Tempo062314opt

TOP BIFF LEADER KILLED IN CLASH 2

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014 VOL. 32 NO. 174 ISSN 0116-3973

HHHHH

PAGE 2

Enrile won’t survive heat in detention 4

Jail escapee wounded in shootout

5

Girl, 7, raped by uncle

5

Jake, Bea live-in na?

A FIRE volunteer trains his hose to a burning residence at Barangay 215 in Liwanag Street, Tondo, Manila last night. Forty houses were destroyed, displacing 80 families. (Photo by Jim Guiao Punzalan)

Messi dazzles as Argentina advances For reactions or comments: tempo_mb@yahoo.com or tempo@mb.com.ph

8

14

2

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014

BIFF leader, 2 others killed in Basilan clash

By ELENA L. ABEN

A top commander of the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and two others were killed in a four-hour clash between Muslim militants and government security forces in Basilan early Saturday morning, the military said.

104th Infantry Brigade commander Brig. Gen.Carlito Galvez Jr. said killed was BIFF commander Basir Kasaran who was hit in the head by a sniper’s bullet.

Kasaran, according to the Army, is the highest ranking leader of the BIFF in Basilan and third in the Abu Sayyaf Group’s (ASG) hierarchy in the province.

Army 18th Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Paolo Perez, on the hand, said also killed during the clash were an ASG fighter identified as Misuari Jamiri who is a cousin of ASG sub-commander Nurhassan Jamiri and one Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) member who fought alongside government troops.

Perez said fighting erupted

around 5 a.m. in Barangay Kuhon Lennuh, Al-Barka, Basilan.

MNLF forces under Umbong Mallatin alias “Commander Cobra” helped the Army troops as they engaged in a gunbattle with combined BIFF and ASG militants.

The firefight lasted until 9 a.m.

Galvez described the death of Kasaran as a “great blow” to both the BIFF and ASG in Basilan.

He said the slain BIFF leader was providing ASG leaders Furuji Indama and Isnilon Hapilon weapons, particularly mortars, as well as safe haven in the island province.

Kasaran, the military said, was also responsible for a series of atrocities against residents of Al-

Barka, including a massive looting incident in 2013, Galvez said.

The BIFF is a breakaway group from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Early this month, the military confirmed links between the alQaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and the BIFF after JI bomb expert Basit Usman was spotted at a BIFF lair in Maguindanao.

Usman is among those in the United States’ list of most wanted terrorists with $1-million reward.

With the alliance between Usman and the BIFF already confirmed, the military is now trying to establish whether or not the JI, the Southeast Asian cell of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terrorist network, is also extending funding support to the BIFF.

Aquino decision excluding Nora as nat’l artist stays It’s final.

President Aquino won’t change his mind on the exclusion of Nora Aunor as National Artist for this year despite appeals from some groups.

Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. explained the President has the prerogative to choose the persons who deserve the highest recognition for their contributions to local arts.

“It is the duty of the President to decide on who among the shortlisted nominees deserve to be conferred the Order of the National Artist. In making the decision, the President considered how each of the nominees measured up to the criteria for choice,” Coloma said.

“We are certain that his decision was based on what will best serve the national interest because the Order of the National Artist gives recognition to those who excelled in the arts and letters and embodied the goodness and nobility of the Filipino people,” he added.

The President earlier issued

the proclamations declaring six persons as National Artist, Alice Reyes for dance, Francisco V. Coching (posthumous) for visual arts, Cirilo Bautista for literature, Francisco F. Feliciano and Ramon Santos for music, and Jose Maria V. Zaragoza (posthumous) for architecture.

Aunor, who was nominated for film, was not included in the list.

Some groups have cried foul over the exclusion of the actress in the roster of National Artist despite her significant achievements in the film industry.

Coloma, however, argued that the President has the “final decision” on who will be proclaimed National Artist.

“It is the highest recognition given to outstanding Filipinos in the arts and letters so it is only proper the highest leader of the country who has the mandate of the people, who was elected, would have the final decision on who deserves to be National Artist,” Coloma said in Filipino.

The President earlier reportedly

AUNOR refused to confer the Order of National Artist on Aunor because of her alleged use of illegal drugs, according to a source. The source said the President wanted to ensure the National Artists could be role models for the Filipino nation, especially the youth.

Asked if the drug case of the actress was considered in the selection process, Coloma admitted he has not yet talked to the President about the matter.

(Genalyn D. Kabiling)

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014

Resolve disputes, China, claimants told United States President Barack Obama has urged China and the other Southeast Asian countries with claims over parts of the South China Sea to peacefully resolve their territorial disputes and avoid escalating tensions.

“It is important for us to be able to resolve disputes like maritime disputes in accordance with international law, and encourage all parties concerned to maintain a legal framework for resolving issues, as opposed to possible escalation that could have an impact on navigation and commerce,” Obama said on Saturday (Manila time) following an Oval Office meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, who expressed similar concerns.

In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the US and New Zealand said they “share the goal of a stable and secure world, buttressed by the principles of peaceful resolution of disputes and respect for universal rights and freedoms.”

“Our two countries work side-byside to support peace and stability both in the Asia-Pacific region and globally,” the two leaders declared.

The US and New Zealand further recognized the importance of regional institutions in the Asia-Pacific region “that promote rules and norms and foster cooperative efforts to address shared challenges.”

“As such, both countries are working with fora such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the ASEAN Regional Forum, the East Asia Summit, and the Pacific Islands Forum to strengthen these rules and norms,” they said.

Regarding regional maritime disputes, both countries stressed that they are united in supporting the peaceful resolution of disputes, the respect for international law and unimpeded lawful commerce, and the preservation of the freedom of navigation and overflight.

On the South China Sea, Obama and Key called on ASEAN and China to reach early agreement on a meaningful and effective Code of Conduct.

In discussing the need for diplomatic and dialogue to resolve disputes, the two leaders “rejected the use of intimidation, coercion, and aggression to advance any maritime claims.”

The two leaders finally reinforced the call for claimants to clarify and pursue claims in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS). (Roy C. Mabasa)

3

3 towns fall as Sunni fighters expand offensive

BAGHDAD – Sunni insurgents led by an al-Qaida breakaway group have expanded their offensive in a volatile western province of Iraq, capturing three strategic towns and the first border crossing with Syria to fall on the Iraqi side.

The advance Friday and Saturday dealt another blow to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is fighting for his political life even as forces beyond his control are pushing the country toward a sectarian showdown.

In a reflection of the bitter divide, thousands of heavily armed Shiite militiamen – eager to take on the Sunni insurgents – marched through Iraqi cities in military-style parades Saturday on streets where many of them battled US forces a half decade ago.

The towns of Qaim, Rawah, and Anah are the first territory seized in predominantly Sunni Anbar province, west of Baghdad, since fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant overran the city

of Fallujah and parts of the provincial capital of Ramadi earlier this year.

The capture of Rawah on t h e E u p h ra t e s R i v e r a n d the nearby town of Anah appeared to be part of march toward a key dam in the city of Haditha, the destruction of which would damage the country’s electrical grid and cause major flooding.

Iraqi military offi cials said more than 2,000 troops were quickly dispatched to the site of the dam to protect it.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The Islamic State’s Sunni militants have carved out a large fiefdom along the Iraqi-

VOLUNTEERS of the newly formed ‘Peace Brigades’ raise their weapons and chant slogans against the al-Qaida-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant during a parade in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq last Saturday. (Photo by AP) Syrian border and have long traveled back and forth with ease, but control over crossings like that one in Qaim allows them to more easily move weapons and heavy equipment to different battlefields. Syrian rebels already have seized the facilities on the Syrian side of the border and several other posts in areas under their

control.

The vast Anbar province stretches from the western edges of Baghdad all the way to Jordan and Syria to the northwest, and the fighting has greatly disrupted use of the highway linking Baghdad to the Jordanian border, a key artery for goods and passengers. (AP)

Pope excommunicates mafia Soldier kills 5 comrades CASSANO ALLO JONIO – Pope Francis launched a scathing attack on organized crime during a trip to the heartland of a feared syndicate yesterday, declaring all mafia members “excommunicated” from the Catholic Church.

The mafia “is the adoration of evil and contempt for common good. This evil must be beaten, expelled,” he told worshippers near the hometown of a toddler killed in a clan war earlier this year.

“Those who in their lives follow this path of evil, as mafiosi do, are not in communion with God. They are excommunicated,” he told the congregation.

People who are excommunicated are expelled from the Church, unless they repent, and are considered to be condemned to Hell in the afterlife.

The 77-year-old pontiff was speaking at the end of a trip to the territory controlled by the powerful ‘Ndrangheta mafia, where he comforted relatives of “Coco” Campolongo, a threeyear-old who was shot dead in January in an apparent mob hit

over money.

“It must never again happen that a child suffers in this way,” the pope said as he met Coco’s father and grandmothers, according to a Vatican spokesman.

Francis visited the Calabria r e g i o n d e s p i t e fe a r s t h a t he might provoke the local underworld.

“I pray for him continuously.

Do not despair,” Francis said during a visit to Castrovillari prison, where several members of Coco’s family are serving time for drug-related crimes.

He asked them to pass the message on to the toddler’s mother, who was also in prison at the time of his murder and is now living under house arrest.

Coco was shot in the head in January, executed along with his grandfather and his Moroccan companion after a drug debt went unpaid.

The discovery of his body strapped to a car-seat in a burnt-out Fiat Punto sent shockwaves through Italy, as did the murder just two months later of another three-year-old in the nearby Puglia region. (AFP)

SEOUL, South Korea – The military searched yesterday for an armed South Korean soldier who fled after killing five of his comrades and wounding seven at an outpost near the North Korean border.

The sergeant, identified only by his surname, Yim, opened fire Saturday night with his standard issue K2 assault rifle at an outpost in Gangwon province, east of Seoul, according to a Defense Ministry spokesman. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of

department rules.

Yim, who was scheduled to be discharged from the military in September, fled with his weapon, but it wasn’t clear how much live ammunition he had, the official said.

Defense official Kim Min-seok said Sunday at a televised briefing that all the wounded were expected to survive, although two were injured seriously. He said search operations were underway to quickly find Yim, without elaborating. (AP)

BF rapes woman, hangs her from tree LAHORE – A 21-year-old woman was raped and hanged from a tree in Pakistan, police said, in a case bearing a chilling resemblance to a spate of similar attacks that sparked outrage in neighboring India.

The woman’s boyfriend of six months, named by police as Muhammad Saqib, confessed to the rape and murder and has been taken into custody, police said.

Saqib admitted he tried to force the woman – the daughter of blind parents – to have sex with two of his friends, according to police.

When she refused, investigators said the pair argued.

The woman, whom he allegedly had promised to marry, was found hanging from a tree the next morning.

Police are still looking for the two alleged accomplices. (AFP)

4

NEWS ROUNDUP

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014

R189-M 6/55 jackpot The Grand Lotto 6/55 jackpot remains up for grabs once more as nobody won the R178,876,580 jackpot in last Saturday’s draw. The winning combination was 37-41-29-34-52-16. Twenty-three bettors got five of the winning numbers for R121,970 each as second prize while 1,239 bettors got four numbers for R1,810 each as third prize.

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) acting Chairman Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II estimated the jackpot in tonight’s 6/55 draw at R189 million. (JC Bello Ruiz)

Snatcher gunned down A 29-year-old man was gunned down in Pasig City yesterday.

The victim was identified as Jenermo Baladin of Binancio Kaliwag, Barangay Pinagbuhatan, Pasig. He sustained four bullet wounds in the body. Chief Supt. Mario Rariza, chief of police of Pasig, said that Baladin was gunned down at around 9 a.m. on Urbano Velasco Ave. corner Roman St., Barangay Pinagbuhatan. A witness, Jonel Tinghil, saw the victim walking towards the barangay hall prior to the incident.

A still unidentified gunman followed Baladin and shot him twice. As soon as the victim fell on the ground, the gunman shot him twice again. The gunman then placed a sign on top of the victim’s body that says “Mandurukot at snatcher, huwag tularan” and fled. (Rizal S. Obanil) CLASSIC Volkswagen owners and enthusiasts gather in an exhibit inside Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City celebrating World Volkswagen Day yesterday. (Photo by Kris John Rosales)

Crame Custodial Center unfit for JPE

The detention facility at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City may not be suitable for very old inmates like Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, charged with graft and plunder in connection with the “pork barrel” fund scam.

Police doubt that the 90-year-old lawmaker can withstand the sizzling heat inside the detention facility designated for him and the two other senators, Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada, charged in the pork barrel fund scam.

“The description that it’s like an oven is true. So I don’t think that this is the right detention facility for him,” said a police officer.

During his first day in the detention facility last Friday after he turned himself to the Sandiganbayan Thursday, Sen. Bong Revilla had a migraine attack due to the intense heat inside, prompting his wife,

Cavite Rep. Lani M. Revilla, to request for an air cooler.

The request, however, has yet to be acted upon by the First Division of the Sandiganbayan handling his plunder case.

Another police officer could not help but express concern over the negative implication on the PNP if something happened to Enrile while under their custody.

“Sen. Revilla and Sen. Estrada are still young, I think it is not that much of a problem for them. But Senator Enrile? I don’t think so,” the police officer said.

Sought for comment, Chief Supt.

Lani to snub SoNA Saying that she could not bear how President Aquino would make a punching bag out of her husband, detained Sen. Bong Revilla’s wife, Cavite Rep. Lani M. Revilla, disclosed yesterday that she will not attend the Chief Executive’s State-of-the-Nation Address (SoNA) next month.

Lani, a member of the opposition Lakas-CMD, disclosed that she expects to again take the SoNA opportunity to publicly ridicule and assail political foes, which he allegedly did a few times in the past against her husband.

“He has done that several times and he will mention that definitely

Reuben Theodore Sindac, chief police information officer, said the decision remains with the Sandiganbayan, noting that the PNP is just the designated custodian.

“Everything relating to them is for the Sandiganbayan to decide. Our role is to follow whatever the order given to us,” said Sindac.

In an interview yesterday, lawyer Salvador Panelo revealed that Revilla had to water the pavement outside of his detention room to neutralize the heat. “ I t ’s r e a l l y l i k e a n o v e n inside,” Panelo said. (Aaron B. Recuenco) (sa SoNA) para manghiya kung anuman ang intention niya. It’s all up to him,” the lady lawmaker said in a television interview.

Aquino’s propensity at attacking political enemies has been noted in several SoNAs he had delivered, with former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria M. Arroyo as the usual victim of presidential rant. (Ben R. Rosario)

Man’s body found in QC The body of a man with bullet wounds in the head and body was discovered in a vacant lot in Barangay Payatas, Quezon City last Saturday.

Chief Insp. Rodel Marcelo, chief of the Quezon City Police District-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (QCPD-CIDU) in Camp Karingal, said that the body of the still unidentified man was found at 2:30 p.m. in a vacant lot in Palatao Compound on Majaas St. Marcelo said the man was described to be around 50- to 55-years old, about 5’4” in height, medium built, and has fair complexion. He added that the victim was wearing a blue Dynamic Engine Rebuilders T-shirt and brown short pants when his body was found. (Francis T. Wakefield)

PAGASA sees rains today Occasional light to moderate rains will persist over the western section of Luzon and Visayas today due to the southwest monsoon or “hanging habagat,” government weather forecasters said yesterday. According to Glaiza Escullar of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), occasional light to moderate monsoon rains will affect the western sections of Luzon and Visayas, particularly Pangasinan, Bataan, Zambales, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo. Metro Manila will also experience occasional monsoon rains. (Ellalyn B. de Vera)

A METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) rescue team applies first aid on a man that was hit by a taxi on Osmena Highway (formerly South Superhighway) in Manila yesterday.

(Photo by Ali Vicoy)

MORE NEWS Rob gang boss arrested CAMP G.NAKAR, Lucena City – Senior Superintendent Ronaldo Genaro E. Ylagan, Quezon Police Provincial Office chief, announced yesterday the arrest of the leader of a notorious robbery group in Barangay Bagong Silang, Labo, Camarines Norte.

Ylagan said the suspect, Enrico M. Latag, 37, alleged leader of “Latag Group,” involved in a series of robbery incidents in Quezon and Cavite, were apprehended by a joint team of Quezon and Camarines Norte policemen.

Ylagan, a resident of B32 L19 Carissa Punta 1, Tanza, Cavite, was nabbed by virtue of warrant of arrests for robbery cases issued by Judge Eloida R. de Leon Diaz of RTC Branch 58 and Judge Romeo Villanueva of RTC Branch 60, both in Lucena City.

Police confiscated from the suspect a Tanfoglio pistol. He is now under the custody of Quezon Police. (Danny J. Estacio)

Ilonggo soldier’s body flown home ILOILO CITY, Iloilo — The body of 1st Lieutenant Roger Flores, who was killed in the clash between government troops and Abu Sayyaf bandits last week, will be flown home to Iloilo City.

Major Ray Tiongson, spokesman of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), disclosed that Flores’ body is scheduled to arrive on June 24.

Flores was one of the seven Philippine Marines killed by the Abu Sayyaf in Patikul, Sulu, last June 19. More than a dozen other government soldiers were wounded.

The young officer, who graduated in 2005 with an electrical engineering course from Central Philippine University (CPU) in Iloilo City, is a decorated soldier and a student leader.

Flores graduated as top three of the class 2009 Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and was awarded the Philippine Navy Saber.

Flores was also a recipient of the Joint United States Military Advisory Group (JUSMAG) Award.

Flores’ body is currently at Fort Bonifaco, the headquarters of the Philippine Marines in Taguig City, Metro Manila. (Tara Yap)

Truckload of coconut hijacked TIAONG, Quezon –An Isuzu forward truck loaded with 20 tons of coconut was hijacked along with the driver and helper by four armed men on Maharlika Highway in Barangay Lagalag, this town, on Saturday.

Police said truck driver Reymundo A. Macalintal, 50, of Barangay San Francisco Calihan, San Pablo City, Laguna, and truck helper Ronald T. Galang, 40, of Poblacion II-D, San Pablo City, were freed unharmed by the suspects after unloading the content of the hijacked truck.

The duo told police that they were on board a truck (TMT 434) traveling along Maharlika Highway on their way to deliver 20 tons of coconut to Pacific Royale Inc. in Candelaria between 12:01 and 1 a.m., Saturday, when an Elf truck occupied by armed men suddenly appeared and blocked their path.

The victims said the suspects ordered them to lie face down on the floor of the vehicle as they took control of the truck’s steering wheel.

The suspects drove the truck to Barangay Guisguis in Sariaya town, where the suspects unloaded the coconut at about 5:30 a.m.

The suspects then released the victims and the vehicle.

The suspects are now the subject of a police manhunt. (Danny J. Estacio)

5 nabbed for illegal fishing SURIGAO CITY – Five fishermen were arrested by maritime police for alleged illegal fishing off Surigao City over the weekend.

Police identified the arrested suspects as Dodo C. Magsaio, 43; Joselito Cabana Magsaio, 35; Zacarias Ocao Tenchavez, 23, all residents of Surigao City; Helbert Monda Languis, 41, and Dionesio Cruz Camalline, 32, both residents of Purok 3, Barangay Bagumbayan, Dinagat Island province.

Confiscated from the suspects were a white fishing boat with 16 HP Briggs and Stratton engine worth R75,000.00; a set of air compressor worth R15,000.00; 150 meters hose worth R2,500.00 and other fishing paraphernalia worth R6,050.00, and about 10 kilos of fish catch. (Mike U. Crismundo)

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014

5

Jail escapee wounded in shootout BIÑAN CITY, Laguna - A 30-year-old detainee who escaped after attending a court hearing in San Pedro City on June 17 was wounded yesterday morning when he engaged the agents of Laguna Criminal Investigation and Detection Team (CIDT) and local police in Barangay San Francisco, this city.

Chief Inspector Armie Agbuya, Laguna CIDT chief, said Gener Bilaran, an escapee from Laguna Provincial Jail with pending illegal drugs and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition charges, is now confined at the Ospital ng Binan due to gunshots wounds in different parts of the body.

Agbuya said his team was about to arrest Bilaran when the latter opened fire at them in his hideout at Juana 6 Subdivision, Barangay San Francisco, about 8:30 a.m. yesterday.

The shootout ended in Juana 3 Subdivision where the suspect was cornered by the CIDT and re-

sponding members of Binan City Police.

Police seized from the suspect a .22-caliber firearm.

Last June 17, Bilaran fled from his escorts after attending a court hearing for his cases in San Pedro City, Laguna. (Ferdinand F. Castro)

SUV falls off bridge; 2 dead, 4 hurt TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan - Two town councillors died while four others were hurt after the Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) they were riding fell off a bridge in Barangay Masical, Santo Niño, Cagayan province, last Friday afternoon, a belated report said yesterday.

Inspector Arlene Javier, public information officer of Cagayan

Police Provincial Office, identified the fatalities as Santo Niño town councilors Rosendo Ruiz Jr. and Orlando Campano.

Injured were Jamil Romeo Uy, Felomena Tulali, Romeo Pecson, and Robin Evangelista.

Investigation showed that the victims were onboard a Mitsubishi Montero (WRO-757)

driven by Uy en route to Barangay Centro from a wake in Barangay Tabang at about 5:30 a.m., Friday, when the vehicle fell from a bridge after negotiating a sharp curve.

All the occupants of the vehicle were rushed to Saint Paul Hospital, but Campano and Ruiz were declared dead on arrival. (Freddie G. Lazaro)

Farmer held for raping niece, 7 JONES, Isabela – Police operatives arrested a 33-year-old farmer after he allegedly raped his sevenyear-old niece he was supposed to bring to school here last Friday.

Chief Inspector Benjamin Agcaoile, Jones chief of police, said the

Car kills widow, 78 INDANG, Cavite – A 78-year-old widow died Saturday night after she was accidentally hit by a car while crossing Indang-Trece Road in Barangay Mataas na Lupa, this municipality, police said yesterday.

Senior Police Officer IV Ruben Peñaflor, case investigator, identified the fatality as one Paz Canarejo Villoria, a resident of Fairview, Quezon City.

Villoria, who sustained body injuries, succumbed at Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo Hospital in neighboring Trece Martires City.

In a report, Peñaflor said that the Mitsubishi Adventure car (KEN 726) driven one Erick C. Dilig, 43, hit Villoria at 6 p.m. Saturday.

The investigator said that a charge of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide is being readied against Dilig, who is a resident of South Crest village, Dasamarinas City, Cavite. He is now detained at Indang police station. (Anthony Giron)

suspect identified as Silvin was immediately arrested in his house after the child’s mother reported the rape incident.

Police investigation showed that the suspect, who was driving a motorcycle, fetched the victim and her two sisters and brought them to Jones Rural School.

The victim’s two sisters alighted from the motorcycle and went inside the school while the Grade I pupil was prevented by the suspect to get off. He instead brought the victim near their residence in a grassy area where he sexually abused her.

Agcaoile said a medico legal ex-

amination conducted on the girl confirmed that she was indeed sexually violated.

According to police report, the victim was raped at about 7 a.m., Friday.

“Naikuwento ng bata sa kaniyang nanay na nagmamakaaawa ito pero hindi tinigilan ng tiyuhin hanggang sa iwanan pa itong magisa sa lugar na walang katao-tao at umiiyak na nakauwi ang bata,” Agcaoile added when interviewed.

The suspect is now detained at Jones Municipal Jail for rape charges in relation to Republic Act 7510 with no bail recommended.

(Liezle Basa Inigo)

A FISH vendor at the wet section of Santiago City Public Market in Isabela displays a large fresh water fish called ‘Big Head,’ which was caught from Magat River in San Mateo, Isabela. (Photo by Ceasar M. Perante)

6

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014 15, 2014 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY

Reflections Today

Judging others Gospel Reading: Mt 7:1-5 ESUS said to his disciples,] “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye?

You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”

Reflections THE SPLINTER IN YOUR BROTHER’S EYE. The Bible employs a lot of hyperbole or language used for effect and not meant to be taken literally. In underlining the irony and folly of pointing to the faults of others when we have even bigger faults, Jesus says that we notice the splinter in someone’s eye but do not perceive the wooden beam in our own.

This manner of speaking or joking invites laughter, but the joke is one that judges or attempts to correct.

Jesus is not prohibiting the recognition

[J

of others’ faults; in fact, he speaks of removing the splinter from a brother’s eye. What Jesus warns against is passing judgment in a spirit of arrogance, forgetting that one has a share of faults that may even be more serious.

Try pointing a finger at someone. As you point one finger, three other fingers close and point back at you. You see only the finger pointed at the other person, unaware of the three other fingers pointing back at you.

This does not mean that we cannot have our opinions of other people.

It is unrealistic to expect that we do not make assessments of others. We are, however, reminded to be slow in condemning. If we correct others, it must be done with love and humility, bearing in mind the words of Jesus, “The measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you” (Lk 6:38). *** When you see someone making mistakes, do you correct the person without appearing arrogant?

Or do you say, “It’s none of my business”? *** SOURCE: “366 Days with the Lord,” ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 8957328; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.

EDITORIAL Concerned teachers protest Department of Education directive

A

GROUP of teachers trooped to the Department of Education (DepEd) the other day to protest a directive issued by Secretary of Education Armin Luistro directing all DepEd regional directors, school division superintendents, and heads of public elementary and secondary schools to discontinue the hiring of locally paid and volunteer teachers starting school year 2014-2015.

The protesting teachers - leaders and members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) - said that because of the shortage of teachers in the nation’s public schools, the DepEd budget, Republic Act 10633, had provided for the employment of qualified contractual and volunteer teachers by local government units (LGUs).

Now, the DepEd wants to discontinue this hiring of teachers by LGUs. The reason, it was said, is DepEd wants that “only the best teachers” are hired.

Ideally, that should be the case. But the situation in most of the country is less than ideal. There is a shortage of nearly everything in the nation’s public schools.

There is a shortage of classrooms, despite the national government’s claim at one time that the shortage had been erased with the construction of 60,000 school rooms in the months leading to the opening of classes; this claim was later withdrawn when many schools had to resort, as before, to holding classes in hallways and in scheduling two to three sessions a day.

The adoption of the K-to-12 program aggravated the problem. There used to be six elementary grades and four high school years; now there are seven and five, respectively – on top of kindergarten. The additional three years in school called for additional classrooms - and additional teachers. LGUs were able to help by funding the hiring of additional teachers. But the new DepEd directive now seeks to put a stop to this. The result, according to ACT, has been dismissals and extra teaching loads for remaining teachers.

There is no disputing the DepEd’s desire that only the best and the most qualified teachers are hired, but this can perhaps be done less abruptly with the help of local education officials with their experience and their knowledge of local conditions.

Perhaps, a calibrated phase-out of LGU-hired and volunteer teachers could be carried out, so there will be no sudden disruption of the operation in many schools.

And by the way, national government officials should by now get used to protests from the lower ranks of employees as well as the general public. They have seen how so much has gone to scams and cannot understand why not enough government funds are provided for such important government programs as public education.

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014

Speaking Out Atty. Ignacio R. Bunye

Should priests be allowed to marry?

Part 3

I

N a two-part article, entitled “Should priests be allowed to marry?” I wrote on the celibacy of priests, its origin, the pros and cons, and the current stand of Pope Francis.

I w ro t e t h a t t h e c u r re n t Pontiff, in a recent interview with journalists, stated that celibacy is not dogma and can therefore change.

I ended Part 2 by stating while the Church’s stand can change, we should not expect it any time soon because Pope Francis may have his eyes set on more urgent reforms in the Church, namely: 1. Putting a closure on the sexual scandals that have rocked the Church and 2. Reforming the Vatican Bank.

And I thought that was the end of that. But then came this email from reader Rev. Dr. Jose B. Fuliga STM, TH. D. I j u s t t h o u g h t t h a t D r.

Fuliga’s arguments are too compelling to ignore. Allow me to paraphrase and/or reprint excerpts from his email: Dr. Fulliga started by saying celibacy should be made optional as it was in the early church.

Then he identified early Church leaders who were married.

Next, he identified 6 Popes who were married.

T h e y w e r e S t . Pe t e r t h e Apostle; St. Felix III (483 492 who had 2 children); St. Hormidas (514 - 523, who had a son); St. Silverus (536 – 537, who had a daughter); Clement IV (1265 – 1268, who had 2 daughters) and Felix V (14391449, who had a son).

Then, he listed 11 Popes who were sons of other Popes and other clergy.

They were St. Damascus I (366-348); St. Innocent I (401-

417); Boniface (418-422); St. Felix (483-492); Anastacius II (496-498); St. Agapitus I (535536); St. Silverus (536-537); Deusdedit (882-884); Boniface VI (896-896); John XI (931935); John XV (989-996).

Then, he listed at least 6 Popes who had illegitimate children after 1139. The date is very material because it wa s i n 1 1 3 9 t h a t c e l i b a c y was reiterated in the Second Lateran Council. The 6 Popes were in office from 1484 to 1585.

They were Innocent VIII (1484-1492); Alexander VI (1492-1503); Julius Paul III (1503-1513); Paul III (15341549); Pius IV (1559-1565); and Gregory XIII (15721585).

By way of footnote, Alexander VI was the father of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia and many others. Alexander VI’s reign was scandalously marked by libertinism and nepotism that Julius II reportedly forbade under pain of excommunication any mention of Alexander VI and any Borgia.

In h i s e m a i l , D r. F u l l i g a also makes the following observations/conclusions: - Mandatory clerical celibacy reduces the Roman Catholic sacraments from seven to six as no one can receive both ordination and matrimony.

- Mandatory celibacy for Catholic clergy would mean the continuing decrease in the number of priests and the increasing number of sexual scandals as is going on now.

- The Catholic Church allows matrimony for clergy of the Eastern rite although married clergy can not become bishops.

- Why does the Roman Catholic Church allow married Protestant clergy who convert to Roman Catholicism to become priests while denying the same privilege to its own clergy?

Dr. Fuliga ended his email by predicting the end of celibacy in 25 years.

Note: For feedback, you may email us at totingbunye2000@gmail. com.

7

APAN is located at the meeting point of 3 tectonic plates, the Eurasian, Philippine Sea and Pacific plates. The boundary is to the East of the 4 main Japanese islands.

It is a convergent DESTRUCTIVE boundary, with faults running off the boundary. In effect, Japan owes its existence to this boundary and the Islands are volcanic in origin. More than 70 percent of land surface is mountainous.

Japan endures 20 percent of

the world’s powerful earthquakes (magnitude-6 and above) every year. About 1,500 earthquakes strike the island yearly. Minor tremors occur on a nearly daily basis throughout the year. Deadly quakes and tsunami are a tragic part of the nation’s past.

The reason why the Tōhoku Earthquake, March 11, 2011, happened was due to the buildup in strain energy as the Pacific plate subducted under the Eurasian plate. This strain energy eventually overcame the frictional force holding the plates in place, and was released as earthquake waves. The sea floor shifted forward 60m in places. The offshore quake caused a massive tsunami, which inflicted more than 15,000 fatalities and crippled the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

The massive rupture extended for about 400km, generating the fourth-largest earthquake ever recorded.

Professor Toru Matsuzawa of Tohoku University in Japan says a magnitude-10 earthquake is possible in theory if a large fault slips, but the chances of a temblor that size is slim. If a temblor of such a scale should strike, the underground rupture would continue for 20 minutes to an hour, meaning tsunami could hit coasts before the shaking subsides. If a 3,000-kilometer stretch from the Japan Trench to the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench along the Pacific Ring of Fire has a slip of 60 meters, that would constitute a magnitude-10 earthquake, he said.

IWAHIG – One-hundred convicts armed with machetes wander through a vast prison without walls in one of the Philippines’ most beautiful islands, a unique approach to reforming criminals.

Two token guards with shotguns slung on their shoulders relax in the shade nearby as the blue-shirted group of inmates chops weeds at a rice paddy at the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm on Palawan island.

But Arturo, who is 21 years into a life sentence for murder, has no plans to escape, preferring to keep his chances of an eventual commutation or even a pardon.

“I don’t want to live the life of a rat, panicked into bolting into a hole each time a policeman comes my way,” the 51-year-old inmate, whose full name cannot be used in keeping with prison regulations, told Agence France-Presse.

Surrounded by a thick coastal mangrove forest, a mountain range, and a highway, the 26,000-hectare (64,000-acre) Iwahig jail is one of the world’s largest open prisons, more than two times the size of Paris.

A single guard sits at its largely ceremonial main gate, routinely waving visitors through without inspection.

A shallow ditch, but no walls, is all that separates the 3,186 prisoners from the outside world.

A mere 14 kilometers (nine miles) away is Puerto Princesa, a city of 250,000 people and a top tourist destination as the gateway to an island famed for stunning dive sites, a giant underground river system, and beautiful beaches.

A steady stream of local and foreign tourists visit Iwahig’s quaint, preWorld War II prison administration buildings and a handicrafts shop, which is manned by inmates who have made the items on sale.

A few hundred hectares of the land is devoted to rice paddies, which sit picturesquely on either side of a fire-tree-lined dirt road. Ducks, goats, cattle, and egrets feed quietly on newly harvested plots.

Fish ponds, coconut plantations, corn fields, and vegetable plots are scattered across the prison, although the bulk of the land remains covered by forest and mangroves.

US colonial rulers established Iwahig in 1904 for political prisoners and Manila’s worst inmates, seeking to isolate them in what was then a sparsely inhabited frontier about 600 kilometers (370) miles from the nation’s capital.

Prisoners were used to clear virgin

rainforests for farming, which would in turn encourage migration from the archipelago’s more populous areas.

After the Philippines won independence post-World War II, those who had served out their term were also given the option to clear and own up to six hectares of land.

Up until the 1970s, the prisons had much tougher security than today, with chain gangs of inmates the norm.

Most other jails in the Philippines continue with brutal conditions, with inmates packed beyond capacity in dingy, airless cells and having to take turns sleeping.

But at Iwahig, and four smaller penal farms in other provincial areas, authorities have sought to take advantage of the open spaces to create conditions that encourage the rehabilitation of inmates.

“This (farm work) serves as their preparation for getting back into a free society once they are released.

It helps them adapt back to life as free men,” said prison superintendent Richard Schwarzkopf.

Iwahig’s inmates mostly come from Manila’s main Bilibid prison, a far smaller facility that holds about 22,000 convicts and which requires periodic prisoner transfers to ease the over-crowding. (AFP)

This is On Me Floro Mercene

An Earthquake-prone country, Japan

J

Convicts with machetes wander at idyllic Iwahig

8

1iiiiijiii

Comic Tracy Morgan, hurt in Nl collision, moves to rehab facility ACTOR and comedian Tracy Morgan, critically injured in a New Jersey highway collision earlier this month, has been moved to a rehabilitation center where he is expected to stay for a few weeks, his publicist said on Friday.

Morgan has been undergoing treatment at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, since the chain-reaction crash on June 7 that killed another comic and injured three other people.

"Tracy has been transferred to an undisclosed rehab center, where he is expected to remain for the next few weeks," his publicist Lewis Kay said in a statement. "While he is continuing to show signs of improvement, he still

has a long way to go."

Morgan suffered a broken leg and other injuries.

The collision occurred near Cranbury Township, New Jersey, when a truck slammed into the back of a Mercedes limo bus carrying Morgan and several others, flipping it over.

Comedian James McNair, 62, known by his stage name Jimmy Mack, of Peekskill, New York, died at the scene.

The truck driver, a Wal-Mart Stores Inc employee who was driving a company tractor trailer, has been charged with vehicular homicide. He had not slept in more than 24 hours before the crash, according to the criminal complaint.

Morgan, 45, is best known for his

Ronald Constantino OVETED, TREASURED - Movie awards are a dime a dozen these days, from the industry, press, academe, civic and social groups whatever.

But let it be said that the Urian, given by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino for the last 37 years, has maintained its credibility and integrity. No wonder then that an Urian trophy is most coveted and treasured.

Ask actors, directors, writers, and other cinema workers and they'll tell you, "Gusto kong manalo ng Urian."

C

• PARTIAL BUT - It isn't easy to win one as the critics' standards are high, very high. They are said to be partial to indies, without discounting mainstream movies.

In the last Urian night, most indie artists won awards. But then Joel Torre won as best actor for "OTJ," which is mainstream. It was Joel's third Urian .

Let's admit it, most mainstream movies these days are romcom, tearjerker, drama, comedy, following tried and tested formula. Box-office is the main consideration. "Pa-cute" and "pa-kilig" and "pa-emote."

•

URIAN trophy

Rowena Agilada

experimental.

They are winning raves in international filmfests.

To cite two, Brillante Mendoza and Lav Diaz, whose "Norte" won best Urian picture. Brillante's "Kinatay" won best director in Cannes. His "Thy Womb," topbilled by Nora Aunor, was shown all over the world, winning trophies for the Superstar.

The past years, indies competed at the Oscar's foreign-language film category. The Philippines has yet to

INANGAAN ang breakdown scene ni Dingdong Dantes sa ''Ang Dalawang Mrs. ReaL" Ang galing-galing ng Kapuso Primetime King sa eksenang magkausap sila ni Maricel Soriano na hindi niya masabi ang problema niya. Mapipilitan kasi siyang pakasalan si Lovi Poe (as ,.~~.C:::=~SI Shiela) dahil nabuntis niya ito. ;II.K:::~~ Nakausap namin si Dingdong sa taping ng "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real" na aniya, kung mangyayari ' yun sa kanya sa tunay na buhay, baka raw magpakain na lang siva sa lupa. "Ewan ko!

Magulo ang eksena. Parang mahirap gawin. Pero somehow ay nakaka-relate ako sa rami ng mga nagawa ko sa buhay (laughs)," saad ni Dingdong.

Madali ba siyang matukso?

Aniya, hindi naman maiiwasan 'yun paminsan-minsan dahil tao lang siva. "Pero nababalanse ko naman. Friendly kasi ako, pero relasyon nila. may hangganan," ani Dingdong.

Mukha namang naka-move on na Kumusta naman ang si Chynna na busy-bisihan naman sa pakikipagtrabaho niya kay Maricel bago niyang project sa GMA7. Kasama Soriano? "It's getting better and siva sa "Dading" na aniya, excited siva better. Masaya. Wala namang sa kanyang role dahil hindi na siva problema," sam bit ni Dingdong . kontrabida. Sexy at social ang karakter "With Lovi naman, komportable na niya bilang Cynthia na handang ibigay kami sa isa't isa. Ang dami pang lahat para sa lalaking mahal niya. mangyayari sa serye namin na dapat Wala siyang bagong boyfriend abangan. Ang dami pang conflicts." after Raily. Pahinga muna ang puso ni Chynna. Sa presscon ng "Dading," tinanong siva kung posible kayang maPahinga muna in love siva sa isang bakla. "Posible," ang pUSO ani Chynna. "Marami akong kaibigang bading. Sa panahon ngayon, open ako Kahit lonely heart, lovely pa rin sa possibility na mai-in love ako sa si Chynna Ortaleza matapos ang isang bading." break-up nila ni Railey Valeroso.

Tampok sa "Dading" sina Gabby More than 10 years ang naging Eigenmann, Gardo Verzosa, Benjamin

H

TRACY Morgan CAP Photo)

roles on the lV shows "30 Rock" and "Saturday Night Live."

The comics were returning from a performance in Delaware.

(Reuters)

merit a nomination. But in time the country's entry will make it - an indie entry, of course.

Now, you and I might not agree with the choices of the Manunuris, but we have to admit that the critics choices were based on merits. And merits alone. No other considerations. They explained, justified, defended their choices oncam.

•

RAVES ABROAD - Indies, the past 10 years or so, dare to be different, innovative,

Jake at 81 • Nagli-live II Timing

Urian trophy: Most coveted and treasured Highspeed

Enterta

tempoen@gmail.com

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014

AMAZING GRACE - Current chair of the Manunuris is Grace "Gigi" Alfonso, multi-talented .

Painter, writer, filmmaker, educator (chancellor of UP Open University).

She has nine members, all of them highly opinionated. It's amazing how Gigi could "tame" them during the deliberations in choosing the winners.

The other Manunuris have heavy curriculum vitae, with MA and PhD degrees. The revered Bien Lumbera (National Artist and Magsaysay Awardee), Drs. Nic Tiongson, Benilda Santos, Roland Tolentino, and Mike Rapatan .

Journalist Lito Zulueta and film educator Tito Genova Valiente.

Not to forget Mario Hernando and Butch FranCiSCO, who have showbiz connections. Mario is member of the Movie & Television Review & Classification Board.

Butch is co-host of "Startalk" on GMA. They are highly esteemed in the entertainment industry.

r .....

GMA nal11ed best ne' in Ga\Nad Duyan AlN GMA Network was accorded the Gintong Duyan Award in the recently concluded, first-ever Gawad Duyan Awards for Television organized by the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS).

The list of recipients includes Reporter's Notebook and I-Witness, which won the Natatanging Himay-

Salaysay Award for their Hikahos na Musmos and Tawid Eskuwela episodes, respectively.

State of the Nation with Jessica Soho received the Natatanging Himay-Ulat Award.

Bawal ang Pasaway kay Mareng Winnie won the Natatanging Talastas-Katuturan Award .

·In men t

NESTOR CUARTERO Editor

'Oyesebel,' not 'Oyesabel'

ea: 1 na?

Alves, RJ Padilla, Mymy Davao.

Directed by Ricky Davao at mapapanood simula ngayong Lunes (June 23) pagkatapos ng "The Half-Sisters" sa Afternoon Prime block ng GMA.

Live-in na?

May isyung diumano'y nagli-live-in na sina Jake Vargas at Bea Binene. Kaya naman nang nakita namin si Kuya Germs (German Moreno) sa presscon ng "Dading," tinanong namin siya kung totoo ba ang tsismis?

Itinanggi ni Kuya Germs na nagli-lives in sina Jake at Bea. ene Aniya, madalas lang nasa bahay nina Bea si Jake, kaya napagkakamalang nagli-live-in na ang dalawa.

"Bata pa si Bea at alam kong hindi sila gagawa ni Jake ng masama. Mas mainam na 'yung sa bahay nina Bea nagpupunta si Jake, kesa mabarkada siya sa Olongapo. Mas kampante ang loob ko dahil alam kung nasaan si Jake," pahayag ni Kuya Germs.

Ang ikinaiinis ni Kuya Germs, pinaghihinalaan pa siya ng ibang tao. Binibigyan ng malisya ang talent-manager relationship nila ni Jake. Aniya, hindi siya kumukuha ng komisyon sa alaga niya bilang manager. Gusto lang niyang makatulong dahil gano'n din siya sa ibang talents na tinutulungan niya. "Masaya ako kapag nakakatulong sa mga artistang nakikita kong nagsusumikap sa kanilang trabaho," saad ni Kuya Germs.

Trailer Nestor Cuartero UST A THOUGHT: Happiness is not something readymade.

It comes from your own actions. -Dalai Lama

l

*** Something happened on the first day shooting of drama-comedy series, Dading. Lead actor Benjamin Alves and his co-actor Glaiza de Castro fell off a motorcycle.

Slightly hurt, the two actors went on with the shoot under the direction of Ricky Davao.

Dading, wordplay of "Daddy" and "bading", is a light yet emotionallycharged story that sheds a different light to the meaning of parenthood.

Historical docu-drama, Katipunan, was awarded the Lingap Lahi Award; actor Sid Lucero won the Hiblang Huwaran Award; and Rocco Nacino and veteran actor Pen Medina were given the Hiblang Huwaran and Hiblang Taliwas Awards for their performances in Bayan Ko.

Benjamin plays reckless father to a boy whom he abandons. The child ends up under the care of Gabby Eigenmann, a gay man whose best friend is equally gay Gardo Versoza.

"It's good that GMA is becoming very open to tell a story that hasn't been told yet. It happens in real life. We're telling this story to make people more aware of certain family issues. It's exciting," he says.

Directed by Ricky Davao, the series offers character portrayals that echo the value of commitment, love and sacrifice of being a parent.

The show follows the story of Carding (Gabby), who decides to raise the love child of his best friend, Beth (Glyza De Castro), and her lover, Joemer (Benjamin), as his own.

Dading is Benjamin's follow-up assignment after serials Ada rna and

,ft'll rr"

9

BENJAMIN

Alves

Katipunan.

The show elevating Gabby Eigenmann to a title role premieres June 23, Monday, after 'The Half Sisters' on GMA.

***

BY THE WAY ... Gerald Anderson keeps pronouncing Dyesebel as Dyesabel in his scenes in the popular teleserye. Directors, please correct him. By the way, Gerald and Kim Chiu are reuniting in a new project on ABS-CBN. GMA is readying a new show to replace Kap's Amazing Stories, the magazine show hosted by Sen. Bong Revilla, who surrendered to the Sandiganbayan last Friday over plunder charges.

Jackson remains aprovider 5vears after his death LOS ANGELES (AP) - It's been five years since Michael Jackson died, yet his career is more alive than it has been in decades.

Just last month, the singer moonwalked across a Las Vegas stage in a nationally televised hologram performance. A new album recently debuted at No. 2 on music charts. And a traveling Cirque du Solei I show based on Jackson's songs has logged nearly 500 performances worldwide.

The result has been an estate that has earned more than $600 million since the King of Pop's untimely death at age 50.

Some of the earnings support Jackson's three children and

tvvork 'ards

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 20

mother. Yet an analysis by The Associated Press shows much more has gone to erase the singer's massive debts and to run the estate that powers his robust posthumous career.

As would be expected, the last five years have brought their share of change and adjustment for Jackson's children, known to the world as Prince, 17; Paris, 16; and Blanket, 12. They were at their father's rented mansion on June 25, 2009, when he was given an overdose of the anesthetic propofol in his upstairs bedroom.

And they were at the hospital several hours later when he was pronounced dead.

It would take more than two years before Jackson's doctor was convicted of involuntary 'manslaughter.

A father who taught his

Jackson (AP Photo)

children philanthropy, threw them lavish birthday parties and meticulously masked them from the paparazzi is gone. Michael Jackson, however, continues to provide.

Nearly $20 million had been spent

to support Jackson's children and his mother, Katherine, through 2012. Payments to the family have increased each year since June 2009, according to court records. Adulthood will bring a sizeable inheritance for each child.

In the meantime, lawyers have busily untangled Jackson's finances, which itself has been expensive.

Among the disbursements between mid-2009 and the end of 2012: - More than $91 million on taxes and licenses, including $45 million paid to the federal government for taxes.

- More than $25 million in compensation for the estate's executors, Jackson's longti me attomey John Branca and family friend and music executive John McClain.

The men receive a percentage of the estate's earnings.

- More than $17 million to lawyers who represent the estate, Katherine and her grandchildren.

- Nearly $4 million to properly store and archive the trove of personal belongings and unreleased music that Jackson amassed during his lifetime.

"This is a complex estate ~ with unique issues," said Katherine's attorney, Perry Sanders Jr. "Under all the circumstances,

Mrs. Jackson and the children are certainly being well cared for."

Sanders, who has conducted audits of the estate's spending, said everything is in order and detailed financial records match precisely what has been presented in court.

"It's surprising how big the numbers are, but then when you realize what goes into it - and that a judge has approved those numbers - then it becomes not so shocking," said Irwin Feinberg, an attorney who specializes in probate litigation.

While Jackson craved success, his priority in later years was his children.

The trio is a large part of the singer's legacy, and the music, dance moves and business pieces he left behind assure them a comfortable, if not care-free, lifestyle.

Jackson's children live with their grandmother in a hilltop home in the celebrity enclave of Calabasas, home to the Kardashian family, Britney Spears and many others.

The estate pays for private schools and tutors, a chef, private security and family vacations, giving the Jackson children the stability their father strived to provide.

"Michael's number one priority was his children, not wealth or fame," said Tom Mesereau, the attorney who successfully defended Jackson against child molestation charges and stays in touch with his family.

··• ··

·• • •

~

10

Entertainment

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014

Raymart, Claudine maganda ang muling paghaharap

By GLEN P. SIBONGA

NAGING maganda ang muling paghaharap ng mag-asawang sina Raymart Santiago at Claudine Barretto sa korte noong Hunyo 20 dahil pareho silang lumabas na nakangiti pagkatapos. Parehong dumalo sina Raymart at Claudine sa consolidated cases ng Custody at Habeas Corpus sa sala ni Judge Geraldine Fiel-Macaraig ng Branch 192 sa Marikina Regional Trial Court.

Sa report ng PEP.ph, si Raymart ang unang nilapitan ng press pagkatapos ng hearing at nagpaunlak naman ito ng interview bagama’t tumutol itong magbigay ng detalye tungkol sa naging pag-uusap sa loob ng korte dahil nga sa gag order. Habang ini-interview ang aktor ay dumaan si Claudine at nagngitian ang dalawa.

Ayon nga kay Raymart, “Ako kasi, parang mas maganda kung hindi ko na lang ikuwento. Ayoko nang idetalye. Mas maganda ‘yung lumabas kang nakangiti kesa yung nakasimangot, ‘di ba? I don’t want

‘Stars on 45’ back ABS-CBN’s top-rating noontime program “It’s Showtime” brings back hit segment “Stars on 45,” where middle-aged men and women compete to showcase their singing chops with classic and contemporary tracks.

Auditions on “Stars on 45” are held Monday to Friday, 3-5PM at the ABS-CBN audience entrance.

Applicants must bring a valid ID, birth certificate, and minusone audio tracks of new and old songs. Look for Raul Lingan.

Angel, Zsa Zsa, new mentors on i-Shine

RAYMART Santiago

CLAUDINE Barretto

to go into details na kung ano ang napag-usapan e, respeto na rin sa korte. Ang maganda niyan, pareho kaming nakangiti.”

Sabi pa ng aktor, ipinagdasal niya raw na maging maganda ang resulta ng pag-uusap nila. “Lahat naman nakukuha sa dasal yun, e.

Bago kami nag-umpisa, pinagdasal namin na maayos ang lahat. Nagusap-usap na rin kaming tatlo at nagdasal na rin kami. Hanggang dun na lang ang makuwento ko.”

Ang maganda raw ay unti-unti

nang nagkakaroon ng kaayusan sa ilang mga bagay at usapin.

“Hindi naman madaan sa mabilisan ‘to, e. Lalo na sa pinagdaanan namin. More than one year ‘tong tumatakbo ang kaso. Ang maganda nito, kahit papaano, may liwanag. Umpisa pa naman, ‘di ba, sabi ko wala namang panalo dito sa amin, pareho kaming talo. Dahil minsan nabuo ang pamilya na nawasak. Pero untiunti namang may liwanag,” sabi pa ni Raymart.

Richard, Jodi lead ‘Be Careful’ live concert STARS of the hit Kapamilya daytime show “Be Careful With My Heart” Jodi Sta. Maria and Richard Yap celebrate the second anniversary of their “kilig-serye” through a special concert at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum on July 25, 2014.

“It’s a thanksgiving concert and a family reunion for us and all the viewers who have supported the show and loved Maya and Ser Chief since we started in July 2012,” says Jodi.

The concert, “I HEART YOU 2! The ‘Be Careful with My Heart’ Anniversary Thanksgiving”, will feature the show’s cast and surprise guests.

JODI Sta. Maria and Richard Yap

CLOCKWISE, from left: Angel Locsin, Xian Lim, Dimples Romana, Mateo Guidicelli, and Georcelle Dapat-Sy. ACTRESS Angel Locsin and music icon Zsa Zsa Padilla will be the new mentors of Promil Pre-School i-Shine 3 Talent Camp, which aims to nurture children’s talents in dancing, singing and acting.

Joining Angel and Zsa Zsa is fierce mom and artistic director of G-Force Georcelle Dapat-Sy, who will guide the i-Shiners through a series of workshops.

I-Shine Talent Camp Year 3 will be hosted by TV hosts Dimples Romana, Matteo Guidicelli, and Xian Lim. The talent camp is now on its third year.

Promil will give away over one million pesos worth of prizes, plus a contract with ABS-CBN. The show will pilot on June 28, 10 a.m., after Sponge Bob Square Pants on ABS-CBN.

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014

11

DPWH office celebrates VP lauds Google for taking down blog Vice President Jejomar C. Binay asked Filipinos yesterday to hold their heads high in the face of discrimination as he lauded Google for taking down blog that listed ways to harass Filipinos in Singapore.

“I laud everyone from Google for leading the drive in keeping the World Wide Web free from bigotry and intolerance,” said Binay.

He thanked the Internet giant “for not allowing itself to be a platform for prejudice and ethnic discrimination.”

Binay, Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers, urged the nation to be proud of “our culture and heritage, and the same time, let us also be examples of tolerance, respect, and acceptance.”

The blog, “Blood-Stained Singapore,” was hosted on Google-owned Blogger. It was no longer available by late Thursday.

Titled “Filipino infestation in Singapore – 5-point guide to showing displeasure without breaking the law,” the blog advised Singaporeans to refuse to be served by Filipinos in res-

taurants, “accidentally” shove them in crowded places, and not to help Filipinos involved in traffic accidents.

The Vice President, however, reiterated the Philippines continues to maintain a good relationship with the city state.

“Singapore and its citizens are our good friends and partners in the ASEAN, and host tens of thousands of our workers, to the mutual benefit of both our nations,” Binay said.

“It is obvious that the blogger, in choosing to hide behind the veil of anonymity, knew he would be held liable for what he wrote under Singaporean law against hate speech. And even as we condemn the hate speech, we Filipinos reiterate our well wishes for the people of Singapore,” he added.

A Google spokesperson confirmed that the US web giant removes material from Blogger that violates its policy on hate speech.

There are currently some 170,000 Filipinos living in Singapore, most of them professionals. (Anna Liza V. Alavaren)

The Ilocos Sur 1st District Engineering Office led by District Engineer Reynaldo Organo held several activities to mark the 116th anniversary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

A thanksgiving mass will be held today, Organo said.

Among the other activities were a sportsfest in which they qualified for the championship on the regional level; a coastal cleanup headed by Organo and Engr. Ray Ablog, chief of the construction section; and a tree-planting on June 25.

Organo and Ablog urged all employees of the district to deliver quality service to the public.

“We are here to perform our duties and responsibilities effectively for the welfare of the motorist,” Organo and Ablog said.

12 MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014 AGOS

Comics RICHEL G. DOROTAN/LOUIE CELERIO

Sports

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014

13

Agojo eyes maiden win

JAYVIE AGOJO

Jayvie Agojo sets out for the ICTSI Riviera Ladies Classic, all primed up to nail the elusive win when the R500,000 ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour event is fired off Wednesday (June 25) at Riviera’s Couples layout in Silang, Cavite.

Agojo has had a series of heartbreak finishes in last year’s inaugurals of the country’s first-ever ladies pro tour, turning in a pair of runner-up finishes and barely losing the Order of Merit crown at the close of the five-leg circuit in Baguio.

The former Philippine Ladies Open champion also placed second to Cyna Rodriguez in this

year’s ICTSI LPGT kickoff leg at Orchard last April but hopes to put it all together this week to finally bag the coveted crown.

“It’s still anybody’s game. But if the break goes my way and my putt falls, I am going to do very well,” said Agojo, who actually scored her breakthrough pro win at Singha LPGA in Thailand last September.

But she will be up against a field also chasing their first win on the circuit sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., including likely rival Chihiro Ikeda.

The Fil-Japanese, a former SEA

Games individual golf medalist and a former Phl Ladies Open winner, is out to make up for her final day meltdown at Orchard when she closed out with a 75 and yielded the runner-up honors to Agojo.

“I hope to do it this time and be able to put on a strong finishing kick,” said Ikeda.

Expected to crowd Agojo and Ikeda for the crown are former ICTSI teammates Anya Tanpinco, Sarah Jane Ababa and Lovelynn Guioguio, while Reb Bareng, Lina de Guzman, Sylvia Torres and Apple Fudolin are also raring to contend for the crown in the circuit backed by Nike, Pacsports,

Custom Clubmakers and Sharp.

Also competing in the compact field are Lucy Landicho, Kristine Leonen, Eva Minoza, Majorie Pulumbarit, Jan Punzalan, Tracy Que and former Phl Ladies Open winner Mary Grace Estuesta along with Korean Kwon Seo Yon and amateurs Vanessa Tsutsui, Ashia Nocum and another Korean Hwang Min Jeong.

From Riviera, the tour goes to Baguio for the ICTSI Camp John Hay Ladies Invitational on July 13 for the third leg with Mt. Malarayat in Lipa, Batangas hosting the next stage on Aug. 13-15 for the ICTSI Mount Malarayat Ladies Classic.

Wie, Yang share Jota, Cajeras pace tilt US Open lead PINEHURST, North Carolina (AP) — Michelle Wie steadied herself over the last four holes in a wild third round at the U.S. Women’s Open on Saturday, leaving the former teen prodigy from Hawaii one round away from winning her first major.

Wie made back-to-back birdies to build a four-shot lead, only to give it all back with drives all over Pinehurst No. 2. She salvaged a 2-over 72 for a share of the lead with Amy Yang, who didn’t make a par until the eighth hole in her roller-coaster round of 68.

Pagara...

(From page 16) “But I always knew I could take him out,” said Pagara, 22, whose next appearance might be on US shores in November.

Meraz’s gallant stand clearly overshadowed the sensational showing of Pagara as well as the similar performance of his younger brother Albert, who blew away Hugo Partida, also of Mexico, in less than a round after scoring three knockdowns.

Promoter Michael Aldeguer said the future looks bright for the Pagara brothers, who are expected to relocate to ALA Boxing’s newest training headquarters in San Diego very soon.

Aldeguer is setting the stage for a big show on Nov. 8 starring world light-flyweight king Donnie Nietes against a soon-to-benamed Mexican opponent.

They were at 2-under 208, the only two players still under par on a Pinehurst No. 2 course that was crispy and brittle. The U.S. Golf Association set the course up relative to what the men faced last Saturday in the U.S. Open — short but tough because of the pin positions.

“It’s tough out there,” Wie said.

“My system got a little overheated.

You can’t be in the trees here. But I felt like I grinded out there.”

The big surprise was the tournament-best 66 from Juli Inkster, the 53-year-old Hall of Famer who has said this will be her 35th and final U.S. Women’s Open.

Inkster, who hasn’t made the cut in this championship in five years, was tied for third just four shots behind. She will be in the penultimate group, though a long shot to become the oldest LPGA major champion by 10 years.

“You can think and you can dream all you want,” Inkster said.

“But the bottom line is you’ve got to come out and make the shots.

And if I’m tied for the lead coming up 18, then maybe I’ll think about it. I’ve got a long way to go. I’m just going to enjoy the moment.”

Lexi Thompson, who won the first major of the year in a finalround duel with Wie, pulled within one shot with a pair of early birdies. It fell apart on two holes.

Thompson missed the green to the left on No. 8 — the worst spot at Pinehurst — and her first chip fell down the slope, leading to double bogey.

Jonathan Jota and Jerich Cajeras racked up five straight wins each to pace the juniors division while three took charge in kiddies play in the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship Southern Luzon leg at SM City Batangas in Batangas City over the weekend.

Jota, a mainstay of Lyceum Cavite, whisked off Janell-An Basbas, Mae Cornel, Venice Vicente, Jerwin Mendoza and Christian Nazario while Cajeras, a St. Benilde standout, trounced Noemi Sta. Rita, Keiffer Pelias, Howard Viernes, Rowelyn Joy Acedo and Jeazzir Surposa to share the lead at five points halfway through 9round Swiss system tournament sponsored by Pilipinas Shell.

Staying in the hunt with 4.5 points each are Lyceum’s top seed Prince Mark Aquino and Romy Fagon, Daryl Unix Samantila of Adamson and La Salle’s Jan

Nigel Galan while 15 players pooled four points apiece, including Nazario, Surposa, Acedo, Kyz Llantada, Christian Balingit, Jhoemar Mendiogarin, Kevin Arquero, Ricardo Batcho, Clinton Andres, Alekhine Rosarda, Daniel Abuzo, Michelle Yaon, Nelson Busa Jr., John Gerez and Rothsen Bautista.

Acedo and Yaon are fighting it out for the lone female berth in the 20-and-under category for a sting in the grand finals of the event which coincides with the centennial anniversary of Shell companies in the Philippines.

Earlier, Cesar Abaricia, Communications and Social Performance manager of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., and Batangas Province Sports Development officer Lito Castro made the ceremonial moves marking the start of the two-day tournament serving as the second leg of a six-stage na-

tionwide circuit sponsored by Pilipinas Shell for the 22nd year.

Emmanuel Van Paler of Boes, Justine Diego Mordido of Caa Elem. School, Carl Jaedrianne Ancheta of Arellano also swept their first five games to lead the way in the kiddies section.

But Stephen Rome Pangilinan of Adamson, Kylen Joy Mordido, also of Caa Elem. School, Univ. of Baguio’s Bea Mendoza and Charles Vincent Galpo of Lyceum-Cavite stood just behind with 4.5 points each while 19 others posted four points apiece, ensuring a fierce battle in the last four rounds of the 14-and-under division.

The battle for the lone girls’ slot in the grand finals is also tipped to go down-to-the-wire among 4.5 pointers Kylen Joy Mordido and Mendoza, along with Osena and Geraldine Guyo, who posted four points each.

Answer yesterday

14

Sports

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014

BOSNIA’S Edin Dzeko, right, reacts as his team was defeated as Nigeria’s Kenneth Omeruo celebrates after the group F World Cup soccer match between Nigeria and Bosnia at the Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba, Brazil. Nigeria won the match 1-0. (AP) RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Miroslav Klose scored a World Cup goal for the record books. Lionel Messi grabbed a late winner to put Argentina into the round of 16.

Nigeria eliminated Bosnia-Herzegovina from its first World Cup with a 1-0 win, with Peter Odemwingie’s first-half goal getting the African champions closer to the knockout stage.

Klose’s 15th World Cup goal matched Brazilian great Ronaldo’s record tally on football’s greatest stage, more importantly for his team, it secured a 2-2 draw for Germany against a spirited Ghana team.

The 36-year-old Klose, came off the bench in the second half for his first action in his fourth World Cup, had been level with former Germany striker Gerd Mueller on 14 goals.

Klose celebrated his landmark goal with a trademark somersault.

“It was complete, but I can’t remember the last time I did it,’’ Klose said of the backflip. “Still, 15 goals in 20 matches, that’s not bad. But the important thing is to play well against the United States.’’

Germany’s draw means the

Argentina advances; Nigeria ousts Bosnia United States would advance from Group G if it beats Portugal on Sunday.

Kept out for 90 minutes by Iran’s stubborn defense, Messi finally struck in injury time Saturday with a curling, left-foot shot that gave Argentina its second far-from-convincing win in Brazil, beating Iran 1-0 after edging Bosnia 2-1 in Group F. Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella conceded that Iran gave his team a tough time in the second half, “But having Messi resolved everything.’’

So far, the Barcelona wizard is the only Argentine player to score in Brazil and he is as vital to his team as previous No. 10 Diego Maradona was when he scored five and created five more of Ar-

gentina’s 14 goals as the country lifted the World Cup in 1986.

Maradona was watching in Belo Horizonte as Argentina struggled to break down Iran and goalkeeper Sergio Romero kept his team in the match with a finger-tip save on Fulham forward Ashkan Dejagah’s second-half header.

Germany’s thrilling clash with Ghana was far more open.

Klose scored his equalizer in the 71st minute, about two minutes after coming on as a sub, sliding to knock a corner into the roof of the net.

Mario Goetze gave Germany the lead in the 51st, but Andrew Ayew equalized three minutes later and captain Asamoah Gyan then put the Africans ahead in the 63rd, only to see Klose draw

the teams level again.

Odemwingie sealed Nigeria’s first victory at a World Cup since 1998 – spanning 10 matches – by finishing from close range in the 29th minute after one of a string of powerful runs by fellow striker Emmanuel Emenike.

Bosnia faded after a bright start, during which star striker Edin Dzeko had a goal contentiously disallowed for offside, and is still without a point in Group F following a 2-1 defeat to Argentina in its opener.

A draw would have given the Bosnians something to play for in its last group match, against Iran, but Dzeko had a shot tipped onto the post by goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama in the final few seconds, ending their hopes.

Messi appeared to have won a battle with his coach over which formation to use as Argentina started with three forwards in a 4-3-3 system. He was critical of Sabella’s decision to start the match against Bosnia with a more defensive 5-3-2 formation. Sead Kolasinac scored an own goal and Messi got the second for his team in that match.

Inevitably, it was Messi who stepped up in the dying seconds to steal the points against Iran.

Before the match, dozens of Jewish demonstrators held a minute’s silence, demanding justice for a still unsolved bombing attack against a Buenos Aires Jewish center 20 years ago that left 85 dead and for which Iran has been blamed.

Sports

Federer, Nadal out to make amends at Wimbledon LONDON (AP) – Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal – and sometimes both – appeared in all 10 Wimbledon finals from 2003-12, combining to claim nine of those titles.

Neither made it that far in 2013. Not even close. Federer lost his second match at the All England Club. Nadal exited in the first round, a year after bowing out in the second.

With play at Wimbledon starting Monday, Federer and Nadal are eager to return to the heights they once reached with regularity at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament. They sound certain that they are prepared to fare better than 12 months ago — and, as might be expected from a seven-time champion, Federer came right out and called himself “a contender.”

“I feel like, yeah, if things click here, I should be able to win the tournament,” Federer said Saturday.

“I feel I have a very good chance again this year. I hope to utilize my fitness, the amount of matches I’ve played this year,” he added. “So I’m really coming in with a much better feeling.”

Federer tuned up for Wimbledon, where he is seeded fourth, by winning a title on grass at Hal-

le, Germany, last weekend. That showing gave Federer all the assurance he needed that his game is in prime form at the moment, especially on the slick surface he dominated for a decade.

Last season, Federer explained, there were “certain things I wanted to do, but I couldn’t figure out or couldn’t do it.”

“This year,” he continued, “I feel all the options are there.

Return, serve, serve and volley, come in, my backhand — everything is working to my liking.

For that reason, I feel I’m a bit more relaxed mentally, because I know it is there. I clearly want to do better than last year, there’s no doubt about it.”

So does the second-seeded Nadal, of course. He reached five Wimbledon finals and earned a pair of trophies, including by edging Federer 9-7 in the fifth set in 2008. They met in three consecutive title matches at the All England Club from 2006-08, and could meet in the semifinals this year.

First things first, though. Nadal has a test in the first round against big-hitting Martin Klizan, then could face Lukas Rosol, the man who stunned the Spaniard in 2012’s second round. The

third round could bring a challenge from tough server Ivo Karlovic.

For now, Nadal is most pleased with the state of his left knee, which acted up during his 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8), 6-4 loss in 2013 to 135th-ranked Steve Darcis, saying it “hurts less this year than last year.” That’s allowed Nadal to put in longer hours than usual on the practice courts this week, a key as the nine-time French Open champion transitions from clay to grass, on which he has lost three matches in a row.

A year ago at Wimbledon, a 67 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5) loss to 116th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky ended Federer’s streak of getting at least to the quarterfinals at 36 consecutive major tournaments.

It was Federer’s earliest Grand Slam defeat since May 2003.

Somber that day, at least Federer can joke about it now.

He said that when he ran into Stakhovsky on Friday, they kidded around about how they could only meet in the final this year, because they were drawn into opposite sides of the bracket.

“So it’s all good for both of us,” Federer said, then paused before delivering the punch line: “For me, at least.”

V-League Open starts June 29 Cagayan Valley toughens up with new acquisitions as it tries to match its record sweep of last year’s crown when the Shakey’s V-League Season 11 Open Conference unwraps June 29 at The Arena in San Juan City.

Coach Nes Pamilar has added former Adamson mainstay Faye Guevara and Gemelyn Seguirre from the Gonzaga National High in Cagayan while Janine Marciano, formerly of Philippine National Police, and former FEU stalwart Chie Saet and former Adamson standout Pau Soriano hope to provide added firepower for the Rising Suns, who posted a 16-0 run last year, including a finals sweep of Smart-Maynilad.

But they will be hard-pressed to duplicate that feat with a talentladen field out to foil their bid, guaranteeing a slam-bang battle in the year’s second offering of the country’s premier women’s league where it all started.

Ateneo, out to atone for its early exit in the First Conference ruled

by Far Eastern U after capturing the UAAP plum, is expected to be led by the power-hitting Alyssa Valdez and Amy Ahomiro, while National University, powered by the Santiago sisters Dindin and Jaja, is also raring to redeem itself from that surprising setback to FEU. Also tipped to contend for the crown is Philippine Army, to be

bannered by Rachel Ann DaquisJovelyn Gonzaga tande, which helped power the Lady Tams to their breakthrough victory in the league sponsored by Shakey’s and backed by Mikasa and Accel.

PNP also hopes to crowd the favorites on a team built around Michelle Datuin, Aidie Castro, Tyne Tadeo, Frances Molina, Ronnie Concepcion and Diane Ticar, along with Philippine Air Force and PLDT Home Telpad.

University of the Philippines completes the eight-team cast in the Open conference with the Lady Maroons out to do an FEU feat behind Alyssa Layug, Yen Ilustre, Angeli Araneta, Arylle Magtalas and Monica Ortiz.

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014

15

ROGER Federer

RAFAEL Nadal

Korean stuns Bata Efren “Bata” Reyes suffered a shock opening-day defeat but other top Filipino bets pulled through in the 2014 WPA World 9-ball Championship Saturday at the Al Saad Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.

Showing none of the tricks that made him the face of the sport for decades, Reyes was beaten

by Korean Jeong Young Hwa, 9-5, and was relegated to the loser’s bracket.

Last year’s finalist Antonio Gabica eased the pain of Reyes’ setback by scoring a 9-5 victory over Taiwan’s Cheng Kuo Po in the 16-team – four in each group – double round elims.

Putting his heartbreaking defeat last year behind, the 2006 Doha Asian Games gold winner was cool but sharp as he took the early initiative to inspire other Filipinos to win their opening matches.

“I don’t think about last year’s (loss),” said Gabica in an interview with the World Pool and Billiard Association (WPA). “I just think about getting into the Final 64. I want to get the prize money.”

Gabica, who is one of the coaches of the Qatar national

pool team, will next face Croatia’s Michel Bartol, who clobbered Bangladesh’s Fahim Sinha, 9-3.

Dennis Orcollo survived a big scare before carving out a 9-8 win over Canadian Jason Klatt.

He was trailing 4-6, and 6-8 before winning the next three racks to seal the deal.

Also prevailing were Warren Kiamco, who downed France’s Stephan Cohen, 9-7; Carlo Biado, who thrashed Nour Wasfi Al Jarrah of Jordan, 9-3; Raymond Faraon, who bested Estonia’s Denis Grabe, 9-8; and Elvis Calasang who disposed of Mazen Berjaoui of Lebanon, 9-3.

Competing at press time are Jeff De Luna, Lee Van Corteza, Elmer Haya, and Israel Rota.

Johann Chua, meanwhile, awaits an opponent after earning a berth when a player from Peru failed to show up.

Aside from Reyes, Francisco Felicilda also dropped his game against Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Tuan, 9-6.

The winner of the $200,000 tournament will pocket $30,000 top prize while the runner-up will receive $15,000. (Kristel Satumbaga)

SPORTS MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014

Agojo eyes maiden win in ICTSI Tour

Editor: REY C. BANCOD

13

•

Assistant Editor: TITO S. TALAO

ARGENTINA’S Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring during the group F World Cup soccer match between Argentina and Iran at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Argentina won 1-0. (AP)

MESSI DAZZLES

Powers Argentina to KO stages PAGE 14

Pagara brothers post wins

By NICK GIONGCO CEBU CITY — It was boxing at its most savage Saturday night as Jason Pagara put away a gutsy foe whose sheer Mexican pride prompted the third man on the ring to describe the ordeal as the closest thing to dying.

Pagara had floored Mario Meraz in the very first round, had him in serious trouble in the second, staggered him so badly in the third and finally put him away for good with the help of referee Danrex Tapdasan in the fourth of their scheduled 12-round superlightweight slugfest at the Waterfront Hotel.

Meraz still had the guts to pick himself up from a knockdown and show Tapdasan that he was willing to continue but the Filipino official, after reaching the count of eight, decided he had seen enough even if the round was about to end.

The official time was 2:59 and as Pagara exulted, Meraz protested the stoppage, yelling that he was all right.

But Tapdasan said he had seen signs, just too many to mention, that Meraz simply had taken too much punishment.

“You don’t look at that moment only. You look at the totality of the fight,” said Tapdasan. “There were points earlier in the fight that I could have stopped it.”

So engaged and primed for battle were the two fighters that Tapdasan said he immediately felt the intensity as early as the first round.

“First round pa lang, grabe na ang bakbakan. The theme of the fight is they will really kill each other.”

Tapdasan swore that he wasn’t overacting with his assessment of the beatdown Meraz sustained from Pagara’s hammering fists.

“I could hear the loud thudding punches landing and I thought that the Mexican almost got killed in the second round,” said Tapdasan.

Criticized after the fight for what many thought was a premature decision to intervene, Tapdasan said he felt he did the right thing.

“My main concern is the safety of the fighter. I want him to go home to his family healthy, able to get back to the ring and earn a living.”

Even though it was Pagara who dominated the exchanges, the Filipino puncher admitted to having been stunned a few times as well.

(Turn to Page 13)