Planet Philippines (Calgary Edition) February 16-29, 2012 issue

Calgary Edition

PLANET

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PHILIPPINES

FEBRUARY 16-29, 2012

Among the current PBA teams, it is Talk ‘N Text that has successfully retained the core of its team.

Can the Tropang Texters make it eight in a row?

By jAY p. mercado

he recent victory of talk ‘n text tropang texters over the Powerade tigers in the Philippine cup of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is the team’s third title in four straight finals appearances. they fell one game short of the Grand Slam last season, losing to the Petron Blaze Boosters in the Governors’ cup. With this record, talk ‘n text is slowly turning into another basketball dynasty. no team has been this dominant since 2000. the last team to go to the finals five consecutive times was the San Miguel Beermen, who were in the championship from 2000 commissioner’s cup to the 2001 Governors’ cup. Members of this powerhouse Beermen team include two-time Most Valuable Player Danny Ildefonso, 1999 rookie of the Year Danny Seigle, Olsen racela, and nic Belasco.

But even those Beermen had some ways to go before matching the success of the PBA’s greatest dynasties. the record for the most consecutive finals appearances by a team stands at eight, and three franchises share the record. the first team to accomplish the feat was crispa. the legendary redmanizers placed second in the

IS TALK ‘N TEXT UP TO THE TASK? The three greatest dynasties in local pro basketball – Crispa, Toyota and Alaska – share one enviable record: contesting the championship in eight consecutive times. All eyes now are on Talk ‘N Text, which is halfway through the mark.

Mon Fernandez and Abet Guidaben epitomize the epic Crispa-Toyota rivalry.

first two conferences of the 1975 season behind the toyota comets, before exacting vengeance in the third conference and preventing a Grand Slam by their archrivals. crispa went on to win the Grand Slam in the 1976 season, and won the first two conferences of the 1977 season. the redmanizers wound up third overall in the 1977 season. Some of the notable crispa players who were part of this eight-

conference-finals run include Bogs Adornado, Atoy co, Philip cezar, Abet Guidaben, Freddie hubalde and Bernie Fabiosa. the second team to match crispa’s record is toyota. Its string of eight straight finals appearances began in 1978 when it captured the Invitationals title. toyota then made it to the finals of all six conferences from 1979 to 1980 as well as the first conference of 1981, winning two titles over that span. robert Jaworski, ramon Fernandez, Francis Arnaiz, Abe King, Arnie tuadles and Big Boy reynoso were the mainstays of the team. the last team to play in the finals eight consecutive times was Alaska. the Milkmen first made it to the finals in the 1994 commissioner’s cup finals, but lost to Purefoods in the championship. Undeterred, Alaska went on to win that season’s Governors’ cup.

Alaska figured in all three championships in the 1995 season, losing twice to Swift before winning again the Governors’ cup. the Milkmen copped the elusive Grand Slam in 1996. Key players during this run include Johnny Abarrientos, Jojo Lastimosa, Bong hawkins and Poch Juinio. Jeffrey cariaso joined the ride in 1995. talk ‘n text is only halfway through matching the record of these fabled teams. But if there’s a squad that can do it, it’s the tropang texters. they’ve been extremely dominant in the last four conferences, and except for a few hiccups against arch-rival Petron, their star-laden lineup has served them well. the common thread that defines these legendary teams is their ability to preserve the nucleus of their lineups. Among the current PBA teams, it is talk ‘n text that has successfully retained the core of its team, who include Ali Peek, Kelly Williams, ranidel de Ocampo, Larry Fonacier, Jimmy Alapag, Jason castro, ryan reyes, Jared Dillinger and harvey carey. It remains to be seen whether the team has what it takes to be a dynasty in the mold of crispa, toyota and Alaska. (Interaksyon) n

PLANET

FEBRUARY 16-29, 2012

US bill to withdraw incentives from American companies that send jobs abroad is worrying some outsourcing players in the Philippines, but some shrug it off as just an offshoot of the political goings-on in the US. But President Benigno Aquino III believes the bill will not likely prosper. He described US House Bill 3696 or the US Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act, which US President Barack Obama himself supports, as “election-related.”

The bill, filed by Democrat New York Rep. Tim Bishop, seeks to disqualify American firms that outsource their operations from receiving incentives. It also requires call center agents to disclose their physical location to callers.

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Outsourcing benefits foreign companies because of the lower cost of labor in countries like the Philippines and India.

ANTI-OUTSOURCING BILL WORRIES LOCAL PLAYERS

Local industry players have expressed concern about the implications of the bill, which is a reincarnation of similar efforts in the runup to the 2004 and 2008 elections in the US. These previous moves by the American lawmakers did not prosper as major businessmen lobbied hard against legislation that, to them, did not make business sense.

But while outsourcing jobs to cheaper providers abroad allowed American companies to stay globally cost competitive, it’s a strategy that has backfired politically.

The US continues to suffer from serious financial troubles triggered by the housing bubble in 2008, and while the trillions worth of their taxpayers’ dollars were used to bail out ailing American firms, the number of jobless and the lines for unemployment welfare remain a worry.

Obama is running for reelection in the US that has 13.1 million citizens unemployed as of Dec 2011.

This represents an unemployment rate of 8.5% – one of the highest in the past decade but certainly an improvement compared to record high of 10% in 2009.

The Philippines is the world’s top destination of call center investors who take advantage of shared culture, hospitable nature of the Filipinos, and a more discernible spoken English -- all crucial to “voice”-based businesses that usually involve catering to customers’ complaints or queries. India, on the other hand, lords over the more profitable non-voice outsourced businesses.

BPO generates over $7 billion

revenues annually for the Philippines and, more importantly, creates roughly 640,000 jobs, most of whom would have left for greener pastures abroad as did over onetenth of the population.

This makes up 1.6% of the entire labor force in the Philippines last year, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics.

The US bill will potentially hit call center companies, which employ at least 57.5% of BPO workers.

Call centers also contribute the

The local business process Outsourcing (BPO) industry is worried about the impact of a US House bill that seeks to disqualify American firms that outsource their operations from receiving incentives. If the bill pushes through, it will result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of call center jobs in the country.

BPO generates over $7 billion revenues annually for the country and, more importantly, creates some 640,000 jobs

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most revenues among BPOs, at 50.9%.

The call center business, however, is a low-margin and pretty footloose enterprise as investors have only to replicate a couple of computer units when setting up in another proficient English-speaking country with good Internet-based services.

As part of their business strategy to survive and thrive, members of the Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP) try to lure their clients to invest and outsource more of their business processes here by first allowing them to get an initial experience of having a call center. Their goal is to slowly work their way up through the value chain.

BPOs that tap highly skilled professionals, like lawyers, financial experts, engineers, journalists, among others, are more profitable and tend stick to the host country longer than do call centers.

“Outsourcing is not about taking away jobs of other economies but it is providing cost efficiency for businesses to be able to expand and create jobs in their homeland in the long run,” BPAP executive editor Martin Crisostomo said.

President Aquino agreed. “At the end of the day, like any other country, the US would want to make their companies more effective, more competitive. And if outsourcing is one of the keys towards that, then I will assume that it will continue.”

BPAP said it is banking on its American investors to influence US legislators and stress how outsourcing had contributed to these companies’ profitability.

“We are hopeful that those who benefited from outsourcing can relay to the policy makers in the US that outsourcing can relay to the policy makers in the US that outsourcing will be more helpful to their economy,” said Crisostomo.

He said this recent development keeps Filipino BPOs on their toes because these could put them in stiffer competition against American companies that offer similar services.

“That will encourage us… to step up (our) game,” he said, citing the need for better product knowledge, customer service orientation, and sharper skills in speaking English He noted that Obama’s previous campaign against outsourcing didn’t actually kill the industry in the Philippines. The BPO industry has even grown by an average of 20% a year since 2008, he said.

(Rappler.com) n

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Calgary Edition

33 PHILIPPINES

FEBRUARY 16-29, 2012

BEAUTIFUL P

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By kARA SaNtoS

F you’re looking for the perfect opportunity to show balikbayan friends and relatives the rest of the country outside congested Manila, why not try a road trip up North and spend it some place like La

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Many families in the coastal towns of La Union rely on income from tourists.

union?

Here are a few reasons to pack your bags and head for La union: 1. It’s a surfing and beach haven.

The stretch of white and gray sand beaches is the main tourist draw in La union. San Juan Beach, roughly eight kilometers north of San Fernando City, is dotted with tourist-friendly establishments.

The peaceful, laid-back vibe of San Juan, fresh off-the-grill seafood and spectacular sunset views make for a real dream vacation.

Pro surfer Luke Landringan rates La union as one of the top three places to surf in the country (the other two being Siargao and Samar) because it offers something for everybody.

“There’s a beach break for beginners and a reef break that’s more challenging for professional surfers,” shares Luke, who runs the Billabong Surf School, popularly known as Surf Camp.

In one area of the beach, waves only go up 2-3 feet high, making it ideal for surfing clinics. Further down towards the reef, waves can reach up to 15 feet, great for pros who aim to practice or showcase their tricks on the waves.

Because of this, La union is the ideal venue for surfing competitions and events, like the 6th La union Surfing Break last october.

The three-day event highlighting the skills of local surfers had a full complement of surf clinics, beach volleyball activities, sandcastle making contests, and beach parties featuring live bands.

Surfing season in La union lasts from october to February, and December is actually a peak month for surfers.

LAID-BACK LA UNION The stretch of white and gray sand beaches is the main tourist draw in La Union. The peaceful, laid-back vibe of San Juan, fresh off-the-grill seafood and spectacular sunset views make for a real dream vacation.

La Union has lots to offer to both pro and beginner surfers. pines could follow suit, especially 2. Get lots of sun and exercise.

The next great thing about surf- in surfing provinces. Though the ing is that it’s not just all adventure country is blessed with 7,107 isand thrills. you get the adrenaline lands and has numerous surf spots, rush plus health benefits that are it’s an odd reality that many Pinoys don’t even know how to swim. pretty hard to beat.

3. Accessibility, safety and Landringan shares that surfing is offered as a Physical education cleanliness.

San Juan in La union, where course in other countries like Australia, and hopes that the Philip- all the surf resorts are located, is

Mention La Union and the first thing that comes to mind is surfing. roughly a five- to seven-hour drive by car or van, depending on the traffic. If you travel at night by airconditioned bus that leaves Manila on an hourly schedule, travel time could be even less.

The accessibility has also made La union a popular weekend destination not just for Manila-based tourists, but also those coming from provinces further up north like Baguio and Ilocos.

The town is also known to be peaceful and is safe even for visitors who arrive at midnight or early morning. During the day, tourist police patrol the beach to make sure that tourists (who usually tend to be careless with their belongings while on vacation) don’t lose anything.

Surfers also double as lifeguards to make sure that no untoward accidents happen.

4. Enough options for all budgets.

San Juan has an array of beach

resorts to choose from – from the backpacker and barkada-friendly resorts to the upscale ones.

If you have money to burn, you can also opt to stay at the five-star Thunderbird resort at Poro Point nearby.

5. You’ll be helping the locals.

Many families living in La union rely on income from tourists.

As many as 80 percent of the families in La union run guesthouses and resorts, work in the restaurants, or teach surfing lessons to tourists.

Many locals regard the surfboard as their “tricycle,” since it has become their main source of livelihood. The cheapest surfboard costs P20,000 and not all locals who are surfing instructors have their own.

The La union Surfing Association uses a sharing system so that locals can have an equal chance of earning from surf lessons.

The local group is usually seen hanging out at the beach under a native hut, which has been there way before the other resorts were set up. It has since become an important landmark for local surfers.

Just head over and you’re bound to find someone ready and willing to offer surfing lessons. Lessons cost P400 per hour, inclusive of board and rash guard rentals. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) n

PLANET

FEBRUARY 16-29, 2012

34 PHILIPPINES

SENATORS HEED HIGH A COURT RULING VOIDING a potential constitutional crisis, the Senate on Feb. 13 voted 13-10 to comply with the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court barring the impeachment tribunal from examining the dollar accounts of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Issued on Feb. 9, the Supreme Court temporarily stopped the Senate from compelling the Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) to disclose bank records of the Chief Justice pertaining to his foreign currency deposits until the high tribunal had looked into the merits of the PSBank petition.

Reading the result of the vote taken during a caucus hours earlier, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile stressed that the Senate had “the sole and exclusive jurisdiction to try and decide all impeachment cases,” the majority, nevertheless, decided to respect the TRO “insofar as foreign currency deposits are concerned” but not on the issue of his peso deposits.

Enrile, the presiding officer of the impeachment court, said that the Senate would contest the basis for the issuance of the TRO, which the high tribunal said was “indefinite until lifted.”

The Senate impeachment court and the House prosecution panel have been directed by the Supreme Court to file their comments within 10 days. In the meantime, however, the Senate is abiding by the ruling.

The impeachment court in session.

Enrile said “the Senate reserves the right to vigorously defend the issuance of subpoenas for the banks for the foreign deposit accounts.” He said the Senate was prepared “to argue its case on the merits, and to defend the legal and public policy basis underlying its rulings about the said subpoenas.”

Voting to respect the TRO were Senators Joker Arroyo, Miriam De fensor-Santiago, Manuel Villar, Ralph Recto, Francis Escudero, Aquilino Pimentel III, Loren Legarda, Gregorio Honasan, Ramon Revilla Jr., Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, Senate President Pro

Tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

Against were Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Senators Franklin Drilon, Sergio Osmeña III, Edgardo Angara, Panfilo Lacson, Pia Cayetano, Francis Pangilinan, Antonio Trillanes IV, Manuel Lapid and Teofisto Guingona III who warned that the move could effectively shackle the impeachment court.

Guingona expressed fear at the result of the Senate compliance with the TRO and what he called were public concerns about the vote.

“Their question is—what will stop the Supreme Court to issue a

CORONA’S PESO DEPOSITS IN 2 BANKS: P31.7-M

CHIEF Justice Renato Corona had a total bank balance of P12 million in a Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) checking account as of December 31, 2010, bringing to P31,752,623.09 Corona’s cash in 3 accounts from 2 different banks as of December 31, 2010, according to records brought before the impeachment court.

On Feb. 9, bank manager Leonora Dizon of Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Ayala branch testified on Corona’s checking amount with account number 1445-8030-61. She said the account was opened in 1989 and remains active.

When added to the bank balances of Corona’s 5 peso accounts in PSBank shown on Feb. 8, Corona’s declaration of P3.5 million in cash and investments in his 2010 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) amounts to around 11% of the cash he had in the banks. * Corona had a total bank balance

Corona on the hot seat. of P10,087,966.44 by end 2007. This is higher than the P2.5 million cash and investments Corona declared in his SALN for that year. * Corona had a bank balance of P9,178,501.83 by end 2009. This is higher than the P2.5 million cash and

investments Corona declared in his SALN for that year. * Finally, he had a bank balance of P31,752623.09 by end 2010. This is higher than the P3.5 million cash and investments Corona declared in his SALN for that year. n

second, a third, and later on, whatever we do here they can run to the Supreme Court,” asked Guingona.

“Isn’t this TRO just another use of technicality of the law to make it harder for us to find the truth? Will this not result in the bankruptcy of accountability, bankruptcy of transparency?”

“We, the graduates of the Philippine Military Academy, are not taught to be saints. We don’t even pretend to be one, and we don’t even pretend to be self-righteous. But when faced with a dilemma involving our work as public servants, we have been trained to always seek a moral high ground,” said Trillanes, a former Navy lieutenant who served seven years in jail for a series of mutinies.

Escudero found the TRO “wrong,”

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but “the place to slug it out is not here but in the Supreme Court.” “ I’m saddened by the fact that we even have to put this to a vote. As a student of the law … we were taught to abide and fight for our right inside the court, not to disobey because it will entail anarchy in our country,” said Escudero.

For his part, Arroyo said, “The court has spoken. I don’t think the Senate would be so brazen as to say we will not obey the Supreme Court.

We don’t want a confrontation between the Supreme Court and the Senate. It’s not good for the country, especially at this time.”

Santiago warned that the Senate’s defiance of the TRO would lead to a “collision” between the two bodies. n

MORE EXEMPTIONS TO FOREIGN CURRENCY LAW SOUGHT AMID the raging controversy on whether the Senate as the impeachment court can examine Chief Justice Renato Corona’s foreign currency accounts, a party-list lawmaker filed a bill to amend the Foreign Currency Deposit Act. House Bill No. 5809, filed by ACT Teachers Party-List Representative Antonio Tinio, seeks to amend Section 8 of Republic Act 6426 or the Foreign Currency Deposit Act which safeguards the confidential nature of such bank account.

The law states: “All foreign currency deposits... are hereby declared as and considered of an absolutely confidential nature and, except upon the written permission of the depositor, in no instance shall foreign currency deposits be examined, inquired or looked into by any person, government official, bureau or office whether judicial or administrative or legislative, or any other entity whether public or private; Provided, however, that said foreign currency deposits shall be exempt from attachment, garnishment, or any other order or process of any court, legislative body, government agency or any administrative body whatsoever.”

On Feb. 9, the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order to stop the Senate from scrutinizing in public the details of those dollar accounts.

HB 5809 will provide the exceptions for such accounts to be examined in public.

It specifically seeks to allow the inquiry and examination of foreign currency deposits “upon the written permission of the depositor, or in cases of impeachment, or upon

order of a competent court in cases of bribery or dereliction of duty of public officials, or in cases where the money deposited or invested is the subject matter of litigation.”

It likewise seeks to remove the provision which exempts foreign currency deposits from “attachment, garnishment, or any other order or process of any court, legislative body, government agency or any administrative body whatsoever.”

In explaining the rationale behind HB 5809, Tinio said in his note, “Subsequent developments have rendered obsolete these special protections provided by law to foreign currency deposits. While there may have been a relative scarcity of foreign currency in the domestic banking and financial system in the 1970s, this is clearly no longer the case today,”.

He explained that the remittances of overseas Filipino workers, which reportedly reached over $18.3 billion in 2011, ensure that the country’s foreign exchange reserves are “at an all-time high.”

The lawmaker noted that “recent events” have shown how the absolute and “unqualified” secrecy of foreign currency deposits may be exploited to cloak financial transactions by individuals and entities involved in illegal activities.

“For instance, government officials, including those conferred with immunity from suit during their incumbency and removable only through impeachment, may make use of foreign currency deposits to amass ill-gotten wealth with the assurance that these will be virtually beyond the reach of the State,” he said. n

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PHILIPPINES

FEBRUARY 16-29, 2012

NEWSROUND-UP

BIR PROBING CORONA, FAMILY OVER TAX DEFICIENCY CHIEF Justice Renato Corona is now the subject of an income tax deficiency assessment by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to establish whether he had paid the correct amount of taxes from January 1997 to December 2010.

Corona’s wife Cristina, daughter Carla and son-in-law Constantino Castillo III are also being investigated, according to Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares.

Henares made this revelation at the Senate impeachment court while under cross-examination by the lead defense counsel, Serafin Cuevas.

Henares said she issued a letter of authority to tax revenue officers to examine Corona’s tax records from January 1997 to December 2010; wife Cristina’s from January 2001 to December 2010; daughter Carla Castillo’s from January 2007 to December 2010; and son-in-law Constantino Castillo III’s from January 1998 to December 2010.

LACSON: MIKE, IGGY ARROYO HAVE P4-B DEPOSITS

SENATOR Panfilo Lacson says he has documents to prove that former first gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo and his late brother Ignacio or Iggy each owned bank accounts containing over P2 billion.

Lacson said the two accounts are in one bank, and that these are still active.

The accounts are no longer in the names of “Jose Pidal” but those of Mike’s and Iggy’s, Lacson added.

Lacson said he intended to revive the Jose Pidal probe with the new evidence in his possession.

“There was really no closure (on the issue),” he said. “There really has to be closure, but not at this time because Iggy has yet to be buried.”

Lacson asked Ferdinand Topacio, the lawyer of Mike Arroyo, to ask his client for a written waiver on the money contained in the accounts.

“That’s my information and I have documents to back it up,” Lacson said.

Topacio, quoting Mike Arroyo, said if Lacson could find any such deposits, he could have the money.

Topacio dared Lacson to prove his allegation. The lawyer also voiced suspicion that the issue of Jose Pidal was being revived to divert attention from the apparent bungling of the case against Chief Justice Renato Corona, who is facing an impeachment trial.

Lacson said he heard there was

She said she ordered the assessment of Corona’s tax payments after she first testified before the impeachment court on January 26.

Henares said that based on Corona’s SALNs that were encountered by the BIR, Corona failed to include nine properties in the documents since he became an associate justice in 2002.

She said these properties included the seven parcels of land in Marikina City that defense lawyers insisted were already sold to a certain Demetrio Vicente.

Henares added that in 2003, Corona underdeclared his property at La Vista subdivision in Quezon City.

“He reported it as (having a value of) P3 million when it should have been P11 million,” Henares said.

She also said another property reported to cost P821,080 should have been indicated as P2.508 million, while Corona’s net worth for 2003 should have been P14 million instead

of P7 million.

“In 2004, again the same discrepancies. The property in Marikina and another in Diliman were not included in the SALN, as well as the condominium (unit) in The Columns (worth) P27.2 million,” Henares said.

The BIR chief said Corona’s net worth for that period “should be P21.65 million but he reported P7 million.”

Henares went on, saying Corona did not declare a property in Fort Bonifacio in 2005.

“He reported a net worth of P8.3 million whereas (it should have been) P31.224 million in 2006,” she said.

In 2007, Corona’s supposed real net worth was P24 million but he reported only P11 million, Henares said.

In 2008, Henares said Corona’s “net worth discrepancies” ballooned to P13 million, having declared only P12 million instead of P25 million.

Henares said Corona did not declare his true net worth of P52 million

JUDGE LETS GMA STAY AT HOSPITAL

LACSON a challenge from Mike Arroyo, as quoted by Topacio, that they are willing to donate any such bank deposits.

“Well, I accept the challenge. I will put in the account numbers, name or names of the bank or banks and the account name. Then I will let him sign the waiver,” Lacson said. “But I won’t donate it to families of criminals. If Topacio wishes to donate to the families of notorious hold-uppers, let him do it on his own.”

It could be an attempt to cover up the weakness of the prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, he added.

“Why are they resurrecting the issue?” he asked.

Topacio said Lacson has yet to prove his allegations for the past nine years.

“Senator Lacson has been talking about Jose Pidal for nine years,” he said in Filipino. “If he has evidence, he must show it. We are just wondering why he is resurrecting the issue.”

The Senate investigated the Jose Pidal accounts in 2005, two years after Lacson delivered a privilege speech on the issue.

The turning point of the probe was when Iggy appeared before the Senate to claim ownership of the accounts.

Lacson said he would probably pursue the probe after the impeachment trial of Corona. n

FORMER President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been allowed to remain at the Veterans’ Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City as her doctors said she needed continuous treatment for various ailments.

Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 112 Judge Jesus Mupas gave the order on Feb. 8, saying that Arroyo can stay at the hospital provided her doctors submit a monthly report on her condition to the court.

Mupas issued the ruling after Benjamin Santos, counsel for Arroyo, asked the court to let her stay in the hospital on account of her continuing treatment and therapy, as testified on by her doctor, Antonio Sison.

The Comelec, which had asked the court to transfer Arroyo to a regular detention cell, did not object to Santos’ manifestation, but demanded that her doctors submit updates on Arroyo’s condition.

Mupas ordered Arroyo’s team of doctors to submit their first medical report on her condition on March 10.

Mrs. Arroyo’s doctors are recommending that the former president undergo physical and massage therapy 3 times a week for 4 weeks as well as medication.

Meanwhile, former president Joseph Estrada said he sees no need to move Mrs. Arroyo to a regular prison.

“I think she can continue to beheld in hospital arrest not because she is a former president because I myself suffered being incarcerated in a regular prison but because she is a woman. It’s not out of respect for a former president because no one is above the law but maybe we can afford some leniency because she is a woman,” Estrada said. n

in 2009 “because of Bellagio One,” apparently referring to the Chief Justice’s alleged P14-million purchase of a 303.5-million penthouse unit in Taguig City.

She said that during that year, Corona declared a net worth of P14.5

million.

In the year when Corona was appointed the Chief Justice by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, “his net worth went down because of the La Vista (property) sale of P18 million to Charina.” n

A damaged road in Negros Oriental.

LANDSLIDE AREAS MAY BE TURNED INTO MEMORIAL SITES FACING the possibility that not all remains of missing victims may be recovered, two mayors in Negros Oriental are considering turning areas engulfed by landslides into memorial sites.

Mayor Ernesto Reyes of Guihulngan City and Mayor Lawrence Limkaichong of La Libertad said they could not yet say when the retrieval operations for more than 50 missing villagers will end.

“The retrieval operations have been going on for five days and have so far come up with only four bodies recovered. The searchers said we cannot retrieve all the victims because of the magnitude of the landslide,” Limkaichong told rporters.

He said various agencies and groups would have to meet to decide how long the diggings would continue in Barangay Solonggon in La Libertad and Barangay Planas in Guihulngan, the villages hit hardest by landslides following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Negros and Cebu islands on Feb. 6.

La Libertad Vice Mayor Emmanuel Iway said that it should be explained to the families of the missing that the most that could be done at this point was recovery of remains because there was no longer any chance of finding survivors.

The death toll from the earthquake and landslides in Negros Oriental rose to 41 on Saturday after retrieval teams recovered the remains of two victims in Barangay Solonggon and in Barangay Planas.

2nd Lt. Jan Batay-an of the Army’s 32nd Division Reconnaissance

Company said the remains of 69year-old Estelita Pocong were dug out in Barangay Solonggon around 10:20 a.m. at the upper portion of the around 25-meter-high landslide mound.

The body of another victim, Asor Mahinay, 79, was found by members of the Carmen Copper Corp.

Mining Company and the Makati Rescue Group inside his house buried under three meters of earth.

Recovery operations were suspended last Feb. 11 in Barangay Solonggon after two aftershocks occurred. “There is a fissure in the area and this might give way,” Batay-an said.

Some victims in Guihulngan complained of the delay in the delivery of food assistance and the concentration of distribution of the goods in the house of Reyes in the city proper.

President Benigno Aquino III visited Dumaguete City, one of the areas affected by the temblor, on his 52nd birthday last Feb. 8.

He inspected damaged areas and met with local officials and victims of the disaster.

In Cebu, officials were checking buildings for any damage because of the earthquake.

At least four school buildings of Cebu City Central School, Guadalupe Elementary School, Mambaling Elementary School and San Nicolas Elementary School in Cebu City were found to have cracks, but experts said these would not affect their structural stability and endanger pupils. n

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FEBRUARY 16-29, 2012

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NEWSROUND-UP

MILITARY CAN’T ACCOUNT FOR BODIES OF TERRORISTS THERE is no need to present the bodies of the top Southeast Asian terror leaders who were killed in a military air strike last week in Sulu, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said.

“Hindi na kailangan ipakita ang bodies,” Gazmin told reporters on the sidelines of a leadership turnover ceremony at the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom).

He was referring to terror suspects Zulkifli bin Hir from Malaysia and Abdullah Ali from Singapore who were said by the military to have been killed in the air strike on an Abu Sayyaf hideout in Jolo.

Abu Sayyaf leader Umbra Jumdail and 12 others were also killed when Philippine Air Force planes bombed the camp in the hills of Jolo, according to the military.

Police investigators, however, failed to retrieve any bodies, triggering doubts about the military’s claim.

But Gazmin said here that it would be impossible to identify victims of air strikes. He said the only way to identify them was through DNA tests.

“Paano mo ma-identify? Sumabog yun. Puede pa DNA,” he said.

He said confirmation of the deaths was coming from intelligence reports and “people on the ground,” but he declined to elaborate.

Gazmin likened the situation to the case of an Abu Sayyaf leader who was killed in military operations several years ago. He said people were initially hesitant to believe AFP reports on the leader’s death without a body.

MANNY

PACQUIAO TO FIGHT BRADLEY IN JUNE

AFP spokesman Col. Marcelo Burgos shows a picture of Malaysian Zulkipli bin Hir during a press conference.

“Walang body, but up to now, di na nagpakita,” Gazmin said.

A police intelligence source claimed that Marwan and Muawiya were apparently not on the list of cadavers identified by their “own assets” in Sulu.

Another media source also claimed that a local leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), “who immediately went to the attack site,” identified a number of the cadavers but insisted Marwan and Muawiya were not among those killed.

This is not the first time that both Dr Abu and Marwan were reported to have been killed in a military operation in Sulu.

In October last year, the AFP also claimed that the 2 terrorist leaders died, along with 3 other bandits, in an airstrike and ground assault.

A police report leaked to the media hours after the Parang attack on Thursday said that a high-tech, unmanned aerial surveillance system was used to track and “positively identify” the targets, reviving concerns that US forces based in Western Mindanao could have assisted in the operation.

The US military maintains at least 500 personnel in Mindanao who are tasked to train Filipino troops and conduct humanitarian assistance. n

CEBU PACIFIC EYES LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS BUDGET carrier Cebu Pacific Air is ready to expand its wings and conquer the skies of Australia, Middle East, and parts of Europe and the US by mid-2013.

“We will be flying farther. We will be flying long haul,” Cebu Pacific Air president and CEO Lance Gokongwei said in a press conference on Jan. 31.

Gokongwei said the airline has filed an application with the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) for permits to fly to unspecified routes.

Cebu Pacific has been planning to embark on long-haul flights since 2009.

“We were already examining long-haul flights very carefully. Is there a market? Yes, there is. Our primary beneficiary will be the OFWs. With cheaper fares they will be able to come home more often,” Gokongwei said.

Cebu Pacific plans to offer fares 35% lower than those currently offered by other airlines, and as much as 80% lower for its promo fares.

To illustrate, Gokongwei said Cebu Pacific will charge an aver-

age fare of $350 for a one-way ticket to any long-haul destination, compared to $500 that other airlines are charging.

Gokongwei said the airline has been wanting to tap the over 2.5 million overseas Filpinos who work in the Middle East, as well as the four million in the US, which he had described as “underserved.”

“We are exploring serving cities where large Filipino community resides. Data indicates that more than half of Filipinos deployed in these regions take multiple stops and connecting flights because no home carrier can fly them there non-stop,” said Gokongwei.

The only local carrier servicing these long-haul markets is Philippine Airlines.

All Philippine carriers are barred from mounting new or increased operations to the US and Europe because of the safety downgrade of the US aviation regulatory body, the Federal Aviation Agency, and the ban from the European Union.

Gokongwei said Cebu Pacific plans to lease up to 8 mid-size widebody Airbus A330-300 aircraft,

which has a 400-seat capacity, for these long-haul routes. This new strategy is similar to that of AirAsia X, a unit of Malaysian lowcost carrier AirAsia, and Scoot, Singapore Airlines’ subsidiary.

Cebu Pacific, the first Asian carrier to adopt the budget airline model, currently flies short-haul routes, or local and regional destinations that are less than 4 hours away.

Its current operations bank on fast turnovers, with planes spending more time in the air than on the ground to maximize revenue.

It has a fleet of 37 aircraft, including Airbus A320s for existing short-haul routes and turbopop ATR 72-500s that service small provincial airports.

Cebu Pacific has passed PAL to become the country’s top airline in terms of passenger numbers. It recently broke ground on a $50 million flying school in Clark to train its pilots and crew.

PAL, which used to monopolize Philippine skies, has chosen to focus on the profitable international routes, a sector that Cebu Pacific now wants to tap into. n

MANNY Pacquiao agreed to defend his WBO welterweight title against unbeaten American boxer Timothy Bradley Jr. on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz confirmed the report after talking with Top Rank chief Bob Arum and Pacquiao himself.

“I just got off the phone with (Top Rank’s) Bob Arum and Manny, so we’re done. I don’t assume there will be a problem from the Bradley side. We came to terms with Top Rank on the fight and Manny has approved everything,” Koncz said.

He, however, said the camp of Bradley still needs to finalize its deal with promoter Top Rank.

Top Rank president Todd duBoef said that he is still working to finalize Bradley’s end of the deal.

Bradley, 28, is the current World

Boxing Organization light welterweight champion with an unbeaten 28-0 record with 12 knockouts. Facing Pacquiao could mean that he will move up a division higher to the welterweight division.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, holds a record of 54 wins, with three losses, two draws and 38 knockouts.

After negotiations for a mega fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. failed, the American boxer booked a fight against Miguel Cotto on May 5 in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire won his fourth world title despite suffering a suspected broken left hand early in the fight, beating former champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. at the Alamadome in San Antonio, Texas last Feb. 6.

Donaire’s 12-round split decision win made no sense at all as two judges, Levi Martinez and Don Trella had Donaire a comfortable winner at 117-110. But judge Ruben Garcia saw Vazquez ahead, 115-112, to the consternation of Donaire’s manager Cameron Dunkin, who said such judges hurt the image of boxing.

In a post-fight interview, Donaire said he hurt his hand between the second and fourth rounds. “It really hurt,” said Donaire. “There was nothing I could do and punched with the inside of my left hand and sideways because I had to do it, no matter how painful it was.” n

CLARK TO BUILD P12-B BUDGET TERMINAL PLANS for new airport facility at Clark in Pampanga by 2015 are underway as the government pursues a feasibility study for a P12 billion budget terminal facility that could accommodate 10 million passengers a year.

The results of the study are required before the government could auction the airport project under the Aquino government’s public-private partnership program for infrastructure.

The study, which a top airport official said Asia Foundation will conduct for free, will be completed by end of March or early April, thus making the project bidding possible this year.

“We expect the study to be concluded by end of March or first week of April. I will then brief the DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communications) secretary about it,” said Clark International Airport Corp.

(CIAC) president Victor Luciano in an interview.

This mode pursues a competitive public bidding, which is at the core of the PPP strategy. Previously, the groups of local conglomerates Metro Pacific Investment Corp and San Miguel Corp. separately pursued the Clark airport terminal as an unsolicited project.

The budget terminal will handle about 10 million passengers a year and will sit on a 40-hectare property of the government. This new terminal will be linked to the existing passenger terminal.

“It will be on the ground and operational by 2015. The terminal itself will cost only P4 billion. But the civil works, new software system, and equipment are going to be expensive. We need a huge area where the airplanes will be parked. The pavement is going to be expensive,” said Luciano.

The official underscored the need to put up a new passenger terminal for budget carriers flocking to Clark. “Our existing terminal is not going to handle the rising number of passengers. It is being expanded, yes. But it may not handle future traffic,” said Luciano.

The volume of passengers within the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) is expected to jump to one million this 2012 from 765,000 in 2011 and 600,000 passengers in 2010.

On Feb. 7, AirAsia Philippines, a new entrant in the local airline industry, was granted their license to operate. They expect to launch maiden flights starting March from its hub at Clark. n

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PHILIPPINES

FEBRUARY 16-29, 2012

NEWSROUND-UP

US SEEKS MORE ACCESS IN PH PORTS, AIRFIELDS THE United States is seeking more access to Philippines ports and airfields to re-fuel and service its warships and planes, diplomatic and military sources said, expanding its presence at a time of tension with China in the South China Sea. But it is not trying to reopen military bases there.

Washington’s growing cooperation in the Philippines, a U.S. ally which voted to remove huge American naval and air bases 20 years ago, follows the U.S. announcement last year of plans to set up a Marine base in northern Australia and possibly station warships in Singapore.

It also coincides with diplomatic and military friction in the South China Sea and its oil-rich Spratly Islands, which are subject to disputed claims

by China, the Philippines and other

Southeast Asian nations.

Last month, senior Philippine defense and foreign affairs officials met their U.S. counterparts in Washington to discuss ways to increase the number and frequency of joint exercises, training, ship and aircraft visits and other activities.

“It’s access, not bases,” a foreign affairs department official familiar with the strategic dialogue told Reuters.

“Our talks focus on strengthening cooperation on military and nonmilitary activities, such as disaster response and humanitarian assistance, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation.

There were no discussions about new U.S. bases,” he said.

These activities would allow the U.S. military more access in the Philippines, stretching its presence beyond local military facilities and training

Militants protest US presence in the country. grounds into central Cebu province or to Batanes island near the northern borders with Taiwan.

U.S. ships and aircraft are seeking access for re-supply, re-fueling and repairs, not just for goodwill visits, exercises and training activities, the

diplomat said.

Military sources said Manila was studying leasing newer offshore patrol vessels, larger sealift and support vessels and lead-in fighter trainer aircraft.

Last month, Defense Secretary

Voltaire Gazmin told reporters Manila is also considering a proposal from the United States Pacific Command to deploy P3C-Orion spy planes in the country to help monitor movements and activities in the South China Sea. The disputed ownership of oil-rich reefs and islands in the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in trade sails annually, is one of the biggest security threats in Asia. Beijing says it has historical sovereignty over the South China Sea, superseding claims of other countries.

China has expressed misgivings about the Obama administration’s shift to raise its security role in the region at a time when Beijing is expanding its own military reach.

Last year, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario repeatedly protested against China’s activities and intrusions into Philippine maritime territories, including an attempt to ram a survey ship exploring oil and gas in the South China Sea. Manila had accused China’s ships of crossing into its maritime borders nearly a dozen times in 2011. n

SO FAR, 876 OFWS HAVE FLED SYRIA

OFWs return home.

GOV’T TO REVIEW POLICY ON UNDOCUMENTED OFWS THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will review its policy that bars undocumented overseas Filipino workers from becoming legal OFWs. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said she would convene a joint board meeting between the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to restudy the department order that “disallows irregular or undocumented workers from becoming regular or documented workers.”

Baldoz said the review would be line with Manila’s bilateral agreements with Jordan and Lebanon that seek to protect the rights of OFWs. She decided to have the order reviewed after leaders of a Filipino community in Beirut asked Baldoz to give undocumented OFWs the chance to visit the Philippines and attend their children’s graduation rites this coming March.

An OFW leader in Beirut, Gerald

Cabauatan, said most OFWs like him in Lebanon “are very eager to go home and see their children graduate.”

“Our main concern is that our undocumented compatriots might at least be given passes to allow them to visit their families and return here later,” Cabautan said.

Cabauatan said that he and other OFWs who had arrived in Lebanon before the total deployment ban was imposed on June 18, 2007 were given passes to go home.

He, however, said that those who had arrived after the ban fear that they will no longer be able to return to Lebanon if they visit the Philippines.

There were about 35,000 OFWs in Lebanon when the total deployment ban was imposed in 2007, according to Cabauatan. He said that despite the ban, the number had increased to 50,000.

“The ban is inutile. It’s the illegal recruiters who are profiting from this. Everyday, (Filipinos) arrive here to work,” he said. n

A total of 876 overseas Filipino workers have been repatriated from Syria since March 2011, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. The last batch of Filipino OFWs in Syria who availed themselves of the government’s mandatory repatriation program arrived in Manila on Feb. 9.

“The Philippine Embassy in Damascus continues to assist thousands of Filipinos who are working in Syria and ensure their safety and welfare there. The embassy is working on the instruction of Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario to fully and effectively implement crisis alert level 4 (mandatory repatriation) due to the security situation in that country,” DFA spokesperson

Raul Hernandez said.

The DFA said no Filipinos were affected by the recent bombings in Aleppo, Syria.

Reuters reported that bomb attacks killed at least 28 people in Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, on Friday, while Homs endured another day of shelling and a fire fight broke out in Damascus, the nearest violent actions to the center of the capital in the 11-month uprising.

The DFA earlier raised the crisis alert level for Filipinos in Syria from 3 to 4 due to the escalating violence.

Under level 4, the mandatory or forced evacuation of OFWs at government expense is implemented.

Del Rosario called the repatriation

of Filipinos from Syria a “continuing effort of the government since April 2010.”

Del Rosario, who flew to Damascus late last month to oversee OFW evacuation operations, has instructed the Philippine embassy in the Syrian capital to intensify its efforts “for the full implementation of crisis alert level 4.”

A majority of the Philippine nationals in Syria, however, have ignored the government offer, prompting the DFA to intensify its efforts to reach out to them and convince them to leave.

According to Del Rosario, Filipinos are reluctant to leave Syria because there are no job opportunities for them in the Philippines. n

COURT ORDERS REOPENING OF BANCO FILIPINO THE Court of Appeals(CA) has ordered the reopening of Banco Filipino Savings and Mortgage Bank, and directed the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Monetary Board (MB) to allow it to resume business.

In response to the CA decision, BSP deputy governor and general counsel Juan de Zuñiga, Jr. said: “Our lawyers are reviewing the decision of the Court of Appeals to determine the legal remedies available to us. Beyond this, we have no further comments.”

In a 50-page decision promulgated last January 27 by the Special Former Special 14th Division penned by Associate Justice Agnes Reyes-Carpio, the appellate court granted Banco Filipino’s petition for certiorari and mandamus on the basis that the bank “was not accorded due process when it was placed under receivership,” and the court found that the bank was not insolvent. Associate Justices Vicente Veloso and Normandie Pizarro concurred with the decision.

The Monetary Board issued Resolution No. 372-A on March 17, 2011 that placed Banco Filipino under receivership, after it failed to service withdrawals and fund issued checks.

The MB claimed that the bank’s liabilities topped its assets by P8.4 billion.

The bank was also prohibited from continuing its business operations in the Philippines due to “unsound banking practices.”

The appellate court held that the bank would not have been declared insolvent “had respondent MB exercised caution” before it denied the bank emergency loans. “[H]aste makes waste. Had respondents BSP and MB exercised due diligence, depositors and creditors would have been spared from the agony and the nightmare this case had caused. They would not have experienced sleepless nights and serious anxieties,” the decision read.

The appellate court cited a Memorandum dated March 15, 2011 by Atty. Nelly Favis-Villafuerte, a member

of the MB, which stated: “In this case of BF, no... advance notice was given to BF; no opportunity was given to BF to refute in writing... BF was not accorded due process.”

Banco Filipino had denied it had negative net asset value, claiming that the total assets of the bank exceeded its liabilities by P25 billion.

The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) claimed the deposit liabilities of the bank amounted to P19.4 billion.

The BSP and MB maintained that Banco Filipino is insolvent since its total realizable assets was only P14.5 billion as of September 30, 2010, while the total liabilities to be paid out is P22.86 billion. This, the BSP and MB claimed, brings the net realizable value at -P8.4 billion.

The appellate court’s ruling directed the BSP and MB to institute a “viable rehabilitation plan, in order to ensure fast and immediate recovery of the bank from the ill-effects of illegal closure.” n

FEBRUARY 16-29, 2012

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