 4.47 0.105 0.094 0.095 0.2700 0.2500 0.2700 40.50 40.00 40.00 9.67 9.31 9.67 30.40 29.60 30.35 1.8 1.75 1.78 3.2 3.19 3.2 26.30 25.90 26.30 0.9 0.89 0.9 6.9 6.29 6.32 0.990 0.970 0.970 5.130 5.030 5.100 SERVICES 7.22 7.4 7.22 7.29 47.5 47.5 46.85 46.85 1.28 1.3 1.3 1.3 0.580 0.600 0.570 0.580 11.4 11.4 11.4 11.4 7.25 7.8 7.22 7.22 5.80 5.99 5.73 5.93 0.0590 0.0590 0.0570 0.0590 2.94 2.94 2.85 2.91 96.05 97 96 96.15 9.5 9.8 9.8 9.8 1.89 1.9 1.9 1.9 6.39 6.34 6.30 6.30 960 1000 1000 1000 2400 2420 2370 2404 6.30 6.30 6.27 6.30 21.25 21.25 21.25 21.25 1.13 1.14 1.13 1.13 61.2 61.3 60.9 61.2 12.90 15.20 12.90 14.38 165 165 145 153 11.34 11.48 10.02 11.48 0.0100 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 9.39 9.41 9.35 9.41 0.330 0.330 0.325 0.325 1.6600 1.6900 1.6300 1.6700 2.25 2.29 2.19 2.29 11.6 11.5 11.4 11.5 7.51 7.71 7.52 7.70 3.26 3.29 3.20 3.21 20.00 20.00 20.00 20.00 0.580 0.580 0.570 0.570 3.31 3.41 3.25 3.35 3.90 3.96 3.89 3.95 2.820 2.940 2.840 2.840 12.38 12.42 12.12 12.4 4.75 4.80 4.80 4.80 120.00 123.50 123.50 123.50 24.35 24.30 24.15 24.30 2080.00 2070.00 2020.00 2050.00 0.430 0.440 0.430 0.430 1.220 1.230 1.180 1.180 41.85 42.45 41.65 41.90 80.00 82.50 81.50 82.00 6.40 6.49 6.35 6.37 3.10 3.15 3.05 3.09 0.580 0.580 0.570 0.570 1.96 1.96 1.8 1.96 3.35 3.37 3.32 3.32 0.330 0.350 0.325 0.330 5.980 6.150 5.860 6.100 MINING & OIL 0.0042 0.0042 0.0041 0.0041 4.00 4.21 3.48 3.50 4.30 4.30 4.29 4.30 11.80 11.80 10.52 11.80 7.5600 7.5500 7.0200 7.5500 0.61 0.61 0.59 0.59 0.480 0.510 0.480 0.490 8.90 8.98 8.60 8.90 0.850 0.850 0.830 0.850 0.280 0.290 0.280 0.280 0.255 0.255 0.246 0.247 0.260 0.255 0.250 0.255 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 0.0130 0.0140 0.0140 0.0130 0.0140 1.71 1.79 1.72 1.72 4.94 5 4.8 4.91 2.7 2.74 2.6 2.69 0.5500 0.5500 0.5500 0.5500 0.0098 0.0100 0.0098 0.0098 0.0120 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 4.07 4.09 4.09 4.09 8.57 8.50 8.08 8.50 3.93 4.05 3.90 3.92 0.0120 0.0130 0.0120 0.0120 123.00 123.90 121.50 123.00 3.66 3.8 3.63 3.8 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 PREFERRED 46.55 46.5 46 46 541.5 541.5 541 541.5 540 540.5 540.5 540.5 1117 1160 1160 1160 1028 1028 1028 1028 76.5 76.5 76.5 76.5 76 76.25 76 76 77.5 78.4 77.5 78.4 77.95 77.95 77.95 77.95 76.6 76.6 76.6 76.6 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.000 3.000 2.960 3.000 SME 3.71 3.95 3.63 3.77 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 4.74 4.84 4.64 4.7 15.96 15.94 15.52 15.6 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 126.9 126.9 125.8 126.1

T op g ainerS VALUE 698,356,790.67 843,275,244.04 1,184,157,160.87 1,140,910,466.055 1,004,899,486.44 255,421,263.761 5,141,677,493.56

Low

0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 8.4 5.94 0.180 0.470 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

100,300.00

-123,906,755.00 -210,130.00

Close

-312,480.00 1,834,325.00 206,150.00 -2,646,700.00 3,780.00 -22,510,040.00 7,390.00

28,784,820.00 58,080.00 137,930,865.00

-11,779,363.00

24,028,845.00 34,560.00 -656,819.00

53,929,640.00

-42,525,070.50 -3,300.00 470,500.00 -36,300.00 -125,690.00 2,309,324

-5,223,320.00 674,270.00 -636,300.00

-4,835.00 -144,772,290.00 -12,629,300.00 38,396,895.00 38,392,629.00 -56,020.00 -11,400.00 -311,470.00

-20,665,210.00

-61,200.00 894,493.00 -5,496,049.99

-66,740.00 -1,957,600.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Anchor Land Holdings Inc.

7.90

25.00

Apex `A'

3.50

-12.50

TKC Steel Corp.

1.93

19.14

Starmalls

6.32

-11.48

South China Res. Inc.

1.00

16.28

City & Land Dev.

0.91

-9.90

Imperial Res. `A'

14.38

11.47

Oriental Pet. `B'

0.0110

-8.33

Cityland Dev. `A'

1.110

8.82

Imperial Res. `B'

153

-7.27

Ever Gotesco

0.159

8.16

Zeus Holdings

0.300

-4.76

C. Azuc De Tarlac

220.00

7.84

Maxs Group

28.55

-3.71

Macay Holdings

38.65

7.36

Ionics Inc

2.330

-3.32

Mabuhay Vinyl

3.4

7.26

Premium Leisure

1.180

-3.28

Vulcan Ind'l.

1.30

6.56

Century Peak Metals Hldgs

0.59

-3.28

WEDNESDAY: JUNE 29, 2016

B3

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

MNTC begins road expansion

By Darwin G. Amojelar

MANILA North Tollways Corp. said on Tuesday it invested P211 million to expand its toll lanes at the Bocaue section of the North Luzon Expressway.

The operator of NLEx said the Bocaue Toll Barrier would be expanded to 33 toll lanes from 25 to further provide faster and convenient travel to southbound motorists.

The additional eight lanes, which are composed of four manual, two Easytrip and two mixed lanes, are being built at a cost of P210.8 million. The amount includes cost for civil works and fixed operating equipment.

The project, which is set to

be completed in September this year, involves the construction of an eight-lane skewed toll plaza at the southbound portion of NLEx Bocaue. Four new passthrough lanes at the left side of the existing Bocaue Toll Barrier will lead motorists to the new toll plaza.

“These new toll lanes will help accommodate the growing number of motorists using the NLEx Bocaue Toll Barrier and ensure that motorists continue to expe-

rience speedy toll transactions at the NLEX especially during peak hours,” MNTC president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said.

Over 50,000 vehicles use the southbound NLEx Bocaue Toll Plaza every day and traffic volume in the area increases by 10 percent to 15 percent during holidays when many motorists return to Manila from their trips in northern Luzon provinces.

MNTC earlier allotted P2.6 billion to finance the road widening project covering Segments 2 and 3 of NLEX to accommodate the growing number of vehicles plying the tollway.

The road widening project will expand the existing two-lane portion of NLEx between Sta. Rita and San Fernando to three

lanes on both the northbound and southbound sides, while the current one-lane stretch between Dau and Sta. Ines will be expanded to two lanes on both sides.

The company is also investing P1 billion for the pavement improvement of the entire 94-kilometer stretch of Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway from 2016 to 2018.

MNTC earlier reported a net income of P922 million in the first quarter from P682 million last year.

It attributed the growth in net income to the higher toll revenues for the period, which expanded by 30 percent to P2.56 billion from P1.97 billion in 2015 as a result of traffic growth and the inclusion of the SCTEx toll revenues starting on October 27, 2015.

Dam operations. SNAP boitiz Power-Benguet, National Power Corp. and Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. hold the annual public information drive on the Ambuklao and Binga Dams and reservoir operations on June 14 to 16. The info drive, now on its fourth year, notifies local government units and residents of communities downstream of Ambuklao and Binga about the annual spillway gate reliability testing conducted by SNAP-Benguet, NPC and PSALM. The drive, attended by around 300 community members, was held in barangays Dalupirip and Tinongdan in Itogon and barangay Ambuklao in Bokod. This year’s spillway gate reliability testing is set on July 25 to 29.

Vista Land, UP teaming up in building a campus

By Jenniffer B. Austria VISTA Land & Lifescapes Inc., the property unit of the Villar Group, has partnered with University of the Philippines to create the country’s first technopreneurship campus within Vista City’s University Town in Las Piñas.

Vista Land said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the campus, which is envisioned to become the birthplace of local tech start-ups, would be built on a five-hectare land donated by the Villar family.

“A UP campus in Vista City is envisioned to become the birthplace of local tech start-ups that will ensure that the Philippines will remain competitive in today’s

global economy,” said Vista Land chairman and UP alumnae Manuel Villar Jr said.

“Education is indispensable for economic development. The country’s human or knowledge capital can now be considered as the key for technological innovation to achieve and sustain inclusive growth that reduces inequality and poverty,” Villar added.

Under the partnership, Vista Land will build the initial campus facilities, particularly an Enterprise Center and Classroom Complex that will offer postgraduate and undergraduate programs in technopreneurship and design engineering for UP students UP, meanwhile, will design

the programs to be offered in the campus.

“The UP Technopreneurship Campus in Vista City’s University Town can give its student-technopreneurs a better shot at bringing discoveries, inventions, and designs to the innovation stage and competing on the bigger world stage,” said UP president Alfredo Pascual.

Vista Land said the concept of such facility was taken from a “think paper” published by the University of the Philippines, which postulates that investment in knowledge capital development becomes key to a nation’s economic progress and to sustaining inclusive growth.

The Philippines, it said, must begin investing not only in education infrastructure, but in a “knowledge suprastructure” which allows the development of multi-disciplinary experts, trained specifically in technology and business—individuals, more popularly known as technopreneurs.

The suprastructure requires investment of both public and private sectors in smart classroom facilities, business incubation spaces and tech innovation zones, located within modern university towns that allow technopreneurs to thrive in a supportive ecosystem like Silicon Valley in California.

Market declines; First Gen, PLDT fall STOCKS fell Tuesday as Britain’s shock decision to leave the EU continued to bring uncertainty to the global market.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index lost 49.21 points, or 0.6 percent, to 7,666.69 on a value turnover of P5.1 billion. Losers beat gainers, 94 to 82, with 57 issues unchanged.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., the biggest telecommunications company, dropped 1.4 percent to P2,050, while major builder Ayala Land Inc. declined 1.5 percent to P38.80.

GT Capital Holdings Inc. of tycoon Geroge Ty fell 1.6 percent to P1,446, while First Gen Corp. of the Lopez Group lost 2.6 percent to P24.65.

The rest of Asian markets, meanwhile, gained while the pound rose as traders began betting on a fresh round of stimulus to mitigate the effects of Britain’s shock decision to leave the EU. Regional markets mostly closed higher after beginning the day deep in the red, as uncertainty over the vote— which many fear could precipitate the end of the United Kingdom and even the European Union—revived selling after Monday’s surprise rise in Asia.

Tokyo ended up 0.1 percent, having fallen two percent in the morning, while Seoul also reversed to finish 0.5 percent higher.

Shanghai recovered to end 0.6 percent higher, while there were healthy gains in Singapore, Wellington, Taipei, Jakarta and Bangkok.

Hong Kong was 0.6 percent down in the afternoon while Sydney gave up 0.7 percent, although both were improvements on early trade.

In early European trade London jumped 2.0 percent, Paris rallied 2.3 percent and Frankfurt climbed 2.1 percent.

A lack of haste among Britain’s leadership is adding to a sense of drift in the country, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying he will stand down in the autumn and hand responsibility for exiting the EU to his—as yet unknown—successor.

While Cameron does not want to trigger the process to remove Britain before he leaves, he is facing pressure from other EU leaders, ahead of a crucial Brussels summit Tuesday, to hurry the process up.

A slump in New York and European markets Monday as well as cuts to Britain’s credit rating by Standard & Poor’s and Fitch—making it more expensive to borrow cash in international markets—added to downward pressure. With AFP

B4 PPA’s net income declined 7% in Q1

By Darwin G Amojelar STATE-RUN Philippine Ports Authority said Tuesday net income fell 7 percent in the first quarter from a year ago, on lower port revenues.

Data from PPA showed net profit in January to March amounted to P1.93 billion, down from P2.07 billion in the same period last year.

The port authority’s gross revenues declined 6.1 percent to P3.19 billion in the first quarter from last year’s P3.4 billion.

Revenues from port operations dropped 6.3 percent to P3.16 billion, while profits derived from storage shrank to P208.62 million from P651.07 million.

PPA’s fund management income improved 6.5 percent to P24.49 million from P23 million last year.

“The increase is primarily the result of the increased volume of idle funds invested through special and/or high-yield savings deposits at the beginning of the year as project implementation is just starting,” PPA said.

FMI is derived from interest income on temporary or short-term investment placed under PPA’s depository bank such as Philippine Veterans Bank and Land Bank of the Philippines.

PPA’s total expenditures declined 5 percent to P1.26 billion from P1.32 billion last year.

The port authority earlier reported a 6-percent increase in cargo volume in the first quarter to 50.1 million metric tons from 47.1 million MT in the same period last year.

Foreign cargo volume rose 7 percent to 27.2 million MT from 25.4 million MT a year earlier while domestic cargo increased 5.5 percent to 22.9 MMT from 21.7 MMT .

The agency, however, said container traffic fell 9.8 percent to 1.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units in the first quarter from 1.4 million TEUs in the same period last year.

Passenger traffic increased 16.6 percent to 15.8 million from 13.2 million last year.

PDIC taps social media. Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. launches its official Facebook page and Twitter account to actively engage the

public, address the information needs of depositors and increase public awareness on deposit insurance to promote depositor protection and financial stability. Shown during the launching are (from left) Governance Commission for GOCCs commissioner and officer-in-charge Ma. Angela Ignacio, PIDC president Cristina Que Orbeta and PDIC directors Protacio Tacandong and Rogelio Manalo.

Mitsubishi chairman looks at Montero case

By Othel V. Campos

TOKYO, Japan—Mitsubishi Motors Corp. chairman and chief executive Osamu Masuko said the company tapped a third party to investigate cases of sudden unintended acceleration involving Montero Sports vehicles in the Philippines.

“It is unfortunate that this [SUA] happened. We are sorry for the customers who have expressed concern. Montero Sports is an important vehicle for us. We would like to solve this problem,” Masuko told Filipino journalists in a news briefing.

Masuko said Mitsubishi had decided to tap the services of third-party expert Horiba Mira of the United Kingdom to expedite the evaluation process following the conduct of govern-

ment bidding for a third party assessment facility that failed twice already.

Horiba Mira, which signed the contract with Mitsubishi in May, is expected to release the outcome of the investigation by end-July.

Montero Sports was the best selling SUV in the Philippines for five years starting 2009.

Masuko said Philippine sales of Montero dipped at the height of the problem, but started to

recover with the release of the next-generation Montero Sports in January 2016.

The new Montero is packed with safety features that are expected to raise sales, it said.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. coordinated its intention to conduct the third-party evaluation with the European firm to the Philippine Trade Department.

“We do not know for sure what the [Philippine] Trade Department will make of our efforts.

We just want to move on from the SUA issue to other important matters,” MMPC president and chief executive Yoshiaki Kato said.

Kato said MMPC brought Montero Sports units to the UK for assessment.

The Philippine Trade Department is also conducting a sepa-

rate investigation on the Montero issue.

Mitsubishi said that in more than a hundred markets where Montero was present, the Philippines had the most number of complaints involving 200 cases.

Mitsubishi said it was able to settle over a hundred complaints by repair or buy-back while about 30 to 50 Montero owners filed official complaints before the Trade Department.

Kato said that in other markets, SUA cases on the Montero was very minimal with only four or five observed cases. In these cases, Mitsubishi was able to determine the cause of the problem.

Mitsubishi said despite the complaints, Montero was its best selling unit with sales reaching 5,600 units as of May 2016.

The New Montero accounted for 3,400 of total sales.

Prosecutor elevates Nickel Asia’s libel case against NGO

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales NICKEL Asia Corp. said Tuesday the Taguig City Prosecutor Office recommended the filing of charges against a nongovernment organization for spreading malicious information against affiliate Hinatuan Mining Corp.

Nickel Asia said in a statement Taguig prosecutor Archimedes Manabat found probable cause to indict officers of Philippines Misereor Partnership Inc. for

cybercrime libel.

PMPI is a network of people’s organizations, non-governmental organizations, church/faithbased groups and Misereor, the overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Germany.

Nickel Asia said the Taguig prosecutor found libelous the respondents’ statement posted on its website on June 20, 2015 claiming that HMC’s barge destroyed three small fishing boats on their way into the port of Manicani Island in Guian,

Eastern Samar.

Nickel Asia said PMPI alleged that Skipton Manila, a large barge containing several heavy equipment and machinery for mining operations, was sent

by HMC despite a suspension order from the Environment Department.

Nickel Asia said residents in Manicani Island executed a jointaffidavit attesting that there was no truth that the barge rammed the pump boats and no nickel ores were transported by the

barge.

“Apart from local residents, the incident was also witnessed

by Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Maritime Police, Philippine National Police, national and local media, Mines and Geosciences Bureau and DENR personnel,” Nickel Asia said.

HMC, in its complaintaffidavit, also denied PMPI’s allegations saying that these imputations damaged the reputation of the company “done

with malice and with reckless disregard for the truth and with no good intention or justifiable motive.”

Four members of PMPI secretariat named by HMC as respondents to a libel case filed for bail after the Taguig prosecutor elevated the case, recommending indictment.

Faith-based institutions, sectoral organizations showed their support to PMPI national coordinator Yoly Esguerra and three other key personnel.

W E D N E S D AY : J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 6

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

B5

June inflation seen topping 2%

By Julito G. Rada

INFLATION rate in June likely accelerated to as high as 2.4 percent from 1.6 percent in May, on higher tuition and food prices, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Tuesday.

“The BSP forecast suggests that June inflation could settle within the 1.5 to 2.4 percent range. Upside inflation pressures could come from the increase in tuition fees as well as in rice and vegetable price,”Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said in a text message.

Tetangco, however, said the aforementioned increases could be partly offset by the decline in

electricity rates and domestic oil prices.

Power distributor Manila Electric Co. earlier said the residential rate for a typical household consuming 200 kilowatt-hours went down in June by P0.13 per kWh, bringing the rate to P8.32 per kWh, the lowest since January 2010.

The reduction was due to the downward movement in the

generation charge, which more than offset a higher transmission charge.

“Going forward, the BSP will continue to monitor evolving price trends to ensure price stability conducive to a balanced and sustainable economic growth,” Tetangco said.

Inflation averaged 1.2 percent in the first five months, slower than Bangko Sentral’s official target range of 2 percent to 4 percent this year.

The manageable inflation environment coupled with robust domestic growth prompted the policy-setting Monetary Board of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to keep the benchmark interest

rates steady last week.

Interest rates were kept at 3.5 percent for overnight lending, 3 percent for overnight borrowing and 2.5 percent for deposit facilities. The reserve requirement ratios were also left untouched.

Meanwhile, Finance undersecretary Gil Beltran said inflation in June would likely reach 1.8 percent.

“Inflation rate for this month may inch to 1.8 percent on account of higher food price increase [largely due to vegetables] and possibly higher price increase in the education sub-group,” Beltran said.

Beltran said despite the slight increase in inflation in June, the

Presidential medal.

American Red Cross receives flak for ‘racist’ poster IT WAS supposed to be a cool poster to remind kids about safety rules. After all, it’s a cute cartoon showing several children having fun in a swimming pool, with a couple of lifeguards watching over them. Arrows point to examples of what is “cool” and “not cool” behavior. Not cool to chase each other around the pool, but cool to jump from the diving board; not cool to push someone into the water; cool to teach someone how to swim, etc.

The poster looks harmless enough so there should not really be any problem with that, right? Except for this one sticky detail: All the “not cool” arrows point to colored kids (black and Hispanic) while the “cool” arrows point to white kids showing proper behavior while in the swimming pool.

Shortly after the poster made its rounds on social media following a tweet by a John Sawyer, people started calling out the nonprofit humanitarian group for its “very racist” depiction. American Red Cross later issued an apology saying it is “sensitive to the concerns raised” by the water safety poster. “We deeply apologize for any misunderstanding, as it was absolutely not our intent to offend anyone. As one of the nation’s oldest and largest humanitarian organizations, we are committed to diversity and inclusion in all that we do every day,” the statement read.

This latest controversy just goes to show that sensitivities still run high on the subject of racism, and that even seemingly harmless materials can drive overwhelming, emotionally-charged negative reactions, as seen in the flak drawn by a Gap Kids poster that showed three white girls (in identical blue colored shirts) and one colored girl in a pink shirt – whose head just happens to be under the ‘pit of a much taller white girl.

Many took exception to the poster, saying it conveys a message of superiority (for the white girls) and subordination (for the smaller black girl). Others though saw nothing wrong with the poster, even coming out with an older ad that showed a tall black girl resting her arm on a smaller white girl. But Gap, fearing a backlash, issued an apology and promised to replace the offending poster.

Another controversial ad was the 2013 Mountain Dew short video that showed a woman in crutches being asked to identify her attacker from a police lineup. The only thing is, the lineup showed three black men and a goat as suspects – triggering outcries, most prominently from a Syracuse University professor, who said it reinforced stereotypes about black males being criminals and made light of violence against women.

It was actually a sequel to an earlier ad showing this goat named Felicia getting so addicted to Mountain Dew that it went to great lengths to get a bottle – kicking a waitress in the process. Ironically, the ad was the brainchild of a black rapper/designer/music video director named Tyler, The Creator (Tyler Gregory Okonma), known for pushing the envelope and thinking out-of-the-box. And the actors? They are members of Tyler’s alternative hip-hop group known as Odd Future. As expected, PepsiCo apologized and took down the video.

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

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lower prices of oil and power prices would temper the price increase.

“This month saw Meralco rates hit their seven-year low. Current fuel prices are still significantly lower than last year,” Beltran said.

“Benign inflation will enable the country to maintain monetary policy stance that allows continued rapid growth within the targeted 6.8 to 7.8 percent,” Beltran said.

“This also strengthens the country’s capability to manage risks arising from external shocks including the Brexit and the Fed normalization,” he said.

With Gabrielle H. Binaday

President Aquino congratulates Government Service Insurance System president and general manager Robert Vergara during the conferment of the presidential medal of merit for outstanding service to the Aquino administration at Rizal Ceremonial Hall in Malacañang Palace. The medal of merit is “granted to those who have rendered outstanding service to the president.”

40 power projects to go online this year

By Alena Mae S. Flores FORTY power plants with a combined capacity of 2,328 megawatts are expected to go online this year, following the completion of 69 power projects during the six-year term of President Benigno Aquino III, according to the Energy Department.

“Under the Aquino administration, 69 power projects were commissioned providing additional megawatts to our power supply,” the agency said in a draft transition report to incoming Energy secretary Al Cusi.

The department said with the continued pursuit of private sector participation in power generation, the country’s total installed

capacity increased to 18,765 MW in 2015 from 16,359 MW in 2010.

The report covering 2010 to 2015 said the average share of installed capacity by type of power plant were recorded at 31.8 percent for coal, 33.8 percent for combined renewable energy (wind, solar and biomass), 15.3 percent for natural gas and 19.2 percent for oil-based installations.

“Forty more projects are expected to go online within 2016 which will further add 2,328 MW to total dependable capacity from 16,432 MW in 2015,” the report said.

The department also spearheaded the re-powering and rehabilitation of privatized power plants

during the period which resulted in an increase of 392 MW. Outgoing Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada earlier said the department was already preparing an “abridged version” of a report of the department’s accomplishments for Cusi, a former general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority and a former chief of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

“Most of that are for power.

There’s a lot of things to complete.

Priority would be RPS [renewable portfolio standards]. Next would be the RE market circular. And then FIT, whether we still need it so we can meet our 2030 targets,” she said.

WEDNESDAY: JUNE 29, 2016

B6

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

Shell wins banked gas supply of PNOC

By Alena Mae S. Flores

PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp., the country’s second largest oil company, was awarded a partial volume of banked gas offered for sale by PNOC Exploration Corp. and Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. Energy Department records showed that only Pilipinas Shell’s 110,000-barrel-a-day refinery qualified during the bidding held by the two members of the Malampaya natural gas consortium.

“There was only one qualified bidder that meets the supplier’s criteria which is the PSPC refinery that has been awarded the partial volume. The utilization of the said gas volume by PSPC will start in 2018,” the department said. It did not specify the

awarded volume.

Sources said Shell was utilizing natural gas for the power requirements of its refinery. Shell is the sister company of Spex which owns a 45-percent stake in Malampaya gas-to-power project in Palawan.

Shell still had to undergo bidding for the banked gas after the government decided to offer it via a public bidding.

Spex officials earlier said the banked gas sale last year drew “basement prices” amid the low

global oil price environment “We’re working with the government. We are still making sure that we will be able to monetize it, to bring it to the power plants.

We are aware that San Gabriel and Avion are just nearly completed.

They are already going hot commissioning. We are sure there will be discussions on how to get gas to fire those new power plants,” Spex managing director Sebastian Quinones said earlier.

Quinones said there was a winning bid in the joint bidding for the banked gas located at the Malampaya natural gas field northwest off Palawan but it was of small quantity and drew very low prices.

“I would like to use the term that Secretary Monsada used and that we got basement prices, not floor prices. That’s why we obviously want to make sure that the government is also not

impacted [by the low oil prices],” Quinones.

He did not disclose the winning bidder at that time, but he said the consortium members were still negotiating with other interested bidders.

Quinones said the sale of remaining natural gas would depend on “what the market is asking.”

The invitation to prospective investors for the banked gas earlier stated that Shell Exploration B.V, Chevron Malampaya LLC, PNOC Exploration Corp. and PNOC would jointly tender their respective gas volume entitlements under service contract 38.

The quantity of gas available was up to 227.995 petajoules with average daily quantity of up to 78.1 terajoules which was available for delivery from Jan. 1, 2016 and up to Feb. 23, 2024.

Money lessons. Esteemed executives from the private sector and officials from several government agencies share lessons about saving

money at an early stage and managing their finances as they grow up to public elementary students from Sampaloc, Manila during the partnership signing ceremony for Piso (Personal Insurance and Savings Option) sa Kinabukasan program at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Shown are (seated, from left) Insurance commissioner Emmanuel Dooc, PLDT Inc. chairman Manuel Pangilinan, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla and Land Bank of the Philippines president and chief executive Gilda Pico. Standing are (from left) Voyager Innovations president Orlando Vea, Sun Life of Canada (Philippines) Inc. president Riza Mantaring, FINTQ chief executive Lito Villanueva and Sun Life Financial Asia president Kevin Strain.

Chevron to build 32 retail stations CHEVRON Philippines Inc. said Tuesday the introduction of its latest fuel technology will help boost sales of the Caltex brand as the company embarks on an aggressive retail expansion program.

Chevron Philippines launched the new Clean & Glide technology whose active ingredients are specifically designed to clean and protect metal surfaces within the engine. It will be available across all gasoline grades at Caltex stations starting July 1.

“We expect an increase in sales [from the launch of the new product]. It’s not gonna be a huge amount, but it’s more about continuing to offer high-quality products to the growing number of motorists,” Chevron Philippines country chairman Peter Morris told reporters.

The Clean & Glide technology infused with Techron fuel helps reduce friction, thus enhancing engine protection, improving fuel economy and maximizing power.

Morris said Chevron would put up 32 new retail stations this year as a part of its ongoing expansion program. The company currently has a 15-percent market share.

“We have just around 700 stations across the country…We’re going to add about 30 service stations in 2016. That’s right across the country, evenly spread across the country, a few here in Metro Manila. There’s certainly quite a few in growth areas like Mindanao and provincial areas in the Visayas,” Morris said.

He said Mindanao could be a growth area for the Caltex brand especially under the Duterte administration. Of the company’s 700 stations, around 150 stations are located in Mindanao.

“Certainly as mayor, he enabled Davao to grow in a good way.

But we’ve seen growth across the entire region, through the agri exports and broadening of the economic base. It’s happening certainly in Mindanao and the Visayas and not to mention Metro Manila,” he said.

Morris said about 25 percent of the 32 new stations would be located in Mindanao. Morris did not give investment costs.

He said the company would service the new retail stations from existing oil depots.

Alena Mae S. Flores

EDC, contractor agree to end arbitration over geothermal plant ENERGY Development Corp. said Tuesday wholly-owned subsidiary Bac-Man Geothermal Inc. and contractor Weir Engineering Services Ltd. settled their respective claims on the rehabilitation works of the Bac-Man geothermal facility in Bicol region.

“EDC is pleased to announce that BGI has informed it that all claims arising under the contract have now been settled on terms satisfactory to BGI and Weir,” EDC said in a disclosure

to the stock exchange.

Bac-Man Geothermal agreed to return $1.89 million to Weir and both parties “have agreed to jointly take steps to cause the discontinuance of the arbitration.”

Bac-Man geothermal initiated an arbitration with the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce on April 20, 2015 to enforce its rights under contract for works for units 1, 2 and 3.

Weir was engaged by Bac-

Man Geothermal in 2012 to carry out certain rehabilitation works on the steam turbine and generator installations in three existing power-generating units at Bacon-Manito geothermal power plants.

Units 1 and 2 are located at Bac-Man I plant in Palayang Bayan, Manito, Albay and Unit 3 at BacMan II plant in Cawayan, Sorsogon.

All units at the Bac-Man plant are now operational and the fa-

cility is producing a gross output of 140 megawatts.

Bac-Man Geothermal received the ICC tribunal’s phase 1 award on Feb, 1, 2016. The ICC tribunal also ordered Weir to pay a total of $5.292 million to the Lopez-owned company.

Weir withdrew its request for arbitration with the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission after Bac-Man received a favorable ruling from ICC in February.

The tribunal also ordered that “Weir is permanently restrained from pursuing proceedings in any other dispute resolution forum, including the CIAC, in connection with disputes arising under the Contract that have validly been referred by BGI to arbitration under the ICC rules.”

ICC also ordered Weir to pay Bac-Man Geothermal $887,902.03 within 21 days from the date of the partial award.

Alena Mae S. Flores

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WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Rest. Masked Palestinian protesters rest following clashes with the Israeli police at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound for the thrid consecutive day on June 28, 2016, in Jerusalem’s Old City . Israeli authorities announced they were closing Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound to non-Muslim visitors after a series of clashes between worshippers and police. The decision will apply until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan next week. AFP

Battle starts for UN power seats Some Fallujans shun return to ‘cursed city’ AMRIYAT AL-FALLUJAH, Iraq—When her five-year-old son asked her to kill him because he was too hungry, Umm Issam knew she would never come back to Fallujah if she was able to leave.

Iraqi forces on Sunday wrapped up operations in Fallujah and declared the area free of jihadists of the Islamic State group after a month-long operation.

The government said the destruction caused by the fighting was limited and vowed to do its utmost to allow the tens of thousands of displaced civilians to return to their homes.

After more than two years under the tyrannical rule of IS and months of a siege that starved the population, Umm Issam, 42, said she thought she could never be happy in Fallujah again.

“My son asked me to kill him because he was so hungry he couldn’t take it anymore... By God that’s what he said. He’s five,” she said, shaking her head.

Months earlier, she had a miscarriage in Fallujah hospital when an air strike hit a nearby building and caused panic.

“I was so scared, it was chaos, I miscarried. I was expecting twins.

I lost my twins... I had gone to hospital because I had no food,” she said, holding one of her nine other children.

Behind her, in one of the everexpanding displacement camps in Amriyat al-Fallujah, the Norwegian Refugee Council was conducting a delivery of basic goods for new arrivals.

The basic package, meant for a family housed in a single tent, consisted of six mattresses, a cooking kit, a camping lamp, a sheet of tarpaulin, an empty water container and brown tape.

“It’s hot and dusty here, there isn’t enough water or food, but we can survive,” said Umm Issam.

“I don’t want to go back. It has been through so much -- the Americans, Al-Qaeda, Daesh (IS), starvation... And I don’t know what’s next but this city is cursed, I’m not going back.”

Her husband has been detained for screening since they reached the camp on June 16.

While military operations in the area are all but over, the humanitarian crisis is peaking and the number of displaced is continuing to grow.

Temperatures topping 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) combined with a lack of basic goods and even shelter for some of the displaced families have prompted aid groups to warn of an impending disaster.

Kefieh Saleh has been in the same camp 10 days and her family still does not have a tent to sleep under.

“My husband, as we speak, is working for the camp to help set up tents but we don’t have one of our own. Can you imagine?,” she said.

She and her children share the grounds of the camp’s prefab mosque and have been sleeping outside, sitting on a dirty black blanket with their backs propped up against the wall. AFP

UNITED NATIONS—Three European countries and two Asian nations are battling for seats on the UN Security Council in elections on Tuesday that are drawing attention to the refugee crisis and human rights.

Five non-permanent seats are up for grabs in the vote at the UN General Assembly, but two are all but decided.

Ethiopia and Bolivia are running unopposed after their regional grouping put them forward as their candidates, but they must still pick up two-thirds of the votes cast in the 193-nation assembly.

Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden are competing for two spots while Kazakhstan and Thailand are squaring off for a seat reserved for Asia.

On the eve of the vote, Human Rights Watch called on UN member-states to take a cold, hard look at the human rights record of Kazakhstan and Thailand.

Thailand’s military junta, which seized power in May 2014, has banned political activity and

ramped up prosecutions under tough sedition and royal defamation laws.

“Thailand’s pledges to lead the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide as a Security Council member ring hollow in the face of its widespread abuses at home,” said HRW’s deputy director for global advocacy, Philippe Bolopion.

Vying for a council seat for the first time since its 1991 independence from the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan has been criticized for cracking down on journalists and political activists.

“Debate happens in UN corridors in New York in a way that is not allowed in Kazakhstan itself,” Bolopion said.

Italy has lobbied fiercely for a council seat, portraying itself

as a crossroads country in the Mediterranean and touting its experience dealing with the refugee crisis.

“Italy is a global security actor,” said Italian Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi during a recent election debate.

“We think we are ideally placed to deal with the peace and security issues on the agenda.”

Italy is also seen as a player in efforts to pull Libya out of chaos.

The Netherlands, home to the International Criminal Court and other world tribunals, has played up its commitment to international justice while Sweden has highlighted its role as a major aid donor.

Italy and the Netherlands have a “very good chance of winning” seats, said David Malone, rector of the United Nations University.

“Surely Asia, with many governments focused above all on economic and social development in often creative and highly successful ways, can do better” than Thailand and Kazakhstan, he said. AFP

PM: Turkey ready to pay for downed jet ANKARA—Turkey is ready “if necessary” to pay compensation to Russia after it shot down one of Moscow’s military jets over Syria in November, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has said.

“We have said that if necessary we are ready to pay compensation,” Yildirim told public TV network TRT late Monday, hours after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached out a conciliatory hand to Moscow over the incident that shattered the ties between the two nations.

He also indicated that Erdogan would speak with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on

Wednesday or Thursday over how to rebuild ties between the two nations, which back opposite sides in the Syrian war.

“I think we have reached an understanding on this affair. We will put this incident behind us and continue on our path,” Yildirim said.

Turkey had previously refused to apologize over the incident, insisting the Russian plane strayed into its airspace and ignored repeated warnings.

Russia insisted it did not cross the border and accused Turkey of a “planned provocation”.

Ankara is backing rebels fighting

to topple Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, while Moscow is one of his last remaining allies.

Ankara went on a diplomatic charm offensive on Monday as it seeks to shore up its influence in the region, hailing a deal with Israel to restore ties as well as mending fences with Russia.

Erdogan said at a dinner to break the Ramadan fast on Monday night that he hoped for a “quick” normalization in ties with Moscow.

Earlier Monday, the Kremlin said Erdogan had apologized to Putin over Ankara’s downing of the jet on Turkey’s border with Syria.

AFP

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B8 Iranians pray for peace on holy night TEHRAN—Thousands of Iranians are gathering this week to mark one of the holiest times of the year, praying for forgiveness as well as help at a time of rising extremism in the region.

The Laylat al-Qadr, or Night of Destiny, marks the moment when the Prophet Mohammed received the words from God that would become Islam’s holy book, the Koran.

It is an auspicious occasion when Muslims believe the gates of heaven are open and prayers have the best chance of being heard -the Koran says this night is worth more than 1,000 months.

Many people’s prayers turn to the conflicts in which Iran is locked across the Middle East.

“We have come to pray for all the combatants of Islam. God willing, Daesh will disappear,” said Issa Eftekhari, 53, using an alternative name for the Islamic State group.

He was one of thousands gathered at the glittering mosque in Tajrish Square in northern Tehran on a balmy Sunday evening, bringing a festive atmosphere despite the city’s notorious traffic being even worse than usual.

Laylat al-Qadr brings together the contrasting classes of Tehran society—teenagers in jeans with dyed hair poking out from colorful head scarves, sitting alongside more conservative women with black veils pulled tightly over their heads.

It is a long event, with recitals lasting until after suhur, the last meal before fasting resumes.

Families and friends sat with picnics, passing round sweet dates and tea, while children dozed in their parents’ arms as lilting Koran recitals came over the speakers.

When it came time for prayers, many held the Koran against their heads, a gesture meant to reinforce their requests.

“I’m praying for the sick, and that everyone is safe and well... I hope that my country will always be great and proud,” said 13-yearold Assal, attending with her family.

Concerns about the bigger regional problems are shared by a senior cleric, Mohammed Peikeri, at a nearby religious school.

“We pray for everyone, but the most important hope is that people distance themselves from fanaticism,” Peikeri told AFP. AFP

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD Cameron faces EU music after shock Brexit vote BRUSSELS—Shell-shocked European leaders will on Tuesday put the screws on Prime Minister David Cameron to expedite Britain’s EU exit after its decision to leave rocked global markets and shook the very foundations of the bloc.

In attendance. Actress Kristin Bauer von Stranten attends the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘The Legend of Tarzan’ at the Dolby Theater on June 27 in Hollywood. AFP

Piling on the pressure, Standard & Poor’s stripped Britain late Monday of its top-notch debt rating following Thursday’s Brexit referendum. Even England’s footballers could not lift the mood, crashing out of Euro 2016 at the hands of minnows Iceland.

Cameron, who had fought to remain in the European Union and has said he will step down, told parliament on Monday that he will not yet start the two-year countdown on leaving the EU by invoking the so-called Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

“Before we do that we need to determine the kind of relationship we want with the EU. And that is rightly something for the next prime minister and their cabinet to decide,” Cameron said. His successor is not expected to be appointed until September.

However in Berlin on Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi made crystal clear that they want London to get down to business to avoid more uncertainty.

“There will be no informal or formal talks on the exit of Britain until an application has been filed to leave the European Union,” Merkel said. A more blunt Hollande told London to “not waste time”.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who together with President Barack Obama and a host of other world leaders wanted Britain to stay in the EU, on Monday urged both sides not to allow anger to poison their divorce proceedings.

“It is absolutely essential that nobody loses their head, nobody goes off half-cocked, people don’t start ginning up scatterbrain or revengeful premises,” Kerry said in Brussels before heading to London.

The referendum result has also caused an earthquake in British politics, forcing not only Cameron to quit but also leaving opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn fighting for his political life.

Around 20 members of Corbyn’s shadow cabinet have resigned and the result of a secret ballot of Labour MPs on a no-confidence motion on his leadership is expected to be announced later Tuesday.

Jockeying has meanwhile begun within the Conservatives to replace Cameron, with former London mayor and key Brexit proponent Boris Johnson and interior minister Theresa May considered front-runners. The winner may call a general election.

Investors, meanwhile, remain deeply unsettled at the prospect of one of the EU’s biggest economies leaving the bloc, wiping billions off stocks worldwide since the shock referendum result -markets had banked on “Bremain”— last Friday. AFP

Change brings culinary revolution to newly opened Cuba HAVANA—At 65, Ramon Alfonso has seen a lot of history in his native Cuba. But this is the first time he has eaten a vegan salad.

After decades of Communist rule and centuries of eating meat and beans, the island is opening up—and so are its taste buds.

Sitting at Cafe Bohemia on Havana’s Old Square, Alfonso gobbles lettuce, eggplant and cabbage.

There is not an ounce of pork and rice in sight, but in the searing heat, that suits him just fine.

“I don’t know if I’ll be eating this every day because I’m not used to it,” he says.

“But it is tasty. And it’s better for the health and for the weather in a tropical country like this.”

Under the communist regime, the few diners who could afford to step out for dinner faced dreary

state-run eateries with stodgy food and bad service.

Now those state-run restaurants are empty.

The government authorized privately-run restaurants five years ago, and the change was slow to take effect. But with more tourists coming to Cuba in the past year, its impact is clear to see now on the terraces of Havana.

At one state-run joint in Havana’s

old quarter, four waiters sit chatting with not a single one of the tables occupied.

A few dozen yards away, the privately-run Cafe de las Letras is crammed with diners munching its trademark moussaka.

With eggplant smothered in meat and cheese, that is a novel dish for Cubans who were used to eating the vegetable fried in breadcrumbs.

At another of Havana’s new wave of trendy restaurants, Versus 1900, the smell of rosemary fills the kitchen.

Chef Alain Prieto is seasoning mutton in a Peruvian-inspired fusion creation. Beside him a colleague is cooking crispy vegetable tempura.

“International dishes have been added to the traditional creole cuisine,” Prieto says. AFP

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR

BING PAREL

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS

isahred @ gmail.com

WRITER

FAS HION & BE AU T Y

LIFE

Speedo unveils its latest collection and new brand ambassadors via a fashion show at Samsung Hall in SM Aura Premier

SWIM FOR FITNESS

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orld’s leading swimwear brand Speedo is all about fitness this season.

Anchored on the three-yearold Speedo Fit campaign, which inspires swimmers to swim for fitness, the brand introduced new ambassadors—swimmers and otherwise—and five sub-lines of swimwear for different swimming needs via a fashion show at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura Premier.

“This season, we are encouraging people to swim and other athletes engaged in Speedo offers a wide range of swimwear suitable for professional swimmers and athletes who want to incorporate swimming into their routine

BY BERNADETTE LUNAS PHOTOS BY SONNY ESPIRITU

different sports to incorporate swimming in their training,” shared Speedo Philippines Merchandising Manager Annalyn Jimenez.

Models with washboard abs and enviable physique in Speedo’s new collection walked the runway, but the stars of the show were the new brand ambassadors.

London 2012 Olympian Jasmine AlKhaldi represented the swimming athletes.

A multiple national record holder and sixtime Southeast Asian Games medalist, AlKhaldi considers swimming an important

Katrina Mercado

Jasmine Al-Khaldi

aspect of herself. “Not just because of the accomplishments in the pool but also the life lessons, like hard work and resilience, and skills that I have learned in the sport,” she said in a statement.

Because swimming is a low impact cardio exercise, Speedo also tapped other athletes to encourage more to give the water sport a try. Runner Lauren Lim and Yoga practitioner Katrina Mercado join Speedo to challenge fitness enthusiasts to strive for a higher level of fitness by introducing swimming into their routine.

“Speedo wants to champion the sport of swimming and show how anyone who aspires to be fit and healthy should consider swimming as a fantastic fitness activity,” reiterated Speedo International Vice President for Product and Marketing Jamie Cornforth.

“And Speedo as a brand can help inspire fitness consumers achieve their goals and get Speedo fit,” he added.

To make such promise possible, the swimwear label has once again collaborated with the world’s leading athletes, coaches, sports scientists and physiotherapists to design its latest collection for the Fall/ Winter 2016 season.

Lauren Lim

First in the new releases is the Swim Fitness suits, which employ the technology and design of Speedo’s elite racing suits, Fastskin LZR X. The swimwear under this sub-line has Power Mesh Panels to support core areas.

The Competitive collection for training, meanwhile, features creative elements such as colorful graphics, double cross backs, and all over print panel.

Both of the first two collections are made of Endurance+ fabric, which is a blend of PBT and polyester fiber that helps provide chlorine resistance, resists snagging and fading, and maintains long lasting fit.

The new Fastskin suits feature Speedo’s latest innovation, the LZR Racer X. LZR Racer X increases compression for free movement in the water and streamlines the body while the support seams hold the wearer higher in the water thereby making him move faster.

The new Watershorts for men have pocket drainage to prevent water and sand from weighing the wearer down. The stylish and versatile trousers are also quick drying, thanks to its lightweight fabric.

Rounding up the new collection are this season’s Sun Protection range of rashguards, cardigan vests, ¾ pants and full-length pants. All pieces under this range have UVA and UVB protection, and are made of water repellent and lightweight fabric.

Check out the new swimwear at Speedo stores nationwide.

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LIFE isahred @ gmail.com

BEAUTY CORNER BALANCING ACT Battling with combination skin, wherein under eye and cheek areas are dry and the T-zone is oily? Good news because Japanese premium lifestyle brand Muji introduces its Balancing Skincare Series for the hydro-imbalanced skin.

The new skincare line harnesses the power of natural water from the caves of Kamaishi in Iwate Prefecture, plant extracts such as Cats Whiskers, Verbena and Tropical Turmeric, along with Lipidure, Hyaluronic Acid and Royal Jelly Acid—for an effective and holistic moisturization.

Balancing Skincare Series products include Balancing Face Soap, Light Toning Water, Light Toning Water High Moisture, Balancing Moisturizing Milk, Balancing Moisturizing Cream and Balancing All-in-One Essence.

All items under the range are available at Muji branches at Bonifacio High Street Central, Greenbelt 3, Power Plant Mall, Robinsons Magnolia, Shangri-La Plaza, SM Mall of Asia and Ayala Center Cebu.

A Celeteque 'scientist' is trying to find out the perfect skincare solution for different skin concerns

THE BEAUTIFUL EVOLUTION OF CÉLETEQUE

B

efore Céleteque became known as a skincare label offering multiple products under multiple lines, it first started as United Laboratory’s brand of anti-aging facial moisturizer marketed exclusively to dermatologists.

“After quite some time, we saw that there was a following, so we launched it in the market,” shares Unilab Skin Category Director Cate Reyes.

For a few years following the brand’s introduction a decade ago, only the same anti-aging facial moisturizer was offered to the public. Realizing however that fighting the signs of aging is not the only skin concern of Filipinos, Céleteque rolled out its entire DermoScience range in 2012.

DermoScience is composed of Hydration line, Acne line, Antiaging line, Brightening line and Sun Care line—all of which is made using cell technology to bring safe solutions suitable to Filipino skin.

Céleteque is anchored on Unilab’s expertise on providing quality healthcare, thus all of the brand’s products are co-created with local dermatologists (who asked not to be identified), and are clinically tested to ensure that all promises will be delivered.

“We tested them [on Filipino skin] and we can back our promises with claims such as reduction of fine lines,” asserts Reyes.

Reyes adds that when they launched the range, they made sure each line was composed of complete skincare solutions, from cleanser to treatment.

“What we’ve learned when we were co-creating it with dermatologists was that it is not enough that you have basic cleaning. You have to have cleanser, toner, moisturizer and treatment to address problematic areas,” says the Unilab official.

Currently, the label’s bestselling line is Hydration, followed by Acne Solutions. Its largest market, on the other hand, is young professional women aged 25 to 45.

BY BERNADETTE LUNAS

The DermoScience range is composed of Hydration line, Acne Solutions line, Brightening line, Antiaging line and Sun Protection line

Toast for 10. From left: Host Gelli Victor, Celeteque Senior Product Manager AC Salvador, Celeteque Brand Assistant Ella Adriano and Unilab Category Head for Skin Care Cate Reyes lead the toast for Celeteque's 10th year anniversary

After building a cult following, Céleteque then launched its dermatologists-approved cosmetics range dubbed DermoCosmetics in October last year.

“The idea behind it (DermoCosmetics) is to provide cosmetics that don’t have skindamaging properties and also act as skincare on their own,” shares Reyes.

Being skincare first, makeup second, DermoCosmetics at the moment only features basic shades recommended by makeup artist Krist Bansuelo. The brand, however, takes pride in offering complete formats including liquid foundation, concealer, pressed powder, contouring kit, blush-on, lipstick and mascara.

Reyes discloses that Céleteque is planning to expand its cosmetics range this year.

“We are adding new products

and a few colors because we’ve had requests for a bit darker shades for our foundation,” she says. As for the DermoScience range, new products under the Hydration and Anti-aging lines are already in the pipeline, according to Reyes.

Ten years since Céleteque entered the competitive skincare industry, the brand has developed quite a following, thanks to the three pillars of DermoCare: Customization (its wide array of products allows customization of skincare regimen), gentleness (safe to use for sensitive skin and safe to use every day), and health (each item is backed by science that is focused on helping achieve healthy skin).

“In fact, if you check our Facebook page, there are some who post questions and the ones answering them are Céleteque users,” reveals Reyes with pride.

ONE WASH EFFECT The new Olay Whitening Bar claims that fairer and even skin tone can be achieved from first wash.

The three variants of Olay Whitening soaps feature a Triple Whitening System that gently exfoliates, brightens and evens skin tone. They also contain 90 percent of the active ingredient found in Olay Natural White Day Cream as well as naturally-derived rose, pearl and milk extracts. All these work together to ensure that the #OneWashWonder promise be delivered.

Olay Skin Whitening Bar is available in Rose & Milk, Vitamin C and Papaya.

The whitening soap is available in supermarkets, groceries and drugstores nationwide.

WORKING WOMEN’S WEAPON In a bid to empower the woman taking charge in the boardroom or the businesswoman building her empire or the homemaker keeping the family intact, comes Happy Skin and Beauty Bar’s makeup collaboration—Work It, Girl! Collection.

The limited-edition collection is composed of makeups that will make it easier for women to look effortlessly polished as they fulfill their passions and responsibilities.

For instance, the Bullseye Perfect Brow Trio is a 3-in-1 pen that has a brow pencil, brow powder and a spoolie brush—all the essential tools to nail the perfect arch efficiently and effectively. The Shut Up & Kiss Me Moisturizing Lippie, on the other hand, is available in Wonder Woman (espresso) and Slaying It! (terracotta brown) shades.

Work It, Girl! Collection is available at select Beauty Bar stores and Happy Skin stores at Glorietta 3, Greenbelt 5, Power Plant Mall, Tr i No m a and SM Megamall.

FRESH UNDER STRESS Sleeplessness and stress are easily seen in the eyes. Thankfully, the tired look can be masked with natural looking lashes courtesy of a few flicks of mascara.

To help women achieve that coveted fresh look even if they’ve recently pulled an allnighter, Maybelline offers Volum’ Express Hypercurl mascara. The mascara is created with a lightweight volumizing black-gel formula for that curl and volume that can last up to 24 hours, sans smudges and irritations.

Volum’ Express Hypercurl mascara is available at Maybelline counters in beauty stores, supermarkets, groceries and drugstores nationwide.

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LIFE

isahred @ gmail.com

T

KOREAN BEAUTY EXPERT IN TOWN

he Korean invasion in the country goes beyond K-Pop and Koreanovelas. We’ve also come to love their approach to beauty and skin care. Nearly every mall has at least one Korean store selling skin and beauty products. The glowing and seemingly flawless faces and skin have captivated us – making theirs the reference for good skin.

But having glowing and radiant skin isn’t just about using Korean beauty products available in the market. It takes regular authentic Korean Facial treatments to get things right.

“Looking good has become embedded in Korean culture. While we religiously follow our beauty regimen – cleansing, infusing the skin with various vitamins,

and moisturizing – we still come to aesthetic centers to get a Korean Facial.

We’d like to bring the same experience to Filipinos,” says Lisa Naidas, owner and beauty consultant of The Clinic by Lisa, a Korean beauty center.

The Korean Facial, Lisa is talking about, is not your ordinary treatment. It involves the usual deep cleansing and exfoliating while vitamins and other serums that aid in whitening and anti-aging are also infused in the face. But what actually sets it apart is the authentic Korean facial massage that aids in toning the facial muscles and even helps contour the face.

“We’re very particular with the shape of our face. We don’t want it too big, too round, or to square-ish. Korean facial

The Clinic by Lisa owner and beauty consultant Lisa Naidas (left) with her beauty queen daughter Cassandra

massage aids in achieving a well-balanced facial structure. Of course, together with cleansing, exfoliating and moisturizing, facial skin will also appear radiant and younger,” she explains.

As a Korean, Lisa has witnessed how these advancements in the field of aesthetics were able to help more Koreans gain more confidence. And for someone who has been living in the Philippines (and raising a Filipino Family) for more than 25 years, she wants Filipinos to have access to this Korean expertise.

“Feeling and looking good are essential in boosting a person’s confidence. Koreans are very aggressive in developing techniques to make beauty more accessible. We want to extend that experience to Filipinos through

The antioxidants and fatty acids in Pure Marula Oil provides skin with long lasting hydration and sun protection

The Clinic by Lisa is located at 211 Skyway Twin Towers, Capt. Henry Javier St., Oranbo, Pasig City. For more information and full list of services visit www.theclinicbylisa.ph.

The Korean facial center offers consultations, signature Korean Facial Treatment, and surgical and non-surgical treatments

All-natural sun protection from Pure Marula Oil Want to protect your skin from sun damage without worrying about the toxicity of commercial sunscreens? Now, you can with the new Pure Marula Oil! Unlike other sunscreen products that may contain toxic substances that are harmful for your skin, Pure Marula Oil is completely free of preservatives, synthetics and parabens. It is made from 99 percent marula oil that provides superior and longer lasting hydration for your skin and 1 percent blend of natural essential oils that give a light and natural scent.

Ideal for skin hydration and restoration, Pure Marula Oil has 60 percent more antioxidants than Argan Oil and is more powerful in fighting free radicals that cause pre-mature skin aging. Its high content of fatty acids like Omega 6 and 9 also makes for a superior anti-aging treatment that plump up skin to help reduce the appearance of fine lines.

Pure Marula Oil is also best for treating sunburn and soothing skin redness, swelling and irritation. Packed with healing and reparative ingredients, it penetrates quickly into your skin without leaving residue.

Use Pure Marula Oil as part of your daily

The Clinic by Lisa,” Naidas shares.

Apart from the signature Korean Facial Treatment, the clinic also offers both nonsurgical (e.g. dermal fillers, thread lifting, botox, mesotherapy etc.) and surgical treatments (e.g. rhinoplasty, face lift, etc.) as well as laser treatments (e.g. IPL, Fraxel, etc.). It applies the Koreans’ way to beauty in every treatment. “Our doctors are Korean-trained and we adopt the latest Korean-developed technologies in our clinic. We also consult with Korean doctors to improve our services further.”

sun protection and rehydration treatment for your face and body. For best results, apply it every day and night or frequently as needed.

It can also be used as product booster. Simply add two-to-three drops of Pure Marula Oil to your cleanser, beauty mask and foundation to boost their skincare benefits. The satiny, matte finish of Pure Marula Oil also makes for a great makeup primer.

Ideal for all skin types, Pure Marula Oil works well even if you have very oily skin. It is noncomedogenic and does not result in clogged and enlarged pores, minimizing the greasy look and after-feel especially in the sweltering heat.

With its high antioxidant level, lightning-fast absorption, satin finish, and delicate essential oil scent, Pure Marula Oil is your ultimate, all-natural multi-benefit age-defyer and sun protection essential. Use it before and after basking in the sun and you’ll never worry about sun damage and premature skin aging ever again!

Get your very own Pure Marula Oil at the beauty section of the SM Stores in SM Aura, SM Makati, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa and SM Mall of Asia today.

Reverse sun damage with Helix-D

Sun exposure can lead to skin skin while the Double Helix-D Delivery damage and premature aging. System (DHDS) protects the ingredients Visible signs include age spots, from being neutralized by the skin’s hyperpigmentation, fine lines and natural defense mechanisms. The Low wrinkles. The damage is usually Polar Friction-Free Delivery System irreversible or may require expensive (LFDS) technology also delivers the ingredients into the targeted areas of medical treatments to correct.

Now, you can combat sun damage the skin and the exclusive, patented and bring back the youthful glow of “nano-water” delivery system makes your skin with the fast-acting solution active ingredients penetrate the skin easily, regardless of oily skin or from Helix-D. A scientific clogged pores. breakthrough in skincare, With its advanced formula, Helix-D surpasses all current Helix-D works to rejuvenate anti-aging products in the your skin from the very market, combining potent first application and builds ingredients and patented stronger action each time technologies to provide you use it. With continuous amazing results once thought use, you can see dramatic impossible from an over-theresults within weeks. Helix-D counter product.

Advanced Face & Neck Serum The Helix-D skincare line, and Helix-D Advanced Eye which includes the Helix-D Face Serum also produce a more & Neck Serum and Helix-D Eye powerful synergy when used Serum, is packed with supertogether as part of your total hydrators to draw and hold daily skin care regimen. extra water in skin like moisture You can’t totally hide from magnets, even in sunbaked the sun but with Helix-D, climates or harsh winter you can minimize its harmful weather; potent anti-oxidants effects on your skin and what’s to fight free radicals and protect even more amazing is that the skin from the signs of aging; you can reverse the damage. power peptides to ease the Break free from your old self appearance of deep wrinkles and and face a new day looking smoothen the skin surface; and more radiant, youthful and 100 percent certified matrikines confident with Helix-D! for improving skin elasticity and skin tone.

Helix-D Advanced Face & Helix-D’s patented and Helix-D harnesses Neck Serum and Helix-D innovative delivery systems keep the power of Advanced Eye Serum are its active ingredients 100 percent potent ingredients and patented exclusively distributed in the potent and easily absorbed by technologies to the skin. The Dual Liposome help combat the sun country by Fast Beauty PH and bring and available at SM Makati, Technology protects the full damage back the youthful SM Aura, Mall of Asia, SM potency of the ingredients until glow of skin Megamall and SM North Edsa. they come in contact with the

W E D N E S D AY : J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 6

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LIFE

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Penshoppe Denimlab's Power Stretch Jeans collection provides ease of changing looks to fit into different places and different occasions

Fashion model Gigi Hadid is the new brand ambassador of International clothing label Penshoppe

GO TO MORE PLACES WITH PENSHOPPE POWER STRETCH JEANS

T

he newest addition to the well-loved Denimlab line changes how women wear their jeans.

International fashion brand Penshoppe has a new line of specialty jeans that aims to make it easier for girls to go to more places with pieces that combine ultracomfort with definitively stylish designs.

Inspired by the multi-faceted lifestyle of today’s young generation—one that combines passion for both work and play—the new collection demonstrates the ease of changing looks to appropriately fit into different occasions, with Penshoppe making sure that there’s a piece for every personal style.

From afternoon strolls to evening events Definitely the sexiest piece in the Penshoppe Power Stretch Jeans collection, the Jeggings are the perfect pair to wear on days when looking casual yet put together all day long is acceptable. It comes in two colors—black and blue—and has a highrise silhouette. For a toned down look, wear it with sneakers and a loose top. Switch it up with Chelsea boots and throw on a cardigan or light jacket for a more pulled together ensemble.

Go places in a pair of stylish, comfortable and versatile pants

From school to the movies Catching a movie after classes? Then the Penshoppe Power Stretch’s High Waist Skinny jeans are perfect for you. With a silhouette that flatters most body types without being too tight, this pair allows you to move from one place to another with so much ease.

Wear it with a boat neck sweater or blouse—making

Power Stretch Jeans collection is composed of Jeggings, High Waist Skinny Jeans and Cigarette-cut Jeans

sure to tuck in your top—and fashionable flats for an effortless look.

From the boardroom to late nights— Considered as one of fashion’s most flexible pieces, the Penshoppe Power Stretch’s Cigarette cut jeans can take you from meetings to late nights out with friends in no time at all. Wear it with a nice sheer top and open-toed heels or flats, it

doesn’t really matter, these pants strike the perfect balance between casual and formal.

The Penshoppe Power Stretch Jeans Collection is available at all Penshoppe stores.

To know more about it and Penshoppe, visit www.penshoppe.com or follow Penshoppe on Facebook, @ penshoppe on Twitter and Instagram and teampenshoppe on Snapchat.

W EDNES DAY : J UNE 2 9, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Grace Barroso of Visastar International with TFC officers

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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Anna Ramos of Ayala Land, Anne delos Reyes of BPI and Mae Bernardo of Resorts World won ABS-CBN TVPlus Mahiwagang Black Boxes

TFC’S OFFERINGS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR

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ABS-CBN Managing Director for Asia Pacific Ailene Averion

From left: Morissette Amon and “I Love OPM” grand winner Yohan Hwang

n keeping with the evolving times where social media affects the way companies do business, ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel (TFC) Asia Pacific invited top corporations in the Philippines to join them in their journey in reaching out to Filipinos in Asia Pacific with the contemporary theme - #FollowMeToAPAC. The trade event’s concept was inspired by the social media sensation #FollowMeTo showing Instagram posts of Russian photographer Murad Osmann following his then girlfriend and now wife Nataly Zakharova back to his camera, but without letting go of his hand.

ABS-CBN Global’s Asia Pacific branch announced its 2016 efforts to industry partners that hoped to provide similar out-of-the-box solutions to their advertising needs.

According to ABS-CBN Managing Director for Asia Pacific, Ailene Averion, the synergy between TFC and Philippine corporations is essential because there are many opportunities for TFC and Filipino corporations with an international market to synergize.

“Going around, I personally have seen the many different faces of our kababayan abroad. What is common among them and what is truly resounding is that at the center of everything is family. And while they have to face the reality of having to be away, they will do anything to keep the connection. They talk, message, or send gifts and money on a regular basis. Perhaps 100 percent have a mobile device which they use to communicate almost daily, especially those who actually manage their households remotely,” Averion said.

Averion added that TFC reaches out to these OFs (overseas Filipinos) through its cable, satellite, IPTV, mobile and web platforms. Now, we also bring the TFC experience to more countries in Asia Pacific via live events, theatrical screenings and customized publications.

This 2016, TFC Asia Pacific will unveil more opportunities for advertisers to reach their overseas Filipino market: the JaDine Love The World Tour in Singapore at Max Pavilion on yesterday; the premiere of Star Cinema movies via TFC@theMovies also in key cities in Asia; Tatak Star Magic in Sydney and Vice Gandang Ganda sa Sarili in Perth and Melbourne. Sharing a preview of the kind of entertainment TFC will bring, Next Big Diva Morissette belted out a powerful performance of international hits.

She understands TFC’s role as a bridge not only between Philippine entities and their audiences but most importantly between OFs and their loved ones in the homeland.

According to her, “Thanks to TFC, I get to go around the world and help ease our kababayan’s homesickness.”

Joining Morrisette was I Love OPM first Grand Touristar and Korean Yohan Hwang, representative of one of the countries where TFC has a strong presence.

Lucky advertisers also took home prizes from TFC: Anna Ramos of Ayala Land, Anne delos Reyes of BPI, and Mae Bernardo of Resorts World won ABS-CBN TVPlus Mahiwagang Black Boxes. Grand prize winner was Grace Barroso of Visastar International who won a two-night, three-day trip to Singapore to watch the JaDine Love World Tour.

Truly opportunities abound for both the OF market and partners in Asia Pacific.

Meet the cast of ‘Annie’

After introducing lead stars Krystal Brimner, Isabeli Araneta Elizalde, and Michael De Mesa for its upcoming family musical Annie this September, the country’s premier entertainment and tourism destination Resorts World Manila (RWM) revealed the second leads who make up the musical’s orphans cast.

At a press conference at Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT) in RWM recently, the orphans cast were presented to the media comprised of talented girls aged nine and up, with some familiar faces who have had their own breaks in the entertainment scene prior to Annie.

Each orphan character will be played by two girls for the duration of Annie.’s run at the NPAT. Playing Annie’s best friend Molly are Maria Francesca Rojas and The Voice Kids Season 2 contestant Precious Lainey Galvez; Chrysse Jilliane Jover and Maria Ericka Peralejo take on the role of the shy orphan Kate; Shanti Leialoha Gleason from RWM’s production of The Sound of Music in 2011 and Gwyneth Jearei Dorado, a finalist in Asia’s Got Talent Season 1 will play the role of the quiet July; Alba Berenguer-Testa and Natalia Victoria

Escaño will be the crybaby orphan Tessie; Cydel Virie Gabutero who currently registered 8.6 million views for her YouTube video cover of Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love” and The Voice Kids Season 2 Battles stage contestant Atascha Chloe Mercado got the part of the bossy orphan Pepper; while Stephanie Ginger Karganilla who has played lead roles in such musicals as Seussical: The Musical, A Christmas Story, and The Secret Garden among others, together with Sofia Jade Wong alternates for the role of the oldest orphan Duffy.

The 12 young girls who will play the orphans in Annie were selected during a rigorous audition process that entailed both live and online screenings in April.

“It’s exciting. Everything has finally come together,” expressed Annie director Michael Williams. “It all began with the auditions. We needed to look at what those characters represent and who they are. The auditions were about the technical aspects of being able to perform-- actors who have the craft to perform in theater. Now that we have that, it’s now about making them an ensemble that works together,” Williams added as the cast go into rehearsals before

Young talents: Resorts World Manila (RWM) revealed the second leads who make up the musical’s orphans cast

the opening in September.

Joining Krystal, Isabeli, Michael, and the orphans cast are an all-star assembly of seasoned thespians that include First Lady of Philippine Musical Theater Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as the miserable Miss Hannigan, Jill Peña as the loyal secretary Grace Farrell, Mako Alonso and Red Concepcion who will both be playing the role of the conniving Red, Jill Peña as the petty-

thief Lily St. Regis, and James Paolelli as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

ANNIE opens on Sept.30 at NPAT. Tickets are now available at the RWM Box Office and all TicketWorld outlets with early buyers getting 25 percent discounts on SVIP and VIP tickets until July 22.

Visit www.rwmanila.com or call the Tourist/Visitor Hotline at (632) 908-8833 for more details on ANNIE.

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W EDNES DAY : J UNE 2 9, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

RELIEVE THE ‘KILIG MOMENTS IN ‘MY BEBE LOVE: #KILIGPAMORE’

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fter the showing on the big screen and the initial DVD release, as a special treat, My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore is available now for only P395.00.

It has exclusive features; fanzine, postcard, behind-the-scene-photoshoot, music video, and the official trailer. Not only that, each purchase also comes with a free mini standee.

The DVD is truly a fan memorabilia with all the exclusive freebies included. A sure bang for a buck that you can share with the whole family in the comforts your own living room!

You can grab a copy at all Astroplus, Astrovision and Magnavision stores near you.

Vic Sotto and Ai-Ai delas Alas team up with the phenomenal AlDub love team of Alden Richard and Maine Mendoza for the ultimate romantic comedy of 2015.

The movie was also an official entry to The Metro Manila Film Festival.

My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore won several awards at the 41’st Metro

“My Bebe Love” cast: (from left) AiAi delas Alas, Alden Richards, Maine Mendoza, director Joey Reyes and Vic Sotto

Manila Film Festival Awards – 3rd Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Maine Mendoza), and the Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultura Award. At the 47th GMMSF Box-Office Entertainment Awards it bagged the Box Office King (Vic Sotto), Box Office Queen (Ai-Ai Delas Alas), and Highest Opening

Gross of All Time.

The story revolves around the widower Vito (Vic Sotto) and business rival, Cora (Ai-Ai delas Alas). The two meet in the most unlikely situation when Vito almost runs over Cora while she is on her usual morning jog. They eventually find out that they run

the same type of business. Anna (Maine Mendoza) the daughter of Vito is a rebellious and stubborn girl who seeks the attention of his father. Since they both work under their elder’s companies she eventually crosses paths with Dondi (Alden Richards) the nephew of Cora, a nerdy individ-

ual who lets his aunt make most of the decisions in his life.

The two are instantly attracted to each other, eventually falling in love with each other. This poses as a threat to both Vito and Cora, they team up to conspire against the growing relationship between Dondi and Anna, so they both agree to join forces to try and stop Anna and Dondi to further kindle their love for each other. The twist then starts to unfold. Vito and Cora starts to develop feelings for each other, Dondi and Anna do not approve of their relationship because of Vito and Cora do not want them to be together. Dondi and Anna eventually decide to support Vito and Cora on their relationship.

For more information about My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore, log on to www.facebook.com/mcamusic, Instagram- mca_music or Twitter- mca_music.

The DVD My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore is available at Astroplus, Astrovision and Magnavision stores near you.

‘Kwentuhang Kapamilya’ on TFC.tv As part of its 25th year of bringing life to the stories of Filipinos, ABS-CBN’s Maalaala Mo Kaya (MMK), Asia’s longest-running drama anthology, is taking it a plane higher as it brings the first Kwentuhang Kapamilya outside the Philippines to kababayans in Madrid, Spain with Charo Santos, and to Filipinos worldwide via its global online premiere on TFC.tv on June 27.

As a way of thanking its viewers, ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel (TFC) brings the storytelling closer to Filipinos by

bringing Santos to listen to the accounts of kababayans who have stories to tell and valuable life lessons to impart.

Over the past 25 years, MMK has become part of the lives of Filipinos as it mirrored their life struggles, triumphs and lessons, as essayed in its tagline “Ikaw Ang Bida Sa Kuwento Mo.” First seen on television in 1991, it has been shared and experienced by audiences across platforms: radio, movies, music, books, merchandise and including its sub-titled version for non-Filipino speaking viewers of TFC.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE

ACROSS 1 Toque wearer 5 Twinge 9 “48 Hrs.” lead 14 Leaning Tower town 15 Philanthropist — Cornell 16 Rub out 17 Hawkeye portrayer 18 LAX guesses

19 20 22 24 26 27 30 35

Gondolier’s road Harvested field Bat swingers Choose — tai (rum drink) More plentiful Doubtful Beats down, as rain 36 Yves’ girl 37 Goddess of victory

38 Mont. neighbor 39 Easily mixed 42 Narrow inlet 43 Historic ship 45 Gibson and Torme 46 Scout, to Tonto 48 Most garrulous 50 C’mon! (2 wds.)

51 Rustic lodging 52 New Orleans footballer 54 Shellfish 58 Leaves the space station 62 Basket willow 63 Mezzanine 65 After-dinner candy 66 On one’s own 67 Nonstop 68 Bohr’s study 69 — up (got in shape) 70 What the walls have?

71 Dreaded word at the dentist’s DOWN 1 Finance gurus 2 Sword part 3 Hairy twin 4 It’s under the hood (2 wds.)

5 One who’s sunburned?

6 Cortes’ foe

As an essential part of the anniversary, MMK 25 has launched Kwentuhang Kapamilya with overseas Filipinos (OFs) who will share their stories starting in Madrid.

The inspirational talk series hopes viewers worldwide can derive lessons from kababayans who have been there.

Playing key roles as well in the first if a series of inspirational talks is ABS-CBN Europe, Middle East and Africa Managing Director Kai V. Rodriguez and the TFC team in Europe, host Amy Perez, singer Jona, and Filipino community leaders.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2016

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 21 23 25 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 36 40 41 44 47 49 50 53 54 55 56 57 59 60 61 64

D.C. org.

Nasty cut Hummer lure Address Freeway strip 1917 abdicator Snakelike fish Post-sneeze word Drive forward Uproars Doing a takeoff TV and radio Fallback strategy (2 wds.)

Birds’ bills Computer menace Scraping by Groovy Pub orders Shaman’s findings Correct a text Chisholm Trail town Hassock Toughened Eye cosmetics Ice-fishing gear Castle defense Scandinavian city Androcles’ pal MOMA artist Write up a speeder Kentucky fort Mo. bill Future fish

“Kwentuhang Kapamilya” goes to Madrid as part of the drama anthology’s 25th anniversary

W EDNES DAY : J UNE 2 9, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

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BINIBINING PILIPINAS BEAUTIES JOIN 2016 PNP SPORTSFEST

mid the specter of a major revamp at PNP hierarchy as declared by incoming PNP Chief PCSupt Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa as part of his total war against drug traffickers, the annual PNP Sportsfest opened on June 19 with the parade of the participating teams in colorful uniforms with national beauty titlists adding excitement and glamor as muses.

The 2016 NHQ-NSUs Sportsfest was declared open by the outgoing PNP Chief PDG Ricardo C. Marquez after the “lighting of the friendship urn” rites was made by PO1 Michael Pelaez, a silver medalist in Men’s Decathlon in 2015 World Police and Fire Games in Virginia, USA. The 2016 NHQ/NSU Sportsfest is part of the PNP physical fitness and sports development program which aims to enhance the morale and welfare, improve the physical wellness and promote camaraderie among personnel of the national police.

Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. lent three of their new queens to act as muse for this year’s sports edition, namely, Bb. Pilipinas Globe 2016 Nicole Manalo, Bb. Pilipinas Supranational 2016 Joanna Eden and Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental 2016 Jennifer Ruth Hammond. Manalo walked with the Police Relations Commu-

Fit and beautiful: Reigning Binibining Pilipinas Queens (clockwise) Nicole Manalo, Jennifer Ruth Hammond and Joanna Eden join the PNP Sportfest parade held on June 19

nity Group (PRCG) delegates, while Eden and Hammond joined the contingents from the Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), respectively.

Miss International 2013 Bea Rose Santiago and Miss Grand

International 2015 3rd Runner-up Parul Shah were two of the muses of the Command Group-Directorial Personnel and Staff. Star Magic and Viva talent Meg Imperial also graced the occasion as muse of the Finance Service (FS) group. Other local beauty titlist were Miss South-

east Asian Philippines 2016 Kimberly Tee, Queen of Panagbenga 2015/2016 Reyna ng Aliwan 1st Runner-up Andrea Gomez and 2016 Bb. Kalikasan Laguna Chariss Ortega.

“I am happy to be a part of the PNP sports competition and

I hope to serve as inspiration. I wish the PCRG players good luck and I wish the whole PNP sportsfest success,” Manalo said. The younger sister of Bianca Manalo is aiming for a back-to-back Miss Globe title this October in Canada after 2015 PCRG muse Ann Colis, brought home last year.

Twenty-year-old Eden, a Fil-Australian beauty who has 12 years of training in playing different instruments like piano, violin, flute, cello and saxophone, took time out from her on-going training for her international competition in Poland. She is aiming to follow in the footsteps of Mutya Datul, the country’s first Miss Supranational winner in 2013.

Twenty-five-year-old Hammond, a nurse by profession and member of the Professional Models Association of the Philippines (PMAP), was also a favorite among the police officers at the sports event. She is presently in preparation for the Miss Intercontinental pageant to be held in Germany late this year. Hammond hopes to top the 2nd runner up finish of 2014 PCRG muse Tiffany Janson in 2014 and the 1st runner up of Christi Lynn McGarry in 2015 to become the country’s first ever Miss Intercontinental winner. – Text and photo: Eton B. Concepcion

St. Scholastica’s College signs partnership with OPPA Foundation

Fil-Am John Dodson with a chef from Resorts World Manila during the UFC Promo Tour

John ‘The Magician’ Dodson at Resorts World Manila Resorts World Manila (RWM) recently welcomed 31-year old Filipino-American fighter Jon Dodson to promote his Ultimate Fighting Championship Bantamweight Fighter Tour.

Dodson, who hails from New Mexico, U.S.A. was in the country for a four-day promotional tour to talk about his flourishing career and the road to a championship belt.

“The plan I have for the UFC is to make sure I can secure a title. That’s always been a lifelong dream that I want to go ahead and do,” shared Dodson during the press con.

“When I entered the UFC, I wanted all three titles. I might have missed that first chance but I’ll secure that again. I’ll do 125, then I’ll take that 135 and make my way back down and then go back to 145s. I want that,” he added.

One of the quickest and most explosive fighters in the UFC, John ‘The Magician’ Dodson gained popularity after giving current UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw a first-round

TKO in 2011 to earn the Ultimate Fighter 14 bantamweight title.

Dodson has fought in the flyweight, featherweight, and bantamweight divisions with wins over flyweights Timothy Elliott and Jussier Formiga in 2012 and earning a title shot against champion Demetrious Johnson. Dodson lost via a unanimous five-round division to Johnson for the title fight in 2013.

Dodson gained ground and another shot at the title winning convincing victories against flyweights Darrell Montague in 2013, John Moraga in 2014 and Zach Makovsky in 2015. Dodson then got another shot at the title with a rematch against Johnson in 2015 but lost another unanimous decision to the champion.

Returning to the bantamweight division this year, Dodson won over Manny Gamburyan in April 2016 via a 47-second TKO win and currently holds a UFC record of 18 wins comprised of nine KO/TKOs, two submissions and seven decisions against 7 losses via decision.

The Original Pilipino Performing Arts (OPPA) Foundation formalized its partnership with another top academic institution when it recently signed an agreement with St. Scholastica’s College (SSC).

Present during the signing were OPPA Foundation President Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Vice President Michael Stuart Williams, SSC President Sr. Mary Frances Dizon, OSB and Dean of Music Sr. Mary Placid Abejo, OSB. “OPPA’s stand for excellence, although in the field of musical theater, is shared by SSC, which is the Philippines’ pioneer in formal musical education and also declared a Center of Excellence in music,” Dizon shared. “We hope that the foundation can make use of various talents which abound

in the various sectors of Philippine society and make musical theater productions more accessible to the less privileged.”

The partnership aims to organize efforts in institutionalizing the advancement of performing arts in the country by supporting budding artists by way of scholarship grants in their respective fields – be it production design, music, voice, scriptwriting, acting, among others.

“The foundation is looking for passionate and dedicated students more than anything else, individuals who are determined to pursue their course,” says Yulo who also happens to be a SSC alumna. SSC is one of the five schools initially tapped by the foundation to collaborate with for its inaugural year.

Other partner schools include

the Meridian International (MINT) College, University of Santo Tomas, De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde, and the University of the Philippines, all of which offer academic programs geared towards the performing arts.

With a funding of Php100 million, the foundation aims to cultivate Filipino talent by supporting the local industry through grants and scholarships, providing artists with avenues and opportunities for development, and elevating standards and capabilities by providing global expertise and resources.

For more details on OPPA visit www.oppafoundation.org. You may email info@oppafoundation.org for more information and inquiries@ oppafoundation.org for other inquiries about the foundation.

Sealed. OPPA Foundation executives with St. Scholastica’s College officers during the singing of Memorandum of Agreement

W EDNES DAY : J UNE 2 9, 2016

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR NICKIE WANG WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Mr. Pure Energy Gary V opens the historic concert held at the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds

OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder closing off the monumental music event

WHERE MUSIC KNOWS

NO LANGUAGE AND BOUNDARIES

T

he MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016 started with a firework display and ended with an explosion of confetti as American band OneRepublic closed out the show with its soulful performance of “If I Lose Myself.”

The multi-genre music extravaganza featuring performances of the pop rock band, L.A.-grown electric dance trio Far East Movement, Billboard Hot 100 artist Bebe Rexha, top K-pop idol girl group Apink, local music icon Gary V and his son Gab Valenciano, and popular love team and recording stars James Reid and Nadine Lustre proved to be a big attraction as more than 26,000 concertgoers braved the rain and trooped to the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds on Friday.

Music fans had turned up at the venue carrying umbrellas and wearing raincoats. They were welcomed by Gary V who opened the five-hour outdoor music event.

Mr. Pure Energy branded his act in unmistakably Filipino fashion by playing a kulintang and immediately set the mood on stage by singing the 90s anthems “Babalik Ka Rin” and “Sa Yahweh ang Sayaw.” Joined by onstage by Gab, and backed by The Maneuvers, Gary V made the crowd groove to some of his biggest hits like “Shake It Off,” and “Arise” (remix version).

Next to hit the floor were James Reid and Nadine Lustre. The couple shared the stage performing a duet of some well-loved singles, “Para-Paraan” by Nadine and “Huwag Ka Nang Humirit” by James. The young heartthrob made the crowd swoon with his renditions of “Randomatic” and “Bonfire” while Nadine showcased her dancing skills

The concert takes a charming turn with power couple James Reid and Nadine Lustre performing onstage

Albanian-American Pop Singer Bebe Rexha in her “rocker chic” ensemble

K-pop darlings Park Cho-rong, Yoon Bo-mi, Jung Eun-ji, Son Na-eun, Kim Nam-joo and Oh Ha-young collectively known as Apink

The massive crowd at the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds (Photo by Sonny Espiritu)

and vocal ability with “Me and You” and “Paligoy-ligoy.”

The crowd-pleaser JaDine closed their set with a romantic turn singing a cover of Freestyle’s “This Time” with their faces very close to one another.

Albanian-American Pop Singer Bebe Rexha took the intensity of the show a notch higher when she emerged from the backstage wearing a risqué ensemble topped with a pink shimmering robe. The 26-yearold put on her bold display of jubilation and ushered in her EDM-infused brand of music with “Take Me Home,” the first single she wrote which she also considers as the “song that helps me get through life.”

Bebe sizzled and immediately got her fans moving to her

and boundaries. The quintet connected with their audience, who interestingly even sang along with the band when it dished out “Remember”, “Mr. Chu”, “No No No,” “Attracted to You,” and “Luv.” The third foreign act to hit the MTV stage was Far East Movement.

The electric dance trio brought the house down with familiar hip hopEDM ditties including “Push,” “G6,” “Bang It To The Curb,” and “When The Funk Drop,” Far East Movement wrapped up its set with the audience singing along to a crowd favorite “Rocketeer”, leading into an explosive outro with their hits “Illest”, “Turn Up The Love”, and “Rattle”, where the band then sent giant inflatables.

Wrapping the monumental second edition of MTV Music Evolution in Manila, was the performance of

powerful delivery of chart-toppers like “The Monster”, her composition for Rihanna and Eminem, and “Hey Mama.”

“I’m playing this song for you.

If you know the song, I’d love you to sing along. I’m from the United States but we are all the same. My next song is about loving yourself…believing in yourself,” she told the crowd before performing “Me, Myself, and I,” her single that sold more than 1 million copies in the US alone, and which music video on YouTube has received more than 171 million views since its release.

After a searing set presented by Bebe who ended her act with “No Broken Hearts” and left crowd all hyped up, South Korea’s rising girl group Apink proved even further that music knows no language

the multi-platinum selling alternative rock band, OneRepublic.

After opening its set with “Love Runs Out,” the Colorado-based band then delivered a flurry of prolific singles, like “Secrets,” “Apologize,” “Counting Stars,” and new single “Wherever I Go.” After perfectly blazing through an arsenal of songs and singing with impressive force and conviction, OneRepublic lead vocalist Ryan Tedder told the crowd: “We travel a lot, if you don’t know. But what’s unique about the Filipinos?

You are the most genuine people on Earth. You guys are so nice you freak us out.”

And the audience burst into a frenzy of applause and cheers.

MTV Music Evolution: Manila Asia Special premieres on MTV on July 19 at 8 p.m.