Edge Davao 9 Issue 36

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

www.edgedavao.net

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

BATTLE OF PASTIMES. A young boy tries to fly a kite with his buddy on a windy afternoon at Sta. Ana wharf in Davao City yesterday. Kite-flying is a favorite summer pastime of kids in the past but its popularity somehow declined when electronic gadgets and access to the internet became the in thing. Lean Daval Jr.

DROP IN RODY RATINGS SEEN EDGE Ateneo prof says rape slur will bring down Duterte ratings

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

A

abf@edgedavao.net

POLITICAL science professor of Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) sees a decrease on the ratings of presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte who stayed on top of the latest Pulse Asia –ABSCBN Survey.

AdDU political science professor Ramon Beleno III told EDGE Davao that his re-

cent issue on the rape slur will cause a decrease although he said he cannot predict to what extent.

Duterte remained on the driver’s seat with 32 percent of the 4,000 registered voters nationwide conducted last April 5 to 10.

“Still part of his momentum but it was taken first week of April before he made

the statement. We expect him to go down in surveys but we cannot determine the extent,” he said.

Beleno said despite the apology of Duterte the negative effect on his ratings will remain since the rape joke issue is very sensitive.

“The apology could be only considered as damage control,” he said.

He said the statement of his opponents who appeared to be taking advantage of the issue to hit him can also affect his ratings.

Beleno, however, said that perhaps only those voters who believed in his platform of government can be lost on his side.

“But his solid supporters

FDROP, 10

DAVAO Sports

Scan shows no serious injury P16

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

‘PRESIDENTIAL MAT’. A mother and her son use a campaign poster made of tarpaulin of leading presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte as mat while they are sleeping on the sidewalk along R. Magsaysay Avenue in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

CBCP exec slams delayed release of El Niño funds

A

N official from the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has expressed alarm over reports of delayed release of government funds that would help ease the burden of farmers suffering from the ill effects of the El Niño phenomenon.

National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA)/Caritas Philippines Executive Secretary Fr. Edwin Gariguez is referring to the available funds from the national government such as the quick response funds (QRF), which were not yet fully disbursed despite requests by local government units of areas hit by El Niño.

“What is taking them long from releasing these available funds? We have already seen enough bloodshed in Kidapawan which rooted from the government’s inaction to this

national concern,” Gariguez pointed out.

The statement was made in light of the recent violent dispersal of farmers rallying for food aid in Kidapawan City which resulted in the death of at least two farmers and dozens more injured.

A ranking official of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) recently confirmed that their “letter request for funding has not been acted upon despite follow-ups.”

This was also the sentiment of the governor of North Cotabato, who said that they had not received any funding from the national government although the request was made as early as March.

“Time is of the essence here. The government needs to act now and disburse

F CBCP, 10

PRO 11: No nego with NPA

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

T

abf@edgedavao.net

HE Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 is taking a firm stand not to enter into negotiations for the release of the captured police station commander in Davao City and his four subordinates who are in the custody of New People’s Army (NPA).

PRO 11 regional director Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan said in yesterday’s AFP-PNP Press Corps at Task Force Davao headquarters, any government offices and agencies are not allowed to negotiate with any group who committed criminal acts such as abduction.

Gaerlan, however, said the PRO 11 will welcome any initiative from different groups and individuals who are willing to negotiate with the rebel

group for the safe release of Chief Insp. Leonardo V. Tarongoy, Police Officer (PO)3 Rosenie L. Cabuenas, PO3 Rudolf Pacete, PO3 Abdul Azis A. Ali Jr and PO2 Neil C. Arellano.

“We do not say that negotiation is not allowed but only for us in the PNP (Philippine National Police),” he said.

He said the PRO 11 will not seek any help from any individual or group who will negotiate with the rebels.

Gaerlan said he received information that the family of the victims has sought help to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte for the immediate release of the police officers.

He said he has not yet received any demands from the rebels for the release of the five police.

Meanwhile, Gaerlan said the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) formed the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Mapula to gather information and evidence for possible filing of charges against the abductors.

“This case involves the lives and safety of the police officers,” he said.

Gaerlan said the operations of police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Paquibato District.

“I will just hope and pray that this will not endanger the lives of our police officers,” he said.

He said he appealed to the NPA to release the five police because they did not commit crimes against the people.

“They are not the enemies

of the people, they are public servants,” he said.

Gaerlan said a certain Rigoberto Sanchez, spokesperson of the NPA Regional Operations Command- Southern Mindanao Region (ROC-SMR), states that the 1st Pulang Bagani Command is responsible for the abduction of the police officers and claims that the PNP personnel are held as “Prisoners of War”.

“The Police Officers are civilians and not military personnel or combatants,” he added.

He also said the lawless act committed against the law enforcers is not acceptable since the country is not at war and there is no declaration of war.

Gaerlan said Taronggoy and his four subordinates

HE Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) 11 is still trying to subdue the fire in Mt.Apo although it has declared the fire is already under control.

This was bared by BFP 11 spokesperson Insp. Nestor Jimenez in yesterday’s AFPPNP Press Corps forum at Task Force Davao headquarters.

Jimenez said the firefighters and some volunteers in Mt.Apo are conducting ground verification to see if there are still smokes and small fires in some areas.

He said the Indigenous People (IP) living within the

mountain range is helping the BFP in their overhauling operation by digging the fire-hit portions to ensure that there is no more fire.

Jimenez said the Department of Science of Technology (DOST) is also assisting the volunteers by conducting thermal mapping operation to see if some areas still have fires.

“The thermal mapping will be our basis to declare fire out in Mt.Apo,” he said.

He said the operation of the thermal mapping which started yesterday will last up to four days.

Jimenez said the team experience difficulty in the conduct of thermal mapping because originally it supposed to be an aerial survey but due to bad weather, they resorted to ground mapping.

He said that since last Friday, the Mt. Apo has been covered with thick clouds that made the Huey Helicopter of Philippine Air Force incapable.

“When the team will go back here in the city, we will conduct another meeting with the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) and the Davao del Sur Provincial Disaster Risk

Reduction Management Council by Monday, ” he said.

Jimenez said after the meeting on Monday, the DENR, Davao del Sur PDRRMC and BFP 11 will declare whether or not it is fire out.

He said the fire was already manageable and the fire fighters now were just making the overhauling operations in the mountains on Thursday last week.

“Our fire fighters now are checking all the portions of the mountain and they are suppressing the fire through the use of power spray,” he said.

ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

F PRO 11, 10

US Embassy donates barracks at Mt. Apo fire now under control but BFP still rounding up areas Camp Kasim, Jolo, Sulu to PNP T

U

.S. Embassy Manila donated a newly-refurbished building at the Sulu Training Center, Camp Kasim, Jolo, Sulu to the Philippine National Police(PNP).

The construction of the barracks began in early 2015 by the U.S. Pacific Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force West, and was completed on April 4, 2016 at a cost of Php 16.9 million(USD 375,000).

The building will serve as barracks for PNP officers who are receiving U.S.-spon-

sored training at Camp Kasim and in Jolo City. PNP personnel from all over the island of Jolo will be able to utilize the barracks during training sessions.

The ground floor of the new barracks consists of a conference room, International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance training office, and two private offices, while the top floor consists of both male and female barracks areas. The barracks can support 36students. (PNA)

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

Sara defends Duterte over annulment issue W

HAT happened to the marriage of presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte and former wife, Elizabeth Zimmerman, does not reflect Duterte’s impressive record as a public servant.

This was the assertion of Duterte’s daughter, Inday Sara

Duterte-Carpio amidst reports that her father’s rivals will use the failed marriage of her parents against him -- projecting him as incapable of governing the country as president.

Reports said Duterte will be painted as psychologically incapacitated, impulsive, selfish, and someone who makes

decisions without remorse.

But Inday Sara, a lawyer, said her father might have failed in his marriage but definitely not as an elected public servant.

“Psychological incapacitated in a marriage does not reflect the character of a person outside the marriage,”

she said. “He’s impulsive? He’s selfish? Does his track record in governance, as a public servant, show that he is impulsive or selfish? They do not.”

One can only check out her father’s track records, which are public, she said.

“The court may have used

F SARA, 10

Motorcade of nurses for Duterte set April 30

N UPDATES ON KIDNAPPED COPS. Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 director Chief Superintendent Manuel Gaerlan gives updates on the five police officers allegedly abducted by members of the New People’s Army (NPA)

who are still in the Paquibato District area. Gaerlan graced yesterday’s AFPPNP Press Corps media forum at Task Force Davao headquarters. Lean Daval Jr.

URSES from both public and private hospitals and clinics in Davao City will be showing their support for Presidential candidate City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on April 30.

The group is called the “Nurses for Duterte”, who will kick off their motorcade around the city at 8 a.m. starting at the Davao Crocodile Park owned by businessman Philip “Sonny” Dizon, also a staunch Duterte supporter.

The motorcade will proceed to the Diversion highway, Ma-a, Matina, Sandawa, Boulevard, Agdao, R. Castillo, PRC, SM Lanang, Bajada, Gai-

sano Mall, Acacia, Ponciano Reyes, Rizal Extension and end up the San Pedro Cathedral.

They will also have a short prayer at the mini chapel.

“Let us all unite in supporting the candidacy of our beloved Mayor Duterte, who is a good leader for our country,” said the statement of the Nurses for Davao.

All the nurses and their friends will be wearing red T-shirts during the event.

Free T-shirt printing is available at the MK & MK Printshop located Net Express Bonifacio.

EDGEDAVAO

4 SUBURBIA

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

2 drug pushers shot in dead in Koronadal City

T

GLOBE TELECOM HOLDS ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS MEETING. Globe Telecom held its Annual Stockholders Meeting, on April 13, 2016, at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati. Globe Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala (second from right) reported during the event that the company in 2015 surpassed its performance in the previous year, posting new highs in service revenues, EBITDA and net profit. The company’s remarkable performance was driven by broad-based data-driven growth across its key services,

helped in part, by the consolidation of Bayan in the second half of last year, he said. Photo above also shows (from left) Globe Director Fernando Zobel de Ayala; Globe Corporate Secretary Solomon Hermosura; and Globe President & CEO Ernest Cu. Following its impressive performance last year, the Globe board of directors approved early this year the declaration of a first quarter cash dividend of P22 per share for holders of its common shares.

WO notorious drug pushers were killed in a shootout with police operatives in an outskirt village in Koronadal City, South Cotabato on Tuesday afternoon.

Supt. Barney Condes, city police chief, identified the slain suspects as live-in partners Jeffrey Dalamban and Bailyn Kudarat Balambag, both residents of Purok Kings in Barangay General Paulino Santos here.

He said the shootout ensued after the suspects resisted arrest and opened fire at police officers during a buybust operation at an abandoned house in Purok Rosal, Barangay Namnama at around 4:45 p.m.

After noticing police teams posted near the area, Dalamban and Balambag immediately tried to escape, he said.

He said the two ran towards a nearby rice field and upon realizing that they were already surrounded by operatives, Dalamban drew his handgun and fired.

“As it turned out, one of them was armed and fired at us while attempting to escape,” said Condes, who led the operation.

Dalamban and Balambag

were rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to gunshot wounds on their chest and stomach. No one was hurt among the police operatives.

Police recovered at the scene Dalamban’s caliber .38 revolver, a spent bullet, several sachets of suspected metamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu and a motorcycle.

Condes said the operation was a joint effort of the Koronadal City police station, South Cotabato Highway Patrol Group led by Chief Insp. Arnold Carino, and the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council headed by its action officer Dr. Glorio Sandig.

He said they carefully planned the operation based on initial reports that the suspects are “armed and dangerous.”

The police official said they are currently verifying reports that Dalamban was involved in the daring robbery at the Agencia Brillantes pawnshop here in 2014 that resulted to the killing of two security guards.

He added that the suspect was allegedly a member of a “Martilyo Gang” that operated in Metro Manila and in parts of Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region. (PNA)

PAO chief meets with farmers of N. Cotabato in April 1 rally Army, cops hunt down P

UBLIC Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta and members of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) rushed here, Monday morning following reports that the 79 farmers involved in the April 1 bloody dispersal have not return to their respective homes, despite a court order after posting bail bond for their temporary liberty.

Acosta said there were family members of the arrested farmers that sent text messages informing her that the released farmers instead of going home were being kept in an area owned by the Diocese of Kidapawan.

Acosta went to the Bish-

op’s Palace in Barangay Balindog, here to verify such report and found out that the farmers were being housed in an organic farm in Sitio Maligaya, Barangay Balindog here.

Acosta’s group accompanied by the farmers defense lawyers, went to the area estimated at least 500 meters away from the Cotabato-Davao highway and there she met the farmers and convinced them to go home.

Tensions became high when some of those who have identified themselves as marshals exchange discussions with the PAO chief.

Acosta explained that the purpose of her coming was to verify whether the released

farmers were being prevented to go home or not.

Unidentified marshal also told Acosta that they conducted consultations among the farmers and majority of them opted to stay at the organic farm because of fear of their security in their places.

The marshal clarified that they did not prevent those who wanted to go home. However, they are still processing their papers as well as assess the situation in the ground whether it is safe for them to leave the farm and go home.

Acosta had given a chance to talk to the farmers. However, she failed to convinced them to go home for them to be united with their respective

families.

Only 5 farmers agreed to return home.

They were identified as Roxanne Roquero of the town of Magpet; Lolita Porras, Majonie Buguat, Ederlyn Daeldo and Vilma Vicente all of Arakan town.

They were personally accompanied with PAO lawyers in their respective homes.

They were also given financial assistance by the PAO. Before flying back to Manila, Acosta assured the farmers of support and even instructed the PAO lawyers in Kidapawan to monitor their situation every now and then especially the status of their cases. (PNA)

MAGNITUDE 5.0 earthquake jolted the province of Davao Oriental on Wednesday morning, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

In its bulletin, the agency said the tremor occurred at 1:17 a.m. with its epicenter traced at 16 kilometers northeast of Cateel in Davao Oriental which also felt Intensity 4.

Phivolcs said that Bislig, Hi-

natuan and Barobo, Surigao del Sur felt the tremor at Intensity 4 while Intensity 3 felt in Lingig and Lianga, Surigao del Sur and Bislig, Surigao del Sur and.

Meanwhile, Intensity 2 was felt in Cagayan de Oro City.

Phivolcs described an Intensity 4 tremor as moderately strong it felt generally by people indoors and by some people outdoors. Light sleepers are awakened.

It further noted that a vi-

bration like the “passing of heavy truck. Hanging objects swing considerably. Dinner, plates, glasses, windows and doors rattle while floors and walls of wood framed buildings creak. Standing motor cars may rock slightly.

It added that liquids in containers are slightly disturbed.

Water in containers oscillate strongly while rumbling sound may sometimes be heard.

The tremor, which was tec-

tonic in origin, had a shallow depth of 102 kilometers.

Despite the reported intensity, the agency noted that there was no casualty nor damage reported from the quake.

However, the agency said that aftershocks are expected to hit the affected areas.

The Philippines lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where 20 to 25 earthquakes per day, mostly imperceptible, are common.

(PNA)

NTI-DRUG operatives arrested three alleged drug pushers, including a “high-value target,” in a buybust operation in the city’s downtown area on Tuesday night.

Kath Abad, public information officer of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Region 12, identified the suspects as Glory Mae Corpuz, 28; Nathaniel Jorge Labrada, 19; and, Julito Sambrana, 22.

She said Corpuz, who is reportedly a cashier and resident of Purok Pearly Shell in Barangay Bula here, is number six in the agency’s drug watch list for the region.

Labrada is listed as a vendor and resident of Uhaw in Barangay Fatima while Sambrana hails from Purok Silway Fatima in Barangay Dadiangas West.

Abad said the suspects were arrested at around 6:20 p.m. near the city’s oval pla-

za playground after one them sold a sachet of suspected matemphetamine hydrochloride or shabu to a PDEA agent who posed as a buyer.

Seized from their possession were about five grams of suspected shabu worth PHP37,500, she said.

“The main target of the operation is Corpuz but we were able to capture her cohorts in the process,” she said.

Abad said Corpuz, who is

also known as alias Madam and Mimi, is reportedly a “big time” shabu pusher and linked to a major illegal drug syndicate operating in the region.

She said the suspects, who are currently detained at the PDEA-12 lockup here, will be charged with violation of Section 5 or sale of dangerous drugs), Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

(PNA)

Magnitude 5 earthquake jolts Davao Oriental A

3 drug pushers nabbed in GenSan buy-bust A

NGCP towers bombers

J

OINT police and military authorities are hunting down unidentified men who tried, but failed, to topple two transmission towers of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) in Carmen, North Cotabato early Tuesday morning, police said today.

Chief Insp. Julius Malcontento, Carmen town police chief, said elements of North Cotabato police office and combatants of the 7th Infantry Battalion have joined forces in running after the perpetrators, who local officials claimed were residents of nearby towns in North Cotabato.

Malcontento said the suspects planted six powerful improvised explosive devices on Towers No. 95 and 96 located in Barangay Aroman and Barangay Kitulaan, respective, all in the town of Carmen.

Quoting village officials, Malcontento said that loud explosions were heard by villagers that came almost simultaneously shortly before 1 a.m. of April 19.

He said nobody was reported injured in the series of explosions, he said.

Police and military bomb disposal team’s investigation showed that the suspects planted three IEDs on Tower 95 and another three IEDs on Tower 96.

All three IEDs, fashioned from 60 mm mortars with mobile phone as triggering devices and attached to the structure’s steel poles (tower 96) went off, cutting all the three legs.“The tower remained standing and still serviceable,” Malcontento said.

At Tower 95, two of the three IEDs went off, cutting two legs of the steel tower.

“It remained standing, too,” he said, adding that the third IED was safely defused

by police and Army bomb experts.

When asked why the towers were not toppled, Malcontento theorized that the other steel braces of the towers remained intact and that the power lines helped held the affected structures.

Malcontento said the two structures were also bombed in the past with Tower No. 95 bombed last December 24, 2015 and Tower 96 sometime in 2006.

“No one has owned up the bombing but police and Army probers are eyeing extortionist groups to be behind the attack,” The structures carry the 138 KV line from NGCP station in Kibawe, Bukidnon to another station in Kabacan, North Cotabato.

Malcontento said the village officials of Kitulaan and Aroman have vowed to help the police identify the suspects.

“This is the 4th and 5th bombing of NGCP towers this year. Restoration of the two towers will commence as soon as the area is secured,” Melfrance Bambi Capulong, speaking for the NGCP southern Mindanao, said in a statement.

She said NGCP stressed that the bombings only serve to increase the burden of the public, which must suffer through service interruptions when towers are bombed.

“NGCP appeals to the local community and its leaders to help identify the perpetrators of the bombings to prevent longer power interruptions,” she said.

Malcontento said police and Army elements were deployed around the two towers while repair works conducted

by NGCP field personnel were going on. (PNA)

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

5

EDGEDAVAO

6 ECONOMY

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

Salaries of OFWs in Saudi still delayed: NGO report

T

HOUSANDS of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia remained unpaid for their delayed salaries despite an agreement between the government of the Philippines and concerned companies that the salaries would be released last Marach.

This was bared by Princess Muffy Daknash of Kaagapay OFW Resource and Service Center, Inc., a non-governmental organization based in Cotabato who graced in last Monday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Annex.

Daknash said concerned companies and Ciriaco A. Lagunzad III, undersecretary for worker’s welfare and social protection cluster of the Department of Labor, agreed to pay the workers, who are mostly in the construction activities, last month.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda D. Baldoz earlier said two construction giants – Saudi Oger Ltd. and Saudi Binladin Group – employing a large number of OFWs are having difficulties paying the salaries of their workers on time since last year even before the oil crisis.

Based on the data of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Saudi Oger employs 8,757 OFWs, while 5,930 OFWs are working under the SBG’s airport, building and construction division, a report said.

“It is already April and the month of May is fast approaching. However, nothing has hap-

pened until today,” Daknash said. “What we can provide are just temporary solutions to the workers’ problems.”

She said the Kaagapay has been involved in giving financial assistance to affected OFWs in Saudi Arabia. “However, this assistance is very limited because we are dependent on the donations we collect from fellow OFWs in the Middle East.”

Daknash said most of th econstruction workers have not received their salaries for six months to one year as the result of the economic problem of the country.

She said most of families left in the Philippines have not received any support from their OFW counterpart, she said. “Some of their children cannot even pay for their tuition fees anymore.”

“Many of the affected old workers are getting sick and they cannot afford to go to hospital because they are not covered by health insurance anymore,” she added.

Some are also fined for not renewing their residency permits, Daknash said. “Each worker has to pay a fine of P200, 000 per month for overstaying.”

Meanwhile, Sec. Baldoz denied in a report two months ago about alleged mass retrenchment of Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia.

“Saudi companies are not dismissing Filipinos wholesale from their jobs contrary to reports,” she said. CHENEEN R. CAPON

MRT-7 breaks ground; set to be operational by 2020

C

ONSTRUCTION of the long-awaited Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) finally kicked off on Wednesday morning with a groundbreaking ceremony at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City.

The Php69.30-billion project includes the development of a 23-kilometer railway system with 14 stations from North Avenue, Quezon City to San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, passing through Commonwealth Avenue and Quirino Highway in Novaliches.

It is expected to initially accommodate 350,000 daily passengers and shorten travel time from the current 3.5 hours on the road to one hour once completed and operational by its target date in April 2020.

Ultimately, about 800,000 passengers per day — mostly residents from Novaliches, Quezon City and Caloocan City, Bulacan, and neighboring areas in the north are expected to benefit from a faster commute with the completion of the project.

The project also covers the development of an integrated transportation system, which includes the said railway system, a 22-km highway from the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Bocaue interchange,

and an intermodal transport terminal (ITT) adjacent to the San Jose del Monte Station.

This way, commuters can take public utility vehicles (PUVs) or private cars and use the new highway from NLEX, alight at the ITT, and board the MRT-7 going to North Avenue, Quezon City.

President Benigno S. Aquino III led the groundbreaking ceremony, together with Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Joseph Emilio A. Abaya.

Also present was the president of San Miguel Corporation (SMC), the parent company of contractor Universal LRT Corporation (ULC), Ramon Ang. Abaya welcomed the latest development, noting that the project is not only meant to provide better transport but also decongest traffic in Metro Manila and nearby areas inthe north.

“The long-awaited MRT-7 will serve commuters who ply the heavily-congested Commonwealth Avenue area for work and school on a daily basis,” Abaya said.

“The new railway system will not only significantly lessen travel time along this corridor, but also help decongest traffic in Caloocan and NLEX,” he added. (PNA)

PRICE TEST. A fish trader at Bankerohan Public Market’s fish ‘bagsakan’ area gets meat sample of a small tuna to test and validate its quality which he use as basis for pricing his product. Lean Daval Jr.

DOTC told: Answer petition to stop P19-B Sasa project

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

T

crc@edgedavao.net

14.

HE Supreme Court has given the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) 10 days to comment on the urgent petition for writ of Kalikasan with prayer for Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO) filed against the P18.9-billion Davao Sasa port modernization project.

Lawyer Harry Roque, counsel of the petitioners, told EDGE Davao that the DOTC has not made its counter affidavit since the case was heard on Tuesday last week.

The petitioners of the case, which was filed last March 14, are Davao City Councilor Diosdado Mahipus Sr., former councilor Pilar Braga, representing the consumer sector, former councilor Antonio Vergara, urban poor representative Benjie Badal, and the Samal City Resort Owners Association, Inc. (SCROA).

The 26-page petition asked the Supreme Court to issue a writ of continuing mandamus and Writ of Kalikasan with prayer for TEPO before the Supreme Court last March

The SC is now considering the petition which seeks to stop the Sasa port bidding by issuing a Writ of Kalikasan for the failure of the national government to seek the consent of the people and for not complying with environmental laws.

Roque said he is optimistic that the highest tribunal will rule in favor of the petitioners.

“There is an obvious violation of the Local Government Code and the Environment Code,” Roque said, adding that the petitioners are using the decision of the Supreme Court on the case between Boracay Foundation, Inc. against Philippine Reclamation Authority and the provincial government of Aklan in 2011 as its argument.

In this case, he said the Supreme Court issued a permanent environmental protection order not just a TEPO because of the noncompliance to the Local Government Code and Environmental Code as the barangay government did not give their consent to the project.

Roque believes that the

court will also apply the same decision on the Davao Sasa Modernization Project.

The enactment of the writ of Kalikasan “is a commitment that the court will use judicial power in order to protect the environment and promote the right of the people to healthy ecology.”

Earlier, petitioners together with other concerned citizens of Davao City and stakeholders in some parts of the Davao Region wrote a letter to the four remaining bidders to withdraw their bids and join the bandwagon calling for the review of the project.

“We ask you to withdraw your bids and join our call for the review of this project and let the next administration to pursue it,” the oppositors said.

The critics said the port development project “has wrong premises, design and cost and therefore not responsive to the needs of the port users of the Davao region. It has not also undergone the correct and transparent bidding procedures and processes.”

The four bidders, the op-

positors said, will have to consider the “two huge obstacles” of the project which is, firstly, the objection of the city government of Davao. “No less than the elected City Council of Davao issued a resolution of to this effect last December 21, 2015.”

Secondly, the group said an urgent case was filed before the Supreme Court last month for the project which the group described as “white elephant and subject of a troublesome litigation.”

“It is a petition to stop this bidding by invoking the Writ of Kalikasan for the failure of the national government to seek the consent of the people and for not complying with environmental laws.”

The group said the “national government must be hiding these issues” from the interested port developers which will eventually become “unnecessary problems”.

“Hence, we appeal to your sense of fairness and justice.

We are afraid you will eventually be holding the proverbial empty bag if you pursue this bid,” the letter read.

HE Department of Energy has warned of higher power bills next month due to the dispatch of diesel-fired power plants.

“There will really be an impact due to the many coal fired power plants on maintenance shutdown -- replaced by bunker or diesel fired power plants,” DOE Secretary Zenaida Monsada said in a press conference Monday.

She noted the Malaya oil thermal power plant was dis-

patching its capacity to the Luzon grid.

The secretary further said the Interruptible Load Program participants use generator sets that run on either diesel or gasoline, which are more expensive than power brought from coal-fired power plants.

Monsada explained the higher rates was necessary for the stability of power in the Luzon grid.

She pointed out the power plant operators did not force

the outage of the coal-fired power plants, as the power plants were on scheduled maintenance. It is part of the efforts of the department to ensure enough power supply for the May 9 elections.

The secretary also cited the rising heat index as a factor to the higher power demand.

“If the forecast temperature is equivalent to the demand, we will not have alerts,” Monsada said.

She further said the heat in-

dex caused the grid to reach its peak demand of 9,300 megawatts, which was initially expected to occur in May. The Luzon grid was put on red alert on April 15, due to high power demand and low power supply caused by the outage of some power plants. The Manila Electric Co. warned of rotating brownouts due to the alert.

The distribution utility earlier warned of higher power rates induced by the dry season. (PNA)

Hike in power bills looms in May -- DOE T

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

THE ECONOMY 7

Council passes Halal ordinance

By CHENEEN R. CAPON crc@edgedavao.net

M

ARILOU Ampuan, chairperson of the Halal Commitee of the Philippine Tourism Congress, said the passage of a Davao City ordinance requiring a separate lane for halal (permissible) products in business establishments will boost the city’s bid to become

a prime destination of tourists from Islamic countries.

“This will be a big contribution to inbound tourism and a boost in the promotion of our domestic destinations,” Ampuan told Edge Davao in a text message yesterday.

She said the legislative measure will boost the city’s

PHL committed to ensuring integrity of banking system

T

HE Philippine government is committed to ensure the integrity of the country’s banking system as well as domestic financial transactions, a Palace official said Tuesday.

“The government supports all legal processes that are observed to ensure the integrity of all banking and financial transactions in the Philippines,” Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement.

On Monday, Bangladesh’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said about 20 foreign nationals from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, China and Japan were allegedly involved in theft of about USD 101 million from the Bangladesh Bank last February.

The CID, however, declined to give specifics on these foreign nationals but added that there were also Bangladesh nationals who would be investigated on for their involvement in the heist.

Of the total funds stolen from the dollar account of the Bangladesh’s central bank with the Federal Reserve of New York, about USD 81 million ended in the Philippines.

The funds were transferred to four different accounts opened in the Jupiter-Makati branch of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) in May 2015, which were idle until February this year.

These funds were consolidated to an account under the name of Chinese-Filipino businessman William Go, who

F PHL, 10

bid to be enlisted as one of the preferred destinations of Muslim tourists by the CrescentRating, a Singaporean-based accreditation body which is referred to as the world’s leading authority on halal travel.

Ampuan, who is also the secretary of the Mindanao Is-

lamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (MICCII), said the approval of the ordinance in last Tuesday’s regular session of the city council was a “milestone.”

“This is a milestone for Davao City Council for supporting the halal industry,” she said. “We are proud that

Davao is the only city in the Philippines able to pass an ordinance segregating halal products.”

The measure authored by Councilor Halila Y. Sudagar, committee chair on cultural communities and Muslim affairs, was passed to “promote, protect and respect, the

religious belief, customs and traditions of our Muslim community in Davao City in their sacred concept of halal and to ensure spiritual purity and cleanliness on their food.”

The legislation requires stores “selling raw fish, seafoods, meat, processed meat

F COUNCIL, 10

REBUILDING. Carpenters take a break from rebuilding houses at the fish ‘bagsakan’ area in Pag-asa, Bankerohan, Davao City to eat their lunch yesterday.

Majority of residents in the area, mostly traders and vendors, have rebuilt their houses and stores that were gutted by a huge fire last week. Lean Daval Jr.

$20 barrel now likely with Doha talks collapse: LPG-MA T HE prospect that oil prices might fall hard to $20 per barrel has increased significantly with the collapse of the Doha talks, and this is great news for the Philippines, which is heavily reliant on imported fuel, the party-list group Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers’ Association (LPG-MA) said Wednesday.

“The breakdown of the Doha talks means that Filipino households and businesses will enjoy for an extended period the economic benefits of depressed oil prices, including gas and electricity bills that are easy on the pocket as well as low transport costs,” LPG-MA Rep. Arnel Ty, a member of the House energy committee, said.

There is greater likelihood now that oil will fall back to below $30 per barrel, and pos-

sibly sink to as low as $20, according to Ty. A potential pact to restrict output by 18 members and non-members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) fell apart Sunday after Iran refused to join in.

Amid a global overflow, Tehran has been ramping up oil production following the lifting of Western sanctions as part of a nuclear deal. Once the world’s second-largest oil producer, Iran is raring to grow market share and exporting up to 1.9 million barrels of oil per day.

“The huge cost-savings from cheap oil has put extra cash in the pockets of Filipino consumers, and the increase in buying power has helped stimulate demand for goods and services, thus firing up the

domestic economy,” Ty said.

Owing to the steep drop in oil prices, Ty said the Philippines generated $5.24 billion, or P238.43 billion, in cost-savings from all the crude oil and finished petroleum products that it imported last year.

The Philippines spent only $7.19 billion to pay for its oil imports in 2015, down 42 percent from the $12.43 billion it spent in 2014, according to the Department of Energy.

The country purchased oil, mainly from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, at an average cost of $60.06 per barrel in 2015 -- down 46 percent from $106.89 per barrel in 2014.

After surveying 45 countries, the global forecasting firm Oxford Economics Ltd. had predicted that the Philip-

February and year-ago’s USD 244 million deficit.

This brought the first quarter’s BOP position to a USD 275 million deficit, a big improvement from the end-February’s USD 1.1 billion deficit but a reversal from the USD 877 million in end-March last year.

BOP refers to the summary of a country’s total transactions with the rest of the world.

Monetary officials are optimistic that the country will be able to stand against the global financial volatilities, thus, the assumption of a USD 2.2 billion BOP surplus for 2016.

In 2015, the country ended with a USD 2.6 billion BOP surplus, higher than the central bank’s USD 2 billion surplus target and a turn-around from the USD 2.86 billion deficit in 2014. (PNA)

F $20 BARREL, 13

PHL posts $854-M BOP surplus in March

T

HE Philippines registered a USD 854 million balance of payment (BOP) surplus in March 2016, reversing the deficit in the previous month and in March last year.

Data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Tuesday showed that the surplus in the third month this year is way better than the USD 316 million deficit last

EDGEDAVAO

8 VANTAGE

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

EDITORIAL Not so quick response

W

E have witnessed how farmers protested the failure of the government to ease the burden of Filipino farmers affected by the El Nino phenomenon. Lives have been lost, several others sustaining injuries.

Their cries perhaps fell on deaf ears.

After a long silence and concentrating instead on the political front, the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines finally came out in the open on the El Nino calamity.

An official from the social action arm of the CBCP expressed alarm over the delayed release of government funds farmers suffering from the ill effects of the El Niño phenomenon.

Fr. Edwin Gariguez, executive secretary of the National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA)/Caritas Philippines, is referring to the available funds from the national government such as the quick response funds (QRF), which were not yet fully disbursed despite requests by local government units of areas hit by El Niño.

The statement was made in light of the recent violent dispersal of farmers rallying for food aid in Kidapawan City which resulted in the death of at least two farmers and dozens more injured.

So, what’s taking it long for the government to release the funds? A ranking official of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) recently confirmed that their “letter request for funding has not been

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

Printed by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Building, Quirino Avenue, 8000, Davao City, Philippines Tel: (082) 224-1413 301-6235 Telefax: (082) 221-3601 www.edgedavao.net editorial@edgedavao.net marketing@edgedavao.net

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

AGAPITO JOAQUIN JR. Associate Editor

CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY Consultant

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

KENNETH IRVING K. ONG ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. BAI FAUZIAH FATIMA SINSUAT AMBOLODTO CHENEEN R. CAPON MEGHANN STA. INES Reporters NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN FUNNY PEARL GAJUNERA Lifestyle LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. CHA MONFORTE ARLENE D. PASAJE Photography Correspondents Cartoons Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. Columnists: • HENRYLITO D. TACIO • EDCER C.B. ESCUDERO • ATTY. EMILY ZEN CHUA • GREGORIO G. DELIGERO JOHN CARLO TRIA • BORBONCARLOS • MARYMUNDA ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO DAVAL SR., • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN • NICASIO ANGELO•AGUSTIN • EMILY VIDA S. VALVERDE C. LUMBA • HENRY J. SCHUMACHER • VANESSA KATE MADRAZO• JONALLIER Economic Analysts: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG ZENMIA CHUA • CARLOS• FRED MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG M. PEREZ

the national association of newspapers

OLIVIA D. VELASCO D.D. MARATAS RICHARD C. EBONA OLIVIA D. VELASCO JOCELYN S. PANES SOLANI SOLANI MARATAS General Manager Finance Advertising Specialist General Manager Director of Sales Finance RICHARD C. EBONA Marketing Supervisor

acted upon despite follow-ups.”

The sentiment was also the same lament of the North Cotabato governor who said that they had not received any funding from the national government although the request was made as early as March.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development boasted of the availability of P32 billion QRF for 2016 and another P6.7 billion for the implementation of cash-for-work and livelihood assistance for families affected by El Niño. But these funds were not yet fully downloaded to the affected LGUs. Now what can you expect from a government that’s busy campaigning for its so-called “anointed son”?

What can you expect from the Department of Agriculture which denied the fact that there is a food shortage in North Cotabato and the nearby areas?

What can you expect from DA when It declared instead that there is enough food supply in North Cotabato when everyone is already clutching their stomachs in hunger?

Notwithstanding CBCPs’ call for immediate action, the government must act on releasing quickly the QRF to the affected farmers.

As the name suggests, quick response funds and that is for emergency releases as the need arises.

Unless you change it to late response funds.

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

GENERAL SANTOS CITY OFFICE CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING MARKETING OFFICE

LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager EDMUND D. RENDON Unit 6, SouthbankMarketing Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Specialist General Santos City Cagayan de Oro City Mobile: (Smart) 0909-424-7990 Tel: (088) 852-4894

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

ANGELICA R. GARCIA | Marketing Manager 97-1 Bayanbayanan Ave., Marikina Heights, Marikina City Tel: (02) 654-3509

EDGEDAVAO

A

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

9

How safe and clean are the 2016 polls?

DAY after May 9, 2016, the Philippines will have elected a new president who will rule in authority for six years.

Since the 2010 balloting, when the first computerized elections were held, the issue about widespread cheating has not died down. Despite protestations and accusations from several IT experts, notable of which were those that came from former Comelec commissioner Gus Lagman himself, the poll body has remained dogmatic about its position.

(Lagman, whose posture did not please the appointing authority, was eased out consequently. His appointment was not renewed by Pres. Noynoy Aquino.)

The safeguards that were established by technology service provider Smartmatic did not appear impenetrable as the succeeding 2013 midterm elections were not themselves spared as several occasions of cheating and other irregularities were filed with Comelec.

There are persistent rumors circulating in political circles and in the grapevine that the forthcoming

I

VANTAGE POINTS

presidenSPECKS OF LIFE tial contest will be marred by a sophisticated web of computerized cheating.

T h i s Fred C. Lumba w o u l d emerge as mind-boggling to those who are simple-minded but to those who have a good grasp of democratic governance, cheating of whatever form does not deserve even an iota of space in our existence.

Elections all over the world, whether in a democratic set-up or in semi-controlled atmospheres are the cornerstones of genuine governance for, of and by the people. Lives of martyrs and even inconsequential people – collateral damage as this is often called – are lost and wasted for its sake.

The hackers who recently entered into the Comelec website exemplified just how easy it is for IT

nerds to penetrate the Comelec website despite poll officials’ vehement claims against hacking.

And to add credence, the international gambling syndicate who stole $81 million from the BanglaDesh Central Bank stored into its account with the New York Federal Reserve Bank proves without doubt that nothing prevents professional hackers from stealing information, secrets and monies from those who believe their websites are completely safe.

The rumors are machiavellian in shape, form and character and spread by word-of-mouth because there isn’t much documentation that can be gathered at the moment. We can only marvel at the grandiosity of the idea, however illusory it may seem because the protestations of Lagman and other IT experts are coming back to the fore.

The political surveys, at this point, may be of consequential help as they statistically pre-determine the heartbeat of the nation. If a candidate whose survey rating is way down below the totem pole suddenly arises

from out of the blue to win the presidency, then it is logical to assume that his/her victory is something we have to doubt for its authenticity.

Who among the presidential horses want to win the race at all costs regardless of the consequences?

By the campaign messages they deliver to the electorate, we know who they are already. They woo the Filipino voters with promises made in heaven but realistically lacking in credibility and substance. They put up a front that will put to shame St. Teresa – mingling with the downtrodden, cuddling babies, hugging the poor and shaking the hands of the unshod and the illiterate.

Personally, I think the candidate who wants to win at all costs is the candidate who will brazenly attempt to thwart the will of the Filipino people. He/She will buy him/herself out of the deep hole that he/she is in because snatching the presidency is the only thing that matters.

Who was it who said that “vigilance is the price of liberty?” (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo. com.) God bless the Philippines!

enterprisMY TWO CENTS’ es that add real value to the economy in the long term such as manufacturing. This is the antidote of the jobJohn Tria less growth ecisouth@gmail.com cycle that plagued the Philippines since the 1980s.

Sadly, after six years of Daang Matuwid, the reality remains the same. While manufacturing seems to pick up, and our GDP is truly higher than many Asian countries at 5-7%, Agriculture continues to shrink as a share of GDP, our electricity rates remain Asias highest, and poverty levels remain nailed at the 25-30% level from what it has always been since the 1950s. We cannot be nation of call centers, OFW beneficiaries and resorts alone. The dollars earned mean nothing if food and electricity prices continue to rise, and looming food imports will turn

us into a nation of poor consumers.

Whatever GDP growth we achieve will be beaten by higher costs.

Aquino governments pronouncements pushing this mantra, we lag behind our ASEAN neighbors in ensuring economic inclusivity. The Philippines economy remains the realm of big interests. It is in their interest that the economy remains as it is. Malacanang’s treatment of the calamity- stricken Kidapawan farmers to weeks ago only reinforces this.

Last year’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) figures may be highest in a long time, but still lag behind our ASEAN neighbors by far. Indonesia has always fared better, and Vietnam has overtaken us in the last ten years. Our record in obtaining foreign investment has always been poor compared to our immediate neighbors. While some are proud of the 6.2 billion dollars gained in 2014, we are almost 3 billion dollars lower than Vietnam among the ASEANs top 6 FDI recipients. This shows that No amount of investment promotion, nor incentive generation will work if government remains difficult to deal with, and corruption remains the rule.

How real is the inclusive growth being talked about?

NCLUSIVE Growth is a mantra repeated by many financial analysts, even established institutions like the World Bank. With the recent global economic crisis, inclusive grow this touted as the means by which long term economic growth can be sustained, and shocks to the economic system, like the 2008 meltdown in Wall Street can be absorbed. The principle is that spreading wealth and income opportunity through the right policies will make an economy strong, as opposed to the trickle down economic policies of the past 40 years that kept wealth within the realm of big economies and corporations and speculators. The global trend is inclusivity and equitable opportunity.

Without it, the global economic and financial system will collapse.

What inclusive Growth means for the Philippines. Has it been achieved?

It means that poverty levels need to go down, strong agriculture that provides affordable and abundant food, and gainful employment in

We are not as inclusive as our Asian neighbors, and are least attractive to FDIs Foreign direct investment and inclusivity by looking at poverty levels are basic indicators that allow us to see how well an economy is performing, and how well it can perform. There are many other indicators but these two give us a basic picture. High poverty rates over a twenty year period indicate low inclusivity, and show high inequalitythe gap between rich and poor. Low foreign direct investments indicate that the economic growth is difficult, since new businesses that are needed are unable to take off. These two figures have to be taken over a ten to twenty year historical track to make sense. The figures are not as encouraging as we hoped. While there are slight improvements over the least two years, more improvements are needed.

Unfortunately, in spite of the

10 NEWS

THE WAIT. Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) 11 spokesman Fire Chief Inspector Nestor G. Jimenez says the agency is still waiting for the result of a thermal imaging being conducted by a group of experts from the

PRO 11... FROM 2 went to Barangay Mapula last April 16 to respond to the call from the residents who were wounded in the gun battle against the soldiers of the 72nd Infantry Battalion.

He said if the rebels will hurt or kill the police officers they are criminally liable.

“We are not in the business

of revenge, if they kill a person that is murder,” he said.

Gaerlan also called on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate the case because based on the information he got the five police officers are tied or handcuffed to make shift animal cages under sub-human conditions.

repeatedly claimed that the account was not his and was opened without his knowledge.

The funds were then transferred to remittance company, Philrem Services Corp., for conversion before it was delivered in tranches to casino junket operator Kam Sin Wong, alias Kim Wong, businessman Weikang Xu, and casinos Eastern Hawaii Leisure Company, and Bloombery Hotels Inc. Meanwhile, Wong has again returned million pesos worth of money that was part

of the funds stolen from the BB. Philippines’ Anti-Money Laundering Council (ALMC) Executive Director Julia Bacay-Abad, during a Senate hearing on the case on Tuesday, said the lawyer of Wong returned Php 200 million, which AMLC accepted for safekeeping.

This is the third time Wong’s camp turned over funds to AMLC after the USD 4.6 million last March 31 and the Php 38.28 million last April 4. (PNA)

products to segregate halal food from non-halal/haram food items, from delivery to storage, display, weighing slicing, carrying through baskets/carts/trolleys, until its final packing in the payment counter.”

The ordinance also covers grocery stores, meat shops, supermarkets and other establishments inside malls, marts, and centers and those outside malls whether registered with properties or not.

Section 6 of the ordinance likewise states that “suppliers, owners of grocery stores or supermarket through the managers, staffs, and tenants shall provide separate storage, container, or freezer exclusively for halal food items and halal-certified meat products” to segregate it from non-halal products.

“They shall also use separate equipment, tools, gears, and other apparatus which are exclusive for halal food items and halal-certified products only,” it says.

Among the prohibited acts, under Section 12, are improper covering or sealing of halal products, mixing of halal with non-halal products, and failure to provide a space in the payment counter in supermarket, and shop or store.

Violators shall be fined P500 but not more than P1,000 for first offense; P1,000 but not more than P3,000 and/or suspension of business permit and license to operate for at least three months but not more than six months for the second offense; and P3,000 but not more than P5,000 and revocation of business permit and liecense to operate for the third offense.

A task force will be created to monitor the compliance of supermarkets, shops, stores, centers, suppliers and other establishments. It will be composed of City Health Office, City Veterinarian’s Office and Business Bureau, with National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF). (CRC with reports from Mindanews)

PHL... FROM 7

Council... FROM 7

EDGEDAVAO

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Mount Apo before declaring fire out. Jimenez was among the guests of yesterday’s AFP-PNP Press Corps media forum at Task Force Davao headquarters. Lean Daval Jr.

CBCP... FROM 2

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

DROP... FROM 1

will remain in his side until the day of election,” he said.

He said the mayor and his team should work hard on his campaign to recover from the issue being thrown to him.

“Makakatulong din siguro ang performance niya sa debate this Sunday (Maybe, his performance on this Sunday’s debate will help him recover),” Duterte on Tuesday issued an apology statement saying that there was no intention of disrespecting our women and those who have been victims of this horrible crime.

The mayor however, said he will not apologize for the things he has done to protect our people, especially the weak and defenseless, from crime.

He said he knows what it can do to the victims and their families and the anguish and pain caused.

Duterte said that sadly the government has failed to protect the victims.

He said if given a chance to lead this country, he promises to protect the women, and families from the horrors and disorder of crime.

Some of the women councilors of the Davao City council yesterday defended Duterte from his critics on the rape joke issue.

Chairman of the city council’s committee on women, children and family relations councilor Leah A. Librado-Yap said the apology of Duterte is already enough for her.

“I am happy that he apologized,” she said.

Librado-Yap said when she first watched the video of Duterte on social media she did not condone the statement because it was really offensive on the part of a woman.

“He (Duterte) explained that it was not bad joke but a bad remark,” she said.

She said if people just depend on a certain portion of

the video many people could really react but if the people will see the full video it was a form of narrative that he was angry of the incident.

“Pero, unta wala nalang niya to giingon (But, he should not supposed to say it),” he said.

Librado-Yap said with this issue, Duterte’s opponents will “capitalize it” because his ratings are really increasing.

She said the people of the city know who Mayor Duterte is and it could be seen in the programs in the city how the women and children are being protected.

“I hope those who listen, he or she should examine the issue first,” she said.

For her part, councilor Antoinette Principe-Castrodes said it was unfortunate that the mayor was criticized over the issue but people should know the real thing first before hitting him.

“Rape joke is not a laughing matter but we have to see beyond what he said,” Principe-Castrodes.

Principe-Castrodes said despite Duterte’s macho image he is a staunch defender of women’s rights in the city.

“We have a Women’s Development Code which he signed into an ordinance as mayor,” she said.

She said the video of the mayor was not taken in the full context because it was spliced and chose only the part which is destructive on the part of Duterte.

Councilor Joanne Bonguyan-Quilos for her part said the statement was obviously filtered out from the whole context of the video just to make issue against Duterte.

Bonguyan-Quilos said people who are hitting the mayor did not see the whole message of the mayor.

“Let us not limit ourselves on the statement from the social media,” she said.

the funds intended for the farmers, who have suffered enough. Loss of livelihood means hunger for our people who are already living in poverty to start with,” the priest stressed.

The church official added that several dioceses in Mindanao particularly the Archdiocese of Cotabato and the Diocese of Marbel have already raised the concern about how the drought is taking its toll to their farmers.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development earlier claimed the availability of Php 1.32 billion QRF for 2016 and another Php 6.7 billion for the implementation of cash-for-work and livelihood assistance for families affected by El Niño. But these funds were not yet fully downloaded to the affected LGUs. Apart from implementing

the Catholic Church’s largest rehabilitation program for Yolanda survivors, NASSA/ Caritas Philippines has always been a staunch supporter of farmers’ rights, advocating agrarian reform and land rights, good governance, and sustainable agriculture.

NASSA/Caritas Philippines also currently implements a climate change adaptation program called FARMFIRST in eight provinces by helping farmers and fishermen adapt to changing environmental conditions for food security and environmental preservation.

The CBCP earlier released an “Oratio Imperata”, a special prayer for rain, which may be considered by the dioceses in their respective pastoral jurisdictions as the country reels from the effects of El Niño.

(PNA)

these as grounds for the annulment of the marriage, but the court did not say that he is unfit to become a leader,” she said. “The court said my par-

ents are unfit to be together in a marriage, but it did not say that my father is unfit to become our leader.”

Inday Sara said the resur-

rection of this issue does not surprise the family.

“This is election. I grew up in politics,” she said. “The family is no longer surprised. Every

election period, this is one of the issues his rivals use against him. But they’ve already used so many other issues. Sanay na kami. Sanay na si mayor.”

ed Grade 6 on top of his class shared that his love for his family pushed him to study hard and really listen to lectures.

Dela Cruz also received medals as Best in Filipino, Mathematics, English and Values.

young because we are the hope of our nation.”

For Dela Cruz, he learned respect for elders and obedience to rules. “Nakakat-on usab ko pag-ampo, pagpaubos, pagsabot ug pagpasaylo (I have also come to value prayer, humility, empathy, and forgiveness).”

In her message, EMAR President and Chief Executive Officer Ma. Lita A. Montalban stressed that education should be made available to all even for those in rehabilitation centers. “What is most important is for every one of you to have access to education and to finish your schooling. Let us live up to our deportment awards and merits that we earned this morning and avoid committing mistakes again. Let us dream to be professionals someday and prove our capability. Let us dream, change for the better

and finish school.”

Montalban is also president of Private Schools Athletic Association and Sunday High School Administrators’ Association and serves as governor for Soroptimist International-Mindanao.

DSWD chief of Protective Services Raquel E. Nuňez challenged the completers, “Our dreams will come true if we work for them. This is only one part of our accomplishment to becoming useful citizens of our country. What you must possess foremost is a good character and then education, these two would definitely last a lifetime.”

to enable them improve their social functioning and facilitate their reintegration to their family and community.

On the other hand, EMAR is a private educational institution here offering grade school, high school, technical-vocational, college and Sunday school curricula.

EMAR implements the same education reach-out program in Davao City’s Bahay Pagasa, Balay Dangupan, and Paginhawaan Center.

In June, EMAR is set to open this joint program at the DSWD Home for Girls and Women wherein regular Kto12 school curriculum is brought and taught at the center.

Moreover, EMAR has heartily opened its doors to 18 high school graduates of RRCY who will pursue Technical-Vocational education or a fouryear course. (DSWD)

Sara... FROM 3

Family... FROM 14

Life lessons Languban said he learned how to lead a good life at the center and how to show respect. “I am grateful to the staffs for helping me become a better person. We should strive to acquire education to be able to help others.”

Meanwhile, Engaud admitted he acquired a deeper understanding of God with his more than two-year stay at RRCY. “I have learned a lot here like respecting, understanding and appreciating others. I want to finish school and take on a job. We should not waste the opportunity while we are

Partners in education The DSWD-RRCY is a rehabilitation facility of the government that provides treatment and interventions to children in conflict with the law (CICL)

EDGEDAVAO

11 HEALTH

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

The coming of superbugs

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“U

Antibiotics

NLESS we take significant actions to improve efforts to prevent infections and also change how we produce, prescribe and use antibiotics, the world will lose more and more of these global public health goods and the implications will be devastating.” -- Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the World Health Organization’s assistant director-general for health security. *** Dr. Emmanuel Edwin R. Dy, then senior research specialist at the Philippine-Australia Cooperation Project on National Drug Policy, reported that Filipinos use antibiotics inappropriately. He based his statement from the results of his 1995 study, which he presented in a symposium convened by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.

“This research was brought about by the desire of the government to address the problem of antimicrobial resistance in the country,” Dr. Dy pointed out during the symposium. “The government wanted somebody to come up with raw data, with hard evidence that there is resistance brought about by inappropriate use of antibiotics.”

Inappropriate antibiotic use refers to improper administration with respect to choice, dose, interval, and duration in the light of proper clinical situations and/or financial considerations.

In his study, Dr. Dy found out that most Filipinos use antibiotics inappropriately because of misconception, financial constraints, prescription recycling, and widespread self-medication.

Dr. Dy acknowledged that the problem of inappropriate, which leads to improper, use of antibiotics in the Philippines is rather complicated. “There is no simple solution,” he deplored.

The Philippines, however, is not alone in this dilemma.

“Globally, we have recorded 50 percent antibiotics overuse and the number is still increasing,” said the World Health Organization, the United Nations health agency based in Geneva, Switzerland.

“In many countries, antibiotics are available without doctor’s prescription, which

lets patients diagnose and dose themselves, often inappropriately,” Time journalist Michael D. Lemonick wrote.

“And high-tech farmers have learned that mixing low doses of antibiotics into cattle feed makes the animals grow larger. Bacteria in the cattle become resistant to the drugs, and when people drink milk or eat meat, this immunity may be transferred to human bacteria.”

But even when doctors dispense antibiotics properly, there is no guarantee they’ll be used that way. Several studies have shown that a third of all patients fail to use the drugs as prescribed. In his special Time report, Lemonick wrote: “Patients frequently stop taking antibiotics when their symptoms go away but before an infection is entirely cleared up. That suppresses susceptible microbes but allows partially resistant ones to flourish.”

Emergence of superbugs The inappropriate use of antibiotics is the primary cause of the emergence of what health experts called as superbugs. These are antibiotic-resistant bacteria that pose a deadly threat to humanity; in fact, they are now evolving to become a global threat.

One of the best known superbugs, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is alone estimated to kill around 19,000 people every year in the United States -- far more than HIV and AIDS -- and a similar number in Europe.

“If we keep using antibiotics improperly, the day may come when our antibiotics no longer work against bacterial infections-we will have an infectious disease apocalypse that will endanger the human race,” said Dr. Rontgene M. Solante, an internist and infectious diseases specialist.

“The overuse of antibiotics -- especially taking antibiotics even when they’re not the appropriate treatment -- promotes antibiotic resistance,” the US-based Mayo Clinic explains. “Antibiotics treat bacterial infections but not viral infections.”

For example, an antibiot-

ic is an appropriate treatm e n t for strep throat, which is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes.

It’s not, however, the right treatment for most sore throats, which are caused by viruses.

“If you take an antibiotic when you actually have a viral infection, the antibiotic is still attacking bacteria in your body -- bacteria that are either beneficial or at least not causing disease. This misdirected treatment can then promote antibiotic-resistant properties in harmless bacteria that can be shared with other bacteria,” the Mayo Clinic further explains.

According to Dr. Solante, there are already two types of bacteria that are already antibiotic-resistant in the Philippines: one that causes gonorrhea and another that causes tuberculosis (TB).

Drug-resistance cannot only impede the treatment of many common infections, it can also contribute to more serious illness and increased deaths, as well as raising costs of treatments.

Treating a single case of multidrug-resistant TB, for instance, can cost as much as US$250,000. In comparison, treating a person with non-resistant TB can cost as little as US$13. “Antibiotic resistance is a particularly difficult problem in developing countries, where the ability to obtain costlier and more effective antibiotics is compromised by lack of financial resources,” notes a report released by the Washington, D.C.-based World Resources Institute.

The origin Although the mechanisms of antibiotic action were not scientifically understood until the late 20th century, the principle of suing organic compounds to fight infections has been known since ancient times.

Crude plant extracts were used medicinally for centuries, and there is anecdotal evidence for the use of cheese molds for topical treatment of infection. The first observation of what would now be called an antibiotic effect was made in the 19th century by French chemist Louis Pasteur, who discovered that certain saprophytic bacteria can kill anthrax bacilli.

In the first decade of the 20th century, German physician and chemist Paul Ehrlich started experimenting with the synthesis of organic compounds that would selectively

attack an infecting organism without harming the host organism. His experiments led to the development, in 1909, of salvarsan, a synthetic compound containing arsenic, which exhibited selective action against spirochetes, the bacteria that cause syphilis.

Salvaran remained the only effective treatment for syphilis until the purification of penicillin in the 1940s.

Penicillin was discovered accidentally in 1928 by British bacteriologist Alexander Fleming, who showed tis effectiveness in laboratory cultures against many disease-producing bacteria. This discovery marked the beginning of the development of antibacterial compounds produced by living organisms.

The first antibiotic (which comes from two Greek words: anti, “against,” and bios, “life”) to be used successfully in the treatment of human disease was tyrothricin, isolated from certain soil bacteria by American bacteriologist Rene Dubos in 1939.

Today, many different classes of antibiotics have been developed. Each has a different chemical composition and is effective against a particular range of bacteria.

None is effective, however, against viral infections. Some have a broad spectrum of activity against a wide variety of bacteria. Others are used in the treatment of infection by only a few specific organisms.

Antibiotics work in one of these ways. Some, such as penicillin and cephalosporins, are “bactericidal,” which means they actually kill disease bacteria. These drugs work by damaging the cell walls and causing the bacteria to burst.

Other drugs, like the tetracyclines, are “bacteriostatic,” which mean they hold bacteria in check without killing them.

They work by interrupting the normal processes that allow the cells to grow. Then, when bacteria can no longer multiply, the body is able to muster its defenses and destroy the germs.

Since their discovery, antibiotics have been hailed as miracle drugs. “While they have indeed wrought miracles, they cannot cure all infections and sometimes can cause serious harm,” warns Lawrence Galton, a New Yorkbased health writer.

“Often, when antibiotics don’t measure up to expectations, it’s because they haven’t been sued correctly.”

Getting the full benefit Here, Galton shares some guidelines “that can help you get the full benefit” from antibiotics:

Don’t take antibiotics indiscriminately. There are more than 500 infectious diseases, each caused by a different organism. Of these, at least 200 cannot be treated with antibiotics. One reason is that the drug works only against bacteria, and many infections, including the common cold, are caused by viruses. Although some doctors, often under pressure from patient, will prescribe antibiotics for nonbacterial illnesses, the drugs won’t work in these instances and may cause other problems.

“When antibiotic therapy is given for such ailments, the patient is needlessly subjected to expense and risk of a drug reaction,” maintains Dr. Steven Sahn, associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Medical Center in Denver.

There is also the danger of developing a secondary infection from bacteria that are resistant to the drug. Antibiotics kill off many harmless bacteria that are normally present in the body. When resistant bacteria no longer face competition, they may cause trouble.

Take antibiotics for the full period recommended. Many people stop taking medicine as soon as they feel better, instead of following the doctor’s prescription. “With too little of the drug, the bacteria may not be completely eradicated and the infection may reappear,” writes Galton.

In addition, surviving bacteria are those with a low-level resistance to antibiotics. Oftentimes, these bacteria undergo a change that increases their resistance, rendering the drug ineffective.

Learn how to take the drug properly. Some antibiotics aren’t effective when taken with other drugs or with certain foods. For instance, tetracycline is particularly absorbed

by calcium, so that medicine should not be taken with dairy products. Similarly, penicillin is partially destroyed by acid and should not be taken on an empty stomach, when acid is at a minimum. “Failure to take drug properly means, then, that you can actually get less of it than you swallow,” Galton reminds.

Don’t use leftover antibiotics. Using up old prescriptions for new infections or allowing other family members to use leftover drugs could be dangerous as different drugs have different effects. The medicine that knocks out one bacterium may be powerless against another.

For example, penicillin works against pneumonia only when certain organisms have caused it. Using the wrong antibiotic could allow an illness to become more serious or even life-threatening. In addition, the drug that cured you could be harmful to someone else.

Discuss side effects with your doctor. Some side effects are only minor annoyances that disappear when your body becomes accustomed to the drug. However, other reactions can be life-threatening. While any troublesome symptom should be reported to your doctor, some require notifying him immediately or discontinuing the drug if he can’t be reached.

“Before you take an antibiotic, ask if there are nay dangerous side effects,” Galton cautions. “You should also try to prevent side effects by mentioning any medical condition you have that could make a drug unsafe for you. The doctor who treats your infection should also know about other drugs you’re taking. And he should know if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to any drug. The one he’s prescribing could have similar effects.”

How antibiotic resistance happens (from CDC)

12 CLASSIFIEDS

EDGEDAVAO

EDGEDAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

EDGEDAVAO GENSAN PARTNERS Serving a seamless society

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

INdulge!

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

EDGEDAVAO FOOD

Davao’s new cuisine direction Carmina del Rosario’s famous Kitayama Wagyu Balbacua.

Chef Chino San Jose’s Davao Humba.

WHEN ONE TALKS ABOUT DAVAO, THE CONVERSATION E V E N T UA L LY LEADS TO FOOD. With its unique mix of influences coming from the many settlers from all over the Philippines, dining in Davao is as diverse as any metropolitan city in the world.

Waterfront Insular Davao’s Chef Victor Barangan’s Crocodillio.

Chef Anton Abad’s Tuna Kinilaw with pomelo and watermelon.

Savory and sweet Malagos cheese Panna Cotta by Marco Polo Davao’s Chef Alex Destriza.

This flavour fusion was more evident a few weeks ago at SM Lanang Premier’s Flavor Fusion: Davao on a Plate event.

A part of the Flavors of the Philippines celebration spearheaded by the Department of Tourism in support of Madrid Fusion Manila 2016, the food event brought together many of Davao’s culinary stars for an afternoon of uniquely Davao treats.

Chefs who participated during the well-attended event were Crazy Cook’s Carmina del Rosario who served her famous Kitayama Wagyu Balbacua, Viking’s Chef Anton Abad who served Tuna Kinilaw three ways, Marco Polo Davao’s Chef Alex Destriza with a savoury Malagos Cheese Panna Cotta and a Pomelo Salad with Salmon, and Chippens’ Chef Chino San Jose on the other-hand served Davao Humba.

Giving curious guests a taste of the exotic, Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao’s

Park Inn by Radisson Davao’s Chef Jovi Uy gave the event a sweet with her Malagos Cheese Cotton Cheesecake.

Bistro Selera’s Baconwrapped Tuna Milt was also one of the crowd favorites.

Chef Victor Barangan served the aptly-named Crocodillio a rice dish using crocodile meat with a smoky civet cat coffee glaze while Bistro Selera’s Chef Googie Sanga served the restaurant’s trademark Bacon-wrapped Tuna Milt.

To end the a good meal, CACS’s Chef Eliseo de

Guzman Jr. served a Pomelo Margarita while Park Inn by Radisson Davao’s Chef Jovi Uy created a trio of desserts featuring Durian, Malagos Cheese, and Davao Cacao.

I was truly amazed at the kaleidoscope of flavors at the event that are truly Filipino but with a unique Davao twist. Thanks to

this event, Dabawenyos now have more food stories and experiences to talk about, and THAT is a good thing.

Follow me on Instagram or on Twitter at @kennethkingong for more travel stories, foodie finds, and happenings in, around, and beyond Durianburg.

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

FOOD

A baker and barista

LOVE AFFAIR

ENDING APRIL ON A SWEET, SWEETER, SWEETEST RUN WITH SOME SWEET BAKED FAVORITES FROM DAVAO’S MANY DELECTABLE SHOPS. It’s not a ‘top..list of’ but a list of what I have loved, love and will always love when I’m having a slow coffee day with friends and colleagues.

I love my coffee. That’s a fact. But...I also love to pair my coffee with some sweet baked treats. What’s my personal favorite?

Pancake. Yes, I’m a pancake lover and I love mine fluffy and plain – with just butter and honey. I don’t like overly sweet baked goodies – it takes away the taste and aroma of coffee.

What I want are nibbles that complement the bitter, rich taste of coffee and vice versa.

True, Davao is a big box of delicious goodness.

What I love about the city?

There is always something new to find, discover and munch on. Here’s some of my fave coffee pairings.

What’s yours?

On any given day, I’d settle for a donut. Yes, I love donuts – with or without holes (my nephew doesn’t consider filled donuts as donuts – they don’t have holes). Donuts are instant perk me uppers that you can easily buy , eat and take wherever you may be. I’m a classic; I love the old school taste. I am adventurous, yes, but I love the taste of classic donuts more than anything.

Krispy Kreme’s original glaze and Dunkin’ Donuts’ boston kreme is my go -to flavours.

Blueberry Ensaymada from Green Coffee has always been a personal favorite coffee pair. Back when we would have coffee before going to class (MBA Batchmates!), we’d end up at this cafe and munch on these gigantic fluffy treats in an instant.

Personally, the ensaymada is already sweet but is not overly on the sweet side. It could still pair up with a cup of coffee. It is the burst of blueberry that I always look forward to.

Not much of a cheesecake lover but I love

Huckleberry’s Sweet Potato Cheesecake. It’s not everyday that you get to taste something like this.

The cheesecake itself is relatively not sweet. But as you take a bite with the toppings, you’d be surprised. The sweet potato pairs well with the cheesecake. This is something I’d definitely order again.

Recent fave? Well, for those who know me, I don’t really dig peanut butter. Except for peanut butter cups. Though on the sweeter side, I still love Dulce Vida’s YOLO cake.

It’s creamy and sweet and packed with flavours with every bite. It’s actually addicting to the taste buds. I especially love the creamy, buttery center filling.

Yum yum!

Another from Dulce Vida that I have loved since they opened their Ecoland shop is major major. It’s not for the faint of heart – really. Chocolate, nuts and mallows.. you can’t go wrong with that.

It’s like a slice of happiness every single time. Personally, I love eating this after a long and tiring week.

Nothing beats chocolates to cheer you up.

Also, I adore macarons.

But mostly, I pair them with tea. For a time, I was always munching on some hot belgian waffles from Starbucks. I love how they present it. The crisscross pattern on the waffle, creamy white goodness of cream with drizzles of chocolate syrup – simply decadent. Another new love from Starbucks is their French Toast. I love anything with cinnamon and honey. The combination is just so divine – it’s my jagged pill of happiness.

One other notable pair for coffee is Frog Kaffee’s sachertorte cake. There’s something about this cake that makes me excited to take a bite. It’s not a dense cake -- that’s for sure -and is not overpowering.

This pairs well with either hot or cold.

Make #TheRoyalChef your Thursday habit! Follow my messy food affair at theroyalchefeats.wordpress.com and on Instagram at @theroyalchefleebai.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Lifestyle brings back glamping at the 2016 Summer Siren Festival

IF THERE IS ANYBODY THAT KNOWS HOW TO BRING GLAMPING BACK TO THE SCENE, IT’S LIFESTYLE TV. The event dubbed as “Glamping by Lifestyle: Pitch 3” at the Summer Siren Festival 2016 at Crystal Beach in San Narciso, Zambales proved just that as it treated its hundreds of glampers to lots of style, comfort, and entertainment.

Stylishly set up tents by Coleman, styled by H&M Home decked the beach, each with its own airbed and roundthe-clock electricity to power every glamper’s own modern conveniences.

After serving up sumptuous breakfasts, MetaBEATS got glampers on their feet with the unique 4-minute burst exercise program taught by Coaches Jim and Toni Saret, two of the country’s leading fitness and health experts. The glampers were the first ones lucky enough to experience MetaBEATS. MetaBEATS is the first locally produced fitness and wellness nutrition program which

and silver metallic body art temporary tattoos perfect for the great outdoors as well as t-shirt styling by Smart.

Glamping by Lifestyle also featured their “Beach Mane Session” booth free for glampers who want to get the perfect summer braids.

Completing the list of lifestyle activities are yoga sessions, flow arts and poi dancing, hula hooping, and hand-drumming.

MYX also staged the first

premiered last April 16 on Lifestyle. MetaBEATS airs every Saturday and Sunday at 8AM and 4PM. Replays will be every Tuesday and Thursday at 5AM, 7AM, and 4PM.

During the day, glampers beat the heat with the makeyour-own ice cream booth

by Coleman and free iced tea drinks at the Nestea booth.

They also got to have gold

ever MYX sessions at this year’s Summer Siren Festival. Hosted

by MYX VJs Ai, Tippy and Alex, the number one music channel in the country kicked off the first night by headlining

some of the finest artists in the local music industry such as Ebe Dancel, Hale, Moonstar88, Quest, and a whole lot more.

As part of the welcome dinner hosted by Lifestyle, an exclusive jam session at the glampsite featuring Zsaris Mendioro, Mossimo Music Summit 2015 grand winner and best known for her impressive talent in live looping, was also one of the highlights of the event. With beats perfect for the festive vibe, glampers enjoyed the music as they watched the sun set.

“Glamping by Lifestyle: Pitch 3” was mounted in Partnership with Coleman Philippines and H&M Home, co-presented

by Smart Communications, Inc. and Claritin Philippines, brought to you by MILO® Philippines NUTRI-UP and NESTEA. ‘Glamping by Lifestyle’ successfully debuted at last year’s Summer Siren Festival with hundreds of glampers in attendance, receiving lots of positive reviews. With no tent to pitch, nor sleeping bags to unroll, or fire to build, it was indeed the ultimate upgrade to the camping experience.

Families win big in SKYcable and HBO Funtastic Family Getaway SKY DELIGHTED THREE OF ITS LUCKY REGIONAL SUBSCRIBERS with an exciting Manila trip via the HBO-sponsored FUNtastic Family Getaway promo.

Edwin Bitana of Luzon, Merafe Leyague of Visayas, and Jessielou Gelbolingo of Mindanao won the raffle that included enjoying the perks of getting VIP access to SKY Alive Fair, the industry’s first ever and biggest experiential assembly that showcased SKYcable’s featured shows and characters.

They were also treated to a trip to Kidzania Manila, a “play city” built for children in Bonifacio Global City.

Bitana expressed his deep gratitude saying the trip was “a birthday gift to my son and a graduation gift to my daughter.”

“It was a lot of fun, especially for the kids,” Gelbolingo, who hails from Davao, said. On why they chose to subscribe to SKY, Leyague, who is from Cebu, said, “Because of HBO, which my family loves.”

The trip was SKYcable’s way of thanking its subscribers’ unending support in the 25 years it has delivered unmatched entertainment, pioneered in digital cable TV, constantly innovated to provide the best entertainment experience to its subscribers.

SKY continues to offer viewers with diverse options to enjoy TV entertainment with its value and premium service offerings. Only SKYcable provides quality home entertainment with the widest-

range of standard and high definition channels and other top-of-the-line services such as flexible subscription options via SELECT; iRECORD that records, pauses, and rewinds live TV; as well as real-time coverage of live concerts and sporting events via FREE VIEW and PAY-PER-VIEW. To subscribe and to know more about SKYcable, log on to www. mysky.com.ph, or call the 24-hour customer service hotlines at 082305-5456 for Davao and 083 3013134 for Gen. Santos City.

April 20 – 26, 2016

BASTILLE DAY/ * HIGH STRUNG Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Kelly Reilly/ *Nicholas Galitzine, Jane Seymour R13/*PG

12:00 | 2:00 | 4:00 LFS / *6:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 LFS

THE JUNGLE BOOK Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, Bill Murray PG

12:40 | 3:00 | 5:20 | 7:40 | 10:00 LFS

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill PG

1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 10:00 LFS

THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER'S WAR Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt PG

12:00 | 2:30 | 5:00 | 7:30 | 10:00 LFS

A4 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

EVENT

Seda Little Chefs on its 2nd year SEDA ABREEZA’S TWODAY COOKING-ANDBAKING WORKSHOP FOR KIDS produced a new batch this year. A fun summer activity which began last year, this culinary recreation was scheduled last April 15 and 16, and was one of the events lined up for the urban lifestyle hotel’s anniversary month.

Children wearing their mini toques and aprons enjoyed their culinary sessions with the chefs of Seda Abreeza, led by Sous Chef Bang Flores, and the menu prepared for the workshop. On their first day, kids were taught to create a Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas, Oreo Fudge Bars, and Crema de Fruta.

Grilled Cheese Roll Ups, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Mango Pandan Salad were on the menu for the second day.

Kids who were with their parents and guardians during the workshop were also taught how to serve it to them. Seda Little Chefs culminated last April 16, with certificates and souvenir photos. Seda Abreeza Hotel Manager Ken Kapulong said that the Little Chefs continued on this year as he realized that fun in learning is very essential for children, and sharing the enjoyment of culinary art is a good summer recreation while the kids are on vacation.

DAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENT

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

More than 1M cacao seedlings dispersed to farmers in ComVal

T

HE provincial government of Compostela Valley with the support of the national government agencies has dispersed a total of 1,422,641 cacao seedlings to farmers who wished to venture into high-value crop (HVC) .

ComVal government reported that the data were based on the records of dispersal from the year 2009 to 2015 under the government’s agriculture program.

It also emphasized that agriculture, particularly the development of HVCs is among the priorities of the leadership of outgoing governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy, who will end his nine years of service come June of this year.

For 2016 another Php 1.185 million worth of cacao seedlings are set to be distributed among farmers in Compostela Valley, a program that the provincial government will undertake together with the Department of Agriculture in Davao region (DA-11) and the Mindanao Development

Authority (MinDA).

Of the data presented by the provincial government, the most number of cacao dispersal were facilitated last year with a total of 508,841 seedlings handed over to the farmers in the area.

Most of the cacao seedlings were produced from the local government-owned cacao nursery at the Lamdag Agro-Eco Tourism Complex in Barangay Pasian, Monkayo town.

Other seedlings were also sourced out through the implementation of the Bottoms-Up Budgeting of the local government unit (LGU) of Montevista town, the DA-11, and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).

The breakdown of distribution per year as reported by Compostela Valley’s Provincial Agriculturist Office (PAGRO) indicated that a total of 32,770 cacao seedlings were received by the farmers in the area in 2009; 23,950 in 2010; 52,050 in 2011; 142,166 in 2012; 232,356 in 2013; and 430,510 in 2014.

(PNA)

pines, which imports nearly all of its oil requirements, would prosper the most and its economy would grow the fastest in a low oil price setting.

“Even assuming oil does not nose-dive to $20, it is clearly not going up anytime soon, as long as the market is swamped with a big surplus,” Ty said.

The world market is now oversupplied at a rate of 1.5

million barrels of oil every day, according to commodity analysts.

Oil prices have fallen from $105 per barrel in mid-2014 to $33 in January this year. Prices started to recover above $40 this month on expectations of a deal to freeze supply, but have since fallen back to below $40 following Doha’s failure.

(Office of LPG-MA Rep. Arnel Ty)

$20 barrel... FROM 7

NEWS 13

Fact not joke: a Filipino woman or child is raped every 53 minutes R

EDUCING the issue of rape to ridicule is alarming because the reality shows that every 53 minutes, a woman or child is raped.

Everybody cringes with such information. Every woman or girl feels unsafe. And the question is: what is the government doing about it?, asked Jojo Guan, executive director of the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR), a research and training institution established in 1982.

Based on CWR’s research, the number of recorded rape cases during the Aquino administration increased by 92% from 5,132 in 2010 to 9,875 in 2014, meaning a woman or child was raped every 53 minutes. Seven in 10 victims of violence were children.

Violations of the Republic Act (RA) 9262 or Anti-Violence against Women and their Children Act escalated by 200% from 2010 to 2014.

Despite the alarming number, victims could hardly find solace with the absence of support, aggravated by the impunity enjoyed by the

perpetrators. Government records showed that of the 9,445 rape cases reported, only 59% were filed in court. Victims were usually discouraged in pursuing their cases because of the expensive litigation and the slow judicial process especially that most of them belong to the lowest wealth quintile.

Guan reminded that Mayor Duterte’s joke was not the first in trivializing the issue of rape. A t-shirt stating rape is a snuggle with a struggle was sold in the boys department in the biggest retail store in the country. A famous TV personality also used rape as a joke in one of his concerts.

Guan added, what is more despicable is the patronizing attitude of the Aquino government in dealing with the issue of VAW (violence against women). It enjoys the international accolades of being one of the most gender-sensitive countries in the world but it hardly lifts a finger in solving violence against women and children.

According to Guan, persistent poverty and crisis resulting from the implementation of anti-women, anti-poor

neoliberal policies of President Aquino aggravated the condition of women and children, leaving them more vulnerable to abuse. Based from 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey, women from low wealth quintile are more vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse than women from high wealth quintile. Their indigent condition made them more vulnerable to abuses and sexual exploitation.

A culture of impunity also prevailed especially in the crimes committed by state authorities. Data from the human rights group Karapatan showed that from June 2010 to November 2015, there were 10 reported cases of military rape. The usual victims were children and indigenous women. Some of these cases involved a 21-year-old woman in Aroroy, Masbate (2010), the case of two teenage girls from Mankayan, Benguet (2012), and the case of a young Lumad from Talaingod, Davao (2015). Not a single soldier was charged and penalized for these brutal acts.

Guan also added that the

return of US military servicemen through the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) has resulted to more exploitation of women.

In the Walking Street in Fields Avenue, Angeles City, Pampanga, at least 15,000 women work as waitresses, dancers, and entertainers. They are paid Php170.00 per night with some incentives. Most of the women who work in the establishments came from Visayas and Mindanao. Based on the initial interviews of CWR, American soldiers are the main customers especially during Balikatan exercises.

Bars even offer military appreciation discount for US military customers.

The proliferation of violence is caused by an existing culture that promotes exploitation and subjugation of women especially in the lowest echelon of society. It is a culture where the powerful dominates the powerless.

Such domination is translated in the treatment of women, especially those who belong to the marginalized sector, Guan explained.

demning this lawless act against our police officers, who were performing their duty to protect the security and well-being of our people,” Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in a

statement issued on Tuesday (April 19).

The Palace official said the PNP is exerting efforts to apprehend the suspects, while ensuring the safety of police officers.

According to news reports, five PNP personnel on board patrol car No. 82 of the Davao City Police Office, were abducted at about noon on April 16 by heavily armed men. (PCOO News Release)

Malacañang condemns abduction of five policemen in Davao

T

HE Palace has condemned the abduction of five officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Davao City last week.

“We join the PNP in con-

14 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

PROJECT B.E.S.T. BATCH II GRADUATES. The 22 graduates of the Davao Light and Power Co.’s Basic Electrician Skills Training or Project B.E.S.T. proudly show off their certificates during the graduation ceremony last February 26, 2016 at Malabog National High School in Paquibato District, Davao City.

22 beneficiaries graduate in Davao Light’s Project B.E.S.T. 2

2 BENEFICIARIES from Brgy. Malabog, Paquibato District, Davao City graduated in Davao Light and Power Co. Basic Electrician Skills Training or Project B.E.S.T. The graduates, who have successfully completed and passed the 10-day skills training, have now become fullfledged electricians having a National Certificate (NC) II as

certified by TESDA. Project BEST is one of the corporate social responsibility projects of Davao Light in partnership with the Aboitiz Foundation Inc., which is aimed at providing free skills training to the residents in far-flung communities, such as Brgy. Malabog, that will help them make a living and have an advantage of employment having certified by

TESDA. The project is also in coordination with the Davao City 2nd District Congresswoman Mylene Garcia-Albano.

The graduation rites, which was held in Malabog National High School, was attended by the team members of Davao Light as led by Engr.

Ronald Chan, AVP and Panao Branch Manager, and Fermin Edillon, Manager of Commu-

nity Relations. Also present were the members of TESDA and the members of the local government unit in Malabog as represented by Congresswoman Mylene.

These electricians are the second batch of graduates of the Project B.E.S.T..

To date, a total of 40 electricians have received an NC II from TESDA through this project.

for Youth (RRCY), his family is his inspiration in all his accomplishments. Languban completed Grade 9 as First Honor under the Reach-Out Program of EMAR Human and Environmental College, Inc. which started in 2015.

Languban was also named Best in English, Science, Mathematics and Araling Panlipunan during the first recognition day held on Monday at RRCY covered court with 57 graduates under three categories –A

(Kindergarten to Grade 3), B (Grades 4 to 6) and C (Grades 7 to 10).

Another resident, Geovanne O. Engaud, 18, who finished Grade 9 as 2nd Honor replied when asked what made him succeed, “Na-inspire ko sa akong pamilya. Silbi balos nako ni sa akoang pamilya sa ilang kaayo sa akoa (I was inspired by my family. This is my way of expressing my gratefulness [to my family] for the kindness shown to me).”

Engaud’s father Juanito said he and his wife see to it that they visit their son every weekend. “We come here to bond with him and advise him.

Also, my son stays with us for four days during Christmastime.” Engaud was also cited as Best in Filipino, MAPEH and in Values. All members of his family came to celebrate his graduation.

Nineteen year-old Liwi Lee E. Dela Cruz who complet-

Family support inspires CICL to excel A

FAMILY will always play a crucial role in anyone’s life. Friends and acquaintances may appear at some point in your life but at the end of the day, it will always be your family that will see you through and help you pull through. Most often, your family is your ‘forever’ especially if you are a resident of a rehabilitation center.

For John Pip A. Languban, 18, a ward of the DSWD Regional Rehabilitation Center

F FAMILY, 10

SALES BLITZ. The Green Windows Dormitel Sales team led by marketing manager MJ Escudero recently launched a regionwide marketing blitz. The 88room hotel offers the most affordable dormitel and standard/deluxe room facilities located at FTC Tower, Mt. Apo Street, Davao City.

Water service interruptions on April 23, 24 and 26

D

AVAO City Water District advises of two sets of water service interruption in some city parts.

First set is from 8:00 PM of April 23 until 2:00 AM of April 24 affecting these areas in Ma-a: Gem Village, Don Julian Village, New Argao Village, portion of Don Julian Rodriguez Avenue (from Emerald Street in Gem Village to Charity Street in Don Julian Village) and immediate environs. This water service interruption will give way to the installation of gate valve for step test area for the District Metered Area Project at Ma-a road corner Metroville Subd. to help reduce non-revenue water.

Second set is on April 26 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Affected are most areas in Catalunan Grande: South Villa Heights, Camasura Compound, SGR Subd., Stone Rock Subd., Caflor Subd., Diagro Compound, Ruby Subd. Phases I, II and III, Skyline Subd., Skyline Pag-ibig, Hacienda Grande, St. Francis Xavier Village, Monte Maria Village, Lozano Compound, Bahay Pag-ibig Heights, Forest View Village, Sea Gems Village, Skyline Road, SDV Seminary, Sacred Heart Seminary and Pink Sister Monastery; portion of Carlos P. Garcia National Highway: La Vista Monte Subd. Phase 2, Mountain View Subd., Countryside I and II, Hill Crest Subd. and Peralta Subd.; and right portion of Davao-Cotabato National Highway (from Matina Balusong Bridge

to Hope Avenue): DSLA Village, Matina Balusong, Hope Avenue, Peace Avenue, Union Avenue, Tahimik Avenue, Sabate Street, Santan Street, Orchid Street, Pag-asa Street, Marlboro Street and Happy Valley Street. DCWD crew will tap the newly installed 150mm diameter steel pipeline to the existing 300mm diameter Mortar Line Coated Steel Pipe for the mainline improvement at Catalunan Grande Road. Once completed, said project will increase water pressure in Sea Gems Village, Pag-ibig Heights Ruby Subd. and immediate environs.

DCWD general manager Edwin V. Regalado asks for the understanding and cooperation of would-be affected customers. He also advises them to store enough water prior to the scheduled water interruptions. Water supply may be restored earlier if work goes smoothly or later if unforeseen problems arise.

The general public may visit DCWD website (www.davao-water.gov. ph) and official Facebook page (www.facebook. com/davaowater) or call the Central Information Unit / Call Center through the 24-hour hotline 297DCWD (3293) and press “1” on their phone dial to listen to latest daily water updates. They may also call / text 0927-7988966, 0925-5113293 and 09084410653 for other updates, complaints, queries and matters pertaining to DCWD services. (Jamae G. Dela Cruz)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016

SPORTS 15

UFC pulls McGregor from fight vs Diaz C

STILL CHAMP. Conor McGregor is still the UFC’s featherweight champion, but Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar will face off for the interim belt. AP

ONOR McGregor is officially out of UFC 200. His fighting future remained unclear.

McGregor, one of the biggest draws in UFC, created a stir on Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time) when he tweeted that retirement was on the horizon and the UFC later tweeted that McGregor had been pulled from its marquee show on July 9.

The 27-year-old McGregor tweeted, “I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya’s later.”

McGregor was scheduled for a rematch against Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 200.

UFC president Dana White told ESPN that he pulled McGregor from the card after he decided not to attend pre-fight promotional appearances in Las Vegas.

“Is Conor McGregor retir-

ing? Only he can answer that question,” White told ESPN. “I don’t know. But he will not be a part of UFC 200.”

White added he was working on a new main event and could keep Diaz on the card. The stacked card already included an interim featherweight championship bout between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar and Miesha Tate defends her bantamweight title against Amanda Nunes.

Diaz beat McGregor by submission in the second round of a welterweight bout March 5 at UFC 196, ending one of the most lucrative payper-view shows in mixed martial arts history with a remarkable upset.

McGregor’s 15-fight winning streak ended in the bout, which was fought 25 pounds above his usual 145-pound fighting weight. The rematch was set to be contested at 170

pounds, the UFC said.

The loss punctured the intimidating aura gathered by McGregor, the loquacious Irish star who sits alongside Ronda Rousey as the UFC’s biggest pay-per-view stars. McGregor had stopped his previous five opponents, and he landed numerous big shots on Diaz before tiring and losing the fight on the ground to Diaz’s superior jiu-jitsu.

Although McGregor said immediately after the loss that he would probably return to featherweight, he decided instead to take a rematch with Diaz, the entertaining veteran.

Diaz accepted the first fight less than two weeks beforehand after lightweight champ Rafael Dos Anjos dropped out with an injury.

McGregor is still the UFC’s featherweight champion, but Aldo and Edgar will meet for the interim belt.

The winner was scheduled to get the first shot at a unification fight against McGregor.

All of those dream bouts are suddenly uncertain.

Diaz playfully replied to McGregor’s tweet with his own “retirement” announcement.

He tweeted, “I guess my work here is done I’m retiring too.”

McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, added fuel to the retirement speculation with his own tweet that said, “Well was fun while it lasted.”

Kavanagh later posted an Instagram photo of WWE Hall of Fame manager Jimmy Hart with the caption, “New job uniform.” It could be a playful photo — or a cryptic hint — that McGregor could follow former UFC star Brock Lesnar from the octagon to the WWE squared circle.

Other UFC fighters later joked on Twitter that they also would retire.

ESPITE the political and economic crisis currently faced by Brazil the Rio Games will be a spectacular success, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach predicted on Tuesday.

Speaking at the SportAccord convention in Laussane Bach was emphatic in his conviction everything would come together.

“We know the current economic and political situation in Brazil will continue to make

the final preparations challenging,” he admitted.

“I remain convinced that the Olympic Games Rio 2016 will be truly spectacular,” he said, offering two reasons for his position.

“The Olympic Games enjoy the strong public support of the Brazilian people. Secondly, the organisers can count on the solidarity of the Olympic family and the sporting world.”

Bach also took time out to discuss what is being done to

combat doping.

“With regards to protecting the clean athletes, the IOC has strengthened the world’s anti-doping system and made the sanctioning of doped athletes independent from sports organisations,” he said.

“The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will handle cases from the Olympic Games Rio 2016 onwards. We are convinced that all these changes are necessary to better protect the clean athletes and enhance

the integrity of sport.”

Brazil’s president Dilma Rousseff insisted on Tuesday preparations for the Games in Rio are ahead of schedule.

“We have transformed Rio: I hope this will be a great Games for Brazilians and for everyone else.”

“The Games are in a totally adequate situation, we’re even a little ahead of schedule and more so than we had planned for,” Rousseff told a press conference in Brasilia.

telling his team to play with some pride during a timeout of a game they led by 29 points.

“You’ve got to fight,” Leonard said. “We’ve got to still execute. (We) turned over the ball a lot today. They were physical.

They’ve got hands, but there’s still opportunity for us to improve. They’re still an NBA team.”

LaMarcus Aldridge had 10 points and eight rebounds in 26 minutes. Aldridge sat out the entire fourth quarter along with Leonard and Tony Parker while Tim Duncan and Danny

Green made brief appearances.

Tony Allen led Memphis with 12 points and Zach Randolph had 11 points and 12 rebounds.

After matching a franchise low with a 13-point first quarter in Game 1, the Grizzlies lowered that mark by tying a franchise low for any quarter with 11 points in Tuesday’s opening period.

“I think bringing that energy and effort that’s one thing that we try to do,” Mills said.

The Grizzlies continued to struggle to find consisten-

cy on offense without injured starters Marc Gasol and Mike Conley.

Memphis took 20 more shots than San Antonio in falling behind 2-0.

“It doesn’t matter where we play, we’ve just got to play better,” Barnes said. “We can play here, we can play at the YMCA, we can play in Memphis; it doesn’t matter where we play at if we play the way we’ve been playing the court doesn’t matter. It’s on the players we’ve got to do a better job executing.”

Mueller brace sends Rio Olympics will be spectacular despite crissis Bayern to title match D B AYERN Munich needed a disputed penalty to secure a 2-0 win over Werder Bremen and reach its 21st German Cup final on Tuesday.

Thomas Mueller scored both goals in the semifinal, the second coming from a 71st-minute contested penalty. Substitute Arturo Vidal fell after a careless challenge

by Janek Sternberg but video replays appeared to show that the Chile midfielder had taken a dive.

“From my point of view it wasn’t a penalty, it was a dive,” Mueller said after watching the replays. “But in the match it looked like a foul, the challenge was very risky.”

Werder surprised Bayern with aggressive pressing and was unfortunate not to score from several chances. But the penalty took the fight out of

Viktor Skripnik’s team.

The win kept Bayern on course for a second treble in its history in Pep Guardiola’s final season as coach. Bayern is close to clinching the Bundesliga title and is in the semifinals of the Champions League.

Bayern has won the German Cup title a record 17 times, losing only three finals.

Werder, fighting against relegation in the Bundesliga, is the second best German Cup campaigner with six titles.

Mueller scored the opening goal in the 30th with a header from Xabi Alonso’s corner, as Bremen’s Clemens Fritz slipped to leave Mueller unchallenged.

“We made many mistakes, we can play a lot better. But we made the final and that’s no small achievement,” Mueller said.

Lebron brushes off Van Gundy

L

EBRON James played down talk of a feud with Detroit Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy on Tuesday as the Cleveland Cavaliers targeted a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.

Van Gundy was fined by the NBA on Monday for criticizing the officiating during Detroit’s defeat to Cleveland in game one, suggesting officials were reluctant to give fouls against Cavs star James.

However James brushed off suggestions that Van Gundy’s comments may prompt him to change his style heading into game two on Wednesday.

“I would never change my game no matter what a player or coach says,” James told reporters after a practice on Tuesday.

“My main thing is however I can help my team get a win, how I can go out and put an imprint on the game and play as hard as I can. I’ll live with the results of that.

“Stan has gotten the better of me in a playoff series be-

fore in his Orlando days. But it’s not about me versus Stan.

It’s about his teams versus the teams that I’ve been on and I’m not having an individual matchup with Stan or an individual matchup with Stanley (Johnson) or any other Stan they can possess.

“It’s about getting my guys ready. That’s all that matters.”

Van Gundy scored a postseason victory over James and the Cavaliers in 2009 when he was in charge of the Orlando Magic.

The Detroit coach sparked uproar during Sunday’s 106101 defeat when he told an ESPN reporter that James received special treatment from referees.

“LeBron’s LeBron. They’re not going to call offensive fouls on him. He gets to do whatever he wants,” said Van Gundy, who was subsequently fined $25,000 (22,000 euros) by the league for the remarks.

James however was adamant that the controversy would not prove to be a distraction.

Spurs take commanding 2-0 lead

T

HE more things change the more the San Antonio Spurs remain con-

stant.

Twelve years to the day after holding Memphis to franchise lows in total points and points in a quarter, San Antonio put another stranglehold on the Grizzlies.

Patty Mills had 16 points, Kawhi Leonard added 13 and San Antonio never trailed in beating Memphis 94-68 on Tuesday night to sweep the first two games of the firstround series in imposing fashion.

The Grizzlies’ lowest postseason production came two days after they suffered their largest postseason defeat.

“We’re coming to a gunfight with some spoons,” Memphis forward Matt Barnes said.

“We’ve got to do something to try to switch this up at home next game.”

If history and the Grizzlies’ current state are any indication, Memphis’ prospects don’t look good heading into a home game Friday night.

The Spurs first established those dubious records against the Grizzlies on April 19, 2004, on their way to a sweep of their first-round series.

Don’t expect San Antonio to relax following 30- and 26-point victories. Not with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich

BEAST MODE. Calvin Abueva of Alaska Milk goes ahead of Moala Tautuaa of Talk N’Text in Game 2 of their quarterfinals playoffs. Abueva carried Alaska to a rubber match in Game 3 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. PBA Images

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

Scan shows no serious injury S

TEPHEN Curry’s troublesome right ankle has no serious structural damage.

The reigning NBA MVP underwent an MRI exam on his injured right ankle on Tuesday in the Bay Area (Wednesday, Manila time), and the Golden State Warriors said nothing of concern came up on the test. Curry remained questionable for Game Three of his team’s playoff series on Thursday in Houston.

Curry missed Monday night’s 115-106 victory against the Rockets at Oracle Arena after cutting short his warmup routine because his troublesome ankle was tender. He will continue to undergo treatment for the injury ahead of Thursday, and coach Steve Kerr mentioned there is ample time for Curry to try to get healthy and stay off his feet.

“We’ll see how he responds the next couple of days, and if he’s not right obviously being up 2-0 does give us more cushion if we decide to sit him,”

Kerr said after Monday’s game. “But it will be based on his health, not the series score. It’s really what the training staff says and what Steph says about how he’s feeling.”

Top-seeded Golden State leads the best-ofseven series 2-0 as it shifts to Houston for the next two matchups. The Warriors had the day off from practice Tuesday ahead of their flight to Houston on Wednesday.

The news about Curry’s MRI was huge given the superstar point guard had two surgeries on that ankle in 2011-12. He averaged a league-leading 30.1 points per game this season and does so many other things to make his teammates better and set them up to score.

“When Steph goes down, that’s obviously not easy to replace, so not one guy’s going to come out and do what Steph does for this team,” Draymond Green said. “Even if a guy comes out and gets 30, he’s still not going to do what

o r bring what Steph brings to this team.

H e draws so much attention that he gets other people shots as well. ... I think we’re the deepest team in the NBA.” Shaun Livingston contributed 16 points and six assists playing in Curry’s place, while Klay Thompson had 34 points and five assists. Andre Iguodala, last year’s Finals MVP, added 18 points with four 3-pointers and Green had 12 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 36 • THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016 Stephen Curry is still questionable of Game Three of the WarriorsRockets series. AP