Manila Standard - 2016 October 04 - Tuesday by Manila Standard

‘Rody tops Noy gains in 1st 100 days’ THE new administration has yet to reach its ﬁrst 100 days in ofﬁce, but House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez says he feels as if a year has passed because of the many accomplishments of President Rodrigo Duterte. ”It feels like the administration has served for one year already because of so many things that have happened,” Alvarez told reporters on Monday.

He said the Duterte administration was more productive compared with the previous administrations. ”Look at the drop in criminality―it has dropped to about 50 percent at least. It’s a big deal,” Alvarez said. He nevertheless expressed disappointment over the inability of the Transport Department to solve the trafﬁc problem plaguing the major roads.

He said the trafﬁc jams in Metro Manila and in Metro Cebu, for instance, had to improve. “Sad to say, I have yet to see any improvement in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu,” he said. The average monthly crime rate has hit 49 percent from 55.54 percent last year, according to recent police data. That has Next page

VOL. XXX • NO. 234 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

QUEEN’S POWER. Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray, the 22-year-old Filipino-Australian model, host and blogger from Albay, is crowned Miss World Philippines Sunday, where she beat 23 other candidates nationwide where she was among competition favorites from the start. She was also named Miss Manila Hotel, Miss Hannah, Best in Swimsuit, Best in Evening Gown and Best in Fashion Runway. Teddy Pelaez

Allies to Digong: Shut up already By Macon Ramos-Araneta

a former Tourism secretary. During the ﬁfth hearing of the Senate committee on justice, ENATOR Richard Gordon on Monday which is investigating the rising said President Rodrigo Duterte should stop number of drug-related killings, Gordon said he is opposed to the saying he will kill drug dealers and drug President being so vocal about pushers. his drug war plans. “The President is noisy. He is very noisy,” Gordon said, adding “The President is my friend. them,” Gordon said. We both became mayor but I “I’ll just suggest that we change that the noise is not helping the don’t want the President to be our tourism slogan to ‘Wow PI!’ war on drugs, but alarming local talking and talking about what he (Wow Pu---ina! from Wow Phil- and international human rights plans to do. What he should say ippines). Hopefully the President groups. He added that Duterte’s repeatis, there are too many unresolved will hear this and (realize) it’s al[killings] and we will solve ready too much,” added Gordon, ed endorsement of the killing of

drug suspects if they resist arrest leads to the misconception that he sanctions the use of unnecessary violence. “That’s not right… He stumbled on his own sword because he was talking and talking, so that the whole country is [now] being accused of allowing such things to happen,” Gordon said. In the latest ﬂare-up, Duterte lashed out at critics who likened him to Hitler, but said he would be “happy to slaughter” threemillion drug users. Next page

Belgian princess resets Ex-Davao cop belies death squad claim Macon Ramostrip after ‘killings’ quip ByAraneta BELGIAN Princess Astrid may cancel her visit to the Philippines next year as a result of President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent statement that he would be “happy to slaughter” three-million drug addicts, a newspaper reported Monday. The decision was made after Brussels State Secretary for External Trade Cecile Jodogne called for an emergency meeting to discuss the royal visit, the newspaper La Libre Belgique reported. “It will be difﬁcult to ensure the visit goes ahead,” the paper quoted Jodogne as saying. Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said they are still verifying the report with the Belgian government. In his speech on Friday morning in Davao, Duterte likened his war on drugs to Hitler’s efforts to

exterminate the Jews, and said he was “happy to slaughter” threemillion drug addicts. Duterte also lambasted Western critics of his unprecedented law-and-order crackdown, which left more than 3,000 people dead in three months and raised concerns about a breakdown in the rule of law. “Hitler massacred three-million Jews. Now there are three-million drug addicts [in the Philippines]. I’d be happy to slaughter them,” Duterte told reporters in his home city of Davao shortly after returning from Vietnam. “At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have,” he said, then paused. “But you know, my victims, I would like to be [sic] all criminals to ﬁnish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition.” Next page

Amnesty for Reds on peace agenda THE government and the communist rebels will discuss an amnesty proclamation and the replacement to the bilateral ceasefire agreement that will lapse on Oct. 28 once they return to the negotiating table for the second round of peace talks on Thursday, an official said Monday. In a statement, Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza said the government was confident it would be able to strike a deal with the rebels by August next year following a successful first round of talks in Oslo last August. ‘‘The previous ceasefires were unilateral,” Dureza said. “We need to craft mechanisms to monitor violations and resolve the conflicts and issues arising from them.” The unilateral ceasefires declared by the government and the National Democratic Front and the NDF are indefinite, but Dureza said the government

was eying a more permanent cessation of hostilities. “These can only be done if we are able to agree on the more substantial issues of social and economic reforms. These are the more contentious issues and we expect humps and bumps during the peace negotiations,” Dureza said. Both panels have already written drafts of the Comprehensive Agreement on SocioEconomic Reforms or CASER, which has been described as the “meat” of the peace talks. The end of hostilities and disposition of forces―the other substantive agenda of the peace talks―hinge on the success of CASER, along with political and constitutional reforms. The NDF negotiators, however, reminded their government counterparts that they needed to comply with the release of all political prisoners as stipulated in the Comprehensive Next page

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THE former chief of Davao City’s PNP Heinous Crime Division on Monday denied the existence of the Davao Death Squad, which was blamed for the spate of killings in city when President Rodrigo Duterte was still the

city’s mayor. Testifying before the Senate committee on justice, retired Supt. Dionisio Abude said he had heard about the DDS, but it never existed. He also debunked reports that the killings perpetrated by DDS, a vigilante group, were sanctioned by Duterte.

“I’ve heard about the term because the media are the ones saying there’s a death squad. When somebody is killed, they point to the supposed death squad,” said Abude who was head of the Heinous Crime Division from January 2003 to March 2006. After he retired in January 2013, Abude was hired by Davao

City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio as a consultant for the city’s Civil Security Unit. “DDS never existed,” said Abude, who was among the 21 high-ranking PNP ofﬁcers who were penalized by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales over the unabated killings attributed to the DDS. Next page

House panel to rethink tax reform package THE House will come up with its own version of the tax reform package that the Finance Department had submitted to Congress for consideration but was rejected, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said on Monday. He told reporters an alternative proposal would be drafted by the House committee on ways and

means to address their concerns about Finance’s proposals--especially its proposal to impose additional taxes on several commodities and remove the tax exemptions on senior citizens and people with disability. Finance claims its proposals would make up for the estimated P179 billion in revenues that would

be lost from the planned lowering of the personal income tax. “Initially, I have seen it [Finance’s proposed reform package] and I think it has to be reviewed,” Alvarez said. “We will request a meeting with the Department of Finance. We will be working on a counter proposal to its tax measures.”

Alvarez made his statement even as Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Monday assured Congress that a higher tax collection would sufﬁce to cover what would be lost from a lowering of personal and corporate income taxes. Many lawmakers have described Finance’s proposed tax Next page

Same-sex union bill endorsed

Film starlet, 2 others fall in ‘buy bust’

SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on Monday called for the passage of the controversial bill seeking to legalize same-sex unions, saying he himself would sponsor it to ensure its immediate passage. He told reporters his ofﬁce was now preparing a copy of the draft measure which, he said, would give “happiness and dignity” to the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. “I will sponsor it. If you will look at the Constitution, it contains a provision guaranteeing happiness of the Filipino people,” Alvarez said. “Why do we have to deprive them of such? I, for one, am one with the LGBT community. If that will make them happy, why don’t we just support them?” Alvarez made his statement even as Pope Francis said teaching children gender theory in schools was an “insidious indoctrination,” even as he insisted he had always treated homosexuals

STARLET Krista Miller and two models were arrested by Quezon City police as part of the government’s anti-drug campaign At a news conference, QCPD Director Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar identiﬁed the other suspects as Liaa Alelin Bolla, 24, a part-time model; and Jeramie Padolina, 30, a part-time model. Also arrested were John Inri Barros, 22; Justine del Rosario, 19, Renato Hernandez Jr., 32, and Aaron Villanueva Medina, 26. Police said they received a tip that a certain “John” was pushing drugs at 21 A. Luna St. in Bgy. Bagumbuhay in Project 4. When they were arrested, Bolla and Padolina tagged Miller and Barros as the source of their illegal drugs. The QCPD coordinated with the Valenzuela City police to set up a buy-bust targeting the actress at a gas station on T. De Leon Street in Valenzuela City on Sept. 30. Miller and Medina were arrested at 9:10 p.m., and were

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Belgian... From A1

In Brussels, shortly after Duterte’s remark, Jodogne called for an emergency meeting to discuss “whether the royal visit to the Philippines should still go ahead.” “I will ask for the visit to be moved to a different country,” she said. She also said that if federal authorities and the two other regions failed to agree, Brussels will not send a political representatives in lieu of Princess Astrid. “I’m not saying no-one should go to the Philippines at all, but the problem right now is timing,” she admitted. Princess Astrid was scheduled to visit the Philippines to learn about the peace process between the government and the communist rebels, an effort that the European Union supports. Earlier, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said Princess Astrid will head a high-level economic team for investments.

4 NBP rioters moved to Crame J By Rey E. Requejo and PNA

USTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday said the inmate who stabbed highproﬁle convict Jaybee Sebastian during a riot inside the New Bilibid Prison last week has been transferred to the Philippine National Police headquarters in Quezon City. Aguirre revealed that Tomas Donina, whom Sebastian identified as the one who stabbed him in the chest, back and arm during the fracas at the highly-secured Building 14 of the NBP maximum security compound, was brought last Sunday to the custody of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Monday said law enforcement agencies are still validating the information on the third ‘narco-list’ to be released soon by President Rodrigo Duterte. Dela Rosa confirmed the transfer of Donina and three other inmates. The four inmates—Ruben Tiu,

Clarence Dongail, Edgar Cinco and Tomas Donina—were transferred on Sunday to the PNP custodial center. “I allowed CIDG to bring them there as part of the investigation, so they could easily be accessed by the investigators. This is also precautionary measure because the situation there [in NBP] is still tense,” Aguirre said in a text message. Dela Rosa said the transfer was requested by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group which is investigating the riot in the NBP on Wednesday that left convicted drug lord Tony Co dead and four other high-profile inmates injured, including Jaybee Sebastian, Peter Co and Vicente Sy. Sebastian was wounded after he was stabbed at the back and chest dur-

ing last week’s riot while Dongail also sustained minor wounds but opted not to seek hospitalization. The three are still recuperating at the Medical Center Muntinlupa for the injuries sustained in the incident. Dela Rosa said CIDG Director Chief Supt. Roel Obusan would request permission to get the statements of the inmates involved in the riot. The Custodial Center has been home to arrested terrorists, top communist rebels, policemen and soldiers facing charges and even big-time drug lords. Dela Rosa said the temporary detention of the four inmates at the custodial center was part of the ongoing probe into the Bilibid riot. In fact, he said, the transfer could even diffuse the tension at the NBP following the alleged riot that targeted

Same-sex... From A1

and transsexuals with respect. “It is one thing to have homosexual tendencies or a sex change,” the pope said in comments to journalists made on board the papal plane on Sunday after he wrapped up a three-day tour in the Caucasus and headed home to Rome. “But it is another thing to teach it in schools.” Alvarez said his proposal only covered civil union, and it was up to the Catholic Church to oppose it. ”The beauty of democracy is we can argue and disagree but at the end of the day, it is the majority that prevails,” Alvarez said. “My proposal is about civil union. If the Church objects to it, then we have no problem with that. Rep. Lito Atienza said he was bothered by Alvarez’s statement. “Marriage, as deﬁned by law, is a union between a man and a woman,” he said in a statement. “We are ready to defend the

Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

Film... From A1

found with a sachet containing what appeared to be shabu and several thousand pesos in cash. They also had four cellphones, a belt bag containing a wallet and assorted ID cards. No bail was recommended for the provisional liberty of Miller and Medina. “These accomplishments illustrate how relentless and coordinated QCPD anti-criminality efforts are, including the war on drugs. Once we have a tip, we act and squeeze out all leads that we can. That is why I urge people involved in drugs to surrender now and avoid adverse publicity which can ruin their careers, especially those in showbiz whom the masses look up to,” Eleazar said. Earlier, Miller was linked to a convicted drug lord -- Ricardo “Chacha” Camato -- detained at the NBP in Muntinlupa City in 2014. She was spotted in a private hospital visiting Camato. Meanwhile, retired Philippine Basketball Association star Paul “Bong” Alvarez dubbed as “Mr. Excitement” was nabbed by the QCPD in a fistfight with John Mendoza in a bar on Timog Avenue, Barangay South Triangle Sunday night. QCPD Station 10 said Alvarez was on its drug list. Eleazar warned other showbiz personalities to surrender before it is too late. He said they are also monitoring the alleged drug involvement of some reporters. In September, starlet Sabrina M, or Karen Pallasigue, was arrested in a buy-bust operation also in Quezon City. On Sunday, authorities said they were investigating a 22-year-old Filipino student who was caught carrying 4.8 kilos of cocaine upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The suspect, Jonjon Villamin, said he didn’t know that his two checked-in luggage contained drugs, saying he was only asked to bring the luggage to the Philippines by a Brazilian friend he met in Manila two years ago. He said his Brazilian friend had offered him an all-expenses paid trip to Brazil, then asked him to take the two suitcases back to the Philippines. Customs-Naia district collector Ed Macabeo said Villamin arrived at the Naia Terminal 3 Sunday night on board Emirates Air flight EK332 from Brazil via Dubai. Macabeo tapped his men from the Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force to coordinate closely with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to conduct a thorough investigation. Rio N. Araja, Joel E. Zurbano, Vito Barcelo

POLITICAL GIMMICK. Policemen Enrique delos Reyes Ayao and Vivencio Jumawan testify at the

continuation of the Senate committee on justice probe on extrajudicial killings on Monday. Both testiﬁed that the claim of the existence of a Davao Death Squad is only a political gimmick. Lino Santos

Allies... From A1

Duterte, whose remarks drew a ﬁrestorm of criticism, later apologized to the Jews, saying he did not intend to derogate the memory of the millions who were killed by the Nazis during World War II. Senator Panﬁlo Lacson said it was right for Duterte to say sorry, but said such apologies should be kept to a minimum. “He should be careful of what he will say because hearing him say sorry is becoming tiresome. Saying sorry has lost its value,” said Lacson. “What’s the use of saying sorry when in the next vein, he would again say sorry for things he will say?” asked Lacson. “This should be the last sorry. He should be more careful next time,” Lacson said. Instead of talking too much,

such deaths in other countries. In the US city of Chicago alone, he said, there were 545 unresolved deaths, compared to the 3,000 drug-related deaths for the entire Philippines. “Chicago has become the crime capital of the USA. As of 2016, Oct. 1, 2016, there have been 545 killings in Chicago. In the Philippines, there are 3,000. That’s for the whole country,” Gordon said. “One killing is bad but the whites are patronizing. Let he who is without sin cast the ﬁrst stone,” he added. “Why is UN not questioning the US for the Chicago killings?” Gordon insisted that the rule of law is still present in the Philippines as the Senate continues to investigate on the killings. “The rule of law is still amongst us. The problem is the rule of law will only happen if someone will testify,” he added. Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, a

Ex-Davao...

2005; 165 in 2006; 199 in 2007; and 259 in 2008. Only 321 of these or less than half of From A1 the cases were solved. The investigators found that “the killings Abude and the other police officers were were repeatedly committed within the arfined the equivalent of a month’s salary af- eas of jurisdiction of respondents’ precincts ter being found of simple neglect of duty. where they were assigned.” The case stemmed from a complaint sent “From the foregoing figures, it is evident to the Office of the Ombudsman by a per- that respondents were remiss in their duty son purporting to represent a group named to significantly reduce the number of killthe Davao City Deserves Good Govern- ings. Also, the same shows that respondents ment Movement, claiming that the DDS failed to solve a substantial number, if not was responsible for more than 800 un- all, of the killings,” the Ombudsman said. solved killings. Abude’s case before the Ombudsman was The same complaint alleged that high- revealed by Senator Leila de Lima, who ranking officers of the PNP were directly grilled the retired police officer after he reinvolved in the murders. futed the testimony of Edgar Matobato, a selfRecords showed that from 2005 to 2008, confessed hitman allegedly belonging to the the Davao City police registered an unusu- DDS, who said Duterte ordered the killings of ally high number of unsolved killings. The suspected criminals and political opponents. perpetrators of these executions were usu“This is from the website of the Office ally two motorcycle-riding gunmen and the of the Ombudsman that you along with 20 killings were most drug-related. high-ranking officers were penalized with A fact-finding team from the Office of just a fine, equivalent to one month’s salary the Ombudsman reported that in four years, because of unabated killings in Davao City. there were 720 persons murdered—97 in So you confirm that?” asked De Lima.

‘Rody...

Amnesty...

been attributed to the government’s crackdown on illegal drugs and criminality. But Alvarez said the problem with the light rail transits was persisting despite their being operated by private ﬁrms. ”That’s what I don’t understand. Until now nothing has been done,” he said. PNA, with Maricel V. Cruz

Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law or CARHRIHL “The amnesty and release of all political prisoners is an act of righting the violations of the CARHRIHL and the Hernandez political offense doctrine,” Communist Party of the Philippines chairman Jose

From A1

Gordon proposed that the President order the police to arrest and investigate those involved in cases of unexplained killings. The senator had expressed concern over the rising number of unexplained drug-related killings, which he said the President and the police must address. But Gordon said he agreed with the President’s stand that the United States and other countries should not interfere with the country’s anti-drug operations, noting that the Americans had no moral superiority to investigate possible abuses against Filipino drug suspects due to their own record of police killings. “One dead is one dead too many. It should be investigated, but not by them,” Gordon said. At the same time, Gordon slammed the United Nations and the foreign media for highlighting the unresolved deaths in the Philippines, noting that there are more

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Maria Sison said. “The release of all political prisoners would also serve as a very big incentive for a stable kind of ceaseﬁre.” Before embarking on a two-day state visit to Hanoi, President Rodrigo Duterte committed to the NDF that “the most expeditious way to release political prisoners is through an amnesty proclamation.” Labor Secretary and chief government negotia-

tor Silvestre Bello meanwhile says a draft amnesty proclamation is ready for submission during the second round of peace talks. “The list has been narrowed down to just over 400 from a high of more than 500,” Bello said. “As per agreement during the formal resumption of the peace talks in August, the proclamation will only cover NDF members currently detained.” John Paolo Bencito

staunch Duterte ally, defended the President, saying that his threat to slaughter 3 million drug users should not be taken as genocide. “A threat is just a threat. It may or it may not happen. Nothing happened yet. It is not genocide,” Alvarez said at a news conference. “Any leader can threaten a criminal, but if the criminals start threatening law-abiding citizens, then it’s an entirely different story,” Alvarez said. Alvarez said the media were partly to blame because the President’s recent statements could be taken out of context. Besides, Alvarez said, every public ofﬁcial is bound to commit mistakes. “We all commit mistakes. We are only human and bound to commit mistakes,” Alvarez said, adding that it was good that the President was humble enough to apologize when he

Abude said he faced charges for physical injury and an administrative case sometime between 2003 and 2006 for command responsibility, after two of his personnel were accused of being involved in drugs. However, Abude told the Senate panel that all the cases were dismissed. Matobato had earlier tagged Abude in his testimony as one of those present during a meeting to plot the killing of alleged terrorist Sali Makdum. Matobato also alleged that Abude was a member of the death squad, an allegation Abude denied. To prove his “good character,” Abude showed a video of his accomplishments as a police ofﬁcer for which he has conferred the “Pinoy Hero” award by the energy drink Cobra. De Lima pressed Abude on the cases that his division handled. “What kinds of cases were you investigating under the Heinous Crime section? Murder should be heinous crime. There were 720 persons murdered according to Ombudsman in just four years. Did you investigate those?” asked De Lima.

House... From A1

reform package as “regressive” and “anti-poor.” Diokno said he was convinced it’s possible to increase the tax collection despite the plan to cut the personal income tax to 25 percent from 32 percent, and to reduce the corporate income tax to 25 percent from 30 percent. “Of course, to show to the entire world that we’re not ﬁscally irresponsible, higher spending will be accompanied by better collection, plus we’re submit-

high-profile inmates, some of them leaders of groups inside the Bilibid. “If this is designed to avoid further agitation of the convicts inside the Bilibid, that is fine with me,” said Dela Rosa. Obusan earlier said they will question the suspects in the stabbing incident since they have interviewed the victims and witnesses. Investigators are looking at two versions of the incident at the NBP, based on the testimonies of the involved inmates. Dongail and Cinco both claimed that the scuffle started after drug lords Tony Co, Peter Co and Vicente Sy were caught sniffing shabu inside their cell. Tony Co was killed while the other two sustained serious injuries from the incident.

rights of anyone, especially those in the LGBT community. But marriage should exclusively be for a man and a woman.” Atienza said he was disappointed that Alvarez would support same-sex unions. “We hope he will change his mind,” he said. Alvarez said it was his advocacy to uphold the rights of the LGBT community. “It was my own idea and there was no lobby group behind this effort. [My intention in sponsoring the measure] is to address the increasing number of LGBT members, so we need to protect them,” Alvarez said. He said his proposal would be treated like an ordinary bill, and that the House would keep its focus on passing the priority measures of the Duterte administration. “As I have said, anybody can question it, and at the end of the day we will put it to a debate,” Alvarez said. “I really just want to uphold and protect the rights of the LGBT community.” Maricel V. Cruz and AFP realizes his lapses. He also dismissed criticism of Duterte’s lack of diplomacy. “We have elected a President and not a diplomat. Diplomacy is a matter of style. Let’s respect that. His priority is our internal problems here at home,” Alvarez said. “If you cannot help, the least you can do is to keep quiet.” But Majority Floor Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas said the President should refrain from talking too much and focus instead on his work. “Perhaps he should not speak until such time he gets to adjust,” said Fariñas, noting Duterte might be having difﬁculty in the transition from mayor to President of the Republic. “He speaks for the whole country,” Fariñas said. “I’m sure he’s trying to change. He’s 71 years old. You cannot change overnight. He’s sincere. If he makes a mistake, he admits it.”

At this point, Abude asked to seek the advice of his lawyer. Shortly afterward, he said that all the cases were “properly investigated” but they remained pending due to a lack of witnesses. Abude also denied he was present during the planning of the 2002 killing of Sali Makdum. SPO3 Arthur Lascanas, another policeman tagged by Matobato as a DDS member, also denied involvement in the vigilante group. He said the DDS was just “media hype.” He also rejected the allegation that he was very close to Duterte, who allegedly gave him kill orders. When Senator Panﬁlo Lacson asked why Matobato would tell lies about him, Lascanas said somebody could be behind him, but declined to say who. Asked by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano what was true in Matobato’s testimony, Lascanas said “it’s only his name.” Abude and Lascanas denied they were ever instructed by Duterte to carry out any killings. They had never been involved in any extrajudicial killings, they said. ting a tax reform package,” Diokno told CNN Philippines. “If we’re lucky,” the tax reform package will be signed by the President before the end of the year. Alvarez says Finance’s proposal will be scrutinized to ensure that its proposed tax reform will advance the interest of the people. He says the House leadership is still in the process of completing the details of their counter proposal. Alvarez earlier said he was dissatisfied with Finance’s proposal because its provisions were anti-poor. Maricel V. Cruz and John Paolo Bencito

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IN BRIEF DoT sets Intramuros makeover THE Department of Tourism is ﬁnalizing a proposal to revive the walled city of Intramuros as a monument to the Hispanic period of Philippine history, DoT director for public affairs Czarina Zara Loyola said on Monday. The plan, spearheaded by Undersecretary Alma Jimenez and Assistant Secretary Gwen Javier, plans to ﬁx Intramuros’ long-time problems to make the city a walking tourist site, like Vigan City in Ilocos Sur. The proposal includes the restoration of the Maestranza Park to become a venue for cultural shows, concerts, and vintage car shows. The department is eyeing a public-private partnership for holding events and concerts at the Clamshell Tent, situated along Anda St., Loyola said. “We are studying the possibility of tapping Beep to work with us and ensure that the tourists will be charged the right amount,” she added. Beep cards, provided by AF Payments Inc., are currently accepted at Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2 and Metro Rail Transit 3. PNA

LTO issues licenses Oct. 8 THE Land Transportation Office will start releasing in Metro Manila driver’s licenses and conductor’s licenses with a validity of five years starting Oct. 8. The expansion of the validity of the driver and conductor’s licenses was the result of the call of President Rodrigo Duterte to increase their validity period from three years to five years, LTO chief Edgar Galvante said in issuing LTO Administrative Order 2016-034. After Metro Manila, licenses will be released in other LTO offices across the country on Nov. 8. Applicants for new licenses will be charged P100 as an application fee, P67.63 as computer fee, P585 for the license itself, and another P67.63 as a computer fee. For renewal of licenses, the applicant must pay P585 for license fee and P67.63 for computer fee. Rio N. Araja

ANOTHER MULE CORRALED. Deputy Customs Commissioner Arnel Alcaraz points to 22-year-old Jon-Jon Villamin, who was caught carrying a suitcase containing 4.8 kilos of cocaine at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Sunday.

Digong’s message resounds—Alvarez By Christine F. Herrera

ESPITE the international ﬂak he has been getting, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said President Rodrigo Duterte has successfully and clearly put across the world that the Philippines will no longer be “subservient” to any foreign country and will solve its problems internally and within its means “It is just right to not anymore be subservient to other countries like the United States. It is up to them to grant us aid or not. It is not right to impose a condition on us in exchange for their aid,” Alvarez told House reporters. In a news conference, Alvarez said he saw no problem with Duterte apologizing to other countries he had offended but it also showed the Pres-

ident was not immune from making mistakes. “At least he has the courage and humility to admit his mistakes and apologize,” Alvarez said. Alvarez explained the President has his hands full considering the major and compelling issues that confront the country such as the need to address the peace and order problem, criminality,

campaign against illegal drugs and poverty. “We have to remember that the President is fighting a lot of fronts. There is that campaign against illegal drugs, he has to address the rebellion both from the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army and the Moro National Liberation Front and Moro Islamic Liberation Front. His job is not easy,” the Speaker said. These internal issues, he said, were being faced by the President head on without the help of other countries. “Diplomacy is a matter of style for a leader. The President is insisting he was not elected by the people to be a diplomat. He did not run to become a diplomat. He ran for President and won. So previous presidents had their own style and the incumbent has his own. Let’s respect that,” he said.

Alvarez said he approved of the way the President was pursuing the administration’s independent foreign policy. “Why is it good? Because he is showing the world that he is ﬁghting for the country’s sovereignty whereas before, we were subservient to the wishes of Western countries, most especially the United States and Europe. For the ﬁrst time, we have a President who pursues the national interest and this is new to all of us,” Alvarez said. Alvarez said the President’s primary concern was to address the internal problem, particularly poverty and drugs problems. “The country’s main problems are poverty, criminality and illegal drugs. These are major problems. No one else will help us with solving these problems but us. It has to be us that should work together in solving these,” Alvarez said.

AFP seeks clarification on Edca Lawmakers push By Florante S. Solmerin First Republic Day THE military declined to comment on President Rodrigo Duterte’s threat to junk the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States pending a clarification from Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. “The Armed Forces is seeking clarification and we have communicated [our request] to the Department of National Defense. Until we get the clarifica-

tion behind those statements, we cannot comment on it,” military spokesman Brigadier General Resituto Padilla told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo. Padilla made the reply after defense journalists asked if the Armed Forces of the Philippines can stand on its own without American forces amid the China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea. Duterte said he was considering stopping all bilateral military

exercises with the US, including the Edca because it was not even signed by the previous president and could not be considered a treaty. When Edca was being formulated and ﬁnally signed in 2014, the agreement was seen as a deterrent to China’s aggression as it continued to grab territories and artiﬁcial islands in the WPS despite the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration junking China’s “9-dash line.”

By Maricel V. Cruz A PANEL in the House of Representatives has approved a proposal to declare January 23 of every year a special working holiday in the entire country to commemorate the declaration of the First Philippine Republic. The House committee on revision of laws, chaired by Pangasinan Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas approved, House Bill 477 seeking to commemorate the declaration of the First Philippine Republic on Jan. 23, 1899 at the Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan. The bill, authored by Bulacan Rep. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado, is a reﬁled proposal that was ap-

proved on third and ﬁnal reading during the 16th Congress. “The signiﬁcance of Jan. 23, 1899 is that the First Philippine Republic came into being as the sovereign choice of the people. It was a conscious choice to reject a dictatorial and revolutionary government and establish for all the future Filipino generations the groundwork for democracy,” said Sy-Alvarado. As the First Republic in Asia, Sy-Alvarado said Filipinos are proud of their strong democratic and republican ideals as a nation. He said it was on June 12, 1898 when General Emilio Aguinaldo declared the Philippines free from the yoke of foreign subjugation.

Senate pays tribute to deceased Miriam By Sandy Araneta

EXPLAINING THE AGENDA. Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte and Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas of Ilocos Norte answer questions from journalists about the legislative agenda of the 17th Congress. Maricel Cruz

THE Senate on Monday adopted a resolution expressing its profound sympathy and sincere condolences on the death of former senator and legal luminary Miriam Defensor-Santiago. In a statement, the Senate said they voted unanimously to approve Senate Resolution No. 179, ﬁled by Senate President

Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, in consideration of Senate Resolution No. 181 ﬁled by Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Senate Resolution No. 182 ﬁled by Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito. Upon the motion by Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, all 24 senators were made as co-authors of the resolution, the statement read.

Budget debate finished Oct. 5 By John Paolo Bencito BUDGET Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Monday claimed that the Duterte administration can finally close the perennial problem of classroom backlogs by 2017 as the House of Representatives announced it would wrap up plenary debate on the P3.35-trillion 2017 budget by Wednesday. Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas said the consistent presence of a quorum hastened the completion of the plenary debates. “[F]irst time in history that we have been conducting roll calls every day. There’s always a quorum,” said Fariñas. With 293 members composing the House of Representatives, there must be at least 146 lawmakers to constitute a quorum. The solon also said it is the first time in history that the national budget will be approved on second reading earlier than the scheduled date. “Before, it will take us 10 days working until midnight and on the last day prolonging until the succeeding day. Now, we will be done by Wednesday. We are on the right track,” Fariñas said. Diokno said in a television interview he was hopeful the backlog of classrooms will finally be address with the DepEd’s allocation. “I think we have addressed all requirements and we have a very competent leader on that post,” he added, referring to Education Secretary Leonor Briones. The Education department, with the biggest slice of the pie in the 2017 budget, is targeting to finish the more than 47,000 classroom backlog by next year. DepEd is seeking a budget of P566.2 billion for 2017, including the P23.9-billion automatic appropriations, which is the highest budget for an agency. Appearing at the budget briefing before the House appropriations panel, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones earlier acknowledged that the backlogs are among the challenges facing the department, but which they are addressing starting this year. Briones said that the Education Department is left with a target of 47,492 classrooms for 2017, with more than 118,686 classrooms constructed under the previous administration and 66,463 classrooms which are ongoing procurement.

Opinion

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

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EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Explaining the President

T MUST be tough to be speaking for the President these days. The already difficult job of conveying the official line of the chief executive on various issues is made even more complicated by the challenge of minimizing the damage wrought by Mr. Duterte’s actual incendiary words.

Take, for instance, that latest statement the President made Friday about being happy to slaughter the 3 million drug users in the country, in the same manner as Adolf Hitler exterminated the Jews. The following day, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella issued his own statement saying that Duterte’s ref-

erence to the slaughter was “an oblique deflection of the way he has been pictured as a mass murderer, a Hitler, a label he rejects.” Hitler’s murder of innocent civilians and Duterte’s willingness to kill criminals to save the future of the next generation are two entirely different things, Abella added. The same effort can be said of Palace spokesmen regarding numerous earlier pronouncements by Mr. Duterte: threatening to bolt the United Nations, cursing the president of the United States, saying we would now ally ourselves with China and Russia, and telling foreign investors we don’t care if they take their money elsewhere, among others. Many excuses have been offered, the most common of which is that the President’s words were taken out of

context or that he was carried away by his passion to effect real, tangible change in the country. The President must be too much of an enigmatic man that nobody can figure out what his context is. Not even the supposedly brilliant minds we have at the Senate and at the House of Representatives are amused at guessing and secondguessing Duterte. We cringe to think we have not even reached the 100-day mark; how do we survive nearly six more years of this? Indeed, efforts to explain the President’s words have yielded results quite the opposite of what these officials intended. At best, they sound funny and pathetic. At worst, they paint the picture of a President so unintelligible and so irrational that one cannot reasonably tell what damaging, dis-

ruptive, and embarrassing thing he would come up next. Perhaps instead of speaking outward to a befuddled public, these spokesmen and other officials should huddle around their boss and advise him to be a little more temperate. And perhaps then they can focus on the essential nature of their job: to make the people understand, and appreciate, the administration’s message of change. Governing is possible, even without expletives. Everybody knows that being a maverick is part of Duterte’s appeal that caused him to win the presidency through a large plurality. But some things you can only take so far—especially when you are responsible for the well-being, and the future, of more than 100 million Filipinos. EAGLE EYES TONY LA VIÑA

Duterte’s awesome and mighty powers

Color coding a game LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES WHO’S blue and green, then black, but really yellow? Why, the officials of Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University who tried to hijack last weekend’s basketball game and convert it into a political rally, that’s who. First, I should make myself clear: I am not against sports personalities, showbiz denizens or other celebrities who use their lofty position to push their personal political agenda like they endorse, say, skinwhitening pills. These people, just like anyone else, are merely exercising their right to free speech when they do so. In fact, the modern template of using sports for political purposes was set in the 1968

Olympics in Mexico, where two black American athletes raised their fists in solidarity with the “black power” movement at the winners’ podium. The iconic raised-fist protest of John Carlos and Tommie Smith took place in the midst of political turmoil over civil rights abuses in the US and dramatized calls for better treatment of “people of color.” The current practice of some American professional football players of not rising during the playing of the national anthem to protest violence against black people is a direct descendant of the Carlos-Smith protest. So athletes have been using their status to push their politics—so what? Well, the difference between Carlos, Smith and their latterday athletic brethren and the officials of Ateneo and De La Salle is that the former were expressing their personal, individual political beliefs. They

It’s good to know that people can still think for themselves, even if they went to schools where the administrators believe they can’t. were not ordering (although “inviting” was the word the schools’ Catholic administrators used) other people to subscribe to their own political

leanings, using their positions of influence as heads of two schools with a long-running rivalry on the basketball court. Ateneo president Jose Ramon Villarin and his De La Salle counterpart Brother Raymundo Suplido asked fans of the two pricey schools’ teams to wear black clothing or accessories. And they wanted them to do so to protest a) the plan of President Rodrigo Duterte to bury his predecessor Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani and b) extrajudicial killings supposedly ordered by Duterte. Of course, you can say that, like individual athletes displaying their personal political views, the school administrators did not really have the power to force anyone to see things their way. But you can also argue that Villarin and Suplido abused their positions of authority to push partisan politics—they aren’t, as far as

I know, even athletes. Some in the crowd who watched the game indeed forsook their usual blue and green colors for black (the actual number who did is still being debated). Others showed better judgment by ignoring the call, since they clearly didn’t like the idea of school officials telling them to repurpose an afternoon at a ballgame into a political protest. As someone who went to neither school, I can only cheer those who rejected the idea that they had to still be following the lead of the clerics who run the alma mater. Where I went to school, we were taught to question everything, especially if it came from the people who ran our institutions of higher learning. *** But I want to know if, instead of black, what the Ateneo and De La Salle administrators Turn to A5

THIS is the second of three columns written to mark the first 100 days of the Duterte government. Last Saturday, I wrote about good news coming from the administration—the great decision to impose a moratorium on land conversion, the progress in the peace processes, and the excellent appointments the President has made across the bureaucracy. I am also optimistic about the anti-poverty programs of the Duterte government, the anti-monopolistic economic reforms being proposed, the measures to address the mobility and transportation crisis, the continuation of education reforms, the health interventions being considered, the plan to ramp up spending for infrastructure, and the radical environmentalism being now espoused. This is definitely a government of action. For all of these, it is President Duterte who should be praised and no one else. He is a strong leader, with immense political will. If not for the targeting of the poor in the war against drugs, I would have described Duterte as pro-poor; certainly, with respect to workers, farmers, the urban poor, indigenous peoples, and other basic sectors, I believe that this government would instinctively be pro-poor. He is also an authentic character, sui generis (unique, one of a kind) to use a legal term: his language is colorful; he is both sexist and solicitous in his treatment of women; funny and obnoxious at the same time. According to many who have met him personally, he is charming and full of empathy. (Disclosure: I have met him a couple of times before he became president but only very briefly so I could not form an opinion about his personal character.) Definitely, Duterte’s supporters idolize him. He certainly seems to have won the hearts, if not the minds, of rank and file soldiers and policemen. Having acknowledged his strengths, I will now share Duterte’s weaknesses and the threats that his presidency brings to the country. I will not sugarcoat the President nor interpret his words and actions, giving them a different Turn to A5

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ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Ofﬁce, Manila. Website: www.thestandard. com.ph; e-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

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Opinion TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

Payback time at Customs PRESIDENT Duterte rued sensitive positions—District his remarks on the Holocaust, Collector for Naia and District “profoundly” apologizing to Collectors for the Port of Mathe Jewish community for com- nila, the MICP, Batangas Port, paring his bloody war on illegal Subic, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro drugs to Adolf Hitler’s killing and Zamboanga City. To be sure, these four I of six-million Jews. He also apologized for mis- mentioned earlier are not retakenly including a former ally outsiders. They have been Pangasinan governor, now a with the BoC for several years. member of Congress, and other And I am not questioning their provincial officials because of competence or fitness for the positions. The point is that the “negligence.” Doesn’t the President real- appointing authority should ize that he can’t be apologiz- subject them to a rigid vetting ing for negative reactions to his process to make sure that they pronouncements? That would are the most qualified and the erode his credibility. People most trustworthy among all should believe whatever their possible candidates for these positions. leader says or does. There is also the question The worst part is having his spokesmen scramble all over of integrity. The positions inthe place explaining what he volved direct supervision over supposedly really meant. They the collection of billions of accuse the media of giving the pesos every year. This is most wrong spin to the President’s important in the light of continuing complaints about what words. The result is the impression is known as “tara” that reportthat Mr. Duterte does not mean edly ranges from P3,000 to what he says, and even that he P50,000 per container, depending on the nature and value of is lying. The less he talks—rambles, the contents, and the size of the really—the less mistakes he container. “Tara” refers to bribes or can commit. President Duterte already has two spokesmen, grease money given to corrupt Ernesto Abella and Martin An- Customs people by those seekdanar. Let them talk and earn ing release of their cargoes, or for the exemption from physitheir pay. What did the President say cal inspection of their shipment. “Tara” comes unto play exactly? “Kung ikaw kaya nandito, in the smuggling of such items as cars, elecbakit ka hindi tronic goods, mag mumura? petroleum, or (If you were in agr icult ural my place, why goods and wouldn’t you products like curse?) The President rice, onions, “You are garlic and portrayed or should not allow fruits. pictured to be this to happen. The release one... a cousin of “tara” goes of Hitler and on every Friyet do not day on Reeven bother medios Street to investigate this. Imagine that I will be fac- in Malate along the many resing and even the International taurants there. This is an open Court for genocide. Kayong secret in the agency and the US, EU you can call me any- practice has long been embedthing. But, I was never into or ded in the culture of corruption I am never into hypocrisy like at Customs. My gulay, with you. Close your doors, it’s win- some 5,000 containers passing tertime, there are migrants, es- through Customs every day, caping from the Middle East. the “tara” must be in the milYou allow them to rot and then lions of pesos every Friday. There are syndicates in Cusyou are worried about the death toms that specialize in these of 1,000, 2,000, 3,000? “Hitler massacred three- deals that rob the government million Jews. Now there are of billions of pesos a year in three-million drug addicts. I’d lost revenues. Members of be happy to slaughter them. At these syndicates act as conduits least if Germany had Hitler... to smugglers at Customs. This the Philippines would have should compel the President to what, you know [pointing to make sure that absolutely none himself]... my victims. I would of these who are named to these like to be—all criminals—to sensitive posts have ties with finish the problem of my coun- these syndicates. One significant consideration try and save the next generation in making such appointments from perdition.” Duterte’s English may not is that these positions will have be perfect, but what he meant substantial impact in meeting was there. For Palace officials the BoC collection targets for to say that media quoted him 2016. The target has been set at out of context shows they are P409 billion, but that target has already been reduced by 19.3 all liars. At least, President Duterte percent from the original target apologizes for his mistakes. of P498.67 billion. This is supFormer President BS Aquino posedly because of lower import volume and falling prices never did. of oil. Significantly, Customs *** People at the Bureau of Cus- failed to meet its P238.32-biltoms are abuzz. The Iglesia Ni lion collection goal for the first Cristo, or at least one of its top half of this year, netting only officials, is intensely lobby- P190.27 billion for a shortfall ing for the appointment of four of P48.9 billion. Yet, Santa Banana, I am told protégés to key positions in the that one member of a syndicate agency. Supposedly, those who are was telling his friends that he being pushed by the influen- used to deliver up to P20 miltial religious group for key lion a week to a BoC bagman. positions are Deputy Com- And that’s just one of the many missioner Ariel Nepomuceno collection districts. Only last month, Customs as Customs Commissioner, lawyer Teddy Raval as head of Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon the Intelligence Group, lawyer reportedly relieved a certain capVincent Maronilla as District tain as head of Customs OperaCollector of the Port of Manila, tions Office for allegedly receivand lawyer Vener Baquiran as ing P100 million to P220 million District Collector of the Manila in monthly “tara” since 2012. And how true is the talk that International Container Port. My sources at Customs tell since 2010 up to this year, a top me that the INC wants payback official of the INC has been getfor its support for a Duterte- ting 50 percent of this “tara?” Marcos team during the May Is this tolerated by the INC? 9, 2016 presidential elections. My gulay, it is bad enough that Recall that for supporting poli- our people have to put up with ticians, Iglesia has always been patronage politics as an institugiven positions at Customs for tionalized evil in governance. its protégés. These are mainly But do we have to suffer the in-

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

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Impulsive criticism vs Duterte’s Hitler remarks HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA LAST Friday, in a speech delivered upon his arrival from his state visit to Vietnam, President Rodrigo Duterte emphasized the seriousness of his ongoing anti-drug campaign in the country. He likened his crusade to what happened when Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler occupied almost all of Europe during World War II. Duterte said, “Hitler massacred three-million Jews. Now, there are three-million drug addicts. I’d be happy to slaughter them.” He added, “At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have, you know, my victims, I would like [them] to be all criminals, to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition.” As expected, anti-Duterte critics jumped at the opportunity to brand the president a ruthless killer like Hitler. Jewish groups in the United States, particularly the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Anti-Defamation League, quickly condemned Duterte for his statement. Without hesitation, they scored Duterte for comparing drug users and drug dealers with the Jews killed by the Nazis during the war. Likewise, the Jewish Lobby, an influential group operating in the halls of the US Congress, pressed US President Barack Obama to take a harder stand against the outspoken Philippine leader. Israeli consular officials were less impulsive. They sought a clarification from Malacañang as to what President Duterte re-

Duterte’s... From A4 twist than what seems to me to be loud and clear. I take his actions and words for what they are, and assume that he means them. Because of these, there are serious challenges before us as a people and country: on human rights, on foreign policy, and on the future of our democracy. First, human rights. There is no doubt that the President does not care greatly about human rights in the traditional sense of the term. He has spoken numerous occasions about this. Certainly to him, human rights must be subordinated to the common good. From his first day in office, in his dinner with the people in the slums of Tondo, he made it clear that drug addicts are dispensable, damaged goods. When he says that addicts are not human beings, I believe he means that. When he promises to slaughter three million drug addicts, I do not consider that hyperbole. Indeed, if I had a drug addict in my family now and we could afford it, I will make sure that family member leaves the country now and comes back only in 2022. It is still safe now for people in gated communities, as the massacre of the poor is happening only in depressed neighborhoods. Still, with the metrics that seems to guide the war against drugs, that could change in months. Even middle-

Color coding... From A4 really wanted was to gather a living sea of the old yellow that symbolized the politics they have always supported. I don’t recall, for instance, those who ran either school asking people to make political statements in the aftermath of the killing of 44 police commandos in Mamasapano or after the Supreme Court said the government abused Congress’ pork barrel or the Disbursement Acceleration Program at a ball game. There is clearly some atterference of a religious sect in the appointment of key people to sensitive positions in government? So much for the Constitutional provision on separation of Church and State. *** I am wearing hearing aids which I acquired from Dr. Ed-

ally had in mind when he made the controversial remark. To defuse a possible aggravation of the matter, President Duterte apologized for the remark, and explained that he had no intention to insult the memory of the Jews who died in the war under the Nazi program of ethnic cleansing and racial purification. With tensions on all sides substantially diminished, an analysis of what happened is certainly in order. A historical overview is also needed. Under orders from Adolf Hitler, six million Jews were killed by Nazi troops during World War II. The mass extermination of perceived enemies of Hitler’s purportedly superior Aryan race was done in an organized manner, and often with the cooperation of people of the occupied territories. This chapter of world history is referred to as the Holocaust. Since the end of the war, and after the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals ended with the execution of many of Hitler’s top lieutenants, the German government has admitted the extent of its role in the Holocaust, and has apologized for it. As a demonstration of its sincerity in this regard, the German government has outlawed any attempt at resurrecting Hitler’s Nazi Party. Even the public display of Nazi symbols like the swastika, as well as glorified portraits of Hitler himself, is prohibited. It is also very difficult to get a permit to shoot a film set in World War II in Germany today. For Jewish leaders who survived the war, the Holocaust underscored the importance of establishing a homeland for their people. Thus, in May 1948, the Jewish state of Israel was born, and it was immediately recognized by many countries, in-

cluding the newly-independent Republic of the Philippines. Anti-Semitism, or hostility towards the Jews as a group, remained a Jewish concern even after Israel was established. For instance, several Israeli athletes were killed by terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Today, anti-Semitism is present in many countries in the Middle East like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, and Libya. AntiSemitism can also be felt in isolated areas in the United States and Europe. The Philippines, however, has no historical tradition of antiSemitism. In fact, the Commonwealth government under President Manuel L. Quezon allowed Jewish migrants escaping Nazi persecution in Europe to sojourn in the Philippines, at a time when many supposedly “freedom-loving” countries refused to accommodate Jewish refugees. Were the words employed by President Duterte in his speech really designed to compare drug users and drug dealers to the Jews killed during the Holocaust? It does not appear so. Taken in the context of what President Duterte said, Hitler was a reference point for one’s zeal and determination to carry out a large-scale campaign towards a specific end. It seems that Duterte’s reference to Hitler was to illustrate the extent Duterte was willing to go to, in order to destroy the drug menace plaguing the Filipino people. Hitler’s objective during the war was genocide, plain and simple. That is a far cry, and a lot different from Duterte’s state-sponsored campaign against illegal drugs. The historical record indicates that around 6 million Jews were killed in the

Holocaust. Duterte erroneously said Hitler killed three million. If Duterte was staunchly antiSemitic, he would have gotten his figures right. Indeed, President Duterte could use some precision, even refinement perhaps, in his public statements, but then, he never presented himself as a very eloquent and diplomatic public speaker when he ran for president. During the presidential campaign, the fiery Davao City mayor emphasized that he is a man of action, rather than one who merely talks and pays lip service to his constituents. Precisely because he disdains hypocrisy, Duterte does not mince words whenever he expresses what he has in mind. His candor and spontaneity may not be the ideal embodiment of international diplomacy, but at least he speaks frankly in a world filled with political double-talk. In the light of President Duterte’s penchant for being outspoken and frank, and considering that the Philippines has no historical tradition of anti-Semitism, the conclusion that Duterte insulted the memory of the Jews killed in World War II, was made rather impulsively. There may have been an inappropriate choice of words on his part, but it certainly isn’t a case of antiSemitism. What other nations have to say about President Duterte’s speech is hardly of any importance now. At the end of the day, what is important is that the Filipino people know what their president is talking about, and that it was not his intention to be anti-Semitic when he elaborated on his relentless campaign against the drug curse that threatens to destroy the Philippines.

class addicts and users, including suspected ones, will also be targeted. Given this view of human rights and its disregard just to win the war against drugs, and given the language of the President, I am no longer optimistic that President Duterte can avoid an international indictment for wanton violation of human rights. I oppose the filing of such charges not just because it could be legally infirm for now but also it could create a backlash against human rights advocates in the country and could have disastrous consequences on democracy here. What is sad is that it is so avoidable—if only the President were more temperate in his language and if internal accountability mechanisms, such as the Commission on Human Rights, were given more support and encouragement to work. The fairness of the hearings in Congress are also crucial in this respect. Second, foreign policy. I get the President loud and clear on this, too. He does not like the United States. He likes China and Russia better, thinking our strategic interests lie best if we make a realignment happen. It is not unthinkable that we will soon break relations with the United States. We have to prepare for that. I do not object to President Duterte for making the case for a strategic realignment. But I wish this happened as a consequence of a debate within our

foreign policy establishment, including in Congress, and not a result of one’s man perceptions and decisions. Years—nay, decades—of tedious and challenging diplomatic work are now being wrecked. The realignment should happen with the right information and analysis about Chinese and Russian intentions, and with knowledge of the enormous military, economic and political consequences of such a decision. Third and finally, the future of our democracy. I fear for our democracy. There is hardly any political opposition left. The unintended consequence of the budget reforms, all well-intended, under the Aquino administration has led to the consolidation of presidential power over the budget, making Congress useless. The use of the impeachment power against Chief Justice Corona instructed future presidents on how to coerce the Judiciary. The unprecedented attacks, from all fronts, against Vice President Binay, have also been instructive. We now see that happening with Senator Leila de Lima. And then we have the manipulation of social media, with trolls unleashed at anyone that might criticize the President or anyone, like the Reuters journalists Manuel Mogato and Karen Lema, who are simply doing their job and reporting the facts. It is not the fault of President Duterte that all these threats to

democracy are unleashed, but it is within his power to stop them. The Philippine president has awesome and mighty powers. As my constitutional law professor, retired Justice Vicente V. Mendoza, once wrote, our presidential system is unlike the United States which has at least Congress as a truly co-equal branch. Our system was based on the colonial office of the Spanish and then the American Governor-General. These chief executives had absolute powers, including the declaring of Martial Law when warranted, over the Philippine islands. True, the 1987 Constitution instituted more safeguards than the 1973 and 1935 Constitutions, but the Office of the President remained essentially the same with all the powers it has traditionally held, including the declaration of Martial Law which the 1986 constitutional commission foolishly granted again to the president. In the first 100 days of his presidency, President Duterte has used his awesome and mighty powers well in some cases. But in others—as in human rights, foreign policy, and as guardian of our democracy— there are real concerns. One can only hope, that in the next 100 days (the subject of my next column), we will have more of the good than the bad.

tempt to mislead, color-wise, in the request to wear black during last weekend’s protestcum-ballgame. And, to paraphrase Miss Manners, it is the obligation of protesters to be unequivocal and immediately comprehensible. The officials of both schools must have known that theirs was a divisive decision that not all in their intended audience would blindly accept. But they also knew that, if they declared their true colors, they would be accused of partisanship on top of being divisive; so they decided to use black as their com-

mon color scheme. But the use of another color other than the one they really wanted to display was, like the politics of clerics in general, simultaneously naive and disingenuous. The school administrators had the gall to piggyback politics on a popular event but not enough balls to declare their anti-Duterte intentions or pro-Yellow leanings. In my old school, for instance, if we detested the government and wanted it out, we said so. We didn’t pussy-foot and use misleading color-coding schemes.

But I guess the Ateneo and La Salle administrators are just so used to having their way that they thought nothing of the impropriety of their act. The fact that many who watched the game ignored their call is the best evidence of how wrong these school heads were to do so. These days, when most old people like me decry the lack of quality education, it’s good to know that a lot of people can still think for themselves. Even if they did go to schools where the administrators believe they can’t.

uardo Go of the Hi-Tech Hearing Center Inc. in Makati. It has been there for the past 20 years or so. I find the hearing aids comfortable; I use them every day like a necessity. I was pleasantly surprised in one of my visits to Go when he showed me one of his gadgets —

the Remote Multi-Microphone. Go is very well versed with its specifications. He showed me how patients will find it useful, such as speech clarity in a noisy environment, and the like. In venues, like churches, conference halls, auditorium, parties, even in the car where

extreme car noise will have drowned the conversation, this gadget is also useful. One can even use it as television transmitter up to 15 feet away. It automatically switches from directional reception in roundtable meetings with its built-in accelerator.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

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Labor finishes papers in 72H T

HE Department of Labor and Employment said processing of key public services was cut from 25 to 70 percent, hastening the release and process of documents at the department’s key frontline.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the reduction of process cycle times in the Department’s frontline services is in compliance with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to cut the red tape and complete transactions in the Department within 72 hours. Bello said: “Key services of the DOLE Regional Offices which are covered by the 72-hour process cycle time are the Registration of Worker’s Association; Registration of Union/Independent Union; Registration of Collective Bargaining Agreement; Issuance of Child Working Permit; Issuance of Certificate Has/Has No Pending Case; Accreditation of OSH Practitioner; Issuance of Alien Employment Permit; Issuance of Private Employment Agency License; Issuance of Permit to Conduct Job Fair; Issuance of Authority to Recruit Outside Registered Business Address; and Approval of Construction Safety and Health Program.” The streamlined services and procedures for the 72-hour process cycle time are hiring and placement of government MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK hired workers; registration and accreditation of principals/ employers, issuance of job fair authority; membership registration process (Balik Manggagawa); membership verification process; Repatriation Assistance and PostRepatriation Services, Skills for Employment Scholarship Program, and seafarers upgrading program process; issuance of Board Certificate; processing of petitions for change of status; registration of new passers and issuance of PRC Identification Card; and processing and issuance of duplicate certificate of registration. “The transactions in the said frontline services can now be completed within six to 72-hour process cycle time, a marked improvement from the previous five days to two weeks process and response time,” Bello said in a statement. “The streamlining of the Department’s frontline services is part of our effort to hasten the delivery of services to the public at the least possible cost while ensuring ease in transacting business and the provision of quality service at all times,” said Bello. Manila He added the reduction of the process cycle time in the Standard TODAY Department’s frontline services was supported by the availability of checklist of requirements and downloadable forms in the agencies/offices website; a dedicated hotline service; enhancement of online systems and processes; and the continuous review and improvement of enrolled processes. Vito Barcelo

Manila

Standard

TODAY

UNDER CONTROL. Quezon City fire fighters train their hoses at the burning warehouse of the Maclin Electronics Inc. at Barangay Sta Teresita in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

Sharper eyes to monitor traffic cameras By Joel Zurbano

On Monday, the MMDA signed ment to show their worth in the work- ies, shall provide MMDA the agreed DivisionNotice for Lot of qualified graduates for REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES number asLand toManagement complement theof Publication an agreement with the De La force as wellChief, Nos. 800 up to 806, 820, REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 933 to 942 Piedad Estate, THE Metro Manila Development Salle-College employment. of JUDICIAL St. Benilde in current personnel at the Metro Base, NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION Quezon City as per our BRANCH 90, QUEZON CITY we have no Authority is set to hire deaf and mute connection school shall assist the agency with the employment the agency’s monitoring center. Verification records on file of The the afore said documents. WORLD WAR II VETERANS LEGIONNAIRES individuals to man the monitors of program of the agency for the deaf orientation and integration of “They undergo training.PlanWe 17 May 1999will Certification from DENR-NCR Pcs 13 isin not the “FF” OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC. represented by its signed by MAMERTO L. available in the files closed-circuit television cameras the deaf. Further, the school shall might employ a flagging and persons. Chairman andmute President, SMILEY R. SALAS, INFANTE-OIC, Regionalsystem for Technical Director, Land Plaintiff, installed on major thoroughfares in Metro Services Base team lead- assign a project coordinator who Orbos said the project, one of them to alertManagement Survey Records Section “GG” -versusCIVIL CASE NO. R-QZN-15-06125-CV 16 Oct. 1999 2 Indorsement to Michael the National Capital Region. conduct monitoring and proseeCruzsomething onPsd-21977 cam arewill the initiatives of the Inter-Agency ers if they Vito PACE-Media Action not available SUMMONS Group, Presidential Action on file situated in Quezon City Center signed by LOURDES I. “Basically we would strengthen vide feedback on the effectiveness that needs immediate attention on Council on Traffic, is anchored on ROSITA SIAPNO, ET AL., DEL RIO, Asst. Division Chief, Records Management Division the capability of our Metro Base. As studies showing of the project. Defendants. he pointed out. people with hearing the24ground,” CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Feb. 2000 Letter from DENR-LMB signed Psd-21997 are not “HH” x----------------------------------------------------------x by LEONIDO V. BORDEOS, available in our file as of employment for deaf-mute you know, Metro Base is responsi- disabilities have heightened senses The Orbos added these individuals OIC, Records Management this date TO: ROSITA SIAPNO AND FELICIANO QUIROZ Division ble for monitoring traffic, real time of Lucao individuals and other persons with would also be valuable in monitorsight.District, 2005 Dagupan City 22 May 2000 Certification from DENR-NCR As per inventory books “II” signed by TEOFILOon R. the and existing file, plan in our metropolis. We thought it best disability is also in compliance incidents road “There are studies which indicate ing traffic LAGUARDIA, GREETINGS: Chief, Technical Psd-21997 are not among You are hereby required, within sixty (60) days from the date of the last pubRecords and Statistics those records on file in the to bring our [persons with disability] with or traffic violations committed by that when a person loses one of the lication of this Summons, to file with this Court and serve on the plaintiff your Section Technical Records andRepublic Act 10524, a law ento the complaint, copy of which is attached, together with the annexes. You Statistics Section brothers [and sisters] and helpanswer three years ago for governmotorists. bodily senses, the other senses are us reminded of the provision in the IBP-OCA Memorandum on Policyare Guidelines 07 Sept. 2006 Certification from HLURB signed No Certificateacted of “JJ” dated March 12, 2002 to observe restraint in filing a motion to dismiss and instead by FELISA R. ARAGON, Acting Registration nor License in something where they can be of ment Under the agreement, the Colmore sensitive or heightened. Their allege the grounds thereof as defenses in the Answer. If you fail to answer within Head, Records and Information to Sell was issued to Villaagencies and governmentthe time fixed, the plaintiff may take judgment by default and may be granted the Unit Maloles Subdivision help, their strength being they have owned corporations to reserve one lege of St. Benilde, an educational visual relief/s applied for in theacuity complaint. is sharper,” he said. Certification from HLURB signed No certificate of “KK” WITNESS my hand under the seal of the Court this 22 day of August, 2016. 26 Dec. 2013 better ocular faculties,” said MMDA runsS. BAUTISTA, the School of percent Orbos said the agency wants to institution that by MARILOU OIC, Registration nor License of their workforce for disaRecords and Information Unit to Sell was issued to Villa (Sgd.) MERCEDITA C. CARIÑO Maloles Subdivision officer-in-charge Thomas Orbos. bled (Lot persons. engage persons with hearing impairBranch Clerk of Court Deaf Education and Applied Studnd

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 109, PASAY CITY

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Branch___, Quezon City

805-New Pcs-13 Subd. Plan Psd-21977)owned/ Developed by Vicente R. Villar and Eustacio Maloles located at Brgy. Holy Spirit, Quezon City Certification from LRA signed by Subd. Plan (LRC) Psd- “LL” EDGAR T. VILLANUEVA, City 21977 situated in the Treasurer Municipality of Aparri, Prov. Of Cagayan Order of CFI of Cagayan, First GLRO Rec. No. N-5975 “MM” Judicial District, Second Branch, was heard/issued in Aparri, dated Oct. 22, 1952, Cagayan signed by EDUARDO A. SANTOS, Jr., Chief, Vault Section Docket, LRA Order dated 27 Feb. 1952 Issued Decree No. 6667 was “NN” by CFI, Quezon Province, issued for land located signed by EDUARDO A. in Unisan, Quezon SANTOS, Jr., Chief, Vault Section Docket, LRA

‘Malicious’ tree-planting worsens right-of-way issues Oil firms increase prices by P0.60 RHODA ARRIBA-PARCIA,

Petitioner,

By Alena Mae S. Flores

CIVIL CASE NO. R-PSY-16-23585-CV For: Declaration of Nullity of Marriage Under Article 36 of the Family Code

-versus-

services to all its customers, these will be continue to encounter delays Respondent. NATIONAL Grid Corporation of the Phil- not just in new projects, but even durx----------------------------------------------x ippines has warned that blackouts are inevi- ingSUMMONS regular maintenance activities,” said BY PUBLICATION table especially when landowners continue NationalG. PARCIA Grid, operator of the country’s TO: MR. BERNARD Blk. 15, Lot 23, 19-16th Street, to maliciously plant trees and build struc-VAB, transmission highway. Pasay City tures within the right of way clearances GREETINGS: and National Grid said banana trees were indemand exorbitant amounts before allowYou are hereby directed to enter appearance in theplanted above-entitled tentionally andyourmaliciously which case within thirty (30) days from the last issue of publication hereof in ing access to the property. caused the tripping of the once Agus 5-Aurora a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines a week for two (2) consecutive weeks and answer the Petition filed by petitioner “While NGCP is exerting all efforts 138-kV wherein line and subsequent Rhoda Arriba-Parcia the petitioner prays thattripping judgment beof the rendered declaring as null and void the marriage between the petitioner to provide quality power transmission Baloi-Aurora linein last and respondent solemnized on138-kV 04 March 2008 PasaySept. City on 15. the

WORLD WAR II VETERANS LEGIONNAIRES OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC., represented by its Chairman and President, R. SALAS, These SMILEY trippings caused the blackout of the Plaintiff,

20 Feb. 2014

03 Mar. 2014

clearing activities on both lines last Februentire Zamboanga peninsula, including areas ary, except at the area between towers 29 and -versusJune 2010 served by distribution utilities Zamboanga 30 of the25Agus 5-Aurora 138-kV line in the Civil Case No. R-QZN-15-06125CV For: Annulment/Cancellation of TCT No. del Sur Electric Cooperative I and II, Zam- property of a landowner who refused access RT123175 (149600), N258136, 258137, and 258138, and Issuance of Title with Damages boanga del Norte Electric Cooperative, Zamfor maintenance activities. 24. Moreover, the LMB had already recommended to the Office of the Soliciand Prayer for Temporary Restraining tor General for the cancellation and reversion of Titletrees, of Lot 805 Piedad Friar Land boanga City Electric Cooperative, MisamisInjunction It said uncut and untrimmed Order and/or Writ of Preliminary Estate, Quezon City. Copy of the letter dated August 28, 2012 is attached as Annex Occidental Electric Cooperative I and II, and apart from “OO”; violating right-of-way clearROSITA SIAPNO and FELICIANO QUIROZ, 25. The lots covered by TCT No. 123175 (149600), N-258136, 258137 and The SECRETARY, DENR; The Land Management 258138 are still a partheight of the unclassified forest of Quezon parts of Lanao del Norte Electric Cooperative ances, reached thatpublic caused the City. Copy of the Certification is attached as Annex “PP”; Bureau (LMB), the LRA Commissioner; the REGISTER 26. Likewise, the subject TCTs do not show thattripit satisfy the requirements at 11:37 a.m. but the were restored onrepresented the line-to-ground fault and subsequent OF DEEDS OF lines QUEZON CITY, the HLURB, by for acquisition of patrimonial property, under Act 1120 which under Section 18 CITY; Traces thereof, requires the approvalplants of the Secretary of the Interior (now DENR) for the same dayIts atCommissioner; 12:01 p.m. the CITY ASSESSOR OF QUEZON ping. of burned were found THE CITY ENGINEER OF QUEZON CITY sale of patrimonial property. The title does not contain sales instruments OILas itcompanies raised pump Defendants. source. Defendant has no document to support that she acquired the property National Grid conducted right-of-way in the area. x-----------------------------------------------------------x under Act 1120, like the one hereto attached as Annex “QQ”; prices by as much as P0.60 per ground of psychological incapacity of the respondent to comply with his 27. The subject property covered by herein questioned TCT is part of the essential marital obligations and furnish a copy thereof to petitioner’s Vilma Maloles Subdivision. The same property is included in an actionliter for QuietCOMPLAINT starting Tuesday to reflect the counsel, ATTY. JEANIE S. PULIDO with postal address at G-07 Antel ing of Title. Copy of the Order issued by RTC Branch 83 of Quezon City is hereto PLAINTIFF, by counsel, to this Honorable Court, respectfully states that: NOTICE OF DECREASE IN AUTHORIZED CAPITAL seaview Tower, 2626 RoxasSTOCK Blvd., Pasay City. attached as Annex “RR”. Presently, the case was re-raffled to RTC Branch 105, movement of world oil prices. 1. Petitioner World War II Veterans Legionnaires of the Philippines, Inc. Quezon City. Copy of the latest Order of RTC 105 is hereto attached as Annex If you fail to answer within the time fixed, as per the Rules of Court, the (WWIIV for Brevity) is an aggrupation of World War II Veterans, their spouses, “SS”; Notice is hereby given that CARMELRAY-JTCI CORPORATION, corporation petitioner shall take judgment a against you and demand from this court “Phoenix Petroleum Philipdescendants and dependents duly registered with the Securities and Exchange 28. Given the foregoing pieces of evidence, it appears that TCT No. 123175, the relief appliedof in the this petition. duly organized and existing under the laws of the Republic Philippines, acting Commission and with main office address at No. 251, Infantry Road, Veterans is SPURIOUS; pines Village, Barangay Holy Spirit, Quezon City. Copies of the SEC Certificate of 29. Defendants cannot be the registered owner of the parcel of land will increase the prices through its Board of Directors and with the approval of itsyou stockholders Moreover, are remindedrepresenting of the provision of the IBP-OCA Registration, Articles of Incorporation, and By-Laws are hereto attached as identified as Lot 805-New (Psd 21997) covered by TCT No. 123175 (149600), Policy guidelines dated March at least two-thirds of the outstanding capital Memorandum stock, has on resolved to decrease its 12, 2002, to observe of togasoline by P0.35 per liter Annexes “A”, “B” and “C”, respectively. It is represented in this Petition by its N-258136, 258137 and 258138 which area of 400 square meters refers the restraint in filing a Motion to Dismiss and instead alleged the grounds authorized capital stock from Eight Hundred Forty Million Pesos (P840,000,000.00) Chairman and President Smiley R. Salas by virtue of WWIIV Board of Resolution Vilma Maloles Subdivision of LOT (Psd 21997) is part of Lot 1 awarded to plaintiff thereof as defenses in the answer. If you fail to answer within the time hereto attached as Annex “D”; and diesel by P0.60 per liter efWWIIV; to Six Hundred Fifty Million Pesos (P650,000,000.00) which is effected by reducing fixed, the Court shall order the Public Prosecutor to investigate whether 2. Plaintiff may be served with notices, orders, pleadings and other court 30. Moreover, the property covered by TCT No. 123175 (149600), or not collusion exist between the (P84.00) parties andto intervene for the state to the par value of the Corporation’s common shares from Eighty Four Pesos processes through the undersigned counsel at 3rd Floor, Vargas Bldg., 103 Ka- N-258136, 258137 and 258138 was once occupied by one Guillermofective Lomague. 6 a.m. of Oct. 4, 2016,” see to it that the evidence presented is not fabricated or suppressed. layaan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City; The latter was evicted by plaintiff October 1992, rendered by RTC 80 of Quezon Sixty Five Pesos (P65.00). 3. Defendants SIAPNO and QUIROZ, are both of legal age, with address at City in Civil Case No. Q-90-7666, hereto attached as Annex “TT”; Phoenix said. Witness the HON. TINGARAAN U. GUILING, Presiding Judge of this Lucao District, Dagupan City where they may served with notices, orders, plead31. The subject property is now being claimed by defendant Siapno. The of September this 19 day are All persons having claims against the act of theCourt Corporation hereby 2016. enjoined to ings and other court processes of this Honorable Court. They appear to be the latter’s Atty. In-fact, Mr. Maximo M. Petino had enclosed the premises, thereby deAmong the oil firms who present the same to its Corporate Secretary at Carmelray Industrial Park II(Sgd.) Business registered owners of TCT No. 123175 (149600), N-258136, 258137, and 258138; priving plaintiff to occupy or make use of its property, to its damage and prejudice; CLEOTILDE P. PAULO 4. Defendant DENR is the government agency in charge of, among others, 32. The subject property belongs to the plaintiff and cannot be raised claimed by prices are Flying V, SeaoCenter, Km. 54 National Highway, Calamba City. Officer-In-Charge conducting official surveys of real properties. It holds office at Visayas Avenue, defendant Siapno. The latters’ title thereto is spurious, thus, she has no right to (MS-Oct. 1 & 8, 2016) Diliman, Quezon City where it may be served with summons, notices and other transfer/sell the same to any person as evidenced by the Deed of Absolute Sale il, Unioil while others are exThis announcement will serve as a notice to all parties concerned of the decrease in processes of this Honorable Court; upon a Registered Land, copy of which is attached as Annex “UU”; 5. Defendant Land Registration Authority (LRA) is the government agency 33. As a consequence of the defendants’ unlawful acquisition of the title, the authorized capital stock of the Corporation. in charge of registration and issuance of certificates of titles over real properties. plaintiff, to protect its interest was compelled to engage the services of pected counsel for to follow suit. It holds office at DOJ Agencies compound, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City which it committed to pay P75,000.00 as attorney’s fees plus THREE THOUSAND (Sgd.) Rickie M. Sarque Oil prices went up due to the where it may be served with summons, notices and other processes of this Honor- PESOS (P3,000.00) by way of appearance fee for every court hearing. Corporate Secretary able Court; ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE PRAYER continuing for (MS-OCT. 4, 2016) oversupply situation in 6. Defendant Register of Deeds (RD) of Quezon City is the government TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AND/OR agency in charge of custody of all land titles to real properties. It holds office at the global market and the OrganiDOJ Agencies Compound, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City where it may be PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION served with summons, notices and other processes of this Honorable Court; REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 34. Plaintiff adopts and repleads by way of reference, all the allegations 7. Defendant Housing Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) is the gov- contained in the foregoing paragraphs in support of the application forzation temporary of Petroleum Exporting METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT OF METRO MANILA ernment agency in charge of issuance of licenses to sell private lands for housing restraining order and / or writ of preliminary injunction and further aver that: and other purposes. It holds office at HLURB Building, Kalayaan Avenue, cor. Countries’s tentative agreement to BRANCH 43 - QUEZON CITY 34a) From the foregoing facts, the property subject of the instant case beMayaman Street, Diliman, Quezon City where it may be served with summons, longs to the plaintiff and cannot be claimed by defendants Siapno. The limit latter’s title notices and other processes of this Honorable Court; oil production. BANFF REALTY & DEV’T. CORP., 8. Defendant City Assessor of Quezon City is the office in charge of the thereto is spurious, thus, she has no right to transfer/sell the same to any person; 34b) The subject property is now being claimed by defendant Siapno. The agreed last Wednesday to Plaintiff, assessment and collection of taxes over real properties. It holds office at Quezon Opec City Hall Complex, Quezon City where it may be served with summons, notices latter’s Atty. In-fact, Mr. Maximo M. Petino had enclosed and continues to enclose -versusCIVIL CASE NO. 41672 the premises, in violation of plaintiff’s right respecting the subject-matter involved and other processes of this Honorable Court; limit oil production between 32.5 9. Defendant City Engineer of Quezon City is the office in charge of the in this case, tending to render the decision to be rendered herein to be ineffectual SPOUSES GRAClELA M. CASTILLO, injury implementation and enforcement of the Building Code of the Philippines. It holds as plaintiff is unlawfully deprived its property to its irresparable damage, million and 33 million barrels per And ARNEL V. CASTILLO. office at Quezon City Hall Complex, Quezon City where it may be served with and prejudice; 34c) That under such a situation, plaintiff has no other plain, adequate and Defendants. summons, notices and other processes of this Honorable Court; day, resulting in up to 740,000 complete remedy at law for the preservation and protection of its rights or interests, 10.Plaintiff WWIIV was awarded vast tract of lands by then Court of First Inx ---------------------------------------------------x stance of Bulacan, Branch IV (Baliuag) in connection with SP No. 312-B entitled except a writ of preliminary injunction, enjoining defendant Siapno and her Atty. Inbarrels Fact from enclosing plaintiff’s property. Otherwise, plaintiff’s rights respecting the per day production cut. “IN THE MATTER OF THE INTESTATE ESTATE OF THE LATE DON MARIANO OPERATION: BARRIO SCHOOLS. Special envoy Carlos Chan, chairman of snake maker LiwayNOTICE OF SALE ON EXECUTION OF REAL PROPERTY SAN PEDRO Y ESTEBAN, ENGRACIO SAN PEDRO, Petitioner” as embodied subject of this action would be violated and would render the judgment ineffectual; “There is a high probability of 34d) is only the issuance temporary restraining writ in the ORDER 17 September of 1977, described as follows: way Marketing Corp. (Oishi) anddated Federation Filipino-Chinese Chambers ofThat Commerce andof aIndustry Inc. order (TRO) and WHEREAS, by virtue of the Writ of Execution issued by the HON. of preliminary injunction that would forestall the plaintiff from suffering injustice, ANA MARIE T. MAS, Acting Presiding Judge of the Court dated July “(1) A parcel of land, situated in the District of Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Ma- and great irreparable damage and injury on account of the impending implementaoil prices being driven up as a conwelfare committee chairman Enrique Chua, hand over the symbolic key to assistant schools division sunila, Philippines, Bounded on the North, points 6,7 and 8, by Republic Avenue; on 30, 2014, in the above-entitled case for the recovery by way of distraint tion of the Writ of Demolition; the East, points 8,9, 10, 11 to 12, by portion of World War II Veterans Legionnaires of the plaintiff Banff Realty & Dev’t. Corp. against the defendants 34e) That for the issuance of the relief prayed for, plaintiff is ready, sequence willing and of Opec’s decision. But perintendent Felisa Beriong and Senator Franklin Drilon the keys to 30 two-classroom school buildings in of the Philippines, from points 12 to 15, by Existing Road on the SE., points 15 to able to post a bond in such amount as it may be reasonably fixed, to answer Spouses Graciela M. Castillo and Arnel V. Castillo of the sum of by Don Mariano Marcos Avenue; on the SW., points 18 to 20 and on the NW., for whatever damages which defendants may suffer by reason of the restraining four towns in Iloilo. The 18 FFCCCII’s Operation: Barrio Schools hasofturned more than 10,200 classrooms TWO HUNDRED FIFTY SEVEN THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED implementing the same is another points 20, 1 and 2 by portion of World War II Veterans Legionnaires the Philip- over order and injunction sought, should it finally be adjudged that the plaintiffs are THIRTY THREE PESOS AND 13/100 (P257,833.13) representing and on the West points 2 to 6, by Luzon Avenue; xxx containing an area of not entitled thereto; since 1961. Also presentpines, at MILLION, the ceremony were Lemery MayorFIVE Ligaya Apura, FFCCCII Welfare Committee thing. There are Opec member TWO ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY NINE THOUSAND, HUNDRED back rentals, attorney’s fee, costs of suit plus expenses and Sheriffs 34f) Based on the foregoing, petitioner is entitled to the enjoinment of the FIVE (2,189,525) Square Meters more or less. fees and on April 8, 2016 Levy was made by the undersigned thru continuing acts of Director defendants in enclosing premises of herein plaintiff. Co-Chairman Bonifacio TWENTY Lui, Vice Chairmen Robert Kho Tian Ang and Alfredo Ting, AnsontheTan, countries that want to regain their “(2) A parcel of land, situated in the District of Diliman, Quezon City, on the the Registry of Deeds of Quezon City, on the rights, interests, and North, points 9 to 13, by Republic Avenue, on the NE.,of points 13, 14 toPresident 1; and SE., Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber ofonCommerce Panay Ramon Locsin and Executive Vice PRAYER participation of said defendants on the real property more particularly market share after being penalized points 1 to 3, by Luzon avenue, the South, points 3 to 5, by portion of World War described as follows, to wit: II Veterans of the Philippines, on the points 5National to 8 by portion of President Alfonso Tan, and Mr.Legionnaires Abe Erazo, principal ofSW., Milan HighWHEREFORE, School. premises considered, it is most respectfully prayed this international community,” by ofthe the World War II Veterans Legionnaires of the Philippines, and on the NW., points Honorable Court that: CONDOMINIUM CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. N-63329 8 to 9, by portion of the World War II Legionnaires of the Philippines, xxx containA. That upon notice and hearing, to issue a Temporary Restraining Order the Energy Department said in a ing an area of ONE MILLION, SEVEN HUNDRED TWELVE THOUSAND, THREE It is hereby certified that the unit identified and described as: and/or Writ of Preliminary Injunction, ENJOINING defendants and/or their Atty. HUNDRED TWENTY TWO (1,712,322) Square Meters more or less. In-fact, Atty. Petino and all persons working under them from continuingstatement to enclose “RESIDENCIA DE REGINA” earlier. “(3) A parcel of land, situated in the District of Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Ma- the premises and to remove the enclosures it constructed on the premises; 15th Floor RESIDENTIAL UNIT NO. APPROXIMATE TOTAL nila, Philippines. Bounded on the NE., and SW., points 4 to 1 by portion of World B. After hearing on the merits of the case, to render a decision: It said supply is one factor, War II Veterans Legionnaires of the Philippines and on the NW., points 1 to 3 by FLOOR AREA Teodorico Lapuz and points 3 to 4 by Bienvenido Felix xxx containing an area of B.1. Declaring the injunction as permanent; Studio Unit 1502 26.36 (sq.m.) among the many, that affects ONE MILLION, ONE HUNDRED TWENTY TWO THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED B.2. Declaring TCT No. 123175 (149600), N-258136, 258137 and 258138, NOW THEREFORE. by virtue of the said Writ of Execution and in SIXTY THREE (1,122,263) SQUARE METERS. All corners are indicated on the as NULL and VOID; oiltheprices while other factors inplan and marked by P.S. on concrete monuments 16 to 16 centimeters.” accordance with Rule 39, Section 15, of the Revised Rules of Court, B.3 Ordering defendants: the DENR to resurvey the subject property; LRA to issue new title to plaintiff WWIIV; the REGISTRY OF DEEDS to register the the undersigned Sheriff of Quezon City will sell at public auction to the The dispositive portion of the above Order reads: clude demand, transport, foreign a the little harder,” training for the competition. MARK Anthony Guiao11. from Title; CITY bit ASSESSOR to issuehe tax added. assessments; and the CITY ENGINEER highest bidder for CASH and in Philippine Currency, on November 3, “WHEREFORE, in view of all the foregoing considerations, the Court finds to issue Fencing Permit; 2016 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning or soon thereafter at the lobby of to Segregate dated July 23, 1977 filed by the World War II Veterans exchange, peace and order and an interview the Phil“I visualized the things that B.4.In Central Luzon won the theMotiongold Ordering defendants to pay with plaintiff the amount of P75,000.00 as attorLegionnaires of the Philippines to be tenable and so grants the same; the above- ney’s fees plus P3,000.00 for court appearance fees; P75,000.00 nominal damthe Metropolitan trial Court Branch 43 in the 3rd Floor of Hall of Justice described parcels of land are hereby segregated and excluded from the inventory ages and cost in the filing of suit. Building, City Hall of Quezon City, Metro Manila, the rights, interests, many others. ippines News Agency, Guiao I would do. I created a strategy medal in Mechanical Engineering of the Estate of the deceased Don Mariano San Pedro y Esteban it appearing that and participation of the defendants Sps. Graciela M. Castillo and Arnel the same do not belong to the estate and it appearing further that said parcels “Hence, economists have a hard Other reliefs and equitable under the foregoing premises are likewise said he justsuffered from mental I could use in2,679 case I won’t Design-Computer Aided Design V. Castillo, in the above-described real property in order to satisfy said are either belonging towhich the government or owned by the members of the prayed for. writ of execution together with the sheriffs fees and expenses of sale. World War II Veterans Legionnaires of the Philippines by reason of having postime predicting market prices for block during the last day of the be able to finish the test,” he category of the 11th Association Quezon City. 22 June 2015. sessed, occupied and cultivated the same under claim of ownership for more than All sealed bids with its accompanying transmittal letter address thirty years.” oil… For the Philippines, we need to to this office must be submitted to the undersigned on or before competition. of Southeast Asian Nations Skills noted. Copy of the Order is attached as Annex “E”; BELLA RAMONA A. ANTONANO the above stated date and hour at which time all sealed bids thus diversify our sources so that we will 12. The afore-said Order was upheld and confirmed by the Court of Appeals Counsel for Plaintiff “I found it hard to analyze Guiao received a P100,000 cash Competition held September 19submitted shall be opened. in its DECISION dated 22 June 1989 in CA G.R. NO. 17211, hereto attached as Roll No. 35560 In the event of public auction should not take place on the said date, Annex “F”. The said prize Decision from was further affirmed on by theMonday. Supreme CourtHe in a MCLEday. No. IV-0016031 – 10 Apr. 2013not be affected by the price movedrawings on the last I felt like Tesda 29 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. RESOLUTION in G.R. No. 90245 which had become final and executory on JanuPTR No. 2271380; 01-05-15; Mand. City it shall be held on November 10, 2016 without further notice. 24, 1991 as shownsaid by the ENTRY OF JUDGMENT heretocash attached as Annex IBP No.he 0981920; 01-05-15; Pasig Cityments from one source,” it said. I cannot do the test,” revealed. he didn’t get any reward During a recognitionary ceremoProspective bidder or buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for “G”. Consequently, plaintiff WWIIV’s Motion for Execution was granted by RTC, 3 Floor Vargas Bldg., themselves the title to the property/ies and encumbrances thereof. If Branch 15, Malolos, Bulacan (replacing the defunct CFI_Baliuag, Branch V) in the 103too Kalayaan Ave., Quezon The department said demand Guiao cited that much noiseCity in Kuala Lumpur, but just the ny organized by the Technical ORDER dated 2 December 1993, copy of which is hereto attached as Annex “H”; Tel. No. 4755296 / 9208550 any there be. 13. On 3 December 1993, a Writ of Execution was issued to implement the side management should be imfrom the visitors and those at the medal. Education and Skills Order DevelopQuezon City, Metro Manila, September 28, 2016. dated 17 September 1977. Copy of the Writ of Execution is attached as Republic of the Philippines) “I”; plemented and energy efficient venue was the main TheSheriff 22-year-old Computer ment Authority on Annex Monday, Quezon City )s.s. reason why he 14. On 13 January 1994, Pablo Glorioso of BS RTC Branch 15-Malolos FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF x------------------------------------x submitted his Service of the Order and the Writ of Execution upon several governOF QUEZON CITY appliances and vehicles should experienced mental block. Engineering graduate said he has Guiao shared he will never ment officesforand agencies. Copy of the Report is hereto attached as Annex “J”; AFFIDAVIT OF MERIT 15. On 9 March 1994, Lot 3 was turned over to the possession of plainbe used. (Sgd.) HERMINIO D. HAPATINGA He told his coach about the to push for excellence, get all the experiences tiffheWWIIV. hadCopy in of thelearned turn-over of possession and acknowledgment of receipt SMILEY R. SALAS, of legal age, married, with address at 251 Infantry Road Sheriff III thereof is hereto attached as Annex “K”; WARNING: Area 6 Veterans Village, Brgy. Holy Spirit, Quezon City, under oath states that: “Rooftop solar panels with net problem. “My coach and Mr. and aim higher, realizing that by the competition. 16. On 10 March 1994, Sheriff Glorioso submitted his Sheriff’s Partial ReIT IS ABSOLUTELY PROHIBITED TO REMOVE, DEFACE OR DESTROY port that the survey of Lot 3 has been completed and the boundaries installed and THIS NOTICE OF SALE ON OR BEFORE THE DATE OF SALE, UNDER 1. He is duly represented of Plaintiff World War II Veterans Legionnaires of metering technologies should also the same has been turned over toso, plaintiff WWIIV; that the successful. survey of Lots 1 & 2 has [Elmer] Talavera [head of Philipdoing he will be Guiao just graduated last March PENALTY OF THE LAW. yet to be completed. Copy of the Partial Report is hereto attached as Annex “L”; the Philippines, Inc. (WWIIV for Brevity) in the above captioned case; 2. Defendants SIAPNO and QUIROZ, appear to be the registered owners Copy furnished: be utilized. There are government 17. On 13 May 1994, Sheriff Glorioso submitted his Sheriff’s Final Return pine delegation] guided me and His advice to Filipino teamfrom Eastwoods Professional Colof TCT No. 123175 (149600), N-258136, 258137 and 258138; Banff Realty & Dev’t. Corp. Sps. Graciela M. Castillo and with the information that Lots 1 & 2 were already turned over to plaintiff WWIIV 3. The property subject of the instant case belongs to the plaintiff and can- and programs on these,” it 34 Esteban Abada St., Loyola Heights, Arnel V. Castillo projects together with the turnover of possession of Lotsmanage 1&2 acknowledgement receipt. gave me their support,” Guiao mates was to their time lege Bataan. He said he just had Quezon City Unit 1502 Residencia De Regina Copies of the final return and turn-over of possession acknowledgement receipt not be claimed by defendant Siapno. The latter’s title thereto is spurious, thus, she no right to transfer/sell the same to any person; 94 Xavierville Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City (MS-Oct. 4,11 & 18, 2016) are hereto attached aswisely. Annexes “M” and “N”; give up. Just push hasstressed. said. Alena Mae S. Flores “Never about six months of preparation/ PNA 4. The subject property is now being claimed by defendant Siapno. The 18. On 9 September 1994, an Order was issued granting the Omnibus Mofutile if we BERNARD G. PARCIA,

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Bataan lad wins Asean skills tilt

tion of plaintiff WWIIV and directing the Director of the Land Management Bureau (LMB) to process the resurvey of Lots 1,2 & 3 the survey plans for which were already submitted to said office; the Administrator of the Land Registration Authority (LRA) to issue decrees of registration and the corresponding certificates of titles in the name of Plaintiff WWIIV and the Registrar of Deeds of Quezon City to register the Certificates of Title. Copy of the Order is hereto attached as Annex “O”; 19. On 19 May 1997, an Order was issued allowing plaintiff’s WWIIV, through its Attorney-In-Fact to submit subdivided lot plans for Lots 1,2 & 3 for ap-

latter’s Atty. In-Fact, Mr. Maximo M. Petino had enclosed and continues to enclose the premises, thereby depriving the plaintiff to occupy or make use of the property, to its damage and prejudice; 5. The prayer for issuance of a temporary restraining order and a Writ of Preliminary Injunction against defendant Siapno is justified by NECESSITY as their continued act of enclosing the property will certainly cause grave and irreparable injury to plaintiff considering that it will deprived plaintiff to occupy or make use of its property, to its damage and prejudice; 6. There is no other speedy, urgent and adequate remedy available to

Sports

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Tigresses roll past Dolphins, grab lead UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas four points down midway in the seized the early lead in the Shakey’s V- third and forced a tie at 22 on an offLeague Season 13 Reinforced Confer- the-block hit. But the Tigresses reence with an all-Filipino crew, holding gained their bearing and took three off Coast Guard in the third set for a of the last four points with Laure 25-16, 25-10, 25-23 victory at the Phil- finishing off the Dolphins with a power hit that ripped through their sports Arena in Pasig yesterday. Skipper Pam Lastimosa came rivals’ net defense. “They turned erback from a ratic towards the 10-month long Games tomorrow layoff due to in- 12:30 p.m. – Army vs 100 Plus (S Turf( end of the third, aljury to fire seven 4 p.m. – Pocari vs Air Force (V-League) lowing Coast Guard 6 p.m. – Customs vs Laoag (V-League) to come back,” said points while EJ UST coach KungLaure turned in a match-best 12 hits after unleash- fu Reyes, stressing the need for his ing a 19-point effort in leading the wards to toughen up on defense and Tigresses to a shock 25-15, 20-25, polish their reception. “We have to improve on our first 25-13, 25-21 victory over Open Conference runner-up the Air Force Jet ball and polish our defense, espeSpikers in last Saturday’s opening of cially blocking,” said Reyes, whose the season-ending conference of the team is one of the four without reinforcements in the league backed by league sponsored by Shakey’s. “I missed playing so I went all-out Mikasa as official ball and Accel as on my return. But I’m still around official outfitter. Meanwhile, titleholder Cignal TV 70 percent as far as my form is concerned,” said Lastimosa, who went held off Instituto Estetico Manila, back to training just a couple of 25-23, 25-20, 26-24, to join opening months ago after being sidelined by day winner Air Force in the early lead in the Spikers’ Turf Season 2 Coast Guard’s Grenlen Malapit challenges UST’s two-block combo of Alexine Cabanos and Shannen Palec during their Shakey’s V-League an ACL injury late last year. Reinforced Conference duel at the Philsports Arena. Coast Guard fought back from Reinforced Conference.

PH 17th in Asian Beach tilt THE Philippines ended its campaign in the 5th Asian Beach Games in Vietnam on Monday with a total of 21 medals. The Philippines won two golds, four silvers and 15 bronzes to finish 17th among 42 countries which took part in the tournament hosted by the coastal city of Da Nang. Vietnam topped the medal standings with 52 golds, 44 silvers and 43 bronzes, while Thailand was second with 36 golds, 24 silvers and 30 bronzes. China placed third with 12 golds, 18 silvers and 19 bronzes followed by Iran (9-6-6), Mongolia (7-4-8), Cambodia (6-6-9), Qatar (5-1-1), Jordan (4-4-5), United Arab Emirates (4-2-3) and Malaysia (3-6-5). A total of 67 Filipino athletes competed in 11 events in the Asian Beach Games, a tournament organized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The Games is considered as the second largest multisport event after the Asian Games. The Jiu-jitsu team pocketed five medals—two golds courtesy of Margarita Ochoa (women’s45kg.) and Annie Ramirez (women’s-55kg.), one silver from Gian Taylor Dee (men’s-62kg.) and two bronzes from Jenina Kaila Napolis (women’s-55kg.) and Apryl Jessica Eppinger (women’s-62kg.). Pencak silat produced three silvers and three bronzes in the Tanding event. The silver winners are Jaciren Abad (men’s 50kg.-55kg.), Jefferson Rhey Loon Jr. (men’s 60kg.-65kg.) and Princesslyn Enopia (women’s 45kg.-50kg.), while the bronze medalists are Dines Dumaan (men’s 45kg.-50kg.), RickRod Ortega (men’s 55kg.-60kg.) and Clyde Joy Baria (women’s 55kg.-60kg.).

PSA tackles badminton THIS year’s edition of the Bingo Bonanza Philippine Open badminton tournament takes centerstage in Tuesday’s session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate. Philippine Badminton Association secretary general Congressman Albee Benitez leads the list of guests appearing in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. Joining him in the 10:30 a.m. public sports program aired live over DZSR Sports Radio 918 are fellow PBA officials Atty. Jackie Cruz, Atty. Kat Nepomuceno, and Alejandro Alonte.

Revamped US team wants to build on Ryder Cup win

HASKA—Phil Mickelson knows the exact moment the pressure began to revamp the US Ryder Cup team from a long-term loser into the one that reclaimed the trophy Sunday by beating Europe 17-11. “The pressure started when some dumb ass opened his mouth two years ago in the media center,” Mickelson said. Mickelson was the one who criticized 2014 captain Tom Watson’s handling of the team at Gleneagles in the moments after a stinging loss to Europe, the Americans’ third in a row, sixth of seven and eighth in 10 meetings. US teammate Matt Kuchar squirmed as if trying to be anywhere but seated next to Mickelson as he out-

lined how there was no planning and little player say in decisions. So when Mickelson was asked Sunday a mirror image of the same question that revealed the 2014 dysfunction between captain and players, it was no shock that the entire triumphant US team turned to stare at him. “We had a great week this week,” Mickelson said. “We had a lot of fun together as a team, and we played some great golf and we are really excited to have won.”

Mickelson’s teammates gave him an ovation for his oration, which left no captains tossed under buses but did bring full circle the two years’ work by Mickelson and many others on the Ryder Cup task force that sorted out details and strategy for this week’s effort. It was the most lopsided US victory since an 18 1/2 - 9 1/2 romp at England’s Walton Heath in 1981, the sixth in a run of seven consecutive American triumphs. And that is the sort of standard Mickelson sees for the future of the US Ryder Cup program. Because in the 46-year-old lefthander’s eyes, one win is where the work begins, not where it ends. “The thing about this is that we need to build on this, otherwise, it’s all for naught,” Mickelson said. “We cre-

ated a very solid foundation this year.” US captain Love and this year’s five vice captains are vital to the mix of talent needed going forward, Mickelson said. “Davis is going to be a very instrumental part of that going forward in two years, because for us to go to Europe and try to win the Cup is a whole different feat,” Mickelson said. “That’s going to require a whole different level of play, of solidarity, of fortitude and we are going to have to build on this in two years if we want to try to retain the Cup.” The Americans have not won in Europe since 1993 at the Belfry when Watson had been the captain. The time before that was 1981. ‘A multitude’ of wins “It’s great that we had success

WGM Frayna won’t rest on chess laurels By Maxine Lagman JANELLE Mae Frayna is now 20 years old. Six years ago, she, too, was part of the Shell Chess tournament. However, she never qualified for the grand finals and lost, but her defeat became her stepping stone to be someone much better than a winner. By 15, she was a Women International. Five years later, she became the first Filipina to become a Woman Grandmaster after she drew her ninth-round WGM Janelle Mae Frayna (left) and Melanie Bularan, Social Performance game in the 42nd Chess Olymand Social Investment Manager of Shell Companies in the Philippines, piad in Azerbaijan. shake hands after making the ceremonial move in the 24th Shell National But Frayna isn’t finished yet. Youth Active Chess Championship Grand Finals. They are joined by (from As a matter of fact, she is just left, standing) Gene Poliarco, International Arbiter; GM Jayson Gonzales; warming uo. and Eugene Torre, Asia’s First Grand Master. Lino Santos

“Masaya akong manalo. Pero parang masyadong mababaw kung ‘yun lang ang aim ko,” Frayna said Saturday during the 24th Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship at the SM Megamall. Frayna thinks that her World Chess rating of 2320 is too mediocre compared to international chess players. So she hopes to increase her ranking by competing in more tournaments in the future. She is already preparing for a tournament in December in Subic and hopes to qualify as well in the World’s Women Chess Championship in 2018. “Ayokong maging stagnant ‘yung growth ko kahit na naku-

ha ko na ‘yung pagiging GM. There’s always a next lead,” she added. In front of 48 chess finalists during the event, the WGM and Cum Laude shared with them the secret to pursue their goal in becoming the best. “Para maging GM, may apat na bagay lang kayo na dapat tandaan. Kailangan niyo ng support, hard work, time management and faith. Especially sa faith, because without faith you are nothing,” she said. Frayna expressed her happiness that more kids are showing their interest in the sport, hoping that more would be inspired to achieve their goals.

7-team collegiate league starts Saturday at Olivarez College SEVEN school teams will take part in the initial staging of the Universities and Colleges Basketball League when it gets off this Saturday with a 2-game bill at the Olivarez College in Sucat, Parañaque. The Olivarez College Sea Lions, coached by Myk Saguiguit, will meet the Bulacan State University Gold Gears in the opening game at 1 p.m., while the Technological Institute of the

Philippines Engineers will clash with the University of Batangas Brahmans at 3 p.m. Also joining are the Centro Escolar University Scorpions, the Colegio de San Lorenzo Griffins and the Diliman College Blue Dragons. “These are the schools whom we call ‘The Magnificent Seven,’ being the first participants in the tournament,” said UCBL president Franklin Evidente, adding

that the league is part of the Universities and Colleges Athletic League. They envision to be at par with the top collegiate leagues in the future, just like the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. “We have a good mix of schools around the areas of Metro Manila and the outlying provinces,” said Evidente, who added

that the games will be televised on IBC-13. Organizers will also add volleyball, football, taekwondo and swimming in their calendar in the near future. The BSU Good Gears will be coached by Antonino Tayao, and will have cagers coming from San Roque, Malolos, Bocaue and Plaridel in Bulacan. The CEU Scorpions are playing under coach Yong Garcia, and will

Top shuttlers gear up for Bingo Bonanza badminton THE country’s leading badminton players and a host of young stars raring to prove their worth prime up for the P1.5 million Bingo Bonanza National Open Tournament slated Oct. 17-23 at CW Home Depot Ortigas and SM Megamall. Sarah Joy Barredo and Mark Alcala are expected to defend their respective singles titles in the centerpiece Open division tipped to draw another huge and

this week, but it’s not about one year or one Ryder Cup,” Mickelson said. “It’s about a multitude, for decades to come.” And then Love popped a champagne cork, appropriate since the US will try to defend the Cup in 2018 in France. “That’s my cue to shut up,” Mickelson said to laughter from his teammates. Mickelson could look at what was achieved at Hazeltine by his teammates thanks to the extra planning, decision making and strategy of the task force. “I’ve seen a level of greatness in these guys,” Mickelson said. “The environment they were put in this week brought out some of their best golf I’ve ever seen from them. It’s truly a remarkable thing.” AFP

talent-laden cast, including the top collegiate and club players not only from Metro Manila but also from the provinces. Registration is ongoing with deadline set at 4 p.m. today (Tuesday). Entry fee is P800 at 5 p.m., according to the organizing EventKing Corp. Entry fee is pegged at P800. For details and online listup, visit wwww.bingob.com/nationalopentournament or email entry forms to EKC at

info@eventkingcorp.com.ph. Other events on tap in the blue-ribbon event, sponsored by Bingo Bonanza Corp. and sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay and sec-gen Rep. Albee Benitez, are the men’s and women’s doubles and the mixed doubles. The men’s and singles champions will pocket P100,000 while the doubles winners, including

the mixed doubles, will earn P120,000 each. The country’s premier badminton championship, backed by official equipment Victor PCOME and SM Megamall, Smash Pilipinas and the Philippine Olympic Committee, will be launched in today’s PSA Forum with Rep. Benitez, also the founder of Bingo Bonanza, national team manager Atty. Ponciano Cruz, Atty. Kat Nepomuceno, VP Legal and Compliance, and

Alejandro Alonte, VP Business Unit, ABLE, of Bingo Bonanza, gracing the event. The posting of participants will be on Oct. 7 while the draw and seeding will be held on Oct. 11 at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall. The schedule of matches will be posted on Oct. 14 while the coaches, team managers and players’ meeting will be held on Oct. 16, also at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.

have a cast led by Cebuano Orlan Wamar, their 5’8” point guard and shooter. The CDSL Griffins, under Bonnie Garcia, are contenders with 6’6” slotman Jonjon Gabriel’s imposing presence underneath, along with shooters like James Alvarado and Rustom Borja. Potit de Vera is the coach of the TIP Engineers, while Arnold Cantorno is handling the Brahmans. Peter Atencio

LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0 M+ P0 M

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@thestandard.com.ph sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

A8 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Goalie Deyto upbeat WITH Filipino-British goalkeeper Neil Etheridge tied down by club commitments during the AFF Suzuki Cup, Fil-German Roland Muller and Patrick Deyto are expected to pick up the slack at the net for the Philippine Azkals when the showcase regional football competition kicks off next month. “It is unfortunate that Neil won’t be with us, but this will give either Roland or me the chance to step up and help the national team in the Suzuki Cup,” said Deyto, who has been with the Azkals for over two years. The former La Salle varsity player made his major international debut for the national team in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup. In his baptism of fire, Deyto, 26, acquitted himself creditably in the Challenge Cup tournament held in the Maldives, keeping a clean sheet in the group eliminations while yielding just three goals in the semifinals and finals. The Filipinos narrowly lost to Palestine, 0-1, in the title match, enabling the Palestinians to qualify for their first Asian Cup held in Australia last year.. Deyto is the main goalkeeper for Global FC in the United Football League and was at the net yesterday as his squad romped past Laos FC, 7-0, to formally capture the UFL league crown at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. “I also saw action for the national team in the 2014 Suzuki Cup so I know what to expect since I am more experienced now,” he said, relishing the prospect of suiting for the Azkals once again. “Hopefully, I will be given the opportunity to help our team.”

SMB’s Chris Ross (left) gets the first step on defender Scottie Thompson of Ginebra and scores on a layup in a PBA semifinal game won by the Beermen, 101-72.

A rivalry is renewed in PAL golf MANILA Southwoods-Masters and Cebu Country Club renew their rivalry Tuesday at the start of the 11th Philippine Airlines Ladies Interclub golf team championship at the Camp John Hay Golf Club in Baguio City. The SW-Masters squad is gunning for a record sixth straight title against a team it beat by an average of 2.5 points in the last two years. “It’s going to be tight, that’s for sure,” said SW-Masters playing captain Claire Ong. Last year in Bacolod City, the SW-Masters rode on Abby Arevalo’s 54 points to edge CCC by four points. Arevalo won’t be around this week to defend her individual title, but SW-Masters will not be lacking in talents. Pauline del Rosario, who finished a strong second behind pro Princess Superal in the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Ladies Invitational last week, spearheads the defending champions. Joining the 17-year-old Del Rosario are junior standouts Mikhaela Fortuna, Bernice Ilas and Sofia Chabon. Fortuna, 15, and Ilas, 14, finished fourth and sixth, respectively at Eagle Ridge while Chabon, 15, is a member of last year’s champion team. Completing the squad are holdovers Lora Roberto, Serafina Kim, and Andrea Pineda.

SMB, Ginebra in death duel W By Jeric Lopez

HO will go to the ﬁnals? Both San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra want to get to the Promised Land, but only one of them will make it in the championship round when they square off in the deciding Game 5 of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup.

The knockout game is sched- Araneta Coliseum, with both uled at 7 p.m. today at the Smart team’s campaign and a ticket to

the finals all at stake. With the series tied at 2-2, it all boils down to one deciding game. But defending champion San Miguel might have a slight edge coming in with momentum and confidence on its side. “I was glad we were able to even the series and have this Game 5,” said San Miguel coach Leo Austria. “We know this situation. We’ve been in this situation in the past and we’re looking to be composed and play another good game to make the finals.”

Showing its championship poise, the Beermen emphatically shrugged of elimination as they soundly drubbed the Gin Kings, 101-72, in Game 4 last Sunday to force this decider. San Miguel Beer clicked on all cylinders as it led from start to finish, ensuring that it will go on to continue the defense of its crown, at least for one more game. Marcio Lassiter was the main man as he fired 20 of his teamhigh 25 points in the first half wherein his scoring spurt allowed

San Miguel to break the game wide open right away. Barangay Ginebra didn’t find any answers in Game 4 and Gin Kings’ coach Tim Cone hopes that his team can turn the tide when it now matters the most. “Game 4 wasn’t fun at all. San Miguel played its best game and we weren’t able to keep up,” said Cone. “We’re still continuing to learn things at this stage and now, we’re hoping we can bring our best game in the most appropriate time.”

Lepanto criticizes ‘suspension’ B3 order

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Lucio Tan group to bid for Naia By Darwin G Amojelar

SIA’S Emerging Dragon Corp., a company led by tycoon Lucio Tan, said Monday it will participate in the auction for the $1.65-billion redevelopment of Ninoy Aquino International Airport under the publicprivate partnership scheme.

“We are participating in the our country’s premier airport, bidding because we ﬁrmly be- given our past experience of lieve in the growth potential of pushing for Philippine aviation

development,” AEDC president Salvador Mison said. AEDC said it would tap a foreign partner in bidding for the Naia project that aimed to “improve the operational efficiencies” of the four Naia terminals, both landside and airside, to meet International Civil Aviation Organization standards. AEDC said it was confident it could provide viable solutions to Naia’s inter-terminal connectivity and traffic congestion in the

area. AEDC’s foreign partner is expected to provide the technical expertise in its long-term proposal. AEDC was a consortium formed by taipans during the Ramos administration to build Naia Terminal 3. In 1993, former president Fidel Ramos invited Tan, John Gokongwei, Andrew Gotianun, Henry Sy Sr., George Ty and Alfonso Yuchengco to form a consortium to build Terminal 3.

AEDC is now currently owned and controlled by the Lucio Tan Group. Other conglomerates that expressed interest to join the Naia redevelopment project were Metro Paciﬁc Investments Corp., Ayala Corp., San Miguel Corp and JG Summit Holdings Inc. The Transportation Department said it expected to begin PPP procurement this month, with the bid submission for the project likely in August next

IN BRIEF

PSe comPoSite index Closing October 3, 2016

Sydney ﬁrm to open Pampanga call center

8300 7840

AUSTRALIA’S Sydney Harbor Tall Ships, a company operating cruises and private charters in Sydney Harbor, is opening a call center in Pampanga province, according to the Trade Department. Philippine commercial consul Kenneth Yap said during a meeting with the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Sydney that SH Tall Ships cited the talent in the Philippines as one of the main reasons for choosing to locate here. “Filipinos share the same language and outlook as Australians,” said SH Tall Ships owner Marty Woods. The Philippine operation is intended to support their business offering day trips in Sydney Harbor and exclusive charters, speciﬁcally in handling customer queries, bookings and accounting. The Philippine ofﬁce will be based in Pampanga and will be registered for incentives with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority. SH Tall Ships plans to start with small complement but expects to grow the workforce based on demand. “The fact that we are able to attract big and small companies to set up in the Philippines shows the global competitiveness of the Philippine Information Technology- Business Process Management industry,” Yap said. Othel V. Campos

7380 6920 6460 6000

7,677.73 48.00

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing OCTOBER 3, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P48.180

44.00

43.00

HIGH P48.180 LOW P48.380 AVERAGE P48.301 VOLUME 337.900M

P392-P620.00 LPG/11-kg tank P35.70-P42.50 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

BUSINESS NETWORKING. Members of the European chambers host the 3rd Speed Networking Night in Makati City. Over 200 executives attended the event for a night of networking, drinks and prizes on Sept. 29. Speed Networking Night is an annual event of national European chambers that aims to build and start business relationships among members. Shown are (from left) Spanish Chamber of Commerce executive director Barbara Apraiz, French Chamber of Commerce and Industry managing director Vanessa Hans, Philippines-Netherlands Business Council chairman Mary Ann Sayoc, British Chamber of Commerce executive chairman Chris Nelson and German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry executive director Peter Kompalla.

P24.84-P28.27 Diesel P28.50-P36.85 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Monday, October 3, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.4820

Japan

Yen

0.009881

0.4791

Pound

1.292200

62.6484

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128942

6.2514

Switzerland

Franc

1.028912

49.8837

Canada

Dollar

0.762195

36.9527

Singapore

Dollar

0.733730

35.5727

Australia

Dollar

0.765200

37.0984

Bahrain

Dinar

2.658019

128.8661

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266631

12.9268

Brunei

Dollar

0.731048

35.4427

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000077

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.028843

1.3984

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.2010

Euro

1.123300

54.4598

Korea

Won

0.000908

0.0440

China

Yuan

0.149936

7.2692

India

Rupee

0.015027

0.7285

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.242014

11.7333

New Zealand

Dollar

0.727500

35.2707

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032005

1.5517 Source: PDS Bridge

year. The award and signing of the concession agreement is expected in September 2017. Under the Naia contract, the government will award a 15year to 20-year concession to the private sector to improve safety and security, maximize capacity through “refreshed” infrastructure, improve passenger service standards in the existing gateway, operate and maintain Naia and its four terminals.

Aboitiz chosen preferred bidder for Bataan plant By Alena Mae S. Flores A UNIT of Aboitiz Power Corp. emerged as the preferred bidder for the combined interests of The Blackstone Group LP in the Mariveles and Diningin coal projects with a combined capacity of 1,900 megawatts. Aboitiz Power said in a disclosure to the stock exchange unit Therma Power Inc. was chosen as the preferred bidder “for the competitive tender process undertaken by certain investment funds afﬁliated with The Blackstone Group L.P. for the indirect sale of all of their partnership

interests in GNPower Mariveles Coal Plant Ltd. Co. and GNPower Dinginin Ltd. Co.” Aboitiz Power said the parties were “currently negotiating the ﬁnal terms and conditions of the transaction documents,” which would include certain preconditions to closing, including approvals by the Philippine Competition Commission and the Board of Investments. Sithe Global Power LLC, owned by the Blackstone Group holds a majority stake in GN Power Mariveles’ 600-megawatt coal plant in Bataan and is developing, together with partners AC Energy

Holdings Inc. and GN Power, the 1,300-MW Dinginin power plant also located in Bataan. “As a player in the power industry, we feel it’s incumbent on us to explore all opportunities that present themselves which will lead to our continued growth,” Aboitiz Power president Antonio Moraza said earlier. Therma Power was chosen as the preferred bidder over foreign groups. Bloomberg reported earlier that among the ﬁnal bidders for Sithe Global Power’s stake were the group of Kuwait Investment Authority and private equity ﬁrm CVC Capital Partners and a consortium of

Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte, Malaysian power company Malakoff Corp. and an infrastructure investment fund managed by Macquarie Group Ltd. Aboitiz Power is of the country’s biggest power players that set a target to increase installed capacity to 4,000 MW by 2020. Aside from Sithe Global, other equity owners of the Mariveles project are Ayala Corp.’s AC Energy Holdings Inc. and GNPower. According to Sithe Global’s website, the Mariveles power plant has the lowest marginal operating cost compared any coal project in the Luzon grid.

Israel wants to lure more Filipino tourists THE Israel Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines and the Israel Embassy vowed to work closely with the Tourism Congress of the Philippines to promote travel between the two countries. Israel Chamber of Commerce president Itamar Gero said one of the priority areas for the chamber was addressing tourism challenges and opportunities between the two countries. “Outside of direct flights to Manila, we know that the Philippines is the country in Southeast Asia that has largely remained an unknown commodity as a tourism destination even as Israelis have been known to travel a lot to other parts of the region,” Gero said. “We also know that there have been some concerns among travel agencies specifically with the religious pilgrimage to Israel. We want to be the facilitator. Together with the Israeli Embassy, we want to streamline tourism to Israel and vice versa,” he said. “Outside of the religious pilgrimages, Israel is also a thriving scene for events and conferences. Despite being a small country, they are also very much modern and have all the amenities of a first world country,” Tourism Congress executive vice president Aileen Clemente said. Othel V. Campos

World Bank: Tax reform PH poised to sustain economic expansion—Tetangco delay to reduce growth By Julito G. Rada By Gabrielle H. Binaday THE World Bank on Monday kept its 2016 growth forecast for the Philippines at 6.4 percent but warned that a delay in the implementation of tax reforms will affect the positive outlook for the economy. The Washington-based multilateral lender, in its Philippine Economic Update October 2016 edition, maintained the growth outlook for the country at 6.4 percent this year and 6.2 percent for 2017 and 2018. Newly-appointed World Bank lead economist for the Philippines Birgit Hansl told reporters in a news briefing the possible delay in the implementation of the “ambitious” tax reform of the Duterte administration could drag the positive outlook for the country. Hansl expressed the bank’s support for the tax reform proposal submitted by the Finance Department to the House of Representatives. She said the House of Representatives’ objection to the proposal could delay the implementation of the tax reforms, putting at risk the revenue increases envisioned by the Duterte administration. “It may lead to the budget in the next few years to not increase as fast. The priorities in expenditure side would be revisited or you would need to finance large deficit,” Hansl said. House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez earlier expressed opposition to some revenue-gaining measures under the proposed tax reform program. “Maintaining consistent political support for comprehensive tax reform will hinge on the public’s perception that the quality of the tax administration is improving and that tax revenues are being well spent,” the World Bank said in the report.

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said the Philippines is in a better position, compared with other emerg-

ing markets, to sustain growth in the coming years because of solid macroeconomic fundamentals. “While other emerging markets experience moderation in growth prospects and falter from the tough

global headwinds, the engines of the Philippine economy are in good shape to create value,” Tetangco said in a speech at the luncheon meeting of the Rotary Club of Makati West in Makati City.

ITALIAN-INSPIRED COMMUNITY. Wynsland Development Corp. and RCL Realty and Consulting Services Inc. launch Tuscany Estates, the first and only premium Italian-inspired residential development in San Fernando City, La Union. Shown during the ribbon-cutting ceremony are (from left, front row) RCL board member Yessina Liriano, San Fernando City councilor Maria Rosario Eufrosina Nisce, WDC chief executive Khenrik Tan, La Union governor Francisco Emmanuel Ortega III, WDC chief finance officer Kelwyn Tan and directors Willy Tan and Aida Tan. With them are (from left, second row) Lueco board member Nikki Valero, RCL chairman and chief executive Fausto Liriano, RCL vice president for investor relations Francisco Custodio Rojas and Lueco manager Joseph Bernard Valero.

“The Philippine macroeconomy remains strong… The second-quarter GDP growth rate of 7 percent brings to 70 the number of consecutive quarters of positive economic growth. Such growth dynamics is supported by solid domestic demand, underpinned by strong private consumption and investment, continued productivity growth and favorable demographics,” Tetangco said. He said inflation was low and stable, and inflation expectations continued to be well-anchored. Inflation rate averaged 1.5 percent in the first eight months, below the government’s official target range of 2 percent to 4 percent for 2016. He also said the banking system was characterized by strength in balance sheets and profitability, serving as an efficient intermediator of funds in the economy. “Our external position is likewise robust, with current account surpluses for 13 years now and our gross international reserves reaching $85.8 billion as of endAugust,” Tetangco said.

Business

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market rises; Nickel Asia up S

TOCKS rose amid thin trading Monday, tracking the regional markets as worries over the health of European banks eased and Japanese shares climbed on a weakening yen.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, picked up 48 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 7,677.73. This pushed up total gains to 10.4 percent this year. The broader all-share index also gained 26 points, or 0.6 percent, to settle at 4,559.48, on a value turnover of P4.9 billion. Gainers edged losers, 93 to 88, while 50 issues were unchanged. Sixteen of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led

by Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc. which climbed 8 percent to P1.08 and Nickel Asia Corp. which advanced 4.9 percent to P7.55. DMCI Holdings Inc. rose 4.5 percent to P12.60, while Manila Water Company Inc. gained 4.1 percent to P30.50. Meanwhile, Asian markets rallied Monday with ﬁnancials up on easing fears about the future of German giant Deutsche Bank after a source said it was nearing a deal to slash a multi-

“A lot of the market sentiment has improved because obviously people were worried that Deutsche Bank might be going to recreate the Lehman moment,” Andrew Sullivan, managing director for sales trading at Haitong International Securities Group in Hong Kong, said referring to the US bank whose fall precipitated the financial crisis. “The fact that actually Deutsche Bank came out and said it’s well capitalized and that it’s close to securing a deal with US Department of Justice over that fine has just given the market more confidence that we’re not going to have another breakdown in the global banking system,” he told Bloomberg News. with AFP, Bloomberg

billion-dollar US fine. Traders fled for cover last week, sending stocks reeling Friday, after US officials slapped the lender with a $14 billion charge over its role in the subprime mortgage crisis. The gigantic figure fueled fears the bank could go under and spark another global financial downturn, while Bloomberg News said several hedge funds had withdrawn their investments in the firm -- though the company said it was in a “stable financial position”. However, on Friday, a person familiar with the matter told AFP that the German bank is near an agreement to pay a much more manageable $5.4 billion to resolve the case.

SM Group to launch 85 stores in 2nd half By Jennifer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE SM Investments Corp. is accelerating the ex-

pansion of its retail business after completing the consolidation of all retail stores under SM Retail Inc. SM Investments said in a ﬁling with the Securities and Exchange Commission its retail group was set to open 2 SM stores, 7 Savemore stores, 6 Waltermart stores and 70 speciality stores in the second half. Seven Savemore stores will open in Iloilo City, Caloocan City, Valenzuela, Laoag City, Bacolod City, Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija. The group had

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2016

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 17 30.45 10.4 0.92 2.6 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 75 91.5 80 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 12.02 19.6 6.12 0.74 1.02 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 58 62 52 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance 3.45 Asia United Bank 47.3 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 109.80 Bank of PI 105.00 China Bank 38 BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. 3.77 COL Financial 16.2 Eastwest Bank 20 Filipino Fund Inc. 6.64 First Abacus 0.7 I-Remit Inc. 1.86 MEDCO Holdings 0.930 Metrobank 85.3 Natl. Reinsurance Corp. 0.91 PB Bank 14.4 Phil Bank of Comm 22.00 Phil. National Bank 58.30 Philippine trust Co. 246.8 PSE 268.8 RCBC `A’ 35.9 Security Bank 241.6 Sun Life Financial 1450.00 Union Bank 73.35 Vantage Equities 1.46

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 89 148

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 40.3 32

20.6 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 4 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5 5.25 12.98 15 2.65 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 1450 0.315 2.18 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

15.32 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 1.63 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.37 3.87 8.45 10.04 2.09 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 801 0.138 1.02 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp. 45.65 Agrinurture Inc. 3.66 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.92 Alsons Cons. 1.61 Asiabest Group 16.2 Bogo Medelin 50.3 C. Azuc De Tarlac 180.00 Cemex Holdings 12 Century Food 16.2 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 109 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 23.6 Concepcion 58.05 Crown Asia 2.09 Da Vinci Capital 6.02 Del Monte 12.1 DNL Industries Inc. 11.400 Emperador 7.25 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.91 EEI 7.75 Euro-Med Lab 1.74 First Gen Corp. 25.05 First Holdings ‘A’ 72.85 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.98 Holcim Philippines Inc. 16.40 Integ. Micro-Electronics 6.1 Ionics Inc 2.170 Jollibee Foods Corp. 247.00 Liberty Flour 43.00 Mabuhay Vinyl 4.36 Manila Water Co. Inc. 29.3 Maxs Group 28.7 Megawide 15.88 Mla. Elect. Co À’ 310.40 MG Holdings 0.260 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.55 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.19 Petron Corporation 10.18 Phinma Corporation 11.60 Phinma Energy 2.27 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 6.00 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.55 Pryce Corp. À’ 3.7 RFM Corporation 4.20 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods À’ 217 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.150 TKC Steel Corp. 1.74 Universal Robina 178 Victorias Milling 4.65 Vitarich Corp. 2.34 Vulcan Ind’l. 1.20

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 911 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 6.5 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.225 0.23 634.5 260 12.8 2.6 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 3.43 4.84 0.59 12 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

Abacus Cons. À’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor À’ ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp À’ BHI Holdings Inc. DMCI Holdings F&J Prince ‘A’ Filinvest Dev. Corp. Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Jolliville Holdings Lopez Holdings Corp. Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. LT Group Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. Pacifica À’ Prime Media Hldg Prime Orion San Miguel Corp À’ Seafront À’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.370 75.75 15.90 1.22 6.10 0.355 0.360 857 1014.00 12.06 6.3 8.06 0.208 1440 6.32 74.50 4 8.28 0.81 15.3 7.1 0.0370 1.160 1.980 81.60 2.31 673.50 1.20 1.00 227.000 0.3150 0.2030 0.260

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Araneta Prop À’ Arthaland Corp. Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. À’ Cebu Holdings Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. À’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp. Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport À’ Megaworld

7.460 1.13 2.650 0.265 39.250 2.98 5.14 0.580 1.24 1.050 0.169 0.590 58.5 0.750 0.143 1.01 1.83 1.18 4.72

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.6 3.45 47.5 46.5 110.20 109.70 105.20 104.60 38.05 37.65 3.79 3.78 16.2 16 20.5 19.92 6.64 6.64 0.7 0.7 1.85 1.84 0.910 0.860 86.65 85.45 0.91 0.9 14.22 13.92 22.50 22.50 58.50 58.00 250 247 272 265.2 35.8 35.5 242.2 237 1455.00 1453.00 74.95 73.40 1.46 1.46 INDUSTRIAL 45.7 45.3 3.89 3.69 0.93 0.91 1.61 1.59 16.24 15.7 50.2 50.2 170.00 170 12.1 11.8 16.44 16.2 112 110 23.75 23.35 58.1 58 2.09 2.06 8 6.07 12.3 12.1 11.880 11.460 7.37 7.23 5.98 5.92 7.90 7.65 1.77 1.76 25.35 24.8 72.9 72.4 13.50 13.00 16.40 16.36 6.12 6.07 2.180 2.150 249.60 247.00 56.00 56.00 4.45 4.3 31.2 29.2 29.1 28.55 16 15.3 310.80 309.60 0.260 0.255 4.57 4.55 3.18 3.11 10.30 10.14 11.60 11.60 2.26 2.25 6.00 5.88 1.56 1.53 3.71 3.65 4.21 4.20 217 216.2 0.152 0.147 1.73 1.72 182.8 179.1 4.28 4.2 2.38 2.29 1.25 1.25 HOLDING FIRMS 0.380 0.365 76.00 75.00 16.08 15.84 1.21 1.21 6.10 6.10 0.365 0.350 0.360 0.360 878.5 860 1010.00 1010.00 12.72 12.08 6.5 6.45 8.20 8.01 0.209 0.209 1440 1418 6.30 6.30 75.95 74.30 4.5 3.83 8.28 8.18 0.81 0.8 15.74 15.28 7.2 7.07 0.0380 0.0370 1.170 1.170 1.990 1.960 81.90 81.45 2.31 2.3 677.00 670.50 1.26 1.22 0.93 0.93 229.600 227.000 0.3250 0.3100 0.1980 0.1980 0.275 0.260 PROPERTY 7.490 7.400 1.15 1.11 2.710 2.500 0.265 0.265 39.400 39.050 2.94 2.92 5.14 5.08 0.590 0.570 1.36 1.22 1.050 10.100 0.169 0.165 0.590 0.580 58.5 58.2 0.750 0.750 0.142 0.138 1.02 1.01 1.89 1.84 1.19 1.13 4.88 4.72

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.6 47.45 110.10 105.10 38 3.79 16.2 19.98 6.64 0.7 1.84 0.880 86.3 0.9 13.92 22.50 58.30 249.8 265.2 35.8 237.8 1455.00 74.00 1.46

4.35 0.32 0.27 0.10 0.00 0.53 0.00 -0.10 0.00 0.00 -1.08 -5.38 1.17 -1.10 -3.33 2.27 0.00 1.22 -1.34 -0.28 -1.57 0.34 0.89 0.00

11,000 130,900 2,376,030 665,020 13,200 236,000 77,700 901,400 800 51,000 12,000 7,196,000 2,069,230 22,000 2,100 1,100 90,100 200 2,110 175,200 744,150 65 163,420 90,000

45.65 3.89 0.92 1.6 16.18 50.2 170 12 16.36 112 23.6 58 2.09 7.95 12.3 11.560 7.29 5.98 7.69 1.76 24.9 72.4 13.00 16.40 6.07 2.150 248.80 56.00 4.4 30.5 29.1 15.52 309.80 0.255 4.57 3.11 10.24 11.60 2.26 6.00 1.54 3.68 4.20 217 0.148 1.72 182.4 4.28 2.29 1.25

0.00 6.28 0.00 -0.62 -0.12 -0.20 -5.56 0.00 0.99 2.75 0.00 -0.09 0.00 32.06 1.65 1.40 0.55 1.18 -0.77 1.15 -0.60 -0.62 0.15 0.00 -0.49 -0.92 0.73 30.23 0.92 4.10 1.39 -2.27 -0.19 -1.92 0.44 -2.51 0.59 0.00 -0.44 0.00 -0.65 -0.54 0.00 0.00 -1.33 -1.15 2.47 -7.96 -2.14 4.17

570,500 6,228,000 1,114,000 1,031,000 400 110 200 1,941,000 534,700 170 260,200 125,550 344,000 12,099,300 28,000 2,371,000 471,900 8,560,000 689,400 9,000 2,981,200 60,470 4,300 2,300 301,900 670,000 229,490 100 38,000 4,637,900 129,100 1,928,000 33,790 200,000 30,000 4,000 2,802,200 300 729,000 1,132,100 39,000 125,000 386,000 3,010 18,610,000 288,000 876,020 30,000 3,960,000 30,000

0.375 75.20 15.88 1.21 6.10 0.355 0.360 878.5 1010.00 12.60 6.5 8.20 0.209 1420 6.30 75.95 3.83 8.27 0.81 15.3 7.1 0.0370 1.170 1.960 81.90 2.31 675.00 1.23 0.93 229.600 0.3200 0.1980 0.275

1.35 -0.73 -0.13 -0.82 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.51 -0.39 4.48 3.17 1.74 0.48 -1.39 -0.32 1.95 -4.25 -0.12 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.86 -1.01 0.37 0.00 0.22 2.50 -7.00 1.15 1.59 -2.46 5.77

1,270,000 1,710,850 2,898,400 19,000 1,100 3,300,000 50,000 175,020 10 12,096,000 21,000 227,200 10,000 141,530 300 679,340 13,000 1,408,900 13,000 5,228,900 12,745,100 12,900,000 2,000 2,110,000 67,550 15,000 186,130 94,000 100,000 2,410 690,000 20,000 680,000

7.400 1.14 2.650 0.265 39.400 2.93 5.14 0.590 1.22 1.020 0.165 0.590 58.3 0.750 0.138 1.01 1.89 1.18 4.8

-0.80 0.88 0.00 0.00 0.38 -1.68 0.00 1.72 -1.61 -2.86 -2.37 0.00 -0.34 0.00 -3.50 0.00 3.28 0.00 1.69

83,700 4,641,000 1,475,000 530,000 1,453,900 224,000 3,100 5,576,000 1,385,000 113,000 29,830,000 1,404,000 190,320 6,000 430,000 3,242,000 11,381,000 212,000 40,465,000

142,615.00 85,265,862 -1,154,430.00 -400,140.00 -4,427,327.00

-1,488,960.00 -19,402,135.50

-105,385.00 23,934.00 4,255,235 -37,037,280.00

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

High

0.180 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

0.090 0.39 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp. Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

0.227 0.405 4.18 31.00 1.68 3.31 28.15 1.03 1.000 5.390

10.5 66 1.09 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 1700 2720 8.41

1.97 35.2 0.63 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 830 1600 5.95

70.5 1.97 119.5 7 5.8 12.5 0.017

17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 4 8.72 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 2.53 95.5 2.46 15.2

0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.01 3.1 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 18 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 8.8 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 10 1.9

7.59 0.63 5 1.14

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN APC Group, Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp. Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ. Discovery World DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Golden Haven Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. À’ Imperial Res. `B’ IPeople Inc. À’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Manila Broadcasting Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp. Pacific Online Sys. Corp. PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Racing Club Phil. Seven Corp. Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp. SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Yehey

7.37 49.4 0.570 5.72 4.56 0.0970 3.27 113 10.12 2.58 6.90 953 2040 6.29 13.98 21.55 1.82 77 18.64 150 11.7 0.0100 9.24 0.235 1.4100 3.65 5.51 2.24 1.05 19.06 2.04 3.91 5.64 3.440 11.48 5.64 9.9 141.00 5.94 1712.00 0.410 1.020 42.50 75.05 6.02 2.85 0.640 3.29 5.260

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 12.7 1.19 219,000 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.236 6.5 0.85

Abra Mining 0.0038 Apex À’ 3.05 Atlas Cons. À’ 4.27 Basic Energy Corp. 0.211 Benguet Corp À’ 2.1000 Century Peak Metals Hldgs

0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

Coal Asia 0.400 Dizon 8.35 Ferronickel 1.000 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.270 Lepanto À’ 0.191 Lepanto `B’ 0.195 Manila Mining À’ 0.0110 Manila Mining `B’ 0.0110 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 1.46 Nickelasia 7.2 Nihao Mineral Resources 2.92 Omico 0.5400 Oriental Peninsula Res. 0.9000 Oriental Pet. À’ 0.0100 Petroenergy Res. Corp. 4.20 Philex À’ 8.68 PhilexPetroleum 3.69 Philodrill Corp. À’ 0.0120 Semirara Corp. 113.90 TA Petroleum 3.2 United Paragon 0.0097

Low

0.236 0.231 0.405 0.405 4.59 4.2 32.00 30.50 1.68 1.68 3.32 3.28 28.60 28.15 1.04 1 1.030 1.000 5.420 5.350 SERVICES 7.42 7.35 49.5 49 0.570 0.550 5.7 5.21 4.65 4.50 0.0990 0.0940 3.49 3.21 113.5 112.5 10 10 2.71 2.58 7.00 6.65 953 953 2062 2042 6.35 6.24 14.54 14.00 20.05 20.00 2.12 1.82 78.7 76.7 19.00 18.64 136 136 11.7 11.38 0.0110 0.0098 9.25 9.08 0.243 0.236 1.4300 1.4100 3.7 3.58 5.65 5.34 2.24 2.22 1.09 1.04 19.08 19.08 2 2 3.98 3.82 5.61 5.50 3.460 3.360 11.48 11.4 5.68 5.55 9.1 9.1 137.00 137.00 5.95 5.80 1729.00 1712.00 0.420 0.415 1.030 1.000 43.25 42.50 77.00 75.80 6.04 5.84 2.92 2.82 0.670 0.650 3.29 3.23 5.400 5.290 MINING & OIL 0.0038 0.0037 3.15 3.02 4.27 4.20 0.220 0.220 2.14 2.0200 0.61 0.6

MS 1,532,879.00

18,395,990.00 -2,320,940.00

10,434,392.00 141,326.00 -134,161

10,532,700.00

-2,312,468.00 45,282.00 19,067,310.00 -2,346,730.00

-11,154,895.00 1,098,477.50

31,160.00 -483,730.00 10,970.00 19,756,584.00 35,084,650.00 -1,039,515.00 7,552,468.00 -2,256,966.00 6,220.00 -1,909,626.00

542,250.00 -180,000.00 999,600.00 4,356.00

-14,009,128 385,370.00

-79,594,811.00 -18,171,300.00

14,595,065

-48,050,596.00

866,870.00

-38,463,930.00 1,080,691.50

7,351,980.00 -2,709,382.00 8,467,934.00

-266,141.00 53,275,665.00

70 553 525

8.21 12.28 84.8

1.34 6.98

-50,092.00 12.88 130.7 -173,808.00

-5,884,730.00 -126,120.00 -93,400.00 -1,050.00

0.410 0.400 8.42 8.31 1.110 1.020 0.270 0.265 0.197 0.190 0.203 0.203 0.0110 0.0100 0.0110 0.0110 1.58 1.47 7.64 7.3 2.95 2.88 0.5100 0.5000 0.9000 0.8300 0.0110 0.0100 4.10 4.10 8.75 8.63 4.02 3.72 0.0130 0.0120 115.10 113.90 3.4 3.23 0.0097 0.0097 PREFERRED 33 ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 49 49.1 48.7 490 Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ 540 533.5 533.5 500 Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ 540 545 545 DD Pref 103.6 103.8 103 5.88 GMA Holdings Inc. 6.01 6.04 6.01 6.5 Leisure and Resort 1.03 1.03 1.03 PNX PREF 3A 108 108.2 108 75 SMC Preferred C 81 81 81 SMC Preferred F 80 80.5 78 SMC Preferred G 79 79 79 SMC Preferred H 78.4 78 77.8 SMC Preferred I 77.9 78 77.7 1 Swift Pref 1.9 2.3 2.25 WARRANTS & BONDS 0.8900 LR Warrant 2.590 2.580 2.470 SME Alterra Capital 3.3 3.45 3.21 Italpinas 4.65 4.61 4.53 5.95 Xurpas 14.6 14.58 14.26 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 105.6 First Metro ETF 125.8 126.6 125.6

TRADING SUMMARY

FINANCIAL

15,531,374

INDUSTRIAL

78,816,683

HOLDING FIRMS

60,849,629

187,162.50

PROPERTY

319,633,721

9,660.00 -350,470.00 10,952,850.00

SERVICES

298,400,346

MINING & OIL

1,037,590,968

112,865,060.00

GRAND TOTAL

1,814,294,311

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.215 0.405 4.56 31.95 1.68 3.28 28.30 1.02 1.020 5.390

-5.29 0.00 9.09 3.06 0.00 -0.91 0.53 -0.97 2.00 0.00

190,250,000 20,000 4,777,000 3,091,100 65,000 448,000 5,750,500 6,203,000 371,000 4,151,800

14,921,000.00

7.42 49.1 0.570 5.21 4.54 0.0940 3.49 112.9 10 2.59 6.90 953 2050 6.25 14.32 20.00 2.12 78 18.68 136 11.7 0.0100 9.24 0.243 1.4200 3.58 5.47 2.22 1.09 19.08 2 3.9 5.60 3.380 11.4 5.60 9.1 137.00 5.80 1716.00 0.420 1.030 43.15 76.50 5.84 2.88 0.660 3.24 5.400

0.68 -0.61 0.00 -8.92 -0.44 -3.09 6.73 -0.09 -1.19 0.39 0.00 0.00 0.49 -0.64 2.43 -7.19 16.48 1.30 0.21 -9.33 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.40 0.71 -1.92 -0.73 -0.89 3.81 0.10 -1.96 -0.26 -0.71 -1.74 -0.70 -0.71 -8.08 -2.84 -2.36 0.23 2.44 0.98 1.53 1.93 -2.99 1.05 3.13 -1.52 2.66

116,300 12,900 226,000 4,900 5,955,000 11,484,000 10,281,000 438,620 100 13,000 219,700 60 42,830 719,700 389,200 800 14,023,000 1,947,140 2,300 20 1,100 70,800,000 527,000 26,850,000 380,000 155,000 3,282,100 27,600 3,000 100 5,000 4,950,000 1,970,600 4,458,000 9,500 97,400 100 10 722,400 45,955 950,000 4,346,000 465,200 2,012,000 632,000 2,898,000 16,113,000 235,000 15,000

0.0037 3.07 4.26 0.220 2.1400 0.59

-2.63 0.66 -0.23 4.27 1.90 0.59

781,000,000 480,000 44,000 40,000 4,400.00 4,000 - 3 . 2 8

0.410 8.37 1.080 0.270 0.194 0.203 0.0110 0.0110 1.55 7.55 2.9 0.5000 0.8800 0.0100 4.10 8.70 3.89 0.0130 114.70 3.38 0.0097

2.50 0.24 8.00 0.00 1.57 4.10 0.00 0.00 6.16 4.86 -0.68 -7.41 -2.22 0.00 -2.38 0.23 5.42 8.33 0.70 5.63 0.00

540,000 6,300 163,100,000 30,000 11,600,000 10,000 6,500,000 1,500,000 2,267,000 16,854,000 300,000 100,000 1,437,000 18,100,000 25,000 952,700 18,873,000 10,900,000 734,890 370,000 1,000,000

49.1 533.5 545 103.7 6.01 1.03 108 81 79 79 78 78 2.3

0.20 -1.20 0.93 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.25 0.00 -0.51 0.13 21.05

1,337,000 190 2,000 23,900 963,400 3,398,000 3,200 20,720 66,200 15,000 6,600 156,600 9,000

2.470

-4.63

533,000

3.23 4.53 14.3

-2.12 -2.58 -2.05

2,975,000 87,000 402,300

126.6

0.64

2,690

5,995,570.00 7,266,360.00 -10,080.00 -32,914,780.00 -4,536,452.00 -16,997.00

4,130,260.00 -18,400.00 25,213,632.00

-7,039,630.00 -2,860.00 337,250.00 -26,116,635.00

147 Savemore stores across the country as of end-June. SM Investments said it planned to open 10 to 15 Savemore stores annually over the next few years. Savemore is the groups’ fast expanding mid-format supermarket that stands alone as a neighborhood store built to service impulse markets and smaller communities across the country. SM Retail is also beefing up its hypermarket stores as a number of new big box megastores recently opened in Metro Manila. From the current 45 SM Hypermarkets, the conglomerate said it planned to open at least three new SM hypermarkets annually over the next few years, subject to market conditions. Three SM Hypermarkets will open next year at SM Center Tugeugarao, Tagaytay and Paliparan in Dasmariñas, Cavite. SM Investments obtained SEC approval to consolidate all its retail businesses under SM Retail Inc. in July. SM Retail was merged with other retail subsidiaries and affiliates such as Forsyth Equity Holdings Inc., HFS Corp., Morrison Corp., San Mateo Bros. Inc. and Tangiers Resources Corp. SM Retail is the surviving corporation. Prior to the merger, SM Retail had 553 stores and 1.8 million square meters of gross floor area. It was operating 53 SM department stores, 44 hypermarkets and 213 supermarkets. It had majority stakes in the local operations of Alfamart, Forever21, Crate & Barrel and other specialty and apparel retailers.

139,380.00 12,714,976 -2,230.00

-2,103,700.00 -1,422,871.00 -171,330.00

-40,992.00 -2,587,135.00 38,000.00 -17,450.00 8,807,670.00 -130,079,831.00 2,624,310.00 973,700.00 -6,490.00

-60,000.00 17,793,520.00

-695,250.00 5,302,671.00 43,950.00 -3,540.00

162,750.00 -2,189,160.00 -25,332,306.00 -26,980.00 79,225.00

-5,508,557.00

-567,790.00 2,005,812.00 2,526.00

VALUE 1,839.90 (up) 1.47 800,411,370.918 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,904.46 (up) 125.17 832,633,530.8228 HOLDING FIRMS 7,596.17 (up) 48.79 1,153,303,191.004 PROPERTY 3,497.42 (up) 23.34 1,498.32 (up) 8.43 723,899,215.805 SERVICES MINING & OIL 10,998.65 (up) 216.65 865,797,143.40 PSEI 7,677.73 (up) 48.00 483,666,895.304 All Shares Index 4,559.48 (up) 26.24 4,876,015,648.2498 Gainers: 93; Losers: 88; Unchanged: 50; Total: 231

Cityland plans to raise P1.3b LISTED condominium builder Cityland Development Corp. plans to raise P1.3 billion from the issuance of commercial papers. A registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission showed Cityland would use the proceeds from the fundraising activity to fund ongoing high-rise developments and finance maturing obligations. Cityland is currently developing two new projects, the Pines Peak Tower 2 and CityNet Central. Pines Peak Tower 2 is a 27-story residential condominium building in Mandaluyong City which was launched in June and is slated for completion by September 2019. Citynet Central is a 22-story commerce and office building catering to business process outsourcing companies in Mandaluyong City. This project is slated for completion by September 2017. Aside from issuance of commercial papers, Cityland also has a P2.45-billion credit line from several financial institutions. At least 70 percent of commercial papers will be sold to institutional buyers while 30 percent will be sold to the general public. The commercial papers will be issued in four equal tranches worth P325 million each from December 2016 to November 2017. Cityland, formerly Statehouse Land Development Corp., is primarily engaged in acquiring and developing residential, office, commercial, institutional and industrial uses. CDC projects include medium to high-rise office, commercial and residential condominiums located in the cities of Makati, Mandaluyong, Manila and Pasig; and residential subdivisions and farm lots in Bulacan and Cavite. Jennifer B. Austria

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

Business

TODAY

Lepanto criticizes ‘suspension’ order By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

PH grid delays tackled

EPANTO Consolidated Mining Co. said Monday the government has no reason to suspend the company’s mining operations.

By Alena Mae S. Flores POWER generators and National Grid Corp. of the Philippines will come out with a position paper to the Energy Regulatory Commission to address increased transmission costs and delays. Luis Miguel Aboitiz, a member of board of trustees of the Philippine Independent Power Producers Association, told reporters at the sidelines of a Senate committee hearing Monday that “transmission lines for new power plants... is the biggest issue that affects everybody.” Aboitiz cited the ﬁve-year plan of National Grid, operator of the country’s transmission network, which the ERC approved. The power sector has raised concerns on the timely construction of transmission facilities to meet the demand of new plants. “When the plan is approved... a new plant is announced to be started... so it’s not in the budget of NGCP. So how does NGCP put it in its budget? It has to go back to ERC and get approval,” Aboitiz said. “But until ERC gives approval,” he said, the power producer pays for the connection inside the transmission grid. Aboitiz said the power generator puts the cash up upfront and receives repayment over six to seven years with no interest. “The impact is 30 percent to 40 percent of the cost of that line is absorbed by the generator. We’re not allowed to pass it on to consumers,” Aboitiz said. He said PIPPA wants NGCP and ERC to approve a “budget for unforeseen transmission upgrades” resulting from the construction of new power plants.

“Since the publication of news items that Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company is under threat of suspension of its mining operations by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, we have been bedeviled by numerous inquiries and expressions of concern from nervous stakeholders on the status of our operations,” said Lepanto president and chief operating ofﬁcer Bryan Yap. “This situation constrains us to make this explanatory report to these stakeholders, namely our worried employees, our communities, our stockholders and investors, our retirees, our partners and partner banks, and our services and goods providers,” Yap added. The DENR last week released the results of mining audit that showed only 11 out of the 41 metallic mines passed the review. The DENR identiﬁed Lepanto as one of the companies recommended for suspension,

ICTSI bares $400-m bond tender offer By Darwin G. Amojelar A SUBSIDIARY of International Container Terminal Services Inc. announced on Monday a debt tender offer for $400 million worth of perpetual bonds and an offering of new securities. The port operator owned by tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. said unit Royal Capital BV would offer cash to holders of its 6.250 percent senior guaranteed perpetual capital securities callable in 2019 and 5.500 percent senior guaranteed perpetual capital securities callable in 2021. The tender offer ends on October 12 at 5 p.m. Central European Summer Time. “The company is undertaking the tender offer as part of its strategy to manage the maturity proﬁle of its existing debt obligations,” ICTSI said. The board of ICTSI also approved the issuance by Royal Capital B.V. of new senior perpetual securities guaranteed by the port operator. The company

has not yet disclosed the size and the interest of the new bonds to be issued by the ICTSI subsidiary. ICTSI has tapped Citigroup Global Markets Ltd., The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd. and Standard Chartered Bank as joint lead managers for the new securities offer. The port operator earlier reported a net income of $92.6 million in January to June, 12 percent lower than $105.7 mil-

Republic of the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT BUREAU

INVITATION TO BID FOR THE DESIGN OF TEN (10) STOREY NATIONAL ECOLOGY CENTER (NEC) GREEN BUILDING AND BUILD SIX (6) STOREY NEC GREEN BUILDING EMB-NCB-INFRA-05-2016

4. 5.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), through the General Appropriation Act of 2016 intends to apply the sum of Seventy Million Six Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP70,600,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Design of Ten (10) Storey National Ecology Center (NEC) Green Building and Build Six (6) Storey NEC Green Building EMB-NCB-INFRA-05-2016. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) now invites bids for the Design of Ten (10) Storey National Ecology Center (NEC) Green Building and Build Six (6) Storey NEC Green Building EMB-NCBINFRA-05-2016. Completion of the Works is required on CY 2016 to 2017 for Thirteen (13) Months. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines. Interested bidders may obtain further information from EMB-BAC Secretariat and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from during 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount ofPhp50,000.00. It may also be downloadedfree of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later that the submission of their bids. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB)will hold a Pre-Bid Conference onOctober 13, 2016, 10:00 a.m.at AQMTC Training Room, 3rd Floor, AQMTC Bldg., DENR Compound, Visayas Ave., Diliman, Quezon City, which shall beopen only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before October 26, 2016,9:00 a.m.at Administrative, Finance and Management Division, Ground Floor, HRD Bldg., DENR Compound, Visayas Ave., Diliman, Quezon City. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

(SGD) ELENIDA DR. BASUG BAC Chairperson

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com Republic of the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT BUREAU DENR Compound, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, 1116 Telephone Nos. 927-15-17, 928-20-96 Email: emb@emb.gov.ph Visit us at http://www.emb.gov.ph

INVITATION TO BID FOR THE PROCUREMENT FOR THE SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF FORTY SIX (46) UNITS PORTABLE SMOKE OPACITY EMISSION ANALYZER

INVITATION TO BID FOR SECURITY SERVICES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT BUREAUCENTRAL OFFICE FROM DECEMBER 1, 2016 TO NOVEMBER 30, 2017 UNDER AFMD-EMB (IFB NO. EMB-AFMD-NCB 9-28-2016) 1.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), through the General Appropriation Act CY 2016 intends to apply the sum of Seven Million Six Hundred Fifty Thousand Four Hundred Fifty Four Pesos and Sixty Eight Centavos (PhP7,650,454.68) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract forSecurity Services for Environment Management Bureau-Central Office from December 1, 2016 to November 30, 2017 under AFMD-EMB. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) now invites bids forSecurity Services for Environment Management Bureau-Central Office from December 1, 2016 to November 30, 2017 under AFMD-EMB. Delivery of the Goods is required CY 2017. Bidders should have completed, within Five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138. Interested bidders may obtain further information from EMB BAC Secretariat and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during office hours from 8:00-5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), through theGeneral Appropriation Act of 2016 intends to apply the total sum of Fifteen Million Nine Hundred Eighty Five Thousand Pesos (Php 15,985,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract fortheProcurement for the Supply and Delivery of Forty Six (46) Units of Portable Smoke Opacity Emission Analyzer EMB-NCB-GOODS-09-2016. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) now invites bids for theProcurement for the Supply and Delivery of Forty Six (46) Units of Portable Smoke Opacity Emission Analyzer EMB-NCBGOODS-09-2016. Delivery of the Goods is required on CY 2016. Bidders should have completed, within Five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders onOctober 4 to 26, 2016 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of PhP10,000.00.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from EMB-BAC Secretariat and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on October 4 to 26, 2016, from the address belowand upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount ofPhP 25,000.00. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

TheDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on October 13, 2016, 10:00 a.m. at AQMTC Training Room, 3rd Floor, AQMTC Bldg., DENR-EMB, DENR Compound, Visayas Ave., Diliman, Quezon City,which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or beforeOctober 26, 2016, 9:00 a.m. atAdministrative, Finance and Management Division, Ground Floor, HRD Bldg., DENR Compound, Visayas Ave., Diliman, Quezon City. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB)will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on October 13, 2016, 10:00 a.m. at AQMTC Training Room, 3rd Floor, AQMTC Bldg., DENR Compound, Visayas Ave., Diliman, Quezon City, which shall beopen only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before October 26, 2016, 9:00 a.m. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be onOctober 26, 2016, 10:00 a.m. atAQMTC Training Room, 3rd Floor, AQMTC Bldg., DENR Compound, Visayas Ave., Diliman, Quezon City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. 8.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) will conduct a tie-breaking method in case of a tie between bidders being the Lowest Calculated and Responsive Bid (LCRB).

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

10.

EMB-NCB-GOODS-09-2016

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

(MS-OCT. 4, 2016)

NEGATIVE trends are in progress in the economy of this country. One is the depreciation of the peso; the other is the weakening of the stock market. At around 48.25 to the US dollar, the peso is at its lowest level against the US currency. The Philippine Stock Exchange (Phisix) index has slipped below 7,000, a sharp decline from the justover-8,000 that it reached last year. These and other less prominent trends are being ascribed by the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) and defenders of the administration of Rodrigo Duterte to the uncertainty generated by the long-awaited US Fed (Federal Reserve Board) decision on the basic Fed interest rate the—Fed funds rate—upon which US commercial-bank rates are based. But the leaders and members of the Philippine Stock Exchange do not believe that the negative trend in the Phisix are entirely attributable to the decision-making of Fed chairman Janet Yellen and her colleagues. This can be gathered from the published statements of some bankers and stockbrokers. The economist of this country’s third largest commercial bank (and oldest domestic commercial bank), Bank of the Philippine Islands, has spoken of the uncertainty generated by the uncertainty of the administration’s foreign policy. “Most of the investors who have raised their concerns with (BPI) find the uncertainty about Philippine foreign policy and diplomacy to be most unsettling,” Emilio Neri has said. The senior economist at ING Bank Manila, Joey Cuyegkeng, has attributed the peso’s continuing underperformance against other Asian currencies partly to domestic factors. “(These) have to do with market perceptions about “non-economic concerns.” Being a Dutch bank, ING Bank is undoubtedly aware of, and sensitive to, the ongoing discordant dialogue between the Duterte administration and the European Union, of which Netherlands is a member. Added Cuyegkeng: “(T)here are emerging stresses on the economy and (these) could be exacerbated by non-economic factors.” In a research note distributed among its clients, stockbrokerage Papa Securities said: “There is still some debate if the cause (of the foreign funds outflow) is profit-taking, uncertainty over the Fed rate hike or concerns on domestic stability.” It added: “(W)e suspect that Mr. Duterte’s often-quoted statements are merely aggravating foreign selling in a relatively fragile market.” But the weightiest observation came from the leading international credit-rating firm S&P Global Ratings, which gave the Philippines successive rating upgrades during the Aquino administration. Said S&P: “The numerous instances of extrajudicial killings, when combined with the President’s policy pronouncements elsewhere on foreign policy and national security, we believe that the stability and predictability of policymaking has diminished somewhat.” Sounds ominous. The common message of the foregoing statements is that a government cannot with impunity make irresponsible and injurious statements about international institutions and foreign personalities. There is a price to pay sooner or later. The behavior of the securities and foreign exchange markets suggest that that price is beginning to be paid.

DENR Compound, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, 1116 Telephone Nos. 927-15-17, 928-20-96 Email: emb@emb.gov.ph Visit us at http://www.emb.gov.ph

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB)will conduct a tie-breaking method in case of a tie between bidders being the Lowest Calculated and Responsive Bid (LCRB). 9. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. 10. For further information, please refer to: ERNALD A. HERNANDEZ Head, BAC Secretariat Administrative and Finance Division EMB-Administrative Building, Ground Floor, DENR Compound, Diliman, Quezon City Telefax No.: (02) 920-44-25 Website: www.emb.gov.ph

lion in the same period last year. ICTSI said the drop in net income was due to unfavorable volume mix, lower non-containerized and storage revenues, reduced capitalized borrowing costs and higher depreciation and amortization expenses related to Tecplata S.A., the company’s new terminal in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Gross revenues from port operations reached $550.8 million in the ﬁrst half, compared with $552.1 million reported in the same period last year. ICTSI handled consolidated volume of 4,264,633 twentyfoot equivalent units in the ﬁrst six months, up 10 percent from 3,888,130 TEUs handled in the same period in 2015. The company has allotted $420 million in capital expenditures this year, mainly for the completion of the initial stage of its new container terminals in Australia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq, and the continuing development of projects in Honduras and Mexico.

Bad diplomacy starts to hurt economy

Republic of the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT BUREAU

DENR Compound, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, 1116 Telephone Nos. 927-15-17, 928-20-96 Email: emb@emb.gov.ph Visit us at http://www.emb.gov.ph

saying that the company’s treatment, storage and disposal facility for detoxification process for the mill tailings was unregistered. The government also cited alleged accidents in the mining operations and its low performance in tree planting. Yap said Lepanto had not received any official communications for the suspension of its operations. “There is no reason to suspend our operations. We passed the recent audit of all mines ordered by the DENR, which in our case was completed on August 14, 2016. The DENR audit report confirms that we have complied with all relevant laws and regulations,” Yap said. He said the company planted 6.5 million over its area of operations in the last 50 years, and obtained an ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management system. “For the last 80 years, Lepanto did much more than produce copper, gold and silver. We helped build Mankayan, Benguet into a first-class municipality. We have been dutifully paying our taxes,” Yap said. “We assure our stakeholders that we will take all and every step necessary to ensure that we can and shall continue our mining operations and uphold Lepanto’s legacy of responsible mining,” Yap said.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

For further information, please refer to: ERNALD A. HERNANDEZ Head, BAC Secretariat Administrative and Finance Division, EMB-AdministrativeBuilding, Ground Floor, DENR Compound, Diliman, Quezon City Telefax No.: (02) 920-44-25 Website: www.emb.gov.ph

(MS-OCT. 4, 2016)

(SGD.) ELENIDA DR. BASUG BAC Chairperson

Bid opening shall be on October 26, 2016, 10:00 a.m.AQMTC Training Room, 3rd Floor, AQMTC Bldg., DENR Compound, Visayas Ave., Diliman, Quezon City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. 7.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB)will conduct a tie-breaking method in case of a tie between bidders being the Lowest Calculated and Responsive Bid (LCRB).

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB)reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

(MS-OCT. 4, 2016)

(SGD.) ELENIDA DR. BASUG BAC Chairperson

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Ray S. Eñano, Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Business

Britain begins EU divorce talks

IRMINGHAM, United Kingdom―British Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Sunday that her government will trigger Brexit negotiations by the end of March, putting the country on course to leave the European Union by early 2019. The move will plunge Europe’s second largest economy into two years of painful horsetrading with its EU partners, who have voiced deep frustration at the delay in setting a date to start divorce proceedings. It was May’s ﬁrmest commitment to a clear break with the EU since she became Conservative Party leader and premier in the political upheaval that followed June’s shock referendum

vote to quit. “Britain is going to leave the European Union,” May told the opening day of the Conservative Party conference in the central English city of Birmingham. “There will be no unnecessary delays in invoking Article 50. We will invoke it when we are ready. And we will be ready soon,” she said, referring to the article in the EU’s Lisbon treaty setting out a two-year process to leave.

“We will invoke Article 50 no later than the end of March next year.” May said she would seek the best deal from the 27 other EU members, but told the conference she would not give a “blow by blow” account of her negotiating strategy, for fear of weakening Britain’s hand. European powers keen to dampen rising euro-skepticism in their own backyards have taken a hard line with Britain, warning that informal negotiations cannot start before the two-year notiﬁcation process is triggered. May’s announcement means the process will start before next year’s crucial elections in Germany and France, with an uncertain impact on the polls in the EU’s most powerful nations.

May’s government and party is divided over whether to go for a “hard” or “soft” withdrawal from the EU. “Hard” Brexit would mean quickly severing all links with EU institutions and pulling out of the single market, relying instead on World Trade Organization rules to trade overseas. “Soft” Brexit would retain access to the single market in some form, but EU leaders have made clear that this would require continued free movement for EU workers into Britain. Uncontrolled mass immigration from the EU was a major factor in Britain’s historic vote to become the ﬁrst country to leave the bloc after four decades of membership.

Brussels has insisted that if Britain wants free trade with the EU, it must also accept freedom of movement. But May took a hard line in her speech, signaling that while she wanted free trade in goods and services, she would be prepared to leave the single market if necessary. “We are not leaving the European Union only to give up control of immigration again,” she said. “We will decide for ourselves how we control immigration.” In another act designed to reassure anti-EU ﬁgures in her party, May also announced Sunday that a “Great Repeal Bill” would be introduced to scrap the supremacy of EU laws in Britain on the day of exit from the bloc. AFP

ING set to remove 7,000 jobs THE HAGUE―Dutch bank ING, the country’s biggest lender, Monday announced 7,000 jobs could be lost mainly in Belgium and The Netherlands to save 900 million euros ($1.01 billion) by 2021. The move is partly directed by the bank’s bid to reshape its services for the digital banking market, in which it said it would be investing some 800 million euros. “Over the coming five years, around 7,000 functions might be impacted by these effects,” said chief executive Ralph Hamer. Stressing the plans were not yet final, Hamer said the workforce could be reduced by some 3,500 in Belgium and another 2,300 in The Netherlands. The remaining posts were expected to be cut by external suppliers. “Customers are increasingly digital and bank with us more and more through mobile devices,” Hamer said in a statement. They “expect us to adopt new technology as fast as companies in other sectors,” Hamer said, adding ING needs “to offer a better customer experience, that’s instant, personal, frictionless and relevant.” Amsterdam-based ING employs some 52,000 people in 40 countries around the world. It was bailed out to the tune of 10 billion euros in 2008 after the global financial crisis struck, but it was forced by the European Commission to exit the insurance business. AFP

RISING MIDDLE CLASS. This picture taken on October 2, 2016 shows Indonesian models parading in traditional Batik outﬁts at a display along a street in Jakarta. Indonesia has a rapidly growing middle class, and domestic consumption has been a key pillar of growth. AFP

Taiwan’s financial regulator quits job TAIPEI―The head of Taiwan’s top financial regulator resigned Monday after US authorities fined a local bank linked to the so-called Panama Papers scandal. Ding Kung-wha, chairman of the Financial Supervisory Commission, had been criticized over his handling of the controversy involving Mega International Commercial Bank, which was hit with a $180-million fine in the US in August. American regulators accused the bank of showing “flagrant disregard” for antimoney laundering laws, saying they had identified “suspicious transactions” between the bank’s New York and Panama Branches. The Panama Papers, which were released by media in April, comprised a trove of leaked documents that revealed a murky financial underworld of tax evasion by politicians, celebrities, and sports stars using shell companies. Mega Bank had dealings with a Panamanian law firm at the center of the scandal, the US Department of Financial Services said. The US order does not specify whether the Taiwanese bank actually engaged in money laundering. Some lawmakers criticized Ding for being slow in handling Mega and another case in which a local entertainment company was accused of insider trading and market manipulation. The firm is now under investigation. “I resigned to maintain my innocence and hope that it will end the harm for the FSC,” Ding said in a statement, adding that the FSC had launched a probe into the Mega case at the earliest possible time. Ding was appointed by Premier Lin Chuan in May and is the first cabinet minister to leave office under the new government. The FSC hit Mega Bank with a Tw$10 million ($316,000) fine last month and demanded the bank fire six people, including its legal representative and former chairman McKinney Tsai. AFP

World Bank secretly funding Asian ‘coal boom,’ says group WASHINGTON―The World Bank is indirectly financing a boom in some of Asia’s dirtiest coal-fired power generation despite commitments to end most funding for the sector, a development advocacy group charged Monday. The power plants, which contribute to climate change and deforestation as well as premature deaths due to illness, are cropping up from Bangladesh to the Philippines, all with financing provided by financial intermedi-

aries supported by the Bank, said a report produced by the organization Inclusive Development International. In a policy shift in 2013, the Bank said it would end virtually all support for the creation of coal-burning power plants, supporting them only in “rare circumstances” where there are no viable alternatives. However, since that pledge, 41 coal projects have received funding from banks and investment funds supported by the World

Bank’s private-sector arm, THE International Finance Corp., according to the report. Founded in 2011, IDI is an advocacy organization focusing on human rights and ethics in development. In response to questions from AFP, Frederick Jones, an IFC spokesman, said the global lender took the report seriously. “It raises important long-term questions about how we need to create stronger markets for clean energy and create incentives for

countries and the private sector not to invest in coal, but rather in renewable energy,” he said. Jones added that since 2005 the IFC had already invested more than $15 billion in renewable energy, energy efﬁciency and other areas, and had mobilized $10 billion more. However, Jones conceded that IFC policy did not prohibit equity clients from funding coal plants, meaning the institution might be indirectly exposed to the industry.

This is despite the fact that IFC loans to ﬁnancial services industry players are not intended to ﬁnance coal-related projects and targeted lending is “ring-fenced” to prevent this, according to Jones. The report’s release coincided with the start of this week’s high-profile annual meetings of the Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as the world’s finance chiefs gather to discuss efforts at poverty reduction. AFP

Burgundy wine region falls back in love with its humble grape pickers By Fiachra Gibbons CHASSELAS, France―“There is no respect for the bosses in this country,” bellowed Thibaut Pariset, as he badgered his team of grape pickers up another steep row of vines near Fuisse, deep in France’s Burgundy wine region. His mock complaints were met with loud guffaws and the odd ﬂying grape. “You see how they treat me,” he added before someone shouted, “It’s because you’re ugly,” and the hillside erupted in laughter. It is this kind of good-humored banter that keeps 69-year-old Rene Kleingardner coming back year after year to do eight hours of often backbreaking work for the minimum wage of around 10 euros ($11). The annual ritual is a ﬁxture of French rural life and a staple of books, graphic novels and this year a highly-praised documentary, “Vendanges” (Grape Harvests), for those who would rather watch it from the comfort of a cinema seat. Such is its rustic allure that Kleingardner, a retired policeman, did it in his holidays for 25 years even though it was strictly against the rules. A serving soldier working alongside him ad-

mitted he wasn’t really supposed to be there either. “Don’t say anything,” he told AFP. “I’m the invisible man.” Bucolic You can see the bucolic charm when the pickers stop for lunch amid the vines overlooking the medieval village of Chasselas, in a scene that could be straight from an Impressionist painting. Jokes and conversation ﬂow as they picnicked royally on salad, organic roast pork, peas and bacon, Chantal cheese, crusty baguette bread and homemade lemon cake, all washed down with lashings of wine and coffee. “It is not quite the same when you are on your knees caked in mud in the rain,” said Sylvie Chaipuis Brethenet, 50, sitting on an upturned plastic grape box. She works all year in the vines often on her own, the ﬂexible hours allowing her to look after her handicapped child. The migrant workers who traditionally helped are now rare in this corner of central France, where locals do most of the work in teams gathered through families and friends. Eighty percent or more of grapes are now harvested by

Workers harvest grapes at the Pouilly Fuisse vineyard in Chasselas. AFP

machine in many regions, said Frantz Chagnoleau, whose grapes the team were picking for his St Veran wine. But handpicking is enjoying something of a revival in the Macon region thanks to organic winemakers like him, with the makers of the local sparkling wine, Cremant de Bourgogne, also sticking with harvesting by

hand.

‘Better by hand’ For Chagnoleau a rising star of the region’s growing vin nature movement, who add little or no sulﬁte to their wines, the machines are a false economy. “It is three to four times cheaper to do it by machine, but in terms of control and quality, the difference is huge,” he said.

“Watch what comes out of the machines, it is a kind of soup of grapes, leaves and stalks, and the juice starts oxidizing straight away. You get 10 times less ‘bourbe’ (leaves and stems) with handpicking.” Not to mention the damage to the vines themselves, he said, some of which are up to 100 years old.

For Chagnoleau, happy pickers are part of the alchemy of creating a great wine. “They have to be happy, their work is a big part” of the wine. Emmanuel Guillot, of Domaine Guillot-Broux, one of France’s pioneering organic winemakers, agrees. He even has a waiting list of pickers. “It’s a party. We roast a pig, we work hard but we have a good time together as well,” he said as he put the ﬁnishing touches to new showers and a disabled toilet in the rooms he has built for his workers. He is one of the few producers in the Macon region to still welcome migrant workers, 28 of whom he has hired to harvest his vines further to the north near Tournus. “Others complain they can’t get workers, but if you treat people well they will keep coming back. Some start on the fruit harvest in southern Spain and work their way up to Normandy for the apples after the grapes are done,” Guillot added. “It can be quite a lonely life. Others come from the former East Germany and we have an Emirates air stewardess who is returning again,” he said. “While they are here, we are a kind of family.” AFP

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

SETTING OUT. After heavy downpours, the sun always shines for this fisherman to set sail for a good catch near the breakwaters of SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City. Sonny Espiritu

Solon pushes Vis-Min trains P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s massive railway projects in the Visayas and Mindanao will enable the two regions to have a share of the tens of billions of pesos the government spends every year to subsidize Luzon’s commuter trains, a Cebuano lawmaker said.

Both the 71-kilometer Cebu light rail transit (LRT) and the 2,000-kilometer Mindanao train projects are expected to help correct the huge imbalance in the allocation of tax money for public transportation, House deputy majority leader and Cebu Rep. Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. said. “Right now, national government spending for public trains is 100 percent concentrated in Luzon, simply because we in the Visayas and Mindanao don’t have any railways. And this is totally unfair,” he said. In 2017 alone, Gullas said, the national government intends to spend another P25 billion to maintain, upgrade and expand Luzon’s trains, including P9.4 billion for the North-South Rail Project Phase 2 (Tutuban-CalambaBat a ngas-Legaspi-Mat nog) and P4.8 billion in direct subsidy to Metro Rail Transit-3. “We have very high hopes that both the Cebu and the Mindanao rail projects will finally take off in the next three to four years. Everybody wants both projects, and so does Malacañang, so there is definitely greater visibility

CONNECTION. A

House bill has been filed that calls for a railway system in the Visayas and Mindanao similar to the one serving commuters in Luzon.

in execution now,” the congressman said. In his first State of the Nation Address, Duterte had vowed to carry out the train projects in the Visayas and Mindanao. “In the case of the Cebu LRT, we are just waiting for the experts from Singapore to complete their preliminary study. We’ve been told the results should be available by next month,” Gullas said. Michael Diño, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, said the Cebu LRT—estimated to cost several billions of pesos—would have to be implemented through a publicprivate partnership. The lawmaker said an overhead LRT system is the only way Metro Cebu could meet the future demand for a fast and reliable public transport system. “Many Cebuanos choose to drive cars to work, thus contributing in a big way to road congestion, simply because we have very limited access to safe, clean and comfortable public transport,” Gullas said. The Cebuano representative Next page

Yolanda summit IRRI trains Africa, Asia agriculturists scheduled in Cebu A SUMMIT that will review the actions taken during and after Super Typhoon “Yolanda” in preparation for the Philippine Development Plan is set in Cebu on Thursday. The summit is held a month before the third anniversary of “Yolanda” which left more than 6,000 dead, many of them in Tacloban City, and devastated northern Cebu on Nov. 8, 2013. Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. said the summit will be attended by delegates from government agencies that led the search, rescue and relief operations. These include the Departments of Social Welfare and Development, Interior and Local Government, Health, National Defense and Agriculture and Bureau of Customs. Evasco said private multi-sectoral groups, especially those who facilitated donations for the

victims, will be invited. The secretary, who oversees 12 national government agencies on the strength of the first executive order issued by President Rodrigo Duterte, said the summit will tally the donations, in cash and in kind, the Philippines received from other countries. He said it must be accounted how much was received from the United States, Japan, South Korea, Israel, China, Russia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and other countries. It must also be traced who received it and the capacity in which they were authorized to receive it. It must also be traced how much was given by the private sector and who were the beneficiaries. There were accusations that government officials, politicians and even leaders of private organizations pocketed some of the donations. PNA

TWENTY-ONE agriculture extension workers from Africa and Asia completed on Friday a three-week training course on new practices and technologies to boost quality rice seed production and boost food security in the region given by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The training program Extension Capacity Development for

Rice Food Security in Asia was given to participants from the African countries of The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Zambia, and the Asian countries of Cambodia, India and Nepal. Their course included visits to farmer villages in Banaue, Ifugao and in the Philippine Rice Research Institute Central Experimental Station in Nueva Ecija. ”The training provided us with

updated practices on seed quality breeding. Hopefully, we plan to bring our new knowledge and skills to our respective countries and offices to enhance agriculture productivity. Our field visits and meetings with local seed producers also gave us new information on how we can improve the seed value chain of our farmers and communities,” shared Kadijatu Alice, an agriculture officer from Sierra Leone.

Robert Bimba, executive director of a community agriculture project in Liberia, said he would share his new knowledge in formulating a blueprint for the development of a national food strategy, including training farmers and business sectors and improving seed quality in his country. Meanwhile, said the “collaboration of Jica, IRRI, and PhilRice fills a very important knowledge gap.” PNA

Ateneo honors DILG undersecretary THE Ateneo de Manila University Government Service Award was given to Interior Undersecretary for Local Government Austere Panadero, the second DILG official to receive the award after the late former secretary Jesse Robredo in 2013. A career executive service officer, Panadero has served the

government service for over 35 years—from former President Corazon Aquino to incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte. He has served as senior official under 11 DILG secretaries and helped ensure policy and program continuity despite leadership changes. Panadero is well-known within the executive branch and

good government circles for advocating inclusive local governance, promoting gender equality, sustainable development, and the welfare of the indigenous people, the elderly, and persons with disability. The awardee said, “Thank you very much to the Ateneo de Manila University for the recognition. This will inspire

us in the DILG to carry on with our mandate to pursue excellence in local governance as we urge local government units to become upright, efficient and trustworthy.” Panadero was among the four individuals and one group who were cited during the recent ADMU’s Traditional University Awards. PNA

LGUs

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Model 4Ps families recognized T

HE Department of Social Welfare and Development led the award rites of the 2016 Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya on Saturday at the Commission on Audit Sports and Cultural Center in Quezon City.

The annual search recognizes outstanding Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) family beneficiaries who maintain strong family ties, demonstrate positive Filipino values, and have a positive impact on the community where they reside.

The five finalists chosen from the 18 regional winners are Bulso family of Dipaculao, Aurora; Castillo family of Lemery, Batangas; Masamoc family of Aroroy, Masbate; Tacda family of Nueva Valencia, Guimaras; and Garay family of Jagna, Bohol.

It was first launched in 2012 to highlight the role of the Filipino family in building a stronger nation. The search also aims to document the impact of the Family Development Sessions (FDS), one of the unique 4Ps conditionalities. The contest also encourages Pantawid Pamilya families to show how hard work improved their lives and inspire others to do the same. Their stories are narrated in the program with pictures and videos posted around to give

hope to other beneficiaries. “We acknowledge the contribution of our families in development, but we also recognize the challenges that they are confronted with. The department has always been committed to empowering our families,” said DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo. Taguiwalo added that in 2017, 1.5 million families are expected to transition and move forward after being provided with other interventions. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pili-

pino Program is a social protection program that invests in the health and education of poor households, primarily of children 18 years old and below. It helps children finish their elementary and high school studies. At the same time, the government keeps them healthy by requiring them to regularly visit health centers. The program also teaches pregnant mothers to have prenatal check-ups and give birth in health facilities to avoid infant

and maternal deaths. Currently, 4.3 million households are part of the program. The program started in 2008 during the term of then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. It was continued by Arroyo’s successors. “We take pride in the families awarded today. These model families have shown that through hard work and determination aided with government subsidy, they will be able to uplift their families and their communities as well,” Taguiwalo said. PNA

Davao aids commercial sex workers By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—The Reproductive Health and Wellness Center (RHWC) of Davao City has registered a total of 838 registered prostituted women since January this year. Gloria Serrano, a nurse at RHWC, said 772 of the registered prostituted women are working various watering holes in the city, while the other 66 are working as “freelancers.” Twice a month, Serrano said, prostituted women seek the help of the center for pap smear screening and other tests to ensure that they are not suffering from sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Workers of the center go around the city’s watering holes and streets frequented by prostituted women to make sure that they are healthy, encouraging them to go to the center and undergo check-ups. Prostituted women who go through the required checkup at the center are issued with pink cards, which they can also use to avail of free government health services. The center, Serrano said, also provides counseling to sex workers as well as medicines to those are suffering from STIs. The center is under the supervision of the Davao City Health Office. Among the Top 10 priorities of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte is to ensure that the people of Davao are given appropriate and free health services, particularly the poor communities. On the latest data of RHWC, they have recorded 1,661 patients who were under the help of the center since 1984 until June of 2016.

SOWING. Volunteers for the National Greening Program plant seedlings beside a highway in Mariveles, Bataan. The local environment office is supervising the province’s reforestation program. Butch Gunio

Tesda trains Republic Cement welders ‘Auto shops must provide parking’ REPUBLIC Cement Group has partnered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in training new welders. Through the group’s community development initiatives, 147 graduates of its Iligan Plant’s skills training program recently received National Certificates II (NC II) in shielded and arc welding from the Tesda. “Republic Cement is firmly committed to the development of our host communities, including providing relevant

skills training that can translate into employment opportunities both here and abroad,” said Renato Sunico, president of Republic Cement and Building Materials Inc. The newly certified welders represent the second batch of trainees under the program implemented in partnership with Tesda. The project mostly benefits indigent and unemployed members from barangays Kiwalan and Acmac in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte. Scholars get 324 hours of intensive training for which they

receive a certificates. NC II is part of Tesda’s Technical Vocational Education Training Qualification and Certification System, which validates that its program graduates are equipped with the technical aptitude in all relevant competency requirements and standards prescribed by the industry. Aside from offering livelihood opportunities, the program promotes equal opportunity and gender diversity, having trained over 20 women in shielded and

arc welding, a traditionally male-dominated f ield. Sunico said the group’s partnership with Tesda is part of its capability-building efforts to expand the local pool of skilled contractors for its expansion requirements. He added that most of the welding contractors currently servicing Republic Cement’s Iligan Plant are graduates of the skills training program. “Our skills training program is one way for us to contribute to the communities’ overall well-being,” he remarked. PNA

BAGUIO CITY—Mayor Mauricio Domogan said machine shop owners who use the sidewalks and even national and city roads as their working areas should allocate parking space or the vehicles of their clients will be towed away. The local chief executive also warned vehicle owners against using widened road lanes in the city as parking areas because they are part of the target of the anti-obstruction task force once it will be in full operation next week. “We have to enforce existing laws, rules and regulations to compel them to abide by the rules. We do not want to penalize our constituents for their simple violations but for

testing the limits of the powers of the local government they have to pay the price,” Domogan stressed. Domogan added owners will be ordered to remove junk vehicles obstructing the smooth flow of traffic. Failure to do so will cause members of the antiobstruction task force to move the vehicles to the motor pool compound in City Camp. He added that signs illegally reserving parking spaces in front of houses will also be removed. Domogan said vehicle owners were given sufficient time to look for parking areas, so the city will now take back the portions of the roads they misappropriated.

Baguio to fence Gibraltar property By Dexter A. See

BEAUTICIANS. After completing beauty care training, residents of Marilao in Bulacan attend a hairdressing seminar given by Ahglow Corp. and Public Employment Service Office at the city’s Bahay Pamahalaan.

to prepare and execute a plan to establish and operate the Cebu From C1 LRT System in Metro Cebu between Talisay City and Manis the author of a long-pending daue City. bill that mandates the DepartAdditional railways would ment of Transportation (DOTr) eventually be built from Tal-

Solon...

isay to the Municipality of Dalaguete in the south, and from Mandaue to the Municipality of Sogod in the north. The fastest-growing urban center outside Metro Manila, Metro Cebu groups

the seven cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Danao, Talisay, Naga and Carcar, plus the six municipalities of Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela, Cordova, Minglanilla and San Fernando.

BAGUIO CITY—The city government allotted some P3.5 million to the fencing of its property in Barangay Gibraltar. City General Services Officer Romeo Concio said the survey of property has been completed and will be submitted to the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) that will plan the fencing project. At the same time, concerned city hall departments will look into informal settlers who allegedly built illegal structures on the property. The City General Services Office and the CBAO will put up monuments on the property to help planners of the fencing project map out its boundaries. City Legal Officer Melchor Carlos Rabanes urged the local government to take the neces-

sary steps to prevent encroachments on the prime property adjacent to the Wright Park, one of the major tourist destinations in the city. Concio said the local government must aggressively protect its properties, especially lands, to prevent squatting. He further said that one of problems encountered while his office did the survey was the absence of a permanent surveyor, but he is still optimistic that the city government will be able to fence the property the soonest. The detailed plans and specifications for the fencing project will be forwarded to the bids and awards committee that shall bid out the fencing project. Concio appealed to the informal settlers to cooperate with the city government to avoid difficulties during the fencing.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

US base set on Sokor golf course A

Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course in South Korea was picked Friday as the new site for a U.S. missile system aimed at defending the country from any North Korean attack. The decision comes after more than two months of protests over the original plan to locate Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, known as Thaad, in the mountainous county of Seongju more than 200 kilometers (125 miles) southeast of Seoul. The missile defense system will now be located nearby at the Lotte Group’s Skyhill Country Club, according to South Korea’s Defense Ministry. The move, just weeks after Kim Jong Un’s regime conducted its ﬁfth nuclear test, may appease some villagers who ﬁercely opposed putting Thaad in Seongju due to concerns over how its powerful radars would impact their health. Even so, President Park Geun-hye’s administration still faces other obstacles to moving ahead with the defense system. Park was scheduled to host

a luncheon at the presidential Blue House on Friday with the commander and generals of the United States Forces Korea, her ofﬁce said by text message. She was planning to emphasize the importance of a ﬁrm joint defense posture amid escalating provocations from North Korea, according to the message. China and Russia remain opposed to Thaad as they believe it will destabilize the region, with Beijing considering economic retaliation if South Korea deploys the missile shield. The issue has prompted China to give the cold shoulder to Park, only months after the two nations hailed ties as the best in history. “China has many times made clear its opposition to the U.S. deploying its THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea,” Chinese defense ministry spokesman Yang

Yujun told reporters in Beijing on Thursday. “We will pay close attention to this development, and consider taking necessary measures to safeguard our national strategic security and maintain the regional strategic balance.” “It is worthwhile emphasizing that we Chinese mean what we say,” Yang added. Hunger Strike The new site could also prompt opposition from other groups of people, according to local media reports. The golf course owned by retail giant Lotte is only 500 meters (0.3 miles) from a Won Buddhism shrine and about 25 kilometers to Gimcheon City, home to about 140,000 residents. This compares with the 46,000 population of Seongju county. Gimcheon’s Mayor Park Bosaeng started Tuesday a hunger strike in protest at the defense ministry’s expected move. He agrees on the need for the Thaad on the peninsula, and doesn’t mind having it in his city, but doesn’t want it near the golf course because it’s only seven kilometers from a new town, according to his ofﬁce. AFP

52 die in festival stampede BISHOFTU—Fifty-two people died on Sunday at a religious festival in Ethiopia to celebrate the end of the rainy season after police ﬁred tear gas at protesters triggering a stampede. Violence broke out at the gathering in the town of Bishoftu near the capital Addis Ababa due to the actions of “irresponsible forces,” the regional government said in a statement, adding that “as a consequence, 52 people died in this crush.” Opposition groups had said they believed more than 100 people had been killed in the chaos after thousands of people gathered at a sacred lake for the Irreecha (thanksgiving) ceremony, in which the Oromo community marks the end of the

wet weather. Ethiopia is facing its biggest anti-government unrest in a decade and some festival participants had crossed their wrists above their heads, a gesture that has become a symbol of protest by the Oromo community, according to an AFP photographer at the scene. “The annual Irreecha festival has been disrupted due to a violence created by some groups... Loss of lives has occurred due to a stampede,” said a government statement published by state media earlier. Merera Gudina, chairman of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress, told AFP there had been many fatalities. “Bodies are being collected by the government. But what I hear

from people on the ground is that the number of dead is more than one hundred,” said Gudina. Sunday’s event quickly degenerated into violence, with protesters throwing stones and bottles and security forces responding with baton charges and tear gas grenades, with some reports of gunfire. The police action sent people fleeing in panic with many falling on top of each other into a ditch. Police demanded that AFP’s photographer leave the scene, where rubber bullets were seen strewn on the ground. Oromo activists called for “five days of rage” to protest the deaths while a strong police presence was visible as the news of the day’s events spread. AFP

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President

PDEA Bldg., NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Barangay Pinyahan Quezon City 1100, Philippines www.pdea.gov.ph

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at the Bid opening and late bids shall not be accepted. 1. The PDEA - BAC now invites bids from eligible bidders who are authorized Agencies for the ACQUISITION OF SECURITY GUARD SERVICES FOR FY 2017.A total of Thirty Two (32) security personnel shall be comprised as the following: Licensed Lady Guards

Licensed Security Guards

2. The required number of security personnel shall be deployed at the following areas: 1 Licensed Security Officer (Supervisor/Break Time Reliever)

PDEA National Headquarters,NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Brgy. Pinyahan, Quezon City

17 Licensed Security Guards (Inclusion of 2 Lady Guards)

PDEA National Headquarters, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Brgy. Pinyahan, Quezon City

7 Licensed Security Guards

PDEA Academy, Silang, Cavite

7 Licensed Security Guards

PDEA K9 Facility, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan

3. Only an ISO Certified Private Security Agency (PSA) can participate in the bidding and participatingPSA must have a valid existing Memorandum of Agreement with a Private Security Training Institutions to provide training and progressive development of personnel particularly on those personnel assigned at the PDEA establishments. It also advised to present their company profile during pre-bidding conference to determine its credibility to render security services. 4. A prospective bidder should have completed within the last three (3) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, at least one (1) single contract of similar nature amounting to at least 50% of the ABC for the said projects. Similar Nature shall mean “Security Services”. Open competitive bidding will be conducted using non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria as specified in the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184, otherwise known as “Government Procurement Act”. All particulars relative to this bidding including Eligibility Checking, Bid Security, Evaluation and Post Qualification Procedures and Award of Contract shall be governed by R.A. 9184 and its Revised IRR. 6. The bidding is open to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138. 7. The Invitation to Bid and Checklist of Requirements may be downloaded from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and PDEA Website at www.pdea.gov.ph. The complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders upon payment of nonrefundable fee indicated below. The Bidding Documents shall be received personally by the prospective Bidder or his duly authorized representative upon presentation of proper identification of document. 8. For purpose of having a legal personality to raise or submit written queries or clarification in the Pre-Bid Conference relative to these bid projects, Bidder must first pay the non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents on or before the date of Opening and Submission of Bids.

Bid Documents Fee

DATE/TIME 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM only, Mondays to Fridays, starting September 22, 2016

Logistics Management Service G/F PDEA Building, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Brgy. Pinyahan, Quezon City

PRE-BID CONFERENCE (open only to parties who were invited and/orpurchased bid documents)

September 30, 2016 1:00 PM

Main Conference Room 2/F PDEA Building, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Brgy. Pinyahan, Quezon City

SUBMISSION and OPENING OF BIDS

October 12, 2016 1:00 PM

Main Conference Room 2/F PDEA Building, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Brgy. Pinyahan, Quezon City

10. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the BAC Secretariat c/oRIA SAMSONat the Logistics Management Service, PDEA Building, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PMonly, Mondays to Fridays starting September 22, 2016at Tel No. (632) 920-8082.However, any queries relative to the contents of the bid documents and the project requirements can only be made by bidders who purchased the bid documents not later than Ten (10) days prior to the Submission and Opening of Bids. 11. PDEA reserves the right to accept or reject any Bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all Bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected Bidder or Bidders. (sgd.) ATTY. ROSELYN A. BORJA, CPA ActingDeputy Director General for Administration Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee

(MS-OCT. 4, 2016)

: Php 7,467,912.76 : DILG-BUB 2016 and 20% IRA Mun. Development Fund for CY 2016 : Php 10,000.00

Prospective bidders should possess a current and valid PCAB License applicable to the Contract, have completed a similar contract with a value of at least 50% of the ABC within the last three years, have key personnel and equipment ( listed in the eligibility forms) available for the prosecution of the contract and meet the other minimum eligibility requirements stated in the eligibility documents.

All particulars relative to the Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference, Evaluation of Bids, PostQualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulation.

The schedule of BAC Activities is as follows: BAC ACTIVITIES

INVITATION TO BID

The Municipality of Santo Domingo, Ilocos Sur, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites bidders/suppliers to apply for eligibility and if found eligible, to bid for the hereunder contract: : REVENUE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM COMPUTERIZATION PROJECT Location : MUNICIPALITY OF STO. DOMINGO, ILOCOS SUR Brief Description : INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT (GOVERNMENT APPLICATION SOFTWARE) Contract Ref. Number: G – 16 –09 – 017 Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) : PHP 6,500,000.00 Source of Fund : GENERAL FUND Contract Period : 180 CALENDAR DAYS Name of Contract

Prospective bidders should have experienced in undertaking a similar project/contract within the last one year with an amount of at least 50% of the ABC. The Eligibility Check/Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of Bids shall use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria. The BAC will conduct post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid.

SCHEDULES

Publication/Posting of Invitation to Bid

October 4 - 10, 2016

Availability of Bidding Documents

October 4 – 21, 2016

Pre-Bid Conference

October 10, 2016 @ 2:00 PM – SB Session Hall

Deadline of Submission of Bids

October 24, 2016 @ 12:00 noon - BAC Secretariat LATE BIDS SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED

Opening of Bids

October 24, 2016 @ 1:00 PM – SB Session Hall

Post-Qualification

October 25-31, 2016

Republic of the Philippines MUNICIPALITY OF SANTO DOMINGO Province of Ilocos Sur BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

======================================================

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedure using non-discretionary pass/fail criteria as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. 9184 known as the Government Procurement Reform Act. Only bids from Bidders who pass the eligibility check will be opened.

VENUE

SALE & ISSUANCE of Bid Documents Bid Price: P 25,000.00

: Concreting of Pastor Digal Municipal Road : Poblacion, Sevilla, Bohol : 60 WORKING DAYS

9. The Schedule of Bid Activities shall be as follows: ACTIVITIES

AHMEDABAD--On the outskirts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home city, the stench from cow carcasses littering the roadside is overpowering as India’s lowest social caste keeps up protests against deep-rooted discrimination. Dalits, previously known as “untouchables,” stopped collecting carcasses more than two months ago in Gujarat state, after the brutal beating of four Dalit youths accused of killing a cow, considered sacred in India. A video of the public ﬂogging carried out by upper-caste cowprotection vigilantes in Gujarat went viral, triggering outrage across the country. “Our Dalit brothers were thrashed so severely merely for doing what has been their work for centuries,” said Somabhai Yukabhai, 49, among those who have stopped collecting and skinning dead cows, a traditional and grisly job restricted to Dalits. “I would rather starve to death than collect the dead cows,” said the father of three, as a dog feasted on calf remains on the outskirts of Gujarat’s largest city Ahmedabad. “The ﬁght now is about our dignity. We will not sit quietly now,” he added. The carcasses are seen by critics as an embarrassing eyesore for Hindu nationalist Modi who has long hailed Gujarat as a shining example of India’s economic progress. AFP

The Municipality of Sevilla, Bohol through its Bids and Awards Committee, (BAC), invites Bidders/Contractors to apply for Eligibility and to Bid for: Name of Project Location Contract Duration Approved Budget for the Contract Fund Source

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), thru its Bids and Awards Committee with office address at NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Brgy. Pinyahan, Quezon City intends to apply the sum of Thirteen Million Three Hundred Sixty Five Thousand Five Hundred NinetyPesos and 80/100 Only (P13,365,590.80) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the ACQUISITION OF SECURITY GUARD SERVICES FOR FY 2017under Annual Procurement Plan (APP) for CY 2017;

Licensed Security Officer

India’s pariahs no longer cowed

INVITATION TO BID

INVITATION TO BID ACQUISITION OF SECURITY GUARD SERVICES FOR FY 2017 Bid Ref. No. 2016-21 Approved Budget for the Contract: P13,365,590.80

against the backdrop of the city’s skyline on Monday during the annual International KL Tower Base-Jump event. AFP

Republic of the Philippines Province of Bohol MUNICIPALITY OF SEVILLA

PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

FLIGHT. Base jumpers leap from the 300-meter high skydeck of Malaysia’s landmark Kuala Lumpur Tower

Prospective bidders can secure the Bidding Documents during office hours on the period indicated above at the BAC Secretariat, Office of the Municipal Accountant, Ground Floor, Municipal Hall, Sevilla, Bohol upon payment of a non-refundable amount of Ten Thousand Pesos ( Php 10,000.00) Only.

Prospective bidders are required to secure a “ Certificate of Site Inspection” to be signed by the Municipal Engineer. The said document shall form part of the Technical Requirements.

Implementation of the Project shall commence upon receipt of the Notice to Proceed issued by the Head of the Procuring Entity.

The Municipal Government of Sevilla, Bohol reserves the right to accept or reject any bid or to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award. Likewise, the LGU assumes no responsibility or liability for any and all costs associated with the Bidder’s Participation in the bidding process regardless of its result.

All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-bidding Conference, Evaluation of Bids, Postqualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The schedule of BAC Activities is as follows: BAC ACTIVITIES

SCHEDULE

1. Advertisement /Posting of Invitation to OCTOBER 05-11, 2016 Bid/Request for Expression of Interest 2. Pre-bidding Conference

OCTOBER 12, 2016 AT 9:00 AM

3. Receipt of Eligibility Requirements

BEFORE OCTOBER 25, 2016 AT 9:00 AM

4. Issuance of Bidding Documents

OCTOBER 10-25, 2016; 8:00AM – 5:00 PM

5. Receipt and Opening of bids

OCTOBER 25, 2016 AT 9:00 AM

The BAC will issue to prospective bidder/s Eligibility Forms at the Office of the BAC Chairman upon their payment of non-refundable of Ten thousand pesos (Php 10,000.00) to the Municipality of Santo Domingo Cashier. The Municipality of Santo Domingo assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bids. Prepared by:

Approved by:

Bids and Awards Committee.

(SGD) DR. MA. CORAZON V. TADENA BAC Secretariat

(SGD) ARTEMIO D. PERIN BAC Chairman

Municipal Hall Poblacion, Sevilla, Bohol 09988846108

(MS-OCT. 4, 2016)

(SGD) LUIS T. GONZALES BAC Chairman

( T S - O C T. 4 , 2 016)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

World

MUSE. Recording artist Kacey Musgraves performs on the Samsung Stage during day 3 at Austin City Limits Music Festival 2016 at Zilker Park on Sunday in Austin, Texas. AFP

Colombians say no to peace agreement C

OLOMBIANS say they are sick of their country’s 52-year civil war. So why did a thin majority of voters reject their biggest chance yet for peace?

Forecasts ahead of Sunday’s surprise referendum result misjudged how divided Colombians are over how to settle the conﬂict with the FARC rebels. “I voted ‘Yes’ to peace by voting ‘No’ to the accord,” said Carlos Gonzalez, a 19-year-old student. Here are four things Colombians said ‘No’ to: impunity, communism, President Juan Manuel Santos and voting. Colombian authorities estimate the conﬂict has left 260,000

people dead, 45,000 missing and nearly seven million displaced. The accord offered an amnesty for some FARC members, though not for the worst crimes such as massacres, torture and rape. It offered reduced sentences for some FARC members who confess their crimes. The FARC apologized to its victims, some of whom met with its members for emotional reconciliations. But for Monica Gonzalez, 36, the accord was too soft on the

FARC, which killed her grandmother in 2011. “I agree with second chances, but not with impunity,” she said as she celebrated the result in northern Bogota on Sunday night. The FARC formed in 1964 to ﬁght for control of land and a communist system of government, after state forces crushed a rural uprising. The peace accord, negotiated in Cuba, aimed to convert the FARC into a civil political group, with temporary seats in Congress. That was too much for many Colombians, who reject the FARC on ideological as well as moral grounds. The leader of the ‘No’ camp, former president Alvaro Uribe, said the accord would drive

the country towards “CastroChavism” -- a reference to leftist leaders in Cuba and Venezuela. “Democracy has been saved” by Sunday’s result, said Jesus Vivas, a 58-year-old pensioner, celebrating on Sunday. “The future of my family and my children has been saved. We have said ‘No’ to communism.” Santos acted triumphantly when he signed the peace accord with the FARC on September 26. But his approval rating has dipped nearly as low as 20 percent this year. Opponents said they were in favor of peace but voiced distaste at the president and his determination to be the one to end the war. “The drive for reconciliation continues, but according to the

principles of a healthy society,” said Maria Fernanda Cabal, an outspoken congresswoman. “Not giving the country away to bandits and the vanity of Santos.” Turnout in Sunday’s vote was extremely low at 37 percent. Authorities earlier said heavy rain caused some disruption to voting as Hurricane Matthew passed over the Caribbean. “We do not know what will happen now,” said Jorge Cifuentes, 55, one of the Yes supporters who had gathered to celebrate in Bogota on Sunday night but ended up cast into gloom. “But it is clear that the conditions granted to the FARC had a big effect, and the low turnout too.” AFP

DiCaprio, The cost of treating Obama Alzheimer’s disease talk climate change WASHINGTON--Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio was due at the White House Monday to discuss climate change with President Barack Obama before the screening of the actor’s new documentary on the devastating effects of global warming. DiCaprio, who won the 2016 best actor Academy Award for “The Revenant,” has been an environmental activist for years. He will meet with Obama and scientist Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric science professor at Texas Tech University. His film “The Beach” was filmed on the Thai island of Koh Phi Phi and environmentalists protested the bulldozing and landscaping of the beach. Wikipedia said sand dunes were and some coconut trees and grass were cleared to widen the beach. “Fox set aside a fund to reconstruct and return the beach to its natural state; however, lawsuits were filed by environmentalists who believed the damage to the ecosystem was permanent and restoration attempts had failed,” the website said.NAFP

WHEN Tom Allen’s wife received a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2010, the Minneapolis resident had to make some tough decisions. He quit his $60,000-a-year position running a nonproﬁt that served the homeless to take a $12-anhour job as a janitor in the building they lived in, so he could keep an eye on his wife during the day. “I was concerned about her safety being alone,” he says. But Allen had bigger worries than whether Julie had poured gravel down the garbage disposal again or left the iron on: “I was bleeding money out of my retirement account,” he says. “I kept wondering, Are we going to end up on the streets?” One in nine Americans age 65 or older has Alzheimer’s—a total of 5.2 million people—and that number is expected to triple by 2050. Patients typically live 8 to 10 years after diagnosis, and families can quickly exhaust their savings caring for them. The cost of an assisted living facility averages $43,200 a year, while a semiprivate room at a nursing home runs $80,300, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Medicare doesn’t cover that ex-

pense. Medicaid does—if you’re poor enough. A single person must have no more than $2,000 of assets to qualify, says Todd Lutsky, an elder-care attorney at Cushing & Dolan. “If you’re married, the healthy spouse gets to keep $119,220 and the home.” Lutsky advises clients in their 60s with a net worth of more than $1 million to set up an irrevocable income-only trust to protect their assets from future nursing home costs. You can put pretty much any asset in one of these trusts, and it won’t affect your Medicaid eligibility so long as it’s in there for at least five years prior to applying for assistance—what Medicaid calls its look-back period. Income from investments in the trust can be paid to the healthy spouse or other beneficiaries without affecting eligibility. Upon a person’s death, the assets in the trust pass on to the beneficiaries. For someone like Allen, whose assets at 64 total $170,000— close to the median American’s net worth for someone his age, according to the U.S. Census— locking up his nest egg in a trust would be both impractical and costly. Lutsky typically charges about $5,000 to set one up. AFP

RAPTURE. Chance the Rapper performs on stage during The Meadows Music & Arts Festival on Sunday in Queens, New York. AFP

LeBron James backs Hillary WASHINGTON—NBA superstar LeBron James is endorsing Hillary Clinton for president of the United States in a move that could carry a lot of weight with voters in the pivotal state of Ohio. “I support Hillary because she will build on the legacy of my good friend, President Barack Obama,” James wrote in an OpEd piece published on the Business Insider website on Sunday. “I believe in what President Obama has done for our country, and support her commitment to continuing that legacy.” The article is slated to run on Monday in the Akron Beacon Journal, the newspaper in James’s hometown. James returned to his home state after a spell with the Miami Heat, and led the Cleveland Cavaliers to an emotional NBA title in June. In endorsing Clinton he writes about his decision to return to Ohio, recalling his childhood as the son of a single mother. “Only one person running truly understands the struggles of an Akron child born into poverty,” James writes. “And when I think about the kinds of policies and ideas the kids in my foundation need from our government, the choice is clear. “That candidate is Hillary Clinton.” James, a three-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, has become increasingly outspoken on social issues, including the racial tension that has flared across the country over police killings of black men. James praised Democratic candidate Clinton’s message of unity. “I don’t know everything it will take finally to end the violence,” James wrote. “But I do know we need a president who brings us together and keeps us unified. “Policies and ideas that divide us more are not the solution. We must all stand together — no matter where we are from or the color of our skin. And Hillary is running on the message of hope and unity that we need.” AFP

Orban bucks EU migrant policy BUDAPEST—Populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Sunday the EU could not force Hungary to accept migrants on its soil, after low voter turnout voided his referendum aimed at rejecting a contested quota plan. “Brussels cannot force its will on Hungary,” the defiant firebrand leader told his supporters in Budapest. Although a whopping 99.8 percent of those who voted supported his bid to reject the proposal, turnout was just 44 percent, falling short of a 50-percent threshold. Among the ballots cast only 39 percent were actually valid, the National Election Committee said as it declared the referendum void after counting the ballots on Sunday evening. But Orban vowed there would be “legal consequences” nonetheless, as he sought to downplay the significance of the low turnout. “Brussels or Budapest, that was the question, and the people said Budapest,” he said. “I will propose to change the constitution (which) shall reflect the will of the people. We will make Brussels understand that it cannot ignore the will of Hungarian voters.” Opposition figures earlier warned that any legal amendment based on the referendum result would violate the constitution. “It looks like (Orban) wants to continue his fight with the EU on its migration policy, and the constitutional amendment is his way of doing that as it might trigger legal fights” with Brussels, analyst Bulcsu Hunyadi told AFP. AFP

Life

An exceptionally rare El Banco Español Filipino de Isabel II ‘Diez Pesos Fuertes’ bank note, 1865

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

ARTS, CULTURE & MEDIA

Four remarkable sales, one unforgettable weekend

HE country’s biggest auction event, The Well-Appointed Life: An Auction Weekend brought discerning collectors to 8 Rockwell on Sept. 17 and 18 to participate in its four sale categories, with results for many of the lots on offer exceeding expectation, surpassing their pre-sale estimates.

The centerpiece of the first auction, Connoisseur Collection, was the rare 1865 Banco Espanol Filipino de Isabel II ‘Diez Pesos Fuertes’ banknote which sold at P467,200.00— more than 400 percent above its published price - attracting bids from both local and overseas collectors. Excellent clearance rates were also enjoyed across the board among the fine furniture, decor, tribal and ethnographic art, and valuable books and maps. Salcedo Auctions’ keenly-awaited Important Philippine Art sale, which was conducted to a full audience consisting of the country’s top art collectors as well as up-and-coming aficionados, showed the true picture of the market, with enthusiasm and Salcedo’s brand of pragmatism delivering consistent results across the board for both established and contemporary artists, and an astonishing 90 percent clearance rate of the 165 lots on offer. World record prices were achieved for Juvenal Sanso for his Untitled (Topiary), a Paris-period 1960s oil on canvas, and Danilo Dalena’s Bangungot, a rare 1983 oil on canvas. Notable outcomes were also achieved for National Artist BenCab’s 1968 acrylic on canvas, Transition, and National Artist Ang Kiukok’s Untitled (Dogs), a 2000 oil on canvas, both of which breached the P14,000,000.00 price level. National Artist Fernando Amorsolo’s luminous Departure of the Fishermen and Alfonso Ossorio’s ‘Victorias series’ Three Mothers were also big draws, selling at Php 5,840,000 and Php 4,088,000 respectively. Sale highlight Albun de ML by Jose Honorato Lozano sold immediately after the auction at Php 6,424,000, and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo’s Una Damita (Portrait of Ana Maria Gonzalvez) was also sold by private treaty at Php 8,760,000. On Sunday, strong results were also achieved in the Fine Jewelry & Timepieces auction, with a number of the major diamond pieces, including the 5 carat VVS heart-shaped loose stone, and the impressive D-F color diamond floral cluster earrings being sold, together with signature pieces such as the 18k solid yellow gold and mother pearl choker by Bvlgari. Among the watches, highlights included the Patek Philippe Reference 50706-001A Fine

Abraham Ortelius Maris Pacifi (Quod Vulgo Mar del Zud) Antwerp, 1589

Félix Resurrección Hidalgo (1853–1913) Una Damita (Portrait of Ana Maria Gonzalvez) 1901

Ang Kiukok (1931-2005) Untitled (Dogs) 2000

and Rare Large Gentleman’s Chronograph Ref. 5070G-001, Movement No. 3146847/4153397, 42mm, circa 2009; the Breguet Classique Perpetual Calendar Power Reserve Moonphase Ref. 3310BA, 36mm; and an Important and Extremely Rare and Collectible Vintage Submariner

“Big Crown James Bond” Ref. 5510-0, 37mm, Serial No. 361877, circa 1958. At the Rare Automobiles auction a successful bid was received for the 1999 BMW Alpina B10 V8, selling beyond the high estimate at PHP 2,686,400. The other vehicles presented at auction are available for private treaty sale.

Post-auction sale offers are only entertained until the end of the month. Visit our premises at Three Salcedo Place or the Salcedo Auctions ‘The Well-Appointed Life’ Lounge at Power Plant Mall. Consignments are invited to the ‘Under the Tree’ auctions to be held in the last week of November 2016.

ROLEX An Important and Extremely Rare and Collectible Vintage Submariner “Big Crown James Bond” Ref. 5510-0, 37mm, Serial No. 361877, Circa 1958

Joyce Herrera-Wong’s one-woman show ARTISTSPACE presents Nature’s Symphony, the solo exhibition of visual artist and philanthropist Joyce Herrera-Wong, which showcases colorful, exotic works that reflect her appreciation of nature and reveal her worldwide travels. The collection pays tribute to nature’s inherent perfection, from which Wong finds immense inspiration. Under Herrera-Wong’s paintbrush, nature is depicted in pixel perfect intricacy, with landscapes and seascapes composed in unwavering symmetry and hues captured in their most vibrant during a certain time of day – all in an attempt to recreate the artist’s first hand impression of vistas only known by well-traveled eyes. Apart from being painted with keen attention to details, impeccable balance and intense colors, nature is illustrated in the show as a harmonious ecosystem of terrain, water, foliage, and people. As such, viewers will see glassy lakes and riv-

ers framed by deciduous forests in reds and greens, a pair of human silhouettes reveling the lapping shore at dusk and blooms that embrace edifices under the warm afternoon sun, among others. In her commitment to share her talents to the betterment of the society, Wong is donating all proceeds of the exhibit to the New Punlaan School in San Juan, Metro Manila, that provides underprivileged young women with livelihood and employment skills, alleviating them from poverty. Herrera-Wong’s art exposure is diverse. She took up Chinese watercolor painting in 1986 while her family was based in Taiwan, and Classical Realism in 2007 upon moving to Hong Kong. With a growing passion for the genre, she took further studies of Plein Air painting from esteemed and multiawarded visual artists Marcia Burtt in California and Phil Starke in New York apart from receiving art training from Buds Convocar, long-time Presi-

VIVID. Visual artist Joyce Herrera-Wong captures landscapes and seascapes in their most vibrant during a certain time of a day through her paintings that combine attention to detail, balance and intense colors. dent of the Saturday Art Group of Artists in Manila. Moreover, she has joined in countless group shows both local and abroad with the aim of raising funds for charitable organizations such as

Gawad Kalinga and Kids International Ministry. Joyce is one of the founders and former President of Pintura Circle, an artfor-charity group based in Hong Kong. Last year, her works were showcased

in a three-woman show at the Philippine Center Art Gallery in New York City. This is her first solo exhibition. The Opening Reception will be on Thursday, 6 p.m. and the exhibition runs until Oct. 19.

Life

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

M EDIA

Public relations practitioner discusses

‘delicadeza’ in new book

MANNERS MATTER. Buensalido Public Relations founder, president and chief executive Joy Buensalido launches her second book Pinoy Manners: A Modern Guide to Delicadeza for all Generations.

By Bernadette Lunas Photos by Sonny Espiritu

OR some Filipinos, it has become the norm to ask an adult single woman “Why don’t you have a boyfriend yet?” or even impose on her that “You should be getting married now!” While these could appear like harmless inquiry or genuine concern, they could actually be hurtful and disrespectful to the receiver of such questions and statements. “That is not the only objective of women nowadays. There’s so much more to do,” stresses veteran Public Relations executive Joy Buensalido. She continues, “Times have changed, rules have changed. That was fine before but you have to respect every individual’s choices.” Things like this, among other personal experiences in various situations, have prompted Buensalido to write her second book Pinoy Manners: A Modern Guide to Delicadeza for All Generations. According to her, ideas for the guidebook came in trickles as she deals with things that would annoy, irritate or cause her to feel flustered or upset. Always armed with notebook and pen, Buensalido jotted down every sticky situation she have faced and the proper way to handle it. She then decided to “put together all my notes, my episodes and personal experiences,” hence the 133-page book came about after two years. Pinoy Manners touches on deal-

ing with nosey neighbors, people who blurt out tactless or unpleasant questions and remarks (Is it true that you’ve ended your marriage?” “Ang taba mo na!”), office politics, senior citizens and ex-lovers, among a bevy of other topics. The Buensalido Public Relations founder and president shares practical guides and advises when one is faced with such circumstances in a light and unimposing manner. The witty tone of the book helps engage the readers to listen to the author like she is the “cool Tita” who is never preachy but always affectionate-ready with her timeless tips that remain relevant in the modern age. The illustrations by book designer Elbert Or add a fun and appealing factor to the guidebook. Delicadeza is something that’s important to Buensalido, so much so that she wants to “bring it back.” Defining the primary theme of her book, she says “delicadeza is sensitivity to another person’s feelings,” but no mat-

Buensalido signs copies of her second book during the launch in September

ter how relevant this concept is, many people don’t practice it anymore. “I’ve seen that now among groups [of friends], they exchange boyfriends and girlfriends. In my time, we would never do that because we respected each other’s territory,” she relates, further lamenting, “I felt that the boundaries now are looser.”

While she points out that the rules in the book are not absolute, she avers that “there should be a little discretion and refinement” even if, and most especially, the times have changed and social rules have evolved. The PR expert hopes Pinoy Manners would serve as a gentle reminder and an eye-opener about our habits and

behavior that may need re-evaluation. “People need to respect other people’s feelings and don’t need to impose their opinions,” she notes. Delicadeza traces its roots in the olden age, but Buensalido believes it is timeless and is definitely not dead. Visit Pinoy Manners on Facebook to find out how to get a copy.

ART COMPETITION

Behind the strokes of geniuses THE annual, longest running art competition in the country opens its doors again for college students to express themselves beyond strokes on canvas. The Shell National Students Art Competition (NSAC) once more injects a shot of adrenaline to the Philippine art scene by providing inspired young artists the opportunity to explore their unique capabilities and perspective, while exercising their creative purpose through different art medium such as Oil/Acrylic, Watercolor, Sculpture, and Digital Fine Arts. “Shell encourages schools to incorporate artistry in today’s youth. Together with the academe, we try to build the dreams of these inspiring students and try to embed Shell NSAC into the curriculum of these schools. It gives the students something to look forward to every year, wherein they could express themselves through different medium. Shell NSAC also challenges young minds to incorporate their values as Filipinos into their masterpieces,” explained Melanie Bularan, Social Investment and Social Performance manager at Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation. Every year, universities and schools compete in the leading energy company’s art program for nation-building. Aside from the company’s achievements in power, energy and gas technology, clean and efficient transport, and de-

velopment of new energy resources, Shell also helps empower lives through sustainable programs such as the Shell NSAC. The art tilt has paved the way for presently renowned national artists such as Benedicto “Bencab” Cabrera, Jose Joya, Ang Kiukok, and Federico Aguilar Alcuaz. Through its consistent tenacity to uplift lives and make more productive citizens, Shell continuously taps the academe to support the growing interest of today’s youth in art. “Shell NSAC heightens the skills and level of perception among students. Through the competition, they are encouraged to explore other medium, and learn from other Filipino artists. The art tilt gives them a sense of pride in expressing their artistry, the fruits of their imagination, and unique insights on their surroundings. It also boosts sportsmanship and collaborative learning,” said Jamel Obnamia, College of Fine Arts secretary at the University of the Philippines. For almost 50 years, Shell NSAC has been a welcome enhancement to the academic curriculum by giving universities and schools a relevant platform for their students to be able to express who they are as artists. “Shell NSAC has always helped drive students to explore their innovative capacities in art, by making them reflect on the current issues

The 49th of Shell National Students Art Competition is themed ‘Metamorphosis’ which aims to highlight the transformation of aspiring artists into young art masters.

today, the rise of technology, and the need for energy efficiency as espoused by the company, and other ways to address environmental and sustainability challenges. Indeed, the art tilt does not only encourage young artists to improve on their skills, but also transforms them into individuals with a higher level of social awareness,” shared Obnamia. Aptly so, in its 49th run this year, the competition is themed “Metamorphosis” which aims to highlight the transformation of aspiring artists into young art masters who are geared to contribute innovative and relevant works and renditions in the Philippine art scene. The Shell National Students Art Competition is one of the ways Shell develops the skills and values of the youth to become productive citizens for nation-building, while helping the country move towards sustainable progress. Shell works towards progress by meeting increasing energy demand and supply challenges through smarter products and cleaner energy, smarter infrastructure, and smarter use, while addressing the impact of energy on the environment. Shell is committed to sustainable growth and seeks to carry out activities in ways that combine environmental protection and enhancement with social and economic development.

Jamel Obnamia

Shell NSAC has helped drive students to.explore their capacities in art by making them reflect on the current issues today

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

Tacloban Mayor Cristina GonzalesRomualdez supports the recording career of her eldest daughter Soﬁa

ACLOBAN City Mayor Cristina GonzalesRomualdez doesn’t want to entertain some observation that compared to Richard Gomez who won the mayoralty race in Ormoc City she is allegedly performing better and has more achievements in their ﬁrst 100 days in ofﬁce.

“Oh, no! Please, there’s nothing like that. I think that Richard is also doing a very good job. Like me, he’s doing his best as well to improve the living conditions of his constituents. Any mayor for that matter has that vision. Ormoc and Tacloban are sister cities so there should be no competition whatsoever,” she states. The still alluring mayor would rather talk about some of her banner projects and programs instead. “Along with my team, we built this Community Climate Guide and Response text alert system brought about by our devastating experience during Typhoon Yolanda three years ago. This is to promote disaster preparedness since this system is centralized and open to the public in a 24-hour basis with the help of both Globe and Smart. Through the CCGR, the vari-

Tacloban City mayor wants

no comparison with others ous LGUs can do a text blast to inform Taclobanons on weather updates, suspension of classes, tsunami alert, evacuation centers, etc. Even people from other areas, say Metro Manila, can also use the system if they want to contact their relatives from Tacloban. “Next is the ID system where

each barangay is color-coded. This way, the evacuation process would be more organized in case a disaster hit the province. What we want to avoid is confusion during that moment. Everyone should have presence of mind. It’s easier for the people since the evacuation centers to be built will have the same color as their

respective barangays.” With regards to her eldest daughter Soﬁa, the doting mom is supportive of her budding recording career. “She has just signed with Viva. Music is her passion. Honestly, I can say she’s a better singer than I am. She even plays instruments. I’m excited now

Code Black returns for a new season (Nafessa Williams), a former child star who leaves her acting career to become a doctor. As pressure mounts and tension increases, Rorish and her colleagues have no choice but to deal with difﬁcult decisions in life-and-death situations under extremely demanding circumstances. And no matter how much it takes, no matter what is at stake, they must ﬁght tooth and nail to save life and limb for their patients to survive. Code Black Season 2 premieres the same week as the US telecast on Oct. 5, and every Wednesday thereafter at 8:50 p.m. on Sony Channel *** Madam Secretary’s new season promises more surprising mysteries. There’s no telling what happens next in the latest installment of the highly charged political drama, Madam Secretary, when it premieres on Oct. 6 on Sony

The stars of medical drama Code Black, led by Marcia Gay Harden (second from left), return for the second season of the TV series.

Channel. The stakes get higher in the new season as office and home politics collide, making US Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord’s (Tea Leoni) life more difficult. Despite her apolitical leanings, she contemplates in accepting the role of Vice President, which was offered to her by President Conrad Dalton (Keith Carradine). Will she give up her current position to hold the second highest office in the White House? Season 3 will find Elizabeth pushing for Dalton’s reelection as she and her husband Henry (Tim Daly) struggle to save their

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Tuesday, October 4, 2016

ACROSS 1 “It Must Be Him” singer 5 Shoulder scarf 10 Schmoozes 14 Helm position 15 Presses 16 Invisible emanation 17 Minor dent 18 Castle gate 20 Granny Smith, for example 22 Stage whispers 23 Walk the beat 25 Fire — 26 Interstates 27 Fannie — 28 Per capita 32 Wonder Woman’s friend 33 Call to mind 35 Peace Prize city 36 Villain’s cry 37 — been had! 38 Badminton stroke 39 This must weigh — —! 41 “Soapdish” actor 43 “Eso —” (Paul Anka tune) 44 Cause to yawn 45 Ait, on the Seine 46 Brawls

48 Pre-Tina Turner 50 Curt 51 Deep gorges 54 Corporate concern 55 Scientists’ guesses 57 Roman Hera 61 Shangri-La 62 Dungeon sight 63 Sheik or sultan 64 Government agents 65 Bedding plant 66 Sherpa’s sighting DOWN 1 Rotter 2 “The Greatest” 3 Cartoon Chihuahua 4 Sailboat race 5 Reckon 6 Goblin 7 People eater 8 “— It Be” 9 Fugitive 10 Early astronomer 11 — Reekie (Edinburgh) 12 Soft ripe cheese 13 Talk back 19 Olympics chant 21 Before, in

Film and television actress Bea Alonzo stars in the upcoming TV series The Second Wife

Prominent entertainment, sports figures join UFC ownership group

WHAT’S ON TV

EXPERIENCE the continuing medical drama as it unfolds in every tense-filled episode of Code Black in its second season starting tomorrow on Sony Channel. In the busiest emergency room in the country, ER Director Dr. Leanne Rorish (Marcia Gay Harden), her fellow resident physicians and interns brave the lack of manpower and meager resources to muster enough courage in handling seemingly insurmountable odds which they face on a daily basis to assist patients with the most serious injuries. This season, Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor, Rob Lowe, joins the cast as Ethan Willis, an aggressive and rebellious military doctor who imparts his knowledge in combat medicine. Other new characters include Han (Noah GrayCabey), a sweet and sociable new doctor; Noa Kean (Emily Tyra), a confident and defiant streetsmart doctor; and Charlotte Piel

that she forayed into the music scene. All of us in the family support her all the way,” Cristina ends. ******** Bea Alonzo doesn’t mind if TV projects don’t come in succession, like her current soap The Second Wife is the follow-up to Sana Bukas Pa ang Kahapon that aired in 2014. “Well, that’s the reality. You have to wait for a good material to come along. Personally, I’d rather wait for a quality project than do stuff which are not. It’s for my craft,” she says. The pretty star feels it comes with maturity. “At this point in my career, I’m after quality than quantity. I really choose my projects well. I just want to do those which I want to.” According to Bea, it’s important to do projects, which you would not regret in the future. “When you say ‘Yes!’ to a project, it should not be halfhearted. You have to give your 100 percent commitment. In my 16 years in the ‘biz, this is one valuable lesson that I’ve learned,” she states.

combos 23 Baked item 24 Byline name 25 Of durable wood 26 Fix up 27 The reel thing 29 Unconscious 30 Storage place 31 Tramps 34 Home for Hadrian 40 Wrestling holds 41 Close affinity 42 Refuge abroad 43 Noisy bird (2

wds.) 47 Joule fraction 49 Invoice no. 50 Parsons’ expletives 51 Upscale cook 52 London park 53 Parroted 54 This one — — me! 56 Period 58 Suffix for depart 59 Jazz critic Hentoff 60 Teahouse attire

marriage while their youngest son. Jason (Evan Roe), faces a major personal dilemma. As she faces one crisis after another, Elizabeth realizes that ultimately, her most important duty will take its toll on her personal life: to prioritize her family and to protect her country at all costs. Madam Secretary Season 3 premieres the same week as the US telecast on Oct. 6, and airs every Thursday at 8:50 p.m. on Sony Channel seen on SKYCable Channel 35, Cignal Digital TV Channel 60, GSat Channel 48 Global Destiny Cable Channel 62, and Cable Link Channel 39.

Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Adam Levine, Anthony Kiedis, Ben Afﬂeck, Calvin Harris, Cam Newton, Conan O’Brien, Flea, Guy Fieri, Jimmy Kimmel, Li Na, LL COOL J, Maria Sharapova, Mark Wahlberg, Michael Bay, Rob Dyrdek, Robert Kraft, Serena Williams, Sylvester Stallone, Tom Brady, Trey Parker, Tyler Perry, Venus Williams are the latest to join UFC’s ownership group. In July 2016, global entertainment and sports leader WME | IMG – joined by Silver Lake Partners, KKR, MSD Capital, L.P. and MSD Partners, L.P. – announced it would acquire UFC®, the world’s premier professional mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. “Expanding our ownership group to include this caliber of talent and entrepreneurs is a strong indicator of UFC’s

fast-growing global presence,” UFC President Dana White said. “Our new investors bring an incredible depth of knowledge and experience to help us continue to elevate this brand and capitalize on its entertainment and sports crossover appeal.” Founded in 1993, UFC is one of the largest and fastest growing global sports brands. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually and is the largest Pay-PerView event provider in the world, broadcast in over 156 countries and territories to more than 1.1 billion television households in 29 languages. UFC continues to capitalize on digital platforms via its wholly owned subscription over-the-top service, UFC FIGHT PASS®, which delivers exclusive live events, thousands of ﬁghts ondemand and original content to fans around the globe.

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Showbiz Gina Rodriguez plays the 23-year-old oil rig worker Andrea Fleytas

Kiko Estrada, Rhian Ramos and Rafael Rosell added zest to the colorful celebration of this year’s Peñafrancia Festival in Naga

‘Sinungaling Mong Puso’ stars spice up Naga’s

Peñafrancia Festival W

E FLEW to the pilgrimage ISAH V. RED city in Bicolandia a day after the feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, and it turned out that even if the fiesta was officially over, the city was still bustling with revelers, mostly from nearby towns and provinces of the region and some from as far as Metro Manila. The stars of the afternoon soap on GMA Network Sinugaling Mong Puso—Rhian Ramos, Rafael Rosell, and Kiko Estrada—also took the same flight as ours. They also went to Naga City because they would be featured in an early evening Kapuso Mall Show at the open parking of SM City Naga. We caught them at Red Platter, a restaurant known for its Bicolano cuisine a couple of meters away from Avenue Hotel where they were billeted. Ramos who plays Clara in the soap said that the role keeps her on the edge as the character is complicated. “No, it’s not the same as the character played by Vilma Santos in the movie (upon which the afternoon drama is based). I think the Clara in the soap is grittier and more contemporary. Estrada who is essaying the role Aga Muhlach played in the movie is a stark contrast to the character Rosell is playing. Jason (Estrada) is a nice young guy while Roman (Rosell) is as ambitious as he is driven to get whatever he wants including harming people getting in the way. Rosell said he is enjoying his role as it doesn’t drain him physically and emotionally. “Nakakapagod umiyak sa soap,” he said. “At least here, I am not the one crying but am making others cry.” The actor seems effective in his role as the villain in the lives of Clara and Jason. I asked him, “Aren’t you worried you might be typecast in villain roles forever?” To which

The cast of GMA show Sinungaling Mong Puso entertained their Bicolano fans during the Kapuso Mall Show at SM City Naga

he retorted, “Okay lang. It’s more fun to be a villain anyway.” Estrada said he is very grateful to GMA Network for entrusting him the role of Jason. “It’s like a transition role for me…from teener to more adult role. I am trying to cope…eh ang gagaling ng mga kasama ko…si Raf(ael) for one is such an effective performer you can be starstruck if you don’t have focus. And Rhian is such a good actress, I am always carried away.” Bicolano fans trooped to the SM City Naga Open Parking for the Kapuso Mall Show and were able to see their idols up close, a lot of them even had selﬁes with them while they were performing. Kiko made the Nagueños feel extra special when he sang Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home”. One fan could not even contain her excitement when Kiko held her hand. Meanwhile, Nagueños and tourists alike fell under Rafael’s charm when he vowed to be theirs through Jason Mraz’s song, “I’m Yours”.

Rhian also gave her fans an amazing performance when she sang her version of The Chainsmokers’ hit, “Roses”. Maey Bautista who opened up the program with exciting games and wonderful surprises that warmed up the crowd hosted the Kapuso Mall Show. “Dios mabalos (Thank you) to all our Kapusong Nagueños who joined us in our Kapuso Mall Show during this year’s Peñafrancia Festival,” says Oliver Amoroso, ofﬁcer-incharge of GMA’s Regional TV Department. “We are happy to once again participate in one of the country’s major festivals which pay homage to Our Lady of Peñafrancia. GMA Regional TV remains committed in continuing to get in touch with our loyal regional viewers through various events and activities,” he adds. The Peñafrancia Festival is one of the country’s biggest celebrations of Marian devotion. Every year, Bicolanos celebrate this festival to express their gratitude to Ina, the endearment devotees use for Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

True story of survival and greed in

‘Deepwater Horizon’ FROM Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, producer of memorable blockbusters such as The Matrix, The Perfect Storm, Ocean’s Eleven, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, comes another thrilling edge-of-your-seat drama thriller Deepwater Horizon starring an impressive cast led by Mark Wahlberg along with Dylan O’Brien, Kate Hudson, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich and Gina Rodriguez. Directed by Peter Berg, known for his cerebral and visceral thrillers such as Very Bad Things, The Kingdom, and Hancock, Deepwater Horizon is based on the true events that occurred on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. The story chronicles the courage of those who worked on the Deepwater Horizon and the extreme moments of bravery and survival in the face of what would become one of the biggest man-made disasters in world history. Wahlberg takes on the role of real-life Transocean chief electronics technician Mike Williams, a devoted family man who was overseeing the rig’s computers and electrical systems on April 20th. After the explosion, Williams aligns himself closely with 23-year-old rig worker Andrea Fleytas, who is played in a departure by Golden Globe® winner and “Jane The Virgin” star Gina Rodriguez. Rodriguez had to explore both a woman’s deepest fears and greatest courage for the role. “The true life Andrea is a real character and Gina brings great energy and an essential goodness to who she is as a person,” says Di Bonaventura. “She also captures what it’s like to be a woman in the middle of a crazy, ultimately catastrophic situation.” Says Rodriguez of embodying Fleytas, “Pete was all about trying to be as authentic as possible, so I did a lot of my own research and even went to dynamic positioning ofﬁcer training in Houston. It was quite the experience.” The challenges of working on these intricate sets brought cast and crew closer—but also were a constant reminder of just how much greater the difﬁculties were to those who found themselves trying to survive the most destructive oil rig disaster in history. Sums up director of photography Enrique Chediak, “There are many emotions people have about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This movie makes you aware of what the people on the rig had to go through—and that is the part that is so incredible.” Deepwater Horizon opens in cinemas tomorrow from Pioneer Films.

Mark Wahlberg and Dylan O’Brien star in the dramathriller ﬁlm ‘Deepwater Horizon’