Manila Standard - 2016 November 15 - Tuesday by Manila Standard

Congress warns Du30 ‘Writ suspension must have basis’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz and John Paolo Bencito

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte should justify before Congress the need to suspend the writ of habeas corpus, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Monday.

“If he suspends the privilege, he has to justify it so let us leave [it to] him. Anyway, we are not yet there,” said Pimentel, Duterte’s party mate in PDP-Laban. Pimentel said Duterte should write both chambers of Congress, which will then convene to discuss the President’s declaration. “We can agree or disagree and when we agree, we can even extend [the period during which the suspension is in effect],” he said. Alvarez assured the public that the House of Representatives

would not give into the President’s suspension of the writ without basis. “If it’s unnecessary, I do not think he will get his way,” Alvarez, secretary general of President Duterte’s party, the PDP-Laban, said. Alvarez maintained that the House would never be a Palace rubber-stamp, and that lawmakers would decide on the matter once the President has actually declared the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. Next page

Threats to security hamper gains—NSA By Florante S. Solmerin and Christine F. Herrera

VOL. XXX • NO. 276 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

PEACE AND FIST. President Rodrigo Duterte and former President Fidel Ramos display their respective ﬁsts in a tongue-and-cheek gesture after discussing what a senior ofﬁcial described as issues of climate change, peace process and foreign diplomatic engagements, only days after the latter criticized Duterte’s leadership as a ‘sinking ship.’ Radyo ng Bayan

THE country can’t take off if the government can’t solve internal security threats such as the 48-yearold communist insurgency, the Moro rebellion and the problem of Islamic jihadists in some parts of Mindanao, National Security Adviser (NSA) Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said Monday. “We have to have internal security before anything else,” Esperon said during the Kapihan sa Manila Hotel forum Monday. Esperon also said the government’s battle against illegal drugs and anti-corruption were cornerstones of President Rodrigo

Duterte’s war on criminality. The government has been in the thick of negotiations with the Moro National Liberation Front, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front. The negotiations have temporarily silenced the guns of the contending parties while working out a more permanent end to the armed conﬂicts. These efforts, Esperon said, must show concrete results. “We’ve to create peace and stability. We’ve got to take out all these internal problems so we can take off for the better,” he said. Next page

Trump: 3-m illegals Senator, Bohol solon face ouster over ‘pork’ N. Araja in US to be deported ByandRioMacon R. Araneta WASHINGTON—Donald Trump will keep his vow to deport millions of undocumented migrants from the United States, he said in an interview to be broadcast Sunday, saying as many as three million could be removed after he takes ofﬁce. “What we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers, where a lot of these people, probably two million, it could be even three US President-elect Donald Trump million—we are getting them out of our country or we are dential campaign, which resulted going to incarcerate,” Trump in last Tuesday’s shock election said in an excerpt released victory against his Democratic riahead of broadcast by CBS’s val Hillary Clinton. Trump added that the barrier to be 60 Minutes program. The billionaire real estate erected on the US border with Mexbaron made security at the ico may not consist entirely of brick US-Mexico border a central and mortar, but that fencing could be Next page plank of his insurgent presi- used in some areas.

THE Ombudsman ordered Senator Joel Villanueva dismissed from service Monday for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service for misus-

ing P10 million of his pork barrel in 2008 when he was still a member of the House of Representatives. Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales also ordered the ﬁling of two counts of graft, one count of malversation of public funds and another count of malversa-

tion through falsiﬁcation of public documents against Villanueva before the Sandiganbayan, the antigraft court. Also included in the charge sheet were former Department of Agriculture secretary Arthur Yap, now Bohol representative; Villanueva’s staff Ronald

Watchdog implicates ex-GOCC in Pagcor mess By Rey E. Requejo THE Justice Department has been asked to prosecute an ofﬁcial of the Duterte administration for plunder and graft charges for a P234-million anomaly at the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. during the previous administration. The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption sought the inclusion of Transportation Undersecretary Raoul Creencia as a

Anti-burial people tagged as ‘temperamental brats’ MALACAÑANG on Monday tagged those opposing the burial of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes’ Cemetery as “temperamental brats” for refusing to concede to the Supreme Court’s decision. In a newspaper column, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar drew parallels between the American protesters slamming elected US president Donald Trump and those opposing Marcos’ burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. “Both the Americans protesting the outcome of a fair election and the Filipinos objecting to the well-considered ruling of our own Supreme Court are undermining institutions. They are temperamental brats refusing to

concede to the outcome of regular processes,” Andanar said. “If Trump should not be trusted with the nuclear codes, the antiburial people should not be trusted with administering the rule of law.” “Brats? I don’t think they are brats,” Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said in reaction to Andanar’s statement. “They can never be called beats. Theirs are actually principled positions, principled stand,” said Pimentel whose father, former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel, was a political detainee during the Marcos regime. Andanar said while many of the burial’s critics were now pushing the President to reverse his decision, their actions were Next page

twitter.com/ MlaStandard

Samonte; agriculture employee Delia Ladera; National Agribusiness Corp. representatives Alan Javellana, Romulo Relevo, Ma. Julie Villaralvo-Johnson, Rhodora Mendoza, and Maria Ninez Guanizo, and Aaron Foundation Philippines Inc. president Alfredo Ronquillo. Next page

US anti-narc takes up PH war on drugs CLOSEST MOON. Stargazers in Makati City get a treat as the biggest full moon since Jan. 26, 1948 is seen

Monday trying to caress the skyline, becoming full as it reaches perigree, the point when the moon is closest to the Earth – with the best viewing time in the Philippines at 7:21 p.m. It will be seen this close to Earth again on Nov. 26, 2034, according to meteorologists. Lino Santos

Rody comes to the defense of PNP chief PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday condoned the foreign trip that Philippine National Police chief Ronald De la Rosa accepted as a gift from Senator

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

Manny Pacquiao despite the ﬁnding of the Ombudsman that it may have been a violation of corruption laws. “I would like to send the warm-

thestandard.com.ph

est congratulations of the Filipino people and government to the senator for making us proud. And your defense of [Dela Rosa] is Next page

UNITED States assistant secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs William Brownfield arrived in Manila on Monday to meet with the leaders of the Justice department and the Supreme Court. The US State Department said Brownfield will be in the Philippines until Wednesday to advance INL support for the rule of law and fair, efficient justice institutions. Next page

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circ@manilastandardtoday.com

News

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Solons draft own traffic crisis measure By Maricel V. Cruz

EADERS of the House of Representatives have ﬁled their own version of a measure that will supposedly address the land trafﬁc crisis in key metropolises in the country. Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, chairman of the House committee on transportation, filed House Bill 4334, or the “Traffic Crisis Act of 2016, as the Duterte administration’s

“urgent, immediate and comprehensive” response to the traffic problem plaguing Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Davao City. The filing of the measure,

Trace drug money trail, Amlac urged JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Monday he hoped the Anti-Money Laundering Council would help the government track down the money raised from the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison. He made the statement following a warning by President Rodrigo Duterte, which he said should push the council to forward the documents being requested by the National Bureau of Investigation. “The cases have been filed, and that’s why there is no reason for the AMLC not to give the information being asked by the NBI,” Aguirre said during an ambush interview at the sidelines of the NBI’s 80th anniversary celebration in Manila. “These documents should have been given.” Aguirre on Monday also slammed Senator Leila de Lima and challenged her to substantiate her charge that the Justice Department had manufactured the evidence in the drug charges against her. “Her standard defense is that the DOJ is manufacturing evidence against her in all fora where she is being accused as the drug protector, yet she has not presented any iota of evidence to prove her accusation,” he said. Aguirre was with Duterte at the NBI anniversary celebrations where Duterte again talked about the administration’s war against illegal drugs. The NBI has filed several

charges against De Lima and several others before the Justice Department in connection with the illegal drug trade inside the NBP. “Of course, the evidence is against the protectors, against the drug syndicates. A lot of money is involved,” Aguirre said. The Justice Department has said it was still requesting the AMLC report on the 10 bank accounts involved in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison, which has been estimated at P12 billion to P15 billion. Duterte on Monday also scolded the officials of the central bank and the Anti-Money Laundering Council for being “hard to deal with.” “I’d like to address myself to the Central Bank guys and the AMLC. I’d like to warn you to avoid a confrontation between us, central bank people,” Duterte said in his speech at the NBI. Duterte recalled the time when he was accused of having over P200 million in his bank account during the campaign period. He was referring to the exposé of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on his alleged questionable bank accounts. “I was just curious. If I had that money, why did you not initiate an investigation? For really I have none,” Duterte said. He accused the AMLC and the central bank of “protecting somebody, those who are really into money laundering.” Sandy Araneta and Rey E. Requejo

Watchdog...

lease of a property in Manila that would be used for a casino. The complaint originally filed by VACC last October 24 alleged that the P234 million represented payments for the first 18 months of the 15year lease contract, which had a total amount of P3.2 billion. Despite declaring the September 2014 bidding a failure since only one bid was submitted, the BAC on December 10 allegedly granted VMC’s motion for reconsideration and awarded the contract to the company. The Commission on Audit found the lease contract irregular and anomalous, as the property was owned by the city government of Manila and not by VMC. The property, located along Roxas Boulevard, has reportedly been leased by the city government to Oceanville Hotel and Spa Corp. since January 2014. Jimenez asked the Justice Department to immediately act on their complaint and conduct a preliminary investigation. “We urge the DoJ to now create a panel of prosecutors to study if there is probable cause for plunder. We believe that the DoJ under this administration will not sleep on this case--unlike what the Ombudsman did in the many cases we filed there,” he said as a way to explain why they opted to file the complaint with the Justice Department and not the Ombudsman.

Trump:...

after an ugly, name-calling campaign and surprise victory that sparked protests in cities across the United States. “I just don’t think they know me,” the billionaire real estate mogul said at one point, of the thousands of protesters who have massed in streets below his Trump Tower headquarters with signs that read “Not our president.” Told that many Americans are scared of his presidency, Trump said: “Don’t be afraid. We are going to bring our country back.” Millions were expected to tune in to Trump’s interview for clues on how the billionaire will govern, and how far he intends to convert his slogans into policy. Trump earlier Sunday named antiestablishment ﬁrebrand Steve Bannon his top strategist and senior Republican Reince Priebus his White House chief of staff, blending pragmatism with a rabble-rousing edge in the ﬁrst appointments of his new administration. On the issues, however, Trump made it clear he intends to aggressively push a right-wing agenda, pledging to name justices to the Supreme Court who are against abortion and for gun rights.AFP

From A1 respondent in its amended complaint against former Pagcor chairman Cristino Naguiat and 10 others in connection with an allegedly anomalous lease agreement with a private company. Creencia was implicated because he was chief government corporate counsel during the previous administration. The anti-graft watchdog also added another former ofﬁcial, Pagcor’s technical working group chairman Jose Christopher Manalo IV, in its amended complaint. Like Naguiat and other respondents, Creencia and Manalo should be held criminally liable for plunder, graft and violations of the Government Procurement Act, VACC founding chairman Dante Jimenez said. The other respondents in the case are former Pagcor president and chief operating ofﬁcer Jorge Sarmiento; former board members Jose Tanjuatco, Enriguito Nuguid and Eugene Manalastas, bids and awards committee members Milagros Pauline Visque, Ramon Jose Jones, Romeo Cruz Jr., Annalyn Zoglmann and Kathleen Delantar, and Vanderwood Management Corp. president Manuel Sy. The case stemmed from the disbursement of P234 million in public funds as payment to VMC for the

From A1 “There could be some fencing,” Trump says in his first prime-time interview since being elected president last week. “But [for] certain areas, a wall is more appropriate. I’m very good at this, it’s called construction,” he tells CBS. Trump has also vowed to move aggressively on a conservative agenda in filling Supreme Court vacancies, cracking down on immigration and cutting taxes, but also sought to reassure worried Americans they have nothing to fear from his presidency. Setting aside the strident tone of his campaign, the 70-year-old assumed a gentler manner in his first television interview since his shock election, saying he was “saddened” by reports of harassment of Muslims and Hispanics, and telling the perpetrators: “Stop It.” The interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” which was taped Friday and aired in full Sunday, offered Trump an opportunity to reintroduce himself

that was principally authored by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, the form of the proposal appeared to be a repudiation of the version submitted by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade. “It will be proposed and to be adopted as the model bill this Wednesday and will hopefully be approved by the Committee by next week,” Sarmiento said. He said the filing of the measure was a collective effort of the House leadership to address the

traffic crisis at the soonest possible time as the committee has conducted 10 committee hearings on the traffic crisis. The House committee on transportation also used as reference, among others, the book “Larga Pinas” which outlined the issues observed and policies recommended by the Committee during the last 16th Congress. Sarmiento said his panel will deliberate on the provisions of the bill during its Technical Working Group scheduled Wednesday next week, November 23.

HB 4334 defines the scope and limits of the land traffic crisis in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Davao City. The bill provides that the secretary of the Department of Transportation is also designated under the bill as the ex-officio traffic chief. The bill states that the traffic chief shall be given the power to also implement similar mechanisms and systems provided in the bill to other cities and municipalities around the country, which may suffer from a traffic

crisis. During the effective period of this act, the bill provides the traffic chief shall have the power of supervision and control over: Metro Manila Development Authority; Cebu Coordinating Council, Philippine National Police-Traffic Management Group, Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board, Road Board, all other executive agencies, bureaus and offices with roles pertaining to land transportation regulation and Davao Traffic Administration.

Congress... From A1

corpus if lawlessness in the country escalates, though he said he would not declare martial law. Communications Secretary Martin Andanar later said the possibility of suspending the writ of habeas corpus was “just an idea that was ﬂoated” by the President. But Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros warned that more abuses would be committed once the writ of habeas corpus is suspended. She said this would contribute to the growing climate of impunity brought about by the thousands of unresolved extrajudicial killings. “The government kept on saying that the country is safer now. However, the President’s plan to suspend the privilege of the writ negates this narrative. It only adds to the fear and anxiety of the public,” Hontiveros said. “The President must learn to trust our democratic processes. Proper law enforcement and standing behind the protection of human rights and observance of the rule of law are the best methods to ensure public safety,” Hontiveros said. Alvarez said that if the President orders the suspension of the writ, Congress will maintain its independence in assessing the need for such declaration. The Constitution provides that “Congress, voting jointly, by a vote of at least a majority of all its members in regular or special session, may revoke

such proclamation or suspension” or extend such suspension beyond the 60day limit if the situation warrants it. The Supreme Court may also review, in an appropriate proceeding filed by any citizen, the sufficiency of the factual basis of the proclamation of martial law or the suspension of the privilege of the writ. Reps. Rodel Batocabe of Ako-Bicol party-list and Jericho Nograles of PBA party-list said the administration’s war on drugs may not be enough to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus. At a news conference, Batocabe said the President was only testing the waters when he floated the possibility of the suspension to see how the people would react to it. Batocabe expressed doubt the President would even suspend the writ beyond any one region in the country. Similarly, “lawless violence does not constitute rebellion,” Batocabe said. Nograles also said that at this point, there is no justifiable reason for Congress to approve a suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. Also on Monday, the militant farmers group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas warned that suspending the writ of habeas corpus would only encourage state forces to violate human rights.

The KMP said the suspension of writ of habeas corpus will allow the state to arrest and jail anyone. At a speech Monday, Duterte said he favored a “calibrated response” against terrorism and rebellion, even if this meant forgoing human rights obligations to keep his people safe. Speaking during the 80th anniversary of the National Bureau of Investigation, Duterte said the inﬂux of extremists monitored in certain parts of Mindanao and the narcotics trade were posing great threats to the country. “We have a very strong rebellion in Mindanao, terrorists in Jolo, Sulu, kidnapping people almost everyday, [bringing] shame to our country. Every time they do it, they slap us, internationally,” he said. “So we will have a calibrated thing here. I will not just sit down and allow my people to be slaughtered, for the sake of human rights. That’s b***s***.” Duterte, who is waging a bloody war on drugs that has made global headlines due to alleged human rights abuses, said the rule of law can sometimes be a “stupid proposition” because of disobedience. “The rule of law is good, if the rules are followed. Very easy to say rule of law. And it applies not only to the government and to us—it applies to all citizens,” he said.

From A1 Morales directed Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III to implement the dismissal order on Villanueva, saying he was found liable for the misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund when he was still a party-list representative for the Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption. But Pimentel said the Ombdusman should settle the matter of jurisdiction before he acts on the dismissal order. In the meantime, he said, he would refer the Ombudsman’s letter to the Senate rules committee. In a statement, Villanueva noted that as far as he can remember, as a minority congressman then, he did not receive that amount. He also remembered the National Bureau of Investigation concluded that the signatures on the related documents were forged. He noted that one of the documents even used a Buhay party-list letterhead, when he was representing Cibac. “I already ﬁled a motion for reconsideration before the Ombudsman, and will leave it to the Senate President to act on the Ombudsman’s order,” he said. The Ombudsman said that on June 10, 2008, the Budget Department released P10 million as part of Villanueva’s PDAF to be used “for the implementation of agri-based livelihood projects in the various congressional districts in Region XI.” Two days later, on June 12, Villanueva requested Yap to release the amount to Nabcor as the implementing agency with the AFPI as nongovernment organization-partner. On June 19, Yap and Nabcor entered into a memorandum of agree-

ment. The respondents used the P10 million to buy various vegetables, such as pechay, radish, string beans, okra and hybrid yellow corn seedlings; liquid fertilizers, and threshers from MJ Rickson Trading Corp. to benefit the municipalities of Pantukan, Nabunturan, Tambongon, Bongabong, Napnapan, Mipangi, Anislagan and Magsaysay in Compostela Valley. But in-depth field validation and investigation showed these localities were not suitable for farming since the vast majority of land was occupied by banana and coconut plantations, and that not a single name in the list of beneficiaries was a registered voter or resident of the province. Moreover, the towns’ local officials attested and certified that no agri-based livelihood projects were ever implemented by AFPI. The Ombudsman said AFPI did not have the financial capability to implement the P10-million project with a measly capital stock contribution of only P68,000. Field investigators said the supplier could not be located in its business address on Martiniko Street, Malabon City, neither was the business entity licensed by the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority or registered with the Department of Trade and Industry. Villanueva and company submitted fabricated and undated documents to support the “ghost project,” such as accomplishment reports, disbursement reports, acceptance reports and liquidation documents. The Commission on Audit issued notices of disallowance on the P10-million transaction on Aug. 12, 2014. Villanueva, for his part, said his

signatures were forged. “Laws and regulations were disregarded by public respondents when Villanueva directly selected Nabcor and AFPI to implement his livelihood projects and the implementing agency officers accepted and accommodated Villanueva by facilitating the processing and approval of the PDAF releases,” Morales said. “NabCor officers did not even bother to conduct a due diligence audit on AFPI as to its technical and financial capability and simply accepted and relied on the representation of Villanueva and AFPI to undertake the projects in contravention of existing procurement laws,” the Ombusman said. Citing Supreme Court jurisprudence, Morales said “in a congressional pork barrel system, it is the legislator who exercises actual control and custody of the PDAF share.” Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III and Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon argued the Office of the Ombudsman has no jurisdiction to order Villanueva’s dismissal. Sotto and Drilon cited Section 21 of the Ombudsman Act, which excludes members of Congress and the judiciary from the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman. As chairman of the Senate Rules committee, Sotto said he will call its members to discuss the latest Ombudsman order. He said the committee will also study the reasons the Ombudsman ordered Villanueva dismissed. Interviewed before the start of the session, Villanueva said he was hurt and disheartened by the Ombudsman’s order dismissing him from public service, but remained hopeful that truth and justice would prevail in his favor.

Rody... From A1

US...

terparts on the pressing criminal threats affecting both countries. The INL has allotted at least $6.7 million or P320-million assistance to boost law enforcement in the Philippines. The $6.7-million assistance in law enforcement aid pledge, however, may be diverted to other countries if Manila and Washington fail to agree on how it will be used. Both countries are still discussing to reach an agreement on where and how the money would be spent. The INL bureau aims to combat crime and help foreign governments build effective law enforcement institutions that counter transnational crime, including money laundering, cybercrime, intellectual property theft, and even trafﬁcking in goods, people, weapons, drugs and endangered wildlife. Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

Pimentel said there must be two conditions present in the event that Duterte suspends the writ of habeas corpus. “Number one, is there an invasion or rebellion? If the answer is yes, does the public safety require... the suspension of the privilege of writ of habeas corpus? The answer should be yes to both questions,” he said. The Constitution also requires that the President submit a report in person or in writing to Congress within 48 hours of the suspension. Senator Panﬁlo Lacson added that the Constitution is very speciﬁc—invasion or rebellion must be present. He added that the drug menace as an issue of national security is not covered by the constitutional provision and therefore cannot be used to justify suspending the writ of habeas corpus. Lacson said that if the writ is suspended, anyone can be arrested without a warrant, and be detained without following the reglementary period of 36 hours. “Of course there’s a limit. It should not be more than 60 days. But within that 60-day period, so many things can happen,” Lacson said. Duterte earlier warned that he might be forced to suspend the writ of habeas

Senator,...

right,” Duterte told Senator Pacquiao, who paid a courtesy visit at Malacañang following his win. “You donated your skill… You can afford the trip anyway. It is commensurate to your wealth. There is no criminal liability,” Duterte, a former city prosecutor, argued. The Ombudsman recently said Dela Rosa’s all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas may be a violation of Presidential Decree 46, which makes it punishable for public officials and employees to receive gifts on any occasion; and Republic Act No. 6713, or the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.” In the same courtesy call, Duterte jested that Pacquiao should be the next chief executive. “This is already ‘for president,’” Duterte said, while raising Pacquiao’s fist. The PNP chief admitted in an interview at Las Vegas that Pacquiao, whose was then fighting for the World Boxing Organization welterweight title, invited him to watch his boxing match along with members of his family. John Paolo Bencito

From A1

“He will also discuss US support for maritime security and effective, humane drug treatment in the Philippines,” the department said in a statement. Brownfield’s official visit comes amid President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war against alleged drug users and dealers, which has resulted in the killing of some 3,000 people since he assumed office in June. His visit is part of his 10-day trip to Asia, where the Philippines is his first stop followed by Burma and China. He will be in China on Nov. 21 to 22 to co-lead the US delegation to the 14th US-China Joint Liaison Group on Law Enforcement Cooperation, a highlevel exchange between senior American law enforcement officials and their Chinese coun-

Threats...

From A1 “The President believes that if the internal strife is not solved, the country would not be able to achieve progress,” Esperon added. Esperon said the government had a separate plan to neutralize terrorists such as the Abu Sayyaf group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and other jihadist groups in Mindanao. He denied the presence of more foreign terrorists in Mindanao, however. “We cannot confirm that yet but we’ve taken preventive steps. All information are being validated but as of now we’ve no confirmation yet of all these reports,” he said. At the same forum, Esperon dismissed rumors of a military coup backed by the US Central Intelligence Agency, allegedly in reaction to Duterte’s anti-American policies. “In the Armed Forces of the Philippines, we’re not trained to become politicians. We’re trained to address armed conflicts, and that’s our job,” Esperon said. He added that political problems should be solved by political leaders, not by the military. Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay, meanwhile, said he expected the relationship between the United States and the Philippines to improve under President Donald Trup. “Presidents Duterte and [Donald] Trump are very much alike. And so far, Trump has not said anything against Duterte’s campaign versus illegal drugs unlike Trump’s predecessor that pissed Duterte off,” said Pichay, another guest at the forum. Pichay was referring to US President Barack Obama, who drew Duterte’s ire by raising concerns over extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Lito Atienza, meanwhile, said that opposition lawmakers fully support Duterte, but not the “culture of death” that the authorities have embraced.

Anti-burial...

From A1 “chronically self-righteous” for not following the rule of law. “As a last card, the anti-burial people now intend to apply pressure on President Duterte to reverse his position allowing Marcos to be buried in the Libingan,” Andanar said. “They argue that what is now legal may not be moral. That is a chronically self-righteous thing to say. One might counter-argue that what is moral may not be legal. “Many young Filipinos, spared the extraordinary passions of a different age, see the struggle over where to bury the corpse might seem silly and inconsequential. There should be better uses for the political energies unleashed by this issue.” John Paolo Bencito and Macon Ramos-Araneta

News

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Lift TRO already, SC urged By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has been prodded to immediately lift the temporary restraining order it issued in June 2015 stopping the government from “procuring, selling, distributing, dispensing and administering, advertising and promoting” contraceptive implants. In a twenty-page motion, the Filipinos Voices for Reproductive health, Philippine NGO Council on Population Health and Welfare, Philippine Center for Population and Development and Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation Inc., former health secretary Esperanza Cabral and former presidential assistant for social development Ben de Leon sought to be recognized as intervenors in the case. The movant-appellants also pleaded for the reversal of the decision issued by the Court’s Second Division last August 24, 2016, arguing that it would deprive millions of Filipino women access to contraceptives. According to them, depriving women access to contraceptives would surely result in the further deterioration of the already problematic reproductive health situation in the country. They said unplanned pregnancy rates of almost 40 percent will shoot up as well as teenage pregnancy fates. Even maternal deaths from preventable childbirth complications, which is now estimated to be at 14 deaths a day will spike. Earlier, the Department of Health also sought the sought the reversal of the Court’s decision issued last August 24, 2016 which also ordered the Food and Drug Administration to determine whether certain contraceptive drugs and devices are abortifacients or non-abortifacients. The high court issued the order as it nullified the certification and re-certification earlier issued by the agency covering 77 contraceptive drugs and implants due to the failure of the DoH to observe and comply with the basic requirements of due process.

SECURITY TALKS. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. Surigao Rep. Prospero Pichay and Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza discuss the country’s security problems at the Samahang Plaridel Kapihan sa Manila Hotel media forum. Lino Santos

Monetary authorities scored on laundering By John Paolo Bencito

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday scored monetary authorities for “failing miserably” after millions were allegedly stashed and laundered in the country.

In his speech during the 80th anniversary of the National Bureau of Investigation, Duterte accused the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Anti-Money Laundering Council of protecting vested interests “who are really into money laundering.” “I’d like to address myself to the Central Bank guys and the AMLC. I’d like to warn [central bank people] to avoid a confrontation between us,” Duterte said.

Duterte cited the case of an unidentiﬁed businessman from a prominent family who supposedly launders billions of pesos through a corporation he established purposely for money laundering. Admitting his disappointment following the allegations during the campaign made by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV that he had undeclared P211million savings in his Bank of

the Philippines Island account in Pasig City during the election campaign, Duterte reiterated his innocence as he questioned the AMLC for not pursuing any investigation against him during the campaign. “You cannot tell the public because you are protecting somebody, those who are really into money laundering,” he said. “Simply I said, you failed miserably,” Duterte said. “You better go to the secretary of Justice or I will go to you. I will call for you and you have to answer so many questions to me. You choose: either you cooperate [with] this republic to protect and serve our people or don’t make it hard for us. Otherwise, I will make it hard for you.” Duterte admitted that he re-

ceived large sums as “gifts,” the ﬁrst one being his admission that a “little less than P211 million” was deposited in his bank account by his wealthy friends as a birthday gift. AMLC is mandated to implement the provisions of Republic Act 9160, or the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001, whose primary duty is to preserve the integrity and conﬁdentiality of bank accounts and ensure that the Philippines will not be used as a money laundering site. “You’re also a part of the garbage which I resent to this day. And do not give me a reason to have a confrontation with you,” he said. “There are billions stashed there in the banks, were really being washed or just being kept there in the meantime.”

Digong hits Noy for drug problem

Barbers lashes at Pichay anew

By John Paolo Bencito

THE rift between two lawmakers from Surigao province has intensiﬁed after Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Monday urged President Rodrigo Duterte and Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to investigate Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay’s allegedly illegal activities. “Mr. President, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, I appeal to you on behalf of my constituents. You have promised to stamp out graft and corruption. Mr. Pichay’s violations are not being hidden, they are being committed openly for everyone to see, as if challenging us, yet insulting and mocking all of us. Your action, Mr. President, would be an eloquent fulﬁllment of your promise,” Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, said in a privilege speech.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday scored former President Benigno Aquino for not even trying to find out the extent of the drug problem in the Philippines. Citing that he is operating on a budget prepared by the Aquino administration—half of which, he said, was already gone, Duterte said that Aquino never anticipated the illegal drug trade that crept past his administration. “Maybe he did not realize the gravity of the drug problem because he simply did not know or never attempted to know,” Duterte said in a speech during the 80th anniversary of the National Bureau of Investigation. Even Aquino’s then Justice secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima, who is accused of coddling drug lords at the New Bilibid Prison, “allowed the drug industry to take place.” “Now the portals of the national government has been opened to the creeping influence of drugs. You must remember that Leila ... was the secretary of Justice herself and she allowed the drug industry to take place.” “Some of the agents of this bureau testified against her. I don’t know them, but most of them are credible,” Duterte said,

referring to the congressional probe into drug proliferation at the national penitentiary, which saw witnesses tagging De Lima as an alleged beneﬁciary of drug money. Duterte insisted that intelligence operatives should look better at laundered money, which could reveal the links of his acclaimed nemesis. “But there was a day which I would like to have come here and you know there are things which I do not like but we are in a crowd. You have to do more, you have to do more, especially on digging records that would show laundered money,” he said. In the same speech, the President criticized the supposed “stupidity” of foreign governments urging him to focus on rehabilitation of drug dependents. “I don’t know about the stupidity of foreign governments. They call me and ask me, ‘Why don’t you rehabilitate them?’ Correct. That is correct if you have the money,” Duterte said. The President cited that there are almost three million drug addicts in the country, along with a long list of politicians implicated in his narco-list. “So we have here, a three million drug addicts, all potential criminals. There are about 6,000 policemen. There are about 3,000 plus incumbent barangay captains,” he said.

By Maricel V. Cruz

Pichay denied the allegation and challenged Barbers not to hide from “the cloak of congressional immunity in making wild accusations against him.” “Those are all baseless and unfounded,” Pichay said when reached for comment. In his speech, Barbers also questioned the deafening silence of Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez on how a long-suspended Claver Mineral Development Corp., which was fraudulently and forcibly taken over by Pichay, was still given permits to mine, haul and sell nickel ores. “Contrary to her media pronouncements and actions of suspending mining companies left and right, here comes a long suspended mining ﬁrm illegally acquired by Mr. Pichay being given a new lease in life. I never thought that the DENR possesses the power to resurrect Lazarus from the dead,” he said.

TRANPORT MINISTERS MEET. Transportation ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gather for a ‘family picture’ during the 42nd senior ofﬁcials meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center on Monday. Lino Santos

IN BRIEF Fuel prices down P0.65 OIL prices continued its downward trend falling by as much as P0.65 per liter starting Tuesday to reflect the ongoing oversupply and doubts over a production freeze by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. The oil firms cut the price gasoline and diesel by P0.65 per liter and kerosene by P0.55 per liter “to reflect the movements in the international petroleum market.” However, total year-to-date adjustments are still at a net increase of P4.03 per liter in gasoline and P5.98 per liter in diesel. Diesel sells from P25.75 to P29.32 while gasoline sells from P35.40 to P43.90 per liter. Prices vary depending on the brand, location and other market forces. Among the oil firms that issued price advisories includes Seaoil Philippines, PTT Philippines, Phoenix Petroleum, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Unioil Philippines, Flying V and Eastern Petroleum. Other companies are expected to follow suit. Alena Mae S. Flores

Balikbayan box tax rates now in effect SENATE Minority Leader Ralph Recto said the Bureau of Customs has no option but to waive the payment of taxes for balikbayan boxes containing less than P150,000 worth of “pasalubong” as the new law prescribing higher tax-exempt rates should be deemed in effect. He noted that the absence of the new law’s implementing rules does not prevent the government from complying with a portion of it. The balikbayan boxes which have arrived or will arrive in Manila, according to Recto, must be covered by the P150,000 dutyand tax-free tax ceiling for shipments from overseas Filipino workers pursuant to the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. He said it’s not the fault of our OFWs if the crafting of the impementing rules for the CMTA. “The law has long been passed and OFWs should beneﬁt from it,” he said. He said the BoC plans to release the implementing rules next month, but Filipinos overseas have started shipping their balikbayan boxes, some as early as September, when the law was already in effect. As the CMTA is a voluminous law, he said the government should not wait for an omnibus IRR (implementing rules and regulations) that will cover all of its provisions. It can, in the meantime, issue an IRR just on balikbayan boxes and other OFW shipping privileges. Macon Araneta

Opinion

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Casting his lot

EMBERS of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group last week insisted that the death of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa was the result of a shootout. The mayor had a weapon and some drugs inside his jail cell, which the police supposedly discovered when they were serving a warrant on him. The Senate hearing is not over and the facts still have to be established. No less than President Rodrigo Duterte, however, has made his own conclusions about the cops: He believes them, he says,

Adelle Chua, Editor

and now he is willing to go to jail alongside them if they are found guilty. That he even expressed his bias towards the cops is already objectionable. The President has more than a stake in this is-

sue. In the minds of the public, it is Mr. Duterte’s war on drugs that the members of the police are implementing, rightly or wrongly. He has on several occasions been interpreted as actually encouraging the take-no-prisoners approach to the anti-drug campaign. He has also famously derided anybody who dared criticize this approach. So it is but logical to assume that a crackdown on drug users and dealers—even if they are just suspects—has the

Duterte imprimatur. But to actually cast his lot with the CIDG members by saying he would willingly go to jail—now that is something else. First, Duterte is not stupid. He knows that as president, he enjoys immunity from suit for acts performed during his incumbency. So if he is not speaking accurately, he is exaggerating. Which brings us to the second, equally disturbing point: We have a leader who does not mean what he says. After just a few months of the

Duterte presidency, the people now know better than take his words at face value. So we do expect some clarifications from one or another of his spokespersons. Finally, what this latest pronouncement tells us is that Mr. Duterte makes little or no attempt to temper his fight against illegal drugs with a basic recognition of lawful processes and fundamental rights. A recent example: The suggestion that he might just consider suspending the writ of habeas corpus given the

gravity of the illegal drug menace. His alter egos are now trying to play down the reactions to what appears to be a trial balloon. The next steps will be telling. Alas, we have also cast our lot with this man when we elected him our president. It is just fitting he should open himself up to criticism and suggestion, because he charts the course of our nation with every word spoken, every action contemplated— whether he actually means it or not. EAGLE EYES TONY LA VIÑA

The Philippines in Marrakech

Sanitizer redux LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES SENATOR Joel Villanueva must be suffering from a serious case of deja vu. For the second time in just two years. Villanueva, who calls himself “Tesdaman,” has been ordered dismissed from the Senate by the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged misuse of his pork barrel funds when he was still a congressman. It’s been twice now that Villanueva has been linked to abusing his congressional pork—and, to me, twice that he’s being made to suffer so that others who similarly spent theirs can be protected. The order dismissing Villanueva was released on the heels of intense criticism leveled at Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, who sought an investigation of the recent trip to

Las Vegas made by Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. Dela Rosa was invited to Vegas by Senator Manny Pacquiao, who paid for his plane fare and accommodations so that Bato may watch the senator’s fight against Jessie Vargas. Morales got body-slammed, on social media in particular, for going after Dela Rosa when she could, for instance, pursue lawmakers who pocketed their pork barrel and Disbursement Acceleration Program funds during the previous administration. In apparent response, the Ombudsman went ballistic on Villanueva. In October 2015, Villanueva resigned as Tesdaman, I mean, as chief of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, because he was running for the Senate. But he quit under a cloud, because he had been included by then-Justice Secretary Leila de Lima—his party-mate and fellow Aquino administration official—in a list

of lawmakers accused of pocketing their pork. Prior to Villanueva’s inclusion in the list of De Lima (who, at the time, was still the one making lists of dubious characters

There must be something about Villanueva that makes people think they can always use him as a sanitizer. instead of topping them, as she does now), President Noynoy Aquino was widely criticized for not charging any of his officials and fellow travelers on the

“Daang Matuwid” for their involvement in the multi-partisan practice of lawmakers in both the Senate and the House stealing their pork, through Janet Lim Napoles or other such fine, upstanding “businessmen.” The ties between Morales and De Lima are well known. Despite the fact, for instance, that at least four cases have been filed against De Lima in the courts and before the Department of Justice, the Ombudsman sees no reason to charge the senator for the proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison. As the beer ad used to say, “Iba ang may pinagsamahan.” As for Villanueva, there must be something about him that makes people like De Lima and Morales think they can always use him as a “sanitizer” for their dodgy official actions. They must hate the superhero shtick so much, too. *** Speaking of superheroes, Transportation Secretary Ar-

thur Tugade admitted recently that he isn’t one, implying that only someone with superhuman powers can solve the problem of gridlock in Metro Manila and other problems confronting his department. Which is probably why Tugade wants Congress to give him huge powers, so he may transform into some kind of transportation Superman. Of course, in his present form, Tugade can’t fix the traffic situation. Right now, he can’t even get through the Commission on Appointments, which has already bypassed his confirmation for his alleged failure to do even just a humanly job. Tugade stands accused of nearly everything that Cabinet officials of the previous administration were routinely called out for, from protecting undeclared vested interests, appointing suspicious subordinates, negligence, incompetence, promising without delivering and yes, seeking too much power or powers. Turn to A5

ALL eyes are on Marrakech, Morocco from Nov. 7-18, 2016 where the 22nd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is meeting. Simultaneous with COP 22 are two other gatherings, the 16th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol and the First Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement. The latter entered into force last week, on Nov. 4, 2016 in what must be the most rapid effectivity of a treaty process ever. One hundred one countries accounting for 69.52 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions have now ratified the agreement, way above the 55 parties and 55 global emissions threshold that were both required for the agreement to take effect. In Marrakech—as we were in Paris last year, in Copenhagen in 2009, and in Kyoto in 1997— the Philippines is active in the negotiations. As the conference began, our delegation was ably led by Undersecretary Gloria Mercado of the Office of Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco. In bilateral meetings with the Heads of Delegations of China, India, and Saudi Arabia, Undersecretary Mercado explored ways to cooperate in climate change actions—including through the sharing of expertise, technology, and funding. Following President Duterte’s guidance, we agreed to champion together climate justice and common but differentiated responsibility as principles. Subject to further deliberations at home, one issue for the Philippines to consider is rejoining the Like Minded Developing Countries, an informal negotiating bloc of developing countries that we had co-founded but withdrew from in 2014. When Undersecretary Mercado left, Commissioner Vernice Victorio of the Climate Change Commission took over with Energy Undersecretary Jess Posadas providing additional senior leadership to the delegation. They were joined by Assistant Secretary Evelyn Cruzada, also of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary, who arrived Friday to head the delegation. In the second week, Environment Secretary Gina Lopez and CCC Vice Chairman Manny de Guzman are expected to join the high-level segment of the conference. Given her stature and her passion, I expect Secretary Lopez to stand out among the ministers that are now gathering in this Moroccan city. She will be a powerful megaphone for President Duterte’s perspective and our country’s interest. At the technical level, diplomat Val Roque and CCC lawyers Railla Puno and Alex Gamboa have been terrific in backstopping and coordinating the delegation as it attends to many simultaneous meetings, sometimes 40-50 in a Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher can be accessed at: thestandard.com.ph

Benjamin Philip G. Romualdez Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

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

ONLINE MEMBER

PPI

Chairman Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager OIC-Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Adelle Chua Honor Blanco Cabie Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Opinion Editor Night Editor Art Director Chief Photographer

Opinion TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

Bato’s Vegas junket a test case I COULD not believe the statement of President Duterte— former prosecutor and now our Chief Executive—that he believed the account of the members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group that the death of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa was the result of a shootout. According to the cops, the mayor resisted receiving the search warrant served on him. It was served during the wee hours of the morning, right inside his prison cell. The President said it anyway, adding that if the CIDG members would go to jail for what happened in Leyte, he would join them. He takes full responsibility for the bloody war on illegal drugs that has so far has claimed more than 3,400 lives— and still counting. There is a series of investigations to verify what really happened. Even a Senate investigation to ferret out the truth, which of late the senators found was a case of “premeditation” by the CIDG group, the President’s prejudgment of the case is disturbing. My gulay, the very fact that the CIDG called on the Scene of the Crime Operatives or SOCO even before the CIDG could serve the search warrant was telling. The prejudgment was bad enough, but the President saying he was willing to go to jail if the CIDG members are found guilty is too much. The President knows he has absolute immunity while in office. Or it could be that his spokesmen need to clarify what he truly meant. *** On the day Espinosa was killed, the chief of the Philippine National Police was in Las Vegas with other VIPs. He should have decided to come home immediately, even if it meant missing the Pacquiao-Vargas boxing match for which he went there in the first place. He did not. In fact, he stayed on and was seen on television jumping with glee over Pacquiao’s victory. He was even seen with Pacquiao when the latter showed off the boxing belt that he had won. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said she intended to probe Dela Rosa for violating the anti-graft law. What did the PNP chief do? He boasted that all the expenses for his trip—with his family—were taken care of by Pacquiao. My gulay, there were even allowances for shopping and entertainment! Pacquiao came to Dela Rosa’s defense forgetting that the law requires public officials to act with propriety and lead modest lives. While both Dela Rosa and Pacquiao appear ignorant of the law, ignorance is no excuse. The law prohibits public servants from accepting “directly or indirectly, a gift from a person other than a member of his family or relatives... even on the occasion

of a family celebration or national festivity like Christmas, if the value of the gift is insignificant, or the gift is given in anticipation of, or in exchange for a favor.” The Office of the Ombudsman has enough to go on with its probe into the junket. And while she is at it, she should also include some members of Congress in that same junket. This will be a test case. This will send a message to public officials that such a law exists. Most people who give away such gifts rarely have pure intentions. Santa Banana, when I visit members of the Cabinet during the Christmas season, I get stunned seeing so many boxes and gifts that their offices look like a department store. This must stop. *** When I saw the headlines the other day that the President was thinking of suspending the writ of habeas corpus (which literally means producing a body before a court of law), chills went down my spine. Santa Banana, I said, is Martial Law or revolutionary government next? The President says he is considering the suspension because of the enormity of the illegal drug problem nationwide. It led me to read Section 18 Article VII of the 1987 Constitution: “... In case of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it, he (the President as Commanderin-Chief), for a period not exceeding 60 days, suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus or place it the Philippines or any part thereof under Martial Law...” It is clear that the President cannot equate the war on illegal drugs and criminality to invasion or rebellion. And what rebellion? The President is already talking peace with the Communist Party of the Philippines and the Muslim separatist movements. So, what’s there to suspend the writ of habeas corpus for? If you read the Constitution, the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus shall apply only to persons judicially charged for rebellion or offenses in or directly connected with invasion. During the suspension of the writ, the person arrested or detained shall be judicially charged within three days – otherwise he shall be released. As expected, the Palace spokesmen now say that the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus was only an idea. The President should not be thinking about it at all. The mere mention of suspending the writ of habeas corpus could point to Martial Law or the imposition of a revolutionary government. Besides, the idea of the writ of habeas corpus suspension could only mean that the President is failing in his war on the illegal drug menace. So is he telling us he is failing? I don’t believe so, with no less than 3,400 already killed, onehalf of them in summary and vigilante killings.

Sanitizer... From A4

and an all-around nice guy who did exceptionally well as a private businessman. And he also has the unenviable job of whipping into shape a transportation bureaucracy that has been so used to doing nothing that it will probably take a real Superman to light a fire under it and get it going. But I have to agree with those who say that Tugade must not force Duterte to choose between him and the lawmakers, the various groups and a public that is fast losing its patience about the lack of progress in resolving the various issues confronting the transportation sector. If Tugade really loves his country and his boss, he should stand down and just quit. Perhaps Duterte can find some other way for Tugade to help him in his work. But running the transportation department is turning out to be not job that Tugade—who is, after all, only human—cut out for.

The Ombudsman has enough to go on.

He’s been criticized not only for not doing his job in the here and now but also of doing poorly in his previous government position as head of the Clark special economic zone. Lawmakers in both Houses, pro- or anti-Duterte, civil society groups and the long-suffering public have demanded that he rethink his position and strategy—or simply to resign and stop embarrassing his old schoolmate and friend, Digong. He has, quite simply, become a dead weight to the Duterte administration and a very real threat to reverse the huge strides it has made in departments other than the DoTr, the agency made famous for not doing anything by his immediate predecessorin-office, the unlamented Joseph Emilio Abaya. To be fair, I’m told Tugade is very smart, personally honest

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Remembering Salvador ‘Doy’ Laurel HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA NOVEMBER 18, 2016 will mark the 88th birth anniversary of Salvador “Doy” Laurel—Vice President of the Philippines (1986-1992) and a Filipino statesman of the highest order. Vice President Laurel was the youngest son of Jose P. Laurel, president of the wartime Republic of the Philippines and a justice of the Supreme Court during the American colonial period. Two of his brothers were political leaders in their time: Jose B. Laurel Jr., who served for three terms as House Speaker, and was a member of the commission which drafted the 1987 Constitution; and Sotero Laurel, who was senator (1987-1992), and a delegate to the constitutional convention which prepared the 1973 charter. After his admission to the Philippine Bar, and the completion of his masteral and doctoral studies in the United States, Doy Laurel established the Citizens Legal Aid Society of the Philippines, the first organization to provide free legal assistance to indigent Filipinos. He won an international award for this pioneering humanitarian endeavor. In 1967, at age 68, Laurel was elected senator under the Nacionalista Party (NP). He authored laws which exempt indigent court litigants from paying docket fees, and fees for stenographic notes, and transportation expenses. President Ferdinand Marcos placed the country under martial law in September 1972. When this led to the closure of Congress in January 1973, Laurel identified himself

with the political opposition. In 1978, Laurel won a seat in the interim Batasang Pambansa representing the Southern Tagalog region. He ran under the NP, which formed a coalition with the pro-administration Kilusang Bagong Lipunan. By 1980, Marcos seemed determined to stay in power indefinitely. This prompted the NP, by then led by the Laurels, to sever its ties with the KBL and to align itself with other opposition groups to form the United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO). With Doy Laurel as president, the UNIDO became a nationwide political opposition party against the Marcos administration. Former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. was Laurel’s staunch ally in the UNIDO. Aquino and Laurel are childhood buddies and, like Marcos, they are fraternity brothers in the Upsilon Sigma Phi of the University of the Philippines. Laurel led the delegation which was to welcome Ninoy Aquino at the Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983. That delegation included Ninoy’s mother, Aurora Aquino. The assassination of Aquino at the airport inevitably made Laurel the top opposition leader in the country. Under Laurel’s leadership, the UNIDO won a third of the contested seats in the election of the first regular Batasang Pambansa in 1984. Anticipating that Marcos would call a special presidential and vice presidential election to be held in February 1986, the UNIDO held a general assembly at the Araneta Coliseum in 1985—the biggest in the country’s history—and drafted Laurel as its presidential candidate. To Laurel’s surprise, Ninoy’s widow, Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, announced that she was going to run for president. Sensing that two

opposition candidates for president will ruin the prospects for a victory against Marcos, Laurel agreed to Aquino’s insistence that she run for president, with him as the vice presidential candidate. This was on the understanding that Aquino was to stay in office for about two years, after which she is to transfer the reins of government to Laurel. Laurel’s UNIDO was to manage their campaign. As anticipated, the special election pushed through. Marcos ran under the KBL, with Assemblyman Arturo Tolentino as his running mate. Although the Batasang Pambansa proclaimed Marcos and Tolentino the victors, a civilian-backed military uprising in Metropolitan Manila pressured President Marcos to leave Malacañang and installed Mrs. Aquino to power in February 1986. Mrs. Aquino ruled by decree for a year. During that period, relations between Aquino and Laurel deteriorated because Aquino refused to keep her bargain with Laurel on the flimsy excuse that the February 1986 Revolution erased all her political pledges. When Aquino began embarrassing Laurel in public, Laurel joined the opposition to the Aquino regime. In the 1992 presidential election, Mrs. Aquino supported ex-General Fidel Ramos, a relative of Marcos and the jailer of her husband Ninoy during the martial law regime. Laurel ran for president but with inadequate funds to wage a viable campaign, his bid to become president was unsuccessful. In 1998, Laurel served his country one last time, as chairman of the Philippine Centennial Commission. Bum raps were subsequently filed against him and some of his colleagues in the commission but those raps were eventually proved

groundless in court. After Laurel passed away in 2004, his name became part of the Philippine political lexicon. To do a “Doy Laurel” is to sacrifice personal ambition for national interest. The vice presidents who came after Laurel are pale comparisons to this selfless statesman. Joseph Estrada was ousted from power through extra-constitutional means, and convicted of plunder. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was almost forced to leave office after it was learned that she called up an election commissioner to ensure her victory in the 2004 presidential elections. After her presidency, she was put under house arrest. Teofisto Guingona Jr. was appointed vice president by President Arroyo. Other than his subsequent opposition to Arroyo, his vice presidency is non-descript. Noli de Castro was essentially a hollow government official. He has returned to his old job as a television news reader. Jejomar Binay created a wellentrenched family dynasty during his incumbency as vice president. He is currently facing graft raps for anomalies allegedly committed when h e was city m ayor of M akati. Incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo’s record of public service is her three-year lackluster stint in Congress. Her “victory” in May 2016 remains contested in the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. Despite her inclusion in the cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte, she maintains a clandestine campaign to undermine his presidency and promote her almost unconcealed, ambitious desire to become president in 2022. Indeed, Laurel may not have been president, but he was certainly the best of the vice presidents this country has had.

EVERYMAN

A fresh start in PH-US relations? By Honor Blanco Cabie POLITICAL and diplomatic observers are looking closely at their radar screens as Manila and Washington go through the crossroads of their 70-year friendship in trade and diplomacy. Much has been said of and much has happened in the past weeks regarding the ties between the Philippines and the United States, with President Rodrigo Duterte calling US President Barack Obama names after the latter raised concerns over extrajudicial killings of drug addicts and drug pushers in the former’s territory. Duterte has unleashed profanities against Obama and others who criticize his administration in the way it is handling the illegal drugs campaign, which has taken high gear since July 1 after Duterte had taken his oath. Based on revised data from the Philippine National Police, of the 4,812 suspected drug personalities killed, 1,811 died in police operations while 3,001 were victims of extrajudicial or vigilante killings. Earlier this month, US Secretary of State John Kerry, after swearing in Korean-American diplomat Sung Kim as the new ambassador to the Philippines, brushed aside “recent differences” with Manila. Without referring to Duterte’s

The... From A4 single day. On mitigation, Albert Magalang from the DENR is again doing sterling work. In the agriculture, adaptation and loss and damage negotiations, the Philippines has a strong contingent of negotiators led by Director Alice Ilaga of the Department of Agriculture. Another DA official Perla Baltazar and an official from the Department of Health Lyndon Lee Suy are with that team as well. From the Department of Science and Technology, Edna Juanillo and Rosalina de Guzman are providing technical support to the delegation. On finance issues, the Philippines voice is strong with the combined effort of veteran climate negotiator Bernaditas Muller and National Economic and Development Authority official Kathleen Ann Capiroso. Another official from Neda, Director Mercedita Sombilla will be reinforcing our climate finance team in the coming week. Two more diplomats from the Department of Foreign Affairs next week, Elaine Hernandez and Angela Ponce, are also coming. The Philippine delegation in Marrakech would be not as effective without its civil society and academic advisers, including from my institutions Ateneo School of Government and Manila Observatory. Among us, international lawyer Vice Yu, from the Geneva-based think tank South Centre, deserves

rhetoric, Kerry expressed confidence about the future of the countries’ bilateral relations, “notwithstanding a difference here or there about one thing or another.” His words: “We continue to recognize our ironclad commitment to the independence and sovereignty of the Philippines.” And the new designated ambassador, who is expected to present his credentials to Duterte before too long, has said he was “thrilled to have the honor of representing (the United States) in the Philippines, our oldest ally in Asia and one of our most special friends anywhere.” Later this month, at the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting on Nov 1920 in Lima, Peru, Duterte, who has said he wants US troops out of the Philippines in two years, will likely meet Obama on the sidelines. But going by past experience in Vientiane, Laos during the Asean summit last month, Obama might cancel any possible meeting with Duterte in Lima. With a new President following the US elections this month, it is certain there will be clearer directions as far as ties between Manila and Washington are concerned. Duterte has been elected to a sixyear term in May and the new US President will be at the Capitol for four years, with a possibility of be-

ing reelected. In the meanwhile, Duterte has been vocal about pivoting towards China and Russia, apparently to spite the United States which he said has always treated the Philippines as a colony since the restoration of independence in 1946. During his visit to Beijing last month, Duterte announced it was “time to say goodbye” to the United States with whose troops Filipinos fought side by side in the name of freedom against Japan in World War II and against North Korea and the People’s Republic of China in the 1950s on the Korean peninsula. There are some in the Philippines’ legislative branch, notably Senator Richard Gordon, who have rebuffed Duterte’s threat to cut ties with the United States, calling it “wrong.” Duterte, before practically every audience that listens to him, has been vocal about what he considers lack of respect for him as leader of a sovereign nation by Washington. But even as he talks of such lack, some analysts underscore that the Philippines’ victory in the West Philippine Sea (in the South China Sea) has not been respected nor recognized by China, whose “nine-dash line” has been ruled by the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal as invalid. What actually is this “nine-dash line?” This is Beijing’s claim that encircles as much as 90 percent of

the contested waters in the South China Sea. The line runs as far as 2,000 kilometers from the Chinese mainland to within a few hundred kms of the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. Beijing maintains it owns any land or features—contained within the line—which confers vaguely defined “historical maritime rights.” Analysts underscore that China has grossly ignored the UN Arbitral Tribunal ruling. To add superciliousness to the situation, China, with which the Philippines forged formal links in 1975, has not left Panatag or the Scarborough Shoal. Interestingly, despite Duterte’s China visit, Chinese ships remain on the Shoal – contrary to Palace statements that Chinese vessels had left Panatag and Filipino fishermen can now have their basins filled to the brim with fish catch—in their own territory. But observers ask: Why should the Filipinos be grateful to the Chinese when the Shoal, since time immemorial, has been Philippine territory? Some analysts find the argument of National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon as off track when he said the Duterte administration will continue to assert Manila’s claim to the disputed Shoal. They ask: How soon?

special mention. His advice has been invaluable as the delegation refines its message and positions consistent with the President’s views. One poignant moment in Marrakech was the commemoration last Wednesday of the third anniversary of the Yolanda/Haiyan disaster. Thanks to Aksyon Klima, the Climate Reality Project (Philippine branch), the Filipino community in Marrakech, and faith-based groups active in the COP, we gathered at the Church of Holy Martyrs for an ecumenical and candlelight service. That was a somber reminder of the seriousness of the business of these negotiations. After initially expressing reservations about the Paris Agreement, the President announced, on the eve of the Marrakech conference, that the Philippines will now ratify it. My understanding is that almost all government agencies have now concurred in its ratification and soon the President will send the agreement to the Senate for its formal concurrence. In Marrakech, this was welcome news and it enabled us in the delegation to hold our heads higher and be more credible. More importantly, joining the Paris Agreement is the right decision for the country. On the first day of COP 22, in a side event featuring Philippine actions on climate change, the Ateneo School of Government released a set of policy briefs (jointly produced with SSG Advisors) entitled “Getting our Act Together.” In the first of those briefs entitled Climate

Proofing Our Development, we emphasized the need for the Philippines to climate-proof its economic development through the implementation of mitigation and adaptation actions and the minimization of loss and damage arising out of climate change impacts. Mitigation actions include shifting to renewable energy, sustainable transport systems, improved waste management, more efficient agricultural practices, and good management and enhancement of our forests. Adaptation actions include improving coastal flood defenses, climateproofing infrastructure, strengthening resilience of socioeconomic and ecological systems. Minimization of loss and damage includes providing insurance for catastrophic events as well as slow-onset impacts like drought and sea-level rise. All of these domestic actions must be done. Through the Paris Agreement, we can secure support for them. More importantly, the Paris Agreement holds a promise that we can avert the worse scenarios of catastrophic climate change. It became clear in Marrakech that we are not yet there. Obviously, the biggest elephant in the room is Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential elections last Tuesday. We must not misunderstand or exaggerate the impact of this development. It can derail progress but it can also become an opportunity for pushing the climate justice agenda. Among others, China is now positioned to be the undisputed global leader on climate change. That

could be positive for us now that we have improved relations with our neighbor. With the election of Trump, immediate ratification of the Paris Agreement is even more critical. Now more than ever, we must hold developed countries historically responsible and accountable for climate change and must act in solidarity with other countries. Even if the Trump administration withdraws from the Paris Agreement, that takes effect only after three years. The 2020 presidential elections will be looming at that time and the global politics could change again for the better. In the meantime, we must advance the Paris Agreement by completing its rulebook, a task launched here in Marrakech. Ironically, non-participation by the US could make it easier to adopt such a rulebook. Last Friday in Marrakech, delivering the keynote address at the Climate Law and Governance Day before an audience of lawyers and governance experts, I reflected on how challenging it has been for the international community to address climate change. I recalled how I was also in Marrakech 15 years ago for another successful make-or-break conference on climate change. Then, as it is now, what we needed were patience, wisdom, fortitude, courage and hope; with these, we will win this fight against climate change. Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

BI eyes another alien amnesty By Christine F. Herrera

HE Bureau of Immigration has already crafted a draft amnesty for some 500,000 overstaying undocumented and illegal aliens and it is just awaiting the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte for implementation.

“We hope to be able to come up with an amnesty program so they would be encouraged to come out, register, regularize their stay and

they would not be arrested and deported. They can extend their stay here,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said during

Samahang Plaridel’s Kapihan sa Manila Hotel. “At present, they are paying for protection to the immigration police to be able to stay. It costs them more and they have no peace of mind,” Morente said. “Their passports had been canceled. [But] some corrupt immigration officials are capitalizing on this and extorting money from these foreign nationals in exchange for protection and promise of not getting deported,” Morente said. “There is no crackdown being done against them,” Morente

stressed, warning corrupt immigration officials against spreading rumors that there is a looming crackdown against them. The bulk of illegal aliens in the country are mainly Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian and Koreans, among others, Morente said. Morente said the overstaying foreign nationals came to the Philippines to do business or find work and many of them end up selling products at the sidewalks of the Divisoria shopping district in Manila although they could not even speak Filipino. Others, he said, are em-

ployed in Chinese restaurants. In the same forum, Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay said the only way to lure these foreigners to make their stay legal was to grant them amnesty that would allay their fears of getting deported. According to the draft amnesty measure, illegal aliens would be fined P25,000 for every year of illegal stay in the country, an amount which Pichay said they could easily afford. Pichay said some Malaysians and Indonesians, who do business in Mindanao could already pass off

IN BRIEF

Anti-FM resolution defeated at Senate

200 cyclists apprehended ABOUT 200 motorcycle riders were apprehended and cited for violating the Motorcycle Lane Policy during the first day of its strict implementation Monday, according to the Metro Manila Development Authority. As of 1 p.m., MMDA traffic personnel deployed along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, Circumferential Road5 (C-5 Road), Commonwealth Avenue, and Macapagal Boulevard flagged down a total of 148 motorcycle riders who were mostly deviating from the designated motorcycle lane. Members of the Motorcycle Federation of the Philippines also assisted the MMDA traffic constables in apprehending violators. Joel E. Zurbano

Cops seize 1.2k shabu AUTHORITIES arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport two suspected drug couriers who were caught in possession of 1.2 kilos of smuggled methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as shabu, worth P8 million from Congo. The suspects were identified as Ronald Puerto Rebvera, 26, a resident of Bagumbong, Caloocan City and Bryan Levantico Cortes, 26, of San Francisco, Mabalacat, Pampanga. They are now detained at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency awaiting the filing of criminal charges against them. Customs-Naia Enforcement Security Service commander Regie Tuason said his men arrested the suspects after claiming a bag at the Federal Express Cargo Warehouse. The bag was shipped at the Naia on October 21 by a sender identified only as one Kinzolani Guylain. Joel E. Zurbano

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

ENFORCEMENT TIME. After a week-long information campaign, Metro Manila Development Authority trafﬁc enforcers started apprehending violators of the motorcycle lane regulation on Commonwealth Avenue, Tandang Sora in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

Respect SC ruling, critics urged By Maricel V. Cruz LAWMAKERS on Monday urged critics of the Supreme Court ruling allowing the burial of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in‎ Taguig City to respect the decision to finally put the issue to rest. Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt-Romualdez, Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta party-list Rep. Jericho Jonas Nograles and Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte said the public should submit to the wisdom of SC, saying the institution is the country’s last bulwark of democracy. “We hope the SC ruling will bridge togetherness and unity in the country. Being the last bulwark

of democracy, we should be committed to respect our justices’ decision,” Romualdez said. Nograles, at a news conference, also made as similar appeal. “I was raised by my father who is a topnotch lawyer, I will not question the Supreme Court ruling. The SC has decided and we have to respect that,” Nograles, son of bar topnotcher and former Speaker Prospero Nograles, said. Villafuerte also urged all sectors of society to respect the SC decision, describing the ruling as a catalyst for the Duterte administration’s efforts to promote peace and national reconciliation. “The high court, in exercising its judicial independence, had chosen to ensure the faithful execution of

4 troops hurt in Basilan

laws rather than encroach on political territory by ruling that President Duterte did not commit any grave abuse of discretion in ordering the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, as this was done as part of the Chief Executive’s mandate as spelled out in Article VII, Section 17 of the Constitution,” Villafuerte said. For his part, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe, president of the Party List Coalition, said the Marcos family had already won the battle even if they decide not to bury the former President at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. “I therefore urge the Marcoses to consider not burying former President Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Why? They have proven their point, President Duterte has spoken

LEADERSHIP TURNOVER. Incoming fire marshal Senior Superintendent Manuel Manuel (left) receives the flag of command from outgoing fire marshal Senior Superintendent Jesus Fernandez during the simple turnover ceremony at Quezon City Hall on Monday. Manny Palmero

FOUR elite troops were wounded when one of them stepped on a planted improvised explosive device while on foot patrol Monday in Barangay Sabong, Lamitan City, Basilan, Major Felimon Tan Jr., spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command, said. Tan did not give the names of the wounded but he said all were alive and quickly airlifted to the nearest military hospital for medical treatment. Tan said the explosion happened at around 9:15 a.m. while conducting pursuit operations of a group of Abu Sayyaf Group. Florante S. Solmerin

Faeldon blames operators for poor receipts By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Customs on Monday blamed the Philippine Ports Authority, Asian Terminals Inc. and the International Container Terminal Services Inc. for the delays in the release of imported shipments that resulted in the poor revenue collection of the bureau. The customs revenue collection fell short by 5 percent of target in September to P33.951 billion against the goal of P35.79 billion.

as Filipinos because they can now speak the local dialect fluently. “They can now speak Visayan and so you would not suspect that they are overstaying foreigners,” Pichay said. Last June, the BI implemented the amnesty program under Republic Act No. 7919 but only less than 2,000 of the more than 15,000 foreigners living the country availed of the program. The restamping program expired on June 15, 2016, and only 1,080 foreign nationals tapped the restamping or the alien integration act visa.

However, the September collection is four percent higher compared to the P32.651 billion collected on the same period of 2015. Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon junked the general notion that delays in the release of cargoes or shipments point to the bureau alone, saying PPA, ATI, and ICTSI were in charge of port operation, cargo handling and tracking, and port development. In a meeting with importers, Faeldon said that it was from these

entities that contributed to transaction delays which deprive the bureau of the much-needed revenue. “Only 6 percent of the importation process is under the control of Customs, and the rest are controlled by other regulatory offices. Customs is only responsible with the assessment and collection of revenue, cargo inspection and clearance, and border protection,” he said. He said the public needs to know that the BoC doesn’t have the authority to regulate goods

that enter the port. “If the required documents and permits are submitted, he said, BoC is obliged to release shipments,” Faeldon said. In pointing the poor revenue collection, Faeldon blamed the shipment capacity of ICTSI and ATI, which cause delays in the transaction of commodities, saying the ATI can release only one shipment per day, while ICTSI can only cover a maximum of six shipments in a day.

that he has no objection to the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani because the law allows it. Even the SC has spoken that Marcos [is legally qualified] to be burried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. The Marcos can take the high moral ground if they do that,” Batocabe said. Villafuerte said a constitutional provision states that: “The President shall have control of all the executive departments, bureaus, and offices. He shall ensure that the laws be faithfully executed.” “The President’s order on the Marcos burial shows that Filipinos can count on him to strictly adhere to the Constitution and the country’s laws, however, controversial or unpopular such directives may be,” Villafuerte said.

A SENATE resolution which sought to declare former President Ferdinand Marcos unfit for a hero’s burial was defeated at the Senate. Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III declared the proposed resolution defeated when only eight of 20 senators voted “yes” to the proposal of Senator Riza Hontiveros and failed to get the required 11 votes. Those who backed Hontiveros’ resolution were Senators Pimentel, Franklin Drilon, Grace Poe, Bam Aquino, Francisco Pimentel, Joel Villanueva and Leila de Lima. The six who voted against were Senators Emmanuel Pacquiao, Vicente Sotto, Ping Lacson, Gringo Honasan, Cynthia Villar and Dick Gordon. Meanwhile, those who abstained were Senators Ralph Recto, Sherwin Gatchalian, Sonny Angara, Miguel Zubiri, Francis Escudero and Nancy Binay. In rejecting Hontiveros’ resolution, Escudero noted that after the lapse of 30 years, the Filipino people and country must move on. “Once and for all, let us concentrate on the Filipinos and not just one or two families.” “We have debated the issue for the last 30 years. We have been divided between the Aquinos and the Marcoses. Enough already. We have to put it at rest so we can concentrate on the Filipinos,” Escudero said. “My plea is for the rule of law. My plea is that we send the right message and the right message is for the people who are not in favor to speak up here and say, ‘We are against it.’ For those who are in favor, whatever they want to do. But, to vote as a Senate sends a very bad signal that the Supreme Court [SC] seems to be a Marcos court,” Gordon said as he explained why he voted against the adoption of the resolution. Recto, Sotto and Lacson cited the SC ruling. “The Supreme Court had already ruled that it is legal to bury former President Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani and said that there is no grave abuse of discretion. I respect the decision of the Supreme Court.”

Relief of BoC exec questioned MORE questions arose over the recent relief of former Customs deputy commissioner Arnel Alcaraz after his lawyer claimed the dismissal may have been a case of mistaken identity. Lawyer Mark Jon Palomar said Alvarez’s dismissal as head of the Enforcement and Security Service may have been a product of internal intrigue since both President Rodrigo Duterte and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said they intended to dismiss the deputy commissioner for intelligence. “I think it is common knowledge that there are powerful groups that exert a tremendous amount of influence within the Bureau of Customs,” Palomar said. “Given the highly irregular circumstances surrounding the dismissal of Deputy Commissioner Alcaraz, it appears that they have successfully run an operation against a decent and highly competent public servant,” the lawyer said of his client. “If the aim of President Duterte and Secretary Dominguez is to weed out corrupt officials from the BoC, the dismissal of Deputy Commissioner Alcaraz makes absolutely no sense,” Palomar emphasized. “Alcaraz has an unblemished track record throughout his career, and what makes it even more confusing is that they [Duterte and Dominguez] clearly identified the

Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence as the BoC official being investigated,” Palomar said. The current Deputy Commissioner OIC (Officer-in-Charge) for Intelligence is lawyer Leon P. Mogao Jr. and he even issued an an official statement denying all accusations of corruption against him last October 27. “Given the issues being raised against him and his subsequent denial, it therefore came as no surprise when the President and the good secretary informed the media that he was being suspended,” Palomar noted. “All of a sudden and without any explanation, it was deputy commissioner Alcaraz who got booted out,” the lawyer said. Palomar said he found it strange that ranking BoC officials “assumed” that Duterte and Dominguez were referring to Alcaraz “because he is the only commissioner that has a formal complaint from the NBI” when there are no charges against Alcaraz before the NBI. “Up to this day, Deputy Commissioner Alcaraz has not received a single formal complaint from the NBI. The man is clean; there is nothing to complain about. What he did receive—under very suspicious circumstances—was a simple request from the NBI to respond to allegations from a certain Ronald G. Lansangan,” Palomar pointed out.

Sports

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Cavs’ treys cool off Hornets LOS ANGELES—Channing Frye scored ﬁve of Cleveland’s 14 three pointers as the Cavaliers broke an NBA three-point shooting record in a 100-93 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. Frye sparked the reigning champion Cavaliers by coming off the bench to score 20 points as Cleveland became the first team in league history to make at least 10 three pointers in their first nine games. LeBron James helped put the game out of reach with a clutch three pointer in the final minute that extended the host Cavs’ lead to nine and sent the Hornets to their second consecutive defeat. James finished with 19 points,

seven rebounds and passed for eight assists in front of a crowd of 20,500 at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland broke an NBA threepoint shooting mark set by the Houston Rockets, who made at least 10 three-pointers in their first eight games to open the 201415 season. Kyrie Irving tallied 19 points, while Kevin Love scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Cleveland. Reserve Iman

Shumpert scored 15 points. The Cavs trailed 72-71 entering the fourth, but Shumpert and Frye made three-pointers to give Cleveland the lead. Frye’s second three-pointer of the quarter extended the lead to 89-80 with 5:43 to play, and he followed it up with a mid-range jumper to push the lead to double figures. Eleven of Frye’s 20 points came in the fourth quarter. Shumpert matched his season-high with 15 points off the bench. “Shumpert shot the ball well, which you’re going to have to live with on their team,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said.

“But Frye can’t get those shots if you’re going to win. He’s a professional scorer and has been for a long time. LeBron kept looking for him, and we didn’t react.” Charlotte’s Kemba Walker stretched his streak of scoring at least 20 points in a game to eight as he finished with 21. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returned from a strained back to score 11 points and grab 10 rebounds. After starting the year 6-1, the Hornets have lost their last two games to Toronto and Cleveland. The Hornets led 72-71 entering the final quarter when Shumpert and Frye made three-pointers to give the Cavs the lead.

Frye’s second three-pointer of the fourth extended the lead to 8980 with just under six minutes to play and followed it up with a midrange jumper to push the lead to double figures. Eleven of Frye’s 20 points came in the final quarter. The Cavaliers began the day ranked second in the league in three-pointers made, averaging 13.1 per game. In Minneapolis, Canadian Andrew Wiggins scored a careerhigh 47 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 125-99. AFP

Centro Escolar rips Diliman five CENTRO EsThe 6’6” Games Thursday colar University Ebondo was (Olivarez Sports Center, starved Diliman benched by Parañaque City) 12 noon – TIP vs CEU College in the last coach Yong Gartwo quarters and 2 p.m. – CDSL vs BulSU cia for unknown scored an 81-54 reasons. win to remain undefeated in The sweet-shooting Canine matches in the Universi- sino led the Scorpions with ties and College Basketball 24 points, including five League at the Olivarez Sports triples in an impressive 7-ofCenter in Paranque City. 13 shooting from field, while With their pressure defense Joseph Manlangit finished working very well, the Scorpi- with 14. ons held the Blue Dragons to With Ebondo’s absence, 18 points in the third and six the Blue Dragons edged the in the last quarter to rampage Scorpions in the rebounding to their 9th straight win. department, 41-40, but they They need only to beat the found no answer to Casino’s Technological Institute of red-hot shooting. the Philippines Engineers on “That’s really our weakThursday to secure the No. 1 nesses. We always start slow. semis berth. But I told them to give their With Karlo Casino wax- best and they responded in ing hot, the rest also delivered the second half,” said Garcia, that they hardly missed the referring to their big 27-point absence of Congolese center lead, 77-50, with still 3:13 in Rodrigue Ebondo. the game.

LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball during the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. AFP

Enriquez posts 3-title net feat SYDNEY Enriquez flashed superb form to dominate the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Pagadian age-group tennis tournament, sweeping three girls’ titles at the ZDS Sports Complex Tennis Club in Zamboanga del Sur yesterday. Enriquez stamped her class in her age group, dropping just three games, including a 6-0, 6-1 romp over Rose Tabudlong to run away with the 14-and-under title in the Group 3 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger. The Salug, Zambo del Norte find also bucked the odds and took the 16-U plum with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Wyne Paglinawan then completed the rare feat by taking the 18-U diadem via a 6-3, 6-3 decision, also against Paglinawan. “Enriquez should inspire young players that through hard work, determination and dedication, one can overcome the odds, including beating older, tougher rivals,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/ CEO Bobby Castro. Fourth ranked Nilo Ledama stepped up for the hosts, overpowering Eric Tangub, 6-1, 6-2, to bag the boys’ 14-U crown. But the rising Zambo del Sur star failed to match Enriquez’s exploits, falling short to top seed Steven Sonsona of Tubod, Lanao, 4-6, 6-0, 10-7, in the 16-U finals and retired, 6-4, 3-0, against Renest Sonsona in the centerpiece 18-U championship dubbed as the Gov. Tony Cerilles leg. Top seed Kristine Bandolis, also from Tubod, survived Tabudlong, 6-3, 6-4, in the semis then ripped No. 2 Faye Lim, 6-2, 6-3, to capture the girls’ 12-U diadem while fancied Nash Agustines from Oroquieta City took the boys’ 12-U title with a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Christopher Sonsona.

F2 out to stop surging Foton

PATTS BAGS ISSA CHAMPIONSHIP. PATTS College of Aeronautics defeated La Consolacion College

Manila to nail the Inter-Scholastic Athletic Association Championship basketball title for the second time. John Paul Manansala and Jayson Orada teamed up to score a total of 10 points in the ﬁnal period as the Sea Horses fended off a late rally by the opposite team. Manansala, a 5’11” power forward, scored 19 points and was named the ISAA Finals Most Valuable Player. The 8th ISAA Basketball Champions now looks forward to the Luzon-Metro Manila qualifying games for next smonth’s National Collegiate Championship. Photo shows (standing from left) Benjamin Hernandez, Neilmore Cayson, Amiel Yebsen Pimentel, Aaron Timothy Gula, Juan Climaco Beltran, Orada, Manansala, Jestoni Loyola, Jan Carlo Mounib, Coach Aransazo, (seated, L-R) Aldrin Noble, Angelo Ramon Fandialan, Team Captain Diaz, Louis Lloyd Arvee Capinding, Rogiemar Calubag, and Mark Cloyd Velasco. Information on academic programs offered by PATTS may be obtained from www.patts.edu.ph or through 825-8823 and 825-8824.

IMUS CITY—Stopping surging Foton and its vaunted offensive assault will be the main objective of F2 Logistics when they clash in the Asics Philippine Superliga Grand Prix presented by PLDT Home Ultera today at the Imus City Sports Coliseum here. The Tornadoes are slightly favored in their 5 p.m. encounter, but don’t count the Cargo Movers out as they have already rediscovered their winning form in the preliminaries of this prestigious inter-club tourney bankrolled by Mikasa, Mueller, Grand Sport and Senoh with TV5 as official broadcast partner. On the same note, Petron tries to tighten its hold on the second spot as it faces Generika at 7 p.m., while RC ColaArmy battles Cignal in

the 3 p.m. appetizer of this battle, which also has Focus Athletics, KLab Cyscorpions, Foton, Petron and F2 Logistics as sponsors. Reigning champion Foton remains on top of the leaderboard with a clean 6-0 slate, while Petron is not far behind at 6-1, putting them in a perfect position to capture the two outright semifinal slots of this battle, where the champion would get a chance to represent the country in the AVC Asian Women’s Club Championship in Kazakhstan. But The Tornadoes’ resolve will be tested against the Cargo Movers, who are composed of the same core that dominated them in the finals of the recent AllFilipino Conference. After seeing their

Games Today

(Imus City Sports Complex) 3 p.m. – RC Cola-Army vs Cignal 5 p.m. – Foton vs F2 Logistics 7 p.m. – Generika vs Petron

three-game winning run snapped by Petron, F2 Logistics wasted no time in picking up the pieces as it clobbered Cignal, 25-16, 25-16, 22-25, 25-16, over the weekend at the Malolos Sports and Convention Center in Malolos City. Import Hayley Spelman was impressive, delivering 21 kills and two blocks for a 23-hit production, while Cha Cruz and the rest of the locals stepped up big time in the crucial stretch of the deciding set making sure that they will get back on the winning track. “I wanted the locals to stepped up and they delivered,” said F2 Lo-

gistics coach Ramil de Jesus, adding that his team remains a work in progress midway into the tournament. “We still have a lot to work on. I think we have to do another big adjustment in our rotation. There are times that we can’t finish off a long rally. That’s something we need to improve.” The Tornadoes, however, will be a tough nut to crack. Although they will be losing Jaja Santiago for the second time, it doesn’t really matter as Serbian coach Moro Branislav declared that he had done enough adjustment in anticipation for the three-game absence of his prized middle blocker, who is with National University in a 12-day training camp in Japan.

PH Azkals Remembering Ronnie PSA guests THE Philippine men’s football team’s coming campaign in the AFF Suzuki Cup 2016 headlines Tuesday’s discussion in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate. Philippine Football Federation secretary-general Ed Gastanes will be coming to the 10:30 a.m. session aired live over DZSR Sports Radio 918, in behalf of the entire Azkals’ team, which is currently in camp as part of its preparations for the Nov. 19 to Dec. 17 tournament. The country hosts Singapore this Saturday at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue at the start of the group stage. Joining Gastanes in the public sports program presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., are Philippine Tot Baseball Foundation president Rodolfo Totoy Tingzon and Lt. Arthuro Tabaquero and Brig. Gen. Pedro Biasbias, representing the Inter-Government, Inter-Commercial Individual/ team Blitz and rapid championship.

MY friend, everybody’s, Ronnie Nathanielsz won’t be around to travel via and through the gates of hell in Metro Manila anymore. I pray and say goodbye, and thank him for letting Ninoy Aquino shine in that dazzling edifying March 10, 1978 interview; virtuosic Ninoy loved to talk, like Prez Digong, and charmed Ronnie and the nation off Nathanielsz their plants. Ronnie, in fairness, let Ninoy do his thing. pala si Ninoy (also like Digs), May kamandag at asim pa despite his long hunger strike,

the nation saw, sans cussing on his part, in that Face the Nation interview that would never be beyond easy recall. Ronnie was one guy who did not make money despite his closeness to the Conjugal Dictators. I don’t remember if last we “met“ when he and I were driving and crossed each other’s path and greeted each other amiably, dalawang maralitang tagalungsod, ha, ha. Rene A.V.

Saguisag, Non sibi sed aliis

Winners and runners-up of the B-Meg Junior Tennis Cup display their trophies at the TLH Sports and Wellness Center in Valenzuela City. Also in photo are TLH representative Kenneth Demafelis (far left) and venue manager Ronel Salangsang.

Macway Travel, Wang’s Ballclub boost chances DEFENDING champion Macway Travel Club and Wang’s Ballclub pulled off similar hard-earned victories to boost their chances in the 2016 MBL Open basketball tournament at the EAC Sport Center in Ermita, Manila. Former PBA mainstays Bonbon Custodio, Jeff Sanders and Larry Rodriguez took matters into their own hands as Macway rallied to beat Philippine

Air Force, 100-94, and climb to 3-2 overall. Jeff Tayongtong scored all but one of his 14 points in the fourth quarter to power Wang’s Ballclub to a come-from-behind 10298 win over erstwhile unbeaten Emilio Aguinaldo College. Custodio, who played for San Miguel Beer and three other teams in five seasons in the PBA from 2008-13, used his experience to score 23 points

for Macway in the closelyfought encounter that saw several ties and lead changes in the fourth quarter. Sanders, who had a brief stint with Ginebra in 2003, added 16 points while Rodriguez, who saw action for Rain or Shine, contributed 13 points for Macway of coach Daniel Martinez and consultant Braulio Lim. American Mike Harry also

finished with 16 points for Macway, which snapped a twogame losing skid in the seventeam tournament sponsored by Smart Sports, Ironcon Builders, Star Bread, Dickies Underwear and Gerry’s Grill. Rama Krishna Morales carried the fight for Air Force with 19 points, followed by Darwin Cordero with 17, Paulino Rebollos with 13 and Jake Diwa with 12.

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

BaliPure captures V-league 3rd place

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

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016

Sports Virtuoso driving keyed Toyota Alabang’s Estefano Rivera’s scintillating triumph in the final race of the Super Sporting Class of the Toyota Vios Cup 2016 final leg on Sunday. From last to second in Race 1 and then second to first in the final, Rivera crowned himself as master of the Clark International Speedway. Rivera, who set the fastest ever Vios Cup record lap of 2:23.6 seconds, is shown here at the winners’ podium with Daniel Miranda (runner-up), Basti Escalante (third), Carlos Loinaz (fourth) and Andres Calma (fifth).

PBA coaches insist: SMB still the franchise to beat D EFENDING champion San Miguel Beer is still the team to beat in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup gets going starting on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

This was the consensus among the team executives during launch of the league’s 2017 season Monday at the Shangrila in Makati. When asked to name the top four to figure prominently in the all-Filipino tournament, San

Miguel consistently made it to the list. Among the most vocal was Meralco Bolts’ alternate governor Ryan Gregorio, explaining that Junemar Fajardo’s presence makes “San Miguel still the team to beat.”

Also putting San Miguel in their top four lists were Eric Areola of Globalport, Raymond Zorilla of Phoenix, Alfrancis Chua of Barangay Ginebra and Leo Isaac. San Miguel Beer retained the core of its back-to-back champion squad, including Fajardo, Arwind Santos, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Lutz Alex Cabagnot, Yancy de Ocampo, Gabby Espinas, Brian Herueal and David Semerad. Coach Leo snatched two rookies, Van Opstal and

Rashawn McCarthy from the draft and RR Garcia and Keith Agovida through trade. The Beermen take on a Star team that will parade its new marquee player in Paul Lee, who was acquired through a trade with Rain or Shine in exchange for James Yap. As for his Meralco squad, Gregorio said they are excited to have Jimmy Alapag in the coaching staff as head of players’ development. Gregorio tagged NLEX as a darkhorse that might crowd the

favorites, San Miguel Ginebra, Alaska and TNT, with Yeng Guiao taking over the team’s coaching rein. Yap, who attended also attended the affair, said Rain or Shine is one of the top favorites because “andito na si James Yap.” Of course, he was kidding. On a serious note, he said he found out why Rain or Shine is hard to beat because “grabe ang kanilang hard work sa team. Lahat bigay-todo sa practice pa lang.”

BALIPURE survived a first set scare, wore down UST in the second before cruising to a 25-23, 2519, 25-11 victory and a third place finish in the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig last night. Import Katherine Morrell mocked UST’s net defense with 22 attack points for a 24-hit effort while Dzi Gervacio and Amy Ahomiro combined for 16 points as the Purest Water Defenders wrapped up their best-of-three series for the bronze at 2-0, counting their 19-25, 25-16, 25-18, 25-18 win in Game One Saturday. The bronze medal effort was the second for BaliPure, which also swept Team Laoag to clinch third place in the Open Conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s. But despite their fourth place finish, the Tigresses look forward to a highly competitive campaign in the UAAP early next year after slugging it out with teams reinforced by tall, talented US and Thai imports. EJ Laure fired 14 hits, including 12 on kills, while diminutive but high-flying Cherry Rondina came away with 10 points and Pam Lastimosa added seven markers for UST, the winningest team in the league where it all started. The Tigresses held their ground in the opening set, giving the Water Defenders a big scare before losing steam in the end. UST also kept the game close in the second but couldn’t match BaliPure’s strong finishing kick. Two-up, the Water Defenders found little resistance from the Tigresses in the third en route to completing their romp in 78 minutes. Meanwhile, Customs skipper Alyssa Valdez bagged her third Conference MVP award with the former Ateneo star also clinching the first best outside spiker honors during awards rites. UST’s power-hitting EJ Laure copped the second best outside spiker plum, while BaliPure’s Dennise Lazaro took the best libero trophy. Other awardees in the season-ending conference of the league backed by Mikasa as official ball and Accel as official outfitter were Pocari’s Fil-Am playmaker Iris Tonelada (best setter). UST’s Ria Meneses (first best middle blocker), Customs’s Lilet Mabbayad (second best middle blocker), Pocari’s skipper Michelle Gumabao (best opposite spiker) and Pocari reinforcement Breanna Mackie (best foreign guest player).

Ferrer James Younghusband eyes signs with revenge vs Suzuki Cup foes Ginebra By Jeric Lopez FOLLOWING the likes of fellow celebrated newcomers Mac Belo, Matthew Wright and Jio Jalalon, touted rookie Kevin Ferrer was officially made the newest millionaire in the Philippine Basketball Association. Barangay Ginebra’s top draft pick officially signed with the Gin Kings yesterday, ensuring the team’s future in the forward positions. The former University of Santo Tomas star signed a lucrative P8.5 million deal for three years, the maximum for a rookie, to play for Ginebra. With his versatility on both ends of the floor, athleticism and length, he is expected to immediately make an impact and help Ginebra’s bid to try and win a second successive championship in the coming 42nd PBA season. Since draft day, Ginebra coach Tim Cone wasn’t shy of expressing his satisfaction of getting the player that the team craved for in the draft. “The goal was to get Ferrer and we’re glad we got him. He’s the guy we really wanted and needed,” said Cone of the lengthy forward. Ferrer prepares himself for anything that the coach assigns him to do. “I’ll do my best o help the team. I’m excited to accept and do any role that coach Tim (Cone) wants me to have,” said Ferrer.

WHILE it remains a huge challenge, veteran player James Younghusband will be eyeing revenge when the Philippine Azkals compete in the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup beginning with Singapore on Saturday at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan. “These teams have knocked us out in the last (three semifinals) of the Suzuki Cup. This is great motivation for us now. We are looking out for revenge,” said Younghusband during the Suzuki Cup Trophy tour held at the SM North EDSA mall in Quezon City. Under shrewd Serbian coach Rady Avramovic, the Singapore Lions booted out the Azkals in the semifinals of the 2012 Suzuki Cup edi-

tion before eventually annexing the championship at the expense of neighboring rival Malaysia in the finals. On Nov. 22, the Filipino booters take on the Indonesians, who ousted them in their semifinal debut six year years, sweeping both matches at the Bung Karno National Stadium after the Philippines was unable to put up a suitable venue for the home-and-away series. The Azkals’ latest tormentor were the Thai War Elephants, who eliminated them in the Final Four in 2014 en route to capturing their fourth championship under coach Tiatisuk Senamuang, the Thai Zico. Younghusband, who together with younger brother Phil, has been in all of the

last semis outings of the PH squad, believes that the team now has quality players who can help the Azkals reach the finals for the first time. “The team management has done a great job in putting up a strong team together so we believe that we have a good chance (in making the finals),” he said, adding that playing in front of hometown fans was extra motivation to perform well. “One of the main reasons you play (for your national team) in any sport is to perform in front of your fans. This is great motivation for us to go out there, be inspired, play well for them and for our country,” Younghusband noted. “They (the hometown fans) are our 12th man.”

FOOTBALL FOR A BETTER LIFE. Former Azkal Ref Cuaresma proved to be a big hit among the participants in the free football clinic held recently in Pagadian City as part of the Football For A Better Life, a nationwide grassroots football series featuring a football tournament and free football clinic, sponsored by PRU LIFE UK for the second straight year. Cuaresma was joined by former Azkal skipper Chieffy Caligdong and PRU LIFE UK football ambassador and UFL player, Fil-Briton Graham Caygill in conducting the clinic. The next leg is scheduled in Baguio City. Photo shows Cuaresma teaching the young participants.

Legion Run makes PH debut March 4 in Laguna A UNIQUE fun yet challenging obstacle race designed to test not only one’s physical fitness and ability but also foster team spirit will make its local debut next year in Greenfield City in Laguna. Dubbed the Legion Run, the one-of-a-kind outdoor race, set March 4, 2017, features a 5km team-oriented run with 20-plus obstacles that will include elements of mud, fire, ice and barbed wire all throughout the course. Participants will try to hurdle these challenges by jumping, climbing and crawling trenches, tunnels, 20-feet high walls, net climbs and other surprises. But the key element of the race is its non-competitive nature with the run staged to overcome personal challenges not just for extreme athletes, sports buffs

Legion Run founder Thomas Lahav (right) stresses a point as race organizer Marge Patena looks on during the media launch of the novel obstacle event at the Greenﬁeld District in Mandaluyong recently.

and the like but for everybody. “We wanted to bring an obstacle course that will be open to everybody. Not just for those in CrossFit,

fitness buffs or competitive people. We wanted the old guys, the fit and the unfit to compete together against themselves,” said Legion

Run founder Tom Lahav during the launch of the event at the Greenfield District in Mandaluyong City recently. Held for the first time here, the Legion Run is an international event, which has had successful staging in France, Italy, Poland, Greece, Israel and Bulgaria, among others. The first event in Asia will be held in January 2017 in Malaysia. Meanwhile, online listup starts today (Tuesday, Nov. 15) and will run till Feb. 24, 2017 while the event’s registration partner is Gold’s Gym at Muñoz Waltermart, Katipunan, Galleria, Bonifacio Global City and Glorietta 4. Fee is pegged at P1,500 for online early birds (from Nov. 15Dec. 15) while rate for Dec. 16Feb. 24 entries will be P2,000 for

online and prepaid cards through registration partner. Those who will join on event day on March 4, 2017 will be charged P2,500. Race organizer Marge Patena of Ignite Philippines said they expect close to 5,000 participants to join the event, named after the famous French Foreign Legion, a unit of the French Army composed of recruits from all around Europe and other parts of the world. “It’s not the usual run we stage. We’re bringing something for runners to try something different. This is something new for the Philippines,” said Patena. The whole course will be tested at least 16 times to ensure safety among the participants in the event which the organizers describe as an “experience of a lifetime.”

Bloomberry posts P1.6-b net income B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016

Duterte outbursts scare US firms By Ditas Lopez

IGNS of investor discontent with Rodrigo Duterte’s outbursts against the US are multiplying with American companies starting to hold off investing in the Philippines, the nation’s electronics and semiconductor industry said. “The concern is that we have lost momentum,” Dan Lachica, head of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc., said in an interview

Friday. “Investments have been held and orders have been canceled. Hopefully, it doesn’t get to the point that they shut down.” After initially causing declines

in the stock and currency markets, Duterte’s repeated attacks against the US since September may be ﬁnally taking their toll on direct investment. The concerns of SEIPI, the largest organization of foreign and local electronics companies, mirror those raised by the American Chamber of Commerce, which has warned the president is creating unease. “We’re requesting an audience with the president so he can hear the concerns of our industry’s chief executive ofﬁcers,” Lachica said, declining to name the com-

panies that have halted investment. Texas Instruments Inc. and Moog Inc. are among U.S. electronics companies with factories in the Philippines. Duterte’s remarks are not antiAmerican but anti-interference, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said. “ He promotes and protects investors and promotes exports.,” he said in a mobile-phone message Sunday. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said no American company is leaving the country and he assured top US busi-

ness executives in a meeting this month that economic relations between the Philippines and the U.S. will remain intact despite Duterte’s rhetoric. The American Chamber of Commerce could not be reached for comment. Electronics account for about half of Philippine shipments, which climbed in September after 17 months of decline. Exports of semiconductors and electronics rose 0.7 percent in the ﬁrst nine months of 2016 from a year earlier. SEIPI is pinning its hopes on

the election of Donald Trump as the new US president to reinvigorate the relationship between the two nations. Duterte has told President Barack Obama to “go to hell” and announced a “separation” from the US during an ofﬁcial visit to China. “It’s a good sign that Trump’s message even in the United States is conciliatory,” Lachica said. “It’s a good sign that President Duterte called him up and offered congratulations and looking forward to strengthening their relationship.” Bloomberg

IN BRIEF

PSE COMPOSITE INDEX Closing November 14, 2016

GMA 7’s net proﬁt jumps 72% to P3.1b

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

6,871,48 103.61

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

Closing NOVEMBER 14, 2016 43.00 45.40 46.60 47.80

P49.200

49.00

HIGH P49.000 LOW P49.200 AVERAGE P49.130 VOLUME 661.850M

P442.00-P662.00 LPG/11-kg tank P36.70-P45.40 Unleaded Gasoline

OPRICES IL TODAY

P27.40-P30.97 Diesel

FLEXIBLE BENEFITS. Conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc. signs a deal with Xurpas subsidiary Storm Technologies Inc. for Flex—an online HR platform that enables employees to maximize their employment benefits by giving them the power of choice. Shown signing the agreement are (from left) Xurpas Enterprise Inc. president Marcy Venezuela, Storm founder and chief executive Peter Cauton, Xurpas chief operating officer Raymond Racaza, Xurpas chief executive Nix Nolledo, JG Summit president and chief operating officer Lance Gokongwei, JG Summit senior vice president for corporate resources group Nic Lim and JG Summit vice president for corporate human resources Felix Dan Lopez.

Peso slides to 8-year low of 49 per US dollar

P28.50-P36.85 Kerosene

By Julito G. Rada

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Monday, November 14, 2016

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

48.9080

Japan

Yen

0.009362

0.4579

Pound

1.260300

61.6388

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128904

6.3044

Switzerland

Franc

1.011634

49.4770

Canada

Dollar

0.739919

36.1880

Singapore

Dollar

0.708617

34.6570

Australia

Dollar

0.753100

36.8326

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652379

129.7226

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266631

13.0404

Brunei

Dollar

0.706115

34.5347

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.028335

1.3858

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.3170

Euro

1.083400

52.9869

Korea

Won

0.000859

0.0420

China

Yuan

0.146735

7.1765

India

Rupee

0.014808

0.7242

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.233645

11.4271

New Zealand

Dollar

0.710600

34.7540

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031327

1.5321 Source: PDS Bridge

THE peso depreciated to 49 per US dollar Monday, the lowest in almost eight years, amid global uncertainties following the result of the presidential election in the United States. The peso lost P0.25 to close at 49.20 against the greenback Monday from 48.95 on Friday. It was the local currency’s weakest level since it settled at 49.37 against the dollar on Dec. 4, 2008 at the height of the global ﬁnancial crisis. Total volume turnover reached $661.85 million Monday, lower than $707.50 million Friday. “It’s the dollar’s strength. The other regional currencies also showed weakness today because the expectation of the market is

the policies that are going to be adopted by the US government will likely lead to higher interest rates particularly Treasury rates, and as a result of that, capital ﬂows are being moved towards the US. That is regional and emerging market-wide,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. told reporters. ‘[The peso’s decline] was still due to the result of the election in the US. But I believe this is temporary and the peso will recover,” Nicholas Antonio Mapa of the Bank of the Philippine Islands said in a statement. “I don’t think the peso will go beyond 50 to a greenback, and we maintain our forecast of 49.02 versus the dollar by yearend,” Mapa said. The peso opened the morning

trade at 49.01, or six centavos weaker than 48.95 Friday. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo last week did not attribute the peso’s continuous decline against the dollar solely to the unexpected results of the US presidential election, where Donald Trump beat early frontrunner Hillary Clinton. “It is difﬁcult to make attribution to that alone. There are factors behind the exchange rates, such as fundamentals and sentiment,” Guinigundo said. He said it was the market volatility that Bangko Sentral was continually monitoring because of its impact on investors’ sentiment. After the result of the US election was announced, regional

currencies, including the peso, fell on renewed risk aversion. Fitch Ratings’ BMI Research said earlier the peso could possibly weaken beyond 50 against the greenback in the coming days if President Rodrigo Duterte’s intense war on drugs plus his continuous tough talking triggered prolonged political uncertainty. BMI said the peso’s weakness in September was due to the “deteriorating investor sentiment” after Duterte hit back at the US after the latter lashed out at his war on drugs. “In the event that these fears translate into something more tangible leading to prolonged political uncertainty, we believe that a further slide of the peso beyond 50 to US dollar could be likely,” BMI said.

GMA Network Inc. said Monday net income jumped 72 percent in the ﬁrst nine months from a year ago, on higher earnings from traditional and political advertisements. The broadcast network said net income hit 3.11 billion in January to September, up from P1.80 billion in the same period last year. Net income in the third quarter improved to P733.03 million from P705.80 million last year. Consolidated revenues increased 24 percent to P12.80 billion, buoyed by the windfall from the recently concluded national and local elections and supplemented by the improvement in sales from recurring placements. “The presence of political advocacies and advertisements equivalent to about P1.5 billion was a major factor for this year’s sterling top-line performance. Nonetheless, even without the extra-ordinary inﬂux, consolidated sales from regular advertisers advanced from last year by more than P1 billion or 12 percent,” GMA said. Airtime revenues continued to propel the growth with combined sales from all platforms generating P11.67 billion, ahead by 25 percent from a year ago. Darwin G. Amojelar

SSI, Metro Retail post lower earnings

RETAILERS SSI Group Inc. and Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. saw their profits dwindle in the first nine months of the year. Metro Retail said in a disclosure to the stock exchange net income declined 23.7 percent in January to September to P112.4 million from P147.3 million a year earlier, on operating losses sustained from opening of new stores. Metro Retail said net sales increased 6.1 percent to P23.73 billion from P22.36 billion in the same period last year following the opening of three new stores. Meanwhile, SSI Group of the Tantoco family said it posted a net income of P306 million in the nine-month period, reflecting a decline in gross profit margin. It said excluding write-offs associated with the group’s store rationalization program and write�offs of expiring net operating loss carry overs, core net income in the first nine months amounted to P395 million. SSI said revenues rose 7.2 percent to P12.6 billion, driven by the diversity of the group’s brand portfolio and resilient consumer demand. “For the balance of the year we remain focused on driving top line growth and operating efficiencies as we look forward to a strong Christmas shopping season. I remain confident that the actions we are taking in 2016 will ensure a return to growth from 2017 onwards,” said SSI Group president Anthony Huang. Jenniffer B. Austria

PLDT’s income fell 37% Myers says 131,000 Convergys employees to keep jobs to P25.3b in nine months By Othel V. Campos By Darwin G. Amojelar PLDT Inc. said Monday net income in the third quarter dropped 49 percent from a year ago, after it increased expenditures to support its digital pivot. PLDT, partly owned by Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd. and Japan’s NTT group, said it booked a net income of P3.40 billion in July to September, down from P6.61 billion it earned in the same period last year. This brought the company’s net income in the first nine months to P15.87 billion, lower by 37 percent than P25.34 billion a year earlier. PLDT chairman and chief executive Manuel Pangilinan described the financial result as “annus horribilis,” which means a horrible year. “This year has been a particularly challenging period for PLDT, as we grappled with both intense price competition and the continuing shift from voice/SMS services to data demand impacting adversely our wireless revenues; as well as internal adjust-

ments in our senior ranks and in our processes which we are undertaking,” Pangilinan said. “All that said, our digital transformation remains on track. We remain focused on the critical initiatives that will definitively shape our businesses to the new direction where growth is driven by data and digital innovation,” he said. Core profit, which excludes foreign exchange gains or losses and other non-recurring income, fell 50 percent to P4.04 billion in the third quarter from P8.15 billion last year. In the first nine months, core profit dropped 20 percent to P21.74 billion from P27.08 billion. Consolidated revenues also declined 2 percent in the ninemonth period to P125.39 billion from last year’s P127.87 billion. In the third quarter alone, PLDT’s revenues went down 6 percent to P40.10 billion. The consumer wireless business group posted service revenues of P55.8 billion, down 5 percent from the previous year. Mobile internet revenues jumped 37 percent while wireless broadband increased 13 percent.

CONVERGYS Corp., one the largest business process outsourcing companies, reassured its 131,000 employees in 31 countries including 60,000 in the Philippines that

they will keep their jobs despite the election of Republican Donald Trump as the new US president. “For those concerned about loss of jobs outside the United States as a result of this election, I want to assure you that nothing

is different today,” Convergys worldwide president and chief executive Andrea Myers said in a message on social media. “We will vigilantly watch for changes in law that would negatively impact our business – just

CHRISTMAS SPECTACLE. Property developer Ortigas & Co.’s 85 years comes to fore this year in Greehills Shopping Center’s ‘Christmas on Display’ or COD, with the theme “One Life, One Story, One Fairytale.” The annual yuletide spectacle highlights the premier property developer’s legacy of building great place for life. Shown during the ceremonial switch on are (from left) Loudette Rosario of Rosario Animated Display, San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez, Ortigas Malls vice president and general manager Renee Bacani and Jimmy Ortigas together with San Juan Kids. Manny Palmero

as we have done in every administration for the last several decades,” Myers said. “We will advocate for our people, our communities and our business which, like most large US-based companies, is intimately and positively entwined with the global community. In our system, separation of powers ensures that no single person can arbitrarily affect signiﬁcant change,” she said. Myers said the recent elections turned out to be a divisive exercise and emotionally-charged, halving the US into groups jubilant with joy and another group saddled with alarm and sadness. “It may feel like there is no such thing as a middle ground. As a US-based global company, I understand that this matters not just to our team in the United States, but to our colleagues around the world,” Myers said. The company said despite the controversial tone, a clear mandate of the election is a US economy that addresses the needs of all of its people, not just some which is consistent with the company’s focus on growth and job creation globally.

Business

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market wipes out 2016 gains Vista Land’s proﬁt S climbs 11% to P6.4b TOCKS plummeted for a second day, wiping out all gains this year, as investors worried about the impact of Donald Trump’s presidency on global trade. The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, dipped 103 points, or 1.5 percent to close at 6,871.48 Monday. The bellwether was also down 1.2 percent since the start of the year. The heavier index, representing all shares, also tumbled 49 points, or 1.2 percent, to settle at 4,170.92, on a value turnover of P7.3 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 140 to 48, while 39 issues were unchanged. All six sectors posted losses, while only two of the 20 most active stocks ended in the

green. Alterra Capital Partners Inc. rose 0.7 percent to P2.99, while Cemex Philippines Holdings Inc. gained 0.5 percent to P11.42. Meanwhile, equities around the world have seen volatile trading since the tycoon’s shock election win, with his pledge of big-spending measures and tax cuts leading to predictions of a surge in inﬂation and in turn higher borrowing costs. The prospect of better and safer returns in the US has also led to an exodus from emerging

markets and currencies, while the Mexican peso is also struggling owing to concerns about Trump’s warning he will tear up a key trade deal. By the end of the morning session Tokyo’s Nikkei was up 1.5 percent, with exporters rallying on the back of the weakened yen. The dollar was at 107.45 yen, its highest mark since July. “The Federal Reserve now face the conundrum of rising inﬂation expectations,” Chris Weston, chief market strategist in Melbourne at IG Ltd., said, according to Bloomberg News. “What we saw last week was a genuine change in the thought process of many money managers, with some feeling we need to be prepared for inﬂation, while many others have been truly sceptical

of the moves and note that while markets are ﬁrmly in the ‘hope’ phase there are great execution risks.” Japanese investors were also lifted by news the economy grew more than expected in the third quarter as exports offset slack consumer spending. Wellington also gained 0.5 percent as a deadly earthquake in New Zealand’s south island boosted construction ﬁrms on expectations of a rebuilding program. And Shanghai put on 0.2 percent despite data showing belowforecast retail sales and industrial output for October. However, Hong Kong sank 1.4 percent, extending a similar loss on Friday, while Sydney shed 0.8 percent and Singapore fell one percent. With AFP

By Jenniffer B. Austria PROPERTY developer Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. said Monday net income increased 11 percent in the ﬁrst nine months to P6.38 billion from P5.76 billion in the same period last year, boosted by higher rental revenues. Vista Land said in a disclosure to the stock exchange rental income in January to September jumped 67 percent to P3.1 billion from P1.9 billion a year ago,

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 47.25 18,100 94.4 2,181,480 3.8 4,000 109.9 3,677,160 1.28 34,000 37.65 165,600 16.7 64,300 19 968,900 1.79 1,000 700 1,750 0.78 1,361,000 75 3,607,010 0.83 134,000 13.92 15,100 21.9 21,800 56.1 14,010 258 2,260 146.4 580 35.85 381,300 203.6 1,123,740 1,581 580 74.45 192,920 1.32 50,000

852,230 205,999,065 15,200 403,557,290 43,300 6,228,795 1,064,830 18,419,472 1,790 1,224,760 1,060,440 271,872,938 113,770 211,000 477,690 786,581.50 582,880 80,834 13,623,060 229,781,356 924,450 14,330,607 66,000

828,610 -29,903,450.50 11,400 -24,195,418 594,870 1,006,752 -70,000 -200,029,045 -42,000 328,750 180,337 15,420 7,532,170 -136,424,968 32,000 -397,298.50 -

42 3.61 0.88 1.33 19.3 0.204 108 11.2 15.92 160 22.75 24.2 59.5 86.1 2.02 7.01 11.9 10.8 6.71 7.05 5.16 22.05 64.2 12.58 16.8 6.03 1.81 230.4 78.8 4.09 26.9 30.75 25.8 14.24 275.8 4.67 3.22 9.46 11.54 2.13 5.73 1.42 68 3.55 215 4.25 3 4 0.141 1.61 167.3 2.02

INDUSTRIAL 42.5 3,038,200 3.79 535,000 0.9 342,000 1.38 957,000 19.5 14,900 0.204 200,000 108 40 11.42 18,181,400 16 2,460,800 160 40 23.3 501,400 25.9 9,300 62.4 60,580 90 620 2.05 84,000 7.12 137,800 12.1 67,300 10.98 5,997,900 6.75 169,600 7.05 428,700 5.2 28,088,800 22.15 1,642,500 64.2 280,380 12.58 300 16.8 6,900 6.05 456,900 1.82 254,000 231 573,040 83.1 160 4.09 4,000 27 500 32 4,548,500 26.2 202,100 14.32 1,895,000 275.8 123,810 4.67 92,000 3.29 2,775,000 9.46 1,048,700 11.54 8,600 2.13 6,927,000 5.88 19,000 1.47 253,000 69 726,160 3.55 189,000 224 6,020 4.47 808,000 3 3,000 4 11,000 0.141 720,000 1.61 65,000 168.3 1,890,730 2.1 6,998,000

129,279,915 1,967,450 304,890 1,292,380 291,780 40,800 4,320 206,675,434 39,528,702 6,400 11,623,725 241,320 3,640,487 53,714.50 171,780 976,802 808,968 65,807,954 1,145,389 3,041,125 145,945,443 36,651,065 18,304,781 3,774 116,080 2,764,314 462,700 132,415,780 12,868 16,380 13,490 145,479,810 5,279,225 27,235,746 34,233,182 431,770 9,132,350 9,955,242 99,244 14,754,770 110,280 365,570 49,924,521.50 679,240 1,300,726 3,546,790 9,000 44,100 101,780 105,750 317,928,985 14,555,170

-42,006,185 55,480 17,600 -13,300 -30,775,920 2,204,008 461,270.50 15,600 1,698,524 -176,660 -26,671,319 -22,118,000 -11,515,923 57,120 2,654,680 3,395,236 -2,690 15,939,610 -2,955,325 -18,316,212 -8,995,606 1,050,970 14,326,280 14,400 20,911,835.50 -28,880 -280,990 8,000 902,791 166,400

0.38 72.55 12.8 1.25 6 0.325 755 8.52 12.5 8.1 0.191 1,252 70.95 1.21 7.53 14.4 6.82 0.041 1.19 1.9 2.69 80.3 656 1.18 235.8 0.295 0.198 0.275

0.365 71.7 12.22 1.25 5.79 0.31 740 8.17 11.94 7.96 0.191 1,200 68.05 1.14 7.4 14.16 6.65 0.039 1.19 1.85 2.68 79.4 649 1.17 232 0.295 0.198 0.255

HOLDING FIRMS 0.365 2,110,000 72.2 2,229,910 12.8 8,557,900 1.25 7,000 5.79 122,600 0.325 1,430,000 740 476,170 8.2 2,542,800 12.22 7,726,700 8.1 2,100 0.191 10,000 1,200 194,710 68.6 1,947,310 1.17 7,911,000 7.5 1,281,100 14.26 5,479,800 6.78 25,044,000 0.04 75,500,000 1.19 1,000 1.87 3,200,000 2.68 120,000 80.3 119,890 653.5 520,620 1.17 4,000 235.8 11,030 0.295 30,000 0.198 100,000 0.255 160,000

773,950 160,724,014 108,188,182 8,750 713,874 447,100 353,813,930 20,974,182 94,691,750 16,762 1,910 237,887,215 134,612,133 9,237,220 9,595,902 78,566,990 169,279,469 3,016,700 1,190 6,034,180 322,000 9,591,330 339,911,395 4,690 2,595,002 8,850 19,800 42,000

-64,287,121.50 -47,576,274 -132,587,470 5,021,115 4,943,808 -173,027,290 -53,427,621.50 -2,714,719 138,528 -57,350,852 -38,000 -3,682,060.50 -143,800,750 -

7.29 1.22 6.15 2.3 0.295 32.65 3.15 5.05 0.61 1.14 0.146 0.56 53.7 0.74 1.74 0.97 1.03 4.99 3.9 0.146 0.255 0.435 3.1

7.18 1.11 6.14 2.15 0.29 31.9 3.05 5.01 0.58 1.14 0.145 0.54 51.8 0.73 1.7 0.94 0.95 4.3 3.68 0.14 0.255 0.435 3.07

910,458 2,314,500 64,490 822,320 293,900 446,126,990 4,351,370 279,790 23,919,160 2,280 220,720 1,416,080 15,706,786.50 25,850 39,641,210 3,241,140 124,790 82,670 199,281,490 2,756,720 28,050 4,350 323,210

-298,023 -167,920,110 -1,169,190 -5,999,820 -4,153,874 -25,994,790 -2,243,900 13,398,460 -7,140.00 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO LEASING BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK IREMIT MANULIFE MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PBCOM PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PHILTRUST RCBC SECURITY BANK SUN LIFE UNION BANK VANTAGE

47.5 95 3.8 108 1.27 37.65 16.3 18.98 1.79 694 0.8 77.15 0.91 14 21.95 56.4 258 133 35.7 207 1,600 74.1 1.32

47.5 96.1 3.8 110.5 1.28 37.7 16.7 19.1 1.79 700 0.8 77.15 0.91 14 21.95 56.5 258 146.4 35.85 207.2 1,605 75 1.32

47 94 3.8 108 1.27 37.6 16.3 18.9 1.79 694 0.77 75 0.83 13.92 21.9 56.1 257 133 35.7 203 1,580 74.1 1.32

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EEI CORP EMPERADOR ENERGY DEVT FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LIBERTY FLOUR MABUHAY VINYL MACAY HLDG MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETRON PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PHX SEMICNDCTR PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP PUREFOODS RFM CORP ROXAS HLDG SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH

43.1 3.61 0.91 1.35 21 0.204 108 11.36 16.3 160 23.4 27.25 64 90 2.12 7.12 12.08 10.9 6.88 7.3 5.3 22.9 67.1 12.58 16.9 6.08 1.87 235 78.8 4.1 26.9 31.2 26.1 14.86 278 4.72 3.35 9.54 11.54 2.13 5.73 1.44 69.55 3.61 221.2 4.25 3 4.05 0.143 1.64 169 2.02

43.1 3.79 0.91 1.38 21 0.204 108 11.5 16.5 160 23.4 27.3 64 90 2.12 7.12 12.1 11 6.88 7.3 5.3 22.95 67.1 12.58 16.9 6.08 1.87 235.4 83.4 4.1 27 32.85 26.5 14.86 278 4.72 3.35 9.58 11.54 2.16 5.88 1.48 69.55 3.64 224.8 4.5 3 4.05 0.143 1.64 169 2.13

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANGLO PHIL HLDG ANSCOR ATN HLDG A AYALA CORP COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA PRIME ORION REPUBLIC GLASS SAN MIGUEL CORP SM INVESTMENTS SOLID GROUP TOP FRONTIER UNIOIL HLDG WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.38 72.1 12.8 1.25 6 0.31 750.5 8.52 12 8 0.191 1,250 69 1.14 7.51 14.36 6.8 0.039 1.19 1.9 2.69 80.2 653 1.18 232.2 0.295 0.198 0.275

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE IRC PROP KEPPEL PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP

7.29 1.21 6.15 2.21 0.29 32.6 3.07 5.01 0.6 1.14 0.146 0.56 52.8 0.73 1.74 0.96 1 4.99 3.75 0.144 0.255 0.435 3.09

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

26.75 1.5 3.25 25.6 0.98 0.92 5.03

26.75 1.55 3.27 26.1 0.99 0.93 5.1

25.3 1.5 3.24 25.5 0.95 0.91 4.96

25.8 1.5 3.24 25.75 0.96 0.91 5.03

8,082,500 243,000 47,000 13,263,900 2,132,000 464,000 2,642,900

208,459,465 364,700 152,740 341,076,840 2,048,100 427,190 13,262,432

-90,807,430 133,650 36,240,430 14,450 -8,531,289

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CALATA CORP CEBU AIR DFNN INC DISCOVERY WORLD EASYCALL GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN HAVEN HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL A INTL CONTAINER IP EGAME IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MANILA JOCKEY MELCO CROWN METRO RETAIL MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PAXYS PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT

7.8 46 1.35 0.56 0.05 6.3 0.076 2.76 103.9 6.7 2.41 2.87 1,485 6.16 12.62 2.14 15 74 0.0092 11.2 9.1 0.199 1.39 3.3 13.2 5 1 2 4.06 4.42 21 2.57 11.22 5.2 2.5 150 8.5 1,406 1.11 0.42 43.15 78 5.72 2.69 0.76 3.2 0.33

7.8 46 1.35 0.56 0.05 6.62 0.076 2.82 105.5 6.88 2.41 2.87 1,485 6.18 12.62 2.14 15 74 0.0093 12.2 9.13 0.199 1.39 3.3 13.2 5.09 1 2 4.2 4.44 21 2.57 11.24 5.2 2.5 150 9.25 1,408 1.14 0.42 43.15 78 5.78 2.7 0.76 3.2 0.33

7.64 45 1.3 0.55 0.045 6.3 0.072 2.75 102 6.68 2.41 2.87 1,450 6.14 12.02 2.1 14.22 72 0.0091 11.2 9.05 0.192 1.33 3.3 13.1 4.9 0.9 2 4.01 4 20.5 2.5 11.22 5.2 2.5 150 8.19 1,325 1.08 0.41 41.2 74 5.61 2.59 0.75 3.18 0.33

SERVICES 7.64 45.5 1.35 0.55 0.048 6.5 0.073 2.79 105 6.88 2.41 2.87 1,452 6.14 12.56 2.12 15 72.1 0.0091 12.1 9.13 0.195 1.39 3.3 13.1 4.95 0.9 2 4.11 4 20.5 2.5 11.24 5.2 2.5 150 8.99 1,347 1.14 0.41 41.7 74 5.61 2.59 0.76 3.18 0.33

98,100 32,000 12,000 605,000 61,170,000 9,878,000 24,150,000 1,234,000 379,130 61,800 5,000 5,000 117,605 93,700 159,800 1,691,000 7,900 1,776,920 7,000,000 900 580,000 3,670,000 154,000 1,000 200 533,400 101,000 3,000 2,927,000 13,636,000 9,600 887,000 4,600 1,200 25,000 10 3,982,200 173,705 8,970,000 20,000 7,365,300 567,730 46,300 1,289,000 2,062,000 901,000 10,000

750,595 1,453,970 16,150 334,280 2,894,010 64,161,631 1,772,460 3,427,730 39,536,200 415,134 12,050 14,350 171,704,980 576,628 1,982,554 3,578,410 115,922 128,146,602.50 64,700 10,630 5,288,750 713,400 211,020 3,300 2,630 2,629,026 95,300 6,000 12,023,210 55,661,880 196,900 2,262,880 51,626 6,240 62,500 1,500 35,898,737 237,917,640 10,040,880 8,300 307,134,915 42,128,572.50 262,193 3,365,960 1,547,660 2,875,110 3,300

-109,500 15,118,084 207,150 4,424,572 -150,875,560 49,040 220,480 -68,185,927 28,800 651,478 -4,836,650.00 359,020 -142,720 1,500 331,405 3,002,295 -796,840 -22,931,140 -7,435,982.00 10,360 729,760 -810,200 -

ABRA MINING APEX MINING ATLAS MINING BENGUET A BENGUET B CENTURY PEAK COAL ASIA HLDG DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE LEPANTO A LEPANTO B MANILA MINING A MANILA MINING B MARCVENTURES NICKEL ASIA NIHAO OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL A ORNTL PETROL B PHILODRILL PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING TA PETROLEUM UNITED PARAGON

0.0035 3.03 5.04 2.39 2.2 0.57 0.395 9 1.3 0.29 0.196 0.197 0.012 0.012 1.73 7.69 3.11 0.465 1.07 0.011 0.011 0.012 8.12 3.78 124 2.98 0.0096

0.0035 3.03 5.2 2.39 2.3 0.57 0.4 9 1.32 0.29 0.196 0.197 0.012 0.012 1.79 7.9 3.11 0.465 1.07 0.011 0.011 0.012 8.12 3.78 124.4 3.09 0.0096

0.0034 2.8 4.81 2.39 2.2 0.57 0.395 8.8 1.25 0.275 0.193 0.197 0.011 0.012 1.7 7.45 2.93 0.42 1.06 0.011 0.011 0.011 7.98 3.6 121.8 2.98 0.0092

MINING & OIL 0.0035 52,000,000 2.88 3,437,000 5.18 1,488,500 2.39 3,000 2.3 11,000 0.57 120,000 0.4 1,660,000 8.88 28,800 1.3 38,091,000 0.285 550,000 0.195 9,520,000 0.197 560,000 0.012 134,800,000 0.012 6,000,000 1.73 747,000 7.85 7,267,700 3.05 70,000 0.42 50,000 1.06 20,000 0.011 7,100,000 0.011 21,000,000 0.012 30,200,000 8.02 1,004,400 3.63 1,821,000 123.5 362,050 3 22,000 0.0092 5,000,000

179,000 10,064,120 7,594,555 7,170 24,300 68,400 663,000 256,941 48,892,250 157,550 1,859,880 110,320 1,613,100 72,000 1,291,640 56,499,928 209,040 22,405 21,300 78,100 231,000 342,400 8,059,729 6,634,430 44,548,007 65,710 46,800

-971,250 -84,099.00 3,325,260 -15,760 26,100 9,249,736 87,701 -538,250 22,579,465 3,090 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 DD PREF FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF B PF PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

45.05 521 104.9 120 540 5.9 1,022 1,030 77 80.1 78 79.5 79.4 77.5 78.1

45.5 521 104.9 120 540 5.9 1,022 1,030 77 81 78 80 79.5 77.5 78.1

45 521 104.8 120 540 5.9 1,022 1,030 77 80.1 78 79.5 79.4 77.5 78

PREFERRED 45.2 140,800 521 2,000 104.9 15,760 120 54,200 540 7,000 5.9 40,000 1,022 5,000 1,030 50 77 60 80.5 31,250 78 30,700 79.5 18,830 79.5 12,500 77.5 23,100 78.05 106,690

6,383,095 1,042,000 1,653,218 6,504,000 3,780,000 236,000 5,110,000 51,500 4,620 2,516,055 2,394,600 1,497,585 993,734 1,790,250 8,325,677

-1,382,655 -236,000 993,734 -

LR WARRANT

2.32

2.3

WARRANTS 2.3 218,000

502,470

ALTERRA CAPITAL ITALPINAS XURPAS

2.97 3.81 9.8

3.08 3.84 9.81

2.88 3.64 9.45

2.99 3.83 9.49

146,151,470 479,630 15,383,314

-14,400 1,953,683

FIRST METRO ETF

117.4

117.5

116.5

3,723,107

PROPERTY 7.2 1.15 6.14 2.3 0.29 31.95 3.14 5.05 0.59 1.14 0.145 0.55 52.9 0.74 1.71 0.94 1.03 4.33 3.7 0.14 0.255 0.435 3.08

126,400 2,004,000 10,500 375,000 1,000,000 13,867,100 1,404,000 55,800 40,701,000 2,000 1,520,000 2,612,000 300,650 35,000 23,101,000 3,412,000 126,000 19,000 52,968,000 19,540,000 110,000 10,000 105,000

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL

14,641,676

INDUSTRIAL

101,867,811

HOLDING FIRMS

147,071,257

PROPERTY

190,305,159

SERVICES

156,818,082

MINING & OIL

323,247,679

GRAND TOTAL

986,456,768

SME

50,726,000 129,000 1,617,500

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 116.5 31,790

VALUE 1,700.18 (down) 24.11 1,224,260,968.09 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,059.94 (down) 108.29 1,535,062,348.84 HOLDING FIRMS 6,986.60 (down) 70.68 1,764,803,220.06 PROPERTY 3,004.66 (down) 58.40 SERVICES 1,311.22 (down) 38.18 1,309,424,072.27 MINING & OIL 11,677.48 (down) 50.31 1,152,310,616.23 PSEI 6,871.48 (down) 103.61 189,630,477.934 All Shares Index 4,170.92 (down) 49.29 7,341,231,554.32 Gainers:48 Losers: 140; Unchanged: 39; Total: 227

driven by signiﬁcant increase in leasable space following the acquisition of Starmalls Inc. Real estate sales also rose 3 percent to P19 billion from P18.25 billion in the same period last year. Consolidated revenues grew 8 percent in the ninemonth period to P24 billion from previous year’s P22.3 billion. “We remain bullish with the expansion plans of our newly acquired subsidiary Starmalls Inc. which currently now has 17 commercial assets in its portfolio and that is on top of what we had prior to the acquisition,” Vista Land chairman Manuel Villar Jr. said. “Our strategies in both the commercial and residential side of our business are anchored on sound Philippine macroeconomic fundamentals, a resilient real estate industry, the favorable market environment and the sustained growth in disposable in come and OF remittances,” he said. The company launched P17 billion worth of projects in the nine-month period, mostly in the low and affordable segments outside the Mega Manila area.

Puregold registers P3.2-b net income SUPERMARKET chain Puregold Price Club Inc. said it booked a net income of P3.65 billion in the ﬁrst nine months, up by 14 percent from P3.2 billion registered in the same period last year, driven by continued store expansion and cost containment measures. Puregold’s nine-month consolidated net sales also grew 17 percent in the ninemonth period to P78.7 billion from P67.3 billion last year, on strong consumer demand for products and services sold at Puregold supermarkets, S&R stores, S&R New York Style Pizza stores and newly opened outlets. The 17-percent growth in nine-month consolidated revenues was ahead of the company’s target of growing its top line by 12 percent to 15 percent this year. Consolidated net margins in the ﬁrst nine months reached 4.6 percent. “Our nine-month same store sales growth of 6.6 percent for Puregold stores and 1.4 percent for S&R stores were driven by strong consumer demand even after the elections. We hope that this level of momentum in SSSG can be sustained for the remainder of the year,” said Puregold president Vincent Co. Operating expenses also rose 13.6 percent to P9.91 billion, on manpower costs and rent expenses covering new lease contracts. The Puregold group had a total of 317 stores nationwide as of end-September. These included 268 Puregold stores, 11 S&R membership shopping warehouses, 21 S&R New York Style QSR, 9 NE Bodega Supermarkets and 8 Budgetlane Supermarkets. Puregold registered a net income of P1.3 billion in the third quarter, up by 15.1 percent from P1.19 billion posted in the third quarter of 2016. Third-quarter consolidated revenues rose 14.4 percent to P27.6 billion from P24.2 billion a year ago. Jenniffer B. Austria

Business

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Why ODA donors require counterpart funds

CONTAINER FREIGHT STATION. Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. opens its dock container freight station at the New Container

Terminal 2 of the Subic Bay Freeport in Zambales province, making it the ﬁrst and only facility of its kind in Central Luzon. The CFS has an initial storage capacity of 840 square meters, which can be expanded to a maximum of 1,860 square meters. The facility, which houses an import and export, dangerous goods and customs area, is capable of stufﬁng and stripping eight containers simultaneously.

Bloomberry posts P1.6-b net income By Jenniffer B. Austria

LOOMBERRY Resorts Corp., the owner and operator of Solaire Resort & Casino in Parañaque City, said Monday it booked a net proﬁt of P1.59 billion in the ﬁrst nine months, a turnaround from the P1.51-billion net loss a year ago. Bloomberry said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its unaudited revenues net of promotional allowance increased 13 percent in January to September to P21.96 billion from P19.424 billion in the same period last year. Gross gaming revenues grew 14 percent to a record P28.028 billion, while non-gaming

T-bill rates rise after US election By Julito G. Rada TREASURY bills fetched higher rates Monday, triggered by mounting uncertainties on the policies of newly-elected US President Donald Trump and the expected interest rates hike by the Federal Reserve in December. The Bureau of the Treasury’s auction committee decided for a full award for the 91-day T-bills while partially awarding the 182-day debt instruments and rejecting the bids for the 364-day securities. The 91-day T-bills fetched an average rate of 1.484 percent, up from 1.281 percent on Oct. 17, while the 182-day T-bills had an average rate of 1.809 percent, higher than 1.505 percent previously. The 91-day P8 billion bills on the auction block were oversubscribed, with total tenders reaching P19.29 billion. The 182-day P6 billion papers were also oversubscribed with total tenders of P6.8 billion but the committee awarded only P4.4 billion. “Meanwhile, bids for the 364-day T-bills were rejected due to limited demand and higher-than-expected rates,” the committee said. The previous rate for the 364-day T-bills was 1.88 percent. The auction fetched P30.55 billion in total tenders, roughly a third of which were for the 91-day T-bills. The committee was able to award P10.4 billion for the P20 billion total offer. Analysts predicted higher rates in T-bills as the domestic ﬁnancial market was seen tracking yields of US bonds in the wake of the unexpected results of the US election last week.

revenues also surged 24 percent to P1.72 billion. Bloomberry said VIP volume in the ﬁrst nine months went up 36 percent, while mass table drop and electronic gaming machine coin-in increased 9 percent and 14 percent, respectively. Nine-month non-gaming revenues grew 24 percent to a record P1.719 billion, mainly

on the back of signiﬁcant improvement from Solaire’s hotel, food and beverage, retail and others segments, which increased 21 percent and 56 percent, respectively. Bloomberry said in the third quarter alone, it posted P1.42 billion in net proﬁt, a reversal from the P189-million net loss in the same period last year as third-quarter revenues jumped 11 percent to P7.85 billion. The third quarter also produced the best quarterly VIP volume, mass table drop and EGM coinin for Solaire with year-on-year growth rates of 61 percent, 10 percent and 16 percent, respectively. The company also reported that its Korean operations under

Jeju Sun Hotel & Casino posted a turnaround in the third quarter with P74-million net proﬁt from a P252-million net loss posted in the previous quarter. “Our onemindedness to manage costs and capital will see us maintaining this growth trajectory up to the end of the year. We are conﬁdent that the effects of these initiatives will carry on into the coming year, but we will nonetheless continue to be discerning and persevere in making Solaire the premium go-to Philippine destination,” Bloomberry chairman and chief executive Enrique Razon Jr. said. Share price of Bloomberry on Monday closed higher by 3.2 percent to P6.50.

Alliance Global, FDC boost earnings CONGLOMERATES Alliance Global Group Inc. and Filinvest Development Corp. reported higher profits in the first nine months, on positive performance of core businesses. Alliance Global, the investment holding company of tycoon Andrew Tan, said net income in January to September increased 7 percent to P17.3 billion from a year ago. The conglomerate attributed the higher profit to cost efficiency across all business segments, allowing for better operating margins as consolidated revenues rose 2 percent to P101.6 billion. Net income attributable to common shareholders rose 4

percent to P11 billion from a year earlier. “We have been deliberate in the execution of our growth strategies for each of our key businesses, bearing in mind the changing competitive landscape in the various sectors we are in,” said Alliance Global president Kingson Sian. “Megaworld’s aggressive thrust to grow its investment properties is now paying off as this has resulted in an increased recurring income stream which has insulated the company from the vagaries of the property cycle,” Sian said. He said Travellers’ expanded amenities at Resorts World Ma-

nila continued to make it a popular integrated resorts destination despite intensifying competition in the gaming sector. “In the case of the McDonald’s operations of Golden Arches, its store expansion program further enhanced its cost management, significantly boosting its bottomline performance. Meanwhile, Emperador’s global strategy has provided it with another leg of growth as it expands its international presence,.” Sian said. FDC, the holding company of the Gotianun family, also booked a net income of P5.9 billion in the first nine months, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 21 percent. Jenniffer B. Austria

IN LINE with his desire to move the Philippines toward a so-called “independent foreign policy,” President Duterte has been making negative noises about foreign economic assistance. The new policy thrust appears to be “The Philippines can do without foreign aid.” Echoing the presidential refrain, the secretary of Social Welfare and Development stated, in the wake of the most recent typhoons, that the government had enough disaster relief funds and therefore foreign aid was not needed. Because of the apparent association in his mind between foreign and foreign-policy independence, Duterte could be expected to turn his attention to the ODA (official development assistance) extended by aid-giving countries to the Philippines. All the various forms of Philippine economic interaction with foreigners —investments, loans and aid—involve cost of one kind or another to the Philippine economy. True, foreign direct investments give rise to employment opportunities, incomes and tax revenues. But those benefits have an associated cost: drawings from the host country’s foreign exchange resources to service the profit and dividend requirements of the foreign direct investors’ shareholders. Obviously, foreign loans have to be serviced, and that, too, means drawings from this country’s foreign exchange resources to enable the public-sector and private borrowers to comply with their financial obligations to foreign creditors. ODA likewise involves an obligation on the part of the recipient country. ODA is what the international development community terms concessional lending. ODA is lending, but on highly concessional terms. ODA loans can have a maturity as long as 50 years—the bigger the covered project and the poorer the recipient country— and the interest rate on the funds is typically around 0.35 percent per annum. No foreign loan terms can be more advantageous to a developing country than those of an ODA loan. The problem with an ODA loan – if it can be called a problem— and the aspect of an ODA loan that President Duterte said he finds objectionable is the recipient-country’s counterpart funding that an ODA loan requires. Why must ODA donors require counterpart funding, the Pride of Davao railed in the course of a recent media briefing. If a country really wants to help the Philippines, why doesn’t it provide all of the financing required by a Philippine government project, he wanted to know. I’d like to think that Mr. Duterte had not been briefed on ODA lending by the secretary of Finance and/or the director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority at the time he made his anti-ODA statement. If he had been briefed beforehand by Secretary Dominguez and/or Neda chief Ernesto Pernia, he would have come to know the reasoning behind the international development community’s insistence on counterpart funding for ODA loans. Prior to the decision to require counterpart funding, donor countries’ ODA experience with recipient countries was generally bad. Numerous recipient countries would enter into ODA loan agreements, but when delivery time came, the counterpart funds were not forthcoming. Since their implementation depended on the availability of both donor and recipient-country funds, the projects ground to a halt due to inadequacy of funds with which to pay workers, suppliers and other project creditors. As a result, many ODA-funded projects were suspended. When counterpart funds were eventually provided, the projects were resumed; when no counterpart funds were appropriated, the projects ended up unstarted or partly completed. From this it can be concluded that the counterpart-financing requirement is a donor-country mechanism for ensuring that ODA-funded projects will be prosecuted to completion. After all, of what use to a recipient country is a developmental undertaking that is half-completed? For a developing country, not seeing a public project through to completion has got to be one of the greatest instances of economic misgovernance. Unfortunately, this country’s record with ODA loans is littered with unstarted and non-completed projects. I am not the secretary of Finance, but if I were, I would give the highest priority to two things. The first is to explain to President Duterte the ODA concept and its importance to the Philippine economy’s development. The second is to ensure the availability of government projects covered by ODA agreements already signed. E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

Lo and behold THERE is a room in one of the science buildings in UCLA that is ground zero for the birthplace of the internet. In the 2016 documentary by legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog, Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World, we get to see that room—complete with a commemorative plaque about the fateful day in Oct. 29, 1969, when the first message was transmitted over a network from one computer in UCLA to another at the Stanford Research Institute 400 miles to the north. In the first scene of a 10-part documentary, Internet pioneer Leonard Kleinrock recounts that the first message was a single word: “Lo.” There was nothing profound about the word—one of the computers had simply crashed when it was about to receive the letter “G” to complete the remote log-in. “The SRI computer crashed, so the first message ever on the internet was lo, as in lo and behold. We couldn’t have asked for a more succinct, more powerful, more prophetic message than lo,” Kleinrock says. The sense of wonderment in Kleinrock’s observation sets the tone for the rest of the documentary—a freewheeling look at various aspects of what he calls “one of the greatest revolutions” humanity has experienced. Like a book, the film is divided into 10 chapters, each dealing with a particular aspect of the internet. Herzog, who does the voiceover and the interviews never, actually appears on screen.

In Part 1, Early Days, Herzog talks to pioneers like Kleinrock and Bob Kahn, who co-invented TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol-Internet Protocol), the system of rules that makes communication on the internet possible. Herzog, who describes himself as a novice with a conceptual understanding of the basics of the internet, says the early days look like prehistory from the perspective of today’s explosion of information technology. “‘Today if you would burn CDs of the worldwide data ﬂow for one single day, and stack them up to a pile, this pile would reach Mars and back,” Herzog says, clearly in awe of the pervasiveness of the internet. “The internet is already permeating everything. Even on the International Space Station, a phone call from one module to the next goes via the internet.” In Part 2, The Glory of the Net, Herzog explores gains that were made possible because of internet technology and the vast number of people on the network. This includes an online video game in which hundreds of thousands of online users helped design RNA molecules that scientists using supercomputers could not do on their own. Here we also see autonomous cars that can drive themselves and robotic soccer players that their inventors hope will one day be smart enough to beat the FIFA champions. Balancing this upbeat view of the

internet is Part 3, the Dark Side, which starts with a stark, almost shot of the Catsouras family seated around the dining table behind some cupcakes and croissants, talking about how grisly photos of their daughter Nikki, killed in a car accident in 2006, had circulated on the internet because two California Highway Patrol ofﬁcers had emailed them to other people. What made matters worse were the reactions that some people had to the photographs, and the online harassment that family members were subjected to as a result of the leaks. “I received emails with the pictures attached a short time after the accident,” Nikki’s father says. “It was disguised and I didn’t know who it came from and I opened it up. The bad ones were very hateful. Hateful towards me, towards Nikki, towards our family. It said dead girl walking. Woo hoo daddy I’m still alive. Nikki’s mother adds: “I didn’t know such depravity existed in humans and I think dogs treat their kind better than humans treat their kind… There is no dignity or respect on the internet because we’re not held accountable. Nobody is there to tell us not to. I have always believed that the internet is a manifestation of the anti-christ, of evil itself. It is the spirit of evil and I feel it’s running through everybody on earth and its claiming its victories in those people that are also evil.”

Some of Herzog’s material—such as his detours into solar ﬂares, Hurricane Sandy, eccentrics who claim hypersensitivity to electrical radiation, and the Fukushima disaster—are only tangentially related to the internet but Herzog’s curiosity and enthusiasm are catching. There’s a lot more in Lo and Behold— including interviews with uber-hacker Kevin Mitnick and the inventor Elon Musk—that make this documentary worth watching. The topic is so wide-ranging, however, that Herzog inevitably leaves some stuff out, too. While he has a striking shot of Buddhist monks tweeting in front of the Chicago skyline, there is no mention of Facebook and the pervasive perfumed garden it has built on the internet. The documentary also seemed to be crying out for an interview with Tim BernersLee, the man who invented the World Wide Web and gave it away to the world. Still, the journey is an engaging one, and Herzog’s storytelling skills, his deadpan delivery, and offbeat questions (Do you love your robot?) are enough to hold our interest. Lo and Behold is available on Amazon and iTunes. Column archives and blog at: http://www.chinwong.com

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

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016

Business

Asians attempt to decode Trump

ONALD Trump is set to tear up a giant Paciﬁc trade pact and has questioned alliances that have deﬁned America’s engagement in Asia since World War II. But it’s too early to declare President Barack Obama’s “pivot” dead.

For Asia’s leaders, a big question from Trump’s win is whether America’s military and economic focus on Asia will continue, given how Trump played on a populist mood at home and pledged a less interventionist foreign policy. With an increasingly expansionist China on their doorstep, many countries have looked to the US to provide a counterbalance. Now diplomats and analysts are parsing Trump’s comments and those of his advisers to try and

separate his campaign rhetoric of “America First” from the reality of governing, even with the Republican party controlling Congress. “Coming out of the campaign there was the perception that he was going to pull back and not get entangled overseas,” said Sam Crane, a professor of Chinese politics at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Based on the names being considered for key posts—Randy Forbes for secretary of the Navy

Conservation confab mulls fate of blueﬁn

for example—and commentaries by Trump’s inner circle, Crane said he “is going to be as, or even more, assertive than Obama.” An article published last week by Trump campaign advisers Alexander Gray and Peter Navarro said Obama’s policy was “talking loudly but carrying a small stick,” with the deployment of warships to Singapore and marines to Darwin “token gestures.” Under Trump the Navy would be expanded to “reassure our allies that the United States remains committed in the long term to its traditional role as guarantor of the liberal order in Asia.” Michael Pillsbury, an adviser to Trump’s transition team who worked in the Reagan administration, said the article was cleared by the presidentelect. Trump has been quick to speak with the leaders of Japan, South Korea and Australia about his commitment to security ties. Even so, given his unpredictable

style, it’s impossible to say what he will do in ofﬁce. In one sign of nervousness over that uncertainty, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is stopping off in New York this week en route to a summit in Peru in order to meet Trump. The full implications of Trump’s elevation for Asia are yet to be “fully appreciated,” said former Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa. The country’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Panjaitan said in an interview last week it’s too early to judge Trump, “but I believe the U.S. will see their national interest.” “Let’s give him two months after he’s inaugurated to see what he’ll do,” Panjaitan said. The US has been the dominant military presence in Asia since the end of World War II, though it has been in Asia for much longer, ruling the Philippines for a number of decades starting in the late 19th century. That position is in doubt not just because of Trump. China is

seeking under Xi Jinping to become a global power, and is using its economic and military heft to push the US aside. With his campaign slogan to “Make America Great Again,” Trump can ill-afford to pull back from Asia and the Pacific. The region boasted six of the top 15 US export markets last year, its companies selling everything from power systems to fuel, high quality foods and financial services. More than $5 trillion in trade passes each year through the South China Sea, of which $1.2 trillion is US related. Bloomberg Asian countries will “want to use competition between the US and China to reap benefits while maintaining relations with both,” said Bilahari Kausikan, Singapore’s ambassador-atlarge. Trump will probably be “extremely transactional,” he said. He “will cooperate when there are benefits and compete when that is in his interest. That’s how he has lived his life.” Bloomberg

By Dominique Schroeder PARIS―Fishing and shipping nations gather in Portugal this week to consider the fate of the endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna and over-harvested Mediterranean swordfish, two pricey gourmet favorites. While conservationists want stricter protection of these and other species, some member nations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) are seeking bigger fishing allowances. Representatives of the body’s 51 parties―50 countries and the EU bloc―will meet in the coastal town of Vilamoura for a week starting Monday. “Additional actions are required if ICCAT is to achieve its mandate to sustainably manage the fish stocks and fisheries under its control,” said the Pew Charitable Trusts, which advocates for nature conservation. The ICCAT is responsible for conservation of tunas and related species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas, as well as creatures which get tangled up as by-catch in tuna fishing. Two years ago, the commission’s members decided on a 20 percent annual increase over three years in bluefin tuna quotas in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic, despite objections that evidence of stock recovery was sketchy. The Atlantic bluefin, called Thunnus Thynnus by scientists, is the biggest tuna, growing up to four meters (13 feet) in length. It is a highly sought-after and expensive delicacy, especially as sushi and sashimi in Asia―a single specimen has sold for more than $1.75 million (1.6 million euros), according to the WWF. Europe does most of the fishing. Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks were decimated to a low of 150,000 tons in the mid-2000s after a decade of quotas as high as 50,000 tons per year. The fish spawn just once a year and do not reach reproductive maturity until they are eight to 12 years old, making their numbers vulnerable to overfishing. With the aid of lower quotas, the spawning stock rebounded to 585,000 tons by 2013, nearly double the levels of the 1950s, according to ICCAT figures. But conservationists point out the numbers are mere estimates, given that head counts are very hard to do. And illegal fishing is a major problem, they say. The ICCAT has raised the 2014 quota of 13,500 tons to 16,142 tons in 2015 and 19,296 in 2016. The 2017 quota was provisionally set at 23,155 tons, but has to be reviewed after a new stock assessment due early next year. Some states, including Spain, have called for increases to be discussed already at this year’s meeting, according to Paulus Tak, an international ocean policy expert at Pew. And Turkey has lodged a formal objection to the 2014 decision, which means it can set its own quotas. Not reviewing quotas ahead of the 2017 assessment was “critical,” said Tak, “in order to avoid jeopardizing the recovery of the stock.” Swordfish, bigeye Conservation groups are also rallying for better protection of the Mediterranean swordfish. The species as a whole is not threatened, but its Mediterranean sub-group is “overfished,” according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which keeps a “Red List” of species that are endangered or at risk of becoming so. “The Mediterranean swordfish stock is really in a bad condition,” the WWF’s Giuseppe Di Carlo told AFP ahead of the annual gathering. “It has been overfished for the last 30 years and it is now getting urgent to put in place an ambitious recovery plan.” The Mediterranean stock has fallen an estimated two-thirds from 1985, and 70 percent of total catches were of immature fish―before they had a chance to reproduce. “But there is currently no plan for the sustainable management of this stock,” said Di Carlo. Italy is the main taker of Mediterranean swordfish, followed by Morocco, Spain and Greece. The commission will also be asked to consider the status of other species at risk, including the bigeye tuna―another favorite in sashimi. “Although tuna do provide food and livelihoods for people, they are more than just seafood,” said the WWF. “Tuna are a top predator in the marine food chain, maintaining a balance in the ocean environment.” AFP

US President-elect Donald Trump

Goldman: Trump’s policy mix poses risks PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trump’s policy mix could prove an overall negative for the world economy, according to an analysis by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Goldman analysts cite Trump’s promised combination of fiscal stimulus, trade tariffs, stricter immigration rules and higher interest rates. While developed economies could get an initial boost from a U.S. fiscal stimulus package, the impact would quickly fade and spillovers into emerging markets are negative, Goldman said. “Our analysis suggests that Mr. Trump’s policies might act as a modest drag on global growth,” the Goldman economists wrote. “A larger fiscal package could boost global growth moderately more in the near term, but a more adverse policy mix would likely act as a significant drag on world growth in subsequent years,” it said. In theory, a burst of US government spending has positive spillovers. Stronger US demand would also boost purchases of foreign goods and services. A likely stronger dollar would also help developed economies with floating exchange rates, though gains for emerging markets would be more limited. “The spillovers to China, for example, depend on the extent to which the renminbi appreciates with the dollar and the net effects are less positive for emerging market economies that rely heavily on dollardenominated debt,” Goldman economists led by Jan Hatzius said in a research note dated Nov. 13. It’s the combination of Trump’s policy mix where the real risks lie. The presidentelect has floated the need for import tariffs as high as 45 percent on goods from China. A promised immigration crackdown and preference for a more hawkish Federal Reserve would all likely have negative spillovers for the rest of the world. Bloomberg

Japan’s GDP grew 2.2% in third quarter TOKYO—Japan’s economy expanded more than expected in the third quarter as exports offset slack consumer spending, government data showed Monday, offering up some rare good news for the country’s struggling growth project. The world’s third-largest economy expanded 0.5 percent on-quarter between July and September, and 2.2 percent gain on an annualized basis, the Cabinet Ofﬁce said. That easily beat market expectations for a 0.2 percent growth rate, or an annualized rate of 0.8 percent. Japan’s economy contracted

in the last three months of 2015, before bouncing back in January-March with a 0.5 percent rise quarter-on-quarter and 0.2 percent expansion in April-June. The wobbly trend has put Japanese ofﬁcials under pressure to deliver as economists increasingly write off Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s attempts to cement a lasting recovery. His spend-for-growth policy, dubbed Abenomics, boosted stock prices and pushed down the yen, helping Japanese exports. But the yen, often bought as a safe haven in times of uncertainty, had been on the upswing

since the start of the year, and got a big bump after Britain’s shock vote to exit the European Union. It has recently weakened against on the dollar after billionaire businessman Donald Trump’s election as US president, offering up some good news for Abe’s administration. On Monday, the Japanese currency was around four-month lows against the greenback, brightening the outlook for exporters in the coming months. It bought 107.28 yen in Tokyo morning trading. “Third-quarter [growth] was a positive surprise, it should be a relief for Japanese policymak-

ers,” said Kohei Iwahara, an economist at Natixis Japan Securities. “However exports are making all the growth, mainly due to a pick-up in the eurozone, so it could a one-off windfall. I would expect a slowdown in the fourth (quarter).” There are concerns about the impact of Trump’s presidency, including the possible derailing of a trade pact that is pillar of Abe’s plans to revive growth. Trump has expressed strong opposition to the Trans-Paciﬁc Partnership, a 12-nation agreement spanning some 40 percent of the global economy. AFP

China’s retail growth slowing BEIJING, China--China’s retail sales growth slowed to 10 percent on-year in October, government data showed Monday, missing expectations in a worrying sign for domestic demand in the world’s second-largest economy. October’s industrial output growth matched the previous month’s figure at 6.1 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics said, also slightly below forecasts in a Bloomberg News survey of economists. China is a key driver of the world economy but its expansion has slowed significantly from the double-digit years of the past. Now Beijing is seeking to make a difficult transition away from dependence on exports and heavy industry toward consumption as the key driver of the economy, but the process is proving bumpy. “It could be the consumer participation in growth is declining,” said independent Hong Kongbased analyst Andrew Collier. “It’s harder for the government to control retail sales than (fixedasset investment) or industrial production, which is heavily state-driven.”

Beijing has ramped up fiscal stimulus and loose credit to keep the economy on target to meet its 6.5 to 7 percent growth target for the year. Fixed-asset investment, a gauge of infrastructure spending, rose 8.3 percent in the first ten months of the year. The NBS figures showed an October jump in real-estate investment, which grew 6.6 percent in the first 10 months, compared with 2.0 percent in the same period last year. “Growth momentum likely got help from steady property investment in October,” said Zhao Yang of Nomura in a note. But concerns about surging housing prices caused authorities to roll out cooling measures in major cities last month, which will slowly take effect and lead to a moderate growth slowdown next year, he added. The factory output figures— which showed accelerating growth in output of steel, glass and cement last month—reflected an increase in investment spending, said Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics. “Although state-sector invest-

Graph shows economic data released by China Monday on retail sales growth, industrial output and ﬁxed-asset investment.

ment remains strongest, much of the recent recovery has come from a marked rebound in private investment, which had stagnated earlier this year,” he said, adding that recent policies to rein in credit growth and the

hot property market will cause the economy to “ﬁzzle out” early next year. Investors were unfazed by the data as Chinese stocks ended the morning session slightly higher Monday. AFP

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

FLY, FLY AWAY. A young participant of the Bila Bila Festival of Marinduque, a major fraction in the Mimaropa Festival in Palawan last week, must have up her mind Miley Cyrus’ ‘you tucked me in, turned out the lights/ kept me safe and sound at night/ little girls depend on things like that.../’ as a poetic tribute to the beautiful, flying insects with large scaly wings. Teddy Pelaez

‘Panuluyan’ ushers in Christmas celebration C By Honor Blanco Cabie

AINTA, Rizal—“Panuluyan,” the Tagalog version of the Mexican “Las Posadas” which literally means seeking entrance or seeking lodging in Bethlehem, is being prepared in some areas of the metropolis and the surrounding areas to usher in the celebration of Christmas.

At Brookside Hills subdivision in Cainta east of Manila, members of a religious group from the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish have started going from one house to another—on different dates of course until Christmas eve—with previous understanding those where they stage the “panuluyan” will give the act participants a token of their efforts and gesture in what some

describe as “the spirit of cheer and gift-giving.” The “panuluyan” is a dramatic ritual in song—and sometimes in dance—which depicts the search for an inn in Bethlehem which culminated in a manger, or what Ilocanos call in their tongue the “kuluong.” The “panuluyan” of many Tagalogs is called “panawagan” by those in Cavite and Batangas,

Hackathon produces solar power in Leyte PALO, Leyte—Children today love technology, they understand computer very well more than they visit their textbooks. That’s how Elaine Cedillo, co-founder of Hack the Climate, described the seven or more groups of high school students from Philippine Science High School in Eastern Visayas and young professionals participating in the 24-hour race known as Hackathon. Cedillo simply puts it as a coding marathon to create an application within a period with the use of computer applications to arrive at a solution to address climate change. “The participants are closed in an area, provided with internet connectivity, guided by techsavvy experts in the field of web

development, interface, every component website, and mobile app,” she told reporters in an interview after the Hackathon officially started inside the PhilSci Gymnasium last week. The co-founder of Hack the Climate and official of Red Wizards Event said this was a form of educational tool for young people and it teaches them how to use the technology for their advantage to solve climate change. Hackathon was designed when two student hackers from Princeton University in the United States wanted to help the Philippines after it was devastated by Super Typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013. They raised funds for 24 hours and came up with good amount of money and donated to the country, she added. PIA

“kagharong” by those in Camalig town in Albay and other towns of the palm-dotted Bicol peninsula, and “daigon, pakaon” among many in the Visayas like Cebu, Leyte and Sagay City in Negros Occidental. ”Panuluyan” itself is generally held on the eve of Christmas, when many Catholic Christians prepare for the midnight Mass, a graphic dramatization of the search for Bethlehem by Joseph and Mary shortly before what many Catholics believe is the birth of Jesus Christ. Observers of the religious scene say on or off stage, some Christmas customs—from Batanes down to the Christian towns of Mindanao—now involve pro-theatrical dances, while Joseph and Mary earnestly look for lodging in Bethlehem with the shepherds—or the “pa-

stores”—singing and dancing from house to house. These observers add that ritual dances have been appended to the custom, with dances that have blossomed into festivals like the “sinulog” in Cebu in January and the “dinagyang” in Iloilo. Yet another add-on feature to the tradition is what some call the “batalia” or the choreographed skirmish. The “panuluyan” originated from the Mexican nine-day Christmas ritual called “posadas,” the only difference between the two is that the “panuluyan” only takes place on one night. Religious historians say Mexican sailors from the galleons during Spanish colonization probably brought the custom to Tagalog and Bicol towns.

Makati gives P3.6-m relief aid to ‘Lawin’ By Joel E. Zurbano THE city government of Makati is giving P3.6 million as relief assistance to affected families and other victims of Super Typhoon “Lawin” in Cagayan and Isabela. Members of the City Council approved a resolution following the proposal of Mayor Abigail Binay to appropriate P3.6 million which will be equally divided among the affected cities and towns in the two provinces. “The city government of Makati sympathizes with the victims of “Lawin.” We hope our humble assistance will help poor families cope with their day-to-day subsistence as they strive to rebuild their homes and their lives,” Binay said. The recipients of the relief assistance in Isabela consist of the capital, Ilagan City, and the towns of Sto. Tomas, San Pablo, Tumauini, Cabagan, Sta. Maria, Palanan, Dinapigue, Maconacon, Mallig, Quezon, Quirino and Gamu.

‘Lingap’ begins work for poor

MYSTICAL TIME.

Catholic Bible scholars and theologians say the humble birth of Jesus 2,000 years ago was never meant to hide the reality that God was being born into the world. And it affirms the universal gifts of family, children and true love for all mankind —something millions are very grateful for.

By Pearl A. Gajunera

Gov’t seen to bolster organic farming nationwide SAN FERNANDO, La Union— The Duterte administration is seen to make a big push at popularizing organic agriculture when the 13th National Organic Agroculture Congress will be staged in Laoag City from Nov. 23 to 25. Two other Cabinet members besides Agriculture chief Manny Piñol have been invited to ad-

dress the three-day event. These include Environment Secretary Regina Paz Lopez and Cabinet Secretary Leomcio Evasco Jr., concurrent president of the League of Organic Agriculture Movement. “We are hopeful all three will join the congress,” said Gloria Parong, DA regional information officer. “It will signal full

support to the anemic organic farming movement.” She said the DA had not yet revised its old target of converting a modest five percent of all farm lands in the country into organic farms set after the organic agriculture law was passed during the past administration. She said the congress had

In Cagayan, the five recipients are the capital city of Tuguegarao and the towns of Peñablanca, Enrile, Solana and Iguig. Binay said the amount allocated for relief assistance would be taken from the Quick Response Fund under the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management budget of Makati for 2016. Under the Philippine DRRM Act of 2010, the local DRRM Council may transfer said funds to support disaster risk reduction work of other LDRRMCs which are declared under a state of calamity, upon the approval of the city council concerned. Of the total local DRRM budget, 30 percent is allocated as Quick Response Fund or stand-by fund for relief and recovery programs intended to normalize the living conditions of residents in communities stricken by calamities, disasters and other forms of complex emergencies.

adopted “Organic way: for people, environment sustainability and progress” as this year’s theme, stressing the need to adopt safe and healthy farming practices as a tool in bringing progress to the countryside. Organizers have projected only about 1,400 participants to the congress but 1,899 reserva-

tions have been made from all over the country. In addition to getting the commitment of top government officials to the movement at sustainable, healthy farming, participants will be updated on success stories of organic farming practitioners not only in rice and vegetable farming but also in aquaculture. Abe P. Belena

DAVAO CITY—The City’s Lingap Para sa Mahirap counter started to service indigents Monday at its new office along Pichon Street. For years, Lingap Para sa Mahirap, the local government’s program for indigents needing medical and funeral assistance, has been holding office at the lobby of the second floor of the city hall—right outside the office of the City Mayor. The new office is the former Government Employees Multipurpose Cooperative—in front of Magallanes Elementary School. Moving Lingap to a new location makes the social service more accessible to the public, said lawyer Raul Nadela, Jr., the chief of staff of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. “The place will be more favorable and comfortable, especially to the elderly, the pregnant, and clients who bring along their kids,” he said. Social workers from the City Social Services and Development Office will help run the program that accommodates around 150 to 200 people a day.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016

LGUs

‘Revise old real property values’ P By Rio N. Araja

RESSED by the Commission on Audit and Department of Finance, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista has urged the city council to revise the local government’s outdated real property values.

He raised concern that noncompliance with the tax provisions of the Local Government Code requiring the general revision of real property assessments every three years might subject them to possible legal actions. In a letter to District Coun-

cilor Allan Benedict Reyes, ways and means committee chairman, Bautista stressed the need to implement Proposed Ordinance No. 20CC-141. He called on the city council to comply with the recommendation of the CoA and Department of Fi-

nance to update the city’s outdated land and property values, which was last updated 21 years ago. The draft legislation sets the revised schedule of fair market values of land and basic construction cost for buildings under Section 219 of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code. “This bill is part of our 20162019 executive-legislative agenda, hence, I anticipate your preferential attention on the matter,” Bautista told Reyes. On the other hand, the Office of the City Assessor, headed by Rodolfo Ordanes, has prepared a new schedule of fair market val-

ues for different classes of properties in Quezon City. “The last approved general revision of fair market value for lands, buildings and other improvements was by the Sangguniang Panglungsod on Dec. 19, 1995, rendering the values indicated therein outdated and irresponsive to the changing times,” the mayor said. Ordanes, for his part, said city officials could face legal suits over the failure to comply with Section 219 of the Local Government Code. “Actually, we can be charged at the Office of the Ombudsman for non-compliance of the law,”

he added. “CoA is requiring us to update our fair market value. Under the law, the Local Government Code of 1991, Section 219, the city assessor is mandated to implement general revision (of tax rates) every three years. Since 1995, we have not increased our fair market value. Our current land value is still in the 1995 rate.” According to Ordanes, the fair market values of lots along Epifanio delos Santos in Quezon City were outdated pale compared to those in the cities of Caloocan, Makati, Pasay, Mandaluyong, and San Juan.

In a letter to the city government, state auditor Rose dela Cruz cited the city’s non-adjustment of the fair market values, “thus, invariably affecting the real property administration system.” DoF issued Joint Memorandum Circular 2010-01 enjoining all local government units to implement Section 219 (General Revision of Assessments and Property Classification) of RA 7160 concerning the revision of property assessments and classification every three years. In response to Bautista’s request, the committee on ways and means has started public consultations in different barangays.

Philex shows health is wealth

EXOTIC DELICACY. Sitty Pananguilan (right), chief administrative officer of the Department of the Interior and Local Government-ARMM, introduces fried ‘tapudi,’ a Maguindanaoan

term meaning grasshoppers, a unique food popular in Maguindanao. Among those on plates are baling, tinapayan, palapa, pastil, fried katipa, inasekan a layagan, kumukunsi, tinadtag and panganansising. Omar Mangorsi

Baguio to PHA sets 67th confab at Manila Hotel get waste bins for program BAGUO CITY—The management of Tiong San Harrison and Tiong San La Trinidad has donated to the City Government several garbage bins as its contribution to the local government’s clean and green campaign. Official sources said this was also in support of the green economic program of the trade and industry as well as environment departments. Jasper Golangco, the company vice president, said the environment-friendly garbage bins were now being fabricated and hoped their department store would be able to turn over to the local government at least three dozens to be distributed in areas of the central business district. “We also want to contribute to the local government waste management efforts by providing our people garbage bins for their use and help them avoid littering anywhere that depicts a bad image of the city,” Golangco stressed. He said the company thought of donating to the local government the garbage bins in line with the green economic program advocated by the trade and industry and environment departments to instill awareness and solicit cooperation among local businessmen in efforts to inculcate the importance of waste management discipline among local residents. Golangco said the distribution of the garbage bins in the city’s central business district must go hand in hand with the proper information and education campaign for the people to understand that the available bins would be for litter only and not for household waste. Dexter See

THE Philippine Hospital Association’s president, Dr. Jesus Jardin, medical director of the Capitol University Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro, announced that the organization will hold its 67th Annual National Convention from Nov. 16 to 18 at The Manila Hotel. Jardin said the annual celebration and gathering of its hospital members and healthcare related

stakeholders would have as its theme “Reinventing Healthcare System for the 21st Century.” The organization is guided by its Mission Statement under the acronym L.E.A.P. (Lead, Enable, Assist and Protect Hospitals Towards Quality Service). PHA Convention Chairman, Dr. Huberto Lapuz, of the Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center, Cabanatuan

City, said he and his team had worked hard to ensure all participants get the maximum benefits. Highlights meant to encourage attendance by its close to 2,000 member hospitals include the conference prologue on Nov 16, where representatives from government agencies are guest resource persons who will dialogue with hospital delegates.

This year’s special guests include President Rodrigo Duterte, represented by Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Russell-Ubial, as keynote speaker; and Rep. Angelina D.L. Tan, of the 4th district of Quezon. PHA Executive Director and Mac Caliwara said pre-registration had been closed but onsite registration would be accepted starting November 16.

TUBA, Benguet—“It is health which is real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver.” The line from anti-war activist Mahatma Gandhi couldn’t be more apt in practice as being applied by Philex Mining Corp. to all its stakeholders, including the host and neighboring villages of its Padcal operations, through free health-care services like medical and dental missions. “This reminds us of how important our health is,” Roy Mangali, assistant resident manager of Padcal operations, said during the medical and dental mission last week. The medical and dental mission was conducted by Philex Mining, in coordination with the government of Tuba, at the town’s Sitio Camp 3-Proper, Brgy. Camp 3. “This is how Philex shows its being a responsible miner— we care about the health of our employees and the people in our communities.” The second of the company’s medical missions held in the runup to its 60th Anniversary Celebration, on Nov. 9, has attracted at least 238 residents in seven of the barangay’s sitios—Balayan, Mangga, Antamok Sur, Antamok Norte, Balding, Riverside, Camp 3-Proper—had received from Philex Mining free medicines like painkillers and antidotes for fever and respiratory illnesses, as well as vitamins (for children and elders). Dexter See

Research addresses production decline

EATEN RAW. An unidentified banana vendor sells on a stretch of a road in Makati City cavendish bananas which accounted for 47 percent of global banana production between 1998 and 2000, and the vast majority of bananas entering international trade. The fruits of the Cavendish bananas are eaten raw, used in baking, fruit salads and fruit compotes. Diana Noche

A STUDY which addresses issues in mango yield and quality through the adoption of Integrated Crop Management is expected to boost the country’s mango industry. Titled “Research and development of integrated crop management for mango production in the Southern Philippines and Australia,” the study is a component project of the Horticulture Program on Fruits and Vegetables. The study is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology. The study aims to prevent the decline in production and quality of fruits attributed to pests, such as thrips, cecid flies, and fruit flies as well as diseases such as anthracnose, blossom blight, scab, and stem end rot, which occur during pre and postharvest. Production problem is even aggravated by concerns on unproductive trees and high costs of inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers. Research institutions and local government units conduct research activities under the project to address the problems as cited. Collaborating agencies include the University of Southeastern Philippines, Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School

of Technology, University of Southern Mindanao, University of the Philippines Los Baños, and Provincial Agriculturists Offices of Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur. The research is geared towards improving fruit quality by developing effective insect control and integrated pest management solutions for pre and postharvest fungal diseases. It also targets to improve fruit size, and yield by optimizing nutrition and canopy management. Ultimately, it aims to improve mango farmers’ livelihoods and profits by developing and implementing an integrated management package of “best practices.” In an annual review of completed and on-going researches held recently, initial research results showed that the use of recommended insecticides with active ingredients cartap hydrochloride and profenofos were effective against thrips. Spraying trees with plant growth regulator (PGR) could also reduce the incidence of blossom blight compared with multiple sprays of fungicide and could give higher average yield per tree. Auxin, cytokinin, gibberellic acid, and salicylic acid were the PGRs used in the study. In vitro and in vivo bioassay tests of different biofungicides against blossom blight, scab, anthracnose, and stem end rot were also conducted, but results are yet to be completed. DOST-PCAARRD

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

World

Standard

TODAY

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL C OURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF QUEZON CITY

EHRAN―Tehran officials shut schools on Monday as the first of the winter’s heavy pollution hit the Iranian capital.

PHILIPPINE SAVINGS BANK., Mortgageee, -versusFRE NO. 11397 SPS. CRISLYN C. TEBAG AND LARRY TEBAG, REP. BY THEIR ATTY. IN-FACT AIDA BONIOG, Mortgagors. x------------------------------------------------x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE OF REAL PROPERTY UNDER ACT 3135 (AS AMENDED) UPON extra judicial petition under ACT 3135, as amended by ACT 4118, and pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Deed of Real Estate Mortgage executed under the date of February 2, 2015, by SPS. CRISLYN C. TEBAG & LARRY E. TEBAG rep. by AIDA L. BONIOG as AIF, Mortgagors with residence and postal address No. 12 Prince Queenies, Love Vill. General Santos City, South Cotabato, 9500/ No. 30 Jasmine St., Modesta Village, San Mateo, Rizal, in favor of PHILIPPINE SAVINGS BANK, Mortgagee to satisfy the mortgage debt in the amount of ONE MILLION FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY SIX THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED PESOS AND 10/100 (P1,466,513.10) as of October 3, 2016, inclusive of interest, penalties, and other charges including the fees that may due together with all the lawful fees and expenses of foreclosure sale, the Ex-Officio Sheriff of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, hereby announces that on December 14, 2016 between the hour of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Office of the Clerk of Court and Ex-Officio Sheriff of Quezon City (beside Quezon City Hall) Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, she will sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, in Philippine Currency, the following described real property/ies with all the improvements. CONDOMINIUM CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 004-2014012207 Registry of Deeds-Quezon City “UNIT NO. 6Q SITUATED IN THE 6TH FLR OF THE MANHATTAN PARKWAY TOWER 3, LOCATED IN AURORA BLVD., AND GEN. MALVAR ST., CUBAO, QUEZON CITY. CONSISTING OF TWENTY EIGHT SQUARE METERS AND FIFTY SQUARE DECIMETERS (28.50) MORE OR LESS. In the diagrammatic floor plan appended to the enabling or master deed of the condominium project annotated on TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE N-302954-55 which embraces and describes the land located at Aurora Blvd., and Gen. Malvar St., Cubao, Quezon City with an area of (4,919 & 1,154) Square Meter. All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above stated time and date. Interested parties are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title to the said property/ies and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be. In the event that public auction should not take place on said date due to fortuitous event of if the aforesaid scheduled date is declared a non-working holiday, it shall be held on December 21, 2016 at the same time and place without further notice. Quezon City, Metro Manila, October 21, 2016. (Sgd.) CAROL DG. BULACAN (Sgd.) GREGORIO C. TALLUD Sheriff IV Clerk of Court VI Acting Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Sheriff WARNING: It is absolutely prohibited to remove, deface or destroy this Notice of Sheriff’s on or before the date of the auction sale under penalty of the law. Copy Furnished: 1)NOLI A. CABRERA 2)SPS. CRISLYN C. TEBAG 3)AIDA . BONIOG 4th Flr. PSBank Center Bldg., AND LARRY E. TEBAG No. 30 Jasmine St., Modesta Village, No. 777 Paseo de Roxas Ave., No. 12 Prince Queenies, Love Vill. San Mateo, Rizal Cor. Sedeño St., Makati City General Santos City, South Cotabato 9500 (MS-Nov. 15, 22 & 29, 2016)

PERFORMANCE. Recording artist Ringo Starr performs with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on November 13, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

LOS ANGELES―”Basic Instinct” director Paul Verhoeven complained on Sunday that Hollywood had stopped making “challenging” movies featuring provocative sex as it clamored to cash in on mainstream audiences. The Dutch filmmaker, famous for a slew of films that shocked audiences with their sex and violence, said studios chasing ratings were now mainly interested in the lucrative “PG-13” market. “If you say it has to be PG13, there are a lot of things you cannot do. You cannot be provocative, you cannot be controversial, you cannot be sexual, erotic, in a direct way,” he told AFP. “It all has to be suggestive, elliptic and whatever. And so then the movies become neutral and the movies are not challenging you in any way.” The legendary filmmaker was behind ultra-violent 1980s and 1990s classics “RoboCop,” “Total Recall” and “Starship Troopers,” as well as erotic films like “Showgirls” and “Basic Instinct.” He spoke out on the red carpet for the Los Angelesbased AFI Fest screening of his latest controversial film “Elle,” a twisted cocktail of sex, violence and dark comedy that is France’s pick to compete for the best foreign film Oscar. With its radical take on the aftermath of a brutal sex crime, the movie garnered rave reviews when it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and drew plenty of dark laughs from the audience on Sunday. It tells the story of a powerful woman played by iconic French actress Isabelle Huppert, who is violently raped and embarks on a dangerous game with her attacker. In the United States, the

rating of movies is a voluntary system managed by the Motion Picture Association of America and the National Association of Theater Owners. A film runs the risk of being R-rated for use of the “fword” as a verb, a graphic depiction of hard drug use, full male nudity, sex or extreme and graphic violence. Verhoeven revealed how he had originally intended to make the movie in Hollywood before numerous American actresses turned down the lead role―fearing it too controversial―forcing him to relocate to France. “There’s no problem in France. As a director you can do what you want,” he told AFP. “I escaped to France because I couldn’t find anything that was for me challenging. Why bother, you know?” Huppert, 63, who some critics say has delivered the performance of her career in “Elle,” was being honored as part of the screening for a glittering career that has seen her appear in more than 100 movies and television productions. Verhoeven described Huppert as “the most fantastic actor I’ve ever worked with, on a level that I did not know existed.” Michael Barker, co-founder of Sony Pictures Classics, which is distributing the movie, said Huppert “has made films in so many countries around the world and her talent as an actress has grown and I’d say there’s pretty much nothing she is afraid of.” Huppert said she felt “grateful” to be honored, adding: “Each time something like this happens to me I still feel a little bit surprised.” AFP

A blanket of choking brown-white smog descended on the city on Sunday, blocking out the view of the mountains that line its northern edge and leading many of its 14 million residents to retreat indoors or don face masks in the street. The level of the deadliest PM2.5 particles hit 156 on Monday―more than three times the level considered safe by the World Health Organization. “Kindergartens and primary schools are closed on Monday in Tehran and most of the cities of the province,” the Ministry of Education announced, according to official agency Irna. Officials extended traffic restrictions that alternate cars with odd and even license plates in two central parts of the city, and deployed ambulances to wait in the busiest and dirtiest areas. Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf rode the metro to work on Sunday in a bid to encourage people to use public transport. Despite having around 100 stations, Ghalibaf says the metro is not sufficiently funded by the central government, and Tehran has some of the world’s worst traffic congestion. Pollution has become a political football in recent years, with conservatives and reformists blaming each other for the problem. Hardliners regularly accuse the reformist vice-president Massoumeh Ebtekar, who heads the environmental protection organization, of not doing enough. The ultra-conservative daily Vatane Emrooz said Monday that 70 percent of deaths in Tehran were linked to pollution. The pollution has been building for six consecutive days and is expected to continue until Wednesday when forecasters hope winds will move the stagnant air, an official told state television. Residents were advised to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, with warnings that pollution is

Manila

Standard

TODAY

Pollution closes Tehran’s schools T

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Director complains of lack of sex in US films

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016

NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS OF SEZ TO CLAIM METER DEPOSIT REFUND

In compliance with Resolution No. 12, Series of 2016 issued by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), Subic Enerzone Corporation (SEZ) hereby notifies its Customers that they may now claim a refund of their meter deposit.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

WARNING: It is absolutely prohibited to remove, deface or Destroy this Notice of Sheriff’s Sale on or before the date of the auction sale under penalty of the law.

Copy Furnished: SPS. RANDY T. DEGACO and PEDRO C. SEBALLOS VICTORIA F. DEGACO 105 Mahiyain St., Blk. 4 Lot 41 Cordon corner Sikatuna Village Eagle St., Rolling Meadows 2, Quezon City San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region BRANCH 214 Mandaluyong City IN RE: PETITION FOR JUDICIAL RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN DIVORCE DECREE BETWEEN LIWAYWAY ANTILLON AVESTRUZ AND MASAFUMI KIMURA,

It is an amount previously required from customers during application for a new service connection to guarantee against loss or damage of the electrical meter installed. This is different from the Service or Bill Deposit which is paid as part of a customer’s application for service to guarantee payment of bills, and is equivalent to the estimated one month bill of the customer.

had a child who was born on 20 August 1998. After their wedding, PETITIONER and RESPONDENT lived at 6-10 Nakano, Kimitsu City, Chiba Prefecture. RESPONDENT filed a divorce and was granted on 06 January 2016.2 No personal nor real properties, both in the Philippines and abroad, were acquired during their marriage.

WHEREFORE, finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, let the hearing on the presentation of jurisdictional requirements be set on 07 February 2017 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning at the Regional LIWAYWAY ANTILLON AVESTRUZ Trial Court, Branch 214, Hall of Justice Petitioner, Building, Maysilo Circle, Mandaluyong City, at which time, date and place mentioned, all SP. PROC. NO. MC-16-10510 interested persons who may be affected thereby For: JUDICIAL RECOGNITION are directed to appear and show cause, if any, OF FOREIGN DIVORCE as to why said petition should not be granted.

-versusMASAFUMI KIMURA Respondent. x-----------------------------------------x

ORDER Before this Court is a verified Petition for judicial recognition of a foreign divorce filed by Liwayway Antillon Avestruz (PETITIONER). PETITIONER prays that after due notice and hearing, judgment be rendered recognizing PETITIONER’s foreign decree of divorce and to direct and annotate such judgment in the Local Civil Registry of Mandaluyong City and National Statistics Office (NSO). PETITIONER alleges that she is a Filipino, of legal age, married to Masafumi Kimura (RESPONDENT) and divorced in Japan, and a resident of 717 Pantaleon Street, Barangay Hulo, Mandaluyong City. RESPONDENT is of legal age, a Japanese national, and a resident of 6-10 Nakano, Kimitsu City, Chiba, Prefecture, Japan. PETITIONER and RESPONDENT were married under civil rite on 29 August 2011 in Kimitsushi, Chiba Ken, Japan.1 Prior to their marriage, PETITIONER and RESPONDENT

What is a meter deposit?

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE

NO. 004-2015010994 REGIONAL TRIAL COURT particularly dangerous for theof Quezon elderly, Registry of Deeds City NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF A PARCEL OF LAND (LOT 41, BLK. 4, OF pregnant, children and those with existTHE CONS-SUBDN. PLAN PCS-007404QUEZON CITY 003783-D, BEING A PORTION OF THE CONS. ing respiratory and heart OF LOTS conditions. 1071-L-3, 791-C-2-C (LRC) PSDPEAKHOLD FINANCE CORPORATION, 263819, 535-C-2-B- (LRC) PSD-263717, 535-BSand Mortgagee, and cement factories around Teh9-A, (LRC) PSD-263816, 535-B-6, PSD-36572, -versusAND 974, PIEDAD ESTATE, LRC REC. NO. ran were also FRE shuttered. NO. 11401 5975), SITUATED IN THE BRGYS OF SAUYO, BAGBAG, QUEZON CITY, M-MANILA, IS. SPS. RANDY T. DEGACO and Every year, TehranAND some ofALONG the OF suffers LUZON, BOUNDED ON THE NW., VICTORIA F. DEGACO LINE 1-2 BY LOT 39, BLK. 4; ON THE NE., AND Mortgagors. E., ALONG LINE 2-4 BYwhen ROAD LOT 8; cold AND ON worst pollution in the world x---------------------------------------------x THE SE., ALONG LINE 4-5 BY ROAD LOT 3; AND ONlevels THE SW., ALONG 5-1 BY LOT weather traps SALE theOFvast of LINE exhaust NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL 40, BLK. 4, ALL OF THE CONS-SUBDN. PLAN. REAL PROPERTY UNDER ACT 3135 XXX CONTAINING AN AREAcars OF ONEand HUNfrom (AS theAMENDED) city’s 10 million ageing DRED FORTY SEVEN (147) SQ. METERS, UPON extra-judicial petition under ACT 3135, MORE OR LESS. motorbikes. as amended by ACT 4118 and pursuant to the All sealed bids must be submitted to the unterms and conditions of the Deed of Real Estate Two permanent zones of trafﬁc restricMortgage executed on September 7, 2015 by dersigned at the aforesaid office on the above SPS. RANDY T. DEGACO and VICTORIA F. stated date and time. tions introduced in 1979 and 2005 have DEGACO, - Blk. 4 Lot 41 Cordon corner Eagle Interested parties are hereby enjoined to St.,failed Rolling Meadows 2,rectify San Bartolome, the Novali- sprawling investigate for themselves the title topoor the said to city’s ches, Quezon City Mortgagors in favor of PEAK- property/ies and the encumbrances thereon, if HOLD FINANCE CORPORATION, Mortgagee, any there be. air quality. to satisty the mortgage debt in the amount of In the event that public auction should not take Php 1,889,340.03 total amount due, as of have Localthe carmakers shown little place on said date due to fortuitous eventinor if September 29, 2016 excluding attorney’s fees, the same be declared a non-working holiday, it liquidated damages; for publication; shall be cleaner terest inexpenses introducing engines, held on DECEMBER 13, 2016 at the filing fees; sheriff’s fees and commission, and same time and place without further notice. such other cost and expenses arisingﬁ outrms of or while foreign have been kept out Quezon City, Metro Manila, October 21, 2016. incidental to the foreclosure, together with all the byfeesinternational sanctions. lawful and expenses of foreclosure sale, the (Sgd.) GREGORIO C. TALLUD Ex-Officio Sheriff of the Regional Trial Court of Clerk of Court VI and 2014, almost QuezonIn City and/or his duly authorized Deputy400 people were hosActing Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Sheriff Sheriff, hereby announces that on DECEMBER with heart 6, pitalized 2016 between the hours of 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 and respiratory probP.M. at the Office of the Clerk of Court & Exlems caused pollution in TehOfficio Sheriff, Regional Trial Court,by Hall ofheavy Justice Bldg., Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, with nearly 1,500 others requiring willran, sell thru public auction to the highest bidder for cash, in Philippine Currency, the following treatment. described real property/ies with all the improvements existing thereon, to wit: (MS-Nov. 8, 15 & 22,that 2016) The health ministry estimated pollution contributed to the premature deaths of 4,500 people in Tehran in 2012 and about 80,000 across the country. AFP

Let copy of this Order be published at the petitioner’s expense in a newspaper of general circulation selected by raffle, ONCE (1) A WEEK for THREE (3) CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. Further, let copy of this Order be served upon the Office of the Solicitor General, the Office of the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor, the Local Civil Registrar of Mandaluyong City, the Philippine Statistics Authority, and RESPONDENT Masafumi Kimura at his last known address in Japan at the expense of PETITIONER. SO ORDERED. Mandaluyong City 10 October 2016. (Sgd.) IMELDA L. PORTES-SAULOG Presiding Judge Office of the Solicitor General Office of the City Prosecutor, Mandaluyong City Atty. Jose Maronilla Liwayway Antillon Avestruz Masafumi Kimura 1 Report of Marriage is attached to the Petition as Annex “A” 2 Divorce Certificate as Annex “B” of the Petition.

(MS-Nov. 15, 22 & 29, 2016)

Who may claim the meter deposit refund? Any person or entity registered as a distribution service customer of SEZwho has paid the meter deposit as required by SEZ, and has not received a refund [directly or by way of credit] thereof is eligible for the meter deposit refund. The registered customer’s heirs, successors-in-interest or his duly authorized representative may also claim on his behalf. This is subject to the exception provided under Section 10 of ERC Resolution No. 8, series of 2008. What is the mode of refund to be given to the eligible customers? Eligible Customers will be refunded in cash if the amount is less or equal to PhP4,000.00, and with check if the refund amount is greater than PhP4,000.00. How long will it take to process the refund? Verification and processing of refund would take atmost two (2) months after application and the submission of all requirements. Thereafter, customer will be notified if he is still entitled for the meter deposit refund or if it was already availed/credited in 2009 after the effectivity of the ERC Resolution No. 8 Series of 2008 or the “Rules to Govern the Refund of Meter Deposits to Residential and Non-Residential Customers”. When is the deadline for claiming the meter deposit refund? Under ERC Resolution No. 12, Series of 2016, consumers may claim the refund on meter deposit until December 31, 2017. All unclaimed deposits after December 31, 2017 shall become the subject of an escheat proceeding. How will the customers claim the meter deposit refund and what are the requirements needed? To claim the meter deposit refund, the customers may visit SEZ’s Main Office located at Canal Road Corner Labitan Street, Central Business District Area, Subic Bay Freeport Zoneand submit the following requirements: For Residential Customers 1.

Registered customers 1.1 Original or photo copy of SEZ electricity bill; 1.2 Accomplished Meter Deposit Refund Application Form 1.3 Official Receipt showing payment of Meter Deposit (if available), 1.4 Original and photocopy of one (1) valid identification card with photo and signature,such as but not limited to Driver’s license, Passport, Professional CYAN Regulatory License, SSS/GSIS ID, TIN ID, Philhealth ID, Senior Citizen ID, Postal ID, Original NBI Clearance and Comelec Voters ID. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS (If claimants are other than the Registered Customers/Account holders)

Heirs or Succesors-in-Interest of the Registered Customers 2.1 Death certificate or proof of death of the registered customer; 2.2 The heir/s must present proof of filiation or any pertinent document that will prove the successional right, such as but not limited to the birth certificate of the heir/s and their ascendants, or marriage certificate; 2.3 The successors-in-interest to the registered customer must present proof of transfer of rights and obligations over the property, including the meter deposit from the previous owner of the property, such as but not limited to the Deed of Sale; and 2.4 Undertaking that there are no other legal heirs of the registered customer Duly authorized representative of the registered customers: 3.1 Special Power of Attorney from the registered customer stating that he/she is authorized to receive the refund in behalf of the registered customer together with a valid ID of both the Registered Customer and the claimant.

For Non-Residential Customers 1.

Registered customers 1.1 Original or photo copy of SEZ electricity bill; 1.2 Accomplished Meter Deposit Refund Application Form 1.3 Official Receipt showing payment of Meter Deposit (if available) 1.4 Original and photocopy of one (1) valid identification card with photo and signature, such as but not limited to Driver’s license, Passport, Professional Regulatory License, SSS/GSIS ID, TIN ID, Philhealth ID, Senior Citizen ID, Postal ID, Original NBI Clearance and Comelec Voters ID. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS (If claimants are other than the Registered Customers/Account holders)

Heirs or Successors-in-Interest of the Registered Customers 2.1 Death certificate or proof of death of the registered customer; 2.2 The heir/s must present proof of filiation or any pertinent document that will prove the successional right, such as but not limited to the birth certificate of the heir/s and their ascendants, or marriage certificate; 2.3 The successors-in-interest to the registered customer must present proof of transfer of rights and obligations over the property, including the meter deposit from the previous owner of the property, such as but not limited to the Deed of Sale; and 2.4 Undertaking that there are no other legal heirs of the registered customer

Duly authorized representative of the registered customers: 3.1 Special Power of Attorney from the registered customer stating that he/she is authorized to receive the refund in behalf of the registered customer together with a valid ID of both the Registered Customer and the claimant.

Corporation or any Registered Entity 4.1 Letter of request signed by the Owner or General Manager of the Corporation or Registered Entity 4.2 Board Resolution or Secretary’s Certificate stipulating the request to SEZ for the meter deposit refund 4.3 Original and Photocopy of one (1) valid primary identification card with photo and signature of the Owner, General Manager or officer of the Corporation or Registered Entity

(MS-NOV. 15, 2016)

Government Accounts 5.1 Letter of request signed by the authorized high-ranking official of the concern government agency 5.2 Board Resolution or Secretary’s Certificate stipulating the request to SEZ for the meter deposit refund 5.3 Original and photocopy of one (1) valid primary identification card with photo and signature of the authorized high-ranking official of the concern government agency

MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF QUEZON CITY PHILIPPINE SAVINGS BANK., Mortgageee, -versusFRE NO. 11397 SPS. CRISLYN C. TEBAG AND LARRY TEBAG, REP. BY THEIR ATTY. IN-FACT AIDA BONIOG, Mortgagors. x------------------------------------------------x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE OF REAL PROPERTY UNDER ACT 3135 (AS AMENDED) UPON extra judicial petition under ACT 3135, as amended by ACT 4118, and pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Deed of Real Estate Mortgage executed under the date of February 2, 2015, by SPS. CRISLYN C. TEBAG & LARRY E. TEBAG rep. by AIDA L. BONIOG as AIF, Mortgagors with residence and postal address No. 12 Prince Queenies, Love Vill. General Santos City, South Cotabato, 9500/ No. 30 Jasmine St., Modesta Village, San Mateo, Rizal, in favor of PHILIPPINE SAVINGS BANK, Mortgagee to satisfy the mortgage debt in the amount of ONE MILLION FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY SIX THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED PESOS AND 10/100 (P1,466,513.10) as of October 3, 2016, inclusive of interest, penalties, and other charges including the fees that may due together with all the lawful fees and expenses of foreclosure sale, the Ex-Officio Sheriff of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, hereby announces that on December 14, 2016 between the hour of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Office of the Clerk of Court and Ex-Officio Sheriff of Quezon City (beside Quezon City Hall) Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, she will sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, in Philippine Currency, the following described real property/ies with all the improvements. CONDOMINIUM CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 004-2014012207 Registry of Deeds-Quezon City “UNIT NO. 6Q SITUATED IN THE 6TH FLR OF THE MANHATTAN PARKWAY TOWER 3, LOCATED IN AURORA BLVD., AND GEN. MALVAR ST., CUBAO, QUEZON CITY. CONSISTING OF TWENTY EIGHT SQUARE METERS AND FIFTY SQUARE DECIMETERS (28.50) MORE OR LESS. In the diagrammatic floor plan appended to the enabling or master deed of the condominium project annotated on TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE N-302954-55 which embraces and describes the land located at Aurora Blvd., and Gen. Malvar St., Cubao, Quezon City with an area of (4,919 & 1,154) Square Meter. All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above stated time and date. Interested parties are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title to the said property/ies and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be. In the event that public auction should not take place on said date due to fortuitous event of if the aforesaid scheduled date is declared a non-working holiday, it shall be held on December 21, 2016 at the same time and place without further notice. Quezon City, Metro Manila, October 21, 2016. (Sgd.) CAROL DG. BULACAN (Sgd.) GREGORIO C. TALLUD Sheriff IV Clerk of Court VI Acting Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Sheriff WARNING: It is absolutely prohibited to remove, deface or destroy this Notice of Sheriff’s on or before the date of the auction sale under penalty of the law. Copy Furnished: 1)NOLI A. CABRERA 2)SPS. CRISLYN C. TEBAG 3)AIDA . BONIOG 4th Flr. PSBank Center Bldg., AND LARRY E. TEBAG No. 30 Jasmine St., Modesta Village, No. 777 Paseo de Roxas Ave., No. 12 Prince Queenies, Love Vill. San Mateo, Rizal Cor. Sedeño St., Makati City General Santos City, South Cotabato 9500 (MS-Nov. 15, 22 & 29, 2016)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016

World

Trump: Americans have nothing to fear N EW YORK―President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to move aggressively on a conservative agenda in filling Supreme Court vacancies, cracking down on immigration and cutting taxes, but also sought to reassure worried Americans they have nothing to fear from his presidency.

Setting aside the strident tone of his campaign, the 70-year-old assumed a gentler manner in his ﬁrst television interview since his shock election, saying he was “saddened” by reports of harassment of Muslims and Hispanics, and telling the perpetrators: “Stop It.” The interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” which was taped Friday and aired in full Sunday, offered Trump an opportunity to reintroduce himself after an ugly, name-calling campaign and surprise victory that sparked protests in cities across the United States. “I just don’t think they know

me,” the billionaire real estate mogul said at one point, of the thousands of protesters who have massed in streets below his Trump Tower headquarters with signs that read “Not our president.” Told that many Americans are scared of his presidency, Trump said: “Don’t be afraid. We are going to bring our country back.” Millions were expected to tune in to Trump’s interview for clues on how the billionaire will govern, and how far he intends to convert his slogans into policy. Trump earlier Sunday named anti-establishment ﬁrebrand

Steve Bannon his top strategist and senior Republican Reince Priebus his White House chief of staff, blending pragmatism with a rabble-rousing edge in the first appointments of his new administration. On the issues, however, Trump made it clear he intends to aggressively push a right-wing agenda, pledging to name justices to the Supreme Court who are against abortion and for gun rights. “The judges will be pro-life,” Trump told CBS. “In terms of the whole gun situation,” he added, “they’re going to be very pro-Second Amendment.” He will have an immediate opportunity to fill a vacancy on the court left by the death of arch conservative justice Antonin Scalia. President Barack Obama’s attempt to fill the seat was blocked by the Republican-controlled Senate. On immigration, Trump reaffirmed his signature campaign pledge to build a wall on the border with Mexico, although he con-

ceded parts of it may be just a fence. And he said as many as three million undocumented immigrants with criminal records would be deported or incarcerated. “What we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers,” he said. “We have a lot of these people, probably two million, it could be even three million, we are getting them out of our country or we are going to incarcerate,” he said. He left the door open, however, on the fate of the millions of other immigrants in the country illegally. “After the border is secured and after everything gets normalized, we’re going to make a determination on the people that you’re talking about who are terriﬁc people,” he said. AFP

ONSTAGE. Erykah Badu performs on Camp Stage during day two of Tyler, the Creator’s 5th Annual Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival at Exposition Park on November 13, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. AFP

China’s Li, Trump to discuss relations

Obama in ﬁnal trip to Europe

BEIJING―Chinese President Xi Jinping and US presidentelect Donald Trump agreed Monday to meet “at an early date” to discuss the relationship between their two powers, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said Monday. In a telephone call, Xi told Trump―who frequently savaged China on the campaign trail and threatened to impose a 45-percent tariff on Chinesemade goods―that the world’s top two economies “need cooperation and there are a lot of things we can cooperate on”, CCTV reported. Xi and Trump “vowed to keep close contact, build good working relations, and meet at an early date to exchange views on issues of mutual interest and the development of bilateral ties”, CCTV said. Before his election, Trump went as far as calling the Asian giant America’s “enemy”, accused it of artificially lowering its currency to boost exports, and pledged to stand up to a country he says views the US as a pushover. He has vowed to pursue a policy of “peace through strength” and build up the US navy. But he also indicated he is not interested in getting involved in far-off squabbles, and decried the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership free trade deal, which encompasses several other Asian countries and has been seen as an effort to bolster US influence, for costing American jobs. CCTV cited Trump as saying in the call that China was a large and important nation that he was willing to work with, and that he believed Sino-US relations could realize “win-win” benefits. The phrasing the broadcaster attributed to the US presidentelect is typical of Chinese diplomacy. Trump’s contrary and ambiguous positions have left a pall of uncertainty over how he will manage the relationship between the world’s two largest economies and its biggest and most powerful militaries. Under President Barack Obama, Washington’s foreign policy “pivot” towards Asia was viewed with alarm in Beijing, which saw it as an attempt to contain its growing geopolitical and economic might. AFP

WA S H I N G T O N ― B a r a c k Obama will travel Monday to Greece and Germany in a final official visit designed, in a strange bit of political contortion, at reassuring worried Europeans about a man he once warned was “unfit” for the presidency: Donald Trump. The irony is cruel: In the name of a peaceful transition, the American president, having thoroughly denounced the billionaire Republican during the recent campaign, must now do his best to reassure his European counterparts about the future of American democracy under a President Trump. “I think the design of the trip was meant to just give everybody some reassurance that we made it through this campaign and we’re going to come out of it all right,” said Heather Conley of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in Washington. “We just have a different scenario now.” The bombastic populist, whose victory over Hillary Clinton surprised virtually everyone, has given Europeans ample cause for concern. He has questioned the relevance of some of America’s paramount alliances, starting with NATO; put the Paris climate-change accord in doubt by calling global warming “a hoax,” and sharply criticized the strenuously negotiated pact that Washington and five other countries signed with Iran to curb its nuclear program. Trump’s attitude toward Russian President Vladimir Putin―the New York mogul called him “a leader, far more than our president has been a leader”―is deeply concerning in Europe, particularly in small countries like the Baltic nations living in Russia’s shadow. Beyond the many concerns over the future of American foreign policy, many European Union countries are bracing for a possible ripple effect of the outspoken Republican’s victory. “They are very worried, because the same populist, nationalist expressions” that Trump exposed in America on immigration and trade could amplify the already “very strong political currents within Europe,” Conley said. AFP

RECEPTION. Actresses Sally Field (L) and Rebecca Hall attend the Indie Contenders Reception hosted in the Audi Sky Lounge at AFI Fest 2016, presented by Audi at Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on November 13, 2016, in Hollywood, California. AFP

Premier quits over pro-Russian president SOFIA―EU member Bulgaria faced an uncertain future Monday after center-right Prime Minister Boyko Borisov quit following the crushing defeat of his presidential nominee at the hands of a Moscow-friendly general backed by the Socialist opposition. Critics fear the surprise win could tilt ex-communist Bulgaria, which has long walked a tightrope between Moscow and Brussels, towards Russia’s orbit―a trend seen across eastern and central Europe amid rising euroskepticism. Nearby Moldova also looked set to elect a pro-Russian president on Sunday. “The results clearly show that the ruling coalition no longer holds the majority,” the premier,

who was re-elected in 2014 for a second time, said on Sunday evening. “I apologize to those who supported us. I thought I was doing the right thing.” The announcement came shortly after projections showed that ex-air force chief and political novice Rumen Radev had swept close to 60 percent of ballots. Borisov’s nominee ex-parliament speaker Tsetska Tsacheva obtained just over 35 percent, in what political analysts calls a “catastrophic defeat”. “It’s a victory for all Bulgarian people. Democracy has beaten apathy and fear today,” Radev told state TV on Sunday evening. The straight-laced Tsacheva meanwhile failed to sway voters

disgruntled over the government’s perceived failure to tackle rampant corruption and poverty in the European Union’s poorest member state. Gallup director Parvan Simeonov told AFP the outcome was a “clear protest vote”. Despite promised reforms, graft and poverty remain rife in the EU’s poorest member state, while public anger has also grown over thousands of migrants currently stranded in Bulgaria. “Bulgaria needs a new face, someone who defends national interests instead of always saying ‘Yes’ to the European Union and the United States,” businessman and Soﬁa resident Assen Dragov, 39, told AFP Sunday. The Bulgarian president’s role

is largely ceremonial but the incumbent is nonetheless a respected figure and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Radev is due to take office on January 22 for a five-year term. His first job will likely be to call early elections in spring next year, after Borisov said Sunday he would refuse to form an interim government. Although GERB remains the country’s top political force, opinion polls indicate it will not be able to obtain an outright majority. National security and preventing a new migrant influx were key points of Radev’s campaign, which saw the general gaining confidence and projecting himself as a fierce critic of the conservative status-quo. AFP

Life

Fun and function come together in these hand painted galvanized buckets

ARTS, CULTURE & MEDIA

OLLOWING the success of their first artist collaboration, L’Indochine’s inspiration seekers Char Carlos and Leona Panutat “wanted to once again work with a local artist that shares the same vision as we do and showcases her experiences and inspiration through her work.” They found a perfect partner for a lifestyle collection they wanted to create with well-known local calligraphy and watercolor artist Anina Rubio. “Anina’s pieces all tell a story,” say C&L. “They are vibrant, and absolutely beautiful to look at.” Anina, on the other hand, has “always been inclined to brands which have well-curated products. Each L’Indochine piece is curated and unique from one another, but at the same time cohesive and focused on one goal—to inspire.” Inspired by Anina’s love for travel and exploring our country’s amazing beaches, L’Indochine created a 10-piece collection that lets you live the island life in style. It’s a collection that tells a story of Anina’s travels, processes, adventures and perceptions of Philippine nature and culture. The collection is close to her heart and is generally inspired by nature elements in the Philippines—banana leaves,

coconut leaves, hibiscus, urchins, corals and seaweed. “My designs are also more pattern-oriented, which is a deviation from my usual typography/calligraphy artworks,” Anina adds. “Each piece, despite being from the same collection, has a different pattern.” Anina has also observed that “our country is surrounded by greens and blues and those two are what sparked my designs for this collaboration: Underwater and Tropics.” C&L are thrilled that this is the brand’s first collaboration that carries both home and fashion pieces. “Our previous collaborations focused mainly on fashion accessories—jewelry, bags and pouches,” they say. “This time we wanted to create beautiful pieces for the home as well because we’ve always believed in surrounding ourselves with things we love, pieces that spark joy and tell stories.” For fashion, there is an all around tote bag that’s perfect for traveling,

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016

L’Indochine’s collaboration with

ANINA RUBIO

Nature elements in the Philippines, which she saw in her travels, are the major theme of Anina’s designs

notebooks for sketching or jotting down notes, pencil cases, pouches for storing your swimwear, and L’Indochine’s best selling travel clutch. For the home, there are hand painted galvanized buckets, stools, beaded pillow cases, placemats and framed artwork. The #LIndochineLovesAninaRubio collection is exclusively available at L’Indochine. Whether you’re planning to add a touch of the exotic to your wardrobe or searching for an exquisite gift, check out L’Indochine stores located on the 4th level of SM Mega Fashion Hall and 3rd level of SM Aura Premier. Calligraphy and watercolor artist Anina Rubio creates designs for fashion and home pieces of L’Indochine

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHEILA CATILO

Anina (seated fifth from left) with guests of #LIndochineLovesAninaRubio collection launch

Fiesta Folkloriada with Bayanihan and other dance companies UNDER the auspices of FIDAF (Federation of International Dance Festivals) The Fiesta Folkloriada of the Philippines, a project of the Bayanihan Folk Arts Foundation in partnership with the Ambassador Alfonso T. Yuchengco Foundation is a festival that gathers a select group of five dance companies from the different parts of the globe to conduct cultural exchanges in various parts of the Philippines, teach and learn from each other and perform in a grand finale with the Bayanihan, the national folk dance company of the Philippines, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Now on its 10th year, the Fiesta was formerly called Lawiswis and was presented mainly in the city of Manila. It invited 10 top dance companies from around the world. For better management and programming, the current number of participants have been set at a maximum of five countries at 20 participants each. The Fiesta is held in December when participants can enjoy a festive atmosphere. This is the time when everyone prepares for Christmas, a

very important religious celebration in the Philippines. Opening ceremonies vary in setting as it can be held in selected destinations around the Philippines. The grand finale is held at the CCP. Performances are also presented in selected schools, universities, hotels, homes of important individuals in Philippine society and business communities, and in towns and cities near Metro Manila. The members of the Bayanihan serve as guides to the visiting dance companies. They ensure that everyone gets a taste of the richness of Philippine cultural heritage and an unforgettable six fun days of personal and professional enrichment and exposure. Suzie Moya Benitez is the Local Chairman for Asia, Federation of International Dance Festivals. She is the Project Director of Fiesta Folkloriada and is Trustee and Executive Director of Bayanihan Folk Arts Foundation. She also serves as Associate Vice President, Campus Life, Philippine Women’s University and Director for CCAMS (Center for Culture, Arts, Music and Sports).

Bayanihan, the country’s national folk dance company, leads the 10th Fiesta Folkloriada of the Philippines

Dance companies from Italy, Korea, New Zealand and Poland will join The Fiesta Folkloriada at the CCP in December

Life

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

Ready to make

your voice

your password? Citi phone banking goes ultra high-tech with voice biometrics

ITI Philippines consumer bank clients will no longer need to remember passwords, or personal identification numbers, or answer a series of questions to verify their identities. The country’s largest foreign bank is the first to introduce Voice Biometrics, which simply means your voice is now your password. CEO Aftad Ahmed said, “We are proud of our strong track record in innovation, and we are delighted to once again take the lead in introducing a game changer in the banking industry. We are relentlessly focused on making it more convenient for our customers to bank with us. Voice Biometrics will deliver convenience and additional protection for their accounts.” The voice biometrics authentication capability identifies customers through their voice print, which, similar to a fingerprint, is unique to each

person. Citi clients can opt to enroll by recording their voices, which the bank will use to generate and store their voice prints for matching subsequent calls to Citibank. Each voice print will be uniquely tagged and cannot be reverse engineered once stored. Once available, customers who call into the bank’s contact centers will have their identity automatically verified within 15 seconds or less as they explain their reason for calling. This is a reduction from an average time of around 45 seconds currently or 66 per-

Citi Philippines CEO Aftad Ahmed introduces Voice Biometrics

cent less time spent verifying their details currently. “Voice biometrics is a great example of how we at Citi listen to our clients and leverage technology to address their concerns,” explained Consumer Banking Head Bea Tan.

Consumer Banking Head Bea Tan and Corporate Affairs Director Aneth Lim

“With our client’s agreement, we can digitize their voice print and with a successful registration, the next time they call, we will do away with the three to five questions to verify their identity, which can take between 45 and 60 seconds.” To date, voice biometrics authentication

has been implemented in Taiwan, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. It will be rolled out throughout the region in 2016 and 2017 to cover all 12 of Citi’s consumer banking markets in Asia Pacific that represent more than half of the bank’s 19 consumer markets globally.

Scanner for utmost workflow efficiency, productivity BROTHER International Philippines, Corp. (Brother PH) recently launched the new ADS-2400N Desktop Scanner with Gigabit Ethernet Networking as a remarkable addition to its state-of-theart line of document scanners.

Innovative features

The Brother ADS-2400N offers true network scanning, without having to log on to a central PC or install software at multiple location points. The ADS2400N supports

Brother DS-620 scans all types of documents to various destinations which can be viewed on mobile devices

Brother’s new scanner boasts of scan speeds of up to 60ipm and a large 50-sheet capacity document feeder

TWAIN and ISIS drivers for software integration and image processing, and incorporates Hi-Speed USB 2.0 for super fast processing. The desktop scanner model scans to email, File, Image, Network, OCR (optical character recognition) software, SharePoint®, USB Host and FTP (file transfer protocol) or SFTP (secure file transfer protocol). Built for professional business usage, Brother ADS-2400N boasts of scan speeds of up to 60ipm (30ppm) and a large 50-sheet capacity document feeder capable of scanning 27 to 413gsm paper weights. Moreover, the ADS-2400N uses a wider output tray to neatly capture paper fed through the automatic document feeder. Paper trays are angled to encounter less paper resistance so paper can glide easily and stack smoothly, reducing paper folds. The new desktop scanner model also has Multifeed Detection that uses sound waves to identify potential misfeeds. The paper pathway is automatically suspended and the user alerted if an irregular signal is detected. The Advanced Reverse Roller system, meanwhile, manages incoming bulk paper jobs so only one sheet is processed at a time, for outstanding reliability when scanning a variety of document types and weights.

Outstanding benefits

Enjoy Brother ADS-2400N network scanner that is fast becoming a category favorite especially for mid to large-sized offices. Reasonably priced at SRP of P24,990, its true network capability allows offices to enjoy improved workflow efficiency with scanned business critical information shared across teams and departments with minimum user involvement. Achieve high productivity with its fast scan speeds and outstanding reliability even when scanning a variety of document types and weights. Last but not the least, be cost efficient with early detection of misfeeds, which reduces the risk of damaged documents and lost data. Other desired features also include its OCR and mobile scanning capability, and inclusion of industry leading software.

The ADS-2400N offers true network scanning, without having to log on to a central PC or install software at multiple location points

work remotely or are always on the go. The mobile scanner is bundled too with powerful software to become the perfect solution for document management and improved workflow. Powered simply by USB from your laptop, scan all types of documents to various destinations, available to view on one’s mobile device, whenever and wherever. Brother President Glen P. Hocson said, “At Brother, we continuously in-

novate to help businesses be more agile and productive. We train our sights on harnessing technology to enable today’s modern office workers, both those working inside the office and remotely. That is mostly true for both our desktop and mobile document scanners.” For more information about Brother Scanners, visit brother.com.ph or call (02) 581-9888.

Benilde Prize 2.0 winners awarded Power Mac Center products STUDENTS from Ateneo de Naga received a Macbook Air from Power Mac Center, a premium reseller of Apple products, as an additional prize for their triumph in the recent Benilde Prize 2.0 Competition. The Power Mac Center, as the sponsor of the equipment, assisted the team from Naga to realize their Dreamweaver proposal, which aims to develop an online job portal that would match K-12 graduates with future employers. The Benilde Prize is an initiative by the De La Salle-College of Saint Be-

nilde (DLS-CSB) to pioneer a search for innovative and inclusive ideas that will impact the lives of Filipinos. Present during the handover of the laptop computer were Hub of Innovation for Inclusion (HIFI) mentor Jose Antonio Garcia, Team Dreamweave members Kathleen Villena, Phoebe Anne Bandoy, and Mark Joseph Euste, Benilde Senior Engagement Associate Kay Donato, HIFI consultant Jay Michael Jaboneta, and HIFI Program Development coordinator Rex Lor.

Increased scanning options

Brother’s mobile scanner is suitable for field personnel, or employees who work remotely or are always on the go

The Brother ADS-2400N network scanner is a valuable addition to Brother’s scanner portfolio, which also includes the DS-620 mobile scanner for field personnel, or employees who

Ateneo de Naga students receive the Macbook Air they won in the Benilde Prize 2.0 Competition

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016

ELEBRITIES are some of the most sleep-deprived people, their crazy schedules lined up with shoots, interviews and performances make it nearly impossible for them to get decent sleep. However, actress-model Maxene Magalona and host-mom Donita Rose Cavett seem to have discovered the sweet spot to a good night’s rest. Recently, the two women sat down with Tempur to share their sleep secrets. Unknown to many, bubbly actress Maxene Magalona is also a Sleeping Beauty at heart. “I’m more energized and deﬁnitely more prepared for anything in my daily schedule when I sleep properly” she observed. For someone who hated taking naps as a little girl and who partied all night in college, Maxene treasures 6 to 8 hours of sleep now that she’s older. “Even after

sleeping for eight hours, I often want to sleep some more,” she confessed, laughing at the irony. Maxene also openly expressed her love for Tempur pillows that provide her with uninterrupted slumber. “My Tempur pillow gives my neck full support and my sleep has really improved when I started using it,” she enthused. “My head is elevated and never goes the wrong direction. I don’t have neck problems anymore when I wake up.” A travel-size Tempur pillow that she can roll up and stash in her carry-on luggage is what she wants next! She goes “During travel or taping, I love getting massages. With Tempur pillows, it will be like I am getting a massage while on the trip. I would even recommend Tempur to my co-actors!” Maxene enthused. Maxene believes getting enough sleep has a domino effect on one’s overall well-being. “It helps you to be more in control and revved up to perform better in life. And for me, a Tempur pillow is really a good investment. It may just be a pillow for some but it makes a world of difference. If you have Tempur, you wouldn’t have a bad ‘temper’!” she said cheerfully. After leaving Philippine show business to work

For Maxene Magalona getting enough sleep has a domino effect on one’s wellbeing

How MAXENE and DONITA get enough Zssss

in Singapore, former VJ and celebrity mom Donita Rose Cavett has now moved back to the country for good with her 12-year old son, JP. Just like any public ﬁgure whose life is an open book, Donita shared a secret that most people never knew about her: “I’m a migraine sufferer,” the 42-year-old host-actress revealed. Doctors advised her to avoid certain food and drinks and from using the wrong type of pillow—one of the triggers to her migraine. Her migraine attacks, she said, are also due to lack of sleep or oversleeping. “I don’t really have problems sleeping at night. But if there’s one thing, my arms get numb from sleeping on one side the whole night, so I get up about 10 times every night just to switch positions. That’s why I can’t really get continuous, quality sleep,” Donita shared, saying that her sleeping problem was also the reason why she left the morning show she used to co-host. To put an end to her problem, Donita began to research about the proper mattress and the right bed that could deliver the best sleep every night. Her research led her to Tempur. Before she left for the US, Donita enjoyed ﬁve Tempur pillows (which she eventually passed on to her best friend) plus two more in the States. Now, she has the “Dream Kit” and the Tempur mattress she’s currently enjoying with his son.

Actress and former MTV VJ Donita Rose shares a few tips for better sleep

Since discovering Tempur products, Donita has had fewer episodes of migraine attacks and now sleeps comfortably without the numbness on her arms for having to switch sides in the middle of the night. She says having a good night’s rest has a tremendous effect on her whole disposition and sets the pace for the rest of her day. Tempur is the only mattress and pillow brand licensed by the US Space Foundation to use the Certiﬁed Technology Seal. It has changed the way people sleep and relax with its revolutionary products made from visco-elastic, pressure-relieving and temperature-sensitive material that adapts and responds to every body shape and sleeping position, weight and temperature. Now on its 11th year in the Philippines, Tempur continues to give users what they deserve: the best and most restful sleep. Tempur in the Philippines is exclusively distributed by Focus Global Inc To know more about Tempur, visit the TEMPUR showrooms at: Level 3, Greenbelt 5 Ayala Center, Makati | Tel No. (02) 728.3015; Level 5, Main Wing Shangri-La Plaza Mall EDSA corner Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong | Tel No. (02) 631.1391; B5, Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig | Tel No. (02) 856.4700; Design Center of Cebu, P. Remedios cor. A.S. Fortuna Sts., Mandaue, Cebu | Tel No. (032) 520.9888 / 238.7605.

Interactive dance show features audience on stage DISCOVER the artistic process of dancers in Quartered, a unique interactive concert, where the audience takes center stage for the duration of the whole show. Quartered takes its viewers through the journey of dancers to experience, learn, and appreciate their struggles against expectations, labels, commercialism, and rejection while questioning whether they have fulﬁlled or failed in their passion. In this presentation, the performers from the Dance Department of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) will surround the attendees, immersing them within the artist’s difﬁculties and misgivings, failures and triumphs, and their sorrows and joys. Quartered is choreographed by Denisa Reyes, a former Ballet Philippines Artistic Director and presently a Senior Industry Fellow of Benilde’s Dance Department, together with Dance Department Chair Christine Crame. In addition to Crame, the other dancers include

Quartered is an immersive interactive concert that allows audience to be part of the show

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Tuesday, November 15, 2016

ACROSS 1 More fuzzy 7 Fleshy mushroom 10 Copacetic 14 Sitting — 15 Filmdom’s Gardner 16 Tavern brews 17 Barely boil 18 Toshiba rival 19 Monsieur’s wines 20 Like a fox or a hunk (4 wds.) 23 Chipmunk snack 26 MIT degrees 27 Radius neighbors 28 Moos 29 Stockholm airline 30 “— — seeing things?” 31 Toon Olive 32 Home tel. 33 Kind of leap 37 Part of a giggle 38 911 staffer 39 Ode inspirer 40 Rollover subj. 41 Apollo’s twin 43 NATO cousin 44 Boss, briefly 45 Refrain syllables 46 TDs earn 6 47 Suggestive look

48 It may be rattled 51 Chart shape 52 Full of lather 53 Gets serious (2 wds.) 56 Is that all — —? 57 Devotee 58 Striped animals 62 Magritte or Russo 63 Environmental prefix 64 Vogues 65 Walked heavily 66 Loud clamor 67 Longest lasting DOWN 1 CEO aides 2 — you ready? 3 Golly! 4 Breaks silence 5 Fictional Frome 6 Bread and whiskey 7 White-water craft 8 Levels out 9 Accord 10 Spear 11 UFO pilot 12 Safari country 13 Winding curves 21 Dough raisers 22 Earthlings 23 Kahuna’s hello

24 More demure 25 Barn fledgling 29 Truck-stop sights 30 Mystiques 32 Comment 33 Named, as a price 34 Counted the minutes 35 Prevails upon 36 Take the plunge 42 Chose 46 Detroit hoopster 47 Charged ahead

48 Evade 49 Tick off 50 Good in Guadalajara 51 “My Cousin Vinny” actor 52 Eddy 54 More than misled 55 — von Bismarck 59 WSW opposite 60 Hwys. 61 Sound-barrier breaker

Christopher Chan of Air Dance and Mark Raymund Garcia. The school’s Associate Dean Sunita S. Mukhi directs from a scenario she co-wrote with Eric Villanueva Dela Cruz. Lighting design is by Jay Aranda, with music by the Music Production Department and videography by the New Media Department. The program is supported by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the college’s School of Design and Arts Dean’s Ofﬁce. The dance concert will have performances from Wednesday to Friday, Nov. 23 to 25, at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., and on Saturday, Nov.26, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. All shows will be at the Black Box, Sixth Floor, DLS-CSB SDA Campus, at 950 Pablo Ocampo (Vito Cruz) Street, Malate, Manila. For tickets and inquiries, please contact 0915-385-2601 or benildequartered@gmail. com. Visit its Facebook page at FB.com/ benildequartered

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

ISAH V. RED

ER name is Kim. No, not the Vietnamese girl in Miss Saigon. She is an upcoming star at the Kapuso network and was recently introduced as Kim Domingo playing the third wheel Agatha Samaniego in the comic soap opera Juan Happy Love Story with Dennis Trillo and Heart Evangelista.

The audience, particularly, fans of Evangelista, thought Domingo a threat to their idol, which, of course, was just a perception as the producers and writers have wittingly put Domingo’s character between Juan (Trillo) and Happy (Heart) to ensure the success of the soap operatic comedy. It seems the Kapuso network has big plans for Domingo who has recently earned the moniker “Pantasya ng Bayan” and affirmed by Ginebra San Miguel, Inc. (GSMI) as GSM’s 2017 Calendar Girl in a grand press presentation at Sequoia Hotel in Quezon City. Domingo is some kind of a hybrid being partly French, which explains her looks and height. She joins popular models and actresses that graced the GSM calendars through the years, including Ellen Adarna (2015), two-time calendar girl Marian Rivera (2009 and 2014), Georgina Wilson (2013), Solenn Heusaff (2012), Anne Curtis (2011), and her predecessor Arci Muñoz (2016). Domingo said it has always been her dream to be an actress, and now that she is part of Ginebra San Miguel’s prestigious roster of brand ambassadors, she hopes that this would open up more opportunities to let her talent shine. “Kim definitely personifies our marketing campaign, ‘Ganado Sa Buhay’. She worked her way up to become one of the most recognizable faces in the entertainment industry today. Her story is an inspiration to every hardworking Filipino,” GSM Brand manager Paolo Tupaz said. “Even when I was younger, I already had specific goals in life; I knew what I wanted to be and what I wanted to accomplish. Being an only child, I also learned to be strong and independent early on. I’m very grateful that my hard work and perseverance are starting to bear fruit now. So for our ka-barangays, I just want to send a message that if we remain strong, focused and ‘Ganado sa Buhay’, we will be able to achieve our goals and dreams,” the upcoming actress said. Kim started her showbiz journey when she joined Eat Bulaga’s “Little Miss Philippines”

Upcoming star Kim Domingo sizzles on the latest themed GMS Calendar

search. Since then, she has joined several other talent reality competitions and landed modeling gigs. She rose to fame with her viral videos on YouTube, lip-syncing “Twerk It Like Miley” and dancing to the “Trumpets” challenge, which got almost two million views. More than just a pretty face, the fast-rising star is also a girl of

many t a l e n t s . A s i d e from hosting, dancing, and throwing punch lines in the top-rating gag show Bubble Gang, she is also a recording artist, having just released her debut single, “Know Me” for GMA Records. GSMI has released five layouts for its 2017 calendar with a “Cheeky and Geeky” theme, showing Doming’s fun and quirky side. GSMI flagship brand Ginebra San Miguel has been enjoyed by many for over 180 years and remains the no. 1 selling gin in the world, according to leading global drinks journal Drinks International. Other GSMI products are GSM Blue, GSM Blue Flavors, Ginebra San Miguel Premium Gin, Don Enrique Mixkila, Antonov Vodka, Vino Kulafu and Primera Light Brandy. For more details, like the Ginebra San Miguel official Facebook page www.facebook. com/BarangayGinebra or log on to www.ginebrasanmiguel.com. GSMI is a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation.

*** For two consecutive years, the City of Bacoor was received the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) from Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Mayor Lani Mercado Revilla was given the 2016 SGLG during the SGLG National Conferment Ceremony at the Soﬁtel Philippine Plaza on Oct. 27. DILG Secretary Sueno highly commended the ofﬁcials for the remarkable performance and commitment of the City Government in carrying on its journey towards tapat at mahusay na pamahalaang lokal. Aiming for the prestigious Seal requires Local Government Units (LGUs) to meet the upgraded standards and criteria based on three core components and at least an essential area set by the DILG. Core components of SGLG are: 1. Financial Administraion 2. Social Protection and 3. Disaster P r e p a r e d - ness. LGUs are also measured for all of three essential areas namely: 1. Business Friendliness and Competitiveness 2. Peace and Order and 3. Environmental Management. The DILG set the parameters to help strengthen and uplift an LGU

towards excellent governance. The elated lady Mayor thanked and congratulated the City Council of Bacoor, Department and Unit Heads, employees, volunteers and all the hardworking and dedicated people behind Bacoor City’s continuing transformation. “The Lord God works wonders. Our strength and wisdom come from our Lord. We li this all up to Him.” Bacoor City received its very ﬁrst Seal of Good Local Governance in 2015 during the last term of now Congressman Strike B. Revilla *** Department of Transportation Secretary Arturo P. Tugade will be the guest of honor and speaker at the upcoming “You Are The Key” 30th anniversary reunion dinner of various Rotary Clubs. Sec. Tugade is a past president of Rotary Club Panday Pira Manila. The event marks the 30th anniversary of the Rotary International (RI) District 381 (D381), which was established in Rotary Years (RY) 1985 – 1986. After redistricting in 2000, D-381 became D-3810 and another district, D-3830, was formed. Rotarians from the various Clubs in D-3810 and D-3830, as well as those chartered after the redistricting in RY 1999-2000, are expected to attend the reunion dinner tonight at the Golden Bay Seafood Restaurant, Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, Pasay City. According to the past RI D-381’s ﬁrst District Governor Sonny Ventura, this anniversary

is “an important milestone and rare event.” “Many fellow Rotarians are eager to meet again and renew ties, as well as meet new Rotarians in this grand reunion celebration. Members in the newly formed Clubs are likewise eager to share and participate in this event,” Past President Eddie Yap, chairman of the executive committee, affirms. The program is also headlined by Past Rotary International Director (PRID) Paing Hechanova, who will deliver an inspirational message. RCM President Teodoro J. Ocampo will deliver the first promotional talk on the upcoming centennial celebration of the Rotary Club of Manila, the first Rotary Club in Asia. Current District Governors Ernest Yuyek of D-3810 and Edna Sutter of D-3830 were also invited to grace the event. Karla Gutierrez, internationally acclaimed soprano, will perform at the event. There will be entertainment, giveaways and a raffle of valuable items. Members of the Executive Committee are: chair PP Eddie Yap, vice chair and secretary PP Dwight Penson, treasurer PP Jerry Limpe, members PP Arsenic Ong and PP Willie Yu; ExCom Senior Advisers: PDG Sonny Ventura and PDG Herman Gamboa; Group Leaders: PP Rene Sunico, PP Cesar Campos, PP Vic de la Dingco, PP Manny Tan Paredes and PP Willie Limqueco.

iPhoto ON THE WINGS OF LENOVO. Lenovo, a global leader in PC and mobile development and enterprise solutions, has signed James Reid and Nadine Lustre as brand ambassadors in the Philippines. With them in photo, from left, are Lenovo ofﬁcers Anna Abola, marketing manager, and Jerry Dy, consumer segment lead.

Actress and Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado