The Standard - 2016 January 05 - Tuesday by Manila Standard

VOL. XXIX NO. 327 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 TUESday : JaNUaRy 5, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

DFA hits China for escalating tensions

SOLGEN bACkS POE Govt lawyer asks court to junk case on citizenship By Rey E. Requejo

THE government’s top lawyer asked the Supreme Court Monday to uphold the Senate Electoral Tribunal decision that Senator Grace Poe is a natural-born Filipino citizen and was therefore qualified to run for senator in the 2013 elections. In a comment filed Monday, Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, acting as counsel for the SET, also asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the petition filed by Rizalito David seeking to reverse the decision, saying the SET was correct in ruling that Poe, a foundling, is a natural-born citizen based on evidence—including her physical features and circumstances surrounding her abandonment and discovery. “The SET did not commit grave abuse of discretion in ruling that private respondent is a natural-born citizen,” Hilbay said. “The SET reasonably and correctly ruled that proof of private respondent’s status as a foundling did not necessarily equate to the lack of proof of Filipino parentage. Neither did it translate to an inability to prove Filipino parentage.” Next page

Abaya: No experience, no problem By Christine F. Herrera

Broken promise. Members of the group Riles Laan sa Sambayanan Network stage a protest action at the PNR España slamming President

Benigno Aquino III and Transport Secretary Emilio Abaya who promised they would get themselves run over by a train if the extension to Cavite of LRT 1 was not finished by the end of 2015. Work on the extension has not even started. Danny Pata

TRANSPORTATION Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said Sunday it didn’t matter that none of the Filipino partners in the consortium that was awarded the P4.25billion maintenance contract for the Metro Rail Transit had any experience in railway maintenance or operations. Reacting to criticism from senatorial candidate Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, Abaya also denied that the negotiated contract was a “sweetheart deal.” Romualdez had earlier challenged the government to be transparent about the P4.25-billion deal that was awarded without public bidding, and expressed concerns that not a single local partner of the Korean company Busan Transportation Corp. was involved in Next page

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PH slams Chinese ‘escalation’ THE Philippines on Monday accused China of raising tensions again in the West Philippine Sea by conducting a test flight over a reef claimed by Manila.

Go away! This photo taken on Feb. 4 shows a protest sign driving the Chinese away from Pagasa Island on the Facebook page of Kalayaan Atin Ito.

Solgen... From A1

Hilbay also said the minority opinion of the three Supreme Court justices in the electoral tribunal that Poe needs to prove that either of her biological parents is Filipino was an undue burden on the senator. “To impose scientific levels of certainty, as by way of a DNA sample of a Filipino parent, as the only acceptable means to prove one’s filiation, would be to impose a burden significantly higher than that which is normally required for these proceedings,” he said. The three justices who voted against Poe in the SET—Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-De Castro and Arturo Brion—have inhibited themselves from deliberating on David’s petition before the Supreme Court. Hilbay said the majority in the SET were correct in considering the evidence that Poe presented. “What we therefore have, in lieu of a birth certificate evidencing Filipino parentage, are relevant pieces of evidence, properly admissible under the Rules of Court, that private respondent has, at least, a Filipino mother or Filipino father and, most likely, both. They are facts, admitted by petitioner, that a reasonable mind can accept as sufficient and credible to reach the conclusion that private respondent has a Filipino parent,” the solicitor general said. “In other words, notwithstanding [Poe’s] lack of proof of a specific identifiable Filipino parent, she was nonetheless able to prove her Filipino parentage. To reject these facts on record as

Abaya: ... From A1

transport operations. He also called for a congressional investigation into the deal. Busan’s partners, Edison Development & Construction, Tramat Mercantile Inc., TMICorp. Inc., and Catan Corp. are into construction, agricultural equipment, trading and plumbing, respectively. But in an interview on radio dzBB, Abaya said the Philippines had no companies that were into rail system operations and maintenance, since the country’s urban rail system was “relatively new compared to other countries.” The MRT began operations in December 1999, while the LRT started in 1984. “If you could name me at least five companies involved in rail maintenance—you cannot come up with five names,” Abaya said. “If you’re looking for Filipino com-

evidence in her favor is to reject common sense, practical considerations that furnish reasonable people with sufficient basis for making conclusions . . .” Hilbay said. The chief state lawyer also noted that the “SET decision embodies a legally grounded, reasonable and just interpretation” of the pertinent provision of the 1935 Constitution. “Foundling are natural-born citizens of the Philippines under the 1935 Constitution . . . Thus, from the point of view of justice and reason, it made sense for the framers [of the 1935 Constitution] to remedy the already-disadvantaged position of foundlings by simply assuming that their parents are Filipinos, given the probabilities arising from context and reality. To assume otherwise, would be to further disable such vulnerable class of persons by denying them political status for reasons not of their making,” Hilbay said. “Evidence is in favor of private respondent [Poe] being a natural-born citizen of the Philippines . . . Thus, the SET did not commit grave abuse of discretion when it held that the burden is on petitioner to prove that private respondent is not a natural-born citizen,” he added. The solicitor general also defended the ruling of the SET upholding that Poe “validly reacquired her natural-born citizenship” under Republic Act No. 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003. “The SET correctly ruled that private respondent, who became a naturalized citizen of the United States on October 18, 2001, validly reacquired her natural-born citizenship under RA No. 9225,” the chief state lawyer said. He added that the SET also correctly ruled that Poe validly renounced her US citizenship

panies, you cannot name five or even three or four that have been involved in rail maintenance.” Abaya’s defense of the maintenance contract came days before Busan is expected to take over the MRT’s maintenance operations on Tuesday. In questioning the deal, Romualdez said the Department of Transportation and Communications needed to justify the awarding of the maintenance contract because it failed to observe the bidding process for such a large amount. He also hit the government for failing to protect the public interest by entering into a sweetheart deal that was “obviously inimical to the interest of the government and the taxpayers.” “It is incumbent upon the government to spend taxpayers’ money wisely. We should not condone wasteful spending for MRT3 without really improving its service since commuters still have to cope with higher fares, longer queues, and frequent breakdowns that threaten pub-

when she executed a sworn affidavit of renunciation of US citizenship. “The SET did not commit grave abuse of discretion in ruling that private respondent’s use of her US passport cannot be considered a recantation of her renunciation of US citizenship,” the OSG said, noting that “in all instances that she had used her US passport, she had not yet executed an oath of renunciation of her US citizenship.” The SET, made up of six senators and three Supreme Court justices, voted 5-4 in favor of Poe in November last year, saying that as a naturalborn Filipino citizen, she was qualified to run for senator in 2013. But in December, the Commission on Elections disqualified Poe from running for president on the ground that she was not a natural-born citizen and failed to meet the 10-year residency requirement. The senator has appealed the decision before the Supreme Court, but it is unclear if the three justices who voted against her in the SET will also recuse themselves in the review of the Comelec decisions. A spokesman for Poe, Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian, said they hoped the three justices would take the same stance in the Comelec cases, since her citizenship was also one of the core issues in the Comelec disqualification cases. Acting on Poe’s petition, the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order to stop the Comelec from removing the senator’s name from the official list of candidates for president in 2016. One of the petitioners against Poe, former senator Francisco Tatad, on Monday asked the Supreme Court to lift the TRO, saying there was no grave abuse of discretion on the Comelec’s part. With Macon Ramos-araneta

lic safety,” Romualdez said. The government earlier announced that the P4.25-billion deal awarded to the Busan consortium would take effect Jan. 5 and run for three years. The DoTC said it went for a negotiated deal because there was an “emergency situation” after two previous public biddings had failed. Abaya emphasized that Busan would be involved only in maintenance and not in operations. “The government will still operate the MRT,” Abaya said. From the start, Abaya said, the government wanted a “single point of responsibility” and a long-term maintenance provider. “The Busan [consortium] takes over the maintenance operations on Jan. 5. There was no secret about it, no miracles or under the table transactions and we worked on the takeover during the holidays so as not to cause any more delays,” Abaya said. The contract was awarded to Busan to avoid multiple contracts

with different providers, he said. Like the previous maintenance provider APT Global, Busan will be heavily penalized if it reneges on the terms of its contract. In fact, he said, APT Global had lost almost all of its billings due to heavy penalties. Because the MRT is getting old, Busan would be given six to eight months to build up its inventory of spare parts. Congress, he added, has also allocated funds to rehabilitate the MRT’s escalators, elevators and restrooms, as well as its signaling system and rails. In the same interview, Abaya admitted that the government has no choice but to allow an annual 5-percent increase in LRT fares due to inflation, but said fares would still be subsidized by the government. Abaya’s disclosure came after Romualdez said the government must provide assurances against “hidden fare hikes” in the city train services.

“We will file [a protest] in due course. Fiery Cross or Kagitingan Reef is part of our Kalayaan Island Group,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said. China defended its move, saying the flight test was conducted to ensure that the reef it now occupies and transformed into an artificial island with a runway, adheres to safety aviation standards. China has asserted its claim over nearly the entire South China Sea and has built man-made islands on seven reefs, including Fiery Cross, in a move that has triggered concerns among several nations, such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Unites States and Japan. “The test flight of China in Kagitingan has definitely raised tensions in the region,” Jose said. “That’s the fear, that China will be able to take control of the South China Sea, and it will affect the freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight [and the] unimpeded flow of commerce.” Vietnam, which also claims the reef, earlier lodged a protest against China’s test flight. Hanoi’s protest was rejected by Beijing, which insisted that its actions are within its sovereign rights. South China Sea is home to vast oil and mineral deposits and to a cluster of contested islands, reefs and atolls further south, called the Spratlys. The Philippines has adopted the name West Philippine Sea for parts of the waters that fall under its exclusive economic zone as allowed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the waters. All claimants, except for Brunei, have stationed military troops in their territories in the vast sea, said to be sitting atop huge oil and gas deposits. The Palace said Monday it was studying the ramifications of China’s latest act. The Japanese government expressed its “grave concern” Monday over China’s landing of a plane on an airstrip it constructed in a contested part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. “Japan is gravely concerned about China’s act, which is a unilateral change of the status quo” in the region and an attempt to make Beijing’s massive and fast-paced land reclamation work in the disputed seas “a fait accompli,” Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told a press conference. Japan “cannot accept [the act] which is escalating tensions [in the region] and is a concern shared by the international community,” Kishida said. “Japan will continue to cooperate with other countries concerned to protect the freedom of the seas.” Jose, meanwhile, said Manila is awaiting the final decision of the case the Philippines has filed against China with the arbitral tribunal of the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea. China has refused to participate in the hearings and proposes bilateral talks instead. But the Foreign Affairs Department said Monday that China had violated Unclos “by damaging the regional marine environment when it illegally transformed reefs into an artificial island and an airstrip.” Vito Barcelo, Sandy araneta, Pna

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Poll surveys not reliable, voters warned

THREE election watchdogs on Monday warned voters against relying solely on survey results in choosing their candidates for next year’s national and local elections. The Legal Network for Truthful Elections or Lente, the National Movement for Free Elections or Namfrel, and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting advised the public not to use the election surveys as a basis for deciding who to vote for. They said the opinion surveys and their results were being influenced by the clients of the polling firms, and those included candidates and political parties. “The surveys are being paid for. They cost millions of pesos and someone is paying for them,” Lente executive director Rona Ona Caritos said. “Despite their claim that they are independent, the survey firms have clients who pay millions for those surveys, and those clients influence

the surveys.” PPCRV representative Tony Villasor said the survey firms should be transparent with their survey results. “We have to be wary where the questions are coming from,” Villasor said. “Our concern is more on transparency as well as the campaign finance that is coming out from the propaganda blitz.” Said Namfrel’s secretary-general Eric Alvia: “The surveys are only snapshots at a given point in time. They are not a gauge of what the voters will decide on election day. It is not a fair gauge of the voters’ behavior as to how the elections will turn out.” Instead of relying on the survey results, former Commission on Elections commissioner Gus Lagman of the TransparentElections.org said, the voters must consider a candidate’s integrity and competence and ask if he or she would become a good leader. Earlier, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines urged the Catholic voters to be “free from trends and herds” but instead “do what is right and to choose who is right.” sara susanne D. Fabunan

On the stump. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said Monday all measures should be exhausted to bring down the crime rate during a press conference in Taguig City. Ey AcAsiO

Duterte reminds team: Don’t over-promise SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano said Monday people believed that presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte could do what he promised in case he won in next year’s elections. As a result, he said, Davao City Mayor Duterte had been reminding him and their other teammates not to “over-promise.” “That’s why his instruction to me and the whole team is that let’s not over-promise, like the traffic, we can’t solve it overnight,” said

Cayetano, Duterte’s running mate. “Let’s not draw up a platform that we cannot do. So that any salary increase, any form of taxation that we want to change, not only will experts be involved, we’ll make sure it’s doable.” But Cayetano said genuine reforms would involve peace and order 24/7 in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao and the elimination of the illegal drug trade. He cited a 300-percent increase in the crime rate and the crime vol-

ume from 2012 to 2014. He said the incidents of crime surged to 1,161,188 in 2014 from 217,812 in 2012. He said 92.1 percent of the villages in Metro Manila had been infiltrated by drugs. Cayetano said an iron fist and a fearless application of the law were needed to solve these problems. The law enforcement agencies also needed cleansing. But Cayetano said they were not suggesting extra-judicial killings or using vigilante justice.

He said Duterte’s message was clear: The government should not be afraid to use the law when that was called for. “He’s not saying that we will go wild and if you are a suspect, you should be shot. That’s not the way it should be,” Cayetano said. He said the tough-talking mayor only favored no mercy for criminals and other law violators. He said the Duterte-Cayetano tandem would also work for an inclusive economy through re-

gional development, and with emphasis on industry, agriculture and the promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises. Cayetano said they would also shift from attending private meetings and events to town hall meetings starting this week. “On Thursday, we‘ll have our first town-hall meetings and a two-day activity including courtesy calls to influential leaders of society,” Cayetano said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Binay helped 12,100 indigents

Plea. Manuelito Luna, counsel for former Senator Francisco Tatad, files a plea before the Supreme Court on Monday asking it to cancel its order on the Comelec stopping it from disqualifying Senator Grace Poe from next year’s presidential elections. DAnny PAtA

VICE President Jejomar Binay said Monday his office provided medical and financial assistance to more than 12,100 indigents and distributed thousands of relief goods to typhoon victims last year despite its meager budget. He said his office will continue to deliver basic services to the people who are in dire need of help. From January to September 2015, 12,140 indigent patients received medical assistance from the Office of the Vice President, Binay said. He said the patients or their families requested help to pay for dialysis, hos-

pital bills, chemotherapy sessions, medicines, surgery and other procedures, implants and hearing aids. “Another 666 clients who requested help to pay for burial and transport services were also given assistance,” Binay said. “The OVP released P95,120,350.38 or an average of P7,427.80 per client. These clients came mostly from Metro Manila but the OVP also assisted clients from other regions.” Binay said his office also conducted medical missions in the provinces to reach out to those who could not afford to go to hospitals for their check-ups or to buy

medicines. He said the OVP served 40,176 indigents from all over the country in 2015. The OVP also distributed 88 wheelchairs of which 33 were received by local government units. The OVP distributed 91,001 packages of relief goods to families affected by the typhoons that entered the country from January to November 2015, Binay said. In January, 11,700 bags were given to families in Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur who were affected by Typhoon “Seniang.” Binay also led the distribution of 7,500 relief bags to the residents of Cebu affected by Seniang. Vito Barcelo

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Pressure on to speed up BBL By Sandy Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE government started pressuring Congress to end deliberations of the controversial Bangsamoro Basic Law after international peace monitor Alistair MacDonald urged the legislature to pass the version being pushed by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. “It can still be done,” said government peace panel chief Miriam Coronel-Ferrer after MacDonald pushed the passage of a version “compliant” with the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro crafted by the team of Ferrer. “We don’t give up. There is still hope. You don’t give up when you still see a glimmer of hope,” Ferrer said even as she admitted that the

government was prepared to delay the Bangsamoro Basic Law by a year if it is not passed within the term of President Benigno Aquino III. “We set back the roadmap by one year. That’s basically our Plan B, but the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro remains,” Ferrer said. But opposition lawmakers chided MacDonald for blaming the de-

lay in the passage of the BBL when the delay is actually being caused by provisions in the bill drafted by Ferrer’s team. “Congress should not be threatened,” said House Independent Bloc leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez. “All of us here support peace, but we have to ensure also that we will pass a constitutional and not a half-baked BBL.” Romualdez, president of the Philippine Constitution Association, said it is the duty of Congress “to ensure that every piece of legislation it passes, including the controversial BBL, complies with the Constitution and is not legally flawed.” Isabel Rep. Rodolfo Albano III slammed MacDonald for the remark and stressed that the government is partly to blame for rushing a proposed law that is flawed.

“We cannot be pressured by anyone, by anybody. We will do our legislative function based on the Constitution and not because somebody says so,” Albano said. “The problem lies with the GRP panel also. When the BBL came to Congress, it says ‘it’s up to Congress to work on the draft’. But when lawmakers already introduced amendments to the proposed peace measure, they will tell us stick to the original draft. What’s that?” he asked. “Sorry, you are not Congress. So just leave us alone and let lawmakers do their job,” Albano told MacDonald. Former justice secretary and ex-peace negotiator Silvestre Bello III, now a congressman for the 1-BAP party-list group, blamed Malacañang for the delay in the deliberations.

Baby boom. Children waiting for their turn at a feeding room in Tondo, Manila show the challenges for any new government after the Commission on Population predicted a baby boom in the country this year that will push the population to 104 million. DANNY PATA

Legislator: Govt dole promotes beggary By Maricel V. Cruz A MEMBER of the Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives rejected on Monday a proposed measure institutionalizing the government dole program, dubbed the Conditional Cash Transfer, saying it will only promote mendicancy if it is enacted into law. Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus was referring to House Bill 154, which was approved by the House committee appropriations, chaired by Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab and endorsed for plenary reconsideration last December. “With all the unresolved problems uncovered by the Commission on Audit of double listings and ghost beneficiaries for the CCT, and the scandalous spending of Modified CCT funds to hide street families from foreign visitors, the Appropriations Committee should have thought of the welfare of taxpayers who will pay the gigantic debt to fund this program that is useless in its goal of solving poverty,” De Jesus protested. The bill, authored by Tarlac Rep. Susan Yap, seeks “to provide assistance to the poor, break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, promote gender equality, achieve universal primary education, reduce child mortality and improve maternal health, which are also the part of the government’s Millennium Development Goals.” In defending her bill, Yap noted that a total of 3,967,517 households from 143 cities, 1,484 municipalities in 79 provinces have benefited from the 4Ps Program since its implementation in March 2013.

DoH alarmed by population surge By Macon Ramos-Araneta WITH the population of the Philippines forecast to reach 104 million by this year, the Department of Health expressed concern it will need an additional P3 billion to P4 billion to fund the government’s P6-billion immunization program. Health Secretary Janette Garin described as a huge challenge the Commission on Population projection that around 1.5-million babies are expected to be born this year by 23-million women, aged 15 to 49, who are of reproductive age. With this surge from the current population of 102.4 million, PopCom executive director Juan Antonio Perez III said the country will

probably have the “biggest number of women of reproductive age that we will ever see, at 25 to 30 million” in five to 10 years. “We have many five- to 10-year-old girls who will become reproductive in the next five years. We cannot do anything about that. So what we are trying to do is reduce their need for services,” Perez said. Meanwhile, Garin said the surge poses a huge challenge to the immunization and family planning programs of the government. “It’s actually a huge challenge especially that one of the biggest programs that we have is the national immunization program,” Garin said in an interview with

the ABS-CBN News Channel. “We have been moving forward including adolescent immunization, giving booster doses in government public schools and an increase in population would redound to a demand for an increased budget,” she said. At present, Garin said the DoH’s immunization budget is currently estimated at around P5 to P6 billion. “We would be needing an additional of P3 to P4 billion, if you include them in the regular programs that we have around, P3.5 billion. But if you include the other regions as well for the specialized, the new vaccines that we are introducing, it would be another P500 million,” she said.

Pop goes the muzzle. Eastern Police District director Elmer Jamias removes a piece of packaging tape used to seal a firearm during the Christmas season. JANSEN ROMERO

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JBC starts vetting 16 high court aspirants

Saudi prospects. Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia are now being put at risk due to falling oil prices in the world market. Emmanuel Geslani, a

recruitment and migration expert, says that the government should be prepared for the worst as he predicts that the current oil prices will result in fewer job orders from the Middle East as these countries tighten their budgets and reduce private investments to avoid incurring massive deficits. ERIC APOLONIO

8 agencies brace for Quiapo feast By Joel E. Zurbano, Maricel Cruz and Sandy Araneta

EIGHT government agencies are on heightened alert and joining forces with the city government of Manila and the National Capital Region Police Office to keep the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo on Saturday peaceful and orderly. NCRPO chief Joel Pagdilao said the agencies are Metro Manila Development Authority, Department of Public Works and Highways, Office of the Civil Defense, the Armed Forces, Department of Health, Bureau of Fire Protection, Coast Guard and the Manila Po-

lice District. Pagdilao said the NCRPO in coordination with these agencies will deploy 3, 500 policemen in Quiapo to help smoothen traffic and security along the route of the Black Nazarene procession. Police ruled out terror threat but

said intelligence units are helping monitor the situation to ensure the safety and security of the devotees. Authorities also tightened security near the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene and remained on heightened alert given the recent terrorist attacks in Europe and Africa. House Independent Bloc leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez of Leyte wished millions of Black Nazarene devotees a safe, orderly and clean procession. Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association, reiterated his appeal to the devotees to observe

supreme discipline to avoid similar incidents in the recent years where participants were even killed and many were injured. A senatorial bet backed by several political blocs, Romualdez joined calls for the participants to maintain a clean environment during the entire procession. “Our pious devotion to the Black Nazarene should be accorded too with our religious concerns to our environment. Let us avoid a pile of garbage unattended,” Romualdez said. Pagdilao added the Manila Police will deploy thousands of personnel coming from the Special Weapons and Tactics-Explosives and Ordnance Division, traffic, emergency and response teams, intel/detective teams, route and venue security. “We [already] have a security plan for this annual festivity and [as a rule] we do not provide the exact number of personnel to be deployed for this is an operational matter,” Pagdilao explained.

Korea-made jets armed By Florante Solmerin and PNA THE Department of National Defense has allocated P106.13 million for the acquisition of 93,600 rounds of ammunition for two fighter jets acquired recently from South Korea. The money will be sourced from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Act Trust Fund, according to the bid bulletin from the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System. The ammunition will be used to arm the FA-50PH’s modified A50 gun system. The weapon will be utilized in close-quarter fighting and strafing missions. But military spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla criti-

cized the report filed by a state-run press agency as a “regrettable publicity.” “It should not have been reported at all. The publicity made it easier for the enemy to monitor developments in the military,” Padilla said in Filipino. Pre-bid conference is set on Jan. 6 at 11 a.m. at the DND Bidding and Awards Committee Conference Room, DND Building, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, according to the Philippine News Agency. Winning bidders are required to deliver the items within 360 calendar days. Two of the country’s first FA-50PH jet aircraft arrived at Clark Air Base, Angeles City, Pampanga last Nov. 28.

Cash for trash. Recyclable materials are sold at a junk shop in Manila, most of them accumulated goods from Christmas and New Year. ANDREW RABULAN

THE Judicial and Bar Council will conduct the public interview on the 16 candidates for the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on Thursday and Friday. The public interview will be held at the SC Division Hearing Room to select the nominees to be included in the shortlist of replacement for retiring Associate Justice Martin S. Villarama Jr. The JBC announced that to be placed in the public interview in the morning of Jan. 7, 2016 are Joe Santos Bisquera, Department of Justice Secretary Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang and Chinchona CruzGonzales. To be interviewed on Thursday afternoon are Deputy Ombudsman Gerard Mosquera, Court of Appeals Associate Justices Apolinario Bruselas Jr. and Rosmari Carandang, and Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Maria Cristina Cornejo. The remaining eight candidates will be interviewed on Friday. The JBC will receive any opposition against the 16 candidates until 5 p.m. on Monday. PNA

Feria new envoy to Spain By Sandy Araneta PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has Celia Anna Feria, Chief of Presidential Protocol, as the new ambassador to Spain. Feria’s appointment papers were transmitted to Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and the Commission on Appointments on Dec. 29, 2015. “Pursuant to the provisions of Section 16, Article VII of the Constitution and existing laws, you are hereby nominated as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Spain with concurrent jurisdiction over the Principality of Andorra,” said the appointment letter signed by Aquino. Feria’s appointment is subject to the confirmation of the CA. Aquino appointed Feria as chief of the presidential protocol in September 2013. Other appointees includes Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Executive Director Roberto Cabrera III as the new chief of the Land Transportation Office. Cabrera replaced Alfonso Tan Jr. who resigned effective Monday. Abaya said Tan voluntarily resigned November last year due to “family reasons.”

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Phaseout amid traffic woes First oil price cut for 2016: diesel down 15c By Alena Mae S. Flores THE country’s oil firms continued to cut kerosene and diesel prices by P0.25 per liter and P0.15 per liter, respectively, but raised gasoline prices by P0.10 per liter. The oil firms issued their respective price advisories for the first oil price adjustment for 2016 which took effect starting 6 p.m. Monday followed by other oil firms at 6 a.m. Tuesday. Eastern Petroleum Corp. slashed the price of its diesel products by P0.15 per liter at 6 p.m., Monday, but will hike the price of gasoline by P0.10 per liter at 6 a.m., Tuesday. Fernando Martinez, Eastern Petroleum chairman and chief executive officer, attributed the latest price adjustment to the continuous downward trend of prices in the world oil market. Eastern Petroleum earlier announced that it also slashed the price of its Eastern EC Gas LPG by P4.86 per kilo or P53.50 for an 11-kilo cylinder effective Jan. 2 to reflect the drop in international contract price of cooking gas in the world market. “Analysts also point out that oiI companies around the world are again being forced to cut spending, sell assets, shed jobs and delay projects as the oil slump shows no sign of recovery,” Martinez said. Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, meanwhile, said it decreased the price of diesel by P0.15 per liter and increased the price of gasoline by P0.10 per liter effective 6am of 05 January 2016 “to reflect the minimal price movements of petroleum products in the world market.” Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and PTT Philippines also issued separate advisories of the oil price movement as of presstime. Other oil companies are expected to follow suit.

By Sandy Araneta and John Paolo Bencito

MALACAÑANG on Monday said that the administration is determined to solve the traffic congestion in Metro Manila amid criticisms from an official of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines who said that the metropolis may become uninhabitable within four years due to the worsening traffic situation. A Palace official also defended the planned phaseout of public utility vehicles (jeepneys and bus units) at least 15 years old as a two-pronged move to help decongest Metro Manila and reduce pollutants. “The National Economic and Development Authority board approved in June 2014 and implemented the principles of the Mega Manila Dream Plan or Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development for Metro Manila and Its Surrounding Areas, including Calabarzon and Central Luzon,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said. Calabarzon refers to the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas,

Rizal and Quezon. Coloma said that based on the recommendation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the roadmap hopes to solve traffic congestion; prevent households from living in hazardous conditions; remove barriers for seamless mobility; eliminate the excessive cost burden for low-income groups; and prevent air pollution. Coloma was reacting to John Forbes, Amcham senior advisor, who stressed the need to immediately improve roads and infrastructure. Forbes said Metro Manila is “at risk of becoming uninhabitable as annual car sales increase to 500,000 by 2020. While roads are

being improved throughout the country, the National Capital Region urgently needs more limited access roads, especially skyways, and rail.” Amid Forbes’ apocalyptic warning, a group of jeepney drivers and operators, Piston, slammed the phaseout of old PUVs, saying that the real measure of road worthiness and efficiency is not based on the age of the vehicle but its current state. Piston’s president George San Mateo accused the Transportation Department of forcing them to purchase from DoTC electric jeepneys that will be imported from an unknown country. “We are not opposed to the modernization of the transport sector but we are opposed to the modernization program of DoTC,” San Mateo said. Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya allayed the drivers’ fears of the phaseout, saying that the agency has yet to finalize the conduct of the plan as it is still in the middle of consultation and dialogue with stakeholders. Piston

brushed aside Abaya’s statement as “mere PR.” The Philippines is seen as an important automotive market growth area in the region as the volume of vehicles sold is expected to surge. Domestic vehicle sales in 2020 would account to between eight to 10 percent of the projected total sales of five to six million units within member economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. From 168,000 units sold in 2010, vehicle sales in the country reached 269,000 units in 2014 and are expected to surpass industry target of 310,000 units in 2015, according to the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. This year, Campi sees vehicle sales reaching a new high of 350,000 units, on its way to 500,000 units by 2020. Aside from access roads, Forbes said the new airport terminal in Clark should be built in the next two years with a non-stop fast train connector similar to Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and Tokyo to improve traffic flow.

Against DoTC. Members of Piston stage a protest rally at the Quezon City Memorial Circle denouncing the Department of Transportation and Commu-

nications order imposing a phaseout of 15-year-old public utility vehicles and requiring old jeepneys to submit to standards set by the agency such as GPS, automated fare/ticket, and a fleet management program until 2017. JANSEN ROMERO

Hospital for elderly proposed

NLEX-Marilao plaza expands.The Manila North Tollways Corp. expanded the NLEX Marilao Toll Plaza

southbound from two to four toll lanes to better serve the increasing number of motorists using the Marilao exit. The additional two mixed lanes were opened to motorists after a simple blessing ceremony attended by MNTC officials led by MNTC president Rodrigo E. Franco (second from right) and officiated by Rev. Fr. Prospero Tenorio of the Divine Mercy Shrine. Franco said the additional toll lanes, costing P37 million, will speed up toll transactions at NLEX Marilao Toll Plaza southbound to provide motorists faster and convenient travel at the NLEX. Also in photo are vice president for Construction Management Services Nemesio G. Castillo (right), assistant vice president for Technology and Operations Glenn G. Campos and assistant vice president for Corporate Communication Kit S. Ventura (third and fourth from right, respectively).

SAYING that Quezon City has 330,000 senior citizens, Rep. Alfred Vargas is pushing for the construction of a hospital devoted just for the elderly in Novaliches, District 5. While the city government has already implemented measures to provide quality health services for the senior citizens, Vargas said more steps may be taken to ensure the elderly are provided with the needed medical attention. “Quezon City is home to over 330,000 senior citizens of the country. At present, the local government has mandated the city’s 15 public hospitals to set up a ward exclusively for the elderly so they won’t be inconvenienced being crammed with other sick patients. But more needs to be done,” he added. He filed House Bill 6276, citing the right of every citizen to health as provided in Article XIII Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution. “The State shall adopt an integrat-

ed and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all the people at affordable cost. It is therefore a policy of the State to make quality health services accessible to everyone, especially to the underprivileged senior citizens,” he said. Under the proposal, a senior citizens hospital in Novaliches shall be established under the Department of Health’s supervision. If passed, the measure would require a 50-bed-capacity facility to be known as the Novaliches Senior Citizens Hospital. The medical facility shall provide professional medical services with particular concentration on diseases and health problems of the elderly, regular counseling and therapy for the total recovery of elder-patients. Rio N. Araja

T U E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 5 , 2 0 1 6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Man admits to rape-slay of grandma By Mel Caspe

Practice. A bomb disposal expert participates in a bomb drill in Cagayan de Oro City. LANCE BACONGUIS

Farmers slam ‘tambiolo land reform’ in Luisita By Rio N. Araja

LEFT-LEANING group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas on Monday slammed the Department of Agrarian Reform for tambiolo land reform at the 358-hectare land within Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac. Antonio Flores, KMP secretary general, said DAR and the Cojuangco clan, owner of the Hacienda Luisita Inc., “are once again in connivance with the DAR in employing the bogus Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program to deny farmers of their rights to the lands.” “The 358 hectares are the very same lands where the farm workers are carrying

out their collective cultivation campaign,” he added. “The sham CARP, from the stock distribution option up to the tambiolo land reform, has been used by the Cojuangcos to displace legitimate farmer beneficiaries and maintain control over the lands.” He hit President Benigno Aquino III’s family for using the agrarian reform program to “plunder hundreds

of millions of taxpayers’ money from the DAR under the guise of so-called just compensation.” According to KMP, the government paid the Cojuangcos P471.5 million in the guise of just compensation for the 4,099 hectares of Hacienda Luisita lands. “The money was sourced from the controversial and corruption-driven disbursement acceleration program,” Flores said. “In connivance with the Aquino-controlled DAR, the Cojuangco family will once again receive hundreds of millions of pesos for the 358 hectares without eradicating their stranglehold over the whole hacienda,” Flores said, adding that “the compensa-

tion for lands will be DAR’s pabaon (farewell gift) to the Cojuangco family,” KMP’s statement read. Flores urged the Hacienda Luisita farmers to resist and expose, through protests, the brazen corruption of the Cojuangco-Aquinos. Citing reports from Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita, Flores said on Dec. 29, the agrarian reform department posted in every barangay hall in Hacienda Luisita an announcement for the coverage of 358 hectares of lands and a list of so-called applicants of over 1,700 farm workers. DAR is set to interview farmers today (Jan. 5) and will last for 30 days, Flores said. At least 258 hectares in

Barangay Balete and 100 hectares in Barangay Cutcut 2nd were covered by a notice of coverage belatedly issued by DAR on Dec. 17, 2013. Jobert Pahilga, executive trustee of the Sentro para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo, said the 358 hectares should have been included in the distribution of all agricultural lands in Hacienda Luisita since 1989. “The Supreme Court in 2012 reiterated and ordered the distribution of all agricultural lands in Hacienda Luisita due to the DAR and the Cojuangcos maneuver to evade land distribution through the stock distribution option scheme,” he added.

THE body of a 70-yearold woman was found at a grassy portion at the back of their house in Barangay Rawis, Canavid, Eastern Samar on Sunday morning, two days after she was reported missing by her relatives. The victim was identified as Rosita Abilong, a widow. Her body was in an advanced state of decomposition. Police say the suspect is the victim’s own grandson, 21-year-old Melchor Robin, a resident of the same barangay. Upon his arrest, Robin confessed to the killing, showing no remorse as he claimed he committed the crime in revenge after his grandmother’s ill treatment of him. Can-avid Acting Chief of Police P/SInsp. Yvan Frank C. Gabornes said Abilong’s relatives became worried when she was not able to attend their New Year celebration, held customarily at the house of one of their siblings. The victim lived alone. Worried, the victim’s children went to her house which is in a hilly portion of the barangay where they saw Abilong’s body lying naked on a grassy portion at the back of the house. The victim bore several stab wounds and her underwear was stuffed into her mouth. Police suspect she was raped. Gabornes said that a neighbor saw the suspect going to the house of the victim about 6:00 in the evening of Dec. 31.

Baguio needs P300 million for access road to waste facility By Dexter A. See

Skills training. Yolanda survivors showcased their newfound skills after undergoing

the Tesda Auto-Mechanic Training Center in Barangay Abucay, Tacloban City. They were observed by Isuzu official Yoshimora Ida. MEL CASPE

BAGUIO CITY—The city government needs at least P300 million to build the required access road from Barangay Camp 7 leading to the portion of the 30-hectare city-owned property in Sto. Tomas school area previously identified as the proposed site for the multifunctional integrated solid waste disposal facility. The facility is expected to solve the existing waste problem of the city and reduce the expenses currently incurred in hauling the city’s residual waste to the engineered sanitary landfill in Capas, Tarlac. Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said the local government will have to heavily invest on

the infrastructure component that will facilitate the establishment of the solid waste disposal facility. “We have to be decisive on the matter. A facility within the city will allow the city government to have full control operations. This will translate to improved disposal of the city’s waste,” said Domogan. Based on the latest Waste Analysis and Characterization Study conducted by the National Solid Waste Management Commission, a total of 502 tons of assorted waste is generated daily by the city. Of this, 160 tons are hauled out of the city into the Capas landfill. The city spends P70 million to P100 million annually for this. Under the proposed integrat-

ed solid waste disposal facility, the city plans to put up a temporary engineered sanitary landfill to be used to accommodate the waste generated by the city. A waste-to-energy facility would be built, coupled with the inclusion of the operation of the two multi-million Environmental Recycling System machines, an anaerobic digester and the technology that will treat hazardous hospital and medical waste, all in one area. According to him, only 2 hectares out of the 50 hectares initially identified by the city’s technical team as the site of the facility will actually be used to accommodate all the integrated solid waste disposal equipment considering that their operations complement each other.

T U E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 5 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS AND HOPES

[ EDI TORI A L ]

THE ABERRATION WE COMMEND the general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority, Jose Angel Honrado, for his gall to hand over awards of appreciation for the honesty displayed by 14 rank-and-file airport workers last year. We surmise the 14 legitimately believed there was nothing heroic or heart-stopping about what they did. After all, this is exactly how they are expected to behave in an ideal world, an ideal airport. The employees found gadgets, jewelry, cash and documents and returned them to their owners. They must do so, regardless of whether they were hard up themselves from working low-paying jobs. It is their obligation to be honest. “The happiness brought by doing good deeds has no monetary value,” said Ronald Gadayan, who says he expects nothing in return. Nonetheless, they deserve commendation if only to encourage more of their colleagues to do the same. It is an incentive for following the basic rule—if something is not yours, do not take it. Honrado could take a hint from these humble airport personnel. After all, it was under his watch that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport became its most notorious, from lousy facilities to the bulletplanting scam where airport security personnel extorted money from hapless passengers on whose possession a bullet was “found.” A self-respecting man would admit his failure and step down in shame, but not this one. Honrado, after all, has the privilege of being close to President Aquino himself—as a relative and as a former aide of the President’s late mother. We wish this were fiction, but Honrado even said: “There is no better way to start the New Year than by celebrating the people who give Naia its good name.” He conveniently left out the fact that he is not one of those people, and thus enjoyed no ascendancy to bestow the award on the 14 employees.

HELL ON WHEELS LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES IF YOU’RE still waiting for President Noynoy Aquino to allow himself to get run over by a train, be prepared for a long, literal wait. Maybe you’ll have to catch him first after he blows by you in his (borrowed, the Palace says) Nissan GT-R, his current ride of choice. The furor about Aquino not making good on his vow to get

crushed under an onrushing train, as he promised nearly three years ago, had not yet died down when it was reported that the traffic situation is only bound to get worse before it gets better. That’s according to the American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which predicted that Metro Manila could become uninhabitable in just four years, if car sales continue to go up. AmCham adviser John Forbes said car sales could rise five times on a year-to-year basis over a decade, from a little

over 100,000 in 2010 to as much as 500,000 by 2020. And as far as I can tell, this hasn’t rung any alarm bells in the Aquino administration, now on its sixth year of selling the lie that traffic congestion is good because it signifies robust economic growth. That wonderful observation was last made by Aquino himself nearly two years ago, for those keeping score at home. And just like his promise to throw himself under a train if he doesn’t build the LRT Line 1 extension from Baclaran to Bacoor, that

Making stupid statements like the one about traffic being good is apparently the exclusive preserve of Aquino.

preposterous statement is going to hound Aquino as he prepares to zoom away into the sunset of his administration. It was in September 2014 that Aquino last made his loony traffic-is-good claim, when he was speaking before the Filipino community in Spain, during a state visit of his. Aquino claimed that worsening traffic is caused by the hiring of 500,000 people in the business process outsourcing sector, who can now afford to buy cars. “When you come home [to Manila] and you’re caught in traffic, just remember that people are running errands, not just loitering around,” Aquino

told the expatriate Filipinos. “That is a sign of economic growth.” As is usual with Aquino, he only spoke half the truth—the same one that AmCham is telling us now. What Aquino didn’t say is that his government, for all its supposed gains and the huge amounts it allocates to itself in its annual budgets, has not built any significant roads, bridges, flyovers or any other new infrastructure to take in the increased number of vehicles being sold yearly. Yes, vehicle sales are always rising

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on an annual basis and yes, this can be interpreted as a sign of economic growth. But these facts inescapably lead to the question of what Aquino and his government have done to accommodate the new vehicles—and the answer, just as inescapable, is nothing. And if Aquino is not jailed after his term, he won’t be able to just hop into his Godzilla (the GT-R’s nickname) and floor it in a couple of years. He’ll be sitting in traffic like the rest of us victims of his economic growth and

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his official laziness—even during the Christmas holidays when no one is supposed to be on the road—wondering why he never got to build anything to ease traffic flow when he could have. *** The incompetence of Aquino as far as building new roads and bridges is concerned is matched only by the impotence of the agency in charge of registering vehicles and drivers, the Land Transportation Office. Continued on A11

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Jocelyn F. Domingo Ron Ryan S. Buguis Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

TIME is a continuum. Yet we ordinarily see the yearend as an imaginary demarcation between the past and the future. The advent of a new year then is to leave behind the past and face what is to come. Cultures have different ways of welcoming this divide. The Chinese welcome the new year by lighting firecrackers to drive away evil spirits. Because of our close affinity with the Chinese, Filipinos have adopted many of their practices. Every yearend, for example, Filipinos, like the Chinese, light firecrackers and make all sorts of noise before midnight of Dec. 31. Unfortunately in the Philippines, firecrackers have consistently caused injuries and deaths. One can see clearly that a national ban on their personal use is looming. One does not need a Duterte to get that to happen but credit should be given to the good mayor and the city of Davao for leading the way on this. A better tradition is to have New Year resolutions. If not taken seriously, they become, as one cartoon would have it, a to-do list only for the first week of January. Having quit smoking more than 10 years ago, I will adopt Pope Francis’ suggestions to Vatican employees: “Take care of your spiritual life, your relationship with God, because this is the backbone of everything we do and everything we are.” “Take care of your family life, giving your children and loved ones not just money, but most of all your time, attention and love.” “Take care of your relationships with others, transforming your faith into life and your words into good works, especially on behalf of the needy.” “Be careful how you speak, purify your tongue of offensive words, vulgarity and worldly decadence.” “Heal wounds of the heart with the oil of forgiveness, forgiving those who have hurt us and medicating the wounds we have caused others.” “Look after your work, doing it with enthusiasm, humility, competence, passion and with a spirit that knows how to thank the Lord.” “Be careful of envy, lust, hatred and negative feelings that devour our interior peace and transform us into destroyed and destructive people.” “Watch out for anger that can lead to vengeance; for laziness that leads to existential euthanasia; for pointing the finger at others, which leads to pride; and for complaining continually, which leads to desperation.” “Take care of brothers and sisters who are weaker… the elderly, the sick, the hungry, the homeless and strangers, because we will be judged on this.” Continued on A11 Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

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T U E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 5 , 2 0 1 6

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS AND HOPES

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Making stupid statements like the one about traffic being good is apparently the exclusive preserve of Aquino.

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Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

T U E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 5 , 2 0 1 6

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

WE NEED MORAL AWAKENING TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

A FEW days ago, the Department of Health reported that only 448 firecracker injuries occurred during the New Year revelry and that there were only 36 cases of injuries from stray bullets. The DoH said firecracker injuries had gone down by 44 percent, as if it were some accomplishment.

Because of greed and lust for power, we Filipinos seem to have forgotten what our forefathers have taught us.

Santa Banana, all of a sudden the firecracker injuries hit 760. As a result, the DoH claimed that this number was nine percent lower than those recorded during the same period last year, and also 13 percent lower than the fiveyear average. For one thing, why should the DoH, or the government for that matter, be claiming a downtrend of firecracker injuries when the fault and the blame lies squarely with government that allows the situation to prevail? Why can’t the government just ban the sale and use of firecrackers the way many cities and municipalities do? My gulay, it all boils down to incompetence and lack of political will! Every year we go through this. The whole world must be saying that we Filipinos are crazy. Crazier still is the fact that our government cannot stop this

madness. This is what bothers me. Over the years, no president has been able to simply ban the sale and use of firecrackers. *** I still cannot fathom why some people are fascinated with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Dudirty” when he is very kind of a leader the nation should avoid. Imagine, he confessed to killing people and burning them, maintaining two wives and two girlfriends, and using viagra at his old age of 70 years. Just looking at people who cheer him when he utters profanity and obscenity makes me wonder how low some Filipinos could go. This is the depth of depravity and corruption. Killing, womanizing and low regard for women are forms of corruption. And my gulay, that’s the very thing that public officials and presidential candidates are supposed to fight and eradicate. This leads me to think that if there must be an honest-to-goodness change in Filipino society, there must be some kind of a moral awakening and a return to old Filipino values. This strange fascination for “Du-dirty” is a reflection on what kind of leaders we must have to effect a change in government. If we look at the commercial advertisement of “Du-dirty” and his vice presidential candidate Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, the boast of “Pagbabago” is in line with Duterte’s campaign for federalism. I am a parliamentarian, and I’m all for federalism. But with the kind of leadership “Dudirty” promises to give us, I would rather have none of it. Santa Banana, for so long as there’s no moral awakening among our people, all forms of corruption will set us back as a nation. For this, I challenge the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines to start a nationwide moral awakening. And I don’t see a better time than now.

CHINA SHOULD FIX ITS DRUG PROBLEM deleted unfavorable reports from computers and kept a paJUST before Christmas, the US per shredder near machines that Food and Drug Administration recorded quality data. The situaalerted US pharmaceutical man- tion wasn’t much better at a new ufacturers to keep a sharp eye Pfizer facility where, according on ingredients imported from to Bloomberg News, “employees Tianjin, China. The problem, it hid quality failures, used exseemed, is that these could be pired manufacturing materials contaminated with cyanide that or ones that hadn’t been recently escaped after an explosion in checked, and retested failing August of a hazardous material products until they passed.” It’s natural to think that adwarehouse. Already, the FDA reditional FDA inspectors could ported, it had detected the deadmake these problems go away. ly chemical in two shipments Certainly, they would increase from the city. The FDA deserves credit the odds that a rogue factory for shutting down a poison could be identified. But even if pipeline aimed at America’s the FDA were capable of regumedicine cabinets. But there lar inspections of all those 700 are considerable doubts about manufacturers, neither it nor the whether it can consistently Chinese authorities have the resources to make regular inspecrepeat that success. The problem is numbers. tions of the additional suppliers China and India manufacture who deliver ingredients to those more than 80 percent of the 700 export facilities. Identifying the scofflaws is main ingredients of the world’s medicines. But the FDA has made more difficult by a lack only two inspectors in China of clear regulatory authority in to scrutinize around 700 facto- China. Within the China Food ries involved in manufacturing and Drug Administration, for drugs for export to the United example, are 10 agencies with States, according to Bloomberg responsibility for medical prodNews. Concerns are running so ucts. Chinese law grants considhigh that just days before the erable regulatory authority to FDA’s cyanide letter, two mem- individual provinces, many of bers of Congress requested a which have their own bureauGAO investigation into the cracies. Sculpting national and FDA’s ability to supervise for- local institutional rivalries into a competent, national regulatoeign drug manufacturers. Based on the FDA’s publicly ry apparatus might be more difavailable reports from 2015, ficult than cleaning up China’s there’s reason for concern. Be- drug manufacturers. Nonetheless, it’s very much yond safety violations, there are in China’s interest to do so. also cover-ups. During an April Among Chinese consumers, inspection of one Chinesefake and adulterated drugs are owned manufacturer of pharmaceutical ingredients, inspec- an everyday concern that call tors found evidence that staffers into question the ruling regime’s

By Adam Minter

If there must be real change, something that we could not have under the Aquino administration because of its utter incompetence, ineptitude and lack of compassion, empathy and sensitivity for the deprived and the poor, it must begin from within. Sad to say, because of greed and lust for power, we Filipinos seem to have forgotten what our forefathers have taught us. *** I am amused at what Senator Chiz Escudero, the running mate of presidential candidate Mrs. Mary Grace Natividad Kelly Poe Llamanzares, is urging the Supreme Court to do with the Comelec. The poll body found that Poe lied about her resi-

dency status and failed to prove that she is natural born. Escudero said the Comelec was bullying Poe. What bullying? The Comelec commissioners simply used their common sense in ruling against Mrs. Llamanzares. Chiz is a lawyer; he should know it. If Chiz wants sympathy for his presidential candidate, he will not get it from the Supreme Court since the High Court as interpreter of the Constitution must do its job. Neither will Chiz get it from the people who now realize that we cannot have a president who has blatantly disregarded the provisions of the Constitution as “the voice of the people” in connection

competence and interest in their safety. And if the Chinese government and pharmaceutical industry want to make good on their ambition to become a global leader in pharmaceutical innovation, it’s going to need to clean up an industry that’s second only to India in the number of facilities banned by the FDA, currently 38. Allowing additional FDA inspectors into China without additional red tape would be an excellent place to start. Longterm, China needs to re-think its product liability laws so that consumers have access to courts and cash settlements that will spur companies to clean up their supply chains voluntarily. Above all, China needs to demonstrate that it meets international pharmaceutical manufacturing and safety standards, from the factory floor to the top regulatory offices. To do this, it should begin the process of joining the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-Operation Scheme, a 46-member association of toplevel pharmaceutical inspection authorities (like the FDA) that have harmonized their manufacturing standards and recognized each other’s factory inspection reports. It’s not easy to join. The US FDA, which only became a member in 2011, needed five years to meet the organization’s strict standards. China, with it’s chaotic regulatory regime, will face an even bigger challenge. But the country really has no choice if it hopes to be recognized as a safe and responsible supplier of drugs to its own people, and those abroad. Bloomberg

with her residency status and her citizenship. We cannot afford to have an alien as president. The Supreme Court will listen to the oral arguments of the petitioners and lawyers of Mrs. Llamanzares on Jan. 19. And the arguments of the lawyers will be the same as the ones they presented to the Comelec. One need not be a rocket scientist to conclude that members of the Supreme Court will find Mrs. Llamanzares lied about her residency and citizenship. *** I still cannot understand why Malacañang and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are still in denial about the ISIS (Islamic State of Iran and Syria) already

being in Mindanao and recruiting Filipino Muslims. Santa Banana, these jihadists have been here in the Philippines since last year, and no amount of denial by government will erase that. If there are ISIS flags now being found in camps of Muslim rebels, like the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and others, it’s an indication that rebels in Mindanao have already been infiltrated. The refusal of the government and the military to accept what is inevitable will not help the country any. It’s a fact that the ISIS have not only infiltrated Muslim Mindanao, but are recruiting Muslim rebels. Denial can only worsen the problem. Continued on A11

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A11

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA WITH the holidays over, public attention is focused on the two sets of disqualification cases currently pending in the Supreme Court against Senator Grace Poe, an independent candidate for president in May 2016. The first case emanates from a petition in the Senate Electoral Tribunal which sought the ouster of Poe from the Senate on the ground that she is not a natural-born citizen of the Philippines—a requirement under the Constitution. Voting 5-4, the SET dismissed the petition. The three SC justices in the SET, namely, Justices Antonio Carpio (SET chairman), Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, and Arturo Brion voted against Poe. One senator, Nancy Binay, voted with the justices. The senators composing the majority sided with their colleague, with Senator Cynthia Villar admitting that their ruling was anchored on political rather than legal considerations. As expected, the SET ruling was appealed to the SC. Meanwhile, four separate disqualification cases were filed against Poe before the Commission on Elections. The petitions prayed that Poe be disqualified from running for president because she is not a natural-born citizen of the Philippines—a requirement likewise under

New year... From A9 As for my personal and public hopes for the new year, they come with a light heart and a free mind: Good health and loving relationships for me, all my loved ones, and for every one else; That the coming 2016 elections will be peaceful, orderly and credible; and that the candidates and their supporters conduct clean and not dirty campaigns anchored only on legitimate and relevant issues that affect the people; That the most competent and ethical candidates will be elected, and that they will unify communities and the country around a common vision that would defeat poverty, scandalous inequality, and social injustice; That good officials like Immigration Commissioner Fred Mison and others like him stay in government and are not ousted for political, or worse, corrupt reasons; That the poor in the Philippines and the world will have, to use Pope Francis words’, lodging, land, and labor, as well as food, access to justice and opportunities for education for their children; For those who took the bar exams, especially those I know and those I taught, that they do well and pass, and if they don’t

SET JUSTICES NEED NOT INHIBIT IN SC PROCEEDINGS the Constitution—and for failure of Poe to meet the 10-year residency requirement also imposed by the charter. Last year, the first and second divisions of the Comelec disqualified Poe from the presidential race in separate decisions. After the Comelec en banc denied Poe’s motions for reconsideration, Poe filed two separate appeals in the SC. Oral arguments were set for Jan. 19, 2016. Poe asked the SC to consolidate her appeals in the Comelec cases with the separate appeal in the SET case since her citizenship is an issue in both sets of cases. If the cases are consolidated, the SC will hear them together, and render one judgment for all of them. In addition, Poe asked Justices Carpio, De Castro, and Brion to inhibit themselves from further involvement in the cases. According to Poe, since the three justices already ruled against her in the SET case, they should not be allowed to rule anew on appeal. Unfortunately for Poe, the situation is not that simplistic. The participation of Justices Carpio, De Castro, and Brion in the SET is mandated by the Constitution. Although they are members of the SET, they did not relinquish their status as justices of the SC during the that they are able to recover and move on quickly; For our Supreme Court to make wise and just decisions on election and other cases that will come to it this year, and that good people will be appointed to the vacancies that will have to be filled up. For peace in Mindanao, for a good Bangsamoro Basic Law to be enacted (compliant with both the Constitution and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro) if not during the Aquino Administration within the first six months of the new government; For a new start in the peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front accompanied by a comprehensive ceasefire with the New People’s Army, ending with a permanent peace settlement; For all our overseas Filipino workers and their families; That the Philippines win also on the second phase in our arbitration case with China and that we can then move on to negotiate with China on how to comply with such a decision; That many countries sign the Paris Agreement on climate change when it is opened for signature, and ratifications quickly follow so we can move on to implement its commitments; For a good result also of the election in the United States, in

pendency of the SET case. Now that the ruling of the SET has been appealed to the SC, how will the other 11 justices of the SC (the ones who were not part of the SET) treat the pronouncements of Justices Carpio, De Castro, and Brion in the SET case? Can a justice of the SC review, much less modify or reverse, a decision of a fellow incumbent justice of the SC? That is like asking a justice of the Court of Appeals to interfere with the decision of another incumbent justice of the same court. Moreover, there is the decision making process of the SC. There are instances when the vote taken in a case is not unanimous. While a justice of the SC may disagree with a fellow justice of the SC, any separate concurring or dissenting opinion of a justice is an integral part of the decision of the SC. The Constitution itself says so. Taking into account the foregoing premises, it is suggested that the two sets of disqualification cases be consolidated by the SC, and that instead of inhibiting themselves from participating in the consolidated cases, Justices Carpio, De Castro, and Brion should adopt or retain their separate opinions in the SET case as their opinions, this time as justices particular that the president it elects chooses to comply with the Paris Agreement and does not discriminate against Muslims and migrants. That the Islamic State and the Al-Qaida will be defeated and that there is permanent peace in the Middle East, for the Palestinians, Syrians, Iraqis, Libyans, Yemenis, Kurds, and the Yazidis; That all refugees fleeing from war, disasters, and other causes, are welcomed and taken cared of, resettled if needed in better and secure places; In his New Year address, Pope Francis called on the world to redouble its efforts for peace, saying “peace is always possible, and we have to seek it. “May there never again be wars, but always the desire and commitment to peace and fraternity among peoples, the Holy Father said. This New Year message built on his Urbi et Orbi blessing last Christmas when Francis concluded a prayer that God’s “redeeming strength… transform arms into ploughshares, destruction into creativity, [and] hatred into love and tenderness.” That all of us personally encounter God so that this transformation happens is my most fervent desire in this coming year. Facebook Page: Dean Tony La Viña Twitter: tonylavs

of the SC deciding the consolidated cases. This way, the 11 other justices deciding the consolidated cases will not end up reluctantly reviewing the pronouncements of Justices Carpio, De Castro, and Brion in the SET case. Actually, this arrangement is ideal for Poe because there will be no impediment, real or imaginary, to prevent the other 11 justices from arriving at conclusions different from the opinions of the three other justices. In appeals in ordinary cases, a judge should not resolve an appeal taken from his own decision. Appeals in election-related cases, on the other hand, are somewhat different. Under the Constitution, a motion for reconsideration directed at a decision rendered by a division of the Comelec is actually an appeal to the Comelec en banc, and the Comelec commissioners who rendered the questioned judgment of the division actively participate in resolving the motion for reconsideration. In the end, the commissioners concerned end up reviewing their own decision. This liberal policy which the Constitution allows in appeals in election-related cases ought to apply to the two sets of disqualifications cases against Poe

Hell... From A9 And you’d think that, because this President is a car buff, he’d at least have an LTO that could actually do its job. But no. As bad as Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya has performed as transportation secretary during Aquino’s term, the LTO under this dispensation seems hell-bent on proving it can always do worse. (Wait a minute. LTO is an attached agency of Abaya’s department, so I guess I can’t really say that LTO did such an execrable job independently of the man handpicked by Aquino himself to lie down on a train track somewhere and die with him.) I’ve talked to a lot of people and none of them can remember a time when LTO or even its old forerunner, the Land Transportation Commission, bungled its job as badly as it has during Aquino’s term. No one remembers a time when LTO

We need... From A10 *** There is no Plan B in connection with the Palace-certified BBL or Bangsamoro Basic Law, now dead in the water because of its inability to get enacted by Congress as suggested by the Third Party Monitoring team. The fact is that the BBL is so constitutionally flawed that it could not have been enacted by

currently pending in the SC. There is another option available. Poe’s prayer for consolidation can be denied because the appeals involve different public offices—the presidency and the Senate. Also, the appeals emanate from different bodies— the Comelec and the SET. Likewise, Poe can lose in the Comelec cases on the ground of residency, which is not an issue in the SET case. Inasmuch as Justices Carpio, De Castro, and Brion were not involved in the decisions of the Comelec, they do not need to inhibit themselves from resolving the appeals in the Comelec cases. The proceedings in the SET case can be held in abeyance on the ground that the appeals in the Comelec cases raise a prejudicial question. In the end, whatever decision the SC renders in the Comelec cases as regards Poe’s citizenship can be invoked in resolving the appeal in the SET case. At the end of the day, whether or not Poe meets the requirements of the Constitution is not just a campaign for votes in the SC. Since the SC is the defender of the Constitution, Poe should allow all its justices to sit in judgment in her disqualification cases. can’t deliver license plates, drivers’ licenses or even the P50 sticker tags on vehicles; and guess what, the corruption that has been the hallmark of that graft-ridden agency hasn’t even been checked, as if to spite Aquino’s so-called policy of straight-path reforms. Last week, the head of LTO, Alfonso Tan Jr., resigned—in shame, most likely, and not for personal reasons, as Malacañang Palace reported. And even his recently deceased and certainly controversial predecessor, close presidential friend Virginia Torres, it can be argued, did a better job than the unlamented Tan, who did nothing tangible and demonstrably good during his stint as head of that agency. But at least Tan didn’t promise to kill himself if he failed at LTO. Making such stupid statements, like the one about traffic being good, is apparently the exclusive preserve of Aquino himself. whatever means under the present administration. For one thing, the BBL is a local law, and it must first be enacted by the House of Representatives before it goes to the Senate. With the 2016 polls already ongoing, it’s near to impossible to have a quorum at the Lower Chamber. And if the House will not enact the BBL first, the Senate cannot do anything about it.

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Manning lifts Broncos to top seed LOS ANGELES—Peyton Manning came off the bench and piloted four Denver scoring drives in a 27-20 win over San Diego that clinched homefield advantage for the Broncos in the NFL playoffs. The victory, after the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots fell 20-10 to the Miami Dolphins on the final day of the regular season, lifted the Broncos to the American Football Conference West division title and the top seed in the AFC. Manning, who missed seven weeks with a foot injury and was in uniform as backup to Brock Osweiler, received a thunderous ovation when he took over

from the ineffective starter in the third quarter. He promptly launched an 80yard, eight-play drive capped by C.J. Anderson’s one-yard touchdown run that gave Denver a 1413 lead. With Manning at the helm the Broncos also got a rushing touchdown from Ronnie Hillman and two field goals from Brandon McManus. Broncos coach Gary Kubiak

said he decided to go with the 39-year-old Manning after the Broncos coughed up their fifth turnover of the game—even though the errors weren’t all on Osweiler’s head. “Just my gut told me to turn it over to him,” Kubiak said. “I’m just very proud of him. He’s worked really hard to stay there for us and it couldn’t be a bigger day to be there for us.” Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib said Manning’s entry into the contest “lifted the whole stadium”. “I don’t know if it was just his presence, but it was just a little energy that came through the building.” Manning, a five-time NFL Most

Valuable Player who had never appeared as a backup as a pro, admitted it was “different” but was pleased to make a solid contribution. “I think when I was in there, we ran the ball better,” he said. “We held on to the ball, caught the ball better. That’s just kind of how it worked out.” A defeat would have cost the Broncos a first-round bye, but now they’ll have a week to regroup—as will the Patriots. The bye will be welcome for New England, whose superstar quarterback Tom Brady absorbed some hard hits as he completed just 12 of 21 passes for a season-low 134 yards and no touchdowns. AFP

Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos stands at midfield after a game against the San Diego Chargers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. The Denver Broncos defeated the San Diego Chargers 27-20. AFP

Madrid deserves credit, not critics, says Benitez VALENCIA—Under fire Real Madrid boss Rafael Benitez claimed his side deserved more credit after holding on for a 2-2 draw with 10 men away to Valencia on Sunday. Benitez was badly in need of a win on his return to Valencia, where he won two La Liga titles in three years, to ease the constant speculation surrounding his future. Yet, his side were left with an uphill task when Mateo Kovacic was shown a straight red card 20 minutes from time after Karim Benzema’s early opener had been cancelled out by Dani Parejo’s penalty. A brilliant header form Gareth Bale briefly gave Madrid hope of a huge three points in the title race, but barely a minute

had passed before Paco Alcacer salvaged a point for Valencia. “The question (about my future) only looks at the result, but the effort shown by the team deserves more praise than anything else,” said Benitez. A point leaves Real still four points adrift of leaders Atletico Madrid and two behind Barcelona having also played a game more than the European champions. Benitez has been publicly backed by Madrid president Florentino Perez, but media reports in recent weeks have suggested French legend and the club’s reserve team coach Zinedine Zidane could be promoted to the top job at the Bernabeu if results don’t improve.

“I can’t avoid other people speculating. All I can do is ensure the team works like it did today,” said Benitez. “The players put in a huge effort and unfortunately it wasn’t enough for the three points.” A draw also left Gary Neville still without a win after four La Liga games in charge of Valencia. However, the England coach believes his side are moving in the right direction and stated his desire to stay on at the club beyond his current deal until the end of the season. “I absolutely hope I am here beyond six months, but I know I have to prove myself and that tonight isn’t proving myself. It’s a small step. “I’m more interested in Granada (in the Copa del

Real Madrid’s Welsh forward Gareth Bale (R) controls the ball during the Spanish league football match Valencia CF vs Real Madrid CF at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia. AFP

Rey on Wednesday) and Real Sociedad next weekend. “I want performance after performance, I want to get fitter and stronger in every single game and what I have seen tonight is a really high level.” It could have been even

better for Neville’s men if Alvaro Negredo has converted when clean through on goal in stoppage time. Villarreal’s 2-1 win at Deportivo la Coruna earlier on Sunday means Valencia are now 13 points off their pre-season target of a place in the top four. AFP

Racal, Pogoy to be feted by scribes LETRAN’S Kevin Racal and Far Eastern University’s Roger Pogoy will be recognized for their heroics in the finals of their collegiate leagues when the UAAPNCAA Press Corps and Smart Sports host the Collegiate Basketball Awards on Jan. 26 at the SaisakiKamayan in Greenhills. The two members of the champion Knights and Tamaraws are set to receive the Pivotal Player awards from the group of scribes from national dailies and online portals covering the collegiate basketball beat. Racal and Pogoy delivered in the pinnacle stage of the UAAP and NCAA seasons to help their teams end a 10-year title drought in their respective leagues. Now playing for Alaska in the PBA, Racal ended his Letran career on a memorable note when he averaged 20 points in the thrilling finals’ victory over deposed champion San Beda in late October. In that series, Racal erupted for 28 points in Game 1, before scoring 23 in the 85-82 overtime victory in the deciding third game that gave the Knights their 17th NCAA crown. Pogoy, meanwhile, was one of FEU’s most consistent performers in the UAAP finals against University of Santo Tomas when he averaged 14.7 points. The graduating forward capped off his UAAP career when his three-pointer with 1:27 remaining in the deciding third game, put FEU up, 61-60. The Tamaraws eventually won, 67-62, to capture the school’s 20th UAAP championship. The Pivotal Player award is given to players who made significant impacts for their teams in the championship series. Past winners of the honor include Garvo Lanete, Ryan Buenafe, Dave Marcelo, Kirk Long, Art dela Cruz, Alfred Aroga and Anthony Semerad. Joining Racal and Pogoy as awardees are FEU’s Nash Racela and Aldin Ayo, the former Letran mentor now with La Salle, who will both receive the top coaching honors after steering their teams to the championship.

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Poor weather cancels

rally opening stage

Bikers are stopped by Dakar Rally personnel near the Argentine city of Villa Carlos Paz, after poor weather forced the cancellation of Sunday’s opening stage. Thunderstorms and heavy rain prompted organisers to scrap the scheduled 600-kilometre plus route from Rosario to Villa Carlos Paz, with the conditions grounding safety helicopters and leaving parts of the course flooded. AFP

Boy, 10, among seriously injured in Dakar crash ARRECIFES, Argentina—A ten-year-old boy and his father were seriously injured when a speeding car smashed into spectators during the prologue of the Dakar Rally on Saturday. In total ten people—all spectators—were hurt in the accident on the first day of the endurance race, with eight others suffering less serious injuries. “The joint resources of the organization and local forces have taken over and evacuated four injured, including two seriously affected,” organisers said in a statement early Sunday. “Police have indicated that six more lightly injured have been

transferred to hospital.” The incident, which involved the Mini of Chinese driver Guo Meiling, saw the prologue -which takes place before the first stage Sunday -- “neutralised” and immediately suspended in horrific scenes, race organisers said. Guo’s car veered off the course at the 6.6-kilometer mark of the 11-kilometer prologue on a stretch of straight country road near Arrecifes, a small town 200

kilometers (120 miles) from the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. Race chiefs immediately deployed four medical helicopters, three medical vehicles belonging to the organizers and eight local ambulances to the scene of the accident. A 34-year-old man and his son aged 10 were the two most serious cases and had to be rushed to hospital with one suffering head injuries and the other chest trauma, said race director Etienne Lavigne. The injured were brought to hospital at Arrecifes, with the two more seriously injured later transferred to a hospital at Pilar, 50km from Buenos Aires. AFP

ROSARIO, Argentina— Poor weather forced the cancellation of Sunday’s Dakar Rally opening stage because of safety concerns, a day after 10 people were injured when a car crashed into spectators. Thunderstorms and heavy rain prompted organisers to scrap the scheduled 600-kilometre plus route from Rosario to Villa Carlos Paz, with the conditions grounding safety helicopters and leaving parts of the course flooded. “The Dakar doesn’t stop when it rains but when it’s not possible to guarantee the normal security presence” for the rally, race director Etienne Lavigne told AFP. “The weather conditions are very bad. The relay plane (which helps with radio communications) was unable to fly.

Helicopters can’t take off. The situation isn’t going to improve in terms of visibility,” he added. The first stage was supposed to include a 258km timed special for cars and a 227km section for motorcycles, but the entire field instead travelled to Cordoba under link section conditions. The weather is again expected to have an impact on Monday’s stage, with Lavigne admitting it could be shortened by at least 150 kilometres. “It is going to rain for much of the night and then again during the afternoon,” he said. “There are several solutions: move the departure point, shorten the special sections so as not to be bothered by the rain. The objective is to maintain security.” AFP

Dimitrov outslasts 5th seed Simon BRISBANE—Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov launched his campaign to return to the world’s top 10 when he outlasted fifth-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon in the opening round of the Brisbane International Monday. The powerful Bulgarian saw off Simon 6-3, 7-6 (12/10) in two hours and five minutes to move into the second round of the season-opening tournament. Dimitrov had a disappointing 2015, slipping from 11th in the world to his current ranking of 28, but during Monday’s match he showed glimpses of the form that saw him touted as a future top-five player. He broke Simon once in the first set then recovered from losing his serve early in the second set to take it to a tiebreak. The big-serving Dimitrov always looked the more dangerous in the tiebreak and skipped out to a 6-4 lead. However, Simon battled back and saved three match points against an increasingly nervous Dimitrov. The Bulgarian had three

more match points but finally sealed the win on his seventh when he blasted a serve at the Frenchman’s body, which Simon bunted wide. Dimitrov will now play either American Steve Johnson or Serbia’s Victor Troicki in the second round and is on track for a quarter-final clash against top seed Roger Federer, a repeat of last year’s semi-final which the Swiss ace won 6-2, 6-2. Federer has received a bye into the second round. American Denis Kudla moved into the second round when he downed Australian wildcard John-Patrick Smith 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. In Wellington, New Zealand, two-time Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova had an easy first round win in the WTA Auckland Classic Monday when German opponent Mona Barthel retired early in the second set. Kuznetsova, the tournament fourth seed, headlined the opening day with the top three seeds —Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic —not scheduled to appear until Tuesday. AFP

Injured Williams out of Hopman Cup PERTH—World number one Serena Williams suffered an early season injury setback Monday as she withdrew from the United States’ opening Hopman Cup tie with inflammation in her knee. Her withdrawal helped the Ukraine pairing of Elina Svitolina and Alexandr Dolgopolov record a 2-1 round robin opening win over the US in the mixed teams tournament. Williams was replaced by American youngster Vicky Duval, on the comeback trail after being diagnosed with cancer in 2014, and the 20-year-old was no match for the world number 19. The first set was competitive but Svitolina cruised past the tiring

Duval 6-4, 6-1. Dolgopolov then secured the tie with a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 win over a disappointing Jack Sock. In the dead mixed doubles rubber, the US pair gained some consolation by winning 6-2, 6-3. Williams, 34, was scheduled to play Svitolina in the women’s singles to open the tie, but withdrew minutes before the start, saying she had pulled up sore after a training session earlier in the day. The match at the mixed-teams tournament would have launched Williams’s preparations for her title defense at the Australian Open in Melbourne later this month. Williams, who has won 21 Grand Slam singles titles, sat out

the tail-end of last season saying she needed “time to heal” after narrowly missing out on a rare calendar-year Grand Slam. Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, conceded Williams’s knees were troubling her in November. But the player said she hoped to be fit to play in the United States’ second tie against Australia Gold, one of two teams representing the hosts, on Tuesday evening. “I’m disappointed to not take the court in Perth today,” Williams said. “I had every intention to play this morning. “Unfortunately due to inflammation in my knee I need to rest and am confident to be out there against Aussie Gold tomorrow evening.”

Caption head. Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov hits a return against Giles

Simon of France in their first round men’s singles match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament. AFP

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Gradovich out, Bedak in By Ronnie Nathanielsz

EVGENY Gradovich has reportedly pulled out of his scheduled April 23 title fight against Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, citing an upcoming 10-round bout on Jan. 9 against Jesus Galicia in Valencia, Spain and his desire to first test the waters at 122 pounds after dropping down from the featherweight division. The Standard/boxingmirror. com learned that Hungary’s Zsolt Bedak has stepped in as a replacement for Gradovich. But the fight hasn’t been final-

ized yet with the possibility that Gradovich may reconsider his decision and face Donaire. Bedak has a record of 25-1 with 8 knockouts and is coming off a

10-round unanimous decision over Nick Otieno of Kenya last Sept. 19. Bedak lost by a 10th round technical knockout in a battle for the World Boxing Organization title against Puerto Rico’s Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., who subsequently lost to Donaire by a split decision in February 2012 at the Alamadome in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to the title fight, Bedak scored a seventh-round knockout over Ramie Laput of the Philippines in a WBO Intercontinental title fight in Austria.

His record suggests that Bedak may be a good boxer, but like Gradovich, lacks the power to trouble a fighter of the quality of Donaire, who possesses a lethal left hook. The 32-year-old Bedak was a member of the Hungarian Olympic team in Athens in 2004 when he fought as a bantamweight and scored a big win over Abner Mares. He was also WBO European super bantamweight champion from 2009 to 2014 and previously held the WBO Intercontinental title in 2009.

Hungary’s Zsolt Bedak is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision over Nick Otieno of Kenya last Sept. 19.

Carlos upbeat as PH Amateur golf begins JOBIM Carlos sets out for the Philippine Amateur (Stroke Play) Open Golf Championship in top form, driven to cap a remarkable amateur career with a major victory against a talent-laden international field beginning today at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in Gen. Trias, Cavite. “It’s not really hard to be motivated in winning a national event. I just want to win as much as I can before turning pro,” said Carlos, who beat Rupert Zaragosa by three in last year’s staging of the annual event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines also at the wind-raked Aoki course. Carlos is wary of the field’s depth and the par-72 layout’s challenge, especially in the presence of the wind, stressing the need to dish out his best to emerge victorious again in the 72-hole championship, the kickoff leg of this year’s PLDT Group

National Amateur Golf Tour. “I expect to win but the key to it would be playing well in the wind,” said Carlos, who picked Zaragosa, Ira Alido and Jelbert Gamolo as the likely contenders for the championship in the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, PLDT and Metro Pacific Investment Corp. The former University of San Francisco standout also hopes to keep the momentum of his big win in last week’s NGAP National Doubles in partnership with Inigo Raymundo and retain the country’s premier amateur crown before joining the pro ranks next month. But he will be up against one of the strongest fields ever assembled in the event, including local aces Aidric Chan, Jolo Magcalayo, Ivan Monsalve, Gab Manotoc, Dan Cruz, Lanz Uy, Raymart Tolentino, Carlo Villaroman and Weiwei Gao and foreign bets Tom Ferguson, Leon

Philip D’Souza, Sim Seung Jae, Ko Myeong Hun, Jun Jhon, Lee Geon, Lim Su Min, Kang Dong Guk, Tom Kim, Toshinori Iwasaki and Christian Boshoff. Focus will also be on the women’s side with Thailand Junior champion Yuka Saso and Harmie Constantino bannering the local challenge against Malaysians Nur Durriyah Damian and Genevieve Ling I-Rynn, Koreans Hwang Min Jeong, Koh Eun A, Jang Yun Ji and Lee Eun Kyung. Also in the fold are NGAP National Doubles champions Regina de Guzman and Cassy Isagawa, Junia Gabasa, LK Go, Kristine Torralba, Laja Barro, Jona Magcalayo, Nikki Bruce, Nicole Abelar, Felicia Medalla, Riko Nagai and former Junior World champion Daniella Uy. The top 50 in the men’s side after 36 holes and the top 30 in the women’s side will advance to the final two rounds of the annual event hosted by the Eagle Ridge GCC.

Butler... From A16 lead to one with 4.6 seconds left. Butler made one of two free throws and DeRozan missed a long shot from beyond the arc at the buzzer. The Bulls won despite injuries to key players, including guard Derrick Rose who missed his third straight game. Rose will have an MRI done of his sore right hamstring on Monday. Joakim Noah also did not play because of an injured left shoulder. Jack out for season Brooklyn Nets point guard Jarrett Jack will miss the rest of the season after an MRI revealed he has two torn ligaments in his right knee, the team said Sunday. Jack, 32, will require surgery to repair the damage. He was hurt during Saturday’s win over the Boston Celtics. Jack averaged 12.8 points, a

‘Pacman wanted Ibeabuchi in card’ MANNY Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz, who was recently hired by undefeated heavyweight Ike “The President” Ibeabuchi, claimed that the Filipino ring icon insisted that the 43-years-old boxer be on the fight card when he faces Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley for the third time in Las Vegas on April 9. Koncz has no plans of providing Ibeabuchi, who has a record of 20-0 with 15 knockouts a tune-up fight. He intends to put him in against a Top 15 heavyweight contender in his return to the ring after 17 years. Boxing Scene quoted Koncz, who claimed “Manny insisted that Ike be on the card.” Koncz, who serves as adviser to both Pacquiao and now Ibeabuchi, informed BoxingScene.com of the April 9 card, stating: “He (Ibeabuchi) signed with MP (Manny Pacquiao) Promotions (who along with Top Rank serves as co-promoter of the April 9 event), with the intention of making a big splash right away. He’s not interested in a tune-up. We’re looking for a Top 15-ranked heavyweight for his first fight back.” Ibeabuchi made a big impression in a war with previously unbeaten heavy puncher David Tua in June 1997 and is best known for what was regarded as a highlight reel fifth-round knockout of Chris Byrd in March 1999, with a vicious left hook. And although Byrd beat the count, he was soon sent crashing to the canvas. Ibeabuchi had several brushes with the law and in 1999 was charged with sexual assault of an exotic dancer at a Las Vegas hotel room and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, before he was ordered to be released in February last year. But he was only released from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities last November. Koncz said Ibeabuchi was the best young heavyweight of his time. “From where we sit, he can still bring that level of excitement for a division that can always use it. The sport needs someone exciting to fill the void at the top. We honestly believe Ike Ibeabuchi can be the one to do it.” Ronnie Nathanielsz

team-high 7.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds this season in 32 games. Faried ‘much better’ Meanwhile Denver forward Kenneth Faried took to Instagram to say he was feeling “much better” after a scary neck injury in the Nuggets’ loss to Golden State in Oakland on Saturday. To prove it, he made it to Denver in time to start the Nuggets’ home game against Portland, which was won by the Trail Blazers 112-106. Faried, who took an elbow to the head and was stretchered off in Oakland, played 27 minutes, scored 13 points and pulled down nine rebounds. In other injury news, Kobe Bryant missed his second straight game with a sore right shoulder. However, his Los Angeles Lakers won for the first time in five games without their aging superstar this season, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 93-84 in a meeting of the league’s two worst teams. AFP

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Beermen, Elasto Painters renew rivalry in semifinals By Jeric Lopez

THE brewing rivalry resumes. For the second straight conference, San Miguel Beer and Rain or Shine meet in the semifinals. This time, they will figure in a best-of-seven clash to see which teams moves forward in the 2015-16 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup playoffs. The two powerhouse teams start hostilities with Game 1 at 7 p.m. today at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, with both squads aiming to draw first blood. Continuing to show their dominance, the defending champions Beermen jumped straight to the semis after com-

piling a league-best 9-2 record in the elimination round in a tie with Alaska. SMB ended up as the No. 2 seed. On the other hand, Rain or Shine played consistently at a high level, but was forced to go a through a more difficult path towards the semis after it only managed to finish at No. 3 at the end of the eliminations. But the veteran team that they are, the Elasto Painters instead rose to the occasion and got past the obstacles that they faced in both phases of the quarterfinals.

Lee, who was sideRain or Shine first Game Today bested Blackwater (Game 1, Semiﬁnals lined for most of the in a tough game in - Mall of Asia Arena, season because of a City): knee injury, is set to the first phase be- 7 p.m.Pasay - San Miguel vs. return and make his fore posting an imRain or Shine season debut against pressive rout of Talk ‘N Text in the second phase to the Beermen. “We wanted Paul (Lee) to coneventually clinch another berth in the semifinals for the eighth tribute. He’s just aching to play,’’ straight conference, the longest said Guiao as he confirmed that his prized guard is all set to play active streak in the league. Painters coach Yeng Guiao in the semifinals. For San Miguel coach Leo feels that his squad is all hyped up and ready to dance with San Austria, whose team will be led by two-time reigning Most Miguel in the semis. ‘’Mas naging ready kami now Valuable Player June Mar Fafor the semis. Our quarterfinals jardo, it’s all about staying foexperience toughened us going cused. to the semis,’’ said Guiao. ‘’San “Basta we maintain our focus Miguel will be a tough team to lang on offense and defense at beat but we’re ready.’’ we’ll have a chance,’’ said AusAnother thing going for Rain tria. ‘’We need to match Rain or or Shine is that its superstar Paul Shine’s intensity.’’

Swiss player Stan Wawrinka serves the ball to Spanish David Ferrer during their match for 3rd place at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi. AFP

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

P0 M+ P0 M

Wawrinka gets ready for Aussie Open CHENNAI, India—French Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka is looking to give himself the best possible preparation for the first Grand Slam of 2016 in Melbourne later this month by winning the ATP Chennai Open, which starts on Monday. The Swiss is bidding for his third consecutive Chennai Open title and hopes a victory in India will help propel him to another major win, just as it did in 2014 and 2015. Two years ago Wawrinka clinched his first Slam when he won the Australian Open just weeks after triumphing in southern India. Last year, Wawrinka followed up victory in Chennai by taking home the trophy at Roland Garros in June. “I’ve always enjoyed coming to Chennai. The tournament is a nice way to start the season, the fans are great and I like the atmosphere in the stadium,” the 30-year-old said in comments released by organisers. “2015 has been an amazing year and 2016 is already around the corner. I want to continue to do well, win tournaments, and go deep at the Slams. And hopefully I get a great start into the season in Chennai again,” he added. Wawrinka, ranked fourth in the world, also won in Chennai in 2011 and is the top seed in the $480,000 tournament. His closest challenger is likely to be number two seed Kevin Anderson. The big-serving South African has a 4-4 record against Wawrinka but says he’s not thinking too much about his opponents. “I typically try to focus on my own game and I know if I do that and execute, I can beat anyone,” said the world number 12. The final of the Chennai Open takes place on Sunday. The Australian Open in Melbourne runs from January 18 to 31.

Who will step up to the plate? STEP BACK ARMAN D. ARMERO

THE New Year is supposed to ring in the new, but the disturbing news that Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco will be seeking a fourth term for the top POC post has just defeated this long-held belief, at least in the Philippine sports scene. The news was announced by POC treasurer Julian Camacho, who said Cojuangco will run “with or without an opposing candidate.”

I call this “disturbing” because if we, or the national sports association presidents who are mandated to choose their new leader, allow Cojuangco to run again, they tacitly admit that there’s no one among themselves who are courageous enough to challenge the status quo and effect the much-needed change in Philippine sports. Of course, running against Cojuangco, a tested politician and the uncle of the sitting president of this country, is like battling the windmill. The late Art Macapagal tried to make a go of it, but was beaten by a

slim margin of two votes, 21-19. Insiders will tell you that Macapagal lost because of the sudden change of loyalties as voting day neared. You figure it out. I don’t really have anything against Cojuangco personally, but when a sports official overstays, then he should be man enough to quit and let go. You see, the barometer of an effective leader will always be measured by results. In the last Southeast Asian Games, for instance, the Philippines placed sixth overall with 29 gold medals, one of the worst results ever in the biennial games.

The POC didn’t lack excuses for the dismal performance of the athletes, but the Filipino people aren’t fooled because numbers don’t lie. The POC, under Cojuangco’s watch, failed again to train and prepare and motivate the athletes adequately, despite all the noises it made prior to the games. Camacho also tells us that Cojuangco, who is 81 years old, is still strong enough to lead the POC to a new term. But that’s like telling us that there’s no one among the 40 NSA heads, all younger than the POC president, who are capable

of taking on the mantle of leadership, because one, they aren’t capable, and two, they are all afraid of taking on the sitting POC president. So in the next few months, before the election for a new POC president on Nov. 5, the challenge for NSA leaders is step up to the plate and declare his or her intention to run as POC president. I wait with bated breath. *** In a dinner conversation with sportswriters, GlobalPort assistant coach Boni Tan, said that winning Game 1 of the Philippine

Cup semifinal series is paramount for the Batang Pier. He said that securing Game 1 against the Alaska Aces, which has yet to happen as of this writing, will give Globalport an 80 percent chance of winning their best-of-seven semis series. I wanted to voice my disagreement but didn’t (the free dinner will do that), because I see it less than that, maybe a more conservative 65 percent. Still, it would make an exciting series if the Batang Pier win Game 1. For reactions, e-mail me at armero_23@yahoo.com

T U E S DAY : J A N U A R Y 5 , 2 0 16

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

REUEL VIDAL A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

Lady Bombers stay in contention By Peter Atencio

Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls is shown during the game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. AFP

Butler better than Jordan, for a half LOS ANGELES—Jimmy Butler broke Michael Jordan’s franchise record for the most points in a half with 40 as the Chicago Bulls rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 115-113 on Sunday. Butler, who scored two points in the first half before exploding for 40 in the second, surpassed Jordan’s mark of 39 which the NBA icon set against the Milwaukee Bucks in February 1988. The 26-year-old shooting guard

Wawrinka gets ready for Aussie Open TURN TO A15

rattled in a clutch three pointer with 30 seconds left as the Bulls beat the Raptors for the second time in six days. Asked about breaking Jordan’s record, Butler said, “Do not compare me to him.”

Butler’s superb second half allowed the Bulls to come from behind after trailing by as many as 15 points at the Air Canada Centre arena. “He just couldn’t miss. It was unbelievable,” teammate Taj Gibson said of Butler. The Bulls have now won seven straight over the Raptors, including a 104-97 win last Monday in Chicago. Center Pau Gasol added 19 points and 13 rebounds and forward Nikola Mirotic scored 17 points for Chicago.

Bedak new Nonito foe? TURN TO A14

Guard DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 24 points but missed a shot as the final buzzer sounded. Forward Luis Scola and point guard Kyle Lowry each scored 22 points and Lowry added 10 assists for the Raptors in front of a crowd of 19,800. With the game tied 109-109, Lowry hit a turn-around jumper with 40.9 seconds left to put the Raptors ahead by two points. Butler came back with a threepointer to give the Bulls a 112-111

THE Jose Rizal University Lady Bombers turned back the Mapua Lady Cardinals, 25-18, 25-23, 25-16, on Monday to stay in contention for a Final Four semifinal seat in the women’s division of the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association volleyball tournament at the Arena in San Juan. Rosalie Pepito scored 17 points on attacks to lead the Lady Bombers to their fourth win in eight games. The Lady Bombers climbed to a share of fifth spot with the San Beda Lionesses, who put the Lyceum Lady Pirates’ bid in trouble following a 2125, 25-23, 25-15, 21-25, 15-12 win. It was the Lionesses’ third win in eight outings. In the men’s side, San Beda downed Lyceum of the Philippines University, 21-25, 27-25, 25-13, 25-18, yesterday to inch closer to the Final Four. Mark Christian Enciso and skipper Alfie Mascarinas unloaded 21 and 18 points, respectively, to power the Lions to a tie at no. 4. Because of this, the Arellano University Chiefs moved to solo hold with a 5-3 win-loss record. The Emil Lontocmentored Pirates drew big points from Joeward Presnede, who had 15. lead with 30.6 seconds remaining in regulation. Lowry missed a running layup and Toronto forward DeMarre Carroll was called for a foul that sent Gasol to the free throw line. Gasol made one of two to give the Bulls a two-point lead with 23 seconds on the clock. On the Bulls’ next possession Gibson made one of two free throws and Chicago led by three. Center Jonas Valanciunas cut the Continued on A14

TUESDAY: JANUARY 5, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS

Stock market, peso plummet THE peso and the stock market plunged Monday, weighed down by a flare-up in tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia and fears about a slowdown in China. The peso dropped to 47.12 against the US dollar in the first trading day of 2016 from 47.06 last week, while the Philippine Stock Exchange Index plummeted 118.66 points, or 1.7 percent, to 6,833.42 on a value turnover of nearly P3 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 120 to 42, with 36 issues unchanged. Chinese stocks also plunged, leading an Asian meltdown as

more weak factory data fanned fears about a slowdown in the world’s number two economy. JG Summit Holdings Inc. of retail tycoon and industrialist John Gokongwei tumbled 4.1 percent to P70.30, while Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., the biggest telecommunications firm, fell 2.9 percent to P2,000. SM Investments Corp. of retail tycoon Henry Sy dropped 2.6

percent to P841.50, while unit SM Prime Holdings Inc. lost 1.6 percent to P21.35. Ayala Land Inc., the secondlargest property developer, decreased 1 percent to P34.10, while Megaworld Inc., the biggest lessor of office spaces, retreated 2.8 percent to P4.13. Authorities in China, meanwhile, suspended trading on its stock markets in the early afternoon after shares sank seven percent. The sharp losses revived memories of the summer rout that saw Shanghai crash about 40 percent and trillions of dollars wiped off valuations.

The Shanghai market ended 6.9 percent lower while Shenzhen shed 8.2 percent. Markets across Asia were stung by the losses, as well as news that Saudi Arabia had severed diplomatic ties with its old foe Iran Sunday after protesters ransacked its embassy in Tehran following the execution of a Shiite cleric. Riyadh gave Iranian diplomats two days to leave the kingdom, while the supreme leader in Tehran said Saudi Arabia would face “quick consequences” for the execution. The developments are the latest to inflame the region and join a list of negative news that hurt

world markets over the past year, including China’s economic malaise, plunging oil prices and anaemic global growth. “It’s going to be a testy start to the week,” said Angus Nicholson, a Melbourne-based market strategist at IG Ltd. “The execution raises uncertainty about the oil price, with concerns and tensions in the Middle East, and that will be a real driving force.” Investors fled to safe investments such as the US dollar and yen, sending stocks and emerging-market currencies falling. With AFP

PSe comPoSite index Closing January 4, 2016

8000 7700 7400 7100 6800 6500

6,833.42 118.66

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JANUARY 4, 2016 43.50 44.60 45.40

P47.120

46.20

47.50

HIGH P47.000 LOW P47.155 AVERAGE P47.125 VOLUME 459.500M

P487.00-P682.00 LPG/11-kg tank P35.15-P42.40 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P25.03-P28.48 Diesel

Philippine Stock Exchange officials blow horns and ring the bell to mark the first day of trading in 2016. Shown during the bell-ringing ceremony at the PSE Plaza in Makati City are (from left) PSE director Alejandro Yu, president and chief executive Hans Sicat, chairman Jose Pardo, chief operating officer Roel Refran and Capital Markets Integrity Corp. president Cornelio Gison. EY ACASIO

P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Monday, January 4, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.1180

Japan

Yen

0.008313

0.3917

Pound

1.475300

69.5132

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129031

6.0797

Switzerland

Franc

0.999001

47.0709

Canada

Dollar

0.721293

33.9859

Singapore

Dollar

0.705368

33.2355

Australia

Dollar

0.730087

34.4002

Bahrain

Dinar

2.658867

125.2805

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266525

12.5581

Brunei

Dollar

0.702889

33.1187

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000073

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.027722

1.3062

UAE

Dirham

0.272353

12.8327

Euro

1.086200

51.1796

Korea

Won

0.000851

0.0401

China

Yuan

0.153998

7.2561

India

Rupee

0.015121

0.7125

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.233100

10.9832

New Zealand

Dollar

0.684603

32.2571

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030474

1.4359 Source: PDS Bridge

Cebu awards P27.9-b bridge project to MetroPac By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Cebu government awarded the P27.9-billion third bridge between Mactan Island and mainland Cebu to the tollway unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., after no companies joined the Swiss Challenge for the project. Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. chief financial officer Christopher Lizo said “no one bought the terms of reference for the project. So effectively, no challenger for the Swiss Challenge.” The deadline for the challengers to buy TOR lapsed on Dec. 5, 2015.

Lizo said the company received the notice of award from the Cebu government in the last week of December. “We are now finalizing the concession agreement. Hopefully, we can finish the negotiation in the next two months,” Lizo said. Lizo said he expected the company to start construction of the project by the fourth quarter of 2016 or January 2017. MPTC obtained the original proponent status for the proposed Cebu-Cordova bridge project from Cebu City and the municipality of Cordova in January 2015. The project spans 8.3 kilome-

ters, which will link the island of Mactan to mainland Cebu through the municipality of Cordova. The Metro Pacific Group, which corners 60 percent of the Philippines’ toll road industry, operates North Luzon Expressway, Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway and the Manila Cavite Expressway. The board of the National Economic and Development Authority approved in December the Swiss Challenge for the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway Connector Road. It approved the Swiss Challenge on the condition the pro-

ponent would lower project internal rate of return to 10.87 percent from 12.09 percent, by reducing the opening tariff from P100 to P87. The Metro Pacific Group is also the proponent of the project, which involves the construction of an eight-kilometer, four-lane toll road that will link the existing NLEx and SLEx, passing through Metro Manila and using the existing Philippine National Railway alignment as its route. The Public Works Department will implement the project, which has a total estimated cost of P23.2 billion and a concession period of 35 years.

TUESDAY: JANUARY 5, 2016

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Monday, January 4, 2016

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

High

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 4.2 17 30.45 0.92 890 1.01 100 30.5 91.5 137 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.68 12.02 19.6 0.74 625 0.225 78 17.8 62 88.35 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank First Abacus Manulife Fin. Corp. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank PB Bank Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

2.86 46.15 105.00 83.85 37.2 1.32 15 18.94 0.74 695.00 0.490 80.5 16.98 52.00 102.9 33 142 1440.00 57.05 3.14

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 148 20.6 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 15.3 9.4 0.98 241

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 32 15.32 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.24 5.34 0.395 173

79 3.95 4 33.9 90 13.26 293 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 238 5.5 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

34.1 2.3 1.63 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 3.87 8.45 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 161 4.1 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp. Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons. Asiabest Group C. Azuc De Tarlac Century Food Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) EEI Euro-Med Lab First Gen Corp. First Holdings ‘A’ Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp. LBC Express Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. Petron Corporation Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils. Phoenix Semiconductor Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas Holdings San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ SPC Power Corp. Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp. Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp. Vulcan Ind’l.

41.7 4.73 0.79 1.34 10.28 99.95 16.48 20.75 43 2.35 1.6 13.44 9.150 8.95 6.20 5.40 1.66 22.6 65.05 14.24 5.64 2.460 219.00 12 26.00 1.77 3.1 24.8 19.98 6.2 320.00 3.68 6.99 11.80 3.65 1.61 2.38 3.95 4.79 129 4.18 2.46 0.144 1.00 2.18 186 4.7 0.6 1.08

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 3.4 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 0.152 837 5.3

76 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 974 1.66 156

Abacus Cons. À’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A ATN Holdings A Ayala Corp À’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings F&J Prince ‘A’ Filinvest Dev. Corp. Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. IPM Holdings 49.55 JG Summit Holdings 4.84 Lopez Holdings Corp. 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 12 LT Group 4.2 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 0.030 Pacifica À’ 1.23 Prime Media Hldg 0.550 Prime Orion 59.3 San Miguel Corp À’ 751 SM Investments Inc. 1.13 Solid Group Inc. 80 Top Frontier

0.380 57.9500 16.10 1.05 0.208 756 8.2 13.80 5.81 4.40 0.225 1320 5.51 9.94 73.30 6.6 0.69 14.78 5.2 0.0310 1.200 1.830 49.90 864.00 1.14 67.600

10.5 1.99 0.375 41.4 5.6

6.74 0.65 0.192 30.05 3.36

7.100 0.75 0.220 34.450 2.91

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Arthaland Corp. Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’

Trading Summary FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS PROPERTY SERVICES MINING & OIL GRAND TOTAL

SHARES 4,176,514 26,199,423 45,893,655 80,275,172 192,814,964 202,143,477 553,884,835

Low

FINANCIAL 2.99 2.8 46.3 45 106.00 101.90 83.75 83.00 37.5 37.05 1.40 1.29 15 14.9 18.94 18.1 0.73 0.73 700.00 695.00 0.485 0.480 81 79.5 16.80 16.78 52.20 50.60 102.9 102.9 32.95 32.85 143.7 142 1440.00 1430.00 57.20 57.20 3.3 3.08 INDUSTRIAL 41.5 41 4.74 4.6 0.71 0.71 1.4 1.38 10.36 10.26 99.95 99.95 16.56 16.44 20.75 20.3 43.5 43 2.35 2.28 1.66 1.6 13.4 12.8 9.210 8.890 9.00 8.90 6.23 5.98 5.45 5.34 1.66 1.66 22.6 21.9 65.6 64.25 14.26 14.10 5.75 5.62 2.540 2.340 218.60 213.40 11.98 11.88 26.55 25.75 1.8 1.75 3.19 3.03 24.95 24.7 20.3 19.4 6 5.7 320.00 312.40 3.91 3.71 7.02 6.95 11.50 11.50 3.85 3.70 1.69 1.57 2.36 2.24 3.98 3.95 4.73 4.05 130 126 4.19 4.18 2.51 2.4 0.146 0.144 1.00 1.00 2.19 2.16 190 187 4.7 4.55 0.62 0.59 1.14 1.05 HOLDING FIRMS 0.380 0.365 58.0000 57.2000 16.50 15.96 1.12 1.12 0.208 0.206 764 756 8.19 8.05 13.90 13.22 5.82 5.55 4.40 4.10 0.220 0.220 1360 1320 5.55 5.50 9.87 9.60 73.00 70.15 6.6 6.42 0.72 0.68 14.8 14.34 5.29 5.21 0.0310 0.0300 1.200 1.200 1.830 1.830 49.95 47.50 857.00 839.00 1.14 1.13 67.600 67.600 PROPERTY 7.100 7.000 0.76 0.75 0.220 0.215 34.550 33.950 2.87 2.75

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

52 Weeks

High Low

STOCKS

5.59 1.44 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.470 8.54 31.8 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

4.96 0.79 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.290 2.69 22.15 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

Cebu Holdings Century Property Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp. Double Dragon Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp. Primex Corp. Robinson’s Land `B’ Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

10.5 66 1.09 14.88 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 7.67 2720 8.41 1.97 119.5 0.017 0.8200 12.28 3.32 2.46 15.2

1.97 35.2 0.63 10.5 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 4.8 1600 5.95 1.23 102.6 0.011 0.041 6.5 1.91 1.8 6

0.62 1.040 22.8 6.41 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 14.54 3 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 1.9

7.59 0.63 1.71 5 1.14

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN APC Group, Inc. Asian Terminals Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp. Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ. DFNN Inc. Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail MG Holdings NOW Corp. Pacific Online Sys. Corp. PAL Holdings Inc. Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp. SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67

Abra Mining Apex À’ Atlas Cons. À’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto À’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining À’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. À’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Petroenergy Res. Corp. Philex À’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. À’ Semirara Corp. TA Petroleum

70 553 118 120 515 8.21

33 490 101 101.5 480 5.88

-2,566,620.00 -4,708,995.00

84.8

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ First Gen F First Gen G GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred F

-10,140.00

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

2.8 46.15 101.90 83.20 37.05 1.29 15 18.22 0.73 695.00 0.485 79.5 16.80 51.95 102.9 32.85 143 1430.00 57.20 3.2

-2.10 0.00 -2.95 -0.78 -0.40 -2.27 0.00 -3.80 -1.35 0.00 -1.02 -1.24 -1.06 -0.10 0.00 -0.45 0.70 -0.69 0.26 1.91

147,000 12,900 551,000 384,540 33,200 232,000 3,400 23,000 4,000 210 290,000 1,504,130 11,500 17,340 20 6,100 573,640 160 20 381,000

-22,940.00 411,515.00 10,878,135 9,318,360.00 193,820.00 -129,710.00

41.2 4.68 0.71 1.38 10.3 99.95 16.44 20.5 43 2.35 1.63 12.82 8.900 9.00 6.06 5.35 1.66 22.15 64.9 14.26 5.7 2.360 213.40 11.88 25.75 1.76 3.19 24.8 19.48 5.98 316.00 3.87 6.97 11.50 3.80 1.65 2.32 3.95 4.1 127 4.18 2.51 0.144 1.00 2.16 187 4.7 0.59 1.05

-1.20 -1.06 -10.13 2.99 0.19 0.00 -0.24 -1.20 0.00 0.00 1.87 -4.61 -2.73 0.56 -2.26 -0.93 0.00 -1.99 -0.23 0.14 1.06 -4.07 -2.56 -1.00 -0.96 -0.56 2.90 0.00 -2.50 -3.55 -1.25 5.16 -0.29 -2.54 4.11 2.48 -2.52 0.00 -14.41 -1.55 0.00 2.03 0.00 0.00 -0.92 0.54 0.00 -1.67 -2.78

482,500 828,000 1,000 60,000 300 660 117,200 42,300 22,600 265,000 411,000 203,900 1,983,600 354,300 6,441,800 624,600 1,000 1,786,800 141,430 135,900 196,300 3,456,000 197,040 118,300 2,300 200,000 5,000 870,500 225,200 170,700 29,120 59,000 1,409,100 20,000 201,000 648,000 150,000 151,000 18,000 43,370 16,000 941,000 800,000 15,000 307,000 1,654,500 3,000 19,000 350,000

-1,427,025.00 32,610.00

0.370 57.2000 15.98 1.12 0.206 756 8.1 13.24 5.55 4.40 0.220 1320 5.50 9.87 70.30 6.48 0.72 14.52 5.24 0.0310 1.200 1.830 49.95 841.50 1.13 67.600

-2.63 -1.29 -0.75 6.67 -0.96 0.00 -1.22 -4.06 -4.48 0.00 -2.22 0.00 -0.18 -0.70 -4.09 -1.82 4.35 -1.76 0.77 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.10 -2.60 -0.88 0.00

3,470,000 691,200 7,784,000 1,000 200,000 147,060 2,056,500 2,702,200 29,700 162,000 100,000 78,470 159,200 27,500 1,041,980 327,600 138,000 490,700 11,002,500 14,600,000 32,000 148,000 226,800 126,040 24,000 220

7.030 0.75 0.215 34.100 2.82

-0.99 0.00 -2.27 -1.02 -3.09

73,100 221,000 1,000,000 4,823,200 1,613,000

-146,265.00 -97,000.00 -455,282.00 534,199.50 26,270 38,964,352.00 -201,250.00 15,200.00

50,974.50 822,600.00 636,400 27,090.00 -9,894,961.00 1,097,942.00 2,752,626.00 2,675,996.00 -15,102,715.00 -2,477,170.50 1,482,480.00 -547,828.00 -11,357,206.00

13,954,520.00 -271,880.00 -2,364,052.00 142,930.00 3,439,294.00 -34,540.00 11,760.00 331,830.00 -53,320.00 -285,829.00 59,620.00 -72,000.00 206,863,891.00

546,447.00 30,308,118.00 61,887,170.00 14,955,962.00 -23,266,800.00 399,400.00 56,120,315.00 396,000.00 -32,571,926.00 -525,079.00 -342,584.00 -13,236,310.00 -24,000.00

135,270.00 -30,010.00 10,865,945.00 812,190.00

Alterra Capital Italpinas Xurpas

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

High

VALUE 298,140,590.40 571,823,759.02 769,918,704.21 591,846,990.50 672,211,000.675 63,348,172.8802 2,989,972,409.69

FINANCIAL 1,531.13 (down) 19.55 INDUSTRIAL 10,936.62 (down) 94.60 HOLDING FIRMS 6,487.65 (down) 113.61 PROPERTY 2,865.32 (down) 50.28 SERVICES 1,492.49 (down) 37.73 MINING & OIL 10,234.07 (DOWN) 6.84 PSEI 6,833.42 (down) 118.66 All Shares Index 3,930.79 (down) 59.68 Gainers: 42; Losers: 120; Unchanged: 36; Total: 198

5.18 0.56 1.03 0.120 0.445 24.4 0.160 1.03 1.81 1.13 4.25 0.082 0.2850 8.55 27.50 3.13 21.70 0.78 7 0.840 5.180

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

5.18 4.9 4.9 0.56 0.54 0.55 1.030 1.01 1.03 0.119 0.119 0.119 0.450 0.440 0.450 24.8 23.9 24.25 0.156 0.150 0.150 1.05 1.02 1.02 1.82 1.77 1.77 1.15 1.12 1.12 4.3 4.08 4.13 0.081 0.073 0.073 0.2460 0.2460 0.2460 8.7 8.62 8.7 27.60 26.40 26.40 3.21 3.2 3.21 21.85 21.05 21.35 0.81 0.77 0.8 7 7 7 0.860 0.840 0.850 5.150 4.910 5.000 SERVICES 6.88 7.04 6.95 7 61.9 62.6 61.95 62.4 0.450 0.470 0.455 0.455 11.7 11.7 11.7 11.7 4.54 4.55 4.20 4.30 0.0410 0.0420 0.0400 0.0400 3.29 3.35 3.3 3.34 82.35 83 81.95 82.6 9.89 9.84 9.56 9.56 5.30 5.33 5.08 5.30 1852 1855 1800 1812 6.90 6.95 6.75 6.75 1.17 1.16 1.15 1.16 70.3 70.1 67.6 67.6 0.0053 0.0079 0.0071 0.0079 0.155 0.155 0.151 0.151 7.63 7.70 7.42 7.48 4.36 4.67 4.32 4.52 2 1.95 1.94 1.95 2.29 2.34 2.05 2.1 3.98 3.96 3.85 3.89 0.285 0.280 0.310 0.280 0.750 0.780 0.710 0.730 18.48 18.5 17.58 17.58 4.59 4.68 4.50 4.50 23.10 23.10 22.00 23.00 2060.00 2060.00 1996.00 2000.00 0.490 0.485 0.455 0.485 0.640 0.650 0.550 0.580 34.70 34.70 34.20 34.20 63.00 64.50 63.60 64.15 6.18 6.18 5.95 6.00 3.45 3.52 3.35 3.37 0.430 0.430 0.425 0.430 1.51 1.51 1.51 1.51 4.4 4.29 3.83 3.98 4.100 4.290 4.100 4.100 MINING & OIL 0.0050 0.0050 0.0049 0.0049 1.80 1.89 1.80 1.89 4.07 4.07 4.07 4.07 0.6 0.59 0.59 0.59 0.58 0.56 0.55 0.56 7.22 7.35 7.25 7.25 0.69 0.69 0.65 0.66 0.275 0.280 0.270 0.275 0.174 0.175 0.170 0.171 0.202 0.187 0.187 0.187 0.0100 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 0.011 0.011 0.010 0.011 2 2 1.88 1.9 6.25 6.25 5.88 5.92 2.8 2.8 2.73 2.79 0.5700 0.5400 0.5400 0.5400 1.4000 1.3000 1.2800 1.2800 0.0100 0.0094 0.0094 0.0094 0.0110 0.0098 0.0098 0.0098 3.50 3.50 3.46 3.50 4.40 4.40 4.35 4.35 1.30 1.30 1.26 1.28 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 136.50 136.50 134.90 136.50 2.28 2.26 2.1 2.21 PREFERRED 62.7 64 62.6 64 523 525 519 525 120 120 120 120 118 118 108.1 114 522 526 522 526 7.22 7.21 7.2 7.2 103 104 103 104 106 106.5 106.5 106.5 83 83 81.2 82.9 79.9 79.9 79.6 79.6 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.400 2.390 2.080 2.140 SME 3.28 3.29 3.1 3.29 3.25 3.2 2.88 2.88 15.22 15.78 15.22 15.62 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 113.5 113.5 111.9 111.9

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

-5.41 -1.79 0.00 -0.83 1.12 -0.61 -6.25 -0.97 -2.21 -0.88 -2.82 -10.98 -13.68 1.75 -4.00 2.56 -1.61 2.56 0.00 1.19 -3.47

11,800 1,511,000 7,000 740,000 440,000 571,300 200,000 2,985,000 15,896,000 44,000 26,225,000 870,000 10,000 155,500 489,900 4,000 8,714,300 3,745,000 100 108,000 3,499,800

-490.00 55,000.00

1.74 0.81 1.11 0.00 -5.29 -2.44 1.52 0.30 -3.34 0.00 -2.16 -2.17 -0.85 -3.84 49.06 -2.58 -1.97 3.67 -2.50 -8.30 -2.26 1.79 -2.67 -4.87 -1.96 -0.43 -2.91 -1.02 -9.38 -1.44 1.83 -2.91 -2.32 0.00 0.00 -9.55 0.00

45,800 7,660 440,000 2,000 2,024,000 19,300,000 37,000 491,270 31,500 769,000 79,310 69,200 40,000 414,930 48,000,000 880,000 340,700 1,555,000 295,000 16,544,000 2,904,000 5,510,000 5,185,000 35,000 24,000 48,500 90,210 180,000 74,127,000 898,300 1,279,510 989,700 5,618,000 630,000 4,000 2,001,000 202,000

11,200.00

-2.00 5.00 0.00 -1.67 -3.45 0.42 -4.35 0.00 -1.72 -7.43 0.00 0.00 -5.00 -5.28 -0.36 -5.26 -8.57 -6.00 -10.91 0.00 -1.14 -1.54 0.00 0.00 -3.07

67,000,000 198,000 2,000 105,000 83,000 300 4,861,000 200,000 7,860,000 10,000 39,900,000 15,400,000 1,311,000 6,082,600 7,000 8,000 442,000 11,600,000 100,000 60,000 184,000 243,000 46,100,000 115,490 31,000

2.07 0.38 0.00 -3.39 0.77 -0.28 0.97 0.47 -0.12 -0.38

88,240 39,640 10 2,540 650 300 1,670 13,500 27,020 15,280

-10.83

481,000

4,220.00

0.30 -11.38 2.63

132,000 1,069,000 1,173,200

46,000.00 12,979,754.00

-1.41

7,430

-823,010.00 52,000.00 5,652,640.00 -18,199,330.00

-672,975.00 -103,745,580.00 -362,310.00 -9,597,580.00

1,344,190.00 14,843,901.00 4,035,173.00 -132,917,770.00 23,200.00 -3,611,706.00 15,400.00 12,653.00 69,140.00 -58,200.00 2,971,790.00 2,954,000.00 187,670.00 158,580.00 -85,726,755.00 2,118,620.00 960,565.00 42,107,905.50 -62,920.00 -1,531,430.00

223,450.00 -1,870.00

4,080,152.00

-4,360.00 6,600.00 2,155,641.00 -3,613,162.00 -175,560.00 -720.00

10,387.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

IP E-Game Ventures Inc.

0.0079

49.06

Roxas Holdings

4.1

-14.41

Anglo Holdings A

1.12

6.67

Phil. Estates Corp.

0.2460

-13.68

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

3.87

5.16

Italpinas

2.88

-11.38

Apex `A'

1.89

5.00

MRC Allied Ind.

0.073

-10.98

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

0.72

4.35

Oriental Pet. `B'

0.0098

-10.91

Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

3.80

4.11

LR Warrant

2.140

-10.83

Liberty Telecom

4.52

3.67

Alliance Tuna Intl Inc.

0.71

-10.13

Alsons Cons.

1.38

2.99

Travellers

3.98

-9.55

Mabuhay Vinyl

3.19

2.90

Premium Leisure

0.580

-9.38

Xurpas

15.62

2.63

Oriental Peninsula Res.

1.2800

-8.57

TUESDAY: JANUARY 5, 2016

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market rout.

Cirtex appoints Dispo as president By Jenniffer B. Austria

Women wearing traditional kimono dresses pose in front of a quotation board after the opening of the stock market for the new year at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on January 4, 2016. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange dropped 3.06 percent, or 582.73 points, to close at 18,450.98 as tensions in the Middle East hurt sentiment. AFP

TECHNOLOGY firm Cirtek Holdings Philippines Corp. said Monday it hired investment banker Roberto Juanchito Dispo as president and vice chairman and Filipino entrepreneur and Silicon Valley pioneer Diosadado Banatao as adviser to the board, as it gears up for acquisitions both here and abroad. Cirtek said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the appointment of Dispo and Banatao took effect January 4, 2016. “As Cirtek moves from strength to strength and scales up its business activities, technology capabilities and geographic presence, Dado Banatao’s fore sign will be invaluable to the company’s future,” said Cirtek’s chairman Jerry Liu. “Likewise, Jojo expertise, and extensive business network will further strengthen Cirtek’s already very capable management team as it pursues strategic asset acquisitions here and abroad,” Liu added. Banatao has been dubbed as father of semiconductor for his works in developing several key semiconductor technologies, such as five-chip set, system logic chip set for IBM’s PC-XT and PCAT and graphic accelerator chip using his invention of local bus.

PDIC sues LBC Group, seeks P1.8-b payment By Jenniffer B. Austria

STATE-RUN Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. is seeking a P1.8-billion payment from the LBC Group of the Araneta family following the closure of LBC Development Bank in September 2011. LBC Express Holdings Inc. said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the Makati regional trial court branch 143 issued a preliminary attachment against LBC Development Corp. and LBC Express. Inc., after PDIC filed civil cases to collect “unpaid services fee.” PDIC, the appointed receiver and liquidator of LBC Development Bank, said the defendants owed P1.8 billion. LBC Development is the parent company of the listed company LBC Express Holdings, which in turn owns LBC Express Inc. The company said the writ of preliminary attachment directed the sheriff of the court to attach real and personal properties of any of the defendants sufficient to satisfy the plaintiff ’s claim and costs of suit, unless any or all of the defendants provide security to satisfy any final judgment in the case, in the manner provided by the rules of court. “Said writ is a provisional remedy and thus remains pending the final outcome of the legal action instituted. In the event that the court finds against the defendants by final judgment, the properties attached by virtue of the writ shall be used to answer for any sum of

money awarded by the said court in the said civil case,” the company said. “Whether or not the claims against LBC Express Inc. and/or LBC Development Corp. are successfully proven, there can be no assurance that these claims will not cause business interruptions or reputational harm to LBC Express Holdings Inc. and may ultimately have a material adverse effect on its financial performance and prospects,” it said. LBC Development and LBC Express have not filed their respective answers to the complaint yet. LBC Development Bank, a 20unit thrift bank, was ordered closed by the Monetary Board of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and placed under receivership of PDIC on Sept. 9, 2011. PDIC also filed syndicated estafa charges against former officials and employees of LBC Development Bank in September 2015, for allegedly misappropriating P60 million of the bank’s funds generated from the public by way of deposits. Trading of LBC Express was halted for one hour Monday following the disclosure. Share price of LBC Express closed at P11.90, down P0.10.

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

Circular No. 896 Series of 2015

Subject: AMENDMENTS TO REGULATIONS ON NON-FINANCIAL ALLIED UNDERTAKINGS Pursuant to Monetary Board Resolution No. 1856 dated 5 November 2015, Section X380 of the Manual of Regulations for Banks and Manual of Regulations for Non-Bank Financial Institutions on the power of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas are hereby amended as follows: Section 1. Sec. X380 Non-Financial Allied Undertakings “xxx

a. UBs/KBs/TBs UBs/KBs and TBs may invest in equities of the following non-financial allied undertakings: (1) Warehousing companies; xxx (12) Companies engaged in merchant acquiring business; (13) Such other similar activities as the Monetary Board may declare as non-financial allied undertakings of banks. xxx”

Section 2. Section 4002Q “xxx d. Non-financial allied undertakings may include, but not limited to, warehousing companies, storage companies, safe deposit box companies, companies engaged in the management of mutual funds but not in the mutual funds themselves, management corporations engaged or to be engaged in activities similar to the management of mutual funds, insurance agencies, companies engaged in home building and home development and companies providing drying and/or including facilities for agricultural crops such as rice and corn, companies engaged in merchant acquiring business and such other similar activities as the Monetary Board may declare as appropriate from time to time. xxx” This Circular shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. For the Monetary Board:

17 December 2015

(Sgd.) AMANDO M. TETANGCO, JR. Governor

Real estate loans surge 26% By Julito G. Rada

REAL estate loans jumped 26 percent in the third quarter of 2015 from a year ago, on the back of strong demand for office space and residential condominium units, data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show. Bangko Sentral said real estate loans granted by banks and their trust departments reached P1.232 trillion in the third quarter, up from P977 billion a

year earlier. It was also higher than P1.176 trillion in the second quarter. The third-quarter figure included P1.228 trillion granted

by banks and P4.4 billion by trust departments. Real estate loans in the third quarter represented 20.72 percent of banks’ total loan portfolio, higher than 20.42 percent in the second quarter. Commercial real estate loans in the third quarter climbed to P805 billion from P765 billion in the second quarter. Meanwhile, residential real estate loans improved to P427.370 billion in the third quarter from P411.181 billion in

the second quarter. Banks continued to expand their branch network in 2015, despite the exit of weak players, Bangko Sentral said. The total number of bank branches increased to 10,606 in the third quarter from 10,528 in the second quarter even as banks’ head offices during the period decreased to 635 from 638. The number of head offices of universal and commercial banks increased to 37 in the

PSE cited as best exchange in Asean

New ecozone locator.

Pay Secured Online Inc. chief financial officer Julieta Napiza (left) receives the certificate of registration from Philippine Economic Zone Authority director general Lilia de Lima as an ecozone information technology enterprise to engage in outsourcing services at the penthouse unit, 12th floor of V-Corporate Center in Salcedo Village, Makati City.

By Jenniffer B. Austria

Inflation likely rose to 1.5% in December—Finance By Gabrielle H. Binaday INFLATION rate likely accelerated to 1.5 percent in December from 1.1 percent in November, driven by the impact of typhoon Lando and holiday-related spending, the Finance Department said Monday. Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said in an internal economic bulletin headline inf lation in December would be 0.4-percentage-point higher than 1.1 percent in November, but would be still slower than 2.7 percent in December 2014. “Food is adversely affected by typhoon Lando and holiday-related demand upsurge... lagged effect of fuel prices, and alcoholic beverages, recreation and culture due to the holiday demand,” Beltran said. He said the biggest contributors to the increase relative to November were transport, alcoholic beverages and tobacco, which were likely up by 0.7 percentage point.

third quarter from 36 in the second quarter. Thrift banks had a total of 2,052 offices (including branches), up from 2,013 in the second quarter. Bangko Sentral said savings and time deposits remained the main sources of funds for domestic banks in the third quarter. Banks’ total deposits as of end-September 2015 grew 7.8 percent to P6.9 trillion from a year ago.

Beltran said transport inflation rate likely increased to 1.3 percent from 0.6 percent in the previous month while inflation for alcoholic beverages and tobacco would surge to 4.6 percent in December from 3.9 percent in November. The food commodity group inflation is also expected to increase from 1.7 percent in November to 2 percent in December while recreation and culture inflation would slightly inch up to 1.2 percent from 1 percent in November. Prices of electricity also increased in December to P8.92 per kilowatt-hour for 300kWh monthly consumption. Beltran said inflation was normalizing from the dampening impact of oil prices. He said WTI crude oil price would likely fall to $42 per barrel from the current price of $42.44 a barrel. “The recovery of food supply is very important after a strong typhoon,” he said. He also said the government should en-

courage and develop private sector sources of seeds and seedlings and look into alternative ways of replenishing lost stocks through imports. Standard Chartered Bank economist Jeff Ng, for his part, said inflation likely rose to 1.4 percent in December. “We expect headline inflation to increase again to 1.4 percent year-on-year from 1.1 percent in November, making December the second consecutive month of increases,” Ng said. “November inflation increased at a higher-than-expected pace, but we believe the effect was temporary as rice inflation remains stable. Food inflation may remain elevated near-term due to the typhoon’s impact on vegetable and fish items,” he said. Ng said inflation in the first six months of 2016 would climb to 2 percent as the base effects faded. “We forecast inflation of 2.2 percent in 2016, versus 1.3 percent in 2015,” he said.

THE Philippine Stock Exchange was named the best stock exchange in Southeast Asia in 2015 in the Marquee Awards of investment magazine Alpha Southeast Asia. PSE said in a statement said the Marquee Awards cited various accomplishments for conferring the award, including the exchange’s corporate governance programs and the shift to the PSEtrade XTS trading engine which was accomplished in 11 months, shorter than the two years it took during the last adoption of a new trading system. It also mentioned the stellar climb of the 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange index to the 8,000 level in April 2015 as well as the capital raising activity at the exchange. “We are grateful that our efforts to improve our services and corporate governance initiatives were recognized by Alpha Southeast Asia and the third-party participants surveyed for this award,” said PSE president and chief executive Hans Sicat. The PSE was selected as winner of the Marquee Awards through a survey of issuers and investors in the Southeast Asian region. The award-giving body said PSE spent a large part 2015, striving to encourage worldclass standards of disclosure and corporate governance among its listed companies in the Philippines.” “The performance of the equity market irrefutably underscores how the Philippines’ equity market has been partially insulated from global volatility as it is dominated not only by local investors and a large domestic pension fund system but also foreign investors who now strongly believe in the investment fundamentals of the Philippines. One of many reasons why foreign investors have remained comfortable investing in the Philippines is due to its pro-disclosure stance from the ground up,” Marquee Awards said.

T U E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 5 , 2 0 1 6

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

Risky behavior MOST of us wouldn’t cross the street without looking both ways, yet a recent study shows that many people would do something just as risky when they are online. The September 2015 study “Are You Cyber Savvy?” by the security company Kaspersky surveyed 18,000 Internet users from 16 countries—including 1,394 from the Philippines—to learn about their online habits and to see if they could make the right decisions about security and recognize a threat when they encountered one. Respondents were asked to answer a series of 33 questions and scored according to Kaspersky’s scale, with scores over 137 being the lowest level of risk and scores below 75 reflecting very dangerous online behavior. The results showed that a significant number of users were unable to identify an online threat or adequately protect themselves, yet were overly confident about their security. In fact, Kaspersky found dangerous behavior in eight areas: surfing, digital identity protection, data protection, money protection, social media activity, applications usage and self protection. To see if users could distinguish between a fake and a genuine page, Kaspersky asked the respondents to choose one of four offered web pages on which they would freely enter their personal information. The respondents could choose more than one page, but in fact, three out of four pages were screen shots of phishing pages. Only 24 percent or one in four users could recognize the genuine page without choosing a phishing page as well. Moreover, while specifying the web pages on which they were ready to enter their data, 58 percent of users only chose the fake sites. Filipino users fared even more poorly in this regard. When were shown a genuine Facebook log-in page and three fakes that merely looked like Facebook, nine out of 10 could not distinguish the real page from the phishing sites. Only 11 percent—compared to the global 24 percent--chose only the genuine website. “These results suggests that majority of the Internet users are careless and trust easily,” said Jimmy Fong, Kaspersky Lab Southeast Asia’s channel sales director in a press release. As one of the countries with the largest number of Facebook users, the Philippines is an attractive target for cyber criminals who use phishing attacks to steal personal information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details. “Filipinos should really be more careful,” Fong said. “One wrong click can cost them their identity, their privacy, and even their money.” The Kaspersky survey highlighted other forms of risky online behavior as well. A third of all respondents said they would download an .exe file thinking it was an audio file, and thus open themselves to a malicious software. When generating a password, only 38 percent of users thought of a new and more difficult password, while 14 percent of those surveyed always use only one password. These findings showed that 62 percent of respondents are at risk, because the leak of one password may lead to the simultaneous crack of several accounts. The older the respondent, the greater the willingness to create a new and complicated password, Kaspersky found. Only a third of young people are ready to come up with a more complex password each time. Among older users this figure goes up to more than half. On the other hand, older users rely less on their memory to remember their passwords and often choose the simplest—and most unsafe—methods of storing them like writing them down on a piece of paper, or saving them on the browser or on their mobile phones. Some 29 percent of respondents believe no precautions are needed when buying online. In the use of social networking sites, risky behavior was rife. Twelve percent of users are ready to add friends on social networking sites indiscriminately, and another 31 percent said they would add strangers as friends if they had friends in common. One quarter of the respondents said they would click on a link received from a friend with no question, leaving themselves open to phishing sites and malicious software. Putting their privacy—and perhaps even their own safety--at grave risk, three in 10 respondents were ready to share their posts, location, and information about their private life with everyone. There is ample proof that dangers abound in the online world. How cyber savvy are you? You can find out by taking the test at https://blog.kaspersky.com/cyber-savvy-quiz/ Column archives and blog at: http://chinwong.com

Aboitiz outreach program.

Aboitiz Group’s team members led by Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. president and chief executive Erramon Aboitiz (right) bring smiles to the faces of over 500 children at Christmas outreach activities in Manila and Cebu. The Aboitiz Christmas outreach, a team member-initiated activity, has become an annual tradition for Aboitiz team members to give back and bring joy to less fortunate children.

Mindanao power reserves negative By Alena Mae S. Flores

Transmission operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines on Monday declared the Mindanao grid on red alert, as electricity reserves fell below zero following the bombing of power lines that isolated two major hydro power plants. National Grid said in an advisory it put the Mindanao grid on red alert because of the isolation of Agus 1 and Agust 2 hydropower plants. It said that as of 1 p.m. on Jan. 4, Mindanao’s net reserves were projected at a deficit of 86 megawatts and negative 35 MW during afternoon and evening peak hours. “As expected, power consumption for today spiked as classes and work resume. Last Jan. 1, NGCP placed the Mindanao

grid on yellow alert despite lower power demand,” it said. The generation plants, with a combined maximum capacity of 150 MW, are disconnected from the grid due to the bombing of tower 25 along Agus 2- Kibawe 138kV line in Ramain, Lanao del Sur on Christmas eve. “Restoration was halted due to failed negotiation with landowner of the property where the facility is located. The owner refused NGCP entry to repair the toppled

tower, alleging that the government failed to pay his claims long ago,” it said. National Grid said that apart from the isolation of Agus 1 and 2 hydro power plants, the Pulangi hydro facility could generate only around 100 MW of power due to technical constraints, while the three units of Agus 6 hydro plant were on forced outage, further aggravating the supply situation. “NGCP is appealing to the public, local and national government, PNP and AFP to help monitor the safety of the towers so that transmission services remain uninterrupted. The company also appeals to local community leaders to help identify the perpetrators of the bombings, and to negotiate with uncooperative landowners, to prevent longer power interruptions,” it said.

Bureau Veritas bares PH expansion plan By Othel V. Campos BUREAU Veritas Philippines, a unit of Bureau Veritas S.A., said it will strengthen its position as the leader in comprehensive testing, inspection and certification services offering full range services to major industries and companies in the Philippines. “The notion of testing, inspection and certification [TIC] is a relatively new concept in the Philippines. We are in an early stage of market development. We believe that as we educate and inform businesses of the importance of TIC services, Philippine organizations will better appreciate how our services will enable them to raise the quality of their products to international standards,” said

Bureau Veritas Philippines country manager Vincent Medina. The company offers services from asset management, certification, classification, consulting, inspection audit, to testing and analysis and training. Bureau Veritas said it was looking forward to tap industries such as power and utilities, construction and infrastructure and food and beverage sectors in the country. The company is also interested to work on energy-related projects, given the rising demand for power by industries and the need to increase capacity, Medina said. Bureau Veritas said it was also looking at the construction industry, which was expected to grow further over the next five

years. The company plans to hire testing, inspection and certification experts as it becomes more actively involved in these emerging sectors. Medina said many multinational companies operating in the Philippines understood the value and benefits of comprehensive testing and certification to their businesses. Bureau Veritas Philippines has been operating in the Philippines for the last 45 years. It has three operating units in the country, providing full range of services including marine, industry and inspection, certification, government services and international trade, consumer products service and commodities.

TUESDAY: JANUARY 5, 2016

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

Oil prices surge over Saudi row Economic growth of Singapore decelerates

OIL gained for a second day as Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran a day after its embassy in Tehran was attacked to protest the Saudis’ execution of a prominent Shiite cleric. Futures rose as much as 3.5 percent in New York, extending Thursday’s 1.2 percent advance. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of repercussions and protesters armed with rocks and firebombs attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran on Saturday and set parts of the building on fire. The Middle East accounted for about 30 percent of global oil output in 2014, according to the Energy Information Administration. Saudi Arabia and Iran, respectively Opec’s first- and fifthranked producers, are on opposite sides of Middle East conflicts from Syria to Yemen. Prices last

week capped the biggest two-year loss on record amid speculation a global glut will be prolonged as US crude stockpiles expanded and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries abandoned output limits. “It may be seen by the market as an incremental step in a possible longer-term escalation of problems in the core oil- producing nations of Saudi Arabia and Iran,” Ric Spooner, a chief analyst at CMC Markets in Sydney, said by phone. “It’s likely to lead to some short covering and a bit of risk premium being built into pricing. There’s no immediate threat to production.”

West Texas Intermediate for February delivery climbed as much as $1.28 to $38.32 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was at $37.65 at 2:58 p.m. Hong Kong time. The contract rose 44 cents to $37.04 on Thursday. The volume of all futures traded was about 88 percent above the 100-day average. Prices lost 11 percent in December for a second monthly decline. Brent for February settlement increased as much as $1.22, or 3.3 percent, to $38.50 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Prices slid 35 percent last year for a third annual drop. The European benchmark crude was at a premium of 32 cents to WTI. Iran’s ambassador in the kingdom has 48 hours to leave, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said late Sunday in Riyadh. The crisis is the worst between the two regional

powers since the late 1980s, when the Sunni-led kingdom suspended ties with Shiite-ruled Iran after its embassy was attacked following the death of Iranian pilgrims during Hajj in Mecca. Saudi Arabia produced 10.25 million barrels a day in December, helping to keep daily Opec output above 32 million barrels for a seventh month, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Iran pumped 2.7 million barrels a day and is seeking to boost exports once international sanctions are lifted. Iran will raise exports by 500,000 barrels a day within a week of sanctions being removed, said Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency. The country will add another 500,000 barrels a day in a second phase within six months after the curbs end, he said. Bloomberg

SINGAPORE—Singapore’s tradedependent economy grew by an estimated 2.1 percent in 2015, its worst performance since the 2009 recession, as global demand for Asian exports slumped, official data showed Monday. The gross domestic product expansion figure, down from 2.9 percent in 2014, was based on advance estimates that GDP in the fourth quarter of last year rose 2.0 percent year-onyear. The 2015 growth estimate was in line with the government’s latest revised forecast for GDP to expand “close to 2.0 percent.” Singapore’s GDP contracted by 0.6 percent in 2009 during the global financial crisis, but rebounded the following year with exceptional growth of 15.2 percent. The trade ministry has projected GDP growth of between 1.0 and 3.0 percent in 2016. Singapore’s manufacturing sector, which makes up about a fifth of the economy, contracted 6.0 percent in the December 2015 quarter, marking its fourth consecutive quarterly decline. In 2015, manufacturing sank 4.8 percent, the ministry said, due to weak demand for key exports like semiconductors and precision engineering products. Demand for oil drilling rigs has also been dented as exploration activities dwindled due to the Figurines to mark the lunar year of the monkey are displayed over a street in Singapore on January 4, 2016. Singapore’s trade-dependent economy prolonged slump in crude prices. grew by an estimated 2.1 percent in 2015, its worst performance since the 2009 recession, as global demand for Asian exports slumped, official data AFP showed on January 4. AFP

The coming election: Continuity or discontinuity? ELECTIONS result in either continuity or discontinuity: continuity if the incumbent administration is returned to office and discontinuity if another party wins a mandate. That is why citizens of democratic societies either look forward to elections with eagerness or regard them with trepidation. Whether it is eagerness or trepidation that the voters experience depends on the kind of governance that the party in power has provided the nation. If the incumbent administration has been governing well, its supporters will be eager to give it a fresh mandate. On the other hand, trepidation will be the order of the day if the surveys show that a good-governance administration might lose the upcoming election and be replaced by a party led by people of questionable integrity and competence. As the 2016 campaign season draws closer, the electorate of this country is divided between those who desire continuity—represented by the election as President of PNoy Aquino’s anointed successor, Mar Roxas— and fear discontinuity, represented by the victory of any of the Liberal Party bet’s four presumptive opponents (Sen. Grace Poe, Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Miriam Santiago and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte), and those who believe that the Aquino administration has been a disaster

for this country and should be replaced by an administration that can do a better job of governing the nation. To be sure, change always involves disruption, and the defeat of PNoy’s heir apparent, by putting an end to the “daang matuwid” administration, would be disruptive for this country. Policies would be changed— though Sen. Poe has been enunciating proposed policies that are virtual restatements of Aquino administration policies—new Cabinet members with different management styles and professional capabilities would be appointed and institutional structures would be rearranged. Experience has shown that at least one year is needed for all these changes to work their way through the governmental system and for a new administration to begin operating smoothly. The longer an administration has been in office—six years is longer than the previous Constitution’s four years—the less easy is an administrational transition. In contrast, a Mar Roxas/Liberal Party victory would mean a seamless transition from one administration to the next, with all the implications of that for the economic and social policies that have generated plaudits for the Aquino administration. There would be continuity; there would be no disruptive policy personnel and institutional changes.

This is not to suggest that change and discontinuity are necessarily bad things. Far from it. A change of administration is necessary, even welcome, where the people in power are notoriously corrupt, highly incompetent, visionless or a combination of these characterizations. But change, and the discontinuity that it brings in its train, should not be undertaken just for the sake of making things different. Change must result in better, more efficient and fairer ways of getting things done. In the case of the governance of this country, that means maintenance of economic growth, poverty reduction, greater inclusiveness for the nation’s less privileged citizens, greater peace and order, a robust anticorruption drive, a more efficient agricultural sector, and improved FDI (foreign direct investment) performance, a stable financial system, a strengthened military establishment and a credible foreign policy. Being a member of the Liberal Party and a member of PNoy’s Cabinet from the outset, Mar Roxas has been privy to the shaping and functioning of the Aquino administration during the last five-and-a-half years. Were Mar Roxas to win, there would be continuity of policy and the “daang matuwid” would be maintained. The transition from the Aquino administration would be smooth.

The same would not be true if any of the other four presidential candidates were to win. There would be discontinuity. The policies that have worked so well for this country since 2010 would be replaced or revised. New officials with different professional mindsets and management styles would be appointed to head the Cabinet departments and other government instrumentalities. The Filipino people, especially the businessmen, would have to adjust and adapt to the new policies and policy implementors. Continuity versus discontinuity: that is what the 2016 election will mean for the voters and for the nation. A vote for Mar Roxas will be a vote for continuation of the “daang matuwid” policies of the last five-and-a-half years. A vote for Sen. Poe, Sen. Santiago, Vice President Binay or Mayor Duterte will be a vote for discontinuity. Two questions political analysts will have to ponder and answer. Will the voters opt for continuity? And are they prepared for the discontinuity that an Opposition victory will bring? E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

T U E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 5 , 2 0 1 6

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Youth join Taiwan elections TAIPEI—Young activists frustrated by Chinese interference and pessimistic about the future are standing for election in Taiwan this month, determined to shake up politics in a move set to alarm Beijing. The vote comes after Beijing-wary campaigners in Hong Kong won seats in recent elections, a further challenge to Chinese influence as anger swells among a generation of disaffected youth. In Taiwan, the dramatic occupation of parliament in 2014 by student-led protesters over a China trade pact reflected increasing resistance to Beijing as young Taiwanese seek to forge and protect their identity. It was also borne out of more everyday frustrations—low salaries, fewer job opportunities and expensive housing as the economy stagnates. Although young Taiwanese had staged protests in the past, none had been on the scale of the Sunflower Movement’s occupation of parliament. Now, in the first island-wide election since the protests, activists are

determined to push for political power, saying standing for office is the best way to bring change. “Social movements can’t obtain real political influence because Taiwan’s system is too closed and too conservative,” said Tseng Po-yu, 24, a spokeswoman for the Sunflower Movement who is standing for the newly-formed Green Party-Social Democratic Party Alliance. Tseng would become the youngest ever member of parliament and said many of her policies revolve around improving life for young people. “It’s impossible for young people to save money with low salaries and rising consumer prices, let alone to afford the skyrocketing housing prices,” said Tseng. “I want to speak up for young people who are concerned about their future... We deserve better lives.” Similar frustrations in semi-autonomous Hong Kong led to the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement, which brought parts of the city to a standstill in late 2014. The student-led rallies were sparked by Beijing imposing restrictions on leadership elections, but were also an expression of frustration in a city where salaries cannot keep up with soaring house prices. AFP

After the attack. Afghan firefighters use hoses to clean the road after a suicide bomb attack near the international airport in Kabul on January 4, 2016 . A suicide bomber on January 4 struck a street leading to Kabul’s international airport, officials said, the latest in a wave of attacks on the Afghan capital. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, which comes as Afghan forces battle to end an hours-long siege near the Indian consulate in northern Mazar-i-Sharif city. AFP

Troops battle to end siege after a bloody weekend Suicide MAZ AR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan—Troops battled Monday to end a gun and bomb siege near the Indian consulate in Afghanistan’s Mazar-i-Sharif city, after a bloody weekend assault on an air base in India near the border with Pakistan. Separately Monday, a suicide bomber struck near Kabul’s international airport, underscoring the worsening security situation in Afghanistan. The lethal assaults on Indian targets appear aimed at derailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bold diplomatic outreach to arch-rival Pakistan following his first official visit to Afghanistan last month. No group has so far claimed responsibility

for the raid on the diplomatic mission in northern Afghanistan, the latest in a series of assaults on Indian installations in the country. “Our clearance operation is going on near the consulate,” government spokesman Munir Farhad told AFP. “Since it is a residential area, we are proceeding very cautiously after overnight fighting, to avoid civilian casualties.” An Indian official, who was hunkered down in a secure area within the diplomatic enclave, said all consulate employees were safe. “We are being attacked,” the official told AFP by telephone from inside the heavily-guarded compound soon after the fighting

erupted late Sunday evening. The attack followed a raid over the weekend by suspected Islamist insurgents on an air force base in the northern Indian state of Punjab. Seven soldiers were confirmed killed in the raid on the Pathankot base, which triggered a 14-hour gun battle Saturday and further firing Sunday. It was not clear Monday whether any surviving attackers remained inside the base but troops were checking the area. “The operation continues at the base. [With] intermittent firing... we are moving step by step to sanitize the area,” an army spokesperson in Pathankot said. AFP

Tradition. People burn their Christmas trees on the Museum Square on

January 3, 2015, in Amsterdam. The annual tree burning has been a New Year tradition since 1974. AFP

bomber strikes in Kabul

KABUL—A suicide bomber Monday struck a street leading to Kabul’s international airport, officials said, the latest in a wave of attacks on the Afghan capital. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, which comes as Afghan forces battle to end an hours-long siege near the Indian consulate in northern Mazar-iSharif city. “A bomber on foot detonated his suicide vest... near Kabul airport. There is no immediate information on casualties,” interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP. Danish said the target was a foreign forces convoy passing through the area but a police spokesman said he was not aware of that. The bombing marks the latest assault on the war-scarred Afghan capital. A Taliban suicide car bomber struck a French restaurant popular with foreigners in Kabul on Friday, killing two people in a New Year’s day attack. AFP

BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE – HEAD OFFICE INVITATION TO BID 1.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites bidders to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder requirement: Name of Requirement/Brief Description

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC), VAT inclusive

One (1) Lot - Engagement of Services of Aircraft Charter Provider (Small Aircraft) for the Shipment of Currency Operations for a period of three (3) years, as per BSP Terms of Reference and Technical Specifications

Php85,334,000.00 per annum (indicative amount only)

Contract Duration: Three (3) years reckoned from date stipulated in the Notice to Proceed to be issued by the Regional Monetary Affairs Sub-sector 2.

Bidders should have completed from Y2011 to present a contract similar to the requirement. The Eligibility Check/Screening and Preliminary Examination of Bids shall use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships/partnerships/ or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens.

All particulars and activities relative to Eligibility of Bidders, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-bid Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post-qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by Republic Act No. 9184 and its revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). Activities

Schedule

Venue

Procurement Office, Room a. Issuance of Bid Documents Starting 05 January 2016 (from 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. only) 212, 2/F, 5-Storey Bldg., BSP Main Complex, Malate, Manila Tel./ Fax Nos. 708-7118/306-2567; 708-7115 b. Pre-bid Conference

15 January 2016, 3:00 P.M.

c. Opening of Bids

27 January 2016, 2:00 P.M.

MR2A Conference Room, 2/F, 5-Storey Bldg., BSP Main Complex, Malate Manila

The bidding documents are posted at the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the BSP Website (www.bsp.gov.ph). Prospective bidders may download the bidding documents from any of these websites; provided that bidders shall pay a non-refundable fee in the amount of Php50,000.00 at the address above prior to, or upon submission of their bids.

The pre-bid conference shall be open to interested parties. However, only those who have purchased the bidding documents shall be allowed to participate in the pre-bid conference and raise or submit written queries or clarifications. To ensure completeness and compliance of bids, bidders are advised to send not more than two (2) technical and/or administrative representatives who will prepare the bidding documents.

The BSP assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify any bidder for expenses incurred in the preparation of bid.

The BSP reserves the right to reject any bid, declare a failure of bidding, not award the contract, annul the bidding process and reject all bids at any time prior to award of contract, without thereby incurring any liability to affected bidders.

( T S - J A N . 5 , 2 016)

(SGD) SILVINA Q. MAMARIL-ROXAS Chairperson

T U E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 5 , 2 0 1 6

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

Sweden imposes ID checks at border COPENHAGEN—For the first time in half a century, Sweden was demanding photo identification for all travelers from Denmark in a drastic move to stem an unprecedented influx of refugees. Extra security staff were on hand to oversee the new border controls on the Danish side of the Oresund bridge-and-tunnel link, a major entry point for migrants and refugees hoping to start a new life in Sweden. Marten Jegenstam, a 41-year-old consultant who lives in Denmark but works in Sweden, said that controls were needed. “I think we need some control [over our borders] but it needs to be very smooth, the commuting back and forth requires balance,” he said. Under the new rules, rail passengers will have to exit the train and clear checkpoints before boarding the train again. Those without valid ID will be refused entry. Travelers had been warned to expect long queues and delays in the afternoon when many commuters began returning to Sweden from their jobs in the Danish capital city. The measures aim to keep out undocumented migrants and come after Sweden—which has taken in more asylum seekers per capita than any other European nation—said it could no longer cope with the unregulated flow of new arrivals. A temporary fence has already been erected at Copenhagen airport’s Kastrup station, where trains will be stopped for mandatory controls. “It’s as if we are building a Berlin Wall here. We are going several steps back in time,” said Michael Randropp, a spokesman for the local Kystbanen commuters’ association. The re-introduction of border controls means that travelers between the two Nordic countries will have to show photo ID for the first time in more than 50 years and deals yet another blow to Europe’s cherished passport-free Schengen system. Several other European Union countries, including Germany, Austria and France, also re-imposed border checks last year as the continent grappled with its biggest refugee crisis since World War II. More than one million migrants reached Europe in 2015, most of whom were refugees fleeing war and violence in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, according to the United Nations refugee agency. AFP

Vigil. Indian paramilitary troopers stand guard during restrictions in the Saidakadal locality of downtown Srinagar on January 4, 2016. Authorities in some Shiite-dominated parts of the city imposed strict restrictions to prevent Shiite Muslims from taking to the roads and protesting against the execution of their cleric, Nimr al-Nimr. Saudi Arabia on January 2 executed 47 people convicted of “terrorism”, including the prominent Shiite cleric behind anti-government protests, the interior ministry said. AFP

Saudi cuts ties with Iran after rampage in Tehran RIYADH—Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic ties with Iran on Sunday after protesters ransacked its embassy in Tehran to protest at the execution of a Shiite cleric whose killing has sparked fury. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel alJubeir made the announcement in Riyadh, saying Iranian diplomats had 48 hours to leave the kingdom, but Tehran fired back that Saudi Arabia’s decision would not distract from its “big mistake” of executing Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Relations between Sunniruled Saudi Arabia and Shiitedominated Iran have been strained for decades, with Riyadh frequently accusing Tehran of interfering in Arab affairs. The oil-rich foes have also been

divided over the nearly five-year war in Syria, where Iran is backing the regime, and the conflict in Yemen where a Saudi-led coalition is battling Shiite rebels. The spike in tensions, which comes after Iran last year secured a historic nuclear deal with world powers led by the United States, saw oil prices rise Monday in Asian trading. On Sunday, Iran’s supreme leader said Riyadh would face “quick consequences” for executing Nimr, as Washington urged regional

leaders to soothe escalating sectarian tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Saudi Arabia “is breaking off diplomatic ties with Iran and requests that all members of the Iranian diplomatic mission leave... within 48 hours,” Jubeir said. “Iran’s history is full of negative interference and hostility in Arab issues, and it is always accompanied by destruction,” he said, accusing Tehran of seeking to “destabilise” the region. On Saturday, a mob attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran and a consulate in Mashhad, Iran’s second-biggest city, amid protests at Nimr’s execution. Jubeir said Saudi authorities had asked their Iranian counterparts to ensure security at the embassy but

they did not cooperate and failed to protect it. Nimr, 56, was a force behind 2011 anti-government protests in oil-rich easternSaudi Arabia, where Shiites have long complained of marginalization. He was put to death along with 46 other people, including Shiite activists and convicted Sunni militants who the Saudi interior ministry says were involved in Al-Qaeda attacks that killed dozens in 2003 and 2004. Some were beheaded and others were executed by firing squad. Iran has said it arrested 44 people over the embassy attacks, and President Hassan Rouhani said the demonstrators were “radicals” and the assaults “totally unjustifiable”. AFP

6 dead as strong earthquake hits India

ID check. Security staff check passenger ID’s at Kastrup airport’s train

station outside Copenhagen on January 4, 2015. For the first time in half a century, Sweden was demanding photo identification for all travelers from Denmark in a drastic move to stem an unprecedented influx of refugees. Extra security staff were on hand to oversee the new border controls on the Danish side of the Oresund bridge-and-tunnel link, a major entry point for migrants and refugees hoping to start a new life in Sweden. AFP

GUWAHATI, India—At least six people were killed and dozens injured Monday when a strong 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck northeast India, sending panicked residents fleeing into the streets even hundreds of kilometers away in Bangladesh. Five were killed in India, the government said, while one man died in Bangladesh after apparently suffering a heart attack after the earlymorning quake. Anurag Gupta of India’s National Disaster Management Authority said buildings had been damaged in Imphal, capital of Manipur state where the quake was centered.

“Five people are confirmed dead and 33 have been injured in Imphal. A six-story building in the capital was partially damaged and some small structures have also developed cracks,” he told AFP. An official at one of the main hospitals in Imphal however said more than 50 people had been admitted since the quake with head injuries and limb fractures. Imphal resident Deepak Shijagurumayum whose house was severely damaged described scenes of chaos after the quake. “Almost everyone was asleep when it struck and were thrown out of their beds,” Shijagurumayum told AFP by phone from the city.

“People were crying and praying in the streets and in open spaces. Hundreds remained outdoors for several hours fearing aftershocks.” The US Geological Survey said the quake hit at 4:35 am (2305 GMT Sunday) 29 kilometers west-northwest of Imphal. The Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency said buildings had collapsed near the epicenter and the electricity supply had been cut across the area. Police in Dhaka said 40 people were being treated at a major hospital in the Bangladeshi capital, including one university student who jumped from a fourth-floor balcony and was in a critical condition. AFP

TUESDAY : JANUARY 5, 2016

TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFEatStandard

A RTS, CU LT U RE & T ECH

LIFE DKNY co-creative director Maxwell Osborne (standing) talks about the collaboration between the fashion house and the art institution

Maxwell Osborne, Lisa Phillips and Dao-Yi Chow

Lisa Phillips, Toby Lewis and Sue Hostetler

New Museum director Lisa Philips (standing) shares that advocating for women artists has always been a natural part of the art organization's defining culture

Hannah Bronfman and Maria Baibakova

Maxwell Osborne, Stefano Tonchi and Dao-Yi Chow

DKNY PARTNERS WITH NEW MUSEUM TO SUPPORT WOMEN ARTISTS

ew Museum, one of the first contemporary art museums established in New York since the Second World War, partners with fashion house DKNY to support exhibitions by five women artists this coming year. The partnership, entitled The New Women’s Project, amplifies the art institution’s longstanding and ongoing advocacy for women artists as a hallmark of its mission over the past 38 years. The collaboration between the fashion house and the museum is appropriate considering that both were founded by women. Donna Karan founded DKNY in the 1980s while Marcia Tucker founded New Museum on January 1, 1977. As its first director, Tucker had a vision to make New Museum an avenue to present, study, and interpret contemporary art. Lisa Phillips succeeded Tucker as the Museum’s second director in 1999, and it was Philips who ushered the institution into its next phase of growth with programmatic expansion and the inauguration of its first freestanding building on the Bowery in 2007. “The New Museum has always explored the future of culture through the art of today, giving first major museum exposure in the US to a diverse array of artists, including Ana Mendieta, Adrian Piper, Andrea Zittel, Martha Rosler, Elizabeth Peyton, Rosemarie Trockel, Tacita Dean, Nathalie Djurberg, Camille Henrot, and Klara Lidén, among many others,” says current director Lisa Phillips. “Advocating for women artists has always been a natural part of our organization’s defining culture. We are grateful that

Street views of the New Museum at 235 Bowery (PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.NEWMUSEUM.ORG)

DKNY’s partnership will help bring continuing recognition and attention to the extraordinary contributions of women at the forefront of contemporary art,” she adds. This year, DKNY will serve as the lead sponsor of the New Museum’s spring exhibitions, featuring the first New York museum solo exhibitions by artists Nicole Eisenman, Goshka Macuga, Cally Spooner, Andra Ursuta, and Beatriz Santiago Muñoz, overseen by Artistic Director Massimiliano Gioni. “This is the second time that the New Museum has presented a lineup of solo shows by women,” says Massimiliano Gioni. “When

we planned these exhibitions, we simply sought to celebrate some of the greatest artists of today, regardless of their gender, and yet our choices attracted attention. Clearly there are still glass ceilings to be shattered, and we are thrilled to continue to do so with DKNY’s partnership.” According to DKNY’s new creative directors’ Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, The New Women’s Project is particularly important to DKNY’s mission. DKNY has always stood for strong, intelligent, and modern woman, and New Museum’s is dedicated in the same cause. “Being able to magnify the New Museum’s ethos and

Views of the Lobby and Fourth Floor

support a forward-looking, dynamic New York institution is an honor,” shares Chow and Osborne. In the Philippines, DKNY is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., a member of SSI Group, Inc., and is located at Rustan’s Makati, Power Plant Mall, BHS Central, Shangri-La Plaza East Wing, Newport Mall and 158 Designer’s Boulevard Alabang Town Center. DKNY Jeans is also exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. and is located at Power Plant Mall and BHS Central. Visit www.ssilife.com.ph for more information.

T U E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 5 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

T EC H TA L K

Make new memories this 2016 with FUJIFILM Instax

Instax Mini 50s

new year means a blank slate for memories. In a few more days, people will pile up your social media feed with new timeline posts that will eventually end up on your Memory feed. But while there are many who like looking at their digital memories, there are still a lot of people who prefer to see tangible prints of their adventures and memories, as these also make for a good scrapbook or wall display. No surprise then that instant photo print cameras have made a big comeback, and a favorite brand of choice especially for millennials is FUJIFILM’s wide range of Instax cameras. Instax mini cameras have been a cool trend for selfie loving individuals who love to keep photo prints of their travels, adventures and other memories. Instax mini cameras have a huge range of camera styles to choose from and they make for a good collector’s item. They have varying range and specs to choose from, suitable for almost every kind of personality. Mini 70 (island blue, moon white, canary yellow) is perfect for the trendy-selfie-loving personality; Mini 90 (brown and black) and Mini 50s are best paired with a classy

creative; Mini 25 is a fun gadget for the jetsetting traveller; while Mini 8 available in seven different fun candy colors is best for an individual with a quirky personality. Add in the Mini 8 Minnie Mouse, Hello Kitty, and Pooh character designs. If you’re not into style and design, then look at the specs. Mini 90 has the best functions that enhance image quality and expand photo possibilities. Its mode styles includes party mode, kids mode, landscape mode, macro mode, and has brightness control, bulb exposure mode, double exposure mode and high performance flash. Now if you just opt for a mini printer for your phone or tablet on-the-spot for instant fun, print anytime and anywhere with FUJIFILM’s Instax Share. All you have to do is shoot with your smartphone, download Fujifilm’s Instax share application, then send the photos via the app and print directly or reprint images on FUJIFILM’s Instax Share. Films come separately, and you can also choose from plain to quirky print designs. Visit www.instax.ph to compare camera specs, and check updates on promos, packages and DIY workshops held by FUJIFILM Instax.

Instax Mini-25 Pink

Instax Mini-90

Instax Mini-8 Pink

Instax Mini-70

Instax Share

Citi credit cards offering zero percent PayLite up to 24 months at Bally

f you still don’t have a Citi Credit Card, then you’re missing out on a lot of wonderful deals on offer. All you have to do is whip up that cellphone to call the 24-hour CitiPhone Hotline at 9959999 or visit www.citibank.com.ph to get your hands on great credit card deals. For instance, the holiday season may be over, but it can still

feel like Christmas the whole year through with the zero percent PayLite offered at Bally by Citi Credit Cards – for up to 24 months. So now, you can enjoy shopping for that fashionable bag, those lovely shoes, leather belts and other accessories plus other luxury items at select Bally outlets that include Greenbelt 5, Shangri-La, and Rustan’s Makati.

T U E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 5 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

CONVENIENCE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS WITH ONLINE PHARMACY COMPANY

dmit it. Lining up at the drugstore can be so inconvenient especially after coming from a visit to the doctor, with your body feeling tired and exhausted due to the onset of an illness. Fortunately, MediCard Philippines, a leading health maintenance organization in the country, has partnered with MedGrocer.com, an online pharmacy that delivers FDA-certified medicines to your doorstep. This is in line with the HMO’s mission to make quality and affordable healthcare accessible for every Filipino. “We’re excited to let everyone experience the convenience of MedGrocer.com,” says Deirdre Conde, marketing manager of MedGrocer.com. This is especially true for those who regularly buy maintenance medicines, she adds, with the online pharmacy service allowing patients to save time and money by taking out the hassle of lining up at drug dispensing clinics and drug stores. “MedGrocer.com was created with the patients in mind,” Conde remarks. MediCard’s partnership with the online pharmacy is one of the HMO company’s many ways of introducing innovations in the industry. “MedGrocer.com allows us to present more relevant healthcare solutions in a unique way. Their website is easy to navigate, which permits easy ordering and delivery of medicine,” notes, MediCard president Nicky Montoya. As explained by Conde, MedGrocer.com was designed to be a solution to common problems people have experienced with drugstores. “Being able to order medicines from anywhere at any time is already a big

help, but we decided to offer free deliveries, too. We don’t operate expensive physical stores, so there’s no reason for our services and medicines to be more expensive than the leading drugstore’s,” she adds. MediCard members can enjoy P200 of free credit on their first order from MedGrocer.com until February. By simply ordering with the promo code MEDICARD,

BEADING CLASSES OFFERED AT SUNSHINE PLACE

his 2016, take on a new skill or a hobby that could even become profitable – like bead making for instance. Try your hand at this challenging activity by

enrolling at Sunshine Place that offers beading classes to enhance creativity, imagination, artistic expression and hand dexterity. Classes will be conducted by Nina Libatique scheduled every Saturday from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. starting on January 9, 16, 23 and 30 for Module 1 and February 6, 13, 20 and 27 for Module 2. The Sunshine Place is located at 56 Jupiter St., Bel-Air, Makati. For more information and inquiries, interested parties may contact landline (632) 856-4144 or 8564162; mobile 0917.515.5656 or email to seniorhubjupiter@gmail.com.

members and their families can try the online service with a special discount. Because affordability and accessibility are values that MediCard and MedGrocer.com agree on, the introductory discount is only one of the many ways the two companies can work together. “We don’t see comprehensive drug benefits packages around, and it’s

because it’s so hard to keep track. We hope MedGrocer.com can play a part in making the reimbursement system more efficient,” expressed the MedGocer.com marketing manager. MediCard is looking forward to more partnerships that would serve more Filipinos while MedGrocer.com is setting itself up to be a major player in the industry.

PROTECT TECHIES WITH ENERGEYES DIGITAL LENSES

he prevalence of electronic gadgets and devices that include tablets and computers plus numerous online games have given rise to more techies, among them game console warriors who could spend endless hours playing. However, prolonged exposure from harmful blue light can cause digital eye strain. Time to put on Energeyes Digital Lenses which are now available in the Philippines at participating Ekotek branches and select Apple Stores such as iStudio Shangri-La and iStudio Gateway. Energeyes Digital lenses is a protective eyewear that helps alleviate the symptoms of digital eye strain by blocking over 50 percent of harmful blue light through the synergistic actions of a reflective front surface treatment on the lens and an absorptive lens material. This “eye-tech” also improves visual performance by eliminating glares from digital screens.

Originating in Singapore, this protective brand is also available in Indonesia and Thailand and has become all the rage among techies who are continuously exposed to harmful blue light from their devices, with many complaining of headache, blurred vision as well as eye fatigue and strain. What’s more, you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to get the kind of protection offered by Energeyes – with the ready-made non-prescriptive eyewear products priced minimally. For more information on the revolutionary Energeyes Digital Lenses, log on to www.energeyes-eyewear.com.

T U E S D AY : J A N U A R Y 5 , 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

SINULOG SHINES BRIGHTER WITH MUSIC FESTIVAL

he revelry in the country continues as Cebu celebrates Sinulog festival with colorful activities, curated culinar y experience an d music fest featuring international and local acts. On January 16, the Cebu International Convention Center grounds in Mandaue City will groove to the beat of former Swedish House Mafia member, DJ Steve Angello, as he performs a two-hour set at the Plus63 Music Festival. Taking inspiration from California’s Coachella and Berlin’s Lollapalooza festival, Plus63 Music Festival seeks to bring the best music experience with a local twist. Aside from music, the best of the Philippines’ hospitality and cuisine take center stage. The music festival in the Queen City of the South is headed by balikbayan Peter Delantar who has worked in popular stages and venues and alongside artists such as Ice T and Coco, The Weeknd, Pharell Williams, Jabbawockeez, Miguel, Big Boi of Outkast, Jay Sean, Keri Hilson and more. As Delantar sought to bring the Coachellaexperience to Cebu, he is tapping Angello, whose rise to international fame came when he released his remix of Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” in late 2004. The upcoming performance is the first time for Angello in the Philippines and is his only show in Asia. Plus63 Music Festival is also bringing Angello’s lighting and production team, to

take the experience to a whole new level. Adding local flair and flavor to the event are world-class Pinoy talents and Cebu’s homegrown artists including Sirens, Faspitch and Powerspoonz. The Zombettes, which is composed of DJs and models Sanya Smith and Ornussa Cadness, and other DJs coming over from Manila complete the lineup. With his extensive experience attending and working at various music festivals and with a promising lineup, Delantar is confident Plus63 Music Festival will bring the same experience to the Philippines. “A music festival is about discovering new music and musical acts, exploring art installations, tasting unique dishes from local chefs and restaurateurs, while making new friends in the process. We also want to provide a venue where our local acts can share the stage with international bands and DJs, while making this unique experience affordable and truly enjoyable,” shares Delantar. Ticket prices range from P530 to P1,600. To get tickets, visit www.smtickets.com or www.bit.ly/plus63festival. For more information, contact the organizer Vinyl Entertainment through plus63festival@gmail. com, on their Facebook page Plus63 Festival, or @plus63festival on Twitter and Instagram.

Electronic music icon Steve Angello headlines the Plus63 Music Festival in Cebu on January 16

With his experience and expertise in the US entertainment industry, Vinyl Entertainment founder Peter Delantar brings to the Philippines a music festival that features local and international talents

BE DRAWN BY IRMA LACORTE’S ‘FORMAL ELEMENTS’

A SILVER DECADRACHMA, 400 BC, SYRACUSE, GREECE by KIMON 48 inches diameter, 2015 Graphite on upcycled pressed wood

SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY 48 inches diameter, 2015 Graphite on upcycled pressed wood

series of pencil drawings on circular 122-cm wood panels prepared and coated with emulsion and gesso (a surface paint mixture made from gypsum, plaster of Paris or chalk or pigment with glue as binder) are featured in the exhibit dubbed as Formal Elements by artist Irma Lacorte. An accomplished artist who completed her Fine Arts degree at the University of Santo Tomas in 1986 and pursued Studio Arts in 1999 at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Lacorte works with amassed images from old coffee table books and reverts to the basics of image making by isolating or expanding line, texture, form and tonal value. Drawing is predominant in the work of the artist, who explains that, “The word drawing in this series means not only the act of creating with a pencil but also connotes attraction that gels objects together.” All drawings take up the shape of the circular wood panel in which the spherical shape “represents a cycle of exploring the basic elements of art – line, texture, and tonal value. Subjects range from microscopic features to colossal details.” Lacorte references the oeuvre of American abstract artist and architect, Richard Meier – transposing his modernity with an artisanal touch with h light and shade cleverly permutated to achieve aesthetic balance. She notes that Meier’s work “looked like they were spinning, that

was the first drawing. I was still in Los Baños when I did it and it reminded (me) of a nest.” In fact, she draws nest of the songbird known as the Rufous-naped Wren with shrewd fragility, boasting nondescript and gingerly outlined reeds which characterize technical excellence. Other works include as also a facsimile of a 400 B.C. Decadrachm coin by Kimon, wherein Arethusa’s (the name of a Nereid in Greek Mythology) profile is amplified with contours – showcasing delicate lines and a play of shadows that glimmer through the portrait. “I was attracted to the 400 BC coin because of its light and shadow in the way it was photographed, and I thought I can capture the same using pencil,” shares Lacorte, whose accolades include Vermont Studio Center’s Freeman Fellow Grant; and Cinemanila International’s best short film award in 2004 for the independent film “Balikbayan” which is a collaborative project with Larilyn Sanchez and Riza Manalo. Lacorte’s work has also been exhibited at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and at St. Paul’s Gallery Columbia University in New York. The exhibit will run from January 9-30 at the Duemila Art Gallery located at 210 Loring Street, Pasay City. For more information, log on to www.galleriaduemila.com. You may also contact (632) 831-9990 or (632)8339815 or email to gduemila@gmail.com.

A RUFOUS-NAPED WREN NEST 48 inches diameter, 2015 Graphite on upcycled pressed wood

BORROWED FROM RICHARD MEIER SCULPTURES 48 inches diameter, 2014 Graphite on upcycled pressed wood

T UES DAY : JA NUA RY 5, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

A dose of hIjInks from WArner TV And TruTV

his January, start your year with awesome riotous comedy as Warner TV and truTV launch Angie Tribeca, the channels’ first-ever comedy-crime series. And as a special gift, you get an opportunity to binge on all 10 episodes of the first season on Jan. 17 at 9 p.m., the same air date as the United States. A wildly satirical take on police procedurals, Angie Tribeca follows an eccentric but brilliant group of Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) detectives who investigate crime, reveal way too much awkward personal information, and refuse to rest until justice has been served…sort of. Co-created and executive produced by Saturday Night Live alumni Steve and Nancy Carell, Angie Tribeca is real, brooding and shockingly alive. The series protagonist is Angie Tribeca, played by Rashida Jones (The Office, Parks and Recreation), a lone-wolf detective who is none too happy when partnered with handsome J Geils, played by Hayes MacArthur (Life As We Know It, Go On). Helping solve weird and complex cases are detective Danny Tanner, played by Deon Cole (CONAN, Black-ish); Dr. Monica Scholls, the quirky, bespectacled medical examiner played by Andrée Vermeulen (Upright Citizen’s Brigade, How To Train Your Dragon television series); and Hoffman, Tanner’s K9 German Shepard partner played by Jagger (Max) while being guided by the squad’s apoplectic captain, Police Lieutenant Chet Atkins, played by Jere Burns (Justified, Breaking Bad). Before the Angie Tribeca full season marathon, watch Jim Carrey in Warner TV’s special screening at 7:20 p.m. of Dumb and Dumber. The Angie Tribeca season one marathon also premieres on truTV at the same time and date as the Warner TV premiere, with a repeat in the next 20 hours. Warner TV is available on SKYcable Channel 77, SKYcable HD Channel 197, Cignal HD Channel 119, Destiny Cable (Digital) Channel 77, Destiny Cable (Analog) Channel 80, and Cable Link Channel 30. For more updates on the best in action, comedy and drama, follow on facebook.com/WarnerTVAsia. truTV is available on Cignal Channel 62 and Cable Link Channel 42.

Angie Tribeca on truTV

The series’ main characters Angie and Danny

Conteder from Mindanao, Michelle Arcain

Conteder from Metro Manila, Julian Pura

Rashida Jones and Deon Cole

A scene from Angie Tribeca

Conteder from Visayas, Dave Alcano

‘Tawag Ng TaNghalaN’ reTurNs To TelevisioN

t’s Showtime starts the year with a bang as it launches the grand come back of the classic singing contest that gave rise to today’s OPM legends, Tawag ng Tanghalan. Now respected artists in the music industry, Nora Aunor, Pepe Pimentel, and Bobot Mortiz started out as contenders in the said contest. With its return in 2016, Tawag ng Tanghalan

once again calls for new talents from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and Metro Manila to find the country’s next singing superstar. Four contestants will battle daily and will prove their singing prowess to the madlang people and the hurados. However, when the singer goes out of tune, “Jhong the Gong” (Jhong Hilario) will hit a gong that signals the contestants to stop sing-

ing. Big prizes awaits the defending champion as he or she could win P25,000.00, while the runners up will get P5,000.00 as consolation prize. Last Saturday, three contestants battled it out and showed what they got to the madlang people and the hurados. Michelle Arcain from Davao City emerged as the first weekly finalist and returned on Monday to defend her title.

Conteder from Luzon, Timothy Roman

This week, OPM’s greatest singers Rey Valera, Rico J. Puno, and Bobot Mortiz with today’s top singers Nyoy Volante and Yeng Constantino serve as judges and give feedback on the contestants’ performances. Meanwhile, with the launch of Tawag ng Tanghalan, Amy Perez and Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla are now officially part of the It’s Showtime family. Amy and Mari-

el thanked the ABS-CBN management and the madlang people for the trust and support they are getting and greeted everyone a Happy New Year. Don’t miss the return of Tawag ng Tanghalan in It’s Showtime, Monday to Saturday noon in ABS-CBN. For more information, follow It’s Showtime on Facebook and Twitter (@ItsShowtimena).

T UES DAY : JA NUA RY 5, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

15 yEaRS Of StUNNiNg WOmEN— a viSUaL CELEbRatiON

ifteen years of sexy, funny, useful, and relevant stories with FHM Philippines! Now with a strong online presence via various digital platforms, FHM is far from slowing down. To date, it averages 18 million page views a month, 2.5 million unique visitors per month, and is connected with 3.58 million followers on Facebook, over 201,000 followers on Instagram, and more than 79,100 followers on Twitter. “What has kept us going through the years, aside from our wholehearted willingness to evolve with the times, is our readiness to collaborate with only the best,” says Allan Madrilejos, editor-in-chief of FHM Philippines. The no.1 men’s magazine in the Philippines is more than just featuring a bevy of sensational babes and beautiful women. Each issue has skillfully written stories and images put together by a team of talented writers, master photographers, and sea-

soned stylists and artists. Each FHM cover photo is a work of art that is newsworthy, buzzworthy, and deemed timeless. Some of the notable visual geniuses who are very much part of this journey are Xander Angeles, Mark Nicdao, Doc Marlon Pecjo, and Paolo Pineda. The collaboration of creative minds is the very reason why the title has survived, evolved, and has grown stronger through the years. Madrilejos adds, “[FHM Philippines has] helped jumpstart or revitalize the careers of many a star—Patricia Javier, Diana Zubiri, Jennylyn Mercado, Marian Rivera, and so many more accomplished actresses today.” To commemorate and “punctuate” FHM’s 15-year journey, it has come up with a special book: Sexiest: 15 Years of Stunning Women—A Visual Celebration. With over 200 pages of the best images and cover photos in FHM history, the book delves on the inspirational and transformative power of photography.

‘AvAtAr 2’ in 2017 hOLLyWOOD bRiEfS James Cameron has laid out a mission plan ahead of the release of Avatar 2: to prove that the 2009 original won’t go down in the cinematic history books as

42 43 44 45 48 49 50 52 57 58 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Miniature-golf shot 5 Flying mammal 8 Tool with jaws 12 Make oneself heard 14 Calf-length 15 In charge of 16 Ventricle neighbor 17 Trolley 18 Loughlin or Petty 19 Ten cubed 21 Surface 23 QB objectives

24 25 26 30 32 33 37 38 39 40

Marian Rivera

Diana Zubiri

“some big fluke.” Now, it seems the director has set his sights on Christmas of 2017 to launch the next chapter in his ambitious scifi universe. Planning to shoot no less than three sequels simultaneously, the original release date of Avatar 2 was pushed to lend Cameron more time to flesh out the world of Pandora and its many moons. Nevertheless, late 2017 is now the preliminary milestone. Cameron needs to cook up something special to maintain ex-

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Draft order Toady’s reply Sunglasses Country’s Patsy — Metered cars Stranger in the night? (2 wds.) Old masters Debonair — and the Belmonts Cliff

Stuck around Art class wear Prepares cutlets Ms. Farrow Puffin kin “— Hot Ta Trot” Like Don Juan More grouchy Whodunit suspect — fixe Diadem By and by Agrees silently Degas or Cayce — -majeste Right, to Dobbin Capsule, maybe

DOWN 1 Jr.’s exam 2 Oops! (hyph.) 3 Corrida sight 4 Ballet costume 5 Goose or loon 6 Tooth care gp. 7 History book item 8 Meadow rodent 9 Piano key 10 Suit material 11 Iroquoians 13 Tries a bite 14 Natural elevs. 20 Pitches

Jennylyn Mercado

citement across the entire trilogy. If Avatar 2 does indeed nail down a Christmas 2017 release window, Avatar 3 and 4 will likely follow suit in 2018 and 2019, respectively. HHHHH NEW StaR WaRS hitS $1 biLLiON As expected, Star Wars: The Force Awakens hit the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office today, toppling Jurassic World‘s record by doing so in 12 days. After breaking the Christmas Day re-

TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2016

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Knit, sometimes Still in the game Grind to a halt Bad — day Grease gun target Deejay’s platters Rattle Arsenio’s buddy GM car Verdi opus Having digits Calls it quits Erupting “— — Old Cowhand” Eyre’s creator Jungle crusher Taj — Castle that danced Amigo’s farewell Very, to Yvette Sea eagle Yield, as territory Notorious pirate Othello’s betrayer Gaslight and Big Band Uncommon Forest grazer

cord, the movie went on to gross an incredible $153.5 million at the North American box office this weekend, taking its domestic haul to $544.6 million. Internationally, Star Wars: The Force Awakens took an extra $133.3 million over the weekend (Christmas is typically much slower overseas), giving it a haul of $546 million, and then a worldwide cume of $1.09 billion. Analysts now seem sure that Star Wars: The Force Awakens will ultimately top Avatar‘s record of

Patricia Javier

$2.7 billion, making it the highest grossing release of all-time. Regardless of whether or not that happens, $2 billion is pretty much a guarantee, and it should have no issue beating Avatar‘s North American total of $760.5 million. What makes these numbers even more impressive is the fact that the movie has gone this high without the help of China. Had it opened there day and date like Jurassic World did, who knows how quickly Star Wars: The Force Awakens would have reached $1 billion.

T UES DAY : JA NUA RY 5, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

heart distributes toys iN sorsogoN

C7 Heart Evangelista

From c8

Sorsogon is now the adoptive province of Heart Evangelista. And, why not? It is after all the home province of her husband, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero. The actress loves the province as much as she loves Chiz. Last Christmas, the actress traveled to Sorsogon to cheer her husband’s province mates, especially the children, and those who endured Typhoons Nona and Onyok. Along with Princess Violago, Heart distributed toys on Dec. 23 to children in the province. “A piece of my heart was left in every place we visited today in Sorsogon. Salamatunon asin Dios mabalos (Thank you and God bless). Merry Christmas #mahalkongsorsogon,” Heart posted a photo with the children who received toys from her on her Instagram account. Sorsogon was one of several provinces hardest hit by the two typhoons that hit the country in 2015. Chiz traveled to Sorsogon on Dec. 17 to help his province mates. The senator expressed gratitude to all those who extended help to his province mates and the entire Bicol peninsula so that the region could rise once more from the destruction wrought upon the region by the typhoon, most specifically in restoring the power lines in the province.

Will Smith in the first Independence Day

HHHHH Not happy character killed Will Smith found is sad that the fat lady had sung on Steven Hiller, the character he played in 1996’s Independence Day. “It was terrible when I found out my character died,” Smith said. Hiller’s death was revealed on a viral site for Independence Day: Resurgence. “While test piloting the ESD’s first alien hybrid fighter, an unknown malfunction causes the untimely death of Col. Hiller,” the site’s timeline reads. “Hiller’s valor in the War of ‘96 made him a beloved global icon whose selfless assault against the alien mother

ship lead directly to the enemy’s defeat. He is survived by his wife Jasmine and his son Dylan.” Smith was “working on Suicide Squad” when Independence Day: Resurgence was being shot, but Smith was approached several times in the past about reprising his role. “[IDR director] Roland [Emmerich] and I had talked about it,” he admitted. Smith did compliment the trailer for Independence Day: Resurgence and said it will be very emotional for him when he sees the film for the first time. “The trailer looks really cool,” Smith offered “I’m going to be sitting around with tears in my eyes when that one comes out.”

IntroduCIng JaCk Jones to new generatIon of musIC lovers by Nickie WaNg

a Jack Jones now Jones in his younger years

new generation of Jack Jones fans has emerged as evidenced by the number of young people that attended the legendary singer’s two-night concert in the country. The 77-year-old American actor and jazz and pop singer widely known for classic hits like “The Impossible Dream”, “Wives and Lovers,” “Call Me Irresponsible”, and “The Race is On,” to name a few, ended 2015 by staging a charity concert. Dubbed Jack Jones Sings Songs From The Heart, held on Dec. 29 at the Kia Theater and on Dec. 30 at Novotel Manila, was for the benefit of the Kaagapay ng Tagapagligtas Incorporated; a non-stock, non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for the benefit of the families of SAF 44, a group of policemen who died in Mamasapano, Maguindanao early in 2015. Prior to the show, Jones met with the press and expressed his gratitude for the country’s continued support to his musical career. “I see a lot of young people here,” he started, “They may not have any clue about me but I appreciate their parents who introduced them to my music.” “During my previous concerts here I saw lot of young people in the audience. What was more sur-

prising is that these people have cellphones but they managed not to use them during my performances. They even sang along. So, I asked my wife how’d they know the lyrics to songs. She told me that families here stick together so much that when parents play the music they’re able to explain it and young people get to like it.” And as part of his effort to reach more audience, including the younger generation, he has been touring and recording music diligently. As part of his recent works and his goal to further his brand of music reaching more audience, he recorded an album Love Makes The Changes in 2010. Working tirelessly amid his age, Jones also released an album featuring new renderings of some of his original hits entitled Love Ballad. In 2015, Jones released Seriously Frank (Celebrating the 100th Birthday of Frank Sinatra), a 22-track album that celebrates the life of the legendary singer. “The album features the opening track “Teach Me Tonight,” which is one of his favorites, together with the closing track, “The Singer.” It’s a song which wasn’t sung by Frank but that was written for him,” the also legendary singer told the press.

Jones has been performing around the world and still has a large following in Las Vegas, but what made him leave the US to perform in the Philippines this time of the year was rather a personal choice. He said, “The Philippines is a country very close to my heart. I didn’t have second thoughts on leaving the US on Christmas Day just to get to Manila in time for the concert dates. And when I even got more excited when they told me that it’s going to be a charity concert.” The Grammy award-winning singer furthered that it’s always been a pleasure for him performing in the Philippines because a lot of Filipinos are serious music lovers and that he already considers the country as his second home. “I’ve been coming here for about 25 years or so and I’ve been coming here for so long, it’s like part of the neighborhood for me,” he enthused. Jack Jones’s concert featured guests were his long-time friend, Jose Mari Chan, Asia’s Got Talent finalist Gerphil Flores, and Kilyawan Consortium of Voices, a choral society consisting of the Kilyawan Boys Choir, Kilyawan Men’s Choir and the Voices Aurorae Girls Choir.

T UES DAY : JA NUA RY 5, 2016

ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Actor glAd he’s Also A chef ISAH V. RED Sancho Vito Delas Alas is a trained chef. While he has become relatively visible on screen as actor lately, his heart is still in the kitchen. So, it’s not surprising that he, along with friends, opened a restaurant just before the holiday season set in last year. Upon the suggestion of his mother, popular comedian AiAi Delas Alas, Sancho invited members of the entertainment press to Skinita Street Foodz (that’s the name of the restaurant he established) on United Street near Pioneer, Barrio Kapitolyo in Pasig City on night to let them experience not only the food he serves in the cozy dining facility but also the ambiance that suggests spur-of-the moment decisions to eat. No, don’t come dressed up. Come in your most comfortable outfits because as the name suggests you will be served with street food you can find in the city, only Sancho has whipped them up to appeal to even the most discriminating palates. Skinita’s menu run the gamut of delicacies you find on the sidewalks of the university belt in Manila, of the highly populated areas of Sampaloc, Cubao in Quezon City, and other parts of the metropolis. Name it, Skinita has it. From pishbol, skwidbol to kwek kwek, Sancho has gentrified the street food to make it appealing to even diners who are averse to those kinds of food. Yet, the restaurant has other dishes apart from the popular street delights. The menu has several section – Pinirito to which the street delicacies belong, Kaning Bayan or rice meals, (e.g. Tapa

Sofia or Kawali Express or Chicken Karate), Hatung Kapatid (meals diners can share like Laing ni Tita Mennie), Yummy Tori (barbecued delights like chicken skin, quail eggs, angus beef or wagyu). It also has meals for meals that it calls Pananghalian like Tortang Talong, Boneless Tinapa, or Caramelized Spam. The choices are aplenty, but those who come to the restaurant are not usually the serious diners. They come, most of the time, after dinner somewhere and jus wanted to have a drink or two before heading home. That’s why there’s a prevalence of light dishes in the menue. According to Sancho and Jose Gaerlan, the restaurant’s managing director, “The inspiration behind the restaurant are the street food and hole-in-the-wall concepts in New York as well as the food trucks. We wanted to recreate this type of food culture here in the Philippines.” “Skinita would like to emulate the ‘tambayan sa kanto’ thing popular among young Filipinos where groups enjoy a drink or two and some delicious grilled or fried foods,” adds Joshua Aquino, Eskinita’s marketing manager. Sancho says, “We encourage our guests to vandalize our walls and tables, we tell then to play what music the want and we urge them to unwind and enjoy themselves, facilitating, memorable experiences filled with bad jokes, good laughs and great times!” We saw the restaurant’s wall already filled with scribbles, mostly congratulatory notes. One night, several days after we went to the restaurant, we passed by on our way home from Makati. We saw people milling outside the restaurant and they seem to be having a nice time drinking and munching on the restaurant’s delicacies. AiAi must really be proud of Sancho’s achievement. Did I hear, the group is going to open its second branch this ➜ continued on c7 year at The Fort?

1 From left, Sancho Vito Delas Alas, Jose Gaerlan, Joshua Aquino and a friend 2 Magic mushrooms 3 Sancho wears two hats: actor and entreprenuer-chef 4 Graffiti on the wall of Skinita by customers 5 It’s a full house. Customer who love street food come to Skinita every night 6 Sancho and AiAi Delas Alas