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PHL opts to join China-led AIIB to boost infrastructure thrust

By David Cagahastian & Cai U. Ordinario

M

anila’s decision to join the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will boost the Philippines’s efforts to build more and better public infrastructure, senior government officials said on Wednesday.

INSIDE

health&fitness Recreating outdoors, relaxing indoors

Communications Secretar y Herminio B. Coloma Jr. confirmed that President Aquino had given his nod to the Department of Finance’s (DOF) recommendation to become one of the founding

members of the AIIB. Philippine Ambassador to China Erlinda F. Basilio will sign the Articles of Agreement (AOA) of the AIIB on behalf of the government in Beijing today, December 31—the

deadline set by China for founding members to join. Signing the treaty will allow the Philippines to tap into the bank’s funds to finance infrastructure projects.

“The Philippines stands to gain from signing on as a founding member. We can look forward to deepening our country’s technical expertise in infrastructure as we expand bankable projects,” Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima said in a statement.

“Further, as the AIIB has no restriction on the procurement of goods and services from any country, we may foresee market expansion for infrastructure-related industries, widening job and business-growth opportunities,” he added.

Another lender, the Manilabased Asian Development Bank

PURISIMA: “The Philippines stands to gain from signing on as a founding member. We can look forward to deepening our country’s technical expertise in infrastructure as we expand bankable projects.”

life

(ADB), has estimated Philippine infrastructure-funding needs from 2010 through 2020 to be at $127.12 billion, requiring an annual investment of $11.56 billion. Asean, meanwhile, has a financing gap of $1.08 trillion through the decade.

The ADB projected that the Philippines stands to gain from closing this gap: accumulated reduction in trade costs is estimated to be at 15.6 percent of trade value, and will result in a gain of about $220 billion in real income.

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) also expects the Philippines to benefit from its membership to the AIIB, especially if its rules are transparent and its decisions are on a par with international standards for multilateral institutions.

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lebron waxes hot

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Palace still reviewing bill creating agency for ICT

By Butch Fernandez

M

alacañang said it is not rushing to beat information-technology advocates’ year-end timeline for President Aquino to sign into law a Congressapproved bill creating a new agency for the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. said the approved final version of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) bill earlier submitted to Mr. Aquino for signing was still undergoing scrutiny by Malacañang officials, whom he did not identify.

The Senate passed the DICT bill on third and final reading on June 1,

PESO exchange rates n US 47.1660

while the House of Representatives took a final vote approving the measure on October 12, paving the way for its submission to President Aquino.

“Like all other enrolled bills, it undergoes review in the Office of the President,” Coloma said.

According to its sponsor, Sen. Ralph G. Recto, who chairs the Senate Committee on Science and

Technology, the proposed law creating the DICT intends to “promote digital literacy and ICT expertise across the country.”

For his part, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said the proposed new department is “part of the key economic-reform legislation being pushed in the Senate to help

BSP MAINTAINS 2-4% INFLATION TARGET FOR THE NEXT 2 YEARS

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By Bianca Cuaresma

he monetary authorities anticipate price pressures remaining benign and, in any case, not likely ranging beyond 4 percent in terms of inflation over the next 18 months and even beyond, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The BSP said it has kept the inflation target from this year’s 2 percentto- 4 percent range unchanged until 2018, upon consideration that price pressures were to remain moderate, given the projected continued expansion of the local economy over the same timeline.

In a statement issued only recently, the central bank projected inflation between now and 2018 likely ranging from only 2 percent to 4 percent. The three-year forecast inflation path was “consistent with the country’s evolving price dynamics and sustained economicgrowth objectives.”

The forecast inflation path for this year alone, ranging from 2 percent to 4 percent, also represents a scaleback from the original range of 3 percent to 5 percent, indicating regulator confidence that price pressures were to remain subdued not just over the next 18 to 24 months but also over the next three years.

“The current low-inflation environment could be sustained over the medium term, as underlying structural inflation dynamics are favorable with the improved ability of the domestic economy to accommodate supply shocks,”the BSP said.

“In particular, compared to preinflation targeting period, headline inflation has been observed to return faster to the target, while the influence of the foreign-exchange rate has diminished,” it added.

In the first 11 months, inflation averaged 1.4 percent, well below the target for the year of 2 percent to 4 percent.

While the central bank has given up within-target inflation this year and acknowledged that consumer prices will fall short of projection, the BSP said some acceleration is

expected in December, with headline inflation likely higher than the 1.1 percent reported in November.

BSP officials also earlier said the anticipated uptick in December was likely to persist in subsequent months before gradually moderating again the rest of 2016.

“The announcement of the target is in line with the BSP’s commitment to greater transparency and accountability in the conduct of monetary policy. Going forward, the BSP will continue to ensure that the monetary-policy stance remains appropriate, consistent with its primary mandate of safeguarding price stability conducive to a balanced and sustainable economic growth,” the central bank said.

Earlier, the Department of Finance said record-low inflation averaging 0.4 percent in October may have already bottomed out, with headline inflation in November rising to 1.1 percent due to a modest rise in food prices, the government’s chief economist said on Wednesday.

Finance Undersecretary Gil S. Beltran said previously projected inflation edging up 0.8 percent in November consistent with the 2 percent-to- 4 percent range that the Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordinating Council set as goal for the year.

He said the November price survey should show double the price increase in October, indicating that inflation has bottomed out after hitting record lows of 0.4 percent in the previous couple of months.

The other measures of inflation, however, continue to be at their lowest levels, which is a sign of a continuing rise in competitiveness of Philippine industries.

The producer’s price index, or the average changes in prices received by domestic producers for their output, continues to be at a record low of negative 8 percent; while wholesale prices of commodities are at a negative 4.1 percent.

The GDP deflator, or the measure of the level of prices of all new and domestically produced final goods and services in an economy, is also at a negative 0.01 percent.

See “ICT,” A2

n japan 0.3920 n UK 70.1783 n HK 6.0857 n CHINA 7.2697 n singapore 33.5176 n australia 34.2652 n EU 51.7411 n SAUDI arabia 12.5766

Source: BSP (29 December 2015)

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Thursday, December 31, 2015

News

BusinessMirror

Oil investors see record second year of misery as market plunges

A

NOTHER horrendous year is drawing to a close in the oil patch. After starting out with hopes of a rebound, 2015 will instead punctuate the worst two years ever suffered by US crude producers.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures are heading for their biggest-ever two-year drop, while the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Energy Sector Index is set to mark its first consecutive decline since 2002. Futures and equities will post December decreases, signaling more discomfort as 2016 starts.

Oil has tumbled since Saudi Ara-

bia led the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) in November 2014 in deciding to maintain output and defend market share against higher-cost producers, generating a record supply glut. Record output this year from Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iraq has boosted global stockpiles to an alltime high, the International Energy

Agency said on December 11.

“The 800-pound gorilla in the room, and by that I mean Saudi Arabia, showed it’s power,” said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital Llc., a New York-based hedge fund that focuses on energy. “ They are on a mission to squeeze out the high-priced producers and aren’t done yet. Things could get very ugly in the second and third quarters for countries like Venezuela and Nigeria and for US exploration companies.”

The North American shale and oil-sands plays have been bludgeoned by Opec’s policy change.

Chesapeake Energy Crop., Consol Energy Inc. and Southwestern Energy Co. are the three worstperforming shares of the S&P 500

this year, all losing in excess of 75 percent of value.

WTI tumbled 46 percent in 2014, the biggest drop since the recession in 2008. Futures, which are down 19 percent this year, traded at $37.85 a barrel at 4:20 p.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The S&P Energy Index slipped 10 percent in 2015 and is down 23 percent this year.

“Oil is probably the market with the biggest reputation for going from boom to bust,” said Tim Evans, an energy analyst at Citi Futures Perspective in New York. “It’s pretty clear that we’ve seen substantial bust. The temptation has to be that a boom is around the corner but that big idea isn’t necessarily a guide to market timing.” Bloomberg News

news@businessmirror.com.ph

ICT. . .

the country adapt to major development challenges like the Asean market integration.”

Drilon said “the measure addresses the need for the Philippines to be at par with other Asean economies which have Cabinet-level departments for their ICT sector, especially with our flourishing business-process outsourcing industry and digitally savvy populace.”

Once signed into law by President Aquino, Recto said the DICT would serve as the “primary department” that would oversee the development, as well as planning, and promotion if the government’s ICT agenda.

He said the early operation of the DICT would lead to linking of all government ICT resources and networks under “an integrated and harmonized framework, so that knowledge is transferred, resources are shared, databases are built and agency networks are linked together.”

“Having an integrated government database would help improve

PHL opts to join China-led AIIB to boost infrastructure thrust. . .

For years, the government has been targeting to increase infrastructure spending to 5 percent of the GDP. The Aquino administration is hopeful this could be achieved by 2016.

The Philippines taps overseas development assistance (ODA) loans from multilateral financing institutions, such as the World Bank and the ADB to bankroll its infrastructure projects. In 2014 data from the Neda showed that the World Bank accounted for the biggest share in ODA loans with $4.45 billion, or 40 percent of the total portfolio. Japan had the second largest share with $3.16 billion, followed by the ADB with $2.23 billion.

Beating the deadline

The Philippines will sign the AOA on December 31, months after other founding members had already affixed their signatures to the treaty. Purisima earlier said the government merely wanted to “take some time to prudently consider its membership in the bank.”

In June 50 founding members of the AIIB signed the treaty in a formal signing ceremony hosted by President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The Philippines deferred the signing due to a pending arbitration case that it had filed in the United Nations against China’s incursions into islands claimed by the Phil-

ippines in the West Philippine Sea. Manila had also expressed concern over the procurement processes that will be observed by the AIIB and the safeguard measures that will be instituted for projects.

China, as a bilateral lender, has been known to extend only tied ODA loans to borrowing countries such as the Philippines.

Tied loans refer to financial support for projects whose consultants, contractors and supplies, among others, are sourced from companies chosen by a lending country.

In contrast, multilateral lending institutions, such as the ADB and the World Bank,

extend ODA loans and grants to various countries, but employ international competitive bidding where contractors and suppliers for projects have to outbid local and foreign firms.

AOA ratification As a member of the AIIB, the Philippines will have to contribute a paid-in capital of $195.82 million, payable in five years, or $39 million per year (roughly P1.83 billion). This will be paid starting on the country’s submission of its instrument of ratification, the deadline for which is set in December 2016.

National Treasurer Roberto Tan earlier

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services and expedite information requests to government offices and officials, such as applications for state-issued documents,” Recto added, noting that permits, licenses, land titles could then be “electronically applied for, processed and issued.”

Moreover, Recto said the DICT will also set up free Internet service that ordinary Filipinos could access in government offices and public areas “using the most cost-effective telecommunications technology.”

As envisioned by lawmakers, the DICT is also tasked to “beef up consumer-protection policies to protect consumers against lousy service as well as ensure business users’ right to privacy.”

The agency is envisioned to encourage the growth of the ICT industry by promoting investment opportunities for ICT firms and creating local and international partnerships to “speed up industry growth and competitiveness.”

Continued from A1

said that since the Philippines considers its membership into the AIIB as a treaty, it would have to be concurred in by at least two-thirds of all the members of the Senate before it can be binding upon the Philippines.

Also, since the Philippines would have only subscribed to less than 1 percent of the AIIB’s outstanding capital stock of $100 billion, or $979.1 million, it would probably not be able to elect a member in the 12set board of directors of the AIIB. Since every member would have a representative in the AIIB’s board of governors, Tan said the Philippines could join a bloc which can elect a representative to

the board of directors.

To reflect the regional character of the AIIB, the regional members or the members from Asia shall be the majority shareholders, holding approximately 75 percent of the authorized capital stock. The AIIB will be headquartered in Beijing, and its policies will be based on international best practices and the lessons and experiences of existing multilateral development banks and the private sector.

The opening ceremony and inaugural meeting of the board of governors and the board of directors in Beijing will take place on the third week of January 2016.

With a report from Butch Fernandez

News BusinessMirror

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ERC readies PEMC audit

By Lenie Lectura

T

he Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) intends to pursue the conduct of an audit on the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC), operator of the country’s trading floor for electricity.

“The audit is just a first step to really determine the additional initiatives that we have to undertake with respect to the regulation of the market. So if we can determine if we should undertake additional initiatives to make us more effective, then we will do that,” ERC Chairman Jose Vicente Salazar said.

“Our bids and awards committee [have] already published the request for expression of interest and the process is now ongoing for the procurement of an auditing firm which will now conduct the audit on PEMC,” he added.

It can be recalled that Sen. Sergio Osmeña, chairman of the Senate Committee in Energy, called on the ERC in October to conduct an independent audit on PEMC since the latter is not subject to audits by the Commission on Audit (COA) being a private corporation.

The PEMC Board is a 15man body made up of representatives from each sector of the electric power industry, as well as independent members.

It is chaired by the secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE). The DOE also appoints the member of the board.

SGV & Co. has been engaged

by PEMC as external auditor since 2006.

Under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, PEMC is supposed to last for only one year and would transition to an independent market operator (IMO). So far, PEMC has existed for 12 years now.

Osmeña had pointed out that the energy secretary should be out of PEMC or IMO as its chairman because it cannot be really be independent of the government if the chairman is the energy chief, which issues policies, some of which becomes part of the rules of PEMC and Wholesale Electricity Spot Market. PEMC did not issue any comment.

₧2-B credit facility for small farmers ready by next year, DAR exec says

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he government has set aside P2 billion for the implementation of the Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP) next year, an official of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said.

The amount is higher by P1.5 billion compared to the P500 million budget allotted for the program this year.

The fund for the credit facility will come from the 2016 budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA), and will be released through Land

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Bank of the Philippines.

The program is being implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) through the agency’s support services offices. The DAR is the lead implementing agency of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

The government has allotted P1 billion for the credit facility in 2012 and another P1 billion in 2013. The funds came from portions of the Priority Development Assistance Fund, which was later declared to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Because of the ruling, no budget was allotted for the program in 2014.

“For this year, we pushed for funding and was able to get P500 million,” Rosalina L. Bistoyong, DAR undersecretary for support services said.

“Next year P2 billion has been set aside under the program. It will come from the budget of the DA,” she said.

Since 2012 the government has

released more than P1.7 billion to various agrarian reform beneficiaries, Bistoyong said.

The credit facility was a result of a dialogue between farmers and President Aquino. Through the DAR, farmers are able to access the credit facility in 2011.

Through APCP, agrarian reform beneficiaries through the different organizations are able to get financial support for their businesses, Bistoyong added. Loans range from P500,000 to P1 million or higher, depending on the project applied for by the farmers.

B i s t o y on g s a id t he lo a n s sought by agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations are evaluated thoroughly and must be

accompanied by a business plan.

“Through the program, membership of agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations are expanding,” she added. The official said that some of these farmers are able to access credit through APCP and are now earning.

She said many farmers who entered into informal lease agreements are now starting to back out and want to gain back control of their CARP-awarded lands because they are now able to access financing through APCP. Farmers had to go through tedious process to gain access but often failed to get their loan application, approved by banks.

Jonathan L. Mayuga

3K-strong Manila police force on alert to ensure safety of New Year revelers

S

Better late than never Workers of construction firm EEI Corp. rush the completion of the Skyway Stage 3 project along Araneta corner Victory avenues in Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City, on Tuesday. The Skyway Stage 3 project will link the North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway, and help ease vehicular traffic in Metro Manila when completed. PNA

Solon urges PNP to strictly implement firecracker law he chairman of the House Committee on Trade and Industr y on Wednesday asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) to strictly implement the law that regulates the sale, manufacture and distribution of fireworks.

Nacionalista Party Rep. and Panel Chairman Mark Villar of Las Piñas City said that strict implementation of Republic Act (RA) 7183 is needed to bring down the number of injuries, fatalities and destruction to properties during the New Year celebrations.

“Only .02 grams or 1/3 teaspoon of firework or gun powder is allowed per firecracker. Anything more than that is prohibited.

Bawal na pong gumamit ng Atomic Big, Trianggulo, Super Lolo, Giant Whistle Bomb,” Villar said.

“Without the Philippine Standard [PS] mark, manufacturers are illegally selling or smuggling their fireworks into the market. They have not complied with the requirements imposed by the Philippine National Standard on fireworks [PNS 1220-2:1994],” he added.

Under the 2012 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations Governing the Administration

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Thursday, December 31, 2015 A3

and Enforcement of R A 7183, only the following firecrackers are allowed: Baby Rocket, Bawang, Small Trianggulo, Pulling of Strings, Paper Caps, El Diablo, Judah’s Belt, Kwitis and other types equivalent to the foregoing in explosive content.

“Our consumers should also check if the fuse of the firecrackers burns in less than 3 seconds, or more than 6 seconds. Should it fall under this category, it would be best to notify the PNP,” he added.

Injuries

The Department of Health (DOH) said that it has recorded 128 firecrackers-related injuries and three stray bullets cases from 6 a.m. of December 21 to 6 a.m. of December 29.

The agency said that most of the firecracker-related injuries were due to Piccolo, Five Star, Kuwitis and Lucis.

“Piccolo, considered a dangerous and prohibited firecracker in the country, remains as the primary cause of injury, especially among children.

Other firecrackers causing injuries were from Five Star, Kwitis, Sparkler, and other unknown firecrackers,” the DOH said. Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

briefs ilocos norte’s tourist arrivals reach 1.6m in 2015 LAOAG CITY—Ilocos Norte has welcomed an estimated 1.6 million local and foreign tourists this 2015, with a significant increase this long holiday season, the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office (INTO) said.

Since the Christmas holiday break, hotels and home-stay owners have reported that they remain fully booked, while restaurants and fast-food chains have run out of food supply due to the steady influx of tourists day and night.

Based on the data revealed by INTO, the summer season, from April to May, this year has delivered the highest number of arrivals at 878,258.

Last year’s tourist arrivals have been pegged at more than 1.2 million, or an increase of 22.15 percent this year.

Gov. Imee Marcos said “tourism has grown to a stunning 380. 64 percent in the past two years with more than 1.3 million day visitors from January to July 2015 only.”

An overwhelming number of tourists also visited the province last month during the long weekend scheduled in Metro Manila due to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting which caused an unexpected shortage in accommodation and food supplies in key tourists’ areas.

“We often run out of bagnet and inabel [loom-woven fabrics] now because demand outstrips supply. Visitors want to buy pasalubong for their friends and family, and souvenirs for themselves,” Marcos said. PNA

mmda suspends number-coding scheme until new year

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has suspended the Unified Vehicular Volume

Reduction Program (UVVRP), commonly known as number-coding scheme, for three consecutive days in time for the holiday celebrations on December 30 to 31, 2015 and January 1, 2016.

“The number-coding scheme is lifted [Metro Manila wide/all cities] on the following days: December 30 and 31, 2015 and January 1, 2016,” the MMDA said in its advisory.

Rizal Day (December 30) and New Year’s Day (January 1) are regular holidays, while December 31 has been declared special nonworking day by Malacañang.

Under the number-coding scheme, which aims to ease the volume of traffic on Metro Manila’s streets, vehicles are banned from major roads from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., depending on the last digit of their license plates. PNA

trekker report -2% at mount pulag national park

BAGUIO CITY—Temperature at the summit of Mount Pulag in Kabayan, Benguet, dropped to negative 2ºC recorded every morning from December 24 to 28, trekker Emerita Albas of the Mount Pulag Park Management said.

Mount Pulag has been declared a National Park and is the third-highest mountain in the Philippines at 2,922 meters (9,587 feet) above sea level after Mount Apo and Mount Dulang-Dulang.

Albas on Wednesday said that based on past experiences, morning frosts are experienced when the temperature drops to negative 2ºC but since the thermometer of the park management office was destroyed by the recent typhoon, they sought the assistance of trekkers using mobile phone-weather applications.

She lamented that the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration does not have any measuring instrument installed in the area. PNA

OME 3,100-strong police force have been placed on alert in Manila to ensure the safety of the revelers, as well as the rest of residents against any untoward incident during the year-end merry-making.

Manila Police District (MPD) Police Supt. Marissa Bruno said they will deploy uniformed personnel to secure the areas where there’s an expected large concentration of people, specifically in Rajah Sulayman Park and Luneta, and will issue necessary trafficrerouting schemes.

The police have been placed on alert as massive crowds from provinces and even abroad are expected to gather in the city’s public rest-andleisure parks for various midnight festivities to welcome 2016.

Arsenio Lacson Jr., officer in charge of the Parks Development Office, said that as per Mayor Joseph Estrada’s directive, they have spruced up the city’s parks, especially Rajah Sulayman Park along Roxas Boulevard which will be the venue of “Sulong Manila!,” the New Year countdown celebration led by the city government.

The highlight of the occasion will be a pyromusical spectacle that will treat Manileños and the general public to a grand lightand-fireworks show coupled with lively music.

Lacson said they also clean and clear the Baywalk area between Rajah Sulayman and the world-famous Manila Bay. They also repainted the plant boxes, pruned the trees and further beautified the Park to ensure that it will be an eye-pleasing backdrop for the occasion.

“We are also assisting the National Parks Development Committee in beautifying and cleaning Rizal Park for the expected huge number of visitors and gatherings this New Year’s Eve,” Lacson said.

Rizal Park, more widely known as Luneta Park, has traditionally been the favorite destination of thousands of families for rest and recreation.

City government’s Task Force Clean Up, headed by Engr. Rafael Borromeo, also said they are deploying around 30 street sweepers in Luneta Park who will attend to the collection and disposal of garbage that might be left by visiting families.

Lacson and Borromeo aired an appeal to visitors to maintain cleanliness in the festivities’ surroundings, noting that the Luneta grounds were littered with tons of trash left behind by families who spent their Noche Buena tradition in the park this year.

Reportedly, there were 600 bags of wastes collected on the morning of Christmas Day. Joel R. San Juan

A4 Thursday, December 31, 2015 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

editorial

PHL must seek justice for our ‘comfort women’

J

apan wants to forget a horrible crime committed by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. It wants to put an end to an uncomfortable issue about “comfort women”. That’s why it forged with South Korea on Monday a “final and irreversible” agreement over the wartime sex-slavery injustice.

For the uninitiated, comfort women is a euphemism used by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II for the young girls who provide sexual services to Japanese soldiers in comfort houses that are actually brothels set up by the Army in Japanese-occupied areas in Asia. These women were made to provide sex to Japanese soldiers—who wait in line outside the small rooms— for about 30 to 40 times on weekdays and 60 to 100 times on weekends.

The Japan-South Korea agreement comes with two conditions: The former must apologize for the war crime and compensate the latter’s comfort women; and the South Korean government, on the other hand, must promise not to criticize Japan over the issue again.

To seal the pact, no less than Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made the apology on behalf of the Japanese government. He said Japan is painfully aware of its responsibility for the suffering, and would finance a fund for the benefit of the surviving South Korean comfort women.

Getting an apology from the head of the Japanese government, which has maintained up to that point that the Japanese military was not involved in sexual slavery, was a moral victory for all former sex slaves in South Korea.

At last, after 70 years, they are getting a real apology.

It was a bittersweet moment for the South Korean comfort women.

The apology comes not out of a change in Japanese sentiment, but from a change in geopolitics. It comes as a convenient excuse for Japan and South Korea to forget past animosities and increase cooperation on mutual defense against the expansionist moves of China. In the end, that was what Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye agreed after stamping with finality the issue about comfort women: The two leaders agreed to strengthen military ties.

The Japan-South Korea pact on comfort women is a good precedent for other victims in Asia. Researchers estimate that about 100,000 to 200,000 Asian women were conscripted as comfort women by Japan from 1942 to 1945. They say these sex slaves came from South Korea, the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Borneo, Thailand and Indonesia. In the past, a couple of brave Filipino comfort women gave interviews to the media to expose the injustice committed by the Japanese Imperial Army. Now that the Japanese government is ready to take proper action regarding the comfort women issue, the Philippine government must lead a resolute effort to seek justice for our own comfort women. They also deserve a formal apology from Japan, not to say an adequate compensation for their humiliation and suffering. That’s the only way Japan can put the comfort women issue to rest with finality.

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Historical perspective and current context John Mangun

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OUTSIDE THE BOX

lthough many animals have the ability to hold long-term memories, humans may be the only species that clearly mark events in the passage of time. This is part of our genetic makeup that we do instinctively. We have the capability of looking at the world with what I call an historical perspective, and also with a current context. It comes naturally.

Suppose you had an old friend from college. Over a long time you have realized that this person always shuts down and becomes quietly serious during exams week. It is a pattern of behavior that you are able to recognize. This behavior, which might seem out of the ordinary, is absolutely normal and part of your historical perspective of this person.

Now, many years later, the person still does the same thing when getting ready for an important client presentation or a meeting with company executives. Sometimes, though, the same person acts this way when there is nothing that your friend is preparing for. Suddenly, the person goes quiet and you wonder why, needing to understand the change of behavior in terms of the current context. You discover that your friend has not been feeling well and is waiting for the medical test results to come back.

While intuitively understanding

both the historical perspective and the current context, often we ignore both concepts when looking at the world through our intellect.

Take this silly example: Whenever the Philippine Catholic Church raises its head and voices about a social or political issue, many people simply go nuts. They start ranting about the separation of Church and State, and cannot understand why the Church becomes involved. Accusations of the Church having a selfinterest agenda are made. But, look at the historical perspective.

Spanish Catholicism—as opposed to French, for example—was always intimately intertwined with government. Spanish colonialism was as much about the Church as it was about Spanish trade and military conquest. Church leaders were a part of major Spanish colonial government decisions. Pope Francis—a product of Spanish Catholicism—was deeply involved in

Who needs black robes?

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By Noah Feldman | Bloomberg View

tarting in the new year, judges in Florida can wear robes in any color they want—so long as that color is black.

The state Supreme Court seems to have adopted the new rule—which also prohibits any robe embellishment—because of a judge who wore a camouflage robe, which some litigants thought signaled his identity as a good ol’ boy, thereby undercutting public confidence in the judiciary.

Concern for the symbolic integrity of the courts is a perfectly acceptable reason to require uniformity. But the all-black rule isn’t strictly necessary to achieve that goal. The choice to enact it raises questions about how professional uniforms enhance mystique and authority and suppress individuality. And it implicates one of the deepest fashion questions of this or any time: Just what is it about the color black?

To be clear, judges’ robes, which are cousins of those worn by ministers and academics, weren’t always black. The portraits of dead white men that at one time adorned the walls of my lawschool workplace reveal some stunning scarlet silks, especially on the other side of the pond, where the American practice originated. The great English robe makers Ede & Ravenscroft tailor both legal and academic robes. (They also sell

judges’ and barristers’ wigs, still worn in the UK and an even greater marker of uniformity.) At one time, many Protestant ministers wore predominantly black robes, a rejection of the finery adopted by the Catholic priestly hierarchy and a sign of seriousness. Today, however, the color palette has expanded in many Protestant denominations in the US. Lots of ministers seek to express individuality in their garb, which arguably enhances their individual charisma, and probably without much cost to their institutional authority.

So why not judges? William O. Rehnquist, the late US chief justice, wore four gold bars on each arm of his robe— a tradition he invented for himself after seeing a performance of the Gilbert and Sullivan musical Iolanthe. To be honest, it looked a little cheesy, and it hasn’t been continued by his successor and former

Argentinian “politics”.

The “current context” may be that as the Philippine Catholic Church sees its influence wane, it seeks opportunities to reassert itself.

Throughout its history, Russia has never considered itself an integral part of Europe. This nation had been forced to constantly defend against invasions from Europe.

Was it any surprise then, within the historical perspective, to see Russia react the way it did to Ukraine moving to become a satellite of European and American power?

The current context for Russian military action in the Middle East is to protect its economic interests against a Saudi-Qatar-Turkey oil pipeline through Syria. If you are going to understand Russian behavior, you must look at its history of frantically countering any European aggression from Sweden in 1142 to France in 1812 and Germany in 1941.

The historical perspective shows the patterns and cycles. You only had to look at your college friend’s behavior to know that the next exams were coming soon.

Understanding the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) is not different. The PSE composite index reached a bottom in January 2009 and started its move high the following month. For six consecutive years (2009 to 2014), the index closed the year higher. That came to an end in 2015, with the market down about 4 percent.

That is because of 1) the Federal Reserve, 2) China’s economy, 3) fall-

ing oil prices; 4) lower Philippine economic growth; and 5) global warming or climate change—whatever the hysteria about the weather is now being called.

But here is the historical perspective. The PSE and the Philippine economy run in approximately sixyear cycles, as I mentioned before.

Also, the perspective cycle shows a correlation with “Pi”—or 3.14—and “Phi,” or the Golden Ratio.

Both Pi and Phi, as basic mathematical structures, have been known since ancient times in one form or another. Leonardo Bonacci—known as Fibonacci—brought the sequential cycle aspects of Pi and Phi to the West in 1202.

I will not go into details on this, in case you think that I do my analysis under a full moon examining the entrails of dead chickens. However, the historical perspective of cycles is evident. As a side thought, there are several “special” PSE issues that follow one of these cycles. They are not “pump and dump” issues. They just suddenly rise from the dead, like zombies.

The question now is, what is in store for the PSE next after this six-year cycle? Let me check with the chickens.

clerk John Roberts. But I don’t think it could be said that Rehnquist’s stripes detracted from his dignity, which was considerable, or that it affected perceptions of how he did his job. And Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has personalized her judicial uniform with lace and silk jabots or judicial collars. They contrast nicely with the black robe and offer a hint of the quasifeminine alongside her high serious personality and character. They make Ginsburg an individual, albeit a restrained and cautious one.

The Florida judges presume that the public wants its judges to be secular priests, cut off from worldly influences and therefore without individuality. The color black is part of that denial. It’s no coincidence that Saudi Arabian women are required to wear all black —it’s supposed to minimize attention. The traditional nun’s habit was black for a similar reason.

Color attracts the eye and becomes associated with sexuality or flamboyance. But although black may be an international symbol of modesty, putting authority figures in black is supposed to enhance their authority and power. The judge’s black, like the priest’s or the imam’s or the rabbi’s, is simultaneously the black of mystery. It’s hard to escape the conclusion that the Florida justices are worried about their lesser colleagues trivializing the aura of the judicial office.

And here’s where the Florida rule, and parallel rules in other states, goes awry. The public is in fact sophisticated enough to understand that judges are humans, not automatons or Turing machines. Judges almost universally aspire to apply the law fairly, without favor or partiality. That aspiration is the source of their authority, not how they look or what they wear. Left to their own devices, most judges would keep on wearing black robes. But some would wear bright pink or (shocking!) no robes at all. They would be acknowledging their individuality. That might make them less mysterious. And for some, that might be a good thing.

To be clear, I like formality and I like uniforms. I generally teach my classes in the old-fashioned professorial uniform of tweeds and ties. The point is, in part, to show the students that being there is my job, as it is theirs, and to convey a sense of seriousness and decorum. But it should be a privilege of the thoughtful worker to individualize the uniform, question it or even ditch it. My colleagues who teach in T-shirts and jeans are making a legitimate point of their own.

In the military, it’s more complicated.

There, uniformity is part of training soldiers to obey orders from a rank, not an individual, and lives may turn on the distinction.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com.

Visit my web site at www.mangunonmarkets.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis tools provided by the COL Financial Group Inc.

Opinion BusinessMirror

opinion@businessmirror.com.ph

Refund claim by an absorbed corporation in a merger Tax Law for Business

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here are various reasons corporations would enter into a merger. The usual reason is that the integration of the operations of the constituent corporations will result in economies of scale and efficiency in management. But whatever is the reason, only one corporation will survive and all the other corporations will effectively be dissolved. The separate existence of the constituent corporations will cease, except that of the surviving corporation.

How will the cessation of the legal personality of an absorbed corporation affect its claim for refund of unutilized taxes, such as excess creditable withholding taxes? A recent decision of the tax court in Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) EB 1203, December 02, 2015, provides an insight on the effect of the approval of merger by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the refund claim of an absorbed corporation.

In this case, the merger of the constituent corporations was approved by the SEC on March 29, 2010. On April 15, 2010, one of the absorbed corporations filed with the Commissioner of Internal Revenue a written claim for refund or issuance of tax credit certificate of its unutilized creditable withholding taxes. On the same day, it filed its judicial claim for refund with the CTA via a petition for review. An amended petition was subsequently filed to properly designate the surviving corporation as the correct petitioner.

The court ruled to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction over the subject matter due to the taxpayer’s (surviving corporation’s) failure to exhaust administrative remedies.

The court noted that the plan of merger was approved by the SEC on March 29, 2010. Thus, the absorbed corporation ceased to exist when the merger was approved by the SEC. Nevertheless, it was the absorbed corporation who filed the administrative claim, not the surviving corporation. The court considered such to be fatal to the taxpayer’s claim, considering that the absorbed corporation no longer had any legal personality at the time the administrative claim was filed, and no administrative claim was filed by the surviving corporation itself, despite the plan of merger having been approved by the SEC. In other words, no administrative claim can be considered filed, thus, no proceeding can be maintained in any court for the recovery of the alleged unutilized taxes.

The court stressed that one of the requirements to be entitled to a refund or issuance of tax credit certificate is that the claim must be filed within the two-year reglementary period. In this case, no such claim was filed by an entity with legal personality, hence, there is no decision or

even inaction of the commissioner to appeal from since none was necessitated by a valid administrative claim. The court did not fail to recognize that the surviving corporation possesses all the rights and privileges that the absorbed corporation had.

However, it stressed that the surviving corporation can only acquire or benefit what the dissolved corporation had during its lifetime. The court went on to say that the fact is that absorbed corporation no longer existed when the only administrative claim was filed. The surviving corporation cannot benefit from a claim of nonentity.

While the legal battle in the case is not yet final, which may or may not change, it is significant for taxpayers to be aware of its implications. There is no doubt a surviving corporation in a merger absorbs all the assets and assumes all the liabilities of the absorbed corporations.

But it can do so only with respect to transactions entered into by the absorbed corporation prior to the effectivity of the merger as approved by the SEC. An absorbed corporation may no longer legally act after the effectivity of the merger. With respect to refund of taxes, the case teaches us that an administrative claim filed by the absorbed corporation with the Bureau of Internal Revenue prior to the effectivity of the merger inures to the surviving corporation. Upon the effectivity of the merger, the absorbed corporation is divested of its legal personality. Hence, it does not have any personality to file a claim. Should there be taxes that are rightfully the subject of a refund, the same should be pursued in the name of the surviving corporation.

The author is a junior associate of Du-Baladad and Associates Law Offices (BDB Law), a member-firm of World Tax Services (WTS) Alliance.

The article is for general information only and is not intended, nor should be construed as a substitute for tax, legal or financial advice on any specific matter. Applicability of this article to any actual or particular tax or legal issue should be supported therefore by a professional study or advice. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at ayesha.matanog@bdblaw.com.ph or call 403-2001 local 170.

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Alálaong Bagá

y governing the people with justice and establishing peace, the king makes way for the blessings of the Lord to be enjoyed not only by the poor and the afflicted but by all nations (Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13). The incarnate Son of God came to be not just the ruler of the Jews but the savior of the whole world (Matthew 2:1-12).

Mercy for the poor and the afflicted Psalm 72 is a royal hymn, a prayer for the success of the king. The psalmist begins by asking God to endow the king with a share of His divine justice, so that the king, “the king’s son”—a dynastic successor in reference to the Davidic covenant—can uphold and administer justice. Indeed, “By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; by me rulers rule, and nobles, all who govern rightly” (Proverbs 8:1516). Such judicial wisdom makes way to harmony and profound peace all over the land, as God wants such peace and well-being for His people entrusted to the care of the king.

The measure of just governance according to God’s judgment is the proper care given to the poor, the afflicted and the defenseless: mercy and compassion for the lowly and the poor. The psalmist prays that God grant righteousness to the anointed

Bloomberg View

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mericans have never seen a candidate like Donald Trump before. He’s been compared to Joseph McCarthy, George Wallace, Pat Buchanan and Ross Perot, but none are perfect fits. The best way to understand him may be to see him as the Republican version of Jesse Jackson in 1988. Within their parties, they are strikingly similar figures, and while Trump may yet prove more successful at the polls, he’s unlikely to match Jackson’s longterm impact on his party.

Through much of 1987, Jackson led in most national polls, as Trump has done this year. Like Trump, he was a populist outsider with no political experience who faced questions about his readiness

for high office. He ran a campaign based more on free media than paid commercials. His strongest support came from those with no college diploma. His offensive comments about a minority group inflamed tensions. His appeal rested on giving voice to those who felt they were taken for granted and losing ground. And he terrified party leaders who saw him as extreme and unelectable.

Of course, personally and politically, the two are opposites: Jackson was born into poverty, Trump into privilege. Jackson appealed to hope; Trump, fear. Jackson sought a more inclusive society, and Trump a more exclusive one.

Jackson’s base was dominated by blacks. Trump’s is white.

Yet, Trump and Jackson are two sides of the same coin. Like Jack-

one so that he saves the needy who cry out and the afflicted who have no one to help them. And may the king’s righteousness and reign of peace be blessed forever and ever (“till the moon be no more”). And not only until the end of time, may it also extend “from sea to sea” and “to the ends of the Earth,” encompassing the entire world. All kings from Tarshish through Arabia to Seba will pay him homage. His enduring reputation will be an exemplar to other rulers and nations, so through Him, God will bless them too, as was promised to Abraham (Genesis 12:2).

Shepherd of Israel, savior of the world

The popular Christmas story of the wise men (magi) from the east coming to give homage to the newborn Jesus invites us to focus on the theological point that the account is purposely making. We are struck how

people of goodwill are sensitive to God’s revelation. Regardless of their ethnic or religious background, their openness uncovered for them the meaning of the signs and, ultimately, the identity of the newborn child.

The evangelist wove together the story to bring out that the child is the messiah of David’s line, to be born in Bethlehem of Judea, to shepherd Israel, and so to receive homage as king. The responsive gentiles from the east were initially guided by a star, which was later completed by the scriptures; they succeeded in finding the child because they were open to the truth. On the other hand, the Jews and their leaders though steeped in the scriptures showed themselves paradoxically incapable of believing and they failed to welcome Jesus. The wise men from the east were the forerunners of all humankind invited to the presence of the Savior; they symbolize the message of salvation beyond Judaism in its intended universal scope.

Warned about Herod

The star and its light led the wise men to the savior. By way of contrast, King Herod and all of Jerusalem manifested extreme darkness; they were greatly troubled by the news about the newborn king of the Jews.

The wickedness of Herod showed off when later he ordered “the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity 2 years old and under” (Matthew 2:16) to get rid of any rival to his throne, after pretending to the magi

Resolutions for a nation’s new year Ariel Nepomuceno

DECISION TIME

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very time January comes, not only do we look forward to the media noche feast or the fun of watching the glittering fireworks that color our skies. It is also a time for self reflection, a review of the year that has gone by, and, more important, an opportunity to identify aspirations; map out future plans; and commit to make positive changes in our lives.

On a national level, beginning the new year with the most important resolutions in order to improve the lives of our citizens would undoubtedly be a noteworthy and urgent exercise.

After all, goal setting is a first step to getting things done.

We started 2015 with the very successful and life-changing visit of Pope Francis, who captured our hearts and made the Filipino people realize that the strength of its faith can power the nation. As we journeyed through 2015, there were some wins and some losses.

The challenges were daunting, the gains were admirable, but we all know that we could do more. And doing more is what our country should aim for in 2016.

10 national resolutions

Let me attempt to enumerate what our country must achieve for the coming year.

Before Trump, there was Jesse Jackson

By Francis Barry

A5

God’s light and righteousness amid our darkness Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr.

Atty. Ayesha Hania Guiling-Matanog

Thursday, December 31, 2015

son’s shortcomings, Trump’s will probably keep him from the nomination. But here’s the difference: Unlike Trump’s campaign, Jackson’s represented a newly ascendant wing of the party, even though it took decades to take flight.

After the 1988 election, Democratic Party elites concluded that their nominee, Michael Dukakis, had been too liberal. In hindsight, Democratic voters seemed to accept this view, by nominating Bill Clinton in 1992. But the truth is more complicated: The rank-and-file may well have opted for Mario Cuomo, the nation’s leading liberal, had he chosen to run. And eight years of Clintonian moderation only increased their appetite for a more aggressively liberal agenda.

The centrist tenets of the now defunct Democratic Leadership

Being true to the concept of new year’s resolutions, we must focus on the most critical ones, those that would produce substantial results and make a real difference in our people’s lives. Listing these resolutions is obviously not the end. It must be supplemented by a clear, measurable and time-bound action plan. Progress should be monitored by the key agencies tasked with achieving these goals.

1. Ensure the conduct of a free, honest and orderly 2016 election as this is the very foundation and expression of our democracy; 2. Install leaders who have proven track record of competence, capability, integrity and authenticity; 3. Stimulate economic growth by taking steps to create a competitive, fair and transparent environment for investors and entrepreneurs by further developing and embedding key legislative, fiscal and monetary reforms; 4. Execute and implement the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation goals of: a) science and technology education and job skills upgrade; b) risk reduction/management and resilient infrastructure; c) the removal of barriers to the entry and growth of small and medium enterprises; and d) free and open trade and investment for the region;

5. Address and take firm action on problems of terrorism, insurgency, crime and lawlessness; 6. Stop graft and corruption and develop ethical and honest civil servants; 7. Encourage, promote and institutionalize the Rule of Law by supporting and empowering initiatives aimed at enshrining contract stability, protection of property rights, an independent and efficient judicial system, and strong enforcement of laws and regulations; 8. Establishment of an integrated urban mass-transit network, efficient infrastructure and improvement in traffic-management activities; 9. Sustained focus on protecting our national territory by utilizing the twin remedies of diplomacy and exercise of legal rights under applicable international treaties and conventions; 10. Take concrete steps toward

Council that Clinton embodied— free trade, balanced budgets, tougher crime laws, charter schools, welfare restrictions—have all fallen out of favor with Democratic primary voters. Today, on nearly every issue, Hillary Clinton is running to her husband’s left—and her chief rival argues she is not far left enough. In many ways, the Democratic Party is now closer to Jackson’s platform than Bill Clinton’s.

In two or three decades, will the Republican platform similarly resemble Trump’s? Not likely. In fact, it may be that Trump’s rise produces the opposite result for Republican centrists that Jackson did for their Democratic counterparts: failure in the short run, success in the long run.

In 2013 the Republican National Committee produced a report that

was a mirror image of the 1988 Democratic postmortem: The party needed to broaden its base, by attracting more immigrants, minorities, gays and working stiffs.

In other words, Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition has not only become the heart of the Democratic Party, but also the envy of the RNC. But unlike Clinton in 1992, the 2016 Republican candidates who wish to heed the RNC’s advice are being overshadowed by a candidate who is calling the campaign’s tune with a dog whistle. To undo the damage that’s doing to the party, the Republican nominee will have to channel Bill Clinton’s repudiation of Sister Souljah and his criticism of Jackson’s organization for supporting her. It was a gutsy decision that risked alienating the party’s base of African-American

to be interested in paying homage to the newborn child. It remarkably parallels the popular story of Moses’ escape from the Pharaoh, who, forewarned by his scribes that a child about to be born would threaten his crown, decided to kill all the male children of the Hebrews in his land.

The Herod in Matthew’s story also echoes another evil king, Balak king of Moab who tried to destroy him when the Israelites were on their way to the Promised Land. Balak summoned Balaam, a magus from the east (Numbers 23:7), to put a curse on Moses and Israel. Instead of doing so, Balaam had a vision: “There shall come a man out of Israel’s seed, and he shall rule many nations...I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not close: a star shall rise from Jacob” (Numbers 24:7, 17).

Alálaong bagá, what the solemnity of the Lord’s Epiphany, or manifestation to the world, underlines is the fact that humankind in darkness and chaos needs the light and order the Savior brings. But some people in power and those who are supposed to know better reject Jesus because of their own vested interests. In the absence of righteousness, the poor can only suffer more and darkness continue to prevail.

A blessed New Year to us all!

Join me in meditating on the Word of God every Sunday, 5 to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio-streaming on www.dwiz882.com.

the ratification of the 2015 Paris climate-change accord and integrating the same into local energy plans and goals.

List is long

WE can go on and on, but being true to the concept of new year’s resolutions, we must focus on the most critical ones, those that would produce substantial results and make a real difference in our people’s lives.

Listing these resolutions is obviously not the end. It must be supplemented by a clear, measurable and time-bound action plan. Progress should be monitored by the key agencies tasked with achieving the above-mentioned goals and efforts rewarded to inspire, motivate and empower our civil service.

Even in governance, nothing is impossible when you begin with a dream, a vision and purposive action.

We began with Pope Francis in 2015 and, perhaps, we should end with some of his thoughts on being happy. Our Holy Father said: “Happiness is not about having a perfect life, but about using tears to water tolerance, losses to refine patience, failures to carve serenity, pain to lapidate pleasure and obstacles to open the windows of intelligence.” 2016 may not be easy, but we have to start somewhere to believe the dream. Thus, these resolutions.

For comments and suggestions, send to arielnepo.businessmirror@ gmail.com

voters, but it demonstrated he had the mettle to stand up to those who engaged in or condoned racially divisive rhetoric.

Whether the Republican nominee is able to overcome the primary’s hostile tone toward major voting blocs, divisiveness is not a sustainable philosophy for the party. As demographic and generational trends create a more ethnically diverse and tolerant society, the cost of an usversus-them message will grow with each election.

Jackson was the riding the crest of a political wave that was growing in size. Trump is trying to keep the tide from coming in, but there’s no wall big enough to stop it. Sooner or later, Republicans will have to reckon with that fact.

Until then, big-tent Republicans: Keep hope alive.

News

BusinessMirror

A6 Thursday, December 31, 2015 • Editor: Dionisio L. Pelayo

Typhoon Nona victims get relief goods from private groups, local govts

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A R AGA , A lbay—A group of local businessmen, civil-society organizations and local governments delivered relief goods to the most affected and least served communities of Typhoon Nona in Sorsogon province.

The Citizens’ Disaster Response Center (CDRC), under the banner of the Asia-Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management (A-PAD), a transnational disaster aid alliance that works to facilitate cooperation and understanding between governments, private companies and non-governmental organizations in the Asia-Pacific region, led the relief operation.

“We have received reports from of our partners on the ground that there are still several communities in Sorsogon which have not received any form of assistance following the strong typhoon,” Carlos Padolina, CDRC deputy executive director, said.

CDRC, a nonprofit organization, together with its local partner Tarabang para sa Bicol Inc., and several other business groups and local governments, distributed 1,500 packs of relief goods containing 10 kilos of rice, 1 kilo of dried fish, 1 kilo of monggo beans, six cans of sardines and 1 liter of cooking oil to four communities in Casiguran (Barangay Santa Cruz) and Irosin (barangays Gumapia, Gabao and Bulawan) in Sorsogon.

“Since early this year, CDRC has started to organize the local formation of A-PAD here in the Philippines, a multistakeholder platform that aims to strengthen the participation of all stakeholders, especially the private sector, in disaster-risk reduction and response,” Padolina said. “ T h i s re l ie f o p e r at ion , which mobilizes the resources of the civil society, private sector and the government, is one concrete example of the mu ltista keholder approach that A-PAD hopes to achieve,” Padolina added.

The relief operation was made possible through the pooled resources of A-PAD, CDRC, Tabi, Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industries, the provincial government of Sorsogon and the Sorsogon Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office. “Without the support of all these stakeholders, we would have not been able to deliver assistance to the affected communities,” Padolina added.

A-PAD was first formed in Tokyo, Japan, in 2011 during the Asia-Pacific Relief Summit where leaders of multisector actors from five countries agreed to create a framework for action in times of disaster. These leaders became the founding members of A-PAD, which currently has members from six countries—Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. CDRC is spearheading the formation of A-PAD Philippines.

DSWD ‘ineptitude’ draws ire of lawmakers

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By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

AWMAKERS are calling on the leadership of the House of Representatives to investigate the apparent ineptitude of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in handling relief operations.

In a resolut ion, Pa r t y-l ist Reps. Emmi A. de Jesus and Luzviminda C. Ilagan of Gabriela said there were several instances of spoilage and subsequent dumping of relief items intended for the victims of typhoons.

They said at least 164 sacks of spoiled rice were dumped into a pit in Dagami, Tacloban City. The dumping was discovered on December 1. The buried goods were intended for the survivors of typhoons Ruby and Glenda.

Also, the lawmakers said that scavenger families were able to salvage edible items from the relief goods for the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda that were dumped by the DSWD in the Palo and Palompon dumps in Leyte in November 2013, February 2014 and March 2014.

They added that the Commission on Audit also reported that 7,527 family food packs, amount-

ing to P2.784 million for Yolanda survivors were spoiled due to improper handling.

The Gabriela congresswomen said these incidences prove the “lack of foresight and incompetence amounting to neglect of duty, and worse, cruelty of the DSWD.” “It is cruelty because dumping rice and relief goods show a deliberate act of depriving the typhoon victims of relief from the government. It further shows that the DSWD preferred to bury the relief goods rather than distribute them to the needy typhoon victims,” they added.

For her part, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman has said the agency is open to any investigation that would give the department the opportunity to clarify the issue.

“As I have said, there are personnel in the department who have been negligent in their jobs

TO bring joy to some of the families displaced by Typhoon Nona, Smart distributed Noche Buena packages to the victims in four Oriental Mindoro towns. The telecommunications company also set up various “Libreng Tawag” and “Libreng Charging” stations in other parts of the province affected by the recent typhoon and provided communications support for the use of local governments for emergency relief and response efforts. In photo is the distribution in Barangay Lumangbayan, Pinamalayan, which was battered by strong winds.

to keep the relief goods in good condition. I am not [my] washing hands [off] on this, I will establish the liability of the persons involved here and make them accountable, in accordance with civil service rules,” Soliman said in an earlier statement.

She also said that the buried

Ople on Zapanta’s execution: No finger-pointing

By Recto L. Mercene

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ET us avoid finger-pointing in the death of Joselito Zapanta,” said Susan “Toots” Ople, head of the Blas Ople Policy Center, even as former Ambassador Roy Señeres Sr. put the blame squarely on President Aquino’s shoulder.

Ople said there are still 92 Filipino workers facing the death sentence worldwide, while five more Filipinos are in death row in Saudi Arabia.

There are some 11 million Filipino workers all over the world, and about 2 million to 3 million of them are in the Middle East.

She said there is a moral dilemma involved in Zapanta’s case, and “we should make clear… not just under this administration, but as a country…to let us resolve this issue.”

She added that since the Zapanta family is very poor, they could not just call on any friend by telephone to ask for a few million pesos donation. However, Señeres in a statement, said Aquino should be blamed “for not lifting a finger to save Joselito Zapanta,” who was executed on December 29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“His [Zapantas’s] blood is on the hands of President B.S. Aquino III. As President of a country which has outlawed the death penalty, and which considers overseas workers as the ‘New Heroes’ of the Republic, he could have done the following to save the life of Zapanta: Call His Highness Sheikh Salman the King of Saudi Arabia and request him to grant Zapanta a reprieve.”

“If he is so shy to do this, which should not be the case, he should have invited the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the Philippines to Malacañang and request him to convey to the Saudi King his request for Zapanta’s reprieve.

By this simple gesture alone, it was very likely King Salman would have readily said yes, paid the blood money himself to the Sudanese family and ordered the release of Zapanta.”

Señeres said that in Saudi Arabia, a monarchy and the word of the ruler is law.” No big deal for King Salman if only President Aquino requested [for Zapanta’s reprieve].”

“Ang problema sa Presidente ay walang siyang malasakit sa mga overseas workers. Hindi man lang niya nabanggit ang mga OFWs sa kanyang anim na Sona [State of the Nation Address].”

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), through Spokesman Charles Jose, said: “The inability to come up with the blood money demanded by the victim’s family was the only reason the death sentence was carried out.”

Jose said that despite the best efforts of those who tried to raise the money, P25 million remains to be raised to complete the required amount.

Zapanta was executed in Riyahd on December 29, but his body remained in Saudi Arabia, according to Ople.

Ople disagreed on blaming the government, saying the DFA, after providing all the legal and diplomatic help, was able to lower the blood money to P48 million from P50 million. “Hindi sila nagkulang, kaya lang; una, napakalaki ng blood money, at pangalawa, nagkaroon ng vacuum nang mawala si Vice President Jejomar Binay [as presidential adviser on OFW concerns].”

As presidential adviser on OFWs, Ople said Binay could have felt what the relatives of Zapanta wanted and he could have brought them to Aquino to make an appeal.

Binay served as presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers’ affairs until his resignation in June this year from the Aquino Cabinet.

Binay sent his “deepest sympathies” to Zapanta’s family, saying that while working closely with the DFA, they have exhausted all diplomatic and legal efforts in order to save the life of Zapanta, including a personal written appeal to the King of Saudi Arabia.

“We, likewise, issued appeals for help in raising the blood money demanded by the family of his victim, in keeping with Saudi laws.

“Despite our best efforts, and the kindness and generosity of private individuals, the local government of Pampanga and nongovernmental organizations, we were unable to raise the SAR4 million demanded by the family,” Binay added.

Eastern Mindanao businesses lose ₧246.12 million to NPA

By Rene Acosta

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news@businessmirror.com.ph

USINESSES in Eastern Mindanao lost a total of P246.12 million worth of equipment and products in 2015 owing to the attacks and harassments by communist New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas.

Capt. Alberto Caber, spokesman for the Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) , said the losses were in the form of damaged construction equipment in development projects

in the region and agriculture products, including banana and pineapple, by multinational companies.

“The damages were mostly incurred from the attacks on Dole plantations and construction equipment,” Caber said.

Breaking down the losses, Caber said companies lost a total of P34.71 million during the first quarter of 2015, P34.58 million during the second quarter, P92.72 during the third quarter and P84.11 million from October to December.

Maj. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero,

Eastmincom chief, said the attacks and other atrocities committed by the communist rebels have not only slowed down development in Eastern Mindanao, but affected the livelihood of the residents. “If the CPP-NPA-NDF [Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front] is sincere about peace and promoting the people’s interest, then they should immediately desist from attacking development projects and legitimate business, which serve the interest and provide gainful employment to our people,” he said.

goods, which were intended for the survivors of Ruby and Glenda, were already unfit for human consumption. She did not explain why the department allowed the food to get spoiled before being distributed to typhoon victims.

“Our goal here was to make sure that the goods will not reach the

affected families anymore. That is why these were disposed of immediately,” Soliman said.

“We are now putting in place several reforms to enhance our warehousing capability and handling of relief goods to ensure that a similar incident will not happen again,” she said.

DENR: Observe smoke-free New Year revelry

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HE Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR) on Wednesday enjoined the public anew to observe the New Year revelry health risk-free and ecology friendly.

Environment Assistant Secretary Juan Miguel T. Cuna said, “Let’s do away with lighting those firecrackers and dangerous paputok this New Year’s celebration. These pyrotechnique devices generate harmful fumes or smoke that’s not only hazardous to our health but to the environment, as well.”

Noisemaking through fireworks on New Year’s Eve, believed to have originated in ancient times, was thought to dispel evil spirits and bring good luck.

Cuna, the concurrent EMB director, added, “It has been our tradition to usher the New Year with a ‘loud bang’ but there are alternative noisemakers such as holding of street parties or festivities in the streets. This way may even foster camaraderie among neighbors. Playing loud music, blowing of horns and clanging pots are less-costly as compared to buying expensive and dangerous firecrackers.”

Smoke from fireworks consists mainly of fine toxic dusts (particulate matter), such as ozone, sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide, that can easily enter the lungs which becomes a real threat for people with asthma.

In time where the issues of climate change and global warming are being presented with a sense of urgency, we need to be concerned about the greenhouse gases fireworks produce, which include carbon dioxide and ozone.

“The EMB supports the other government agencies that are campaigning for a harmfree and a less-polluted air this 2016 and we encourage everyone to use alternative and safe methods in our noise and merrymaking,” Cuna said.

Metro police intensifies drive vs illegal firecrackers

THE Metro Manila police commander has ordered all five police district heads, and city and town chiefs to intensify the campaign against illegal firecrackers to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries during the New Year revelry.

Among the prohibited firecrackers are bawang, Lolo Thunder, and Good-bye, Philippines, improvised PVC cannons known as Boga, and different types of imported fireworks from China.

The Metro Manila police command is part of the joint monitoring center established by the Department of Health in its “Oplan Iwas Paputok” campaign to keep track of firecrackerrelated injuries and deaths, and those caused by stray bullets or indiscriminate firing.

“We will lead in keeping our community safe, illegal discharge of firearms and indiscriminate firing are unacceptable. We

will make sure to arrest violators. Our goal is zero casualty this Yuletide season,” said Director Joel Pagdilao, Metro Manila police commander.

Pagdilao added that Metro Manila police is strictly enforcing measures to prevent policemen, including other gun holders, from illegally discharging their firearms during the holidays.

He also discouraged the public from using illegal firecrackers and pyrotechnics to avoid untoward incidents.

He stressed that violators will be arrested and punished.

“Ako ay nananawagan sa ating mga kakabayan na patuloy na makipagtulungan sa kapulisan.

Huwag gawin ang mga ipinagbabawal ng batas upang maayos at mapayapa nating ipagdiwang ang Pasko at sa pagsalubong ng bagong taon,” he noted.

“Tinitiyak ng Metro Manila police na kayo ay aming babantayan 24/7 at siguradong ligtas laban sa kriminalidad at kapahamakan,” Pagdilao added.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reminded community leaders of a policy for them to designate common fireworks display zones in their localities to prevent or lessen fireworksrelated injuries this holiday.

Members of the Metro Manila Council (MMC), the MMDA’s policy-making body, passed a resolution noting that National Capital Region (NCR) posted the highest number of firecrackerrelated emergencies in previous years because of unsafe practice among revelers.

“It is the tradition of the Filipinos to use firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices during Christmas season and in welcoming the New Year. But due to unsafe practices, the Department of Health has recorded that for the past years, there has been an increase in number of firecracker-related emergencies causing injuries and death,” the one-page MMC resolution stated.

In 2014 the Health Department recorded most fireworks-related injuries from the NCR (57 percent). Specifically, most cases came from Manila (180) and Quezon City (124).

No cases were reported from the cities of San Juan and Muntinlupa.

Most of those injured were victims of firecrackers Plapla, Kwitis, Five Star and Piccolo.

MMDA Chaiman Emerson Carlos said “freedom parks” and open spaces are common areas, designated as fireworks-display zones.

Some cities in Metro Manila, like Marikina, Quezon City and Caloocan, have set up their own areas where residents can light up firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices.

Health officials said setting up a common fireworks display zone in every barangay in Metro Manila will provide a safer environment for celebrating the Christmas season, New Year and other celebrations wherein proper guidance on the use of firecrackers can be provided.

Jonathan L. Mayuga, PNA

Now in the Philippines BusinessMirror

Turning Points: Global Agenda 2016 is a year-end package of opinion pieces and features, photos and cartoons covering events and trends in 2015 that will influence 2016 and beyond.

Sports BusinessMirror

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hursday, December 31, 2015 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph sports@businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

LEBRON WAXES HOT

By Jason Lloyd

Akron Beacon Journal

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ENVER—LeBron James delivered himself an early birthday present on Tuesday: 34 for 31.

James broke out of a four-game shooting funk and the Cavaliers salvaged a split of their West Coast trip with a 93-87 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

James, who turns 31 on Wednesday and had a party planned in Denver to celebrate after the game, scored 34 points and grabbed six rebounds. He capped his stellar night with two runaway dunks, one reverse and one tomahawk, in the final two minutes.

Iman Shumpert scored 16 points off the bench and the Cavs won the final two games of this trip after dropping the first two. It took until the final minute to hold off the Phoenix Suns on Monday, but the Cavs were in total control against the Nuggets despite playing without Kyrie Irving.

They led by 11 at the half and maintained a 72-62 lead entering the fourth. The lead hovered around double figures most of the fourth, while holding the Nuggets to 42-percent shooting. They were under 40-percent shooting most of the night.

James shot just 38 percent in the four games prior to Tuesday, including 13 percent (two-of-16) on three-pointers. He shot 13-of-24 against the Nuggets, which have been hit hard by injuries and have now dropped six of their past seven.

“He raises the talent level of every single player and I think that’s the toughest thing when you go into a game,”

Nuggets Coach Mike Malone said of James.

Malone was an assistant during James’s first stint in Cleveland. “LeBron is going to get his, but his ability to make [Matthew] Dellavedova, Tristan Thompson, Kevin Love, JR, whoever it may be, because he gets them the ball right on time, on target, where they’re the most effective, now all they have to do is make the shot. It’s a joy to play with a guy like that.”

Love scored eight points and grabbed 14 rebounds after hurting his thumb in the win over the Suns. Love insisted after the game the thumb was fine, but he shot four-of-16 against the Nuggets and went scoreless in the second half.

Will Barton scored 29 off the bench to lead the Nuggets.

With Irving sitting for what he hopes is the final time on the second night of a back-to-back, James immediately carried the scoring load. He took 13 shots in the first half after shooting just 10 times against the Suns. Coach David Blatt thought the Cavs didn’t do a good job of getting James involved against the Suns, so he did it himself against the Nuggets.

Elasto Painters size up June Mar in semis clash

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Vitto Lazatin (from left), vice president of Sports 5; Kenneth Berger, executive vice president and general manager of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC); Anna Bengzon, chief finance officer of Cignal and Guido Zaballero, vice president for Marketing of Cignal, pose for group photo during the contract signing between UFC and Cignal TV. RAMON RAFAEL BONILLA

AN Miguel Beer’s giant named June Mar Fajardo has become the focal point of Rain or Shine’s (RoS) move to improve on its size.

Elasto Painters Head Coach Yeng Guiao made the revelation in the aftermath of their 104-89 rout of Talk ’N Text in the knockout quarterfinals of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup on Monday that sent the Elasto Painters in the semifinals against Fajardo and the Beermen.

San Miguel enjoys a 6-1 advantage against RoS in their headto-head last season, certainly not encouraging numbers for a team who considers Fajado an enigma.

“That has become a motivation for us. Actually kaya kami nag-revamp ng lineup hindi kasi namin matalo-talo ‘yung San Miguel,” Guiao admitted.

“We wanted to be bigger. We know we can’t find anybody bigger than Fajardo, so nagpalaki na lang kami as a team.”

The ElastoPainters lost TY Tang, who went into retirement after last season and trade away guard Ryan Arana and forward Jervy Cruz during the off-season.

Guiao called them a “great loss,” but the team have to make some sacrifices to improve and stay competitive.

So far, the team’s new acquisitions— Maverick Ahanmisi, Don Trollano and Jewel Ponferrada—have blended well with the team according to Guiao, who took notice of Ahanmisi as “finding his proper role with the team.”

“All around nagpalaki kami. I’m hoping ’yung size differential is not going to be that much of a problem, especially if we can keep our running game going,” Guiao said.

The fiery RoS coach believes taking the long route instead of making the semis outright has toughen up his chargers for the next phase against the Beermen. Still, he said the Elasto Painters will have their hands full in the bestof-seven series with Fajardo in their way.

“It will be tough, especially with the new rules. Hindi mo puwedeng itulak or banggain, so ang laking advantage talaga ng mayroon kang Fajardo or [Greg] Slaugther,” Guiao observed.

RoS, making its eighth consecutive trip to the Final Four (a record among active teams in the league) and San Miguel start its series on January 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Guiao maintains it would be very difficult to solve a problem like Fajardo, a high-percentage shooter, even against a double-team.

“When he touches the ball and because of his size, he can see the whole floor. Marunong din pumasa. You just try to minimize his effectivity.

If you can limit his touches, you can probably succeed partly,” he said.

And maybe, the ElastoPainters could wear down the San Miguel giant with their fluid uptempo game. “’Yung lang ang puhunan namin, our weapon against them [San Miguel and Fajardo],” Guiao said. Dave Coros

Lemon played for the Globetrotters during the team’s heyday from the mid-1950s to the late-1970s, delighting fans with his skills with a ball and a joke. Traveling by car, bus, train or plane nearly every night, Lemon covered nearly 4 million miles to play in over 100 countries and in front of popes and presidents, kings and queens. Known as the “Clown Prince of Basketball,” he averaged 325 games per year during his prime, that luminous smile never dimming.

“Meadowlark was the most sensational, awesome, incredible basketball player I’ve ever seen,” National Basketball Association (NBA) great and former Globetrotter Wilt Chamberlain said shortly before his death in 1999. “People would say it would be Dr. J or even [Michael] Jordan. For me it would be Meadowlark Lemon.”

Lemon spent 24 years with the Globetrotters, doing tours through the racially torn South in the 1950s until he left in 1979 to start his own team.

He was one of the most popular athletes in the world during the prime of his career, thanks to a unique blend of athleticism and showmanship.

Playing against the team’s nightly foil, the Washington Generals, Lemon left fans in awe with an array of hook shots, no-look passes and

“I feel if I can touch a kid in youth prison, he won’t go to the adult prison,” Lemon said in 2003.

He never lost touch with his beloved sport.

Lemon said he rose every day at 4 a.m. and, after prayers, headed for the gym to run sprints and practice shooting.

“I have to keep that hook shot working,” he said.

Born in 1932, Meadow George Lemon III—he lengthened his name after joining the Globetrotters—didn’t have money for a basketball when he was young, so he rigged up a makeshift hoop in his backyard in Wilmington, North Carolina. Using a coat hanger and onion sack for the basket, he made his first shot with an empty milk can.

Lemon first contacted the Globetrotters before his high-school graduation and joined the team in 1954. He missed a game in 1955 because of a bad bowl of goulash in Germany, but that was the last one. What followed was a run, by his calculations, of more than 16,000 straight games that took him to places he never could have imagined.

“I was one of the most fortunate athletes that ever lived,” he said. “I was able to watch history.” AP

The Cavs close the calendar year at 21-9, tops in the East. They are off until Saturday (January 2) when they host the Orlando Magic.

In other National Basketball Association results, Atlanta beat Houston, 121-115; Oklahoma City downed Milwaukee Bucks, 131-123; New York prevailed over Detroit, 108-96; and Memphis edged Miami in overtime, 99-90.

San Miguel Beer big man June Mar Fajardo will be the main concern of Rain or Shine in their semifinal series. PBA IMAGE

Houston Rockets’ James Harden (left) and Atlanta Hawks’ Kent Bazemore scramble for a loose ball. AP

MBL First Conference kicks off

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HE Millennium Basketball League (MBL) welcomes the new year with the MBL First Conference at the Rizal Coliseum next month.

The tournament, which serves as the league’s first offering for 2016, is expected to draw select commercial and collegiate teams in the country.

MBL Chairman Alex Wang said the league, now on its 16th year, will continue to provide venue for experienced players who could still play the game and talented youngsters hoping to make it to the big leagues.

Among the teams expected to participate

are defending champion Gerry’s Grill-Diliman College and runner-up Wang’s Ballclub-AMA University; newly crowned Don Mariano Garing Cup champion Macway Travel Club; and former MBL champion Hobe Bihon.

Also invited are V Hotel- University of Santo Tomas, Franzie Cologne, Arellano University, Naughty Needlez-Philippine Christian University, Fly Dragon, Tean Panda, Lyceum of the Philippines, Centro Escolar University, De Ocampo Memorial College, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Saint Clare College-Caloocan, Fatima University and Colegio de San Lorenzo.

Gasquet withdraws from Aussie Open

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ELBOURNE, Australia—World No. 9 Richard Gasquet has withdrawn from the Australian Open because of a back injury.

Tournament organizers tweeted news of Gasquet’s withdrawal late Tuesday, adding “we wish him a speedy recovery.”

France’s Gasquet is the third withdrawal from the Grand Slam tournament which starts on January 18 at Melbourne Park, after Juan

Monaco and Thanasi Kokkinakis. Britain’s Kyle Edmund will take his place in the main draw.

Gasquet aggravated the injury while playing in exhibitions this month, and he has also withdrawn from the Qatar Open, due to start on Monday.

He is a previous Wimbledon semifinalist and US Open quarterfinalist, and his best Australian Open result was the fourth round, four times. AP

UFC finds a new home, inks three-year deal

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ILIPINO mixed-martial arts (MMA) fans will get a bigger dose of action after the world’s largest MMA promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), partnered with Cignal TV for an exclusive live and encore broadcast in the country starting on January 1.

Cignal will provide an extensive UFC programming for Cignal Direct to Home subscribers who could watch the fight cards live, while free channel TV5 will run an encore broadcast for every event.

“We are very excited to announce our new broadcasting partner, Cignal, as all UFC events and contents will be broadcast in several platforms, bringing UFC closer to millions of homes here in the country,” UFC Execute Vice President and General Manager Kenneth Berger said during the contract signing of a three-year partnership between the promotional outfit and the broadcast channel on Tuesday.

“We definitely wanted to include UFC in our roster of sports and bring it for the Filipinos. It is something that we want for our subscribers and fans. This is huge, for us its a big property because of the MMA fan base in the country,” Sports5 Vice

EX-GLOBETROTTERS S STAR LEMON DIES

In this file photo, Basketball Hall of Fame CEO John Doleva (left) presents a Hall of Fame jacket to inductee Meadowlark Lemon of the Harlem Globetrotters. AP

By Ramon Bonilla

COTTSDALE, Arizona—Meadowlark Lemon, the “clown prince” of basketball’s barnstorming Harlem Globetrotters, whose blend of hook shots and humor brought joy to millions of fans around the world, has died. He was 83.

Lemon’s wife and daughter confirmed to the team that he died on Sunday in Scottsdale, Arizona, Globetrotters Spokesman Brett Meister said on Monday. Meister did not know the cause of death.

Though skilled enough to play professionally, Lemon instead wanted to entertain his dream of playing for the Globetrotters, hatched after watching a newsreel of the all-black team at a cinema house when he was 11.

Lemon ended up becoming arguably the team’s most popular player, a showman known as much for his confetti-in-the-water-bucket routine and slapstick comedy as his half-court hook shots and no-look, behind-the-back passes.

A sign of his crossover appeal, Lemon was inducted into both the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the International Clown Hall of Fame.

“My destiny was to make people happy,” Lemon said as he was inducted into the basketball hall as a contributor to the game in 2003.

President Vitto Lazatin said. “UFC is going to be a great content for programming, especially that different platforms will be provided for greater reach.”

PLDT HOME patrons could also watch UFC action via HYPER, while mobile live streaming will be available for Smart’s video portal through TV5.

First on the menu is UFC 195, where welterweight champion Robbie “Ruthless” Lawler (26 wins,10 losses, no draw and one no contest)

stakes his belt against No. 4 contender Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit (30-8-0) on Sunday.

Lawler, a killer striker who is on a four-match winning streak, is coming off from a toe-to-toe battle against Rory MacDonald on July 11. Lawler won via technical knockout in the fifth round through a flurry of punches.

Condit, on the other hand, escaped Thiago Alves via doctor stoppage in round two on May 30.

the nifty moves he put on display during the Globetrotters’ famous circle while “Sweet Georgia Brown” played over the loudspeaker.

He also had a knack for sending the fans home with a smile every night, whether it was with his running commentary, putting confetti in a water bucket or pulling down the pants of an “unsuspecting” referee.

“We played serious games too, against the Olympic teams and the College All-Stars,” Lemon said. “But that didn’t stop us from putting the comedy in there.”

Lemon became an icon in the 1970s, appearing in movies, including The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, numerous talk shows and even a stint in the cartoon Scooby Doo, with Scatman Crothers doing his voice.

After leaving the Globetrotters, Lemon started his own team, The Bucketeers, and played on a variety of teams before rejoining the Globetrotters for a short tour in 1994.

Lemon spent the last years of his life trying to spread a message of faith through basketball.

He became an ordained minister in 1986 and was a motivational speaker, touring the country to meet with children at basketball camps and youth prisons with his Scottsdale-based Meadowlark Lemon Ministries.