Ms sect b 20161030 sunday by Manila Standard

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2016

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Opinion

EDITORIAL

POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE

HORROR-FUL WORDS FOR HALLOWEEN IT’S that most spooky time of the year again, and reading classic and contemporary tales of terror is one of the surest ways to get that delightful frisson of fear crawling up your spine. The genre is well-represented by talented writers who have managed to frighten countless readers over the centuries. The most familiar to many is Edgar Allan Poe, whose disturbing works are required reading in some literature classes. A family favorite is “The Cask of Amontillado;” my daughters and I have memorized the first few lines. A story about revenge served cold, it ends with the protagonist literally getting away with murder. Check out Youtube for readings of this story by Christopher Lee, Basil Rathbone, and Vincent Price (the latter’s maniacal laughter at the end is particularly creepy). I am also partial to the Victorian and Edwardian writers, who were among the most masterful in their handling of the genre. Foremost among the writers of that era is M. R. James, a medievalist scholar of Cambridge who redefined the ghost story by using realistic, modern settings. Drawing on his personal experiences and knowledge as a scholar, James made many of his protagonists professors, students, or other academic folk, who have to deal with cursed items—books, drawings, a dollhouse, a whistle, a crown—and shake off visitors of a demonic nature. James’ approach is deft and subtle, and thus all the more terrifying because he delivers a creeping, insidious fear without resorting to gore or violence. “Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook” summons a demon that haunts the book’s new buyer; “Lost Hearts” tells how ghostly orphans deliver an overdue comeuppance to an utterly despicable murderer; “The Treasure of Abbot Thomas” describes how the loathsome but faithful guardian of a hoard of gold torments would-be treasure hunters; and “A View From a Hill” reveals the nasty origin of a pair of binoculars that can see into the past. Another master of disaster was Sheridan Le Fanu, whose works are frequently anthologized, among them “Green Tea.” The dialect he used in “Madam Crowl’s Ghost” will take some plodding through, but the description of elite lifestyles in the 18th century and the denouement that reveals Crowl’s guilty secret are worth the effort. Those enamored of tales of the Raj should read Rudyard Kipling’s “The Phantom Rickshaw” (guilt and deception), “The Mark of the Beast” (retribution for disrespecting local religious customs), and “At the End of the Passage,” an ambiguous story that invites speculation on why one of the protagonists suffers a

CHARACTERS A

MERICANS have just over a week to make up their minds and elect their next president.

The candidates could not be more different from one another. On one hand is a lawyer, former first lady, senator and state secretary, knowledgeable, formidable, logical. On the other hand is a billionaire who has gained notoriety for his unsubstantiated p r o nouncements and sexist b e havior. He has called his opponent a “nasty woman” and often says she is all talk and no action. The results will have implications for Filipinos whether or not they have family there: For example, what will Philippine-US relations be like should either candidate win, in the light of our own President Duterte’s articulated statements against the US? Will the US economy respond to political results and how will other economies, including ours, be affected? Will we be any less, or more, secure from terror? More than these long-term implications, the campaign has been exciting even for us Filipinos because we are no strangers to personality politics. We fol-

low the debates or read up on the candidates, not so much for their positions on national and global issues but because of their colorful characteristics and checkered pasts. It’s human nature, perhaps. We here, for instance, earned the President we now have because of his maverick appeal. Rodrigo Duterte won, though not by a majority, because he presented himself to be the stark opposite of the familiar faces in politics who had said too much and done too little. We are now living with the consequence of the plurality’s choice—and we don’t know yet whether it would turn out to be good or bad. So far the signs have been unnerving: cursing indiscriminately, making enemies of old friends, trash talking just about anyone, hearing the voice of God, for crying out loud. The choice between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton seems obvious, but it appears many are willing to take the chance. If only for the implications of electing a caricature, we wish the Americans well, and may their good sense prevail.

Turn to B2

MUSIC FOR CAUSE LONG STORY SHORT ADELLE CHUA

SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Jodeline Michaela Penson started playing the violin when she was four years old. Today, she is the concertmaster of the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra and she does not mind the long hours she and her co-

members spend together in rehearsals and performances. “We’re like one big happy family now,” she says. One such reason to spend time as family is preparing for Strings Like Teen

Spirit, the MSJO’s fundraising concert this Saturday, November 5, 7:30 in the evening at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino-CCP Little Theater. The 30 or so members of the youth orchestra are looking for a home. Proceeds

from the concert will go to the renovation of interiors of their recital hall at the Circuit Lane in Circuit Makati—what used to be the Sta. Ana racetrack. This new venue should be an improvement over their practice venues along the Turn to B2

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

HORROR-FUL...

From A1

relentless insomnia that drives him to hallucination and death. Most, if not all of these classic works may be read for free on the Internet. In the modern era, the name “Stephen King” is synonymous with horror the world over, thanks to his best-selling books in the genre that he regularly churns out. Many of his works have been made into movies that were the stuff of our adolescent nightmares; because of them we fear clowns (It), vampires (Salem’s Lot), and large dogs (Cujo). King’s use of language is genius, the tone and flow so attractive and hypnotic that his books have often been described as “unputdownable.” A National Medal of Arts awardee in 2015, he was hailed for being “one of the most popular and prolific writers of our time,” combining “his remarkable storytelling with his sharp analysis of human nature.” While some might find his novels, particularly the latter ones, slow and meandering (Duma Key, The Cell), his short stories are always gripping. Among his short story collections, my favorites are Night Shift (containing “Children of the Corn,” which was later adapted into a feature film), Different Seasons, Skeleton Crew, Four Past Midnight, and Nightmares and Dreamscapes. His latest collection, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, is now out in paperback. The tome leads with “Mile 81,” at once a story of courage, curiosity, altruism, and mind-shattering fright, starring brave children, clueless adults, and a haunted car. He has used these themes to good effect before (It, Christine), but in his hands they gain new life in this story. For those who want to explore this genre further, short story anthologies are an efficient and affordable way to get a broad overview of the different styles and themes. Happy Halloween! Let me leave you with a warning from M. R. James: “Be careful how you handle the packet you pick up in the carriage-drive, particularly if it contains nail-parings and hair. Do not, in any case bring it into the house. It may not be alone…” Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer. Follow her on Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Instagram: @jensdecember.

MY STORY starts with me staring up at the night sky, laughing to myself, in the middle of a residential street in Sta. Mesa, Manila. Let me provide some context. Because of the weather, it’s been months since I have last seen actual stars. Virtual, digital stars I am used to seeing. I teach the basics of stargazing and astronomy almost every Sunday at The Mind Museum in Bonifacio Global City. The museum has a modest planetarium where I can project a virtual sky. I use this virtual sky to teach how to use the stars to navigate, tell the time, find planets, enjoy meteor showers, and more. When I feel like it, I also use the virtual sky to take my “passengers” (my audience) on a virtual voyage across space. A virtual sky has many advantages over the real sky. In a virtual sky, I can get rid of clouds. I can even get rid of the light pollution and the atmosphere, if I want. I can also control the time, making it go fast or go on reverse. This allows me to show the guests the patterns of the sky’s motions. Lastly, I can project the shapes of the constellations against the virtual night sky. That said, nothing beats the magic of the real night sky, even if that night sky is

MUSIC... From A1 halls of some Glorietta malls, where they are able to entertain and inspire shoppers despite the lack of technical (acoustic) reinforcements. For Saturday’s concert, the children—ages ranging from nine to 18— will play the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart alongside contemporary, popular pieces of Queen, Michael Jackson, Coldplay, Guns N’ Roses and Nirvana. Tickets for the show come at P1,000 each and are available at Ticketworld, MSO Music Academy branches (Taft Avenue and Glorietta 5) and at the CCP. Donations and sponsorships come in packages of P10,000, P30,000 and

SPECIAL REPORT By Virgilio C. Galvez PART II FEDERALISM has long been imagined

as an alternative to the current system of government. Its proponents admit, however, that it is not the silver bullet that will slay the monsters of poverty, corruption, and inequality that continue to plague the nation.

The Abueva draft

“A federal-parliamentary democracy is not proposed as a panacea or cure all for our myriad ills as a nation. There is no such thing as a cure all,”says Jose V. Abueva, chairman of the Citizen’s Movement for a Federal Philippines (CMFP), in his paper on federalism. He views it as the appropriate structure that will nurture and promote ‘good governance’ and facilitate the “redistribution of power, wealth and opportunities in our unjust society ruled by an oligarchy.” Abueva headed the Consultative Commission created on Aug. 19, 2005 by then President Gloria Arroyo to draft a new charter. In December, Abueva submitted a draft proposing a federal system and liberalization of the economic provisions in the 1987 constitution. Arroyo, however, dropped the federalism proposal and only pushed for the adoption of a unicameral, parliamentary government through a people’s initiative. The Supreme Court would eventually junk, by an 8-7 vote, a petition for the holding of a plebiscite on the draft amendment. The proposed Federal Republic in the Abueva draft would have a federal government based in Clark Economic Zone, in Angeles, Pampanga and 11 regional Estados or governments: 1. Bangsamoro (ARMM), 2. Davao region and Central Mindanao, 3. Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao, 4. Central and Eastern Visayas, 5. Western Visayas-Palawan, 6. Southern Luzon, 8. Metro Manila (NCR), 9. Central Luzon, 10. Cordillera, and 11. Northern Luzon. The Federal government would be responsible only for national security and defense, foreign relations, currency and monetary policy, citizenship, civil, political and other human rights, immigration, customs, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Tribunal, and the Court of Appeal, and such functions of federal governments. The 11 Estados and the local governments, on the other hand, would take care of functions and services “that impact directly on the lives of the people including peace and justice; agriculture and fisheries; energy, environment and natural resources; trade, industry and tourism, labor and employment, public works, transportation and communication; health; basic education, science and technology; culture (language, culture and the arts); social welfare and development; and public safety and police.”

THE FEDERALIST PAPERS Parlamento

In Abueva’s draft, the executive and legislative powers would be lodged in the Parlamento which shall be divided into the House of the People (Sambayanan) and the House of the States (Balay Estados or Senado). Sambayanan representatives will be elected in parliamentary districts while Senadores will be elected by members of the Batasang Estados or State Assemblies. The Parlamento will elect the Prime Minister from among themselves, who will, in turn, form a Cabinet composed mostly of members of the Parlamento. A ceremonial President will be elected for a term of 5 years by the Parlamento and State Assemblies. Judicial power will be vested in a Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals. A Constitutional Tribunal will also be created which will solely resolve disputes involving the constitutionality of the decisions and actions of the Federal government and the States. A Federal Civil Service shall also be created which will be source of professional career executives and administrative staff of the Federal government.

Regional government

As envisioned in the Abueva draft, the State Assembly exercises executive and legislative powers. The members of the Assembly will be elected from each State Assembly district, except for Metro Manila whose assembly will be composed of the mayors of the local government units. The State Assembly will elect a State Governor and Vice Governor. The Governor will form the State Council (Cabinet) who will be composed mostly of members of the State Assembly. Local government units that exist at the time of the new constitution’s approval will be retained. Judicial power will be lodged in a State Superior Court, Regional Trial Courts, Municipal Courts and other inferior courts. A State Civil Service will also be created at the regional government level. The Abueva Parlamento will be composed of 299 representatives in the Batasang Estado and 28 Senadores in the Balay Estados.

Transitions

Recognizing the uneven political, economic, fiscal, and administrative capacities of the proposed regional Estados and resources within their jurisdictions, the Abueva draft proposes a transition period of 10 years from the adoption of the new charter. “The more developed and ready among the States shall become fully operative on the first five years…and the less developed in the next five years.” It provides however that the Bangsamoro and Cordillera federal regions “shall be enabled to become operative in the first five years.”

Araneta Bayanikasan

One of the first advocates of Federalism was Dr. Salvador Z. Araneta who presented his draft Bayanikasan Constitution to the 1972 Constitutional Convention. Araneta, a nationalist and advocate of Filipino First policies, coined Bayanikasan from the phrase Lakas ng Bayan which he said reflects the “the strength each citizen must possess to build a ‘good society, a great nation.’ His draft charter was endorsed by the Philippine Constitutional Association but did not gain support from a convention that was embroiled in the political maneuvers of the day—with the delegates divided into anti and proMarcos camps. A distinguishing feature of the proposed Federal Republic envisioned by Araneta is that power is shared by a troika—the President, Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament. This will also be the case for the regional state governments.

Collective leadership

The Federal Troika will be elected by Parliament and renounce all party affiliations upon their election to office. The top three in the voting shall be elected as President, Prime Minister, and Speaker of Parliament. Araneta dismissed concerns that his idea would be a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth because the Bayanikasan troika would each be working on different dishes. The President shall supervise the Ministry of National Identity, Culture and Education, the Ministry of National Affairs, and the Ministry of National Defense, as well as the Authorities that may be created, and are related to those ministries. The Prime Minister has jurisdiction over all other Ministries of the Federal Government related to the domestic and economic problems and such Authorities, as may be created to support those Ministries. The Speaker of Parliament shall preside at all the meetings of Parliament and direct its affairs. He will also decide on all conflicts of jurisdiction between the President and the Prime Minister. In addition, he will participate in the preparation of the program of government to be submitted annually and from time to time to Parliament.”

Five regional states

Araneta’s draft proposes the creation of regional states: Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas, Christian Mindanao, and Muslim Mindanao. Metro Manila will be the seat of the Federal government which shall have control over the capital. The unicameral Parliament, whose representatives will come from each State, will be responsible for the delineation of the boundaries of the five States. The State Troika will be made up of a Governor General, the Premier, and

WHY WE ARE STAR STUFF

the Speaker of the State assembly. The Governor General shall have jurisdiction over peace and order, justice, culture, education, media, and all matters related to the development of human resources “in the spirit of an effective and meaningful democracy for all,” as well as interstate and State and Federal relations. The Premier shall have supervision over natural resources and economic development while the Speaker of the State assembly shall have the corresponding powers and duties of the Speaker of Parliament. Araneta favored a unicameral body because it would do away with gridlock in the legislative mill and would “avoid wastage of materials and human resources.” Members of parliament will be composed of elected representatives from the Regional States, whose numbers will depend on the population within its jurisdiction, and whose terms, at least for the first election, will be limited to six years (for those elected with the highest number of votes) and to three years (for those elected with lowest number of votes). An act of Parliament can be vetoed by the President and Prime Minister but Parliament can override this with a vote of 60 percent of its members.

Judiciary

Another innovative feature of the Araneta’s draft is the proposal to create a Constitutional Tribunal which is co-equal to the Supreme Court. He also pushed for the creation of Special Courts of Original Jurisdiction under the Trihunal to handle all cases involving Public Law. Araneta defines public law as laws involving the State including impeachment proceedings, declaration of the unconstitutionality of an Act of the Legislative or the exercise of Executive powers, taxation cases, public utility cases, conflicts of jurisdiction between different government bodies, between the State government and Federal government and the supervision formerly exercised by the President over the three Constitutional Commissions—Electoral, Civil Service, and Audit. The Tribunal also had jurisdiction over cases against public officials, and election disputes. The Supreme Court, on the other hand, would “deal solely with those cases pertaining to private laws and would speed up the backlog of cases as well as those pending in courts.” Appointees to the Supreme Court are made by the Chief Justice with the consent of the Constitutional Tribunal. Appointments will have to be approved by the Commission on Appointments and will hold office until the age of 65. Knowing full well that the adoption of federalism would take time, Araneta proposes a 10-20-year transition period and recommends that a Caretaker government manage the transformation into a Federal Republic. Continued tomorrow

the light- and air-polluted sky of the big city. And this brings us back to the start of my story. I was walking to my house one night this week when I happened to look up. Orion, Taurus, Gemini, and Canis Major were all high in the sky. Being so used to seeing their virtual versions, it struck me how marvelous the real ones were. I thought to myself, those are real stars I am looking at! I am looking at light from huge balls of gas burning so far, far away. Then I remembered two facts about the sky I’ve always loved. First, when you are looking up to the night sky you are looking at so many layers of the past. Second, staring at stars is staring at furnaces where the very stuff that makes us up was made. And I was there, basking in the time-travelling light of those stuffbaking furnaces. I couldn’t help but stand there for several moments, laughing to myself at how weird existence was. Allow me to explain. When I said that looking up into the night sky is looking into so many layers of the past, that’s because it’s literally true. The stars are so far away that even light, which travels across space at the fastest speed the universe allows, takes years to reach us here on Earth.

So when I was looking at Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, I was looking at light that left Sirius almost nine years ago. I was 19 years old when that light left Sirius; now I am 28. And Sirius is the near one. The stars of the Pleiades, or what many Filipinos call “the Rosary,” are on average 400 lightyears away. That means light from those stars had to travel 400 years to get to you and me. When I said stars are the furnaces where the stuff making us up was made, I was not making stuff up. We literally are made of star stuff. That’s quite a fantastic thing to say, so let me say it again some other way. Most of the stuff making us up— most of the atoms of our bodies—came from stars. One principle in science goes as follows: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. To say that we are made of star stuff is quite an extraordinary claim. In my opinion, it’s more extraordinary that many of the stories of ancient myths. What’s really amazing then is that we have the extraordinary evidence to back it up. So yes, it is true: you are made of star stuff. A little bit more accurately, you are made of star dust. You really, truly are. Isn’t that marvelous?

Here’s how we know it. When we burn elements in the lab, we see that each element releases a unique “fingerprint” in the light they release as they burn. Hence, if we look at light from, say, the Sun, we just need to look at what fingerprints are there. When we analyze light coming from the Sun, we see that it’s mostly hydrogen and helium. As a matter of fact, helium got its name from the Greek personification of the Sun, Helios. It’s the same for almost every other star. There’s no surprise there. When the universe formed some 13.8 billion years ago, it started with mostly just hydrogen and helium. But hydrogen and helium are not enough to make up planets like the Earth. They’re not enough to make up people, or flowers, or butterflies. For those, you need other stuff, like calcium (that can be for the bones), oxygen (that’s to combine with hydrogen to form water), and carbon (to make up the backbone of the most complex molecules in our bodies), among others. We know for a fact that these elements were mostly made inside stars. We know that because we understand how stars burn. They don’t burn the usual way, like things here on

Earth. Instead, they burn by smashing together different elements to form new ones. And here’s the clincher. We know that because when we analyze the light coming from the stars, we find that they are made not only of hydrogen and helium, they are also made of the other things that make us up. So given the extraordinary evidence, scientists can make the extraordinary claim that the stuff that makes up people was cooked inside stars. How did it get to us? Well, the stars had to die first. In their death throws, they exploded with a burst of light and star dust. This star dust scattered across the universe, some of it eventually falling on the newly forming Solar System, seeding that Solar System with the ingredients to make planets, trees, whales, birds, and people. So you and I really are made of star dust. Now try to think of that the next time you see stars in the night sky and not laugh to your self at how ridiculous and marvelous the universe is. I bet you can’t do it.

P100,000. “The music guides me to be a better person for myself and my fellowmen,” says 17-year-old violist Angel Joyce Esteban, who started playing at age 13. And she does not stop there. “To learn music is to discover life. One of my goals is to collect different instruments and learn how to play them all. So far, I have seven of them.” The children are ably guided by their conductor, Professor Jeffrey Solares. He says he does not consider what they do as entertainment, per se. “Our mission is closer to education or human development. What we try to sell are goods for the spirit—things that nurture the soul.” Visit www.ticketworld.com.ph or call the MSO Academy at 09164087549 for details. ***

Meanwhile, 36-year-old pianist and harpist Ryan Villamor believes that jazz in the Philippines needs awakening and hard work. The Ryan Villamor Trio performed last week at Jazz Sessions at the Ayala Museum, an event organized by

The trio performed 15 songs, a mix of jazzy renditions of pop tunes, standards, and sounds for introspection. The central pieces during the show, however, were those that carried a deeply personal theme for Villamor— Ugoy ng Duyan, and two compositions, Laging Kasama and Bedside, both for Villamor’s mother. She is battling Stage 4 ovarian cancer which doctors say has metastasized to the stomach. Most of us are familiar with Ugoy ng Duyan, a lullabye about a mother’s love. “Sana’y di magmaliw ang dati kong araw/ Nang munti pang bata sa piling ni Nanay.” Laging Kasama evokes Villamor’s memories of the time when, as a young boy, his mother brought him everywhere she went because he did not have a nanny.

Bedside, on the other hand, was drawn from Villamor’s sentiments and reflections while caring for his mom. One is awed by the skill of the performers, but even more so by the depth and intensity of Villamor’s love for his ailing mother, now undergoing a thrice-weekly hydrogen peroxide infusion treatment, and his desire to help her manage her pain. “The family is still hoping for a miracle,” he says. The Ryan Villamor Trio will have benefit gigs for Ryan’s mother’s treatment. The gigs will be on November 5 at Bar 1951 in Malate and November 19 at Tago Jazz Cafe on Main Avenue, near Cubao. Tickets sell for P300 each. Text 09177189840 or search Ryan Villamor Music on Facebook for details.

Sometimes you play; sometimes you play for something. the Ayala Foundation in partnership with Tago Jazz Cafe. The trio—Ryan on piano, Given Bacani on drums and Josh Tulagan on bass—showcased its brand of “intuitive music” to an intimate audience.

(Pecier Decierdo is the resident physicist and astronomer of The Mind Museum.)

adellechua@gmail.com

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IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE ANCILLARY SERVICES PROCUREMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL GRID CORPORATTION OF THE PHILIPPINES AND SN ABOITIZ POWERMAGAT, INC., WITH PRAYER FOR THE ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

IN THE MATTER OF APPLICATION THE FOR APPROVAL OF THE ANCILLARY SERVICES PROCUREMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL GRID CORPORATTION OF THE PHILIPPINES AND SN ABOITIZ POWER BENGUET, INC., WITH PRAYER FOR THE ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY ERC CASE NO. 2016-164 RC

ERC CASE NO. 2016-165 RC

NATIONAL GRID CORPORATTION OF THE PHILIPPINES (NGCP) AND SN ABOITIZ POWERMAGAT, INC. (SNAP-MI),

NATIONAL GRID CORPORATTION OF THE PHILIPPINES (NGCP) AND SN ABOITIZ POWERBENGUET INC. (SNAP-BI),

Applicants.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

Notice is hereby given that on 24 August 2016, Applicants National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and SN Aboitiz Power-Magat, Inc. (SNAP-MI) jointly filed an Application (with Prayer for the Immediate Issuance of a Provisional Authority) dated 11 August 2016 for approval of the their Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement which was executed on 08 August 2016. Relative thereto, the following were the allegations in the said Application:

Notice is hereby given that on 24 August 2016, Applicants National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and SN Aboitiz Power-Benguet, Inc. (SNAP-BI) jointly filed an Applicalion (with Prayer for the Immediate Issuance of a Provisional Authority) dated 11 August 2016 for approval of the their Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement which was executed on 08 August 2016. Relative thereto, the following were the allegations in the said Application:

NATURE OF THE CASE This Application is for the approval of the Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement (ASP A) between the NGCP and SNAP-MI, pursuant to the Decision dated 3 October 2007 in ERC Case No. 2006-049RC, entitled: “In the Matter of the Application for the Approval of Ancillary Services - Cost Recovery Mechanism (AS-CRM) of the Ancillary Services Procurement Plan, with Prayer for Provisional Authority. “

NATURE OF THE CASE This Application is for the approval of the Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement (ASPA) between the NGCP and SNAP-BI, pursuant to the Decision dated 3 October 2007 in ERC Case No. 2006-049RC, entitled: “In the Matter of the Application for the Approval of Ancillary Services - Cost Recovery Mechanism (AS-CRM) of the Ancillary Services Procurement Plan, with Prayer for Provisional Authority. “

THE PARTIES

PARTIES

Applicant NGCP is a corporation created and existing under the laws of the Philippines, with office address at NGCP Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City. It is the concessionaire which assumed the power transmission functions of the National Transmission Corporation (TRANS CO) pursuant to Republic Act No. 91361 (EPIRA). It holds a franchise under Republic Act No. 95112 to engage in the business of conveying or transmitting electricity through high voltage back-bone systems of interconnected transmission lines, substations and related facilities, and for other purposes. The franchise also includes the conduct of activities necessary to support the safe and reliable operation of the transmission system.

Applicant SNAP-MI is a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the Philippine laws with principal office address at Magat Hydroelectric Power Plant, Brgy. Aguinaldo, Ramon, Isabela. It may be served with orders, notices, and other legal processes through its undersigned counsel. It is the owner and operator of Magat Hydro-Electric Power Plant (Magat HEPP), which was certified and accredited by NGCP as capable of providing Regulating Reserve (RR), Contingency Reserve (CR) Dispatchable Reserve (DR) and Black Start Capability.

Applicant NGCP is a corporation created and existing under the laws of the Philippines, with office address at NGCP Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City. It is the concessionaire which assumed the power transmission functions of the National Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO) pursuant to Republic Act No. 91361 (EPIRA). It holds a franchise under Republic Act No. 95112 to engage in the business of conveying or transmitting electricity through high voltage back-bone systems of interconnected transmission lines, substations and related facilities, and for other purposes. The franchise also includes the conduct of activities necessary to support the safe and reliable operation of the transmission system.

Applicant SNAP-BI is a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the Philippine laws with principal office address at Binga Hydroelectric Power Plant, Brgy. Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet. It may be served with orders, notices, and other legal processes through its undersigned counsel. It is the owner and operator of Ambuklao HydroElectric Power Plant (Ambuklao HEPP) located at Bokod, Benguet which was certified and accredited by NGCP to be capable of providing Regulating Reserve (RR), Contingency Reserve (CR), Dispatchable Reserve (DR) and Black Start Capability.

Republic Act No. 9136 provides that it is the responsibility of NGCP to ensure and maintain the reliability, adequacy, security, stability and integrity of the nationwide electrical grid in accordance with the performance standards for its operations and maintenance, as set forth in the Philippine Grid Code (PGC), adopted and promulgated by the Honorable Commission, and to adequately serve generation companies, distribution utilities and suppliers requiring transmission service and/or ancillary services through the transmission system3.

Similarly, the PGC provides that NGCP is responsible for determining, acquiring, and dispatching the capacity needed to supply the required Grid Ancillary Services and for developing and proposing Wheeling Charges and Ancillary Service tariffs to the ERC4.

Ancillary services (AS) as defined in Section 4b of the EPlRA “refer to those services that are necessary to support the transmission of capacity and energy from resources to loads while maintaining reliable operation of the transmission system in accordance with good utility practice and the Grid Code to be adopted in accordance with this Act.” These services are essential in ensuring reliability in the operation of the transmission system and consequently, in the reliability of the electricity supply in the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao grids.

In order to implement and regulate the procurement of AS, the Honorable Commission approved the Ancillary Services Procurement Plan (ASPP) through its Order dated 9 March 2006 in ERC Case No. 2002- 253 and the Ancillary Services-Cost Recovery Mechanism (AS-CRM) through its Decision dated 3 October 2007 in ERC Case No. 2006-049RC.

Pursuant to its mandate, NGCP invited and negotiated with all prospective generation companies capable of providing ancillary services, one of which is SNAP-BI.

On 8 March 2013, NGCP and the SNAP-BI entered into another ASPA (2013 ASPA) for a period of 3 years. On 27 March 2013, the parties filed an application docketed as ERC Case No. 2013-054RC before the Honorable Commission for the approval of the 2013 ASPA, which was provisionally approved through an Order dated 3 June 2013. The Honorable Commission in page 12 of the Order stated that: “The Commission believes that the contracted ancillary services capacity is needed to augment the deficiency of ancillary reserve capacity and maintain the reliability of the operation of the transmission system and electricity supply in the Luzon Grid”.

10.

Due to the necessity of extending the services of providing the same ancillary services, the Applicants again entered into another ASPA under the same rates, terms and conditions5. In the latest accreditation tests conducted in 2015 on the Ambuklao HEPP, the plant demonstrated capability of providing RR, CR and DR. The copy of the Accreditation Certificate is attached as Annex “A”.

11.

Similar to the existing ASPA, NGCP agreed to procure and SNAP-BI agreed to continuously provide, under the new ASPA, the following AS for a period of a period five (5) years:

ANTECEDENT FACTS 4.

ort-au-Prince, Haiti – Hurricane Matthew’s devastating passage over southern Haiti on October 4 caused nearly $2 billion in damages, Haitian authorities said. Studies by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank put the estimated cost of damage and economic losses at $1.89 billion, officials with the Ministry of Economy and Finance told a news conference. The storm, which killed 546 people according to official figures, battered an already fragile economy – one of the poorest in the world – with losses representing roughly one-fifth of the country’s gross domestic product, the officials said. The southern region of Haiti, considered the country’s breadbasket, was particularly hard hit by winds of 150 miles per hour and torrential rains. The agricultural sector alone suffered losses estimated at nearly $600 mil-

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

Ancillary services (AS) as defined in Section 4b of the EPlRA “refer to those services that are necessary to support the transmission of capacity and energy from resources to loads while maintaining reliable operation of the transmission system in accordance with good utility practice and the Grid Code to, be adopted in accordance with this Act.” These services are essential in ensuring reliability in the operation of the transmission system and consequently, in the reliability of the electricity supply in the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao grids.

lion. And more than 175,000 people lost their homes, with those losses also estimated at close to $600 million, economists say. The devastation comes as the country is in the midst of an electoral crisis. The first round of presidential elections in 2015 had been canceled because of massive fraud and rescheduled for October 9 of this year. But the hurricane’s arrival forced a new postponement, with the successive rounds now set for November 20 and January 29, 2017. The biggest challenge for election officials will be to find suitable voting sites: more than 500 schools—traditionally used on election day—were damaged or destroyed. AFP

Pursuant to its mandate, NGCP invited and negotiated with all prospective generation companies capable of providing ancillary services, one of which is SNAP-MI.

It may be recalled that TRANSCO and SNAP-MI entered into an ASPA in October 2008. On 4 February 2009, TRANSCO and SNAP-MI filed an application docketed as ERC Case No. 2009-007RC, which was approved in the Decision dated 12 October 2009. The Honorable Commission on page 21 of the Decision stated that: “Based on the foregoing, it was determined that the contracted Ancillary Service capacity is needed to augment the deficiency of ancillary reserve capacity and maintain the reliability in the operation of the transmission system and electricity supply in the grid.”

10.

11.

12.

ANTECEDENT FACTS

Also, on 8 March 2013, NGCP and the SNAP-MI entered into another ASPA (2013 ASPA) for a period of three years. On 27 March 2013, the parties filed an application docketed as ERC Case No. 2013-053RC before the Honorable Commission for the approval of the 2013 ASPA, which was provisionally approved through an Order dated 3 June 2013. The Honorable Commission in page 12 of the Order stated that: “The Commission believes that the contracted ancillary services capacity is needed to augment the deficiency of ancillary reserve capacity and maintain the reliability of the operation of the transmission system and electricity supply in the Luzon Grid.” Due to the necessity of extending the services of providing the same ancillary services, the Applicants again entered into a new ASPA under the same rates, terms and conditions5. In the latest accreditation tests held in 2015 on the Magat HEPP, the plant demonstrated capability of providing RR, CR, DR and Black Start Services. The copy of the Accreditation Certificate is attached as Annex “A.”

Capacity

Similar to the existing ASPA, NGCP agreed to procure and SNAP-MI agreed to continuously provide, under the new ASPA, the following AS for a period of a period five (5) years:

Capacity

Firm

Non-firm

Contingency Reserve Regulating Reserve Contingency Reserve Dispatchable reserve Black Start Capability

CONTRACTED CAPACITY RATES AND IMPACT SIMULATION

A copy of the ASPA is attached as Annex “B.”

12.

Also, the Applicants used the following rates for the capacity fees as provided in the previous ASPA: Firm:

Also, the Applicants used the following rates for the capacity fees as provided in the previous ASPA:

Regulating Reserve Contingency Reserve

Applicable Rates (Maximum Hourly Rate) Php 2.50/kW/Hr Php 1.50/kW/Hr

Regulating Reserve Contingency Reserve

Non-Firm:

Regulating Reserve Contingency Reserve Dispatchable Reserve Black Start Capability

Applicable Rates (Maximum Hourly Rate) Php 3.00/kW/Hr Php 2.25/kW/Hr Php 1.25/kW/Hr Php 2.14/kW/Hr

Regulating Reserve Contingency Reserve Dispatchable Reserve Black Start Capability 14.

SNAP-MI respectfully submits that the proposed rates represent a reasonable recovery of the opportunity cost in making available generation capacity to provide the procured AS.

15.

The rates under ASPA were subjected to a simulation with the following results:

Ancillary Services Regulating Reserve Contingency Reserve Dispatchable Reserve

LOS ANGELES, United States—Taiwanese -born filmmaker Ang Lee predicted that the Chinese film market was about to explode, not only overtaking but dwarfing the American box office in a matter of years. The two-time Oscar winner said executives in the world’s second economy used to rely on him as a bridge to Hollywood, but the newly-confident Chinese film industry no longer finds it necessary. “It’s huge, it’s going to be bigger in a few years,” the 62-year-old told reporters on the red carpet at the glitzy BAFTA Britannia Awards in Beverly Hills. “In a few years it’s probably going to be bigger (than the US) and then in the years to come a lot bigger. They’ve got many people and, most importantly, film has been lacking in the

past in the culture so it’s still fresh.” China’s movie market has exploded and PricewaterhouseCoopers projects its box office will rise from $4.3 billion in 2014 to $8.9 billion in 2019, outstripping the US. Hollywood studios have been looking to capitalize on the burgeoning market through partnerships with Chinese companies. Meanwhile, Beijing has ambitions to increase China’s “soft power,” unleashing a wave of Chinese money into Hollywood. Chinese internet billionaire Jack Ma announced earlier this month that he has purchased a stake in cinema legend Steven Spielberg’s company. Meanwhile real estate developer turned media conglomerate Wanda bought “Jurassic World” creator Legendary Entertainment for $3.5 billion earlier this year. AFP

ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY 16.

It is a declared policy of the State to ensure the quality, reliability, security and affordability of the supply of electric power (Section 2b, EPlRA). With this end in view, there is a need to comply with the system requirements for AS to ensure grid system reliability. As mentioned above, NGCP has the mandate to procure the required AS. However, the Honorable Commission must first approve the contract before the same could be implemented.

17.

18.

As mentioned above, the Honorable Commission has already declared that there is a necessity for NGCP to procure the contracted ancillary services capacity of SNAP MI to maintain the reliability of the operation of the transmission system and electricity supply in the Luzon Grid.

As mentioned above, the Honorable Commission has already declared that there is a necessity for NGCP to procure the contracted ancillary services capacity of SNAP BI to maintain the reliability of the operation of the transmission system and electricity supply in the Luzon Grid.

18.

19.

SNAP-MI must continue to provide the current contracted ancillary services beyond the 2013 ASPA to maintain the reliability of the power grid. Based, on the current levels of available contracted AS in the Luzon Grid, the firm contracted AS have not yet met the required levels of the ASPP. The copies of the relevant actual data and its corresponding graphical presentations showing the required and available levels of AS in the Luzon Grid are attached as Annex “D.”

SNAP-BI must continue to provide the current contracted ancillary services beyond the 2013 ASPA to maintain the reliability of the power grid. Based on the current levels of available contracted AS in the Luzon Grid, the firm contracted AS have not yet met the required levels of the ASPP. The copies of the relevant actual data and its corresponding graphical presentations showing the required and available levels of AS in the Luzon Grid are attached as Annex “D. “

19.

20.

NGCP must be guaranteed that there are available AS on a daily basis to assure reliability of the grid. There is no assurance that the non-firm capacities would be available when needed. NGCP cannot gamble on this chance. As the grid operator, the contracted capacity of SNAP, especially its firm capacities, are greatly needed.

21.

Thus, NGCP and SNAP MI agreed to execute another ASPA for a period of another five years. With this ASPA, the Luzon Grid is assured of AS until 2021.

20.

Thus, NGCP and SNAP BI agreed to execute another ASPA for a period of another five years. With this ASPA, the Luzon Grid is assured of AS until 2021.

21.

Also, as the demand for power in the Luzon increases, the requirements of the system to ensure stability, reliability and security likewise increases. Ensuring the integrity of the system is essential to protect the interests of the public. The absence of system reliability and stability will certainly discourage investments and growth.

22.

Applicants respectfully submit that the immediate approval of the ASPA by this Honorable Commission is a necessity to maintain the present reliability and security of the Grid. In support of these allegations, NGCP submits a copy of the Judicial Affidavit of Engr. Lizaflor Bacani-Kater, which is attached as Annex “E.”

22.

23.

PRAYER WHEREFORE, premises considered, Applicants respectfully pray that the Honorable Commission to: a) b)

Immediately ISSUE a provisional authority to implement the subject ASPA; APPROVE, after notice and hearing, the subject ASPA.

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the proceeding may become a party by filing, at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements in the ERC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, a verified petition with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioner’s name and address; (2) the nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding, and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a statement of the relief desired. All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the proceeding may file their opposition to the Application and or comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before the Applicants conclude the presentation of their evidence. No particular form of opposition or comment is required, but the document, letter or writing should contain the name and address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition or comment and the grounds relied upon. All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application (with Prayer for the Immediate Issuance of a Provisional Authority) may request the Applicants, prior to the date of the initial hearing, that they be furnished a copy thereof. The Applicants are hereby directed to furnish all those making said request with copies of their Application and its attachments, subject to reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during standard office hours. WITNESS, the Honorable Chairman JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR and the Honorable Commissioners ALFREDO J. NON, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT, and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA,, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 17th day of October 2016 in Pasig City.

ATTY. NATHAN J. MARASIGAN Chief of Staff Office of the Chairman and CEO Republic Act No. 9136 entitled, “An Act Ordaining Reforms in the Electric Power Industry, Amending for the Purpose Certain Laws and for other Purposes”; An Act Granting the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines a Franchise To Engage in the Business of Conveying or Transmitting Electricity Through High Voltage Back-Bone System of Interconnected Transmission Lines, Substations and Related Facilities, and for other Purposes; Section 9 (c) and (d); Section 6.3.1.2; The proposed schedules are: 95MW RR firm capacity for 24 hours a day and 7 days a week; and its 60MW CR firm capacity during peak hours. (MS-OCT. 30/NOV. 6, 2016)

ISSUE a provisional authority to implement the subject ASPA; After notice and hearing, APPROVE the subject ASPA.

Applicants pray for other just and equitable relief under the premises. The Commission has set the said Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, Expository Presentation, Pre-trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on 17 November 2016 (Thursday) at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00 a.m.), at the ERC Hearing Room, 15th Floor, Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City. All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the proceeding may become a party by filing, at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements in the ERC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, a verified petition with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioner’s name and address; (2) the nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding, and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a statement of the relief desired. All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the proceeding may file their opposition to the Application and or comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before the Applicants conclude the presentation of their evidence. No particular form of opposition or comment is required, but the document, letter or writing should contain the name and address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition or comment and the grounds relied upon. All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application (with Prayer for the Immediate Issuance of a Provisional Authority) may request the Applicants, prior to the date of the initial hearing, that they be furnished a copy thereof. The Applicants are hereby directed to furnish all those making said request with copies of their Application and its attachments, subject to reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during standard office hours. WITNESS, the Honorable Chairman JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR and the Honorable Commissioners ALFREDO J. NON, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT, and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 17th day of October 2016 in Pasig City.

ATTY. NATHAN J. MARASIGAN Chief of Staff Office of the Chairman and CEO 1

Consistent with the AS-CRM, all the related and incidental expenses which NGCP will incur as a result of the procurement and operation of the ancillary services shall be recovered from all the load customers in the Luzon Grid.

17.

The Commission has set the said Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, Expository Presentation, Pre-trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on 17 November 2016 (Thursday) at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00 a.m.), at the ERC Hearing Room, 17th Floor, Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City.

Indicative Rate Impact P/kW-month P/kWh 6.1501 0.0331 3.9701 0.0214 2.3189 0.0125

A copy of the said rate impact simulation is attached as Annex “C”. 15.

Applicants pray for other just and equitable relief under the premises.

The rates under ASPA were subjected to a simulation with the following results:

a) b)

14.

Regulating Reserve Contingency Reserve Dispatchable Reserve

PRAYER WHEREFORE, premises considered, Applicants respectfully pray that the Honorable Commission to:

SNAP-BI respectfully submits that the proposed rates represent a reasonable recovery of the opportunity cost in making available generation capacity to provide the procured AS.

Indicative Rate Impact P/kW-month P/kWh 24.9009 0.1340 12.2620 0.0660 2.7928 0.0150

ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

ANG LEE PREDICTS CHINA BOX OFFICE TO DWARF HOLLYWOOD

13.

Ancillary Services

A copy of the said rate impact simulation is attached as Annex “C.”

A resident walks with a bucket of water in front of the beach of the village of Labeyi in the commune of Chardonnieres, southwest Haiti. Labeyi beach is almost completely filled with debris left by Hurricane Matthew. AFP

Applicable Rates (Maximum Hourly Rate) Php 3.00/kW/Hr Php 2.25/kW/Hr Php 1.25/kW/Hr Php 2.14/kW/Hr

Ancillary Service

Non-Firm:

Ancillary Service

Applicable Rates (Maximum Hourly Rate) Php 2.50/kW/Hr Php 1.50/kW/Hr

Ancillary Service

Firm:

Ancillary Service

Regulating Reserve Contingency Reserve Dispatchable reserve Black Start Capability

Non-firm

CONTRACTED CAPACITY RATES AND IMPACT SIMULATION

16.

Contingency Reserve

Type of Ancillary Services Regulating Reserve

Firm

13.

Type of Ancillary Services Regulating Reserve

3 4 5

Republic Act No. 9136 entitled, “An Act Ordaining Reforms in the Electric Power Industry, Amending for the Purpose Certain Laws and for other Purposes”; An Act Granting the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines a Franchise To Engage in the Business of Conveying or Transmitting Electricity Through High Voltage Back-Bone System of Interconnected Transmission Lines, Substations and Related Facilities, and for other Purposes; Section 9 (c) and (d); Section 6.3.1.2; The proposed schedules are: 22MW RR firm capacity for 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week for the months of July to November; and 22MW RR firm capacity during peak hours for the month of December; 30MW CR firm capacity during peak hours of January to June (Mondays to Saturdays except holidays); and 60MW firm capacity during off-peak hours for the months of July to November; and 30MW CR firm capacity for December during off-peak; The actual testing of the Ambuklao HEPP for Black Start Capability is scheduled in September 2016. (MS-OCT. 30/NOV. 6, 2016)

World

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2016 mstdaydesk @gmail.com.ph

Protestors wearing masks of South Korean President Park Geun-Hye (R) and her confidante Choi Soon-Sil (L) pose for a performance during a rally in Seoul. AFP

‘FEMALE RASPUTIN’ IN KOREA’S STATE SCANDAL

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS. Residents with painted faces and holding candles participate in El Paseo de Las Almas (The Walk of Souls) during Mexico’s Day of the Dead festival. AFP

CLINTON FACES FBI PROBE AS RACE ENTERS FINAL 10 DAYS D

ES MOINES, United States—Hillary Clinton embarks this weekend on the frenetic final 10 days of her White House campaign, determined to shake off renewed controversy over the FBI probe into her private emails.

The 69-year-old Democratic candidate —vying to become America’s first female president— is still the frontrunner to win the November 8 election over her Republican rival Donald Trump. Clinton has a clear lead in the polls, and voting has already begun in 34 of 50 states to choose a successor to President Barack Obama, who will hit the campaign trail again next week in defense of his onetime secretary of state. But her momentum was threat-

ened Friday by a renewed eruption in a scandal that has long dogged her in the race: investigations into her use of a private email server while at the State Department. Trump gleefully seized on news that FBI agents are investigating a newly discovered group of mails sent to Clinton’s private address, to see if they exposed any US secrets. The probe had been thought finished in July, when the Federal Bureau of Investigation had recommended that no charges

be filed against Clinton, though it found her to have been “extremely careless” in her use of a private server. But FBI Director James Comey’s letter to US lawmakers announcing that inquiries had been renewed shocked the campaign and rocked world markets. Clinton cried foul, demanding that Comey reveal more information about the probe, and declared herself “confident” that voters, and the FBI, would conclude that she had done nothing wrong. “The American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately,” she said. “We don’t know the facts, which is why we are calling on the FBI to release all the information that it has.” Her defiant words came after Trump—himself dogged by scan-

dal over his alleged sexual misconduct—made hay, declaring Clinton unfit for office as a jubilant crowd of supporters in New Hampshire chanted: “Lock her up!” Concern that the renewed probe would damage Clinton’s formerly impressive momentum spooked the markets, with US stocks, the dollar and oil prices tumbling lower on the prospect of a close vote. Comey dropped his bombshell in a letter to lawmakers, revealing that “in connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation.” The FBI will thus take “appropriate investigative steps” to decide whether the new batch contains classified information “as well as to assess their importance to the investigation,” he wrote. AFP

BRAZIL MUTANT MOSQUITOES TO BREED OUT DISEASES PIRACICABA, Brazil—Scientists in Brazil are preparing to release millions of factory-bred mosquitoes in an attempt to wipe out their distant cousins that carry tropical diseases. The insects’ method: have sex and then die. British firm Oxitec says its genetically modified mosquitoes will swarm in among ordinary species such as Aedes aegypti, the insect that carries feared diseases such as Zika, dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya. They will mate with the females of the ordinary mosquitoes, spawning babies with a genetically inbuilt flaw that causes them to die quickly. With their work done, the modified father mosquitoes will then give up the ghost themselves – as they are genetically programmed to do. Oxitec says its factory in the town of Pi-

racicaba, northwest of Sao Paulo, can produce 60 million mutant mosquitoes a week. Piracicaba is the world’s “first and biggest factory” of genetically modified mosquitos, said Oxitec president Hadyn Parry. “This is the only place where we have a factory like this. We can use this as a hub for Brazil,” said Parry, who traveled to Piracicaba for the plant opening. Currently their only Brazilian customer is the city of Piracicaba, “but we are having conversations with several municipalities and states,” Parry said. According to the firm, five field tests that they conducted between 2011 and 2014—in Panama and the Cayman Islands, as well as the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia—showed the population of wild Aedes aegypti insects dropped by 90 percent after the mutant mosquitoes were released. AFP

BATTLE-READY. Nepalese policemen pose with police dogs after applying vermillion to their foreheads and placing marigold garlands around their necks as blessings during the Tihar festival at the Central Police Dog Training School in Kathmandu. AFP

SEOUL, South Korea—South Korean President Park Geun-Hye is facing calls to resign over allegations she allowed a close personal friend to meddle in state affairs. The woman at the heart of the scandal is an elusive figure with no government post or security clearance but a reportedly Rasputin-like grip on the president’s trust and affections. Choi Soon-Sil, 60, is daughter of the late Choi Tae-Min, a shadowy religious figure who married six times, had multiple pseudonyms and set up a cultlike group known as the Church of Eternal Life. Choi is officially being investigated for using her ties with Park to coerce companies like Samsung to make large donations to two non-profit foundations she set up—allegedly for her personal benefit. But the more damaging side to the scandal is that Choi, who has never held any official position, seemingly exerted enormous influence over the president’s political policy-making. Files obtained from Choi’s personal computer by broadcaster JTBC TV suggest Choi edited some of Park’s key speeches and received confidential documents, including files related to ties with Japan and North Korea. Some reports have suggested Choi had her own coterie of aides who advised the president on appointments, policy issues and even on her wardrobe. AFP

ICELAND VOTES IN SNAP POLLS AFTER PANAMA PAPERS REYKJAVIK, Iceland—Determined to put the Panama Papers scandal and the 2008 bankruptcy behind them, Icelanders will vote on Saturday in a snap election that could see the anti-establishment Pirate Party form a new centre-left coalition. Voters are expected to punish the incumbent government after the Panama Papers revealed a global tax evasion scandal that ensnared several senior politicians and forced former prime minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson to resign. Although the current government of the conservative Independence Party and the centrist Progressive Party survived the scandal, it promised a snap election six months before the end of its term in spring 2017. “We’re loosing support (because of the) big anti-establishment (feeling),” Birgir Armannsson, member of parliament for the Independence Party, told AFP. The Pirate Party—founded in 2012 by activists, anarchists and former hackers—campaigns for public transparency, institutional reform, individual freedoms, and the fight against corruption. The results will be known shortly after polling stations close but because no party is expected to have a majority Iceland’s fate will only be known after coalition negotiations. AFP