Manila Standard - 2017 September 23 - Saturday by Manila Standard

Hazing suspect gives up Claims no role except to aid already ‘half-dead’ victim

VOL. XXXI • NO. 221 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

SUSPECT BOOKED.

WIRETAPPING. President Rodrigo

Duterte has admitted ‘tapping’ telephone lines of narco-politicians, which he said has helped him trace their transactions, and named Iloilo Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and the deceased Ozamiz City mayor Reynaldo Parojinog.

‘IS extremist threat spilling over to other parts in south’

Taxi driver in EJK case now suspect By Rey E. Requejo TOMAS Bagcal, the taxi driver who claimed he was robbed by Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman before the former UP student was killed by police in a supposed shootout, has been included as principal suspect in the killing of the two teenagers. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II made the disclosure after Bagcal suddenly changed his testimony, claiming that Arnaiz and De Guzman used a knife when they robbed him

including some 9,000 from Nestlé products—the most frequently-seen brand, according to a tally kept by the group. “These corporations are the missing piece in the global ﬁght against plastic pollution,” Greenpeace campaigner Abigail Aguilar said in a statement. Greenpeace said plastic waste was a particularly serious problem in “sachet economies” like the Philippines and other developing countries, where people on limited incomes are pushed to buy cheap goods in small quantities. In the Philippines, a country of 103 million people with high levels of poverty, products sold in single-use sachets include instant coffee, shampoo, cooking oil, food season-

ing and toothpaste. These low-value disposable sachets usually end up in landﬁll or as litter or marine debris, according to Greenpeace. Nestle provided Aguilar details of its “environmental sustainability projects” on Friday, she said. Unilever, number two on the Greenpeace list, and number ﬁve Procter & Gamble did not respond to the group’s correspondence, said regional Greenpeace spokeswoman Angelica Pago. The solutions proposed by Nestlé were “still promoting incineration and end-of-pipe solutions, while Greenpeace advocates for waste reduction and the banning of single-use plastics altogether,” Pago added. Next page

Trillanes sues Mocha for libel over fake news

POLICE SEND-OFF. Northern Police Director Chief Supt. Clifton Empiso leads the send-off

ceremony Monday—in this picture released only Friday—for 300 cops from Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela City to the Caloocan City Police Station where the entire police force was sacked following a spate of killings where Caloocan policemen were involved. Andrew Rabulan

Nokor calls Trump ‘deranged,’ hints nuke test SEOUL, South Korea— US President Donald Trump is “mentally deranged” and will “pay dearly” for his threat to destroy North Korea, Kim Jong-Un said Friday, as

his foreign minister hinted the regime may explode a hydrogen bomb over the Paciﬁc Ocean. In a rare personal attack published hours after Washington announced twitter.com/ MlaStandard

“We strongly condemn the senseless killing of Horacio Castillo III,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said. * The Taipei Economic and Cultural Ofﬁce clariﬁed that Ralph Cabales Trangia, one of the suspects in Castillo’s killing, did not enter Taiwan as some reports said, but went directly to Chicago as he transited from one airline to another at Taoyuan Airport. “In other words, Mr. Trangia did not enter Taiwan. He was only one of the millions of transit passengers who had passed through Taiwan’s busy airport and departed for North America,” a TECO statement said, adding it did not know Trangia’s current whereabouts. * Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Friday urged the witnesses in the hazing of Castillo to come forward, assuring them of admission to the government’s Witness Protection Program if Next page they would tell the truth.

US survey group: Duterte’s war on drugs gets 57% broad support

Cheap plastic in PH 3rd worst sea pollutants WESTERN consumer giants are polluting the oceans by selling products packaged in cheap, disposable plastic to Filipinos, Greenpeace has claimed and named Nestlé, Unilever and Procter & Gamble among the worst offenders. The environmental group ranked the Philippines as the “third-worst polluter into the world’s oceans” after China and Indonesia in a report released Friday in Manila. Single-use plastics from products sold by conglomerates, such as bags, bottle labels and straws stood out during a week-long Greenpeace cleanup campaign held on Manila Bay this month, it said. More than 54,200 pieces of plastic waste were recovered from the bay in total,

But Solano said he could not be sure about the true condition of the 22-yearold Castillo because he is not a doctor, but said Castillo had been unconscious. “I did give CPR and then when I could not do anything else, I brought him to the hospital,” Solano told reporters following his surrender to the Office of Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday. Solano, a member of the Aegis Juris Fraternity, was met by UST Civil Law dean Nilo Divina, Lacson, and the police past 2 p.m. on Friday in Lacson’s office at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. In other developments: * Malacañang condemned Castillo’s killing on Friday, more than a week after the freshman law student at the University of Santo Tomas died after the initiation rites of the Aegis Juris Fraternity in the university.

John Paul Solano, a member of the Aegis Juris Fraternity, is processed Friday by police after being considered the prime suspect in the fatal hazing of University of Santo Tomas law freshman Horacio Castillo III, after he was turned over to the Manila Police District’s homicide section by Senator Panfilo Lacson. Norman Cruz

By John Paolo Bencito SPORATIC ﬁghting between government troops and some Moro groups suggests that the threat of Islamic State-inspired extremists from Marawi City is spilling over to other parts of Mindanao, President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday night. In Cotabato, Duterte said, Moro Islamic Liberation Front ﬁghters and government troops battled the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, which has aligned itself with the Maute group, the ISISinspired terrorists that overran Next page Marawi City.

OHN PAUL Solano, one of the suspects in the hazing death of Horacio Tomas Castillo III, said Castillo was already “half-dead” when he arrived and rushed him to the Chinese General Hospital in Manila on the night of Sept. 16.

tougher sanctions, the North Korean leader took aim at Trump over his maiden speech to the UN General Assembly in which he branded Kim Next page

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OPPOSITION Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Friday filed three counts of the cybercrime offense of libel and falsification of documents against Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson before the Office of the Ombudsman, and sought her immediate dismissal for taking advantage of her position to spread fake news. Trillanes also accused Uson of graft, grave misconduct and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. “The era of fake news is over. All those spreading fake news will be culpable under the law,” Trillanes said. “I’ve been holding my peace. I have always been badmouthed.... But this one is different. She has been spreading fake information, directly besmirching my reputation and credibility as a public official. She has accused me of having offshore accounts that really did not exist,” Next page Trillanes said.

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MORE than three-quarters of Filipinos support President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, despite thousands of deaths and international condemnation over alleged rights abuses, a Pew Research Center poll has found. Some 78 percent of Filipinos approve of Duterte’s handling of the illegal drugs issue, with 62 percent believing the government’s campaign was making progress, according to Pew’s face-to-face surveys of 1,000 adults. The President also remained extremely popular a year after his election, with 86 percent saying they had a favorable view of him, a result in line with domestic surveys. The poll had a margin of error of 4.3 percent. The survey—conducted between Feb. 26 and May 8—predates some recent controversies over Duterte’s administration, including his declaration of martial law on Mindanao and drug-smuggling accusations against his son. Thousands joined protests in Metro Manila on Thurs-

day to mark the anniversary of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos’s martial law declaration 45 years ago. Duterte spokesman Ernesto Abella reiterated the President had no plan to expand military rule beyond Mindanao, where the government has battled Islamist militants. The state “recognizes the fear and indignation of the people against a repetition and perpetuation of such human rights violations,” Duterte said, referring to Marcos’ decade-long martial rule, in a proclamation suspending government work Thursday. Since taking ofﬁce in June 2016, Duterte has waged a war on illegal drugs that has been condemned by the United Nations, the European Union and human rights advocates. While Duterte administration ofﬁcials place total deaths at more than 3,400 as of July 26, Human Rights Watch estimated earlier this year that more than 7,000 people had been killed, including at least Next page three mayors.

PH scored 75.6 points in impunity level, highest among 65 countries THE Philippines had the worst level of impunity among 69 countries, the latest Global Impunity Index of the University of the Americas Puebla and the Center of Studies on Impunity and Justice revealed. The Philippines scored 75.6 points in terms of the level of impunity in the country, putting it under nations with “very high impunity index,” followed by India with 70.94 points. Other countries on top of the list were Cameroon, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela,

Brazil, Colombia, Nicaragua, Russian Federation, Paraguay, Honduras and El Salvador. “The Philippines is going through one of its critical moments, due to the increase of violence related with organized crime and increased terrorist activities from local gangs linked with the Islamic State,” the report said. According to the report, countries with high rates of impunity can suffer socioeconomic inequality, legal inequality, rule-oflaw problems, insufﬁcient

economic development, difﬁculties to attract foreign investment and tourism, as well an increase in human rights violations. In determining the level of “impunity” in the country, two factors were used. First was the functionality of security, justice systems and the protection of human rights, which was scored according to indicators such as the percentage of individuals detained without judgment and the ratio of prosecutors to individuals brought before courts. Next page

FASHION SHOW. The Kasuotang Pilipino Fashion Show 2017 is currently held at the Glorietta at the Makati Center in observance of the Linggo ng Kasuotang Pilipino. The show is an exhibit of authentic Filipino attires of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and is participated in by officials of the Makati City government and members of the diplomatic corps. Diana Noche

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'Case vs Chavez just harassment' By Maricel V. Cruz

LAWMAKER said Friday the graft charges ﬁled by Busan Universal Rail Inc. or BURI against Transportation Undersecretary for railways Cesar Chavez was a simple harassment case and a desperate attempt to save their anomalous P3.8-billion maintenance service contract for the MRT3. Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles said BURI’s action should prompt Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade to implement the full termination of the contract. It should also initiate the filing of plunder charges

against BURI management along with former transportation officials who were responsible for the invalid and illegal contract that had cost taxpayers at least P650 Million. “This action of BURI is clearly a criminal shake-

down. It is trying to harass the DOTr with the filing of the graft charges against Undersecretary Chavez,” Nograles said “The best response is to file plunder cases against BURI because they have collected money from the government on the basis of an invalid contract.” Nograles said that, along with the filing of plunder charges against BURI and former transport officials, Tugade should not wait any longer in terminating BURI’s service contract as the MRT3 was completely vulnerable to a possible sabotage that could endan-

ger the lives of the commuting public. “The breakdown of the trust between the government and the service provider now puts the lives of the riding public at risk,” Nograles said. In lieu of BURI, the DOTr can temporarily tap the services of the maintenance service provide of Light Rail Transit Authority, “which has been doing a pretty decent job in maintaining the LRT system” and immediately schedule a bid for its new maintenance service provider. Just last week, Nograles said MRT3 suffered a series

PCSO loses 30 percent of STL income to illegal gambling THE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office has been losing up to 30 percent of its potential income from Small Town Lottery due to continued operation of illegal gambling in some provinces, the state lottery agency told senators. PCSO Chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz said this was the main reason its Authorized Agent Corporations were having difficult time meeting their Presumptive Monthly Retail Receipts obligations, affecting government revenues. During a Senate hearing Tuesday on the proposed creation of the Philippine Charity Office, some AACs complained illegal gambling continued to flourish in their areas of operation and this prevented them from fully meeting their obligations to the government. Corpuz told committee chairman Senator Panfilo Lacson that as of August 72 AACs were currently oper-

ating all over the country, out of 92 approved, and that has resulted in a revenue increase of P8.8 billion from January to August this year, or an increase of 166 percent. “We will soon reach the momentum, and then from there, the PCSO will review their performance, and insist on is due to the government,” Corpuz said, adding they were expecting the remaining 20 more AACs to operate before the year ends. However, about 30 percent of potential collections is lost to illegal gambling, Corpuz said. One of the AACs, Ramloid Corp., which operates in Laguna, reported it collected P4 million daily from STL but loses about P1.2 million to illegal gambling. Lucky V Prime Enterprises Corp., an AAC from Albay, is supposed to remit to PCSO P2.5 million daily and they were able to meet 70 percent of their PMMR last August, but they complained

the remaining 30 percent may have been lost to illegal gambling. The case was almost the same in the provinces of Batangas, Bulacan, Negros Occidental and Pangasinan. “About 30 percent on the average of the amount to be remitted to PCSO had been lost,” Lacson learned. Go Golden Rapid Gaming Corp., which operates in Pangasinan, has the potential of collecting at least P5 million a day, but they cannot fully remit their PMMR because of continued “guerrilla” operations of other illegal numbers game, representatives said. Representatives of Lucky V Prime Enterprises Corp., an AAC from Albay, told the senator they would likely meet their PMMR remittance if jueteng would be totally eradicated as this was one of the challenges they were facing in their operations. Earlier, PCSO general

manager Alexander Balutan called on the Philippine National Police to hit hard on illegal gambling, particularly illegal numbers game “jueteng” that continuously competed with the government-sanctioned STL. “We have to face the illegal gambling crisis, and double our efforts in the conduct of operations against illegal gambling to arrest syndicates, particularly those who are using STL as a front to cover their illegal business,” Balutan reiterated on Friday. The general manager said even the STL collectors who turned out to be from legitimate STL operators should not be spared from the arrest if they would be proved running illegal bookies in their areas of operations. “The PCSO, together with our STL AACs, hopes to finally eradicate jueteng which seems to be the biggest challenge of STL operations,” Balutan added.

PH scored...

Taxi... From A1

on Human Rights and rights group Rise Up for Life and for Rights, which previously took him into custody. Bagcal has been placed under the protective custody of NBI, Aguirre said. The murder cases of Arnaiz, De Guzman and Kian Loyd Delos Santos are now undergoing preliminary investigation in the DOJ after the victims’ parents filed the criminal complaints through assistance of Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta. Bagcal was included as respondent in the charge sheet against Police Officers 1 Ricky Arquilita and Jeffrey Perez for double murder, torture and planting of evidence under Republic Act 10591 or Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and R.A. 9165, or the “Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. Acosta explained that Bagcal was implicated as a coconspirator in the killings. “We believe he had knowledge of the twin killings. He

should be brought here in the DOJ to explain his inconsistent affidavits,” she told reporters in an interview after the hearing. But Acosta explained that Bagcal could still be off the hook and serve as state witness in the case. “He could even qualify for witness protection program for as long as he tells the whole truth,” she stressed. Bagcal claimed that Carl Angelo robbed him along C3 Road. He recalled that Arnaiz even fired a gun inside the taxi but the driver was able to fight back and ran after the teenager whom he said he caught before being mauled by responding residents. He said he then brought the teenager to the police station alive. Bagcal said the policemen brought them back to the alleged crime scene in C3 Road where he heard gunshots and later on learned that Carl Angelo was already dead.

dent Barack Obama and has tilted toward China in pursuit of an “independent foreign policy.” Some 78 percent surveyed held a positive view of the US, compared with 92 percent who expressed such sentiments two years ago. The share with a positive view of China climbed one percentage point to 55 percent. Still, Filipinos expressed less confidence in current President Donald Trump than Obama. Some 69 percent of those surveyed trusted Trump “to do the right

thing in world affairs,” compared with 94 percent who expressed such confidence in Obama in 2015. The poll doesn’t account for Trump’s subsequent praise of Duterte, saying he was “doing a great job” and inviting him to the White House. Three-quarters of people agreed that having US military personnel in the Philippines was a good thing for the country, while 68 percent said they assumed the US would use military force to defend their country from China.

From A1

The second factor was the structural capacity of the justice systems with indicators such as the number of cops or judges per 100,000 of the population and the number of prisoners compared to the overall jail capacity. The Philippines scored 94.06 for its structural security system and 99.07 for its structural justice system. The same survey also found the country fared low with 44.64 points for its functional security system and 42.22 for its functional justice system, indicating that it has not yet installed the capacities needed to deliver justice and security. The Palace played down the country’s low scores, saying that while previous governments faced these same problems. “It is only under this administration that crime and terrorism are being decisively addressed.” “The true depth, breadth and magnitude of crime and terrorism, funded by illegal drugs, have only been recently uncovered; resistance from those adversely affected by the current government’s campaign against illegal drugs has been strong, and internal cleansing by organized crime have all had violent results,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said, insisting that the survey must be taken in the proper context. John Paolo Bencito

contrary to his earlier assertion. “Tomas Bagcal has been included as a principal (suspect) by direct participation in the killing of the two,” Aguirre said, in an interview over DZMM. Aguirre noted that Bagcal earlier claimed Arnaiz used a gun when the UP student and de Guzman robbed him. Apparently, Bagcal changed his testimony after a new witness surfaced and claimed that Arnaiz and de Guzman were with Bagcal and the involved policemen from Caloocan City before the UP student was killed in a supposed shootout. Bagcal turned himself in to the NBI Wednesday afternoon after earlier being charged as co-conspirator in the double murder case. He was accompanied by his family and representatives from the Commission

US survey From A1

The survey also found that 78 percent of Filipinos believed that the current economic situation was good, while 57 said they were satisfied with the direction of the country. That was a 21 percentage-point increase from the last time Pew asked the question in 2014. The survey found a decline in the Philippines’ long-standing support for its key treaty ally, the US. Duterte clashed with the administration of former Presi-

Nokor... From A1

“Rocket Man” and threatened to “to-

tally destroy North Korea.” Trump “insulted me and my country in front of the eyes of the world and made the most ferocious declaration of a war in history,” Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. “I will make the man holding the prerogative of the supreme command in the US pay dearly for his speech,” which he called “unprecedented rude nonsense.” The dispatch was accompanied by a photo of the North Korean leader sitting behind a desk holding a piece of paper. “I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire,” he said. On the fringes of the UN General Assembly in New York, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho told reporters Pyongyang might now consider detonating a hydrogen bomb outside its

territory. “I think that it could be an H-bomb test at an unprecedented level perhaps over the Pacific,” he said. However, he added: “It is up to our leader so I do not know well.” Sanctions Trump’s new executive order prohibits firms from operating in the United States if they deal with North Korea. The move was the latest effort to tighten the screws on Pyongyang over its banned weapons programs, following its sixth nuclear test—the largest yet—and the firing of two missiles over Japan in recent weeks. It also came after the UN Security Council agreed to a further set of sanctions on North Korea, aimed at reducing its ability to trade with the outside world. Analysts say the sanctions show no signs of working, and cautioned that the increasingly ill-tempered and personal exchanges between Washington and Pyongyang did not augur well. AFP

Cheap...

From A1 Nestle told AFP it was putting together material to explain its waste management efforts, but that the presentation would not be ready until next week. Procter & Gamble and Unilever did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment. Greenpeace said the Philippines contributed 1.88 million tons of “mismanaged plastic waste” each year, with Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia also on its list of the world’s biggest ocean plastic polluters. The problem is expected to worsen as these countries’ growing economies lead to rising incomes and “exploding demand for consumer products,” the campaign group said. Plastic waste from products made by Indonesian firm PT Torabika Mayora was the third most-seen on Manila Bay, Greenpeace said, with local firm Universal Robina Corp. at number four. AFP, with Rio N. Araja

of breakdowns in an unprecedented scale, which should have alarmed transport officials. “Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade should stop procrastinating and immediately terminate the services of BURI. It should also expedite the filing of plunder charges against its officials and the cohorts in the defunct DoTC,” Nograles said. He said a maintenance transition team should be created to address the immediate procurement of a qualified contractor. “These repeated breakdowns are getting really

Hazing... From A1

“If they want to tell the truth or clear their names, they can come to my office and we will place them under the WPP,” Aguirre said in a statement. “They can trust us. They have nothing to fear from us.” • The Justice Department on Friday expanded to 20 the number of people who would be covered by the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order it earlier issued in connection with the death of Castillo. In a revised memorandum released on Friday, Aguirre ordered Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente to instruct all immigration officers in the airports and seaports to be vigilant to prevent any attempt of the so-called 20 “persons of interest” to leave the country. Added to the ILBO list were Ged Villanueva, Milfren Alvarado, Daniel Ragos and Dave Felix. • Some of the members of the Aegis Juris Fraternity said they were willing to be investigated on the hazing rites that led Castillo’s death. The Aegis Juris Fraternity also vowed to cooperate with authorities. Solano admitted he is also a member of the Aegis Juris Fraternity whose members are implicated in the fa-

worse each day. Just last week, MRT 3 never had a day without any problem. It even suffered three breakdowns in just a single day,” Nograles said. He said there was no longer any reason for Tugade to delay the termination of BURI’s contract because its decision to file graft charges against Chavez was obviously an act meant to intimidate the DOTr. Chavez has recommended the termination of BURI’s contract and the withholding of its payment because of non-compliance on the terms of their maintenance service agreement. tal hazing of Castillo. But he said was not in any way involved in the hazing, and that his only participation was providing medical assistance to the fatality. “No, I wasn’t there. More or less, my participation was to give medical assistance because they were in chaos that time,” Solano said. “I was there to give medical assistance. I am a medical health provider so more or less they would call me.” Solano said he is a medical technologist and a member of the fraternity involved in the hazing. He was also a UST law student in 2016 but he filed for a leave of absence due to his employment. He also denied recruiting the victim to the fraternity, saying he did not even know him. He met the victim only on two occasions―the first time when he told his name and the second time when the incident happened. Lacson said Solano will appear during the resumption of his committee’s hearing on Monday. Solano said his lawyer was now preparing his statement. He also apologized to the family of the victim for earlier giving a false statement. “I want to clear my name because I am innocent.” Macon Ramos-Araneta, Bill Casas and Rey E. Requejo

'IS extremist... From A1

ceased Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog as one of those involved. The President admitted he had Parojinog and other alleged narco-politicians wiretapped to trace their transactions. “I was listening to him. Don’t ask me what kind of listening device. It was a whisper from god I was listening to. So they were all taped,” Duterte said, referring to Parojinog and Iloilo Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog. “I was the one who ordered it,” he said. Asked about the legality of the President’s orders, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said, “I’m sure that being a lawyer, he was operating within bounds of legality.” Armed Forces chief Gen. Eduardo Año said a Mindanao-based drug cartel may have funded the Maute terrorists to stage a rebellion in Marawi City, with slain Ozamis City Mayor Parojinog acting as the link to the extremist group. “The Maute brothers are into drugs. If you are watching the [TV show] Narcos this is the same [setup].

Trillanes... From A1

Uson, a sexy dancer before being assigned to the censors board and the Presidential Communications Operations Office, also shared images of and links to documents purportedly showing that Trillanes had numerous bank accounts in foreign banks. In an interview after the filing, Trillanes said the standard of a responsible senior government official must be higher. He said that the truthfulness of a particular matter should be verified before being shared. He also said Uson cannot separate her social media posts from her official functions because she was precisely assigned to head the social media efforts of the PCOO. Immediately after Trillanes

The President also said “raw” members of the Moro National Liberation Front and the MILF may have joined enemy lines. The military is closely watching the oundaries of Butig, Lanao del Sur and Buldon, Maguindanao to prevent any reinforcement of the Maute group in Marawi. The President met separately with top leaders of the MILF and MNLF last Sept. 14 and 17, requesting assistance on efforts to deal with extremist elements in the country’s south. Police and military forces are not allowed to enter territories of the MILF and the MNLF, due to an existing ceasefire agreement. Also on Thursday night, Duterte said martial law in Mindanao will be lifted once military operations wind down in Marawi City, and when there’s no longer a threat of the fighting spilling over to other areas. Duterte showed a “matrix” exposing the source of money used to finance the already hundred-day Marawi siege, naming the de-

He advised Uson to hire a very good lawyer to defend herself. The senator threatened to also sue radio commentator Erwin Tulfo and Ben Tesiorna, a contributor of CNN Philippines, who was allegedly behind a propaganda website. The charges arose from Uson’s sharing on her Facebook page a post from the “Davao Breaking News 2” page purportedly showing documents from bank accounts that Trillanes owned. “Trillanes’ hidden wealth. Let’s see if GMA News, ABS-CBN News, News 5, CNN Philippines, Rappler, and Inquirer.net will use it,” Uson commented in Filipino.

PAL flights via Cairns, Auckland still normal By Joel E. Zurbano FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines on Friday gave assurances that flight operations between Cairns and Auckland remained unhampered as New Zealand airport authorities were hastening the repairs on ruptured aviation fuel supply pipeline. The damaged pipeline has resulted in the temporary rationing of fuel supplies used by all airlines for departures from Auckland airport. On Sept. 19 and Sept. 21, PAL A320 planes departing from Auckland (for the AKL-CNS-MNL flight) were loaded up with substantial fuel tonnage for the Auckland—Brisbane journey. Refueling was carried out in Brisbane before heading for Cairns. PAL spokesperson Ma. Cielo Villaluna said they would be implementing twice weekly Manila— Cairns—Auckland operations from the current four times weekly frequency utilizing the wide-body 363-seater A330. • Passengers of PR 218 MNL-CNS-AKL Sept. 24 (Sunday) will be accommodated on PR218 Sept. 25 (Monday) • Passengers of PR219 AKL-CNS-MNL Sept. 25 (Monday) will be accommodated on PR219 AKLCNS-MNL Sept. 26 (Tuesday) • Passengers of PR 218 MNL-CNS-AKL Sept. 27 (Wednesday) will be accommodated on PR218 Sept. 28 (Thursday) • Passengers of PR219 AKL-CNS-MNL Sept. 28 (Thursday) will be accommodated on PR219 AKL-CNS-MNL Sept. 29 (Friday) Utilizing the A330 will enable PAL to load up at Cairns Airport to cover the Cairns- Auckland-Cairns route. Villaluna said passengers booked and ticketed on the MNL-CNS v.v.; or MNL-AKL v.v. or CNSAKL v.v. cancelled flights might be re-protected on the later PR flights with the same route within 30 days from the original travel date and within the validity of the ticket. For tickets issued outside of the Philippines but to be reissued in the Philippines, the tax must still be assessed and collected, if applicable. Affected passengers have the option to refund the cost of their tickets. Despite the impact on cost of the aircraft upgrading, PAL opted to carry out such measure to ensure that operations between the two cities continue for the benefit of the flying public. Auckland Airport continues to work closely with local airline representatives, oil companies and the New Zealand government to ensure a prompt resolution of this fuel disruption. announced that he would file a libel case against Uson, she told the senator to look up the word “alleged,” noting that the details of the bank accounts she shared were the claim of Davao Breaking News. She also vowed to resign if Trillanes won his libel suit against her. Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte had accused Trillanes’ of having bank accounts in Singapore, and even announced his bank account number. This prompted Trillanes to fly to Singapore to visit the banks where he allegedly had accounts. When the senator gave the bank the account number Duterte had revealed, the bank manager told him no such account exists. Rio N. Araja, Macon Ramos-Araneta and John Paolo Bencito,

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Don’t issue ‘partisan’ statements, CHR told

Sandigan enters ‘not guilty’ plea for Honasan THE Sandiganbayan Second Division entered a not guilty plea for Senator Gregorio Honasan II in connection with the two counts of graft ﬁled against him in relation to his alleged involvement in the supposed fraudulent use of his P29.1-million Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel scam. Honasan did not enter any plea after the antigraft court nixed his omnibus motion seeking to reinvestigate or dismiss the charges, reset his arraignment, or junk his arrest warrant. “We deny the omnibus motion... We are not prejudging the case. We just want to follow the rules of procedure. He still enjoys the presumption of innocence,” Associate Justice Oscar Herrera Jr., the Sandiganbayan Second Division chairperson, said. Honasan and his coaccused are facing for two counts of violation of Section 3 (e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or Republic Act (RA) 3019. Also charged were Political Affairs/Project Coordinator Chief Michael Benjamin and National Council of Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) executives, namely: Secretary Mehol Sadain, Acting Chief Accountant Fedelina Aldanese, Director III Galay Makalinggan, Acting Chief Aurora Aragon-Mabang, and Cashier Olga Galido. Maricel V. Cruz

MIAA enforces policy vs theft for employees MANILA International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Monreal reminded all employees to comply with the agency’s policy aimed at getting rid of misfits and other undesirables, and erase the reputation of Ninoy Aquino International Airport as one of the worst in the world. Monreal came up with the reminder after an aircraft lady security guard at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport-Terminal 3 was caught hiding a missing pouch of a passenger. Members of the Airport Police Department invited for questioning Eme Rendoque, of Quick Star Security, after the pouch was found inside her locker. Passenger Sugin Charles Supramany, a Malaysian national who arrived last Sept. 20 via Cebu Pacific flight 5J500 from Kuala Lumpur, reported to APD Police Section that he left unattended inside the aircraft a navy blue pouch containing $1,190, RM 2,000 and P60,000. Joel E. Zurbano

DoJ clears host Navarro on rape case THE Department of Justice has exonerated actorhost Vhong Navarro of several counts of rape case filed by model Deniece Cornejo in 2014. In a 24-page resolution, the DOJ dismissed complaint of rape and attempted rape filed by Cornejo for lack of evidence. “As complainant evidence stands, the same does not establish probable cause to indict respondent for the crimes he is accused of committing,” the resolution signed by OIC Prosecutor General Severino Gaña stressed. “To be sure, the voluminous records of this case was meticulously scrutinized vis-a-vis the original resolution finding probable cause. Rey E. Requejo

By Macon Araneta

TEACHER’S STAMP. A postal office employee displays stamps especially made for teachers in celebration of the National Teachers’ Month jointly launched by the Philippine Postal Corp. and the Department of Education. Norman Cruz

Lawmaker douses fears of a reenacted budget By Maricel V. Cruz

HE chairperson of the House of Representatives’ committee appropriations has guaranteed the approval of the proposed P3.767 -trillion national budget for 2018. Panel chairperson Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles said a reenacted budget will never happen under the Duterte administration. At a news conference, Nograles said the final day for the filing of individual amendments on House Bill 6215 or the P3.767-trillion General Appropriations Bill lapsed Wednesday. The printing of the final version of the document has already begun, Nograles said. “Printing will take up to four days,” Nograles, who added that copies of the GAB containing the amendments will be distributed to the

294 members of the House of Representatives. “Barring any delays in the printing...it will go to plenary [for 3rd reading approval] Tuesday, or the latest Wednesday [next week],” said Nograles, who is part of the “small committee” that was tasked by the House leadership to oversee proposed individual amendments to the 2018 national budget. President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to sign the 2018 national budget on or before Nov. 15, 2017. The small committee on the national budget in

Recto underlines DICT’s role in IT development By Macon Araneta SAYING that broadband is now the most important utility after power and water, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said the resignation of Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Rodolfo Salalima should not lead to the “low-batt, ofﬂine” implementation of projects and reforms in the ICT (information and community technology) sector. Despite being the youngest department, Recto expressed hope that the DICT has a deep talent pool from where Salalima’s replacement will be picked so there will be no—to use a telco term— service interruption. He noted that the importance of broadband is reﬂected in the national budget, which authorizes billions of pesos in making internet ‘fast, free and fair.” He said the newly signed Free Internet Access in Public Places Act has a proposed budget of P1.74 billion next year, for the rollout of 5,308 new Wi-Fi hotspots. On top of said funding is a proposed P1.2 billion to lay the groundwork for a national broadband

system, Recto added. Both allocations are in the proposed 2018 budget of the DICT of P6.9 billion, almost double from this year’s P3.6 billion, the senator pointed out. Also included in next year’s funding is P422 million for the development of a centralized portal allowing individuals to make transactions—from filling out forms to payment—online. In his budget message for fiscal year 2018, Duterte said this “National Government Portal” is needed because “our citizens deserve first class service.” The NGP will “eliminate the need to physically go to offices or visit multiple agencies’ website to perform transactions,” President Rodrigo Duterte said. “In the government’s “build, build, build” program, portals should also be built aside from mortars; not just roads but also information highways,” said the senator. He also urged Duterte “to make sure that the new DICT secretary he appoints will not only be able to realize this campaign promise of his but also work in making internet fast and reliable.”

the Lower House also has the power to introduce amendments themselves, he said. Nograles said there had been a slight delay in the presentation of the GAB for third reading approval because his panel had to go through the budget with a finetooth comb to be able to raise the needed money to fund the “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act” or the free Manila

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higher education law. “This even turned out to be a blessing because it led to the restoration of the budget of the Commission on Human Rights, Energy Regulatory Commission and the National Commission on Indigenous People which were initially given P1,000 budget by the House,” he added. Nograles said, however, that his panel is still on target with their schedule for the timely approval

of the GAB and avoid a scenario of a reenacted budget. He said the Senate will have ample time to go over the House’s version of the GAB. With the budgets of the three agencies restored to reasonable levels, there are hardly any contentious provisions left where the House and Senate might disagree, the Appropriations chairman noted.

AFTER the House of Representatives decided to restore the budget of the Commission on Human Rights, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday reminded CHR ofﬁcials to refrain from making “partisan statements.” The House appropriations committee on Wednesday said it will restore the budget of the CHR, ERC and the NCIP. It had earlier approved a budget of P1,000 for each government agency. However, the full P678million allocation for the CHR will not be restored, after the House panel made cuts in the agency’s maintenance and other operating expenses. Gatchalian said the CHR should heed the call of the lawmakers to avoid partisan statements and one-sided investigations. “We thank our House counterparts for restoring the budgets of the three vital national institutions—CHR, ERC and NCIP,” Gatchalian said referring to the Energy Regulatory Commission, and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. Gatchalian said the CHR can start by investigating the “barbaric acts” of fraternities in light of the death of freshman law student Horacio Tomas “Atio” Castillo III. “They should also recommend appropriate steps to stop these senseless deaths perpetuated by these brutal organizations through their so-called initiation rites,” the senator said.

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Opinion

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Representation

E CANNOT understand the flak that Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas is getting for his suggestion that members of the House of Representatives be exempt from minor traffic rules. Why not grant them this simple courtesy? Our honorable congressmen’s minds are so preoccupied with thoughts of serving the people. It is understandable that they would occasionally slip in their observance of regulations on the road.

It must be assumed that they are en route to important functions every time they are on the road. There are countless bills to be deliberated on. Sometimes there are investigations in aid of legislation to attend. They might be meeting with their party-mates, with whom they share the same deeply-held principles—mind you, it’s not just about political expediency. They might be on their way to meeting with VIPs like themselves, with whom they would discuss matters of great consequence. They could be seeing their staff members to give them instructions on how to serve their constituents better. They could be on their way to unwind or be entertained after a stressful day. Everybody needs a break,

especially those chosen by the people to represent their interests. These lawmakers need to get back to the job at peak performance. Let us not begrudge them that. We must also be indulgent of our congressmen’s candid pronouncements. They just want to show the President their unwavering loyalty. Remember, for example, Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez’s threat to abolish agencies that somehow do not toe the line. In the absence of constitutional authority to abolish certain units, they can use the power of the purse instead, to threaten or punish those who do not love this country as they do. Government agencies must work together. They must be each other’s partners, not critics. How can they

be effective if they are not of like mind, or persuasion? What a thankless job they have, these members of the House. It is so difficult to answer to the constituents who put them in office, even if its only by virtue of a prominent family name—an association by blood or marriage. Government work is tough work. It is doubly hard to represent the interests of the people when it is so convenient to just represent their own. The people do not see their sacrifices. We do not believe them when they say they have compassion. Instead we accuse them of indifference, of neglect, of evil designs. We have been too harsh on our congressmen. Let us cut them some slack. HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

Arguments for and against the P1000 CHR budget (Part 2)

Flexing muscles POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO SEPT. 21, 2017 marked the 45th year since former President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law covering the whole country. The years of dictatorship were among the darkest in the country’s history. Tens of thousands of activists disappeared, many were tortured in unimaginable ways, thousands never surfaced again, killed. Many groups belonging to different ideological backgrounds did community organizing, mass education, and in their own ways, fought against the dictatorship. Organizations of those belonging to the marginalized sectors of society were formed but because all Mar-

cos oppositors were considered communists, they operated underground or UG. The two biggest political formations belonged to two dems—natdems and socdems. The first stood (and continue to stand) for ‘national democrats.’ These are the groups associated with the Communist Party of the Philippines, National Democratic Front, and New People’s Army. Some of the groups operate openly, while the others, remain underground. The ‘socdems’ refer to social democrats whose ideological foundation is inspired by parties and governments belonging to the Socialist International. During the dictatorship years, the socdems were led by the Partido Demokratiko-Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (Philippine Democratic Socialist Party or PDSP.) The

group first started as an underground movement and evolved as a party. Opposition to martial law was essentially carried out as ‘guerilla operations’ on a per organization or even collective level. Alliance

Before, it was Marcos. This time, it could be Duterte. building was carefully done clandestinely and mostly on a person-to-person basis. Leaders of opposition groups were hunted down which led to the self-exile of a number of underground groups’ leaders to other countries. They orchestrat-

ed moves from wherever they are. Yes, there were protests especially by student groups. Thus the ‘First Quarter Storm or FQS’. It took many years before the dictatorship was brought down and it took the life of former Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. as the catalyst before a good number of citizens woke up and took action. The murder of Ninoy also emboldened non-Communist underground groups. During the campaign period for the snap elections called by an ailing Marcos against Corazon Aquino, underground organizations took part. When Marcos claimed victory over Cory in an obviously rigged elections, more citizens took the streets, then General Fidel Ramos and Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile defected, and Edsa people

power revolt happened. Edsa saw the various ideological groups openly protesting Marcos. Then there was democratic space. More ‘dems’ surfaced like the liberal democrats (libdems), and popular democrats (popdems). Likewise, many underground movements surfaced, and many more sectoral, people’s, women’s, youth, human rights, and all sorts of non-government organizations proliferated. Freedom of expression and assembly were fully practiced and political movements multiplied. Democracy, at least formal democracy was restored in the country. Fast forward to Sept. 21, 2017. This date happened in the context of the Duterte administration whose ‘war on drugs’ has so far murdered more than 13,000 suspected drug users and

peddlers, almost all, poor, and a big majority killed by elements of the Philippine National Police; an ongoing war in Marawi against Isiswannabe Maute gang which devastated the city and displaced more than 300,000 residents; a P6.4-billion shabu smuggling scandal in the Bureau of Customs allegedly involving no less than the president’s son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte; the trampling of people’s human rights; burying the late dictator in the Libingan ng mga Bayani; the witchhunt against perceived political opposition; the almost inaction on the West Philippine Sea issue that involves the country’s territorial sovereignty; the move to change the form of government that will most probably result in

THE power of Congress, which includes the House of Representatives, to check a government agency which it considers inefficient can be exercised in a number of ways. One way is for the House to call for legislation abolishing the said office. Since the Commission on Human Rights is an office created by the Constitution, that option is not available to the House even if it wants to exercise its power to check the CHR. Another option is for the House to call for a reduction in the annual budget of the office concerned, unless the said office is entitled to fiscal autonomy under the Constitution. Considering that, as pointed out in the first part of this essay, the Supreme Court has already ruled that the Constitution does not mandate any fiscal autonomy for the CHR, this second option is available to the House if it wishes to exercise its power to check the CHR. In fact, the House has done precisely that, when it alloted a P1000 annual budget to the CHR for 2017. A third option is for the House to call for legislation that will reduce the terms of office of the CHR chairman and members. Such a law is constitutionally permissible because Section 17, Article XIII of the Constitution states that the terms of office of the CHR chairman and its members shall be fixed by law. Whether that can be applied to the incumbents in the CHR is up to Congress to decide. To deny the power of the House of Representatives to reduce the budget of the CHR is to deprive a house of Congress of its inherent power to check against abuses in govern-

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and has in fact approved a generous budget for the said agency, the senators in the bicameral conference will have to convince, and ultimately outvote, the representatives in the bicameral conference to yield to the Senate’s version of the 2017 budgetary allotment to the CHR. That, of course, is easier said than done because of the equitable ratio of senators and representatives in the bicameral conference. At the end of the day, however, whatever measure is approved by the bicameral conference will carry the legislative will. It also means that Congress as a whole, and not just one of its houses, has spoken. If the President exercises his power under Section 27(2), Article VI of the Constitution and vetoes whatever budget Congress ends up approving for the CHR for 2017, Congress can still override the president’s veto by getting twothirds of the members of both houses, voting separately, to approve the bill. Should Congress, however, fail to override the president’s veto, there will be no budget for the CHR for 2017. That would mean that the CHR does not have the support of both the legislature and the executive department. In such an extreme scenario, perhaps only the resignation of the incumbent CHR chairman and its members will save the CHR, although a special appropriations law will still have to be enacted to provide funding for the agency. Hopefully, however, this divisive legal controversy will be resolved at the level of the congressional bicameral conference committee. Resolving this difficult legal issue at that level is not only practical; it is the only means by which the power of the House of Representatives to check government agencies is upheld and, at the same time, the legislative process mandated by the Constitution is allowed to take its natural course. This procedure is less divisive and, more importantly, it will show how the constitutional process heals constitutional divides.

Flexing... From A4

extending Duterte’s presidency; and the repeated threats of nationwide declaration of Martial Law. More and more people are coming out against this administration with some even saying that this administration’s impunity is even worse than that of Marcos. No wonder, this year’s ML declaration anniversary was marred with the most number of protest actions so far against Duterte. I went to both the mass at the University of the Philippines (UP), and the unveiling of the Ka Pepe Diokno at the Commission of Human Rights. The bigger mobilization was in Luneta. Flags of various organizations again surfaced. Familiar faces from past protest actions, now visibly older, were again seen. For many of us, it was a reunion of sorts. I personally have not seen many of them for a good number of years as our paths were separated by political decisions we made. One thing is sure though. Passion for the country’s wellbeing does not go away. It may fade for sometime, but when one is called to action, you go. No ifs or buts about it. You rest for sometime but when it’s

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United for human rights, democracy, and justice

Arguments... ment. More specifically, it will mean that Congress is devoid of any power to check against any perceived abuses in the CHR. If that happens, then the principle of checks and balances—a hallmark in a vibrant democracy—becomes illusory. Opponents of the P1000 annual budget the House alloted to the CHR for 2017 must realize that denouncing the House for approving that measure will get them nowhere. Taking the issue to the Supreme Court will not be a sound legal option, considering that budget allotment for government agencies is an exclusive concern of the legislative branch of the government. The Court will be hard put to intervene, mainly because if the Court disagrees with the P1000 budget the House alloted to the CHR, the Court will have to justify what amount the Court believes should be proper in the premises. Strictly speaking, that will be tantamount to a judicial usurpation of legislative power and prerogatives. Moreoever, the Supreme Court will have to justify why an unelected branch of the government like the Court should let its own opinion prevail over the collective act of an elected branch of the government, especially over a matter that is within the exclusive realm of the legislature. In addition, the House measure is not yet a law, and it will be premature to question it in a judicial proceeding. Truth to tell, the time to criticize the House is over. The real debate should be with the congressional bicameral conference—the legislative committee composed of members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives and vested with the responsibility of harmonizing bills, especially conflicting bills, passed by both houses of Congress. The bicameral conference is supposed to produce a unified piece of proposed legislation, which it sends to the President of the Philippines for the latter’s signature. Since the Senate has taken an opposing stance to the budget alloted by the House to the CHR,

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

time to act, you act. This is what happened last Sept. 21. We knew we had to go. We knew we would see old familiar faces but we also welcomed the many more, much younger faces we saw in the crowd. New blood, young blood. We knew flags of various organizations (of friends and not-quite friends) would again surface on the streets together with banners of new ones. That there are more groups going out in defense of our people’s rights and welfare was a sight to behold. I have heard a few criticize the separate rallies against a repeat of Martial Law. They said it would have been stronger if everyone banded together. I disagree. This exercise of freedoms of expression and assembly begin with kindred organizations. This us just the start. This is flexing muscles. And just like before, it is just a matter of time before the various groups will come together against a common enemy. Before, it was Marcos. This time, it could be Duterte. bethangsioco@gmail. com @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebookww

SEPT. 21, 2017, this Thursday, will be seen as a watershed moment for the Philippines. Hopefully, we are now seeing a process of unification of forces not necessarily against President Duterte or his administration but a positive coalition, a united front for human rights, democracy, and justice. But we are not yet there. And if we do not learn our lessons from the past, particularly from the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship, we will not get there at all. That would be so tragic. There are many organizational issues that should be threshed out to move forward on a united front. I will write about that in another column. For this article, I will focus on the deficit of trust that exists among individuals that belong to different ideological groups. Unless that mistrust, borne out of real experiences people have experienced in the last few decades, we will not succeed in unifying the forces that otherwise share common objectives if not shared values. Reflecting on this issue of lack of trust, I recall my own memory of experiencing and fighting martial law. My main lesson is one must never judge others. Every year, I ask my law and political science classes in Manila and Mindanao to do a simple Bantayog ng mga Bayani exercise. I instruct my students to choose a martial law hero or heroine, including those who

were tortured and killed, and share his or her story as your own. Among others, I will ask them to look at the pictures, the faces and especially of the young men and women who died for this country and our people during the dictatorship. It’s a way of remembering and honoring, of recommitting—never again. When I started doing this two years ago, with my constitutional law class in Xavier University as the first to try it, I ended up clicking at every name of the roster of martyrs and heroes in the roster of Bantayog Ng Bayani myself), all the 200plus in that list. The exercise of looking at names and pictures exhausted and agitated me but it also motivated me to try to remember as much as I could what the country was like under a dictatorship. So, I decided to walk to our family home from the Xavier University campus, the same route I followed almost every day (sometimes I detoured to walk my girlfriend, now my wife, home) from June 1981 to March 1983, when I was a philosophy teacher in XU. While walking that night, I did try to remember what it was like in 1981-1983. I remembered some fear—both my wife (a student organizer) and I have been frequently warned we were being followed by intelligence agents—but that was not the dominant feeling. It was more this tension, that something big was up, that change was coming, that we were on the cusp of a revolution. Cagayan de Oro was opposition territory—Nene Pimentel and Bono Adaza were respectively City May-

or and Misamis Oriental governor. Membership in the cause oriented and mass organizations were growing exponentially in Mindanao, and this continued even after Edgar Jopson, leader of the Mindanao Commission of the National Democratic Front, was killed in Davao sometime in 1982. That death that had a big effect on me as Lean Alejandro’s assassination did 10+ years later. Call me naive, but up to now, I still believe that Edjop and Lean Alejandro, if they survived martial law or its transition (in Lean’s case), would be presidents of the country someday, maybe the former right at this time. In Xavier University, the student movement was alive and well, with groups connected to the underground movements (national democratic and social democratic, but the former was more numerous and bigger) teeming. After sundown, you could see all the activist collectives and cells meeting in the middle of the football field right at the center of the campus, and I always wished I could eavesdrop and find out what they were plotting to do. I was identified with the Socdems because I had come from Ateneo de Manila. I was at that time exploring options, including looking seriously at armed resistance and struggle as inevitable as the political situation deteriorated. I was also ready for a serious MarxistChristian dialogue as I have read all of Marx and Lenin’s writings by that time and have started reading Antonio Grasmci, not to mention the leading liberation theology proponents. The truth is that

I had fallen in love then with Marxian (not Marxist) analysis because my entry point to Marx was his younger philosophical writings which emphasized his concept of alienation and the kind of humanity and society we should aspire to. While walking home that evening two weeks ago, I remember one frequent feature of that same walk 30 years ago—chance meetings with student activists waiting for buses to take them to exposure areas (white areas as they called them then and maybe now) or to their home provinces. Near our house was the terminal where buses would leave for all points in Mindanao, many leaving at midnight. As I passed the terminal some nights, I would see one or a couple of student activists/leaders, including my students, waiting for a bus. Because I knew it was dangerous for them to wait too long in a public bus terminal, I made it a point to invite those young people— all male by the way—to my house. We would eat, drink beer, and talk. We would debate and disagree but I would like to think we learned from each other. And some became friends, and to those who survived the internal purges in the mid-1980s (a political event which pushed me to law school, and made me reject the sword and to embrace the word as my main weapon of choice) or the military, they remain friends. Never judge a person by the totality of one or even several acts of that person but by the infinity of his or her acts throughout a lifetime. I have always applied that principle to all the people I

work with and that’s why I don’t judge. I certainly do not judge people I know who work in this government, doing their best to serve the people. In fact, I encourage them to stay. I do not judge my friends and family members who support the President; they have their reasons and I respect that. If we want a united front, we cannot be judgmental against each other. There is also a reason why I don’t judge. From Pepe Diokno, I learned that human rights are universal. I would like to think that’s why I can defend Enrile and Jinggoy’s right to bail, GMA’s and Vice-President Binay’s right to be presumed innocent, and yes Mocha’s freedom of speech, while at the same time stand by Chito Gascon, Leila De Lima, Antonio Trillanes, and Risa Hontiveros when they are attacked for their political views. When the age of Duterte has passed and his supporters are held accountable for their complicity in the massacre of the poor, I will also work so that their rights are protected. Human rights are absolute and can never be derogated for any reason. For a united front, I suggest we start with the most urgent and obvious: stop the massacre of the poor and rally around Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno who is being impeached for her independence. A united front for human rights, democracy, and justice is possible. But first we must not judge each other. Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

Failing to understand justice BACK BENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN WHEN the Committee on Justice of the House of Representatives dismissed the complaint filed against the chairman of the Commission on Elections, Andres Bautista, on the basis of technicality, that allegedly the complaint “was not sufficient in form and substance,” those who voted for its dismissal exhibited their complete ignorance. They forgot that any decision they would take merely partakes of a committee resolution, meaning that the leftover dreg of the Noynoy administration could be suspended or continue to exercise his powers the same way he did when he served as kingpin of the Gestapo-like agency that calls itself the “Presidential Commission on Good Government.” There was hypocrisy, much that the ground for which the complaint was dismissed alleged that it was “insufficient in form and substance.” The public is crying foul because it should be in the trial of the case where the rudiments and strictness of the law should be observed, with the judge having in mind that an accused is presumed innocent until proven otherwise. In fact, dismissal for lack of verification only applies

when there is a clear refusal or defiance to not have the complaint verified. The body that dismissed the complaint is not even a court but a mere committee, tasked not to determine the offense committed but to know the truth so that it could be elevated to the Chamber acting on its plenary power to remove officials impeachable under the Constitution. In this case, the Committee on Justice merely substitutes the role of the prosecutor. When it whimsically dismissed the complaint, it is an absurdity, for it acted as a syndicated clique of partisan politicians arrogantly overruling the will of the 294 members voted by the people. According to Lorna Kapunan, counsel of the estranged wife of the embattled Comelec chairman, the issue of form and substance should be decided by “Congress exercising its plenary power,” and not by a handful of bigoted and partisan hypocrites. If only they understand what they did in dismissing the complaint, they would realize how illogical and stupid they are. None or lack of verification is not fatal that its dismissal is merely considered one of technicality. In this case, how could the members of the Committee on Justice, except for Congresswoman Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu and Kabayan Party-list Congressman Harry Roque, vote to prevent the verification

of the complaint, and then proceeded to vote for its dismissal for insufficiency in form and substance? In that, one could see the pattern how the members of the opposition and some of their cohorts in the ruling party criminally railroaded the procedure to ensure the dismissal of the complaint. It was ludicrous, for practically the Committee on Justice acted as though it represents the entire members of Congress or Congress itself which alone has the plenary power to decide

The public is crying foul.

serious charges of corruption, unexplained wealth, and bribery which Andres Bautista now faces. The Committee should have acted liberally to allow the amendment to prevent a miscarriage of justice. Rather, the members acted with malice to stall the filing of impeachment case against that abominable leftover dreg of the Noynoy Aquino administration. As VACC chairman Dante Jimenez would put it: “The verification required in a complaint is merely a formal requirement and can never be used to thwart substantial justice.”

Besides, the members of the Committee on Justice should have known that their role is not to determine the guilt of the accused, for that belongs to the proper judicial court but to know the truth why this fellow virtually made a rag of our electoral system by contracting out the counting to a foreign company while hooting that the last election was fair, honest, clean and democratic. It is only during the impeachment trial, with Congress exercising its plenary powers to either convict or acquit where doubts should be resolved in favor of the accused, or in Latin, “In dubiis reus ist absolvendus” applies, but not on the question of verification. Moreover, since impeachment cases are political in na“punc ture, it is not about the “punctilio” of what the law says but more of knowing the truth. The object is to seek the truth than to punish the offender so as to maintain the credibility of the government. It is higher than merely certifying a committee resolution where the weighing of evidence is beyond the requirement of prima facie evidence. The proceeding serves to gauge the feeling of the people towards their government. Hence, when the committee contemptuously junked the complaint, it was one big blow to our justice system much it is evident that once again politics has tri-

umphed over injustice. In countries with a high degree of moral decency and honesty, public officials no longer wait for somebody to file an impeachment case against them. They readily resign not for the fact that they are admitting to any involvement but for the fact that they no longer have the trust of the people. The loss of confidence is something that he could not defend in any court of law. It is this practice where the ruling party in parliamentary governments automatically resign once they lose the vote of the majority or suffers loss of confidence as they would put it. Here, this holdover from the hypocritical regime clings to his post despite the fact that the accusation against him is so serious involving not only for culpable violation of the constitution and graft and corruption, but one of treason for collaborating with Smartmatic, a company rumored as a front of the CIA, in rigging the last election which saw the election of an obscure and mediocre widow whom many believe was cheated into office as our alleged vice president by the computer machines contracted by Bautista. The estranged wife even presented evidence that he received commission from the law firm of Smartmatic, headed by Attorney Nilo Divina. rpkapunan@gmail.com

Striking a false note Bloomberg editorial FOR President Donald Trump, apparently, encouraging greater international cooperation is not as important as getting off a good insult. In his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump threatened to "totally destroy North Korea" in the event of war and repeated his latest derogatory nickname for its leader, Kim Jong Un: "Rocket Man." Trump's rhetoric, as well as his many references to the importance of sovereignty, will strike a chord with his

American base of support. Before this audience, however, the style was inappropriate—and the substance was puzzling. If the UN is such a threat to the sovereignty of its largest funder, for example, why has the US seen fit to veto only one out of more than 600 United Nations Security Council Resolutions in the last 10 years? Moreover, the scorn in Trump's speech for "unaccountable international tribunals and powerful global bureaucracies" ignores the reality that, at their best, the thousands of multilat-

eral agreements the U.S. has signed have helped it meet challenges to sovereignty that no nation can meet by itself: the spread of communicable diseases, corruption, or weapons of mass destruction, for example. The existential threat of climate change—which Trump failed to mention—is another case in point. With his focus on sovereignty, Trump also downplayed the UN's role as a force for spreading universal values, something that its American creators championed. Trump even saw fit

to praise the US Constitution's "first three beautiful words"—neglecting to note that the UN Charter begins with a deliberate echo, "We the peoples." It's all well and good to celebrate the contributions of "strong, sovereign nations" and to say that "we do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone." But if you're going to take on North Korea, Iran and Venezuela—or counter the influence of opaque autocracies like China and Russia— then it makes sense to start by pressing them to live up to the founding ideals of the charter.

None of this is to say that the UN doesn’t need reform, which Trump to his credit pushed for. He was also right to draw forceful attention to the growing threats posed by Iran, North Korea and Venezuela. But his overheated speech will make mustering support for both causes harder. Threatening a country with annihilation won't hearten its neighbors. And undermining the founding principles of an institution your nation did more than any other to establish won't help it to fulfill its promise.

World

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

Daughter campaigns to free her lost father HONG KONG―Two years after her bookseller father vanished into Chinese detention, Angela Gui refuses to give up her campaign to free him― despite growing concerns for her own safety. Gui Minhai disappeared on October 17, 2015, one of five Hong Kong booksellers known for publishing gossipy titles about Chinese political leaders to go missing. For the first 18 months, Angela barely slept. But the 23-year-old student has turned her campaign to release him into a kind of job, which she says is helping her to cope. “My dad... wouldn’t just be quiet if his own daughter ended up in that situation,” Angela told AFP by phone from England, where she is about to start a PhD at Cambridge University. “I thought: ‘Well if he would do that for me, I will just do what he would do’”. She has had three brief phone calls from her father since his disappearance, all telling her that he is fine and she must not get involved with his case―which she believes he did not say voluntarily. Angela has refused to keep quiet and has regularly publicized Gui’s plight, including addressing a United States congressional hearing on China’s persecution of its critics. Last week, Angela had the first news of her father in almost a year after the Swedish ambassador to China, Anna Lindstedt, was granted access to Gui. AFP

Richest woman dies at 94

PARIS―L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, the world’s richest woman whose old age was clouded by dementia, has died at the age of 94, her family said Thursday. “Liliane Bettencourt died last night at home,” her daughter Francoise Bettencourt Meyers said in a statement. “My mother left peacefully.” Bettencourt, the cosmetics giant’s principal shareholder, was the 14th richest person in the world, according to Forbes magazine, which estimated her net worth in March at $39.5 billion (33 billion euros). She was rarely seen in public since leaving the L’Oreal board in 2012, but her name remained in the headlines as the members of her entourage were charged with exploiting her failing mental health. Bettencourt had been declared unﬁt to run her own affairs in 2011 after a medical report showing she had suffered from “mixed dementia” and “moderately severe” Alzheimer’s disease since 2006. The complex legal case involved a bitter feud with her only daughter and unscrupulous friends, and even dragged in former president Nicolas Sarkozy. Patrice de Maistre, who managed Bettencourt’s vast fortune, was accused of getting her to hand over envelopes of cash to members of Sarkozy’s right-wing UMP party during his 2007 presidential campaign. The charges against Sarkozy were dropped in October 2013 due to lack of evidence. AFP

Rohingya refugee camps on the brink of ‘health disaster’ COX’S BAZAR―Bangladesh’s refugee camps are on the brink of a “public health disaster,” Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned, saying filthy water and feces flow through the shanties now bursting with Rohinyga Muslims who have fled violence in Myanmar. More than 420,000 Rohingya have overwhelmed Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar in under a month,

seeking refuge following an army-led crackdown across the border in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, which the UN has described as “ethnic cleansing”. The weary and wounded arrivals have shocked the world with stories of Myanmar soldiers and Buddhist mobs driving them out of their homes with rape, gunshots and arson. Meanwhile in Bangladesh,

there are dire shortages of nearly all forms of relief in what has become one of the world’s largest refugee settlements. MSF on Thursday warned that a “massive scale-up of humanitarian aid is needed in Bangladesh to avoid a public health disaster”. “We are receiving adults every day on the cusp of dying from dehydration,” said Kate White, the group’s emergency medical

coordinator. “That’s very rare among adults, and signals that a public health emergency could be just around the corner.” There are no ofﬁcial roads into the slum-like settlements that have sprung up outside ofﬁcial camps, complicating aid delivery in the hilly, mud-slicked terrain. “There is a complete absence of latrines,” added White. “When

you walk through the settlement, you have to wade through streams of dirty water and human feces.” With chaotic and patchy food distribution, many Rohingya are only eating one meal of plain rice per day, she added. Bangladeshi troops were deployed this week to build more toilets and shelters for thousands who still sleeping out in the open despite regular monsoon rains. AFP

Anxiety over quake rescue M

EXICO CITY―Time pressed on Mexico on Thursday as rescuers looking for survivors picked through the rubble of buildings felled by a powerful earthquake two days earlier, with the hopes fading as the hours rolled by.

GREENHOUSE. This photo taken on August 18, 2015, shows a farmer collecting tomatoes in Perenchies, France. AFP

Spanish police arrest man over bomb attacks in Barcelona MADRID―Spanish police have arrested a Moroccan man suspected of cooperating with a cell behind the attacks that killed 16 people in Barcelona and another seaside resort last month, the interior ministry said Friday. The 24-year-old man, who was detained in the eastern town of Castellon, was close to several members of the group, especially Abdelbaki

Es Satty, a Moroccan imam believed to have radicazised the youths that carried out the attacks, it said in a statement. He is believed to have helped the cell obtain the ingredients they used to make over 100 kilos (220 pounds) of the explosive TATP and provided them with vehicles to transport it. “Various members of the cell counted on the help of

the suspect, who at the very least, provided his personal identiﬁcation documents which they used to buy hydrogen peroxide, a key ingredient to make TATP,” it said. “In addition, he provided the terrorists with methods of transportation used to move part of the explosives.” TATP has become the

explosive of choice for the Islamic State (IS) group as it can easily be made from ingredients such as acetone and oxygenated water that are readily available in high street stores. Investigators found 15 kilos of the explosive―dubbed the “mother of Satan”―in a ﬂat near Brussels after the suicide attacks in the Belgian capital in March 2016. AFP

Authorities put the death toll from Tuesday’s 7.1-magnitude quake at 272 people, but it was expected to rise further with more than 200 still missing in Mexico City. Volunteers fought off growing fatigue to remove tons of rubble at dozens of ﬂattened buildings in the capital and across several central states. Experts say the average survival time in such conditions is 72 hours, depending on injuries. In the capital’s central neighborhood of Roma, rescue workers scrambled to locate 23 people believed to be in the wreckage of a collapsed sevenstory ofﬁce building. They have already pulled 28 survivors from the mountain of rubble. No deaths have been reported at the site so far. Relatives of the missing waited in anguish for news. Aaron Flores’s sister Karen and friend Paulino Estrada were both trapped inside. Estrada managed to contact his family by cell phone, even making a video call. But there has been no news from Karen Flores. “We’re feeling disoriented and desperate because

Manhunt for killer of giant croc

A hundred people seen living on moon by 2040 RIGA, Latvia―By 2040, a hundred people will live on the Moon, melting ice for water, 3D-printing homes and tools, eating plants grown in lunar soil, and competing in low-gravity, “ﬂying” sports. To those who mock such talk as science fiction, experts such as Bernard Foing, ambassador of the European Space Agencydriven “Moon Village” scheme, reply the goal is not only reasonable but feasible too. At a European Planetary Science Congress in Riga this week, Foing spelled out how humanity could gain a permanent foothold on Earth’s satellite, and then expand. He likened it to the growth of the railways, when villages grew around train stations, followed by businesses. By 2030, there could be an initial lunar settlement of six to 10 pioneers―scientists,

technicians and engineers― which could grow to 100 by 2040, he predicted. “In 2050, you could have a thousand and then... naturally you could envisage to have family” joining crews there, Foing told AFP Mere decades from now, “there may be the possibility to have children born on the Moon,” he enthused. ESA boss Jan Woerner has mooted replacing the orbiting International Space Station with a permanent lunar colony, a futuristic idea that was high on the agenda at this week’s expert meeting in the Latvian capital. The ISS is due to be decommissioned in 2024―the end of an era of unprecedented cooperation in space after the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. AFP

COMPETITION. Hot air balloons prepare their starts to take part in the International GermanCup hot air balloon meeting in Pforzhei, southwestern Germany. AFP

Hassan Rouhani vows to strenghten Iran’s missiles despite US criticism TEHRAN―President Hassan Rouhani vowed on Friday that Iran would boost its ballistic missile capabilities despite criticism from the United States and also France. His comments came as Iran displayed a new missile at a military parade marking the anniversary of the outbreak of its devastating 1980-1988 war with Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. “Whether you like it or not, we are going to strengthen our military capabilities which are necessary for deter-

we haven’t heard anything from her,” said her brother, 30. At other locations, hope turned to grief. “At 1:00 pm they pulled my mother’s body out of the debris, but identified her under a different name, and it wasn’t until 5:00 pm that they gave us the bad news,” said Maria Dolores Martinez, 38, at a Mexico City morgue. A psychologist offering free counseling outside the morgue, Aldo Munoz, said: “Unfortunately our country has many open wounds, and people who have directly suffered violence and have lost loved ones in the earthquake really need psychological help.” Authorities put the overall death toll at 137 people in Mexico City, 73 in Morelos state, 43 in Puebla, 13 in Mexico state, five in Guerrero and one in Oaxaca. However, the situation on the ground was still chaotic, and figures in areas were rising―and sometimes falling. Highlighting the confusion, one story that gripped the world’s attention turned out to be false: that of a girl supposedly trapped alive beneath the rubble of a school that collapsed in Mexico City. AFP

rence,” Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state television. “We will strengthen not only our missiles but also our air, land and sea forces... When it comes to defending our country, we will ask nobody for their permission.” Criticism by the Donald Trump administration of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers, including the United States, has focused heavily on Tehran’s continuing missile program. Tehran says that the missiles are en-

tirely legitimate under the terms of the deal as they are not designed to carry a nuclear warhead. But Washington says they breach the spirit of the agreement as they have the potential to carry a nuclear warhead and has imposed new sanctions over Tehran’s continuing launches and tests. There has been some sympathy for the US position from France, whose President Emmanuel Macron said the deal could be expanded to ban missile tests and cut a sunset clause in the nuclear agreement that would see Iran

resume some uranium enrichment from 2025. But even he insisted that the core deal not be dumped. Iran showed off a new missile, named Khoramshahr after a southwestern city, at an anniversary military parade in the capital. “The Khoramshahr missile has a range of 2,000 kilometers and can carry multiple warheads,” the ofﬁcial IRNA news agency quoted Revolutionary Guards aerospace chief General Amir Ali Hajizadeh as saying. AFP

SYDNEY―A manhunt has begun for the killer of a giant saltwater crocodile in Australia, as authorities warned its death would trigger more aggressive behaviur among the younger crocs in the area. The carcass of a 17-foot adult male was found in the Fitzroy River in central Queensland on Thursday with a single gunshot wound to the head, the environment department said. “It is illegal to ‘take’ and kill a crocodile without authority and police will work closely with [the environment department] to locate the person responsible,” Queensland police said. Under the state’s conservation laws, the maximum penalty for the unlawful killing of a crocodile is A$28,383.75 (US$22,530). The incident sparked warnings about heightened aggression among younger crocodiles in the wake of the giant predator’s death. “People need to clearly understand the death of this animal has changed the balance of the crocodile population in the Fitzroy,” the environment department’s diversity operations director Michael Joyce told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. AFP

Sports Backers boost Highlands Ladies Cup THE W Group of Companies, the Auto Nation Group, Inc. and Pacific on Line have reaffirmed their support to the Highlands Ladies Cup with another full-packed roster expected to compete in its grand 12th staging on Oct. 14 (Saturday) at Tagaytay Midlands Golf and Country Club. The three firms will be coming in again as the event’s Diamond sponsors with Powerball Gaming and Entertainment Corp., Security Bank and Leisure and Resorts World Corp. making up the roster of Platinum backers of the annual tournament that has grown in prestige and stature through its annual staging. As in the past editions, the organizing Tagaytay Highlands Ladies Chapter is confident of drawing the maximum number of players coming from the private and government sectors, including those from the big business. Listup is ongoing with fee pegged at P3,500 for members and P4,000 for non-members, inclusive of green fee, cart and lunch. For details, call Gay Gonzales at 0917-8744702 or 263-8065 or fax 521-8848 and email marketing@regenttravelmanila.com. The New Golden City Builders and Regent Travel head the early list of Silver sponsors while Asia Brewery, Parola Maritime Agency Corp., H&E Manufacturing. Corp., Concrete Masters, SL Agritech Corp., Peerless Products Manufacturing Corp., Universal Robina and Kawsek & Co. are the early Bronze sponsors. Srixon is also offering a brand new set of men’s clubs for a hole-in-one feat while Unilab, Universal Robina Corp. head the donors roster. Top prizes will be up for grabs in various categories

Archers stronger with Mbala

Lions make Final 4; Chiefs win By Peter Atencio

HILE the defending champion San Beda Red Lions made their way back into the Final Four, the Arellano Chiefs played the spoilers’ role yesterday in the 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.

Javee Mocon turned in big baskets to make bigger things happen for the Red Lions as they put away the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers, 65-60, at the Filoil Flying V Centre. Mocon, the Red Lions’ veteran forward, drilled in another double-double, hitting 19 points and 15 rebounds to help carry the

Mendiola dribblers to their 11th consecutive triumph and their 12th overall in 13 matches. This carried the Red Lions to the Final Four for a 12th straight time, joining firsttime semifinalist Lyceum. “Thanks to the clutch shots of Javee, we won,” said Red Lions Boyet Fernandez. The Heavy Bombers, be-

hind Jed Mendoza with 16, dropped to third at 7-6. They are in trouble of being overtaken by the Letran Knights and the San Sebastian Stags, who are close behind at 6-6. Meanwhile, the Chiefs weathered a late comeback by the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals to post an 84-79 triumph. With Michael Canete making a game-high 27 points for the Chiefs, the Generals’s bid for the Final Four is now in question with their 6-7 slate. The Generals threatened behind a triple from Sydney Onwubere, 74-75, before charities from Kent Salado and Lervin Flores helped the

Chiefs stay out harm’s way. In junior action, the San Beda Red Cubs turned back the Jose Rizal University Light Bombers, 70-69, with Evan Nelle scoring the winning baskets in the dying moments. The Red Cubs, who hung on to third at 8-5, were behind by as much as three points with eight seconds and came close when Nelle sank two free throws after being fouled by JRU’s Javine Serrano. The Red Cubs then forced a turnover from Kobe Callero and Nelle went on to score on a fastbreak lay-up with only 0.3 seconds left for the game winner.

NFL now on TV5 THE National Football League is now on TV5. The #NFLonTV5 was off to an awesome start with a thrilling 4139 shootout between the Rams and the 49ers. It was the highest scoring TNF in series history and viewers caught every bit of the action on TV5. Watch the NFL live, three times a week on @tv5manila starting at 8 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Set your calendars for Monday for another dose of #NFLontv5 featuring the Raiders (2-0, monster offensive line) vs the Redskins (1-1,new look D). #sports5

Team CamSur wins Ginebra 3-on-3 tilt

Ginebra San Miguel 3-ON-3 CHAMPION Team CamSur, composed of Raphael Jude De Vera, Dan Michael Uy, Gawyn Khristnan Fernandez and Daniell Martin Uy, receives the championship trophy and cash prize of P50,000 from GSMI National sales manager Allan Mercado, GSMI Marketing manager Ron Molina, GSMI Brand manager Paolo Tupaz, SMC Sports director Alfrancis Chua and PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa.

Eala, Carlos pace WTA Future Stars elims ALEXANDRA Eala and Macy Carlos posted a pair of lopsided victories to lead the early charge of the fancied bets at the start of the second Cebuana Lhuillier WTA Future Stars qualifying tournament at the Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig yesterday. Eala crushed Sydney Enriquez, 6-0, 6-0, to open her title-retention drive in the 14-and-under class of the two-division event offering berths in next month’s WTA (Women’s Tennis Associa-

tion) Future Stars Finals in Singapore. Carlos also romped off with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Alexa Joy Milliam while Minette Bentillo bested Julia Ignacio, 6-0, 6-3, and Justine Maneja held off Gabrielle Zoleta, 6-3, 6-2, in the tournament backed by Dunlop Sports. Tracy Llamas, meanwhile, stunned top seed and last year’s finalist Carlyn Guarde, 6-4, 4-6, 10-5, to lead the early winners in the 16-and-under side of

the three-day event sanctioned by the United Tennis Philippines. Elizabeth Abarquez thwarted Winona Cabardo, 6-4, 6-3, Jazzelle Madis foiled Kiana de Asis, 6-3, 6-3, and Danna Abad edged Gennifer Pagente, 6-2, 7-6. CebuanaLhuillier is staging the WTA Future Stars elims for the second straight year with the winners earning berths in the WTA Future Stars Finals set Oct. 16-23 at the Singa-

pore Indoor Stadium. “Cebuana Lhuillier is honored to stage this year’s edition of the WTA Future Star Girls’ Tennis Challenge. This affirms our commitment to provide opportunities for talented young tennis players to realize their dreams of competing in the world stage by constantly honing and challenging their skills through local tournaments,” said UTP cofounder and Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier.

FROM streetball to conquering the Big Dome, Team CamSur bagged the 2017 Ginebra San Miguel 3-on-3 Basketball championship held recently at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. The team composed of Raphael Jude De Vera, Dan Michael Uy, Gawyn Khristnan Fernandez and Daniell Martin Uy bested Team La Union in a tight contest for the title. Team CamSur narrowly defeated Team La Union, 14-13. For team captain De Vera, it is a dream come true to win the championship title and play at the historic venue. The team was awarded with a trophy, Ginebra San Miguel products and a cash prize of P50,000. “It is a great feeling to come out as a winner and to be recognized as the best all over the Philippines. At the same time, that rare opportunity to play in front of our basketball idols and the legions of basketball fans is definitely a dream come true. We hope to serve as an inspiration to people from the provinces that when you are ‘ganado sa buhay’, anything is possible,” De Vera added. Now on its second year, Ginebra San Miguel Inc. is committed in providing op-

portunities to aspiring athletes through its grassroots basketball program. From a total of 256 teams in the regional qualifying tournaments that represented different barangays, 16 regional winners hurdled the semifinals, while the top two teams moved on to the 3-on-3 National Finals. “As the 3-on-3 basketball community in the country continues to thrive, Ginebra San Miguel aims to hone the skills and talents of these aspiring young athletes from the provinces, and from these crop of talented individuals we might discover the next Barangay Ginebra San Miguel player or our future players to the 3-on3 games in the Olympics,” Ginebra San Miguel brand manager Paolo Tupaz said. GSMI is the producer of the world’s no. 1 selling gin Ginebra San Miguel and other quality liquor products including Vino Kulafu, Ginebra San Miguel Premium Gin, GSM Blue, GSM Blue Flavors, Antonov Vodka and Primera Light Brandy. GSMI is a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation. For more updates, check out Ginebra San Miguel’s official Facebook page www.facebook .com/barangayginebra or log on to www.ginebra.com.ph.

AFP to field 2 new players against GSIS

Games Today

(MOA Arena) 2 p.m. UST vs FEU 4 p.m. La Salle vs UP

THE defending champion La Salle Green Archers will be deadlier in their coming games in the 80th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament. Coach Aldin Ayo said this is what will be expected of the Green Archers now that Ben Mbala has returned as they get ready for University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons at 4 p.m. today. He said a better team chemistry among the players should be seen as Mbala tries to re-acquaint himself with his teammates. “As if nothing happened. As if Ben never left. We knew that when was away, we gained a lot as a team,” said Ayo. The Green Archers will be gunning for their fourth straight triumph when they play the Fighting Maroons, who will have Mali big man Ibraham Outtara facing off with Mbala. The last time around, the 6’8” Mbala opened his campaign with a bang, hitting 32 points and 10 rebounds for the Green Archers when they demolished the Adamson 83-73. Earlier, FEUwill battle winless UST at 2 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

The Armed Forces of the Philippines basketball team “AFP Cavaliers” are shown during the opening ceremony of UNTV Cup Season 6.

ONE of the strongest and seasoned teams on UNTV Cup is the AFP Cavaliers. From claiming the trophy at the off-season games, the soldiers are even more high-spirited as the Armed Forces of the Philippines top brass is in full support of the Cavaliers this season 6 of the league of public servants. As the Cavaliers are set to face the GSIS Furies in

the second game on Sunday, head coach Sonny Manucat reveals their additional weapons. “Meron kaming dalawang bagong player, medyo bata. Hopefully, makatulong at, in time, mag-gel sa team. Parehas silang Air Force…in terms of playing skills medyo advantage. Palagay ko ang mga experienced player namin mapapasabay na rin,”

Games Sunday

Pasig City Sports Center Game 1 (4 p.m.): Judiciary vs. Ombudsman Game 2 (5:30 p.m.): GSIS vs. AFP

said Manucat. With the two additions, Romeo Almerol Jr. and Jerry Lomongsod, Manucat is confident his two-time champion side can hit the target again this season.

Meanwhile, multi-season champion Judiciary Magis will play their first game this season with the Ombudsman Graft-busters. The Magis will be led by its power trio, Warren Ybanez, Don Camaso and Chester Tolomia, while the Graft Busters will be reinforced by a former professional baller Noynoy Falcasantos Jr.

Phoenix cagers visit Marawi soldiers THE Phoenix Fuel Masters showed their solidarity with Marawi troops when they visited injured soldiers at the AFP Medical Center in Quezon City on Sept. 2. The basketball team met the modern-day heroes to give tribute to their patriotism and bravery in protecting the country and its people. Special gifts such as the “Phoenix Supports Our

Troops” t-shirts, jerseys, and basketballs were given to the soldiers. The Phoenix Fuel Masters previously showed their support to the soldiers during their PBA Governors’ Cup debut against KIA on July 19, when each of them wore a patch on the left side of their jerseys with the words “SUPPORT OUR TROOPS.” Phoenix Petroleum

Docu... From A8

because it offers hope amid difficult times. “I have worked closely with him in promoting grassroots football,” Almendralejo said of Simone. “His life truly embodies determination against the odds.” The version to be shown at Cine Europa 2017 is still

Philippines Inc., the company behind the Fuel Masters, in July 2017 committed support for the soldiers of Marawi City and their families, by allocating P100 million to create the LIFE fund. It is envisioned to help the beneficiaries secure sustainable Livelihoods, achieve Independence, sustain their Families, The Phoenix Fuel Masters led by Alternative Governor Atty. Raymond Zorrilla show solidarity and provide Education to with the Marawi soldiers in their visit to them on Sept. 2 at the AFP Medical Center in Quezon City. their children.

a work in progress, but very much presents the subject’s heart and soul. The docu, which was shot in Italy and the Philippines, includes interviews with Simone’s adoptive parents Maurizio and Marilena, Davao Aguilas FC teammates Phil and James Younghusband, and Sister May and Mother Flora (who were the nuns that took care of Simone as a baby). “Journeyman” also shows

the athlete’s more private side, such as his volunteer work at Buklod Kalinga, the orphanage where Simone was left as a baby by a young woman. “Journeyman Finds a Home: The Simone Rota Story,” is produced by SPEARS Films and Luna Studios. It is co directed by Maricel Cariaga, whose film “Seven Sacks of Rice” won recently the grand prize in the Aichi Women’s International Film Festival.

Award-winning screenwriter Clodualdo “Doy” del Mundo is the creative producer. The Sunday screening is part of the educational component of Cine Europa, the annual film festival of the EU Delegation to the Philippines, and is presented by the Philippine Italian Association, Shangri-La Cineplex, Davao Aguilas FC, and Puma. Theatrical release is being planned for December 2017.

LOTTO RESULTS 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 4 DIGITS 00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

Sports

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

Pradera cruises to 43-point win

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

Members of the victorious Pradera Verde Golf Club playfully make their leap of joy after ruling the Philippine Ladies’ Interclub golf team championships.

Star strengthens bid By Jeric Lopez

TAR kept its hopes of ending in the Top 4 alive as it notched an important 12881 victory over exiting Kia to likewise gain back some steam in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City last night.

Jio Jalalon scored 15 points and PJ Simon added 13 as the Hotshots’ guard play took charge in this easy rout. The Hotshots are currently at 6-4 and they need to win their last assignment tomorrow against NLEX in

a huge match and hope that the other teams above drop some games along the way for them to have a shot at landing in the Top 4. The top four finishers will carry with them a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarters against the four

lower seeded teams. As of press time, Meralco (7-2) is trying to keep its place in the top two as it is battling woeful GlobalPort (3-7) currently. Action continues today with another vital double-header in the penultimate playdate of the eliminations. The scene shifts to the Smart Araneta Coliseum today between league-leader Barangay Ginebra (8-2) and TNT KaTropa (7-3) in a hotly anticipated clash at 5:15 p.m. A lot is on the line both for the Gin Kings and the

Games today

(Smart Araneta Coliseum) 3 p.m. – Blackwater vs. Rain or Shine 7 p.m. – Ginebra vs. Talk N Text

Tropang Texters, who are separated by one game, as they both aspire to finish in the top four as well and this game between them will have a lot of impact on where they will end up. In the appetizer, Rain or Shine (6-4) is likewise trying its best to land in the top four as it still has an outside shot of doing so when it plays No. 8 seed Blackwater (5-5) at 3 p.m.

This conference was nothing but a pain for Kia as it ended up not being able to least a single win in 11 tries. The winless Picanto is now headed to an early vacation with a lot of questions to be answered regarding its future. “Maganda conference nila, medyo breaks lang siguro, dahil marami sila games na hindi lang na-finished,” noted Victolero of Picanto. “By next year number one sila sa draft, baka makakuha sila ng maayos na players, at lalakas sila lalo. Good luck sa kanila next season.”

Red Spikers, Lady Maroons clash in KO match UNIVERSITY of the Philippines and San Beda knock each other out in a spirited chase for the two semifinal berths among four teams in a key Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference women’s match at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan. Toting identical 2-1 slates, the Lady Maroons and the Red Spikers face-off at 4 p.m. in what promises to be a high-

PH raises total to 19 golds KUALA LUMPUR—Team Philippines rode on golden efforts by thrower Cendy Asusano, swimmer Ernie Gawilan and the chess team spearheaded by Sander Severino to hike its total to 19 mints in the penultimate day of the ninth ASEAN Para Games here. Asusano, 27, registered a 5.50m to snare the shotput gold for F54, her third after she also won in javelin Monday and discuss throw Thursday, not bad for a Para Games first timer. Maritess Burce took her second bronze by finishing third with 4.85m. Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Ngoc bagged the silver with a 5.06m. The Donsol, Sorsogon native thus made it to elite group of Filipino triple gold medalists, alongside teenage sprint phenom Cielo Honasan. Interestingly, Juanito Mingarine, who is Asusano’s boyfriend and father to their three-year-old daughter Chantal, helped the wheelchair basketball squad that defeated Myanmar, 4941, for the 5-on-5 division bronze at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre. Marcos Rabasto, Jr., Alfie Cabanog, Rene Macabenguil and Marlon Nacita were the other members of that squad.

ly-charged duel of teams seeking to join the idle Arellano Chiefs at second in Group B of the two-division tournament, the season-ending conference of the country’s premier volley league organized by Sports Vision. Adamson paces the six-team field with a 3-0 card hoping to formalize its claim on the first semis slot against winless St. Benilde on Monday. Ateneo and San Sebastian also tan-

gle in a crucial Group A match at 6:30 p.m. with the Lady Eagles seeking solo second at 3-1 and the Lady Stags trying to revive its semis hopes at 2-2. The two teams from each side will advance to the crossover semis, a pair of best-of-three playoffs, with the winners disputing the crown in another best-of-three affair. The Lady Maroons dropped a heartbreak of a five-setter to the Lady

Falcons last Sept. 4 but swept the TIP Lady Engineers and the St. Benilde Lady Blazers to wheel back into contention in the league backed by Mikasa and Asics. San Beda, on the other hand, went on a win-loss-win run but hopes to score its first back-to-back victories behind Aurea Racraquin, Nieva Viray, Satrriani Espiritu, Jiezela Viray and playmaker Rebecca Cuevas.

CEBU CITY—A domination unseen before in the history of the Philippine Ladies’ Interclub golf team championships. Dominant from start to finish, the Pradera Verde Golf Club ended the six-year-reign of Manila Southwoods Masters Friday after settling the issue as early as Thursday when it built a 46-point lead at the Cebu Country Club. On Friday, Pradera made its lowest team total of 149 points, but still cruised to a 43-point victory, the biggest winning margin in the 12-year-old event. Annyka Pineda Cayabyab, who at 13 is one of the youngest players in the field, birdied the final 18th hole from 25 feet to salvage 53 points for the Lubao-based squad. Pradera, handled by coach Normandy Sto. Domingo, also drew 50 points from Nicole Abelar and 46 from Tomita Arejola to finish the four-day event with a record 638 points. Kayla Lorenz failed to count with 45. Southwoods Masters outscored Pradera for the first time with 152 points led by Maria Sofia Chabon’s 53 points. Other scorers were Mikhaela Fortuna 50 and Sunshine Baraquiel 49. Cebu Country Club settled for third with 563 points after getting 141 from Mary Kim Hong (53), Crystal Faith Neri (46) and Jeanette Chiu (42). “I hope to still play for Pradera for two years before I turn pro,” said Fil-Japanese Yuka Saso who won the individual title with 115 points—seven under par in stroke play. Manila Southwoods Legends made up for its sister team’s loss by claiming the second-tier Founders bracket with a four-day total of 514 points. Annika Guangko led Legends with 51 points while Marie Claire Ong added 45. The 35 of either Christine Valdehueza and Deanna Samaniego rounded out Legends’ 131 points in the final round. Ten points behind in second place was Alabang which submitted 127 behind Jona Magcalayo 47, Joan Morales 42 and Rita Horan 40.

Docu to show life story of Azkal Rota AFTER three years of interviews, research and filming, the documentary “Journeyman Finds Home: The Simone Rota Story,” will be unveiled at the Cine Europa 2017 Film Festival on Sunday. This documentary made by Albert Almendralejo and Maricel Cariaga tells the inspiring tale of footballer Simone Rota, who was born in the Philippines and was adopted by an Italian couple when he was a baby. As a little boy growing up in Milan, Italy, Simone learned to play football. His hard work and prowess earned him a place in an Italian professional football club. Simone later gave up his life in Italy to return to Philippines and play for Filipino clubs (Stallions FC and Ceres FC) and the Azkals, the Philippine Men’s National Football Team. His main reason for staying in the Philippines is to play football and to search for his biological mother. “Journeyman” chronicles how the sport changed Simone’s life and led him

Rota

to his roots. “Dreams do come true!” said Simone who currently plays for Davao Aguilas FC. “I want to say a big thank you to everyone who made this project possible…I hope that the movie will be an inspiration.” The sports documentary is the first venture directed by Almendralejo, who produced the football-themed “Little Azkals” and “Pangarap Kong World Cup,” and the feature films “Tumbang Preso” and “Bakal Boys.” He said he was motivated to tell Simone’s story Turn to A7

OLAC Football Club rules Manila Jockey Club’s Copa San Lazaro THE OLAC Football Club led the winners of the 3rd Copa San Lazaro football tournament at the Manila Jockey Club’s San Lazaro Leisure and Business Park (SLLBP) in Carmona, Cavite recently. Over 40 teams, consisting of 470 players and more than 300 spectators from Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon Province, and Olongapo participated in the one-day tournament organized by the Manila Jockey Club, Inc., the country’s premier horse racing club and one of Asia’s oldest, in cooperation with the Alab Football Club Inc. Other winners from the different agecategory and mixed events include: Eaglets FC (Mixed 2008-2009), Raga FC (Mixed 2006-2007), Atletico Diliman (Mixed 2004-2005), Mabuhay FC (Mixed 2002-2003),

The Copa San Lazaro is a fund-raising initiative which benefits the Manila Jockey Club Colts’ team.

DLSU-IS (Boys 2000-2001) and OLAC FC (Girls 2000-2001), and OLAC FC (Mixed Open). With the goal of providing football enthusiasts with a sporting

event that will match their skills with players coming from different football backgrounds and locations, Copa San Lazaro was established in June 2016. It provides an

opportunity for young players to develop healthy bodies, sound minds and positive values while enjoying their favorite game. The tournament is also a fundraising initiative which benefits two football clubs, namely the MJC Colts, a newfound club based in Carmona, Cavite which caters to the less fortunate but talented players in the area; and the Alab FC, a Los Bañosbased club whose funds will be used for equipment purchases and to offset participation fees in high-level competitions such as the Pilipinas Cup, Borneo Cup, and others. Moreover, Copa San Lazaro is part of MJC’s efforts in spearheading and supporting grassroots football in the Cavite area. This is in line with the company’s partnership with the Philippine Football Federation to de-

velop SLLBP as a football mecca of the Philippines. MJC recently hosted the turnover ceremonies of the FIFA Turf Project, and the groundbreaking ceremony of the PFF House of Football and National Football Center. The coming months will see more developments in advancing the sport including the construction of related appurtenances such as locker rooms, dormitories and other training facilities. The Manila Jockey Club was established in 1867. It is one of the oldest existing racing clubs in the Asia Pacific region. Manila Jockey Club, Inc., as a business entity, was formally incorporated in 1937. MJCI operates the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite, featuring world class horse racing, gaming, and hospitality facilities.

PH wins overall title in Singapore karate-do THE Philippines garnered 36 medals, including 12 golds to claim the overall title in the recent 37th Karate-do Gojukai Singapore International Championships at the Singapore Badminton Hall. Adam Bondoc, Krisanta Renzel Asistido and Matthea Lazo claimed two gold medals each as the Filipino young karatekas from the Association for the Advancement of Karatedo Philippines showed class and domination in the tournament participated in by 150 athletes from 13 karate Schools/Club from seven countries.

Bondoc, a Grade 11 student from Xavier School, Greenhills won in the juniors’ 16-17 Individual Kata and Kumite; Asistido dominated the cadet 14-15 Individual Kata and Cadet 52 kg. Kumite; while Lazo reigned in 11-13 Individual Kata and Kumite class. “It was a great honor for the Philippines to have gotten these medals. We are proud of the young athletes that we have trained in AAK and we are hoping to create more,” said Shihan Pocholo Veguillas, founder of AAK Philippines.

“I’m very proud of how our young athletes performed during the competition. I was a witness of how they trained and I was very pleased to see them in action in Singapore. With karatedo having been included as an official sports in the Olympics, we wish to raise more awareness on the sport and develop good athletes with the values that this sport instills,” said Richard Lim, Head Coach for the AAK Philippine Team. The other gold medal winners are Nicole Erika Dantes (Grade 11, Colegio San Agus-

tin) in the 16-17 years old individual Kumite; Renzo Tomas (Grade 9, OB Montessori Manila) in the 14-15 years old Individual Kata; Paulo Manuel Gorospe (Grade 3, Xavier School, Greenhills) in the 7-8 yrs old boys individual Kata; Ashley Eunice Dantes (Grade 3, Colegio San Agustin) in the 7-10 years old girls Individual Kata; Lucas Lagunzad (Grade 4, University of the Philippines Integrated School) in the 9-10 years old Kumite; and Sebastien Niel Manalac (Grade 4, St. Mary’s College Young Filipino karateraks from the AAK display their Quezon City) in the 7-8 years medals and the Philippine flag during the awarding ceremonies. old boys Individual Kumite.

Globe raises capex by $100m

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

Razon firm buys into MNHPI By Darwin G. Amojelar

NTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services Inc., owned by billionaire Enrique Razon Jr., is acquiring a minority stake in Manila North Harbor Port Inc. for P1.5 billion.

ICTSI said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange it signed a share purchase agreement with Petron Corp. for the acquisition of 10,449,000 MNHPI shares, representing 34.83 percent of the total issued and outstanding shares of the

domestic port terminal. “The completion of the share purchase agreement remains subject to several conditions one of which is the approval of the acquisition by the Philippine Ports Authority,” ICTSI said. ICTSI said the transaction

would allow the company to contribute its experience, expertise and state-of the-art technology and infrastructure to enhance the operational efﬁciency of the domestic terminal in the Port of Manila and improve the trafﬁc condition in Metro Manila. “This transaction will further improve the returns of ICTSI’s shareholders through this valueaccretive acquisition,” it added. Conglomerate San Miguel Corp owns a 43.44-percent stake in MNHPI. MNHPI won the 25-year con-

tract to manage, develop and operate the 52-hectare seaport terminal. The company earlier committed to invest P14.5 billion to develop the port facility. Aside from developing passenger port terminal with a capacity to serve two million to three passengers a year, the company plans to build a container yard. The port serves close to 4,000 vessel calls annually. ICTSI, which operates 27 terminals in 17 countries posted a net income of $103.6 million in the ﬁrst half of the year, up 19

percent from last year’s $87.3 million. ICTSI attributed the increase in net income to the expansion of the new terminal in Matadi, Democratic Republic of Congo, strong operating income contribution from the terminals in Iraq, Mexico and Brazil, and the one-time gain on the termination of the sub-concession agreement in Nigeria. Gross revenues from port operations for the ﬁrst half increased 10 percent to 603.7 million from the $550.8 million reported in the same period in 2016.

NGCP places Luzon grid on ‘yellow alert’

RURAL ELECTRIFICATION.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi (center) signs P131 million worth agreement that will energize farflung areas with a prepaid solar home system at the Department of Energy headquarters in Taguig City on Sept. 20, 2017. With Cusi are (from left) Electric Power Industry Management Bureau officer-in-charge director Mario Marasigan; Bohol II Electric Cooperative general manager Eugenio Tan, president Dionesio Oliavar Jr. and institutional services department manager Tito Andamon; Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella, Quezon II Electric Cooperative GM Victor Cada; Busuanga Island Electric Cooperative GM Ruth Galang and president Francisco Espina; and QUEZELCO II president Normelita Curioso.

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Del Monte sells Sager Creek vegetable business for $55m By Jenniffer B. Austria DEL Monte Pacific Limited Inc. is selling its US-based Sager Creek vegetable business for $55 million, a move that will allow the company to focus on core business and explore new products. DMPL said in a disclosure to the stock exchange unit Del Monte Foods Inc. signed an agreement to sell the vegetable business to McCall Farms Inc., a family-owned ﬁrm

MNHPI gets nod to raise cargo fees. The PPA in June ranted the petition of MNHPI to increase cargo-handling rates by 24 percent over the next three years. The increase, however, will not be compounded and will be based on the existing tariff rate as of Jan. 19, 2015. PPA issued Memorandum Circular No. 4-2017 on June 19 approving an 8-percent increase under the ﬁrst tranche effective July 21, 2017 or 30 days after the memo was published.

that manufactures brands such as Bruce’s Yams, Margaret Holmes and Glory Foods. “This divesture allows us to focus our energy and resources on strengthening our core business, driving innovation, and exploring new products that meet the evolving needs of today’s consumer,” DMFI chief operating ofﬁcer David Meyers said. The Sager Creek business produces specialty vegetables for the foodservice and retail mar-

kets, and manufactures several brands, including Veg-all®, Freshlike®, Popeye®, Princella®, Trappey’s® and Allens®. One production facility in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, will immediately cease operations following the sale. DMFI said it would continue to be the point of service for all retail and foodservice customers of Sager Creek through early 2018, and work closely with McCall Farms to support

a seamless transition to McCall’s organization. DMPL posted a net income of $0.7 million in the the ﬁrst quarter of its ﬁscal year 2017, a turnaround from a loss of $7 million year-on-year, as a result of the robust performance of the Asian business. DMPL is a global branded food and beverage company that caters to today’s consumer needs for premium quality healthy products. The group has exclusive rights to use the

Del Monte trademarks for packaged products in the United States, South America, the Philippines, Indian subcontinent and Myanmar. The company is 67 percent-owned by NutriAsia Paciﬁc Ltd. and Bluebell Group Holdings Ltd., which are beneﬁciallyowned by businessman Joselito Campos. The NutriAsia Group is the market leader in the liquid condiments, specialty sauces and cooking oil, in the Philippines.

IN BRIEF Tax reform to sustain growth FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the passage of the proposed comprehensive tax reform program of the government into law will ensure a more inclusive and high economic growth that will beneﬁt the people in the years to come. In a speech during a forum organized by the Manila Overseas Press Club held at the Manila Golf Club in Makati City Thursday night, Dominguez said the tax reform would be vital to create more jobs, reduce poverty and most importantly make the marginalized sectors of the society feel the trickling-down effects of the robust economy. “... We have reached a make-or-break point.... The tax reform will make us into the club of the countries with high economic growth,” Dominguez said. “The tax reform will ensure inclusive high economic growth and robust inﬂows that will allow the government to speed up the implementation of infrastructure projects,” Dominguez said, referring to the ambitious “Build, Build, Build” program. He also said the passage of the tax reform program would be very timely as the Philippines neared its demographic sweet spot and that it would be very hard to employ the young Filipinos if the tax reform could not be passed into law. Julito G. Rada

BDO Unibank is best bank BDO Unibank has once again been named the Philippines’ best bank by Hong Kong-based ﬁnancial publication Finance Asia. At the recently concluded Finance Asia Country Awards for Achievement 2017, Finance Asia attributed the recognition to BDO’s stellar ﬁnancial performance in 2016, as well as the aggressive expansion of its branch network and Automated Teller Machine presence all over the country. “Our best bank in the Philippines this year is BDO Unibank, which delivered record 2016 earnings on the back of strong results from its core businesses,” said Finance Asia, which has given the award to the bank numerous times in the past. “BDO continued its branch build-out to broaden customer reach in underserved areas. BDO’s network now includes more than 1,100 branches and over 3,600 ATMs. Most of its branch openings were outside Metro Manila as the bank is now targeting fast growing secondary and tertiary cities,” it said. BDO posted a record net income of P26.1 billion in 2016—in line with its earnings guidance—from P25 billion in 2015.

POWER COMPANY OF THE YEAR. Solar Philippines founder and CEO Leandro Leviste (second form left) receives the award for Power Company of the Year from Asian Power Magazine editor-in-chief Timothy Charlton (third from left) at the Asian Power Awards, known as “the Oscars of the power industry,” at the Conrad Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, on September 20. The company was selected ahead of over 100 nominees, in recognition of its “groundbreaking projects and trailblazing initiatives in the power sector in Asia.”

THE Luzon grid was placed on a yellow alert status for several hours on Friday as power supply remains thin with the forced outage of several plants. The Energy Department said in a statement it was increasing efforts to restore lost power capacities as major plants went on planned and forced outages. The lost power capacities due to the plant outages reached 1,364 megawatts following the planned shutdown of Pagbilao Unit 2 (382 MW), San Lorenzo Unit 1 (250 MW), Limay B6 (70 MW); and the forced outage of the GNPower Unit 1 (302 MW) and the unavailability of both Kalayaan Units 3 and 4 (360 MW). “Our priority now is to quickly restore power supply in the Luzon grid following the Yellow Alert status of the NGCP from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said. Cusi assured consumers the power market was still normal despite the reduction of supply. As of 1 p.m. Friday, power supply in Luzon stood at 10,091 MW with a projected demand of 9,469MW. The reserve level is at 622 MW. For Saturday and Sunday, the department warned of another set of planned reduction of supply due to the gas restriction from the Malampaya ﬁeld. The power situation may not be affected because of an anticipated reduction in electricity demand. The department is closely monitoring power supply situation this weekend. “We are in close coordination with our energy stakeholders to normalize the power situation in the Luzon grid. We also appeal to our dear consumers to use energy wisely and assist in stabilizing energy situation,” Cusi said.

NGCP: Negros-Panay submarine cable ready GRID operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines is set to energize the Negros-Panay submarine cable at its full capacity of 300 megawatts by the first quarter next year to address excess supply in Negros island. NGCP said the energization of the submarine cable would also provide a more reliable connection between two of the major Visayas islands. The Negros-Panay submarine cable forms part of the first stage of the company’s Cebu-NegrosPanay 230-kilovolt (kV) backbone project designed to boost energy stability in the region. “With the influx of power sources in Negros, CNP Stage 1 will maximize the power generated by variable renewable energy plants in the province,” said NGCP. Investors rushed to put up power plants after the government increased the

Govt registered fiscal surplus of P28.8b in August THE government posted a P28.8billion fiscal surplus in August, driven by faster year-on-year growth in expenditures of 14 percent alongside revenue expansion of 10 percent, the Bureau of the Treasury said Friday. “The surplus allowed the year-todate deficit to be trimmed down to P176.2 billion from the January to July deficit of P205.0 billion,” the Treasury said. The surplus, however, was slower by 12 percent compared with the surplus of P32.6 billion in the same period last year. Total revenues in August amount-

ed to P230.4 billion, up 10 percent from the collections recorded a year earlier. Year-to-date collections rose 8 percent from last year to P1.601 trillion, with tax revenues making up 91 percent of the total revenue collection. Collections of the Bureau of Internal Revenue reﬂected strong year-on-year growth at 9 percent to reach P171.7 billion for the month. Year-to-date growth is also at 9 percent, with collections as of August amounting to P1.157 trillion. Bureau of Customs collections, meanwhile, rose 16 percent over the

same month last year and totaled P38.3 billion, resulting in a year-todate collection of P283.6 billion or a year-on-year growth of 11 percent. The Bureau of the Treasury posted a P6.2-billion income, up 6 percent from August 2016 due to higher government service income resulting from the one-off remittance of the national government’s share from the proﬁt of the Alabang Stock Farm Project amounting to P1.2 billion, offsetting the lower income from Bond Sinking Fund/Securities Stabilization Fund transactions. Julito G. Rada

installation target for solar to 500 MW from 50 MW and wind to 500 MW and wind to 400 MW from 200 MW in 2014. Most of the solar plants were concentrated in Negros island where huge tracks of land were readily available at that time. “NGCP’s mandate is to build connections to any energy source which wants to sell power through the country’s power backbone. It is imperative that transmission projects are synchronized with generation projects, so we can ensure that any power that may be generated will be dispatched through the grid,” NGCP said Other segments of CNP Stage 1 include the double circuit Bacolod-E.B. Magalona overhead transmission line, and the expansion of the Bacolod and Barotac Viejo Substations and the E.B. Magalona Cable Terminal Station. Alena Mae S. Flores

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, September 22, 2017

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.0860

Japan

Yen

0.008892

0.4543

Pound

1.358100

69.3799

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128136

6.5460

Switzerland

Franc

1.030291

52.6334

Canada

Dollar

0.811359

41.4491

Singapore

Dollar

0.741015

37.8555

Australia

Dollar

0.793100

40.5163

Bahrain

Dinar

2.651043

135.4312

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

13.6230

Brunei

Dollar

0.738280

37.7158

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0038

Thailand

Baht

0.030184

1.5420

UAE

Dirham

0.272264

13.9089

Euro

1.194300

61.0120

Korea

Won

0.000884

0.0452

China

Yuan

0.151694

7.7494

India

Rupee

0.015432

0.7884

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.238322

12.1749

New Zealand

Dollar

0.730500

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033122

37.3183 1.6921 Source: PDS Bridge

Business

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks retreat; PXP surges T

HE stock market fell slightly Friday on proﬁt taking, taking its cue from the retreat of New York’s main indexes overnight.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index lost 5.59 points, or 0.1 percent, to 8,281.27 on a value turnover of P6.2 billion. Losers beat gainers, 109 to 93, with 47 issues unchanged. Nickel Asia Corp., the biggest nickel miner, tumbled 7.1 percent to P7.19, while Bloomberry Resorts Corp. dropped 3 percent to P10.50. PXP Energy Corp., a unit of Philex Mining Corp., jumped 27.5 percent to P7.75, while Cebu Landmasters Inc. advanced 3.6 percent to P5.23. The rest of Asian markets turned lower Friday as investors

cashed in at the end of a mostly positive week while the dollar weakened against its main peers with analysts questioning the chances of a third US interest rate hike this year. Adding to the selling pressure were renewed geopolitical worries after North Korea said it might consider testing a hydrogen bomb in the Paciﬁc. Global equities tracked broadly higher over the past ﬁve days on easing geopolitical tensions and Wall Street notched up several records, while the greenback soared on a hawkish Federal Reserve meeting.

However, dealers headed in to the weekend a little subdued after New York’s main indexes fell, while a second downgrade of China’s debt rating Thursday also added to the negative feeling. The agency also slashed Hong Kong’s prime AAA rating Friday. Hong Kong slipped 0.7 percent in the afternoon and Shanghai ended 0.2 percent off, while Seoul lost 0.7 percent. Tokyo was 0.3 percent lower, snapping a four-day winning streak, but Sydney edged up 0.5 percent. In early European trade London and Frankfurt each fell 0.2 percent but Paris rose 0.2 percent. There was a sense of worry after North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho told reporters

Pyongyang might now consider detonating a hydrogen bomb in the Paciﬁc. “I think that it could be an Hbomb test at an unprecedented level perhaps over the Paciﬁc,” he said but added: “It is up to our leader so I do not know well.” The report comes after Kim Jong-Un called Donald Trump “mentally deranged” and said he would make the tycoon “pay dearly” for threatening to destroy his country during the US president’s United Nations speech this week. The outburst came hours after the US unveiled new tougher sanctions over Pyongyang’s nuclear program. The comments revived the stand-off between the US and

North Korea earlier in the month after the North tested a nuclear bomb and ratcheted up tensions in the region. The dollar slid back after recent gains against the yen, pound and euro. The greenback rallied after the Fed on Wednesday announced a timetable to wind up its huge bond-buying stimulus program and hinted at a third rate hike this year by December. Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader, said there was skepticism that the central bank will be able to lift borrowing costs again this year at the same time as tapering its stimulus, which was put in place during the global ﬁnancial crisis to keep long-term rates down. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 4.8 756,000 59.9 22,030 101.6 1,089,610 3.88 45,000 129.3 1,771,410 2.7 28,454,000 35.8 80,500 16.1 2,100 31.6 676,100 8.98 21,100 0.66 6,000 1.66 10,000 949 260 0.71 4,834,000 89 1,212,450 0.86 1,155,000 13 5,500 60.2 114,820 241 600 120 1,460 90 1,050 48.55 231,500 254.6 501,290 1,820 375 86.55 170,180 1.3 341,000

3,702,330 1,312,235 110,687,067 177,020 229,003,580 70,632,050 2,886,205 33,812 21,227,560 190,700 3,980 16,600 237,390 3,395,700 107,904,213.50 1,003,450 71,662 6,925,233 142,840 175,074 94,412.50 11,338,235 127,464,554 685,100 14,720,929 443,800

-45,614 -47,007,295 19,400 -15,153,062 -4,970,060 -587,600 -1,133,055 63,358,740 -551,380 -3,918 -2,152,628.50 -2,376 -50,400 1,400,265 81,038,194 -12,803,074 -

41.55 9.3 0.79 1.4 20.6 0.231 120.2 5.72 17 37 19.6 63.9 74.5 1.92 6.05 10.14 15.02 14.42 7.15 6.93 18.74 67.5 14 12.9 18.84 1.88 243.2 4.75 3.2 30.9 19.5 16.9 278 0.228 12.5 2.93 6.75 10.24 7.11 9.96 1.79 12.38 68 6.6 309.4 4.3 4.38 2.7 13.4 4.5 0.142 1.19 154 3.75 2.18 0.99

INDUSTRIAL 41.55 1,181,900 9.3 1,632,800 0.8 682,000 1.42 1,666,000 21.5 9,200 0.238 3,310,000 120.2 200 5.72 4,024,200 17 622,100 38.1 750,500 19.6 31,400 63.9 8,240 77.5 3,490 1.95 1,522,000 6.15 193,600 10.2 1,716,600 15.16 830,600 14.44 380,900 7.18 263,100 7.07 1,859,500 18.8 1,860,800 67.55 202,940 14.14 18,500 12.9 90,900 19.6 4,282,700 1.88 774,000 244.8 335,990 4.87 1,636,500 3.2 35,000 31.05 1,110,200 19.52 267,000 17 585,800 279.8 178,300 0.232 1,470,000 13 249,900 2.93 154,000 6.75 106,100 10.3 5,846,400 7.14 6,900 9.96 1,800 1.79 909,000 12.44 4,155,900 68.5 329,650 6.7 45,400 310 20,300 4.3 90,000 4.38 24,000 2.78 4,511,000 13.48 1,077,700 4.5 162,000 0.144 1,000,000 1.2 111,000 154.3 533,290 3.75 1,000 2.19 5,137,000 0.99 134,000

49,257,250 15,450,153 539,270 2,349,450 193,460 777,920 24,064 23,150,036 10,596,318 28,759,105 626,615 527,091 279,974 2,964,330 1,181,522 17,514,878 12,545,590 5,519,200 1,890,535 13,135,303 35,058,744 13,754,156.50 259,350 1,172,616 83,604,014 1,469,790 82,311,470 7,999,432 113,360 34,582,885 5,252,530 9,945,304 49,743,814 338,610 3,361,252 453,850 724,981 60,471,346 49,323 17,968 1,631,820 51,931,952 22,556,877.50 300,222 6,292,602 388,340 105,120 12,608,190 14,581,466 729,030 142,460 132,990 82,326,155 3,750 11,420,820 133,950

22,661,985 2,421,895 96,000 -4,546,659 870,114 1,993,915 -360,300 -46,700 343,574 5,282,518 625,540 -83,281 -3,731,850 14,879,984.00 -4,459,950 -96,726 -754,650 22,004,950 -20,062,766 -386,470 -1,747,560 -1,707,346 -4,500,236 24,108,838 101,750 -26,854,316 -7,968 -260,150 -2,447,712 13,290,008 69,405 -310,000 1,429,000 -1,741,230 9,148,836 -1,957,240 -

0.355 73.9 17.3 1.11 7 0.34 0.345 974 8.62 16.1 7.9 5.8 0.208 1,204 7.97 78.1 0.9 6.76 17.38 7.01 0.05 1.36 2.06 2.69 98 2.63 869 0.92 1.48 295.8 0.28 0.2 0.219

0.35 73.35 16.6 1.08 6.96 0.335 0.34 950 8.4 15.86 7.82 5.5 0.208 1,180 7.8 76.6 0.88 6.66 17.28 6.92 0.048 1.05 2.05 2.69 97.5 2.63 861.5 0.92 1.45 290 0.275 0.198 0.219

HOLDING FIRMS 0.355 400,000 73.9 564,440 16.84 16,224,700 1.08 107,000 6.96 20,100 0.335 2,020,000 0.34 990,000 963 214,510 8.48 11,513,800 15.9 5,116,200 7.9 97,600 5.5 21,300 0.208 220,000 1,201 119,830 7.96 1,600 77 603,390 0.9 684,000 6.71 381,300 17.3 2,204,400 6.94 9,609,500 0.049 16,170,000 1.31 1,433,000 2.05 195,000 2.69 20,000 97.75 39,850 2.63 28,000 864 133,370 0.92 1,000 1.45 906,000 293 3,820 0.28 190,000 0.198 610,000 0.219 50,000

140,600 41,639,736.50 275,158,444 115,590 140,696 677,700 338,850 206,531,420 97,626,773 81,451,076 767,572 118,650 45,760 143,588,140 12,545 46,569,261.50 605,260 2,559,072 38,168,854 66,795,791 794,370 1,797,990 400,700 53,800 3,894,247.50 73,640 115,227,060 920 1,324,110 1,118,182 53,000 121,100 10,950

-1,067,364 -23,131,808.00 137,011,050 593,432.00 -15,504,916 -177,850 7,961,100 -797 6,359,814 -16,982 4,040,528 -2,659,071 -90,816.50 71,372,015 14,500 -720,684 -

5.25 1.22 9.79 2.49 1.07 45.55 3.86 5.32 5.49 5.89 0.53 1.36 1.55 0.265 0.5 44.35 0.7 0.15 2.21 1.57 0.94 5.35

5.12 1.19 8 2.47 1.04 45.05 3.82 5.05 5.4 5.6 0.51 1.3 1.51 0.246 0.48 43 0.68 0.148 2.13 1.54 0.91 5.26

878,398 12,434,740 1,563,920 352,040 2,565,440 290,905,400 1,908,820 116,384,703 786,015 3,447 5,287,890 1,954,580 1,274,760 64,350,150 560,600 15,884,675 319,860 317,070 56,708,740 8,851,600 183,360 172,324,686

-30,892 -16,680 257,120 -21,400 -28,728,530 562,640 13,283,732 -513,985 281,860 -373,460 11,415,960 -13,155 7,560.00 -7,849,930 -201,500 -20,460 28,011,120

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

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

4.7 59.85 102.4 4.05 129.8 2.16 35.9 16.12 31.5 9.4 0.68 1.66 910 0.71 89.1 0.89 13.06 60.4 238 120 90 49.95 252.2 1,820 86.5 1.32

5.08 59.9 102.4 4.05 129.8 2.75 35.95 16.12 31.7 9.4 0.68 1.66 950 0.72 89.2 0.89 13.06 60.4 241 120 90 50.3 254.8 1,830 86.6 1.32

4.7 59.25 101.2 3.88 128.9 2.07 35.8 16 31.1 8.9 0.66 1.66 910 0.69 88.1 0.84 13 60.15 237.6 119.3 89.75 48.5 252 1,820 86.5 1.3

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR ENERGY DEVT FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHIL H2O PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP PUREFOODS RFM CORP ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VULCAN INDL

41.8 9.59 0.8 1.42 21.85 0.232 121 5.83 17.06 39.5 20.2 65 74.5 1.95 6.1 10.16 15.24 14.6 7.22 7.22 19.08 68 14.18 12.96 19.1 1.92 246 5.13 3.33 30.9 20 17.12 279.8 0.228 13.5 3 6.92 10.52 7.18 10 1.8 12.88 68.55 6.65 310 4.31 4.38 2.7 13.74 4.5 0.145 1.21 155.5 3.75 2.24 1

42.05 9.6 0.8 1.46 21.9 0.239 121 5.83 17.1 39.5 20.2 65 85 1.95 6.15 10.26 15.24 14.6 7.22 7.23 19.08 68.15 14.18 12.96 19.9 1.93 246 5.13 3.34 31.5 20 17.22 280 0.232 14 3 6.92 10.52 7.18 10 1.81 12.88 68.55 6.7 310 4.34 4.38 2.89 13.78 4.51 0.145 1.22 156 3.75 2.27 1.01

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

0.355 73.6 16.9 1.08 7 0.34 0.345 950 8.62 15.88 7.82 5.5 0.208 1,180 7.8 78.1 0.89 6.76 17.36 6.96 0.049 1.05 2.06 2.69 97.7 2.63 862 0.92 1.47 291 0.275 0.199 0.219

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CEBU PROP A CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE IRC PROP MEGAWORLD

5.18 1.21 8 2.49 1.07 45.5 3.83 5.05 5.4 5.6 0.52 1.3 1.55 0.25 0.485 44.2 0.69 0.149 2.15 1.55 0.93 5.35

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

0.375 0.51 0.49 6.23 26.45 1.8 3.24 34.85 1.04 0.88 6.36

0.375 0.54 0.5 6.23 26.6 1.8 3.25 35.05 1.05 0.88 6.43

0.34 0.51 0.49 6 26.1 1.77 3.18 34.8 1.03 0.87 6.3

0.345 0.52 0.49 6 26.35 1.79 3.18 34.85 1.05 0.87 6.4

140,650,000 17,915,000 2,790,000 1,613,200 2,335,700 593,000 38,000 6,102,500 1,256,000 102,000 7,503,600

49,880,800 9,377,210 1,369,250 9,839,294 61,680,335 1,058,530 121,250 212,833,590 1,310,200 88,750 47,955,829

-733,300 -63,000 208,870 34,619,630 -459,360 -3,180 -5,994,020 87,000 -1,601,467

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN HAVEN HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY MELCO RESORTS 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 TRANSPACIFIC BR TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

22.3 40.6 1.68 0.59 0.04 11 5.12 10.84 0.073 112.5 9.15 10.5 7.37 2,070 6.1 16.8 2.55 2.95 106.7 8.43 0.163 1.31 3.1 16 4.93 1.42 15.46 0.56 2.39 8.3 4.33 18.96 2.45 11.1 5.15 3.05 168 9.7 1,680 1.6 0.4 53.6 93.75 6.05 4.6 1.58 2.07 3.91 1.42 9.08

22.6 40.7 1.69 0.6 0.04 11 5.12 10.86 0.073 112.5 9.15 10.5 7.58 2,074 6.1 17 2.64 3.05 106.7 8.43 0.164 1.33 3.2 16.16 4.93 1.42 15.56 0.56 2.45 8.4 4.42 18.96 2.54 11.1 5.15 3.1 170 9.7 1,682 1.62 0.4 53.9 95.35 6.05 4.84 1.58 2.09 3.95 1.42 9.25

21.15 40.6 1.61 0.58 0.039 11 5.12 10.36 0.071 111 9.15 10.22 7.25 2,046 6.06 16 2.53 2.95 105.4 8.35 0.16 1.3 3.08 16 4.65 1.39 15.04 0.55 2.38 8.18 4.31 18.2 2.45 10.98 5.15 3.05 165 9.45 1,676 1.6 0.4 52.5 91 5.85 4.6 1.51 1.87 3.85 1.3 8.9

SERVICES 21.15 40.7 1.65 0.6 0.039 11 5.12 10.5 0.072 111.7 9.15 10.22 7.49 2,074 6.07 16.04 2.64 3.05 105.6 8.43 0.163 1.33 3.2 16.16 4.67 1.41 15.44 0.56 2.4 8.2 4.35 18.8 2.5 10.98 5.15 3.05 165 9.48 1,680 1.61 0.4 52.5 91 5.87 4.64 1.54 2.09 3.9 1.31 8.9

167,100 18,700 294,000 1,190,000 23,100,000 100 1,000 36,437,500 42,730,000 93,170 6,800 4,510,500 186,600 22,650 386,700 320,700 5,073,000 37,000 719,990 277,900 5,520,000 779,000 25,000 44,300 2,485,000 1,167,000 6,156,500 52,000 971,000 2,809,300 2,958,000 9,700 1,454,000 14,400 2,000 5,000 4,670 929,100 65,340 1,475,000 600,000 601,500 651,270 137,000 8,635,000 13,274,000 26,000 3,597,000 67,993,000 1,799,500

3,608,415 760,025 480,060 695,630 902,400 1,100 5,120 389,046,964 3,045,440 10,407,739 62,220 46,525,250 1,372,933 46,799,310 2,348,783 5,205,364 13,192,270 111,000 76,138,336 2,339,145 895,240 1,020,100 78,690 713,900 11,915,680 1,633,910 94,478,630 28,990 2,326,710 23,152,679 12,947,680 179,462 3,640,840 158,472 10,300 15,300 780,922 8,817,995 109,737,915 2,372,070 240,000 31,883,423.50 61,285,122.50 805,584 40,809,220 20,388,110 53,300 13,986,290 91,567,620 16,283,111

215,000 -243,360 -53,812,166 71,000 111,437 10,863,940 -731,880 32,400,720 18,880 23,100 -12,354,681 81,700 -34,700 25,603,160 -1,224,749 87,020 -106,200.00 -3,100 -770,932 199,500 23,495,190 902,120 -84,000 3,699,863 1,903,640 2,949,560 -2,296,410 -474,240 433,850 2,444,091

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

0.0027 1.65 4.93 12.12 2 1.9 1.41 0.39 8.8 2.61 0.27 0.181 0.011 0.012 1.99 7.6 1.78 0.53 1.08 0.012 0.013 0.013 2.43 8.45 6.3 46.9 0.008

0.0027 1.73 4.94 14.18 2 1.9 1.54 0.39 9 2.65 0.275 0.182 0.011 0.012 2.04 7.6 1.78 0.54 1.08 0.013 0.013 0.013 2.66 8.9 8.5 47 0.0081

0.0026 1.65 4.84 12.12 2 1.9 1.4 0.39 8.79 2.6 0.26 0.18 0.01 0.011 1.99 7.12 1.7 0.51 1.03 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.43 8.4 6.25 46.5 0.008

MINING & OIL 0.0027 1,442,000,000 1.71 7,716,000 4.84 1,080,000 14.18 17,300 2 32,000 1.9 1,000 1.54 33,974,000 0.39 770,000 8.99 100,000 2.63 7,367,000 0.27 180,000 0.182 4,490,000 0.01 224,100,000 0.011 1,200,000 2.02 729,000 7.19 15,326,400 1.76 241,000 0.53 165,000 1.04 811,000 0.013 164,700,000 0.013 36,400,000 0.012 101,400,000 2.47 157,000 8.78 1,713,500 7.75 35,396,500 46.5 655,400 0.008 13,000,000

3,763,500 13,021,490 5,279,420 233,514 64,000 1,900 48,997,540 300,300 895,936 19,325,420 47,150 810,300 2,256,200 14,200 1,467,140 111,482,056 417,700 84,470 850,650 1,987,500 473,200 1,217,000 402,530 14,797,021 255,546,181 30,613,765 104,100

-142,490 159,000 2,761,420 -14,612,088 40,480 -260,000 12,000 -13,000 -2,582,142.00 26,295,649 2,920,780 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 DD PREF FGEN PREF F FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A SFI PREF SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

40.6 526 527 105.7 107.7 117.8 525 5.8 1.06 109.9 1,065 2.02 76.4 80.5 77 81 77.4 79.95

40.6 526 535 105.7 108 117.8 525 5.8 1.06 110 1,090 2.02 76.4 81 77 81 77.4 80

40.55 526 527 105.7 106 117.5 525 5.8 1.06 109.9 1,065 1.95 76.4 80 77 81 77.3 79.95

PREFERRED 40.6 321,900 526 50 529 14,510 105.7 20 106 1,140 117.8 4,200 525 10,560 5.8 205,000 1.06 2,000 110 227,070 1,090 1,315 1.95 6,000 76.4 1,280 81 430,730 77 60 81 410 77.3 170,700 80 5,150

13,069,045 26,300 7,688,600 2,114 121,200 494,733 5,544,000 1,189,000 2,120 24,977,360 1,401,100 11,840 97,792 34,797,000 4,620 33,210 13,195,138 411,995

2,237,155 -1,131,000 -2,297,935 -7,995

LR WARRANT

2.88

2.97

2.75

WARRANTS 2.81 1,333,000

3,830,100

1,978,130 636,950 6,011,674

996,850 -428,208

572,960

197,035

16,350

NAME

PROPERTY 5.2 1.19 9.79 2.48 1.07 45.15 3.82 5.23 5.4 5.89 0.52 1.36 1.54 0.249 0.495 43 0.7 0.148 2.15 1.54 0.92 5.3

169,900 10,340,000 186,600 142,000 2,433,000 6,417,600 499,000 22,238,100 145,100 600 10,175,000 1,461,000 839,000 251,340,000 1,150,000 362,400 467,000 2,140,000 26,114,000 5,704,000 199,000 32,530,000

ITALPINAS PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

4.4 4.92 5.78

4.47 4.95 5.83

4.3 4.71 5.72

FIRST METRO ETF

125.5

125.7

125

USD DMPL A1

10.9

T RADING S UMMARY FINANCIAL

10.9

4.45 4.94 5.72

SME

447,000 133,000 1,042,500

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 125.4 4,570 10.9

DDS

VALUE

41,987,866

777,033,753.91

INDUSTRIAL

58,856,471

882,896,557.99

HOLDING FIRMS

71,537,285

1,207,768,501.71

PROPERTY

563,188,307

1,479,925,250.705

SERVICES

242,291,476

1,281,447,993.42

MINING & OIL

2,093,916,633

514,518,624.772

GRAND TOTAL

3,073,405,870

6,152,793,871.24

1,500

FINANCIAL 1,987.17 (down) 0.25 INDUSTRIAL 11,399.80 (down) 52.78 HOLDING FIRMS 8,259.17 (up) 12.71 PROPERTY 3,952.67 (down) 16.45 SERVICES 1,721.64 (down) 9.98 MINING & OIL 14,135.25 (up) 150.50 PSEI 8,281.27 (down) 5.59 All Shares Index 4,878.39 (down) 6.61 Gainers: 93; Losers: 109; Unchanged: 47; Total: 249

Globe raises capex by $100m By Darwin G. Amojelar GLOBE Telecom Inc. has raised its capital expenditures by $100 million this year to finance the expansion of mobile data network. The company, a unit of conglomerate Ayala Corp., said the increased network spending would bring the 2017 capex to around $850 million, with the additional investment to be spent in the rest of the year. The company’s earlier capex guidance for the year was $750 million. Globe said the additional spending was in line with the company’s commitment to improve internet services in the Philippines, with the goal of becoming an admired nation for having first world Internet connectivity. With the additional investment, the company is speeding up its mobile capex program, allowing for more deployments of LTE services using the 700 megahertz (MHz) and 2600 MHz frequencies, increased 3G capacities, and further expansion of mobile coverage. Globe’s LTE rollout is expected to expand progressively, targeting sites with high demand. “We expect to further enhance customer experience as we continue with the aggressive deployment of LTE sites, utilizing the 700 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2600 MHz frequencies to address the growing customer demand for bandwidth amid the swelling consumption of multi-media content,” Ernest Cu, Globe president and chief executive, said. Globe earlier signed a seven-year and 10-year, $155-million term loan facility with Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., which will be used to finance capex for the year. It also signed a 10-year, P8 billion term loan facility and an 8-year, P7-billion term loan facility with BDO Unibank Inc. and a six-year, P7-billion term loan with Development Bank of the Philippines.

S&P also cuts HK’s rating to AA-plus HONG KONG―Standard & Poor’s on Friday slashed Hong Kong’s top-notch credit rating, a day after lowering China’s, warning of potential spillover risks the mainland’s ballooning debt pile. S&P, which said the semi-autonomous city had “very strong institutional and political linkages” with China, slashed its rating to AA-plus from the highest AAA. The moves followed Moody’s decision to downgrade China and Hong Kong earlier this year. “We view a weakening of credit support for China as exerting a negative impact on the ratings on Hong Kong beyond what is implied by the territory’s currently strong credit metrics,” the agency said in a statement. Despite Hong Kong’s “very strong” credit metrics, S&P said it still faces multiple challenges including sky-high property prices and rising interest rates in the United States, to which the city’s monetary policy is tied. Chief Asia economist at Union Bancaire Privee Mark McFarland said Hong Kong’s downgrade was a “natural step.” “It has been widely anticipated that S&P would eventually follow the others and that Hong Kong would be dropped a notch too,” he told Bloomberg News. New York-based S&P on Thursday said a “prolonged period of strong credit growth has increased China’s economic ﬁnancial risks,” and downgraded the world’s number-two economy from AA-minus to A-plus―its ﬁrst downgrade since 1999. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

LGUs

TODAY

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

Ecija councilor expelled from SB By Ferdie G. Domingo

AN ANTONIO, Nueva Ecija—The Sangguniang Bayan here has expelled Councilor Renan Ponce P. Morales for failing to attend 10 consecutive municipal council regular sessions and going absent without filing any official leave.

The town’s number one councilor, Morales was linked to a foiled assassination attempt on Mayor Arvin C. Salonga, after an arrested ex-policeman tagged him as the alleged mastermind. The bounty

on the mayor’s head was reported to be P5 million. Morales ran as an independent in the 2016 local elections. In a four-page resolution dated Sept. 4, the 10-man council led by Vice Mayor Julieta E. Maxwell imposed

the expulsion penalty on Morales after the councilor did not offer any explanation for his continued absences from SB sessions, despite being given a 15-day grace period to satisfactorily and fully explain his side. It cited Section 2 of Rule XI of the SB internal rules, which states that an absentee councilor who has incurred four consecutive absences without any official leave faces either a six-month suspension or expulsion. The expulsion resolution was unanimously approved by the SB based on a motion by Councilor Adonis L. Balagtas, which

was seconded by Councilor Polito S. Pamintuan. The council has urged Morales to come out in the open and shed light on his alleged involvement in the attempt on Salonga’s life, but the SB got no response from him. Records showed Morales was absent during SB regular sessions on Sept. 4, Aug. 29, 22, 14 and 7, and July 31, 24, 17, 10 and 3. “As councilors, it is expected that each SB member will attend the sessions to draft resolutions and propose laws that will help improve our municipality,” the expulsion resolution read. “Councilor

Morales’ continuous absence from July 3, 2017 up to the present without leave can be likened to an abandonment of his position.” “SB members have observed that Morales has failed to attend three consecutive council sessions only to attend the fourth regular session. Kagawad Morales’ name has also been linked to the failed assassination attempt on Mayor Salonga last July 31 as its supposed mastermind,” the resolution added. The SB’s resolution against Morales will be forwarded to the Gapan City Regional Trial Court for proper disposition.

Feed mill Korean agency’s gift to Quirino hog raisers By Ben Moses Ebreo CABARROGUIS, Quirino— The provincial government has received a feed mill from the Korea International Cooperation Agency to boost the food supply for hog raisers and cooperatives here. The feed mill was donated following a partnership between the provincial government and KOICA. Gov. Junie Cua said the mill is a component of the Quirino Integrated Rural Development plan, aimed at sustaining the livestock portion of the agricultural value chain, increasing the income of farmers in the province, and improving their quality of life. The facility was turned over in a program attended by Korean Embassy minister counsellor Kyun Jong-Ho, KOICA country director Shin Myung Seop, farmers and provincial officials led by Cua. The feed mill was con-

Philippine International Trading Corp. president and CEO Dave Almarinez shows off a variety of bananas from Davao del Norte, one of the country’s top producers of the fruit for export to other Asian countries, as he visited plantations in the province to help banana growers expand their business and reach the global market. Roy Tomandao

structed earlier this year at the Quirino State University in Barangay Dipintin in Maddela town, under a usufruct agreement between Cua and QSU president Samuel Benigno. The facility has an area of approximately 760 sq. m. and an ideal processing capacity of five metric tons per hour. It has been operating since July with maximum production of four tons per hour and 80 metric tons of feeds per month. Feed Mill manager Jeremel Agustin said its production is just enough to supply the Q-Life product beneficiaries and backyard raisers in the province. “We operate based on our monthly targets of production and on the available raw materials, especially the macro ingredients because these are purchased from local supplier,” Agustin said. The mill intends to increase its production to be able to supply all the hog raisers in the province, he added.

This is part of the BPI Senior High School Acceleration Program for Employment and Entrepreneurship (SHAPE), one of the Foundation’s core programs, which aims to help the students be employable, entrepreneurial, and college-ready. The first BPI SHAPE business and academic fair will jumpstart the senior high school

students’ career growth by connecting them to companies for internship opportunities. Based on their educational tracks, the students can then apply to a lineup of industry partners for work immersion, so they can earn skills that will help make them more employable. BPI’s industry partners

include Collabera, Incuventure, Integrated Micro Electronics and Universal Robina Corp. Sessions on entrepreneurship, employability skills, and

college education will also be featured in the event, spearheaded by training partners such as Globe Telecom, Jobstreet, and EdukasyonPH.

In The Name Of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES AUTONOMOUS REGION IN MUSLIM MINDANAO PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF BASILAN BIDS AND AWARDSCOMMITTEE Provincial Capitol Bldg., Isabela City, Basilan Province, 7300 INVITATION TO BID FOR SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF LAMITAN DISTRICT HOSPITAL, PHASE I, LAMITAN CITY BASILAN UNDER BAC PUBLICATION 00 10-2017 1. The Provincial Government of Basilan intends to apply part of the sum of NINE MILLION NINE HUNDRED TWENTY SlX THOUSAND AND ONE OHUNDRED FIFTY THREE PESOS AND FORTY CENTAVOS 40/100 (P9,926,153.40) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payment for the contract of the following procurement under the Office of the Provincial Engineer as distributed below; Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected a bid opening. 2. The Provincial Government of Basilan now invites bids for Procurement of Goods for the Supply and Delivery of Construction Materials for the Construction of Lamitan District Hospital, Phase I, being funded by the Department of Health (ARMM) thru a Memorandum of Agreement with the Provincial Government. Bidders have completed within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipts of bids, a contract similar to the project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II, Instruction to Bidders. 3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. 4. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines. Interested bidders may obtain further information from The Provincial Government of Basilan and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00am to 5pm.

SCHOLARSHIP GRANT. Noveleta Mayor Dino Reyes Chua (center) is flanked by representatives of Zuellig Pharma and the Department of Health as he led the signing of scholarship grants for the Cavite town’s Municipal Leadership and Governance Program at the University of the Philippines in a ceremony at the Noveleta Town Hall.

SSS opens bigger branch in Daet DAET, Camarines Norte— The Social Security System opened its newly relocated SSS Daet Branch last Thursday following an 18-percent increase in the number of transactions facilitated in the region in the first six months of 2017. The SSS Daet Branch has relocated to the Ching Building in Barangay Lag-on, which caters to 12 barangays, about 4,179 registered employers, and more than 60,000 cov-

ered employees, self-employed workers and voluntary members in the area. SSS president and chief executive officer Emmanuel F. Dooc said the Luzon Bicol Division facilitated 765,141 transactions during the first semester of 2017, 117,876 transactions higher from the same period last year. Dooc said more than half, or 57.55 percent, of the overall SSS transactions are contribution payments.

Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOl within three (3) days from the date of this publication. (SGD) NESTOR P. ARCANSALIN Director Resource-based Industries Service (MS-SEPT. 23, 2017)

HARVEST TIME.

BPI sets business, academic fair for Taguig senior high schoolers BPI FOUNDATION, in partnership with the Department of Education, the Taguig City Government, and consultancy social enterprise YGOAL Inc., will hold a business and academic fair for graduating senior high school students on Sept. 28 and 29 at the Kalayaan Hall of SM Aura Premiere in Taguig.

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that NUEVO SOLAR ENERGY CORP. is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOl) as Renewable Energy Developer of Solar Energy Resources (25.2MW Bangyas Solar Power Project) in Brgy. Bangyas, Calauan, Laguna to avail of the incentives under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA 9513).

“SSS branches in Luzon Bicol Division processed more than 400,000 transactions for contribution payments, followed by registration and loan repayments with over 113,000 and 104,000, respectively. This is a good indication that more members and employers recognize the importance of SSS membership and they make it a habit to pay their contributions and loan amortizations regularly,” Dooc said.

5. A complete Bidding Documents may be purchased in the amount of Ten Thousand pesos (P10,000.00) for the procurement for the contract by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fees for the Bidding Documents and ONE THOUSAND PESOS (P1,000.00) for Letter of Intent. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later that the submission of their bids. 6. The Provincial Government of Basilan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 9:00 am, September 29,2017 at BAC Office,Provincial Capitol, Isabela City, Basilan Province, which shall be open to all interested parties. 7. Bids must be delivered on Bid Opening to the address below on or before 10:00 am, October 12, 2017 at BAC Office, Provincial Capitol lsabela City, Basilan Province. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. 8. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. 9. The Provincial Government of Basilan reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. 10.For further information, please refer to: The BAC CHAIRPERSON LGU- BASILAN Bids and Award Committee C/O BAC Secretariat Ground Floor, Provincial Capitol Building, Isabela City, Basilan Province, 7300 Fax No.: 062 200 3416 & 062200 3417 (SGD) INTAN GORDANA A. ABUBAKAR Chairperson, Bids and Awards Committee (MS-SEPT. 23, 2017)

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that ORMOC SOLAR ENERGY CORP. is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as Renewable Energy Developer of Solar Energy Resources (100.8MW Naic Solar Power Project) in Naic, Tanza & Trece Martires City, Cavite to avail of the incentives under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA 9513). Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication. (SGD) NESTOR P. ARCANSALIN Director Resource-based Industries Service (MS-SEPT. 23, 2017)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT

SUMMONS

BLAINE PERCY WILLOUGHBY No. 37 Silverstone Drive, Stony Plain T7ZOEB Canada BRANCH 113, PASAY CITY GREETINGS: You are hereby required, RASCHEL M. BAUTISTAwithin thirty (30) days after WILLOUGHBY, service of this summons upon Petitioner, you, to file with this Court and serve on the plaintiff your -versusAnswer to the Complaint, copy CIVIL CASE NO. R-PSY-17-26313 CV of which is attached, together FOR: Declaration of with the annexes and a Civil Case Information Statement. Nullity of Marriage If you fail to answer within the BLAINE PERCY WILLOUGHBY, time fixed, the plaintiff will take judgment by default and may Respondent. be granted the relief applied for x---------------------------------------x in the Complaint. ORDER Moreover, pursuant to A Motion for Leave of Court to Serve Summons by Publication the IBP-OCA Memorandum was filed by the petitioner thru on Policy guidelines, dated counsel, copy of which was March 12, 2002, you are furnished to the Office of the expected not to file a Motion Solicitor General and the Trial to Dismiss but instead, you are requested to allege the Prosecutor. grounds of such Motion as Allegedly, the present defenses in your answer. whereabout of the respondent is Likewise, you are expected to utilize the deposition-recovery unknown. measures under Rules 23, 25, WHEREFORE, as prayed 26, 27 and 28 of the Rules of for, let the service of Summons Civil Procedure. Failure to in the above-entitled case be resort to deposition by written served through publication in a interrogatories under Rule 25 newspaper of general circulation and the request for admission at least, once a week for two (2) of facts under Rule 27 may be prejudicial to your interest. consecutive weeks. WITNESS may hand under SO ORDERED. the seal of the Court, this 30th Pasay City, August 30, 2017. day of August, 2017. (Sgd.) CARIDAD H. GRECIA(Sgd.) RENATO C. OCZON CUERDO (OFFICER-IN-CHARGE/L.R.) JUDGE (MS-Sep. 16 & 23, 2017) NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT

DANIEL ALEXANDRE LIMA SANTOS

NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION

Avenida Comandante Matoso 8650-357 Sagres, Portugal

SUMMONS

BRANCH 113, PASAY CITY CHERRY ANN ABARQUEZ SANTOS, Petitioner, -versusCIVIL CASE NO. R-PSY-17-27138 CV FOR: Declaration of Nullity of Marriage DANIEL ALEXANDRE LIMA SANTOS, Respondent. x---------------------------------------x

ORDER An Ex-Parte Motion for Leave of Court to Serve Summons through Publication was filed by the petitioner thru counsel, copy of which was furnished to the Office of the Solicitor General and the Trial Prosecutor. Allegedly, the summons to the respondent cannot be served personally on the ground that the respondent is no longer residing in the Philippines and his present whereabouts unknown. WHEREFORE, as prayed for, let the service of Summons in the above-entitled case be served through publication chosen by raffle in a newspaper of general circulation chosen by raffle at least once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks. SO ORDERED. Pasay City, August 30, 2017. (Sgd.) CARIDAD H. GRECIA-CUERDO JUDGE

GREETINGS: You are hereby required, within thirty (30) days after service of this summons upon you, to file with this Court and serve on the plaintiff your Answer to the Complaint, copy of which is attached, together with the annexes and a Civil Case Information Statement. If you fail to answer within the time fixed, the plaintiff will take judgment by default and may be granted the relief applied for in the Complaint. Moreover, pursuant to the IBP-OCA Memorandum on Policy guidelines, dated March 12, 2002, you are expected not to file a Motion to Dismiss but instead, you are requested to allege the grounds of such Motion as defenses in your answer. Likewise, you are expected to utilize the deposition-recovery measures under Rules 23, 25, 26, 27 and 28 of the Rules of Civil Procedure. Failure to resort to deposition by written interrogatories under Rule 25 and the request for admission of facts under Rule 27 may be prejudicial to your interest. WITNESS may hand under the seal of the Court, this 30th day of August, 2017. (Sgd.) RENATO C. OCZON (OFFICER-IN-CHARGE/L.R.) (MS-Sep.16 & 23, 2017)

sufficient in form and substance, notice is hereby given that said petition is hereby set for hearing on October 30, 2017 at 8:30 in the morning before this Court located at Room 238, Second Floor, Hall of Justice, Diliman, MARNE GELACIO, Quezon City at which place and Petitioner, on which date and time, any -versusperson who has objections to CIVIL CASE NO. the petition may appear and file R-QZN-17-07570-CV his opposition thereto. For: Recognition of Let a copy of this Order Foreign Divorce and the entire publication be SEONGMAN HAN AND/OR CIVIL published at the expense of REGISTRAR GENERAL AND/OR the petitioner, once a week for THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR three (3) consecutive weeks in OF QUEZON CITY, The Standard, a newspaper of Respondents. general circulation throughout x---------------------------------------x the Philippines. Likewise, let ORDER a copy of the petition with its This is a verified petition filed annexes and this Order be by Marne Gelacio praying for furnished to the Office of the the judicial recognition of foreign Solicitor General, and be posted judgment of divorce obtained in in the Bulletin Board of the Office Republic of Korea and direct the of the Clerk of Court, Regional Civil Registrar General and the Trial Court, Quezon City. Local Civil Registry of Quezon City to record the divorce in the SO ORDERED Quezon City, Philippines, marriage certificate. August 22, 2017. Petitioner alleges that she got married to Seongman Han on June 24, 2008 at the Iglesia (Sgd.) SANTIAGO M. ARENAS ni Cristo Central Temple, New Judge Era, Quezon City; that petitioner and private respondent have no Cc: BRITANICO & BRITANICO LAW children; that in 2016, the parties OFFICES filed for divorce at Incheon in Atty. Francesco C. Britanico the Republic of Korea; that on Counsel for the Petitioner G/F 4 Matiwasay Street, U.P. Village, December 1, 2016, a divorce Diliman, Quezon City decree was issued by the Family Court at the Incheon in the Office of the Solicitor General Republic of Korea dissolving the Makati City marriage between Seongman Office of the City Prosecutor Han and Marne Gelacio; that Quezon City petitioner is now seeking that the Office of the Civil Registrar foreign divorce decree obtained General by Seongman Han in the Quezon City Republic of Korea be judicially Office of the Local Civil Registrar Quezon City recognized. (MS-Sep. 16, 23 & 30, 2017) Finding the petition to be

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 217 – QUEZON CITY

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com mslocalgov@gmail.com

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

LGUs

DTI warns of buying LPG in flimsy cans

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Subic as port of choice By Butch Gunio

UBIC BAY FREEPORT—With lower rates, faster turnaround time, and 15 piers and wharves to choose from, the Subic Bay Freeport is angling to be the port of choice for shippers and port users in Northern and Central Luzon today. Atty. Wilma T. Eisma, administrator and chief executive officer of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, said during the Northern Luzon Investors’ Conference at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel last Thursday that Subic

provides the best solution in terms of the ease and cost of doing shipping and related maritime business. Eisma told business leaders and prospective investors in the region that along with its strategic location,

the country’s premier free port provides 10 built-in advantages “that could spell the difference for players in the shipping business.” Subic’s plus factors for successful shipping operations are faster turnaround time, absence of red tape, short processing time, absence of congestion, absence of traffic, immediate docking upon vessel arrival, no truck ban, lower port tariff, higher efficiency, and ISOquality service, Eisma said. To start with, the Subic Freeport has a total of 15 piers and wharves that can support the transshipment of a wide range of cargoes.

Eisma said the two wharves in Subic’s former Ship Repair Facility are ideal for passenger ships, as well as military vessels because they are located near the Central Business District, while the two other piers further inside the facility would be ideal for repair and boat services. The two jetties at the former Naval Supply Depot are perfect for break-bulk cargoes and shipments bound for Subic’s industrial parks and manufacturing centers in Central and Northern Luzon, while the three docks at the Boton Logistics Center would best be suited for petroleum products, she added.

Those at Cubi Point, Eisma said, could accommodate containerized cargo, as well as grains and fertilizer, while the single landings at Nabasan, Camayan and Grande could be used for specialized purposes, including tourism. Eisma also pointed out that Subic is already the port of choice for Hanjin, the fourth largest shipbuilder in the world; China’s Jovo Group, which operates the country’s first ship-to-ship transfer of liquefied petroleum gas; and Subic Bay Int’l Terminal Corp., an affiliate of the International Container Terminal Services Inc., one of the five major maritime terminal

operators in the world. “We have also attracted nine container shipping lines that now connect Subic Bay to major commercial centers in the United States, Europe, Middle East, and Southeast Asia, and this is because we have some of the lowest rates in stevedoring and arrastre, as well as export, import and transshipment fees,” Eisma said. She cited as an example Subic’s stevedoring charges for a loaded 40-footer container that is only $94.33, while that for Manila goes for $137.87 excluding VAT, or a difference of $43.54 or 31.58 percent.

Manila kicks Divisoria cleanup into high gear By Bill Casas MANILA Mayor Joseph Estrada has ordered the Task Force Manila Cleanup to intensify its cleaning and clearing of roads in major commercial areas in time for Christmas until New Year. This after the task force estimated the number of shoppers in the city to increase from one million last year to around 1.5 million a day during the Yuletide season. With the Philippines having the longest Christmas season and Filipinos starting their countdown during the “ber” months starting September, Estrada said the influx of shoppers in the city, especially in Divisoria, would create traffic problems. “During ‘Ber’ months, there are a lot of shoppers visiting the malls, as well as vendors in the streets,” Estrada said. “We have to ensure that streets and sidewalks are clean, and traffic would ease, so that people will be able to pass through the streets and sidewalks without any problem.” Estrada has tasked TFMC chief Che Borromeo to lead the cleanup and clearing of roads during this period. “It seems that you can’t even drop a pin due to the large number of people in an area. They come from not only from Manila, but even from other cities and provinces,” Borromeo said. As with previous years, the bulk of the Christmas

shoppers go to Divisoria, the so-called “Pambansang Palengke” (National Market) known for its low-priced goods, Borromeo said. An average of 1.5 million shoppers a day come to visit Divisoria during the peak Christmas shopping spree, from November till December, and may extend until New Year, he said. Borromeo added the time the most number of people go to malls and shopping centers, as well as to buy gifts from vendors on the streets, is around 3 p.m. up to midnight, and early morning the next day. This would peak somewhere between December 15 until just before Christmas, where many people rush to buy gifts for Christmas Day, he said. “Sometimes, you can’t even distinguish the shoppers from the vendors, when there are a lot of people in the streets,” Borromeo joked. According to the TFMC chief, around 100 City Hall personnel work in three shifts every day in Divisoria starting at 4 a.m. to clean up the streets and remove road obstructions. “This would take place just before street vendors leave. Usually, vendors leave at 6 a.m.,” Borromeo said. Expecting more trash during the Christmas season, he said TFMC will deploy up to 20 dump trucks a day, from the present 10 to 12, to speed up the garbage collection and clearing operations.

LUMAD ‘SAINT.’ Fr. Peter Geremia (second from right), an Italian missionary in the Philippines for 47 years, receives the St.

Teresa of Calcutta Award for 2017 and a cash grant of P1 million, half of which will be donated to a charitable institution of his choice. Also known as the ‘living saint of the Lumads,’ Geremia gained the prizes from the award body, organized by the JCI Manila and AY Foundation, as it celebrated its 30th year with the theme ‘30 Years of Saintly Selflessness’ at the Alfonso Yuchengco Tower in Makati City. Diana B. Noche

QC bans Pokemon GO ‘lure spots’ By Rio N. Araja THE Quezon City government has banned a popular mobile phone game, Pokemon GO, from placing “lure spots” or points of interest called “Pokespots” in the vicinity of government offices, schools and places of worship in the city. District 5 Councilor Allan Butch Francisco authored

Resolution 7128 of 2017, calling on Pokemon GO developer Niantic Inc. to exclude areas around government offices, schools, and places of worship as lure spots. “This will bring down the productivity level of government workers, raise the risk Pokemon GO poses by its increasing usage among school children, and how it defeats the dignity

that is supposed to reign in houses of religious worship,” Francisco said. The measure took note of the widespread incidents of Pokemon “zombies” injuring gamers and spectators that had threatened public safety due to the players’ poor situational awareness as they tried to catch the digital monsters through their mobile phones.

Samsung builds smart classroom in Davao Norte school SAMSUNG Electronics Philippines Corp., in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), recently opened its Smart Classroom at the Guadalupe Elementary School in Carmen, Davao del Norte. It is the 14th Smart Classroom in the Philippines and is the very first classroom under DepEd’s Adopt-aSchool program. Held in Carmen, the program prioritizes schools that serve indigenous communities and promotes interschool partnerships. Smart Classroom is a program aimed at enhancing the quality of education in the Philippines with the help of technology. Using the latest Samsung devices like Galaxy tablets and LED screens, the program intends to create a more interactive learning environment to improve student engagement and academic performance. It also aims to boost the proficien-

cy of public school teachers in the country. “This project not only promises to modernize classrooms aesthetically, but also, more importantly, technologically,” SEPCO’s head for Corporate Citizenship Twyla David shared. “We are very excited about all the opportunities it will open up, and are looking forward to expanding it to other communities in Mindanao,” David added. Besides immersing students in a digital environment, it will also be a venue for community-based activities such as school administration meetings and Alternative Learning System and Information and Communication Technologies training workshops for teachers, she said. The Smart Classroom at the Guadalupe Elementary School can accommodate up to 30 students at a time, each of whom will have access to a wealth of e-learning tools and materials through the Samsung tablet.

By Othel V. Campos THE Department of Trade and Industry in Northern Mindanao has cautioned the public against refilling butane canisters with liquefied petroleum gas or LPG. The department issued the warning amid the reported proliferation of LPG contained in canisters or cartridges sold in local markets and even in sari-sari stores. Consumers buy LPGfilled canisters for household use. LPG, chemically, is a mixture of two flammable gases—60 percent propane and 40 percent butane. This highly flammable gas, the department said, poses imminent danger to life and property, and thus must be securely contained and safely stored. “I am urging the consuming public and LPG users to refrain from utilizing LPGrefilled canisters for household use and avoid risking your property and life to destruction,” said DTI-Lanao del Norte provincial director Ruel Paclipan. In accordance with the Philippine National Standard (PNS) 03-1:2000, only welded steel cylinders with a water capacity of one liter to 150 liters are permitted for storage and transport of liquefied petroleum gas. Steel cylinders, aside from being sturdier, have pressure relief valves. In contrast, canisters have lightweight and thinner metal bodies in which joints are just being soldered, and have no pressure relief valves, Paclipan said. Pursuant to Department Circular No. 2014-01-0001 of the Department of Energy, no person shall engage in LPG industry activity without securing first a Standards Compliance Certificate. The DoE Circular prohibits the sale of LPG on single-trip (non-refillable) containers and canisters, which have been previously filled with butane. It also emphasized that selling of LPG in inappropriate containers is prohibited and constitutes illegal trading.

IN BRIEF Navotas cuts down on kids’ malnutrition NAVOTAS has recorded an almost 100-percent decrease in the number of children affected by Severe Acute Malnutrition, the city government reported Friday. Out of 104 severely wasted children from 0 to 71 months old recorded in January 2017, the city was able to restore the health of 100. Mayor John Rey Tiangco, through the City Nutrition Office and with the help of Save the Children, laid out a series of supplemental feeding and regular check-ups and evaluations of SAM patients, as well as intensive information and education campaign regarding acute malnutrition. “SAM patients are at high risk of death that is why we doubled our efforts to improve their health and help save them,” Tiangco said. “Malnutrition continues to be one of the major problems in our country. In Navotas, while the percentage of affected children is relatively small, we consider this as setback in our goal to improve the lives of all Navoteños,” he added. Jun David

Region 12 to host DoST NSTW party

Samsung Electronics Philippines head of corporate citizenship Twyla David (center) presents the smart classroom (inset) to (from left) Guadalupe Barangay Councilor Eleuterio Nibres, Councilors Nenita Solis and Angelita Camacho of the Carmen Sangguniang Bayan, DepEd Public Schools District Supervisor Marlon Ebrado, Guadalupe Barangay Captain Alexander Otto, Carmen Mayor Virginia Perandos, DepEd Davao del Norte Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Josephine Fadul, DepEd Education Program Supervisor Antonio Pasquito Jr., DepEd Administrative Assistant Elisa G. Resma, Ludy Navarro of DepEd Alternative Learning Systems, Global Peace Foundation Program Director Joy Remigio, and Davao del Norte Board Member Roy Alba.

AS PART of the annual celebration of National Science and Technology Week, the Department of Science and Technology Regional Office 12 is bringing the energy and vigor to the region with an event from Oct. 17 to 19 at the KCC Convention Center in General Santos City. Dubbed as “Science for the People,” the celebration will showcase milestones and breakthroughs on science, technology, and innovation in the region and its overall impact to the socio-economic opportunities and achievements in the countryside, such as employment generation, improved livelihood, safer and healthier communities. DoST Regional Director Dr. Zenaida Hadji Raof Laidan is inviting everyone to join the celebration, as different activities will be staged to promote and preserve science culture and dynamism in the region. “A venue for partners from government and private sector to strengthen the socioeconomic activity in the region, the NSTW regional celebration will further boost and capitalize the indigenous talents of our technopreneurs, expand opportunities for our science communities, and invigorate our region’s research and development,” Dr. Laidan added.

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

BEAUTY EXPO. This year’s Beauty and Wellness Manila features the newest products and trends fit for the Philippine market.

BEAUTY AND WELLNESS MANILA

Trade show highlights latest

products, trends A

CCORDING to Philippines Magazine International, the Philippines’ beauty and wellness industry is one of the fastest growing and most profitable investment markets in the world. In fact, 75 percent of the Philippines’ population uses beauty and wellness products, leading to an increase in personal care product entrepreneurs. This month, these developments are the highlights at Beauty and Wellness Manila, a trade show now on its second year held until today at the SMX Convention Center Manila. “We are excited to see another showcase of new products and services in one venue. This year, buyers will experience the latest trends in this industry as well as get to discover products that fit each lifestyle and needs. Plus, this is an opportunity to network with possible busi-

Corporation, Glucoscare, Jradiance Corporation, Ladouce, Lamoiyan Corporation, Natch International, Inc., Organique Inc., Pureform Cosmetic Products, Inc. (Renew Placenta), Refinette Cosmetic Industry, Sea Stellaire, Inc., Silstar, Slimmers World International, Shinagawa Lasik & Aesthetics Center, Sophia Marie Cosmetic Products, Inc., Stalder Lab, Sun Cellular (Digitel Philippines), Swiss Fragrancness partners,” said Siliman Sy, president es, Inc., Tamayo’s Catering, Vine Aesthetic, of Chamber of Cosmetics Industry of the Wacoal Philippines, Inc., Waterfront Hotels, Yumei Mise Manufacturing & Merchandise, Philippines Inc. (CCIP). Some of the participants of the show in- Inc., Zafirah Philippines, Inc., Zerona Laser clude: Beauche International by Conchita Slimming & Aesthetics Corp. and many more. Aside from the exhibit, business matching Stalder Lab offers products and services that address the needs of even the most delicate skin type Inc., Beauty Lab Whitening, Inc., Berry-Me, Business Innovations Gateway, Inc., Citibank, is available among the participating brands Beauty and Wellness Manila is open Cosmetigroup International Corp., DMI Med- for trade buyers who are interested to be a products from international brands and manufacturers who are looking for partners here in 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. today. For more ical Supply Co., Inc. (Mx3), Eiskin Laborato- distributor/dealer. “Joining the business matching activity is the Philippines,” says Global-Link MP Events information, contact the organizers at (02) ries, Inc., ERP Wellness Enterprises, Essential Living Philippines (Essliv Corp.), Ever Bilena an opportunity for local beauty and wellness International, Inc. COO Jing Lagandaon, or- 893-7973 or follow the show’s Facebook page of the same name. Cosmetics, Inc., First Asia Manufacturing centers as well as entrepreneurs to source new ganizer of the show

Stress buster WHAT’S your usual Monday morning like? You wake up early, just so you wouldn’t be late for work, but Manila traffic just wouldn’t permit you to be on time. You get to work, and will be scolded by your boss because of tardiness. You missed lunch because of the pile of work. You went home late from a tedious overtime and faced some home stress. These heaps of stress can affect your body so much even if you don’t realize it. This is because of several body issues you face every day like headaches, depression, anxiety, difficulty in sleeping, over eating, slow metabolism, nausea, muscle tension, magnified physical symptoms of menopause and weak resistance. It can also increase your risk of some severe illnesses like stroke, heart attack, type 2 diabetes, acid reflux, erectile dysfunction and impotence Stress tolerance is different from person to person, only you can gauge how much stress is “too much,” but all of us can do several things to improve our ability to handle stress. Exercise. Regular exercise uplifts the mood and can serve as a distraction from upsetting events in our life. Doing fitness activities such as yoga can help in your physical and mental health. Create a support system. Having human interaction can trigger hormones that relieve stress, even a short friendly conversation can soothe your nervous system. Have some alone time. Learn how to detach yourself from work and stress, take deep breaths that can activate the body’s relaxation response, a state of restfulness.

Fight stress with the help of healthy and balanced lifestyle supplemented by a non-acidic Vitamin C

Eat a healthy and balanced diet. The food you eat can also contribute to your stress level. Processed, refined carbohydrates and sugary food can worsen symptoms of stress, while eating food with highquality protein and omega-3 fatty acids can help you cope with stress. Get some rest. Lack of sleep increases stress by causing you to think irrationally. Chronic stress can also disrupt your sleep. Drink Vitamin C supplements. Vitamin C is a stress buster. It allows the body to quickly clear out cortisol, a stress hormone that increases sugars in the blood stream. It helps regulate cortisol and prevents the blood pressure from spiking up in response to stressful situations. One Vitamin C supplement you can take is Bewell-C, a non-acidic Vitamin C. It has a high rate of absorption so less vitamins are flushed out while most of it stays in the body to boost the immune system. Bewell-C eases mental stress and protects you against stress-related disorders. Bewell-C is available at Mercury Drug and other leading drugstores nationwide for only P5.50 per capsule SRP. For more information about Bewell-C, visit www.facebook.com/bewellcsodiumascorbate/

Having the right knowledge will help a family fight health issues that ‘run’ in their genes

Outsmart the Big C

IF CANCER runs in your family, it often feels like there’s a ticking time bomb inside you that is counting down before you too would get the dreaded diagnosis of the disease. You know, or know of, people who are in the midst of their battle with cancer, and you worry about the possibility of you having it too. There are ways to prevent cancer, but if the cancer is already in you, is there still a chance of preventing it—and at the end of all your efforts, would it still be possible to have a good quality of life? Yes, and yes. About 10 to 15 percent of most cancers in women and men are from inherited gene mutation. Hereditary cancer has a pattern typically seen through two to three generations—different members of the family diagnosed with the same type of cancer, and individuals diagnosed at a much younger age than average. Five to 15 percent of cancers are familial cancers that appear to happen more often in families than from just chance. While there is no specific mutation that links to these cancers, familial cancer may be hereditary. Seventy to 80 percent of cancers are sporadic—cancers that occur due to spontaneous mutations that accumulate throughout a person’s life. It cannot be explained by just one cause and it involves several factors like aging, lifestyle, or environmental exposure.

But, if cancer runs in your family, this is not the final sentence. This a fact believed by Global Medical Technologies, who has been at the forefront of helping patients and medical practitioners advance health and outsmart health issues through medical tests and diagnostics. Genov8 analyzes the most relevant genes for mutations that could increase the risk for eight hereditary cancers: breast (the most common cancer in the Philippines among women), uterine, melanoma, stomach, ovarian, colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate. This information gives the patient and the healthcare provider specific and proactive steps towards a personalized screening plan that would give them better chances of an early detection. The rate of winning against cancer increases dramatically when the cancer is detected at an earlier and treatable stage. The second part of the Genov8 test and creating a personalized intervention plan

is testing for the patient’s Nutrigenomics, Toxogenomics, and Pharmacogenetics. Nutrigenomics shows how the patient responds to food. Toxogenomics determines how the environment affects the patient’s well-being. Pharmacogenetics gives the doctors exact information on how the patient responds to treatments, guiding them to more effective medications and programs. Unlike most genetic tests for cancer that end at just providing information about the patient’s genetic risks, the Genov8 test gives more information useful to taking more proactive, personalized, and actionable lifestyle intervention at an early stage. Not only does Genov8 important in the patient’s battle against cancer, but also in guiding him in his journey to optimum health. The Genov8 goes above and beyond ensuring quality for its patients. For one, the test could only be availed through a physician. This is to ensure that the test is ethically requested, and only after the physician deems it appropriate after reviewing the patient’s medical records. All results are evaluated by a certified health professional, with the patient’s personal and family health history taken into consideration. Every Genov8 test comes with a complimentary genetic counseling with a board-certified and licensed genetic counselor to answer all the patient’s questions. In addition to Genov8’s counselors, they collaborate with UCSF’s Cancer Genetics and Prevention Program to provide additional genetic counseling services. Genov8 tests are analyzed in two fully automated, CA P-accredited, CLIA-certified, and ISO-certified laboratories in the USA and Austria. Even if the Big C ‘runs’ in your family, it’s not suppose to run your life. With the right knowledge, you can outsmart cancer. The Genov8 test can be requested through your physician. It is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Global Medical Technologies, for more information, patients and health practitioners may visit www. gmtmanila.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor • Nickie Wang, Writer

AIAI DE LAS ALAS

ALL HAIL THE QUEEN. Seasoned

comedy actress AiAi delas Alas is back in her best element starring in an upcoming comedy directed by Joel Lamangan and story by Ricky Lee.

back in

‘BES AND THE BESHIES’ I

N A distinguished career spanning three decades, AiAi delas Alas has earned every title and accolade an entertainer can ever dream of: Comedy Concert Queen, Comedy Box Ofﬁce Queen, Box Ofﬁce Queen, Best Gameshow Host, Best Comedy Actress, Best Actress and even Global Achievement by a Filipino Artist.

AiAi delas Alas’s “beshies” in the new film, (from left) Beauty Gonzales, Zsa Zsa Padilla, and Carmi Martin

Strong debut for ‘I CAN SEE YOUR VOICE’ ABS-CBN’s newest mystery music game show I Can See Your Voice instantly captivated viewers as it debuted strongly on weekend primetime television, beating its rival program in national TV ratings and even trending on Twitter worldwide. The locally adapted Korean game format from CJ E&M hosted by Luis Manzano hit a national TV rating of 19.5 percent last Saturday (Sept. 16) compared to its rival with only 9.6 percent, according to data from Kantar Media. The show also earned strong viewership in its Sunday (Sept. 17) slot, hitting 15.3 percent. Guest stars Gary Valenciano and Ogie Alcasid tweeted about how much they enjoyed being part of the program. “This show is crazy! I love it. Gusto kong magguest sa show na ito uli. You know tweeps? Grabe talaga sa studio ang tawanan naming #ICanSeeYourVoicePH,” shared Gary, who successfully picked the SEE-nger in his episode. “Thanks for watching #ICanSeeYourVoicePH Sorry mali ako ng napili. I enjoyed myself so much! Congrats @luckymanzano,” tweeted Ogie, who unfortunately picked and sang a duet with a SEE-ntunado.

RIGHT after the successful launch of The Bike Playground, Circulo Verde, Ortigas & Company’s 10-hectare master planned mixed-use community in Quezon City welcomes the Ninja Academy at the 2nd Floor of Industria. Ninja Academy is the very first parkour and free running facility in the Philippines and the biggest in Southeast Asia. “We are bringing Ninja Academy to Circulo Verde because it perfectly fits our thrust to be a community that encourages a healthier lifestyle,” says Arch. Renee C. Bacani, VP of Ortigas & Company. If you’re thinking that only athletes can become as swift, agile, and skilled as a ninja, you are never more mistaken. Raven Solar, chief Ninja at the Ninja Academy, is the first to disprove that. “At Ninja Academy, we cater to both beginners and experienced practitioners. The training that we give is customizable.” The workouts are catered to match your level. If you want a specific program, like one that focuses on muscle growth or weight loss, the modules can be adjusted to suit your needs. In fact, Ninja Academy encourages kids as young as three years

Unleash the ninja in you

Ortigas & Company officers Sheila Perez, Marketing Manager Monique Castaneda, and VP Renee Bacani with Ninja Academy’s Raven Cruz

old to enroll. “We offer a natural way of developing motor skills. We once had a ten-year-old student whom we trained to learn eye and body coordination which were his weak points.” Primarily, the facility is for those who want to learn parkour, or “the functional and creative movement of a person attempting to overcome

an obstacle in a given environment.” Solar shares that in 2008 when he was a parkour practitioner in Manila, they have had to deal with challenges like sudden downpour, the absence of sturdy obstacles, and law enforcement people who thought that parkour was a destructive sport. “We were told not to do our training in the streets.”

Although known for making people laugh, thanks in large part to her hugely successful Ang Tanging Ina movie franchise, AiAi has also proven her mettle as a dramatic actress as of late. She earned praises for her performance as a policewoman in the Cinemalaya indie, Ronda and garnered awards for her riveting portrayal of an aging prostitute in Area, another acclaimed independently-produced film. Now, AiAi is back in her best element—in the genre that pretty much defined her career: comedy. Together with Zsa Zsa Padilla, Carmi Martin, and Beauty Gonzales, AiAi headlines Bes and the Beshies. The film is about four friends and the struggles they encounter in their daily lives. Ai Ai plays Charla, a solo parent who is hoping to restore her relationship with her ideal husband to complete her family. It’s a character that hits a little too close to home not just because Ai Ai has got the mother down pat with her Ang Tanging Ina series. The actress is a doting single mom to her three kids in real life. After two failed marriages, she may have finally found Mr. Right in fiancé Gerald Sibayan who she was recently engaged with. While AiAi’s character, Charla, has to deal with her own personal concerns, she also has to contend with the problems of her own three kumares. There’s Mabel, played by Zsa Zsa Padilla, a traditional martyr wife who will do anything and everything to maintain her family. There’s Tisay portrayed by Carmi Martin, a desperate woman who will do anything and everything to have a family. And then there’s Sophie played by Beauty Gonzales, a young woman who despite her age, was able to connect with her Titas and will do anything to support and protect them. What makes Bes and the Beshies a cut above your average garden-variety comedy is that the film is from the awardwinning tandem of director Joel Lamangan and screenwriter Ricky Lee. Known for heavy dramas, Lamangan and Lee promises moviegoers a rollicking good time with Bes and the Beshies. The duo hopes to fulfill this promise without losing sight of the film’s underlying message: that even in today’s difficult times, Filipinos are naturally resilient and fun-loving; that as long as families and friends stay together, every issue, every concern can be addressed with firm resolve. A quality CINEKO Productions offer in cooperation with Regal Entertainment, Bes and the Beshies also stars Emilio Garcia, Sanch Vito Delas Alas, Alan Paule, Nikko Natividad, Jon Lucas, Wilbert Ross, Mark Joseph Tam, and Heaven Peralejo. The film opens in cinemas nationwide on Oct. 18.

Since parkour gyms were very popular in the US and the United Kingdom, Solar decided to put up Ninja Academy in 2014. Other than parkour, Ninja Academy also offers training programs for muscle building, conditioning, fitness, strength training, and more. Solar is proud that at Ninja Academy, they provide functional training. The term might sound very technical but it actually refers to training that can be applied to everyday life. Solar adds that Ninja Academy is a complimentary training ground. “If you’re into basketball, you can add in crossfit for flexibility and agility.” The facility had been able to train soldiers and boxers and early this year introduced the Ninja Fit Program specifically designed for those who want to either lose weight or gain weight. They also provide oneon-one coaching to special children. “We at Ninja Academy believe that everyone has the potential to be a ninja.” Learn the ways of a true Ninja by enrolling at Ninja Academy in Circulo Verde. Pre-selling lowest membership rates are at P1750 per month for the first 99 signups. Search for “Ninja Academy – PH” on Facebook.

Home / Design

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 Joel D. Lacsamana,, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

Tapping the PH budget hotel market

BAY CITY LIVING

AK Harbor Residences, DMCI Homes Exclusive’s waterfront property along Manila bay, earned over P6 B from over 400 units sold this month.

right in front of Manila bay, a kilometer away from Okada Manila, the development is deemed over 98 percent sold out less than a year after it was launched in 2016. “With Oak Harbor, you’re getting a waterfront home in an emerging business Perched on a 12,000 square meter property and entertainment hub that is made by the

Philippines’ leading developer of resortinspired condominiums,” said Jan Venturanza, DMCI Homes AVP for Marketing. Oak Harbor Residences’ Weston and Lauderdale buildings will be completed by June 2020. The third building, Aston, will be ﬁnished by December 2021.

Corporate reasons to be at The Two Seasons

LOOKING for an outof-town venue to launch a new product, or hold business meetings? The Two Seasons Coron bayside hotel may be

just what the doctor ordered. Just a 45-minute plane ride from Manila to Busuanga airport, and a 45-minute road trip to

Coron’s town proper, the hotel has a business center, free WIFI access and an expansive conference room that can accommodate up to 130

people. The establishment provides a dedicated events coordinator, an independent climate and sounds control, audio-visual

facility, slide, overhead and data show projector, and ﬂip charts to ensure productive corporate gatherings. Later, your team may want to try the infinity pool, or simply laze the late afternoon away and watch the sunset, sipping a chilled beer, or a glass of the hotel’s famous mojito in hand. For health buffs, there is an indoor gym with premium exercise machines and work out spaces. Guests who would rather retreat to bed at the end of a long day would be welcomed with rooms some of which have verandas, and direct access to the inﬁnity pool). You can also go island-hopping, and see Coron’s attractions like Kayangan Lake, Sangat Wreck and Siete Pecados with lunch at Banol Beach.

Smelling like a rose in Pateros STANDARD Chartered Bank (SCB) recently held community activities for public school students and teachers in Pateros under its Alay sa Kinabukasan program. The bank distributed free eyeglasses to over one hundred (100) teachers and students. These beneficiaries were part of the first group who participated in the bank’s eye screening activity during the first run early this year. SCB also held the second instalment of its program at the Captain Francisco Elementary School in Pateros. More than six hun-

dred (600) students, teachers and parents benefited from campaign. SCB employee volunteers helped check the visual acuity of grade school students and facilitated information sessions on financial education and HIV/AIDS awareness amongst students, teachers and parents. Standard Chartered also invited a partner bank to facilitate opening of savings account among grade school students as part of its financial education for the youth campaign. The program seeks to reach 3000 beneﬁciaries.

Sustainable community LAROSSA in Capitol Hills, Quezon City recently kicked off construction of its second and third buildings, Sampaguita and Magnolia. Camia, the ﬁrst ediﬁce in the urban botanical community, is currently ready for occupancy. Larossa is part of the portfolio of Primehomes Real Estate Development Inc. (Primehomes), a developer that specializes in sustainable communities. The two contractors for Magnolia and Sampaguita are Design Coordinates, Inc. and Metro Stonerich Corporation. Magnolia and Sampaguita bear the distinctive Larossa architecture. The 10-storey establishments offer spacious units with functional and elegant interiors. Outside are amenities, including a swimming pool surrounded by gardens and sun decks.

THAI hotel developer, Erawan Group PLC., is planning to build up to 15 budget hotels in the Philippines over the next ﬁve years. Kamonwan Wipulakorn, president of the Erawan Group, said the company is spending over P4 billion over the period to set up these hotels in Manila, Cebu and Davao. “We would like to have around 10 hotels in Manila, two hotels in Cebu, and we also looking at Davao,” Wipulakorn revealed. The company is slated to open three more hotels—one in ASEANA, a site in Alabang and one in Tomas Morato in Quezon City, next year. Currently, Erawan Group has two Hop Inn Hotels in the Philippines—one in Ermita in Manila and the other one is located in Makati. Wipulakorn said her company is optimistic about its operations in the Philippines because of its robust domestic economy, and growing tourism industry. Erawan has a diversiﬁed hotel portfolio from luxury to midscale, economy and budget segments across the Association of Southeast Asian region.

Banquet experience close to home

SM City North Edsa is considered as one of the lifestyle districts north of Metro Manila. Now one of the world’s largest shopping malls it is the go-to place for families, friends, and individuals looking for dining, shopping and entertainment options. Behind the mall is SMDC’s Grass Residences Complex, a development that provides residents an exciting lifestyle with its proximity to the dynamic hub of Quezon City. And completing the residential district would be Fern at Grass Residences, a two tower development that features a Sky Pavilion where events and gathering can be held. At Grass Residences, residents can relax as the neighboring SM City North offers entertainment options—a 12-cinema complex, including a digital cinema at The Block, and an IMAX Theatre at the City Center, an arcade, a bowling alley and billiards den. Artists also perform at the Skydome, a 1,500-seater amphitheater, which hosts concerts and various events. Now that’s as close to a banquet experience one can get, just a stone’s throw from one’s abode.

NEW LIFE, AT INSULAR LIFE THE ‘re-imagined’ insular life building in Makati City was recently unveiled in a ceremony attended by Insurance commissioner Dennis B. Funa; Makati Mayor Abigail Binay-Campos; Insular Life board of trustees led by chairman Luis C. la Ó; chief executive officer Nina D. Aguas; and president and COO Mona Lisa B. de la Cruz. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle presided over the blessing rites, assisted by Fr. Larry Tan, SDB and Fr. Cris Robert Cellan, SSP. The event showcased Insular Life’s new interior design, modern facilities and convenient services. The building’s mezzanine floor now hosts the inLife Learning Center, which offers a business, training, recruitment, and membership center for its policyholders and agency force. The building also has a Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification,

which means its construction methods and materials, coupled with energy-efﬁcient building equipment, make it a sustainable building. It uses less water and energy, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Insular Life is one of the largest Filipino life insurance companies.

Dino Ray Directo III, Editor

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

Trucks &Buses

Mercedes introduces limited editionActros I

N observance of its 20th Anniversary, Mercedes Benz introduced early this month a limited version of the Actros at the IAA Commercial Vehicles Show in Germany. With over a million units sold, the Actros heavy-duty, long haul truck line of Mercedes Benz has constantly innovated the industry with new safety systems and vast improvements in fuel efﬁciency. At the IAA show, the new generation Actros Limited Edition is set to become the standard in heavy duty truck design and engineering.

PIAA for trucks and emergency vehicles PIAA Corporation’s LED driving lamps offer high output illumination for optimum sighting and visibility, but which draw significantly less power than H.I.D. or Halogen lamps. Designed as aftermarket replacement driving lamps for 12v system of trucks, PIAA LED lamps feature innovative computer-controlled Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) technology that provides optimal thermal protection for longer life and greater performance. The in-lamp monitor modulates the length of the pulse up to 250 pulses per second, based on power and temperature situations. “With the introduction of PIAA LED driving lamps, we’re now offering vehicle owners the convenient choice of outfitting their vehicles with high-quality LED lamps, because the LED lamps fit into the exact same mounting locations .” adds Johann Tiu of PIAA Ph. Every PIAA customer enjoys the benefits of The PIAA Advantage, which features advanced technology from the best minds worldwide, lamps and bulbs for virtually every type of vehicle, and race-proven qualPIAA provides better night time visibility ity and durability supported by a Limited for added safety and convenience for Lifetime Warranty on many products. Most trucks important, everyone using PIAA products is assured of the finest illumination safety avail- to better visibility begins with PIAA. able at any price. “ We have entrusted our fire Founded in 1963, The PIAA Corporation truck’s lighting requirement with PIAA LED offers nearly a half-century of expertise in 24V for greater driving visibility. As an of- developing and manufacturing world-class ficer and a driver pump operator (DPO), it products that customers can use with pride is a priorityto ensure the safety of our crew and confidence. Offerings include Haloand the general public everytime we respond gen, LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamp asto fire alarms. PIAA has taken our fire truck semblies and bulbs, as well as a variety of driving visibility to the next level,” states Je- related bulbs, installation kits, and accessorome Brian Tang, Deputy Fire Chief, Brixton ries. PIAA lighting system are available in Hills Fire Prevention Unit. dealers nationwide and in Blade Autocenter Thanks to The PIAA Advantage, the road stores in SM, Ayala and Robinsons Malls.

In terms of economic efficiency, safety and comfort a like, the Actros is the benchmark for heavy-duty long-haul transport in Europe. The first generation heralded in a safety revolution in 1996, with disc brakes all-round and the EBS electronic brake system. The revolution continued with numerous assistance systems in the following years. All ground-breaking safety innovations for state-of-the-art trucks have had their world premieres in the Actros – the new Active Brake Assist 4 system and Sideguard Assist being the latest examples. The Actros led the way with partially and fully automated transmissions and with the anticipatory cruise control system Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC). The Actros has established the spacious cab with a level floor as the new standard in long-haul transport. It demonstrates fascinating development options as an autonomous truck with Highway Pilot and Highway Pilot Connect for networked convoy driving. With sales in excess of 145 000 since 2011, the current model series leads its market segment in Europe. Limited Edition Actros The special model’s equipment combines the hallmarks that define the Actros: safety, comfort and economy. Its exterior equipment conjures up an exclusive appearance, with chrome louvres and accent trim parts in stainless steel for the front apron. Other striking features of this very special Actros include chrome applications with

anniversary monogram in the exterior mirror housings, a frame for the brand logo on the front panel, bi-xenon headlamps with darkened surround and wind deflectors for the side windows. Wheel nut caps additionally feature on all wheels, with stainless steel Mercedes star covers on the front axle and stainless steel axle caps / hub cap rims on the rear axle. Mirrors, radiator grille and attached parts are painted in the body colour according to the customer’s wishes. When the aerodynamic side panelling is ordered, its louvres come in stainless steel. Fully equipped interior showcasing new features On boarding the vehicle, the driver is greeted by illuminated entrance emblems featuring the anniversary monogram. A unique feature is the new lighting system comprising 138 LEDs in an acrylic glass frame for the glass tilt/sliding sunroof – the colour of the LEDs can be selected at the push of a button, according to the desired light mood. Velour floor mats and a seat base covering conjure up a class setting which is further embellished by the leather steering wheel and the ambient lighting. The functionality, high comfort and driving pleasure which are innate to the Actros are further enhanced by automatic air conditioning, a refrigerator, a sound system, the large display on the dashboard, an air horn and a stowage tray on the dash support. The Top-Fit set which comes as standard helps to keep the driver in as equally fine shape as his anniversary truck.

The sports and fitness set enables the driver to strengthen, train and treat the parts of the body which are subject to particular strain in the driving profession. The set has been designed and developed specifically for use in a truck cab. It consists of a board made of robust cordwood to which exercise bands - so called tubes - can be attached by means of snap hooks. Superlative safety and economy The special model also features an outstanding range of safety equipment, with the latest version of Active Brake Assist 3 (Active Brake Assist 4 as of December 2016), Proximity Control Assist, Sideguard Assist, Lane Assistant, Attention Assist, driver airbag and a retarder.Maximum economic efficiency is guaranteed for the Actros by the new powertrain for optimised fuel consumption, which is to be presented at IAA 2016. The Actros is additionally equipped as standard with the anticipatory cruise control system Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC). Limited edition of 200 The base model for the special limited edition is the Actros as a 4x2 semitrailer tractor with the GigaSpace and BigSpace cabs. The special model will be available in all power ratings. Orders for this very special Actros can be placed as of September, with production set to begin in November. Interested customers should not wait too long, as the special 20-year anniversary model of the Actros is limited to a production run of 200 vehicles.

HARI posts 17% SALES GROWTH IN AUGUST HYUNDAI Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the ofﬁcial distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines, recorded 3,273 unit sales in August 2017, a 17% year-on-year growth from 2,798 units in 2016. This propelled January to August year-to-date sales to 24,233 units – a growth of 9% from last year’s sales of 22,134 units. Sustained consumer appetite for HARI’s full model lineup and developments in product availability contributed to the company’s auspicious performance. Accounting for nearly two-thirds of HARI’s total sales volume, thePassenger Cars (PC) segment grew by 2% from 2,087 unit sales in August 2016 to 2,122 unit sales this year. The sustained performance in this segment islargely attributed to the Accent which grew by 14% from 1,212 units in August 2016 to 1,383 units in August 2017. Meanwhile, the Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) segment posted a remarkable62% growth in sales with 1,151 units. Credit goes to the H-100which grew by 238% from 141 units last August 2016 to 477 units this August 2017. “HARI continues to test its limits, ﬁnding new ways of enriching customer experience across all

touchpoints of our operations. We take pride in understanding our customer’s desire and creating value through innovative experiences. Through this, we hold true to our vision of becoming the most beloved lifetime partner of the Filipino people.” Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo, HARI President and CEO Sales and Economic Outlook Economic outlook for the Philippines remains to be positive as GDP is expected to accelerate by 6.8% in 2017. The optimistic sentiment towards the local market is anchored on sound macroeco-

nomic fundamentals, continued high consumer demand and the ongoing reforms in the country’s tax system. Concern, however, is raised as the country’s currency continues to slip against the dollar. Nevertheless, companies are still bullish with survey results depicting a positive outlook from businesses. Moreover, the government is very aggressive in its infrastructure programs that further drive economic growth. These bode well for the automotive industry. HARI, for its part, is determined to thrive under these circumstances and win the hearts of the Filipino consumers.