The Standard - 2016 January 12 - Tuesday

VOL. XXIX NO. 334 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 TUESday : JaNUaRy 12, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Senators: Let Poe conduct her probe

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COA RAISES STINK OVER TOILET PLAN by rio n. Araja and John Paolo bencito

TRANSPORT Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said Monday he will stay on the job despite mounting calls that he be fired, and a new audit report that showed his department failed to build comfort rooms in train stations, ports and airports under its P351-million “Kayo Ang Boss Ko” toilet improvement project despite the availability of funds.

“I’m in the DoTC not to be applauded, but to solve problems,” Abaya said in an ANC television interview, saying he would stay at the helm of the Department of Transportation and Communications [DoTC] and beside President Benigno Aquino III until the end of his term in June.

“I serve at President Aquino’s pleasure. I would not serve under any President except him. I’m here to help the President. If he tells me I have to go, I’ll go,” Abaya said.

Lawmakers and various groups have pressed Abaya to resign over his failure to improve deteriorating commuter train services and his approval of questionable maintenance contracts that critics said made matters worse.

“The DoTC is trying to show that we are

slowly rectifying sins of the past. Consumers have the right to demand better services,” Abaya said, admitting that only 36 to 45 of the 73 MRT coaches are operational.

Despite public anger at the poor train and other public transport services, President Aquino last week said he would not fire Abaya, the president of his ruling Liberal Party.

A Commission on Audit report released the same week said the DoTC under Abaya failed to build comfort rooms for all of its attached agencies under the “Kayo ang Boss Ko” (KBK) toilet facilities improvement project, despite the availability of funds since 2012.

KBK, a foreign-assisted project, was named after a favorite motto used by Presi-

dent Aquino to suggest that the people are his ultimate boss.

The Jan. 7 audit report said the construction of new restrooms and the rehabilitation of old ones have been delayed, suspended or terminated or declared failed bids because of complicated contract details.

Because of this failure, women shared the same facilities with men in several train stations and Land Transportation Office branches, and persons with disabilities were left with no option but to use regular restrooms, the CoA said.

Also as a result, the transacting public had to bear the inconvenience of long toilet queues at the DoTC agencies, including the LTO, the Land Transportation Franchising Next page

Checkpoint. Police and Commission on Elections personnel conduct checkpoints along Rizal Avenue in Caloocan City on Monday following the imposition of the election gun ban on Sunday.

Andrew rAbulAn

Court asked to lift ban on firearms during polls

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Full Comelec tells tribunal to DQ Grace by rey e. requejo and Macon ramos-Araneta WITH all commissioners concurring, the Commission on Elections on Monday asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the petition of Senator Grace Poe seeking to reverse the poll body’s decision to disqualify her from running for president this year.

The comment, written by Commissioner Arthur Lim, was signed by all the Comelec en banc members, including Chairman Andres Bautista and Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said.

“The commissioners were given the opportunity to comment on the draft and that was what took up the entire

morning. Comments and opinions were solicited from each member of the en banc. Then after that, they all signed the comment,” Jimenez said.

Lawyers who filed the comment on behalf of the Comelec declined to give copies of it to the press, saying these could be obtained from the poll agency’s main office in Intramuros.

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Senators: Let Poe conduct probe CoA...

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and Regulatory Board, Manila International Airport Authority, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority, Metro Rail Transit Line 3, Philippine Ports Authority, Cebu Ports Authority, Philippine National Railways and Light Rail Transit Authority.

“The government may be left with an unfinished or uncompleted toilet project as a result of terminated contracts which could not be used by the intended beneficiaries and ultimately caused wastage of government funds,” the audit report read.

The audit agency noted that the funds for the KBK project were originally earmarked for the improvement of airport facilities.

The P351.86-million toilet project ran into problems because of a DoTC policy to save money by favoring bulk orders, the CoA said.

The DoTC should have invited local contractors and suppliers to build toilets for regional or provincial offices, instead of choosing only one construction firm per region, it said.

“Most of the contracts for the civil works and goods should have been completed or delivered before end Dec. 31, 2014. However, the contracts for civil works were far behind target. Majority of the contractors for the civil works requested for a suspension or [had] already suspended [work] due to delays in the delivery of phenolic boards and granite counter tops,” CoA said.

CoA said the KBK budget should be remitted to the Bureau of Treasury, and contracts that were terminated will need to wait for another budget allocation because the original budget has already expired or been forfeited.

“Since the toilet project is a basic necessity of the riding and transacting public, the department should have considered the most practical and easy procurement scheme to avoid delays,” the audit agency said.

The political opposition continued to criticize Abaya Monday and urged him to take responsibility for his failings.

The leader of the independent minority bloc in the House, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, slammed the government’s last-minute approach to addressing public transportation problems such as those besetting the MRT. “President Aquino is close to finishing his six year term and yet we are still faced with the same old problem of maintenance of the aging MRT-3; that we have to resort to last-minute solutions to the problem,” Romualdez said.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., referring to Abaya’s claim that the MRT services had been sabotaged, said the secretary owes it to the public how that came about under his watch.

Romualdez dismissed Abaya’s claim of sabotage as a lame excuse for his incompetence.

He urged the government to show compassion or malasakit because commuters and motorists have already suffered too much.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate and Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting agreed that the government failed to protect the public interest by entering into a sweetheart deal.

“Abaya is now becoming more of a second rate, trying hard, copycat of his principal, the original ‘Boy Sisi’ Benigno Simeon Aquino, blaming others and raising the sabotage bogey is just a ploy of this duplicitous exiting Aquino administration to camouflage its sheer incompetence, as well as the anomalies that littered in the graft-ridden contracts,” Zarate said.

Zarate said Abaya’s presence in the Transportation Department was an act of sabotage itself.

Also on Monday, a leftist lawmaker urged former MRT-3 general manager Al Vitangcol to confess all he knew about the scandalous contracts that the government signed for the maintenance of the commuter train system.

“Despite his shortcomings as the former MRT-3 GM, it is not too late to redeem himself by exposing the ring leaders of the botched MRT-3 maintenance deal contracts. He is perhaps the most reliable source of information on the maintenance contract compared to… Abaya who relies on the President to evade accountability over MRT-3’s poor condition,” said Anakpawis Party-list Rep. Fernando Hicap.

Vitangcol, in a media forum last week said Abaya should be charged alongside him for approving questionable maintenance contracts for the commuter train system.

He added that some people whom he refused to name had tried to silence him after he had been hung out to dry.

“The one accountable for that contract is the one who awarded and signed that contract. If I’m the only one who signed the contract, then I’m accountable,” Vitangcol said.

Hicap said that the former MRT-3 manager should redeem himself by pinpointing the brains behind the questionable maintenance contracts.

“If Mr. Vitangcol truly wants a closure in this scandalous case that dragged his name and reputation, then by all means he should tell all.... He has nothing to lose but the tag of being the main culprit or operator of the anomalous MRT-3 maintenance deal contract,” he said. With Maricel V. Cruz

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

THREE senators seeking reelection this year rejected the call of Senator Alan Cayetano for them and presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe to inhibit themselves from participating in new hearings on the Mamasapano tragedy.

Cayetano, who is running for vice president, said he would inhibit himself from participating in the hearings, after the Senate committee on public order led by Poe agreed to reopen its investigation into the Mamasapano massacre in which 44 Special Action Forces commandos were killed by Muslim rebels in a covert operation approved by President Benigno Aquino III. Cayetano said it was important to ensure that the inquiry remains impartial and free from partisan politics.

Senators who are seeking higher office in May are Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Gregorio Honasan.

In a text message, Senator Sergio Osmeña III said senator may inhibit themselves from voting but not from attending the hearing or asking questions.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said he would not stay away either, adding that no one would be left to attend the hearings if all the senators running for office this year would recuse themselves.

“I am interested to listen if Senator [Juan Ponce] Enrile has any new revelations. That’s the purpose of reopening [the investigation],” Recto said.

Senator Vicente Sotto III added that it was part of Poe’s job as chairman of the Senate committee on public order to attend the hearings.

Earlier, her committee found the President to be “ultimately responsible” for the deaths of the 44 SAF commandos.

Sotto added that the public was intelligent enough to realize which of the senators were grandstanding for their own benefit.

Poe, who will preside over the reopening of the hearing, assured the public that she would not allow grandstanding and would immediately examine the supposed new information on the incident.

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The Comelec also adopted a resolution authorizing Lim to act as counsel for the poll body.

Bautista affixed his signature to the comment, with a note: “Subject to the concurring and dissenting opinion dated 12/23/15.”

Commissioner Luie Tito Guia also wrote “subject to my separate opinion,” while Commissioner Robert Lim indicated he inhibited from the proceedings.

“In order to succeed, the petitioner [Poe] has to manifestly show before the Honorable Court that the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction when it promulgated its 23 December 2015 resolution,” the Comelec said, in seeking the dismissal of Poe’s second petition seeking to reverse the poll body’s ruling that disqualified her from running for president.

“The Comelec will not shirk from its bounden duty and constitutional mandate to conduct clean, orderly, honest and credible elections,” the comment said.

“An essential ingredient of orderly and credible elections is for Comelec to ensure the candidates for public office comply with eligibility requirements mandated by the Constitution, without fear or favor,” it added.

The Comelec also argued that it is not legally bound to take judicial notice of and apply the November 2015 decision of the Senate Electoral Tribunal declaring Poe a natural-born Filipino.

It asserted that foundlings are not among those enumerated as Filipino citizens under the 1935 Constitution. It said provisions of international law that Poe’s camp cited cannot legitimize her claim that she is natural-born.

“I will not allow that this will just be used in politicking. The questions should be constructive,” she said.

Cayetano proposed that Poe inhibit herself from the hearings, saying she could pass the task on to the vice chairman of the committee or a senator who is not running for office.

Cayetano said he would do the same thing but submit questions to the committee and have a lawyer ask them on his behalf.

But Poe’s spokesmanValenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian, said inhibition is a voluntary decision.

“If that is the collective wisdom of the Senate, then I am sure we will abide by it, knowing Senator Grace, she will have no problem inhibiting [herself] but she cannot relinquish duties to her co-chair as well because he is also a candidate,” he said.

He noted that Poe has shown her impartiality in the past Mamasapano hearings, and she will continue to do so in the upcoming hearings.

Enrile, who was in detention on plunder charges when the hearings were conducted last year, moved for the reopening of the investigation, citing new personal information.

Upon the approval of Cayetano, who heads the committee on rules, Poe scheduled the hearing on Jan. 25, exactly one year after the the police commandos were killed by rebels from the Moro Islamic Liberationn Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Maguindanao.

Poe said she would only be in the hearing to act as a moderator and vowed not to put political rivals, particularly administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II, in a bad light.

Roxas was the secretary of the Department of Interior and Local .Government at the time of the Mamasapano debacle and had maintained that he was kept out of the loop by those who planned and executed the operation.

Two opposition lawmakers from the House said Congress needs the opportunity to bring closure to the Mamasapano case.

“This is the chance for the Senate to clearly pinpoint command responsibility and hold government executives, including President Benigno Aquino III himself, accountable for the bloodbath,” said Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon.

“We believe that both chambers of Congress have barely scratched the surface when it comes to Washington’s hand in the Mamasapano affair. The Filipino people deserve to know more,” Ridon added.

The leader of the independent minority bloc in the House, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, said there has been no closure, and that those accountable for the botched operation have not been held liable. With Sandy Araneta

“Petitioner’s statement in her subject CoC as to her citizenship and presidency is in and by itself a deliberate attempt to mislead the electorate or hide from them her ineligibility for the Office of the President of the Philippines,” the Comelec said.

On the issue of Poe’s residency requirements, the Comelec maintained that her residence in the Philippines was re-established only on July 18 when she re-acquired her Filipino citizenship.

The Comelec cited Poe’s admission against interest when she declared in her CoC for her senatorial bid in 2013 that she has been a Philippine resident since November 2006. The poll body added that it considered other pieces of evidence, other than Poe’s 2013 CoC for senator, in coming out with the resolution.

“There is substantial evidence on record pointing to petitioner’s deliberate and false material representation in her CoC as to her citizenship and residency,” the Comelec said.

Last week, the Comelec filed its first comment on Poe’s other petition challenging the poll body en banc’s upholding of the separate petition filed by former Senator Francisco Tatad, former University of the East law dean Amado Valdez, and political analyst Antonio Contreras.

The comment triggered a row between Bautista and its author, Guanzon, when she submitted it to the Supreme Court without his signature.

The Comelec was compelled to look for its own lawyer after the Office of the Solicitor General declined to represent the poll body before the Supreme Court because it was already defending the Senate Electoral Tribunal on a Poerelated case.

The Comelec will deliberate today (Tuesday) on the comment filed by Guazon last week.

In the Dec. 23, 2015 ruling that Poe is contesting before the Supreme Court, the Comelec en banc dismissed Poe’s petitions against the separate rulings of the First and Second Divisions, which both cancelled her certificate of candidacy for president.

The en banc voted 5-1-1 upholding the decision of the Second Division on lawyer Estrella Elamparo’s petition because of her failure to meet the constitutional requirement of a 10-year residency for presidential candidates.

The Comelec en banc voted 5-2 to uphold the First Division’s decision disqualifying her from the 2016 presidential election based on questions of citizenship and residency raised by former Tatad, Valdez and Contreras.

A week after Poe contested the Comelec en banc ruling before the Supreme Court, the tribunal issued a temporary restraining order to stop the poll body from disqualifying her.

The Comelec, Tatad, Contreras, and Valdez have all filed their respective comments on Poe’s petition, all of them also seeking the plea’s dismissal.

The Comelec denied suggestions that it is in disarray because of the disagreement between Bautista and Guanzon.

Bautista described his public argument with Guanzon as “a misunderstanding.”

Bautista had publicly castigated Guanzon for submitting her comment to the Supreme Court without letting him review and sign it.

Guanzon shot back that Bautista was not her boss, and that she had the authority of the en banc to draft and submit the comment.

In his memo, Bautista asked Guanzon to explain under whose authority the comment was submitted within 24 hours or he would inform the Supreme Court that it was an unauthorized submission.

With John Paolo Bencito

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Court asked to stop gun ban A GROUP has asked the Supreme Court to stop the gun ban that the Commission on Elections started implementing on Sunday as part of the security preparations for the May 9 local and national elections.

The pro-gun group Go Act, through its president Eric Acosta, said the Comelec was violating the constitutional rights of licensed gun owners with its gun ban as well as Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Act of 2013.

Go Act vice president and legal counsel Rodrigo Moreno and the group’s board member Nathaniel Paz joined Acosta as co-petitioners.

The Go Act group filed its petition even as a spokesman said the

police caught at least 16 people and seized 15 firearms and ammunition in various checkpoints around the country following the imposition of the gun ban on Sunday.

Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor said 11 of those arrested on Monday were civilians and a security guard.

He said two civilians were also held at a military checkpoint in Sulu on Monday.

Acosta, Moreno and Paz said RA 10591 gave the holders of gun permits the permission to carry fire-

arms outside their residences, but the gun ban prohibited them from doing so.

“Petitioners are challenging the election gun ban imposed by the Comelec under Resolution Number 10015,” Acosta and company said in their petition.

“It is clear that RA 10591 has amended or repealed the Omnibus Election Code and other laws relating to the bearing of firearms during elections. Hence, [the] Comelec is required by law to exempt private citizens who are PTCFOR [permit to carry firearms outside of residence] holders from the gun ban in order to respect their right to carry their firearms outside their residence.”

Go Act is said to have 1,000 members who are all licensed gun owners. The group claims that the

gun ban gives “unwarranted special treatment” to some government officials while private citizens are not exempted from coverage.

“While [the] Comelec claims that only the PNP, AFP and other law enforcers are exempt from the gun ban, the Comelec has granted exemptions to government officials who are not engaged in actual enforcement and security work, such as judges and justices, DoJ and Ombudsman prosecutors, the Solicitor General and Chief Public Attorney, and all Cabinet Secretaries...” the petitioners said.

They asked the high court to compel the Comelec to grant private citizens with gun permits exemptions from the gun ban in all elections. Rey E. Requejo and

Francisco Tuyay

Petition. Public Attorneys Office Chairman Percida Acosta files a petition at the Supreme Court asking it to compel Sulpicio Lines to compensate the relatives of the 4,375 people who were killed when one of its ships capsized seven years ago. DANNY PATA

Comelec dismisses DQ case on Duterte THE Commission on Elections on Monday dismissed one of four disqualification cases filed against Davao City Mayor and presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte.

The Comelec’s First Divison dumped the petition of University of the Philippines-University Student Council chairman John Paulo delas Nieves after he and his lawyer failed to attend the preliminary conference on the case.

Nieves had wanted Duterte disqualified to run for president in this year’s elections.

He had questioned Duterte’s substitution for PDP-Laban standard bearer Martin Diño, saying Diño’s Certificate of Candidacy was defective as he had indicated he was running for mayor of Pasay City and not for president.

Duterte’s camp and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, a senatorial candidate, hailed the Comelec’s decision.

Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, a Duterte ally, said they were relieved to know that the Comelec was applying the rule of law correctly, and that they hoped the Commissioners will maintain their stand when deciding the other disqualification cases.

“We hope that everyone can keep calm, cool and collected in the remaining months to come going towards Election Day, confident that Comelec as an institution will defend democracy and the voice of our people,” Nograles said in a statement.

Said Romualdez: “This is a very compassionate decision of the Comelec upholding the rule of law by allowing the people’s will to decide on the offer of Mayor Duterte to become the country’s next president.”

Maricel V. Cruz, with PNA

Agency says it is cooperating with CoA THE Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process said Monday it had been enforcing the disallowances made by the Commission on Audit following its report that it submitted fake attendance records for its conferences, meetings and forums in 2014.

That means the agency would be returning the money it was not allowed to spend.

“We are already enforcing the disallowances made by the Commission on Audit from past rulings,” OPAPP Executive Director Luisito Montalbo said.

“If and when CoA issues future disallowances, we will do nothing less.”

Montalbo said his agency “seriously takes into consideration all reports given to us by the CoA and immediately acts upon all observations and recommendations of our resident auditor.”

“What came out of the 2014 CoA report are observations and recommendations made on

OPAPP’s financial transactions. Process-wise, these are still subject to verifications and clarifications by the agency in continuing consultation with the CoA,” Montalbo said.

“For example, this year we are enforcing a return of funds as per final ruling on a disallowance rendered by CoA. “So in the case of the observations in the 2014 COA report, such as those regarding attendance sheets and vehicle rentals, the same process of investigations, clarifications and verifications as appropriate management actions will be followed before any final ruling is rendered by CoA.” The commission said the signatures that appeared on the documents to support OPAPP’s expenses were “doubtful.”

“In a number of attendance sheets, different names were printed but the handwriting and strokes were similar,” said the CoA report posted on its website. Sandy Araneta

Dialogue. Officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the Anak

Mindanao Partylist spearhead the International Islamic Finance Roundtable talks on Monday at the ARMM Compound. OMAR MANGORSI

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Unique gun range fires off in P’que

By Christine F. Herrera

Stop the wrong opinion. Lawyer Manuelito Luna and his client Rizalito David hold up the pleading they filed at the Supreme Court Monday seeking to stop former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban from writing opinion columns in favor of presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe. DANNY PATA

PNoy insists on passing contentious BBL version

By Sandy Araneta

THE Aquino administration of President Benigno Aquino III is intent on having Congress approve the controversial Palace version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law despite legislative hurdles and even a suggestion to leave the matter to the administration to be elected in May. “The determination of the administration to have the BBL [approved] in Congress, in support of the peace process, does not waver,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. in reaction to the suggestion of Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano to leave the matter to the next administration.

Alejano said it would be better to leave the BBL until after the election so that it is not used by candidates as an election issue.

Alejano said the House can barely muster a quorum and they do not have enough time to tackle every provision in the BBL.

“In my personal perspective, let the next administration tackle this. If we will push this now and a lot of issues remain unsolved, violence in Mindanao might worsen,” said Alejano, saying the true relationship between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters is one key issue.

Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez also warned that forcing the passage of a legally f lawed BBL during the current Congress may make the country an international laughing stock.

Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association, said most peace advocates want a BBL that will lead to true and lasting peace that is legally binding and not unconstitutional.

“We all want peace. We all want the peace process to push through. But instead of attaining long-lasting peace in Mindanao we might end up in chaos because of so many confusing and conflicting provisions—provisions that do not conform with the Constitution and other laws of the Republic,” Romualdez said during his interview on on dwIZ’s “Karambola.”

AS THE Commission on Elections-imposed nationwide gun ban took effect Sunday, a P200million, first-of-its-kind indoor shooting range opens Tuesday at Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City.

World shooting champion Jethro Dionisio and Solaire owner Enrique Razon Jr. will lead the ceremonial shooting at the members-only Sky Range Shooting Club that boasts of luxurious country club amenities designed

by US-based firm Action Target System.

At P500,000 in exclusive club membership fees, the elite members may choose to bring their own guns for use or safekeeping at the club or opt to try a wide selection of high-end firearms.

No less than Solaire’s chief of security, former police Col. Michael Ray Aquino set up the strict security inside and outside of the Sky Range to screen the players.

Absolutely no liquor is allowed and no intoxicated player can fire a gun. But smoking is allowed in the cigar lounge.

Former print journalist Gerry de Belen, who became a gun enthusiast after his job at Malaya compelled him to train to protect himself and family from rogue police and government officials he was then covering, manages the Sky Range as president and COO or chief operating officer.

A sharpshooter, De Belen used to win coveted prizes in gun competition among the marksmen-reporters and editors in the industry.

Razon, president and chief executive officer of the International Containers Terminal Services Inc. and casino operator Bloomberry, made it a point that the indoor shooting range was the first of its kind in the Philippines that has direct access to the hotel and casino and shops.

Schedule mix-up delays Cebu flight

By Vito Barcelo HUNDREDS of airline passengers fumed as they loitered around the Mactan-Cebu International Airport after their flight to Manila was delayed purportedly because the plane they were supposed to board did not have pilots nor cabin crew.

Cebu Pacific Flight 5J558 from Cebu to Manila, which was scheduled to depart the Mactan airport at 8:10 p.m. was delayed for more than two hours because they had to wait for pilots and cabin crew to fly in from Manila.

Despite the entreaties of Vice President Jejomar Binay and actor Richard Gomez, who were at the airport for a separate flight, passengers were enraged when they were not even informed about the delay.

Eventually, a Cebu Pacific ground crew at the MCIA announced there was a mix-up in schedules and the airline did not immediately realize that the pilots and crew who were assigned to Flight 5J-558 were actually on their day off and a new group had to be flown in from Manila.

Unique guns. Display box at the Solaire Resort and Casino’s Sky Range shows the unique firearms, including an Arsenal Firearms 2011 Dueller Prismatic that first appeared in the James Bond movie ‘Specter,’ belonging to members of the first exclusive gun club in the country. SONNY ESPIRITU

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Enforcers get tough on drivers

By Joel E. Zurbano

TRAFFIC enforcers on Monday vowed to get tough against erring drivers of both private cars and public utility vehicles who are being blamed for causing traffic congestion along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.

Miffed. Cast and producers of ‘Honor Thy Father’ attend a public hearing on the alleged irregularities surrounding the recent Metro Manila Film Festival at the House of Representatives on Monday. They raise their concern after the film was disqualified from the best picture category by the Metro Manila Film Festival committee a day before the awards night. JANSEN ROMERO

Sunken ship victims’ kin seek relief

By Rey E. Requejo

FAMILIES of victims of the 2008 sinking of M/V Princess of the Stars on Monday asked the Supreme court to overturn a ruling of the Court of Appeals ordering the inhibition of Manila City Regional Trial Court, Branch 49, Judge Daniel Villanueva who granted their civil suit and ordered Sulpicio Lines Inc. to pay them P241 million in damages.

In a petition filed through Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, the petitioners claimed that the appellate court committed grave abuse of discretion in ordering the inhibition when Judge Villanueva has already decided with finality on the civil case.

“A decision has already been rendered by the RTC in the consolidated civil case for damage, and the

same is already final and executory insofar as the 64 out of the 71 plaintiffs there are concerned, because Sulpicio and the Go family lodged a fatally defective appeal. Inhibition of Hon. Villanueva, therefore, is adverse to the speedy resolution of cases and the speedy administration of justice,” the petition stated.

“Notably, the RTC case is now subject to execution proceedings precisely because of the final and executory nature of the RTC decision as stated above. Therefore, the inhibition would have the effect of aborting the execution of the decision,” the petitioners said.

The PAO chief also asserted that inhibition of a judge in a case should be voluntary as provided under Section 1, Rule 137 of the Rules of Court.

Acosta said that the CA’s special 16th division should have dismissed the petition

of Sulpicio for its failure to attach pertinent records as required by rules.

She maintained that the judge did not commit any act to warrant his inhibition from the case.

“Honorable Judge Villanueva was rightfully, effectively and efficiently supervising and overseeing the trial of the case. His opinions and initial assessment, being based on the evidence so far presented and the conduct he observed during trial, do not necessarily amount to bias and prejudice,” Acosta stressed.

According to Acosta, the inhibition issue should have been considered moot and academic since the judge already decided on the case.

She added it would be up to the high court to look into the regularity of the CA’s action.

In his ruling in September last year, Judge Villanueva awarded over P241 million

Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras said strict measures against erring drivers will be imposed beginning Monday next week.

The government also identified the southbound lane starting from Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City to Guadalupe in Makati City as having the worst traffic situation on Edsa.

“We will be imposing stricter enforcement and traffic management from Shaw Boulevard to Guadalupe on January 18,” said Almendras.

“We will call the attention of private vehicles to get out of the yellow lane, unless they will turn right. If they will not cooperate we will issue tickets.”

Almendras said additional men from the Police Highway Patrol Group and Metro Manila Development Authority will also be deployed to secure and manage the flow of traffic in the area.

The government earlier introduced new policies to ease traffic, and encourage private motorists to leave their cars at home and use the public transportation instead.

Among those measures are the installation of plastic barriers on the congested southbound lane from Shaw Boulevard to Guadalupe, and concrete barriers on Edsa-Connecticut.

MMDA chairman Emerson Carlos explained that the concrete barriers would discourage swerving of vehicles coming from Con-

necticut going to the Meralco flyover while the plastic barriers will be used in separating public utility vehicles from private cars.

“We have been saying all along that in order to move people, we have to encourage them to leave their private cars and use public utility vehicles, so if you put plastic barriers for public utility buses, buses will move,” he said.

Almendras, for his part, said the business sector was the one who suggested a separator for buses and private vehicles.

“They kept on insisting that it was the buses that cause the problem. So, if you remember they made a public announcement na dapat i-separate public utility buses from the cars, I think this is going to be the answer to that question. We will do it, and we’ll see what happens,” he said.

Observers said the loading and unloading of bus passengers to non-designated areas and the wanton disregard for public and private motorists to traffic rules are the main reason for the road congestion.

“We actually think it will improve the flow of the buses more than the cars. But that’s the whole point. We want to encourage the high occupancy vehicles to move faster. So that’s why we are going to do it. And we’re doing it with the plastic barriers before we put the cement separators, then we can adjust accordingly,” Almendras said.

in damages to the families and relatives of the victims who originally sought over P500 million in their civil suit.

The RTC said the amount, which will be paid by Sulpicio Lines Inc. (now Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation), shall earn 12 percent legal interest per annum starting from the date when the decision becomes final until fully paid.

The court held that evidence showed there was negligence on the part of the shipping firm, which was required to pay the relatives of those who died in the tragedy as well as the four survivors actual, moral and exemplary damages as well as the loss of earning MERALCO spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga clarified on Monday capacity pursuant to the that it was not a Meralco pole but a PLDT post that got broken provisions of the Civil Code. in Libis Baesa, Caloocan City, contrary to a photo caption that The criminal case against came out in the The Standard on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016.

Sulpicio executives and offiZaldarriaga said he got information that the telephone post cers remains pending with the Manila RTC. was fixed in no time.

Broken pole

PH, US to take up maritime woes

By Vito Barcelo THE “rising tension” in the West Philippine Sea will be among the issues to be discussed by Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin when they meet with their counterparts in the United States’ Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter in Washington.

In a statement, the DFA said that the two sides are expected to discuss a wide range of bilateral issues on Jan. 12, 2015, including defense and security cooperation and significant developments in the economic engagement of the two countries.

“The agenda will also cover regional and global issues that impact on both countries, in particular, the recent developments in the South China Sea, the upcoming Special AseanUS Summit in California, and cooperation on climate change,” the DFA said.

The Philippines challenged China’s nine-dash line claim which encompasses almost the entire South China Sea before the international tribunal court but China refused to participate and said it would reject any decision of The Netherlands-based court which will come out early this year.

Last year, the US launched a direct military challenge to Beijing’s territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea

with naval maneuvers near two artificial islands.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen passed through waters near the disputed Spratly archipelago, within 12 nautical miles of the Spratlys’ Mischief and Subi reefs, which are at the heart of a controversial Chinese island building campaign that has soured ties between Washington and Beijing.

During the successful visit of President Barack Obama to Manila in November 2015, the Philippines and the United States reaffirm the enduring strength of the bilateral alliance.

The two governments are also committed to further enhance the historic friendship to better serve their respective national interests.

Rebuilding. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada leads the distribution of building materials to the victims of the New Year’s Day fire that displaced about 2,000 people in Barangay 115 Dagupan Extension, Manila. DANNY PATA

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

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NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Health top Filipinos’ concern

Fewer families became hungry in 4th quarter

By Sandy Araneta

A VAST majority of Filipinos (62 percent) cited staying healthy as an urgent personal concern, the Pulse Asia Research said in its latest survey revealed on Monday.

By Sandy Araneta FEWER Filipino families have experienced involuntary hunger during the last quarter of 2015, according to the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations.

The SWS said this latest results bring the full-year average rate to its lowest point in 11 years in 2015.

The SWS survey was conducted on Dec. 5 to 8 among 1,200 adults nationwide, with sampling error margins of ±3 points for national percentages and ±6 points each for Metro Manila, “Balance Luzon,” Visayas and Mindanao.

The SWS latest survey noted that 11.7 percent of respondents, estimated at 2.6 million families, had said they experienced having had nothing to eat at least once in the past three months.

This was a four-point drop from 15.7 percent, estimated at 3.5-million families, compared to the results in September last year.

SWS said 2015’s average hunger rate of 13.4 percent is 4.9 points below the 2014 average of 18.3 percent and was the lowest annual average hunger rate since 2004’s 11.8 percent average.

The SWS said overall hunger last quarter consisted of the following: • the 8.9 percent, or an estimated two-million families, who experienced “moderate hunger”—or lacked food to eat “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months—5.2 points down from September’s 14.1 percent that was equivalent to 3.1-million families; and • the 2.8 percent, equivalent to 621,000 families, who experienced “severe hunger”—or had nothing to eat “often” or “always” in the last three months—1.2 points more than September’s 1.6 percent, or about 361,000 families.

In last week’s results, the SWS said that “self-rated poverty” among Filipino families steadied at 50 percent in the last quarter, similar to the 50 percent in the September survey, while those who rated themselves poor in terms of food—labelled the “food-poor”—declined by two points to 33 percent from 35 percent previously.

“The four-point fall in hunger rate amid the steady self-rated poor and the twopoint decline in self-rated food-poor proportions, between September and December 2015, was due to falling hunger among both the poor and the ‘not poor/on the borderline’,” according to the SWS’ latest report.

It noted that, from September to December, overall hunger (“moderate” plus “severe”) fell by 6.5 points among the selfrated poor, to 14.4 percent from 20.9 percent and eased by 1.6 points among the “not poor/on the borderline” segment to 9.0 percent from 10.6 percent.

The second most often mentioned urgent personal concern is completing one’s education or providing schooling for one’s children (48 percent), according to Pulse Asia Research’s “December 2015 Ulat ng Bayan Survey: Media Release on Urgent Personal and National Concerns of Filipinos 11 January 2016”.

Two concerns make up a third cluster of personal issues deemed urgent by Filipinos—having a secure job (43 percent ) and having enough to eat on a daily basis (41 percent).

A fourth group of urgent personal concerns includes having some savings (39 percent) and having one’s own house and lot (37 percent).

Filipinos are least concerned about avoiding being a crime victim (30 percent).

These figures are generally the same as those recorded in November 2014, said Pulse Asia.

The top first- and secondmentioned urgent personal concerns of Filipinos are staying healthy and avoiding illnesses (23 percent and 21 percent, respectively) and finishing one’s schooling or providing schooling for one’s children (19 percent and 17 percent, respectively).

Meanwhile, the leading third-mentioned urgent personal concerns are staying healthy (18 percent), having enough to eat everyday (17 percent), and having some savings (17 percent).

Majorities in all geographic areas and socioeconomic classes consider staying healthy as an urgent personal concern (55 per-

cent to 67 percent and 52 percent to 68 percent, respectively).

Education is deemed urgent by most Mindanaoans (53 percent) and those in Class E (54 percent).

A slim majority of Metro Manilans (51 percent) cite having a secure job as an urgent personal concern while the same percentage of those in Class ABC (51 percent) are concerned about having some savings.

In contrast, Metro Manilans are least concerned about personal food security (30 percent) and crime victimization (32 percent).

The least often mentioned urgent personal concerns of those in the rest of Luzon and Mindanao are having one’s own house and lot (34 percent and 33 percent, respectively) and avoiding being a crime victim (31 percent and 29 percent, respectively).

While those in Class ABC are least concerned about having their own house and lot (23 percent), Visayans and those in Classes D and E are least concerned about avoiding being a victim of any serious crime (23 percent to 30 percent).

The leading urgent national concerns of Filipinos are mostly economic in nature—controlling inflation (45 percent), increasing

workers’ pay (42 percent), reducing poverty (38 percent), creating more jobs (34 percent), and fighting corruption in government (34 percent).

Meanwhile, criminality is an issue identified as urgent by a quarter of Filipinos (25 percent).

A fourth group of urgent personal concerns includes peace (19 percent) and rule of law (16 percent) while environmental degradation (12 percent) and amount of taxes one pays (11 percent) comprise a fifth cluster.

Less than one in 10 Filipinos cites rapid population growth (7 percent), welfare of overseas Filipino workers (7 percent), territorial integrity (4 percent), charter change (3 percent), and terrorism (3 percent) as issues requiring the immediate attention of the Aquino administration.

Overall, the top first-mentioned urgent national concerns among Filipinos are workers’ pay (17 percent) and inflation (16 percent).

Meanwhile, the leading second- mentioned concerns are inflation (16 percent), poverty (14 percent), workers’ pay (13 percent), and corruption in government (12 percent).

As regards third-mentioned

concerns, the top responses are jobs (15 percent), inflation (12 percent), workers’ pay (12 percent), poverty (12 percent), and corruption (12 percent).

The only national issue cited as urgent in any geographic area and socio-economic group is inflation which is identified as an urgent national concern by 54 percent of Mindanao residents.

The most often mentioned concerns in Metro Manila and Class D are inflation (46 percent and 43 percent, respectively) and workers’ pay (47 percent and 43 percent, respectively).

In the rest of Luzon, the leading national issues are workers’ pay (42 percent), inflation (40 percent), poverty (35 percent), and jobs (35 percent).

For their part, Visayans are most concerned about workers’ pay (44 percent), inflation (42 percent), poverty (42 percent), jobs (33 percent), and corruption (33 percent).

And while those in Class ABC are most concerned about inflation and poverty (49 percent and 34 percent, respectively), those in Class E are most concerned about inflation (48 percent), workers’ pay (43 percent), and poverty (42 percent).

Pro-farmer bets. A survey analyst discusses poll findings that show eight out of 10 Filipinos will vote for candidates whose platforms include ensuring food security and focusing on financial support for the farming sector. JANSEN ROMERO

Court upholds bail for suspect in Maguindanao massacre case

By Rio N. Araja THE Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Monday rejected the plea of government prosecutors to reverse its decision granting bail to one of the accused police officers in the Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre case.

In a three-page order, Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Reyes denied the partial motion for reconsideration filed by the prosecution panel due to lack of merit.

The prosecution led by Assistant City Prosecutor

Archimedes Manabat asked for the reconsideration of the Sept. 22, 2015 order of Reyes allowing the bail petition of PO1 Sandy Sabang.

In granting Sabang’s bail plea, Reyes ruled that not one of the testimonies or exhibits presented by the prosecution had linked Sabang to the killing of 58 persons, including 32 journalists, on Nov. 23, 2009.

Prosecution averred the court’s process and reasoning in granting bail to Sabang was seriously flawed.

“The presence of accused

Sabang during the alleged meeting conducted on Nov. 22, 2009 at the farm of Andal Ampatuan Sr., is not innocent,” the prosecution’s motion’s read.

In denying the appeal, Reyes said the prosecution was not able to present a legal basis on their argument on mere presence of Sabang in a meeting.

“Thus, during the trial on the merits, parties must then demonstrate whether the accused is indeed innocent or guilty of the crimes charged.”

Gutted. Firemen hose down a portion of a sack factory that is being razed by fire in Barangay Maysan, in Valenzuela City. ANDREW RABULAN

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

OPINION [ EDI TORI A L ]

ROUGH SAILING, STILL ADVOCATES spent many years—and several congresses—pushing for the passage of the Reproductive Health Law. This, after all, is a country where majority of the people were Catholics.

The Catholic Church was perceived as influential, both on politicians and on ordinary mass-goers from the most remote of towns.

Heated debates and controversial statements characterized the bill’s journey. When it was finally passed in December 2012, the victory was short-lived. Numerous groups assailed the law’s constitutionality on varied grounds. It was only in April 2014 that the Supreme Court declared it, quite curiously, “not unconstitutional”.

Despite this, the law continues to face rough sailing. Bad news for the people it aims to enlighten and provide choices to.

The bicameral conference committee has slashed P1.157 billion, intended for the purchase of contraceptives that would be distributed to the poor, from the 2016 budget.

Senator Vicente Sotto III, who has always grounded his opposition to the bill on supposed morality, defends how they slashed the budget, saying that this is only a small part of the Department of Health’s overall budget of P123.5 billion.

Sotto now has the temerity to say he is “now in favor of the RH law because we made sure it had been cleansed of abortion, population control and the use of abortifacients.”

Sadly, this is the man who is topping the senatorial surveys.

Health Secretary Janette Garin said she only learned of the budget cut last week. The Health department is said to be coordinating with stakeholders on how it can still achieve its objectives despite the budget cut.

It is difficult to imagine how objectives could be met. The slashed portion of the DoH budget with its specific purpose has specific beneficiaries. Without it, poor families will not otherwise have access to their family planning options.

There is also the silent but steady growth in the number of new cases of HIV and AIDS in the country. We do not know if the government has come up with a plan on how to counter this trend, in an era where the number of new cases in other countries have been going down.

We join the chorus of those condemning what happened at the bicameral committee, no thanks to the leadership of some legislators hell bent on preventing the law from achieving its objectives.

Poor families need guidance and access to contraceptives: that issue has long been settled.

Of what use are laws when scheming lawmakers lend their influence in ensuring they are not implemented well?

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

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ABAYA’S STINK LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES

IF THIS is the Aquino administration’s idea of toilet humor, nobody is laughing. Except maybe Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya, who is determined to come up smelling like roses, whatever stink his continued stay in government raises.

Everybody can accuse Abaya of anything until they’re blue in the face, but he’s still not going to go away. And that includes the Commission on Audit, which has decided to throw not just the kitchen sink but also the toilet bowl at Abaya, for his alleged failure to build public comfort rooms under the “Kayo Ang Boss Ko” project.

I first heard of the KBK Toilet Facilities Improvement Project (its full name) of Abaya’s department last year, when it was supposed to be implemented at various air terminals. That was when the

Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 1 was gaining international notoriety for, among other shortcomings, not having working toilets.

It turns out that this foreign-assisted project had been programmed for implementation in nearly all public transportation facilities, including airports, seaports and train stations that are under agencies directly supervised by Abaya’s DoTC—who, I have no doubt, had something to do with the choice of the program’s name.

CoA’s Jan. 7 report on the project seems destined to raise a stink but—if Malacañang’s unflinching support for Abaya is any indication—it still won’t be enough to remove the secretary from office.

State auditors found a host of things wrong with Abaya’s toilet propagation scheme—everything from questionable realignments of funds, to suspect bulk procurements to declaring failed biddings and then suspending or delaying construction, all of which led to “wastage of government funds.”

Every time Abaya tries to improve his public image, he always becomes the victim of propaganda blowback.

And we’re not talking about outhouses and makeshift toilets here, like the pink roadside urinals built some years back by Bayani Fernando.

The KBK program cost P351.86 million—which is a lot of money to flush down the toilet, by any stretch of the imagination.

CoA found alleged irregularities in the procurement of major toilet fixtures with stainless steel accessories, wall tiles, phenolic boards, custom-built signages and even granite

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

counter-tops. That’s a lot of toilets, outfitted with a lot of stuff—only, according to the auditors, they didn’t get built.

The ordinary long-suffering MRT rider or airplane passenger who needs to desperately go to the toilet, I’m sure, doesn’t find any of this funny. Ironic, sure, when you consider the name; but then, aren’t we all Aquino’s bosses, according to him? *** Meanwhile, the embattled Abaya has started a charm offensive, going on every broadcast media outlet that will have him to explain why he’s such a good guy and why he is not resigning. The usually media-shy Abaya has been directed by his boss, President Noynoy Aquino, to stop monkeying around with biddings and contracts and face the press, in a meeting with the Chief Executive in Malacañang last week.

Aquino, of course, has already declared that he is not letting go of Abaya, the official he personally volunteered to lie down 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

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

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

THE 365 CLUB’S NEW VENUE TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

TWO succeeding events at the end of last year somewhat dampened my “Happy New Year” spirit for the year 2016.

First is the death of a beloved Salesian priest.

The Italian Adolf Faroni was my confessor and spiritual adviser while I was still living at Ecology Village. Father Faroni lived to be 93 years old.

Up to his last day, he was still hearing confessions at the Don Bosco Church.

Second is the closure of the Hotel Intercontinental.

The Intercon, where the Jeepney coffee shop was located, opened its doors to the public on April 15,1969. The Ayalas built it. It became the home of the 365 Club which I co-founded with the late columnist Teodoro “Ka Doroy” Valencia on the day the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos proclaimed Martial Law in 1972.

We have transferred to the Holiday Inn and Suites, still in Makati.

The Hotel Intercon closed Dec. 31 because it will be demolished (in fact, the whole block of the hotel and the parking lot behind it have to be demolished). In its place will stand a terminal hub cum business and residential area. This will take three years to finish.

It was a sad day, not only for the hotel staff and employees, its customers who love going to Prince Albert that served succulent imported steaks, the porters, the waiters of the coffee shop—especially George who patiently served for the past 43 years.

I had already thanked the Hotel Intercon management staff led by our friend, Christian Peridon.

For many years, they tolerated our noise.

We are thankful that Peridon, manager of Intercontinental Hotels Group, invited the 365 Club to the Holiday Inn and Suites Makati as the new venue of the Club.

The 365 Club is an informal gathering of journalists and media people, with professionals, businessmen, past and present government officials, politicians, PR people, lobbyists and anybody else who wants to be heard. Sometimes they are hangers-on.

Last Jan. 9, the 365 Club convened again at Holiday Inn & Suites coffee shop with myself as chairman emeritus, chairman-president lawyer-businessman Alfonso “Boy” Reyno and our voluntary and perennial secretary-treasurer Maloli Espinosa Supnet, leading the group. We however, missed Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, a regular.

He must have been very busy with the reopening of the Mamasapano massacre being scheduled on Jan. 25 at the Senate.

I would like to take note of these who were there, like former Nueva Ecija Rep. Rene Diaz, former Ambassador Andy del Rosario who now writes for The Standard, Roy Sinfuego of The Manila Bulletin, an original of the Club, his wife Doris, originals Cecil Arillo, Bert Lumauig, Linggoy Alcuaz, Eric San Juan, Ruben Ilagan, Rene Golangco, Jess Disini, Jimmy Abastillas, Ding Torreno, Oni Alcala, Jimmy Abastillas, all originals, Macey Ariola, Gina Lumauig, Roger Rabanal. Floyd Punongbayan, Lito Partido, Jun Sasinarin, Roger Rabanal, among others.

As usual, Manila Times chairman Emeritus Dante Arevalo Ang was there. There was also a time when Malaya publisher and editor-in-chief Jake Macasaet, and Manila Bulletin editor-inchief Jun Icban were regulars, but we have missed them.

It’s KKB (kanyakanyang bayad) during our gatherings unless a generous soul offers to pick up the tab.

Our new venue is relaxing, with no less than Franck Merot, vice executive assistant manager, and Maricor Aquino, area director of Sales and Marketing-Philippines, meeting us there.

Our informal gatherings used to be on a

HILBAY’S BRILLIANT, COURAGEOUS COMMENT TO THE surprise of many, but not to me and others who know Solicitor General Florin Hilbay’s constitutional approach, the comment submitted by the latter signed with 10 other solicitors sided with the majority decision of the Senate Electoral Tribunal. Without doubt, the comment is both brilliant and courageous.

From the first paragraph of the comment, it is clear that Hilbay and his colleagues understood rightly what this SET case is all about: “This case involves an inquiry into the status of foundlings under Philippine law and the right of such class of vulnerable persons against undue burdens that restrict their membership in society, opportunities for political participation, and recognition as full citizens of the republic.”

I could not have said this better.

This is the only legal and ethical way to frame the issues on the Poe disqualification cases. In this case of her natural born citizenship, it is the rights of foundlings at stake; in the residency case filed with the Comelec, it is the rights of global Filipinos—OFWs, migrants and dual citizens that are at stake. Indeed, I have been saying the same thing for months, that this case is not just about Grace Poe but it is the rights of the tens or maybe hundreds of thousands of Filipino foundlings and the millions of global Filipinos at stake. The Supreme Court will be ruling not just on Grace Poe’s rights but on the rights of these other citizens. This is the only fair way to deal with these cases. If Poe loses, the precedent will be used by unscrupulous people to file cases against other foundlings and global Filipinos. It will not just be for political reasons, but for employment, property and other causes as well.

On the SET case, the comment tackles four issues, namely: a) daily basis, but along the way, most of the regulars came only on Saturdays because of conflicting schedules. *** Just as I was about to finish this column to meet its deadline, I was told that my dear friend and colleague in the press, Nap Rama, died. Nap is not as old as I am, at 88 years, but when you reach 80, you should realize you are in the departure area, waiting for the last call to board the plane for the Great Beyond.

I had known Nap since when he was writing for the old Free Press owned by the late Teodoro Locsin, Teddyboy Locsin’s late father. I admired Nap’s exposés. The Free Press was known then for its fearless exposés.

Later on, Nap became publisher of Don Emilio

EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA whether Poe is a natural-born citizen; b) whether she validly reacquired her former status as natural-born; c) whether she has validly renounced her foreign citizenship; and d) whether her use of US passport did not amount to a recantation of her renunciation of US citizenship.

On the first issue, Hilbay and colleagues argue persuasively that the deliberations in the 1934 Constitutional Convention conclusively indicate that it was the intent of the framers to confer Filipino citizenship to foundlings. The textual silence in the 1935 Constitution on the citizenship of foundlings does not suggest an exclusionary policy but rather a benevolent, if practical, policy of inclusion.

The silence was more of an effort at linguistic efficiency and avoidance of redundancy.

The most convincing argument of the solicitor general and his team of lawyers is their assertion that the evidence shows that Poe is a natural-born Filipino. I totally agree with this. From the beginning, I have believed that there is no need to apply evidentiary presumptions to show Poe was a natural-born citizen. Yes, it’s true that Poe cannot present a birth certificate to prove her filiation. But the circumstances of how she was found, including her physical features and that she was found abandoned in a parish church of Jaro, Iloilo, the population of which then as now was predominantly Filipino; all of these are undisputed facts that prove her parents were Filipinos.

Foundlings are ordinarily abandoned due to poverty. It defies reason, according to Hilbay and col-

Yap’s Manila Bulletin. I still recall that time when he invited me to write for the Bulletin. I demurred since I was columnist and chairman of the Manila Standard editorial board.

My wife is a good friend of Lady Rama, Nap’s better half. I condole with the family. Another press icon will be missed. *** The row between Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista and Commissioner Rowena Guanzon has to be ironed out soonest possible time, for the good of the commission. This is not good for the Comelec, whose mandate is to give the people an honest, fair and clean elections this year.

More importantly, the job description of the Comelec chairman and six other commissioners must be made clear in the

leagues, citing Senator Legarda’s line of reasoning, for a poor foreigner to travel thousands of miles from her place of origin, come to the country, give birth and leave her child in a parish church in Iloilo. These are facts that a reasonable mind can accept as sufficient and credible to reach the conclusion that Poe was sired by Filipino parents. They add: to adopt “certainty” as an evidentiary standard, that is, accepting only a birth certificate to prove Filipino parentage as the acceptable proof, for proving Poe’s natural-born status is discriminatory to foundlings. This imposes an undue burden to this class of individuals to prove they are qualified to exercise certain fundamental political rights.

Second, as to whether Senator Poe reacquired her Filipino citizenship, the comment observes that the preponderance of evidence favors Poe. First, she executed an Oath of Allegiance in 2006; then, she filed with the Bureau of Immigration a petition for reacquisition of Filipino citizenship which was granted by the said office in 2006. Under Section 3 of RA 9225, natural-born citizens who have lost their status due to naturalization shall be deemed to have reacquired their former citizenship status upon taking the required oath of allegiance to the republic.

Third, Hilbay and colleagues pointed out that Poe validly renounced her American citizenship when she validly executed a sworn affidavit of renunciation of her American citizenship which she did before assuming her post as chairperson of MTRCB; when in 2010, she furnished the BI of her copy of the affidavit of renunciation; and in 2011 when she executed before the vice consul of the US Embassy in Manila an oath/affirmation of renunciation of her American Continued on A11 citizenship.

wake of the statement of Bautista that Guanzon did not clear her comment to the Supreme Court over the disqualification of Mrs. Mary Grace Natividad Kelly Poe Llamanzares.

In a way, Guanzon was correct in stating that she is not an employee of Chairman Bautista that she should bow to his wishes. Bautista and all the other six commissioners have equal rights and duties and should not be considered less in power and duties than the Comelec chairman. Besides, as Guanzon said, the Comelec en banc had already authorized her to make that comment before the Supreme Court. There was the element of time to be considered.

Bautista for his part was also correct that Guanzon should have al-

lowed the Comelec chairman to sign her comment being the commission chairman. I have been chairman of a private corporation Board of Directors, and I know that out of courtesy, Santa Banana, any action or comment by a board member should at least be known to me out of courtesy.

Still, for a chairman of the board to say that he can remove the authority of Guanzon’s comments approved en banc by the commission adds confusion to an already confused situation. Bautista had dissented from a majority decision disqualifying Mrs. Llamanzares for her residency and citizenship issues. Bautista statements would make the public believe that he is trying to protect Mrs. Llamanzares.

Continued on A11

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA LAST December, Senator Grace Poe and her supporters in the so-called All4GP Movement published their third advertisement calling on the Supreme Court to allow Poe to run for president in the May 2016 elections. In effect, they want the SC to disobey the Constitution by letting the voters decide whether or not Poe should be president.

Like the first two advertisements, this one was written in poor English—“We humbly urged (should be urge) our Honorable Justices to uphold our rights ...” How such poor English was approved by Poe, an American citizen before she held public office in the country, is undisclosed. If Poe was too busy to review the advertisement, she should have asked her American husband to review it for her. By the way, Poe’s camp remains silent on the citizenship of Poe’s American husband. According to Poe, her husband may consider becoming a Filipino citizen again if she wins the presidency.

Although the usual citation of opinions favorable to Poe were quoted in the advertisement, the photograph of the late Fernando Poe Jr., which appeared in the first two advertisements, is missing.

In its stead is a circular symbol bearing the phrase “Bangsamoro Group for Grace Poe.”

GRACE POE’S CAMP IS AT IT AGAIN That phrase clearly indicates that Poe is in favor of the proposed but discredited Bangsamoro Basic Law. Being so, every voter opposed to the dismemberment of the Republic of the Philippines and against the creation of a Malaysian satellite substate in Mindanao should oppose Poe’s presidential bid.

Worse, it appears that in exchange for the support of those behind the BBL, Poe has already committed herself (and the national government if she becomes president) to the approval of the BBL. In this sense, Poe is no different from President Benigno Aquino III who desperately wants the BBL railroaded by Congress through his loyal partymates—House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Senate President Franklin Drilon.

Fortunately, Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. almost single-handedly stopped Aquino from forcing the BBL on the people.

If Poe is in favor of the BBL, then there may be truth to the story that Poe is the alternate candidate of Malacañang if the campaign of Liberal Party presidential bet Mar Roxas does not pick up steam any time soon.

It will be recalled that although Poe won her disqualification case in the Senate Electoral Tribunal

by a slim 5-4 majority, she lost in the disqualification cases filed against her in the Comelec. Both sets of rulings were appealed to the SC. In its comment filed in Poe’s SET case in the SC, the Office of the Solicitor General sided with her and agreed with the ruling of the SET. In effect, the OSG rejected the decision of the Comelec in the separate disqualification cases filed against Poe. That measure is an issue in itself.

As the official lawyer of the Republic of the Philippines, the Solicitor General is expected to consult the President of the Philippines regarding sensitive political cases. That description is broad enough to include Poe’s disqualification cases—which pit the Comelec against the SET, and which may mean a potential conflict with the separate opinions of the three justices of the SC in the SET. Thus, what the OSG did in the SET case may be another indication that Poe is President Aquino’s Plan B. Last week, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista revealed to the news media that the comment filed by the Comelec in Poe’s SET case in the SC did not have the official approval of the poll body.

Bautista disclosed that although the comment was submitted by

Hilbay’s... From A10

Abaya’s... From A8

Finally, the comment acknowledged that although use of a foreign passport may ordinarily be considered as a repudiation of renunciation of foreign citizenship, this does not apply to Poe as it has been conclusively proven that the last time she used her US passport was in 2009—months before she executed the renunciation of her foreign citizenship.

Overall, this is truly excellent work by the solicitor general and his colleagues, upholding that Poe is a natural-born citizen and that foundlings are naturalborn citizens not because of international law but because our Constitution says they are, and not just by presumptions but by the evidence. The scholarship is rigorous and the compassion and sense of justice is palpable as you read through the arguments. Tongue in cheek, the comment even makes an allusion, and definitely a justifiable one, to the Harry Potter books: “One must therefore be similarly mindful of the almost-comical scale with which we are scrutinizing the purity of private respondent’s blood, as if purity of blood were a standard for capacity to govern—as if our nation belonged to House Slytherin; and this scrutiny assumes an ironic twist when considered against the backdrop of our aggressive attempts to justify the Filipino citizenship of others just so we may, as a nation, improve our athletic or cultural profile.”

This paragraph stands out and exposes Florin Hilbay (I am proud to claim him as a UP Law faculty colleague, fellow Yale Law School alumnus, and former student when he was in his first year in law school) for the genius that he is. But more than the brilliance, I must also praise Hilbay and his colleagues (some of whom I also happily and proudly note were my former students from the University of the Philippines College of Law and Ateneo School of Law) for the courage they mustered in filing this comment. This is a career-risky move but that did not deter them from doing the right thing. We are so lucky that we have them as the tribune of the people.

on a train track with to die under an onrushing train, if the Baclaran to Bacoor extension of the LRT Line 1 is not finished by the end of 2015. And Abaya, who has to be threatened almost with bodily harm before he faces congressional hearings, is now making the media rounds, to back up Aquino’s decision never to leave his side.

The administration Liberal Party, which Abaya heads, has no choice but to follow the President’s lead, naturally. After all, Abaya is also tight with LP presidential candidate Mar Roxas, who chose the great-grandson of Emilio Aguinal-

Facebook Page: Dean Tony La Viña Twitter: tonylavs

Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, he and the other commissioners were not consulted about it. For her part, Guanzon said that she acted in accordance with the authority given to her by the Comelec.

Poe’ camp quickly branded Guanzon and the commissioners who voted against Poe in the disqualification cases as “biased commissioners.” In doing so, Poe’s camp made it appear to the news media that Poe did not get a fair chance in the hands of Guanzon and the Comelec commissioners who voted against their candidate.

The reaction of Poe’s camp is an overkill. Whether or not Guanzon’s comment was authorized by the Comelec has nothing to do with how Poe’s disqualification cases were resolved by the poll body. Even assuming that Guanzon had no authority to file the comment, that comment is merely an unauthorized pleading, and the Comelec can request the SC for time to file an authorized pleading. That’s all there is to that.

Another staunch Poe supporter publicly reiterated his view that the SC should allow Poe to run for president, and cited several reasons.

First—a foundling is entitled

do to replace him at DoTC when Roxas had to move on to the Interior department after Jesse Robredo died in a plane crash.

Letting go of Abaya is simply not an option for Aquino, Roxas or the LP. Abaya, who continued Roxas’ policy of taking over all the biddings and negotiations of the many attached agencies of the department, simply knows too much and is too close to all the various actors to be sacrificed like Al Vitangcol III, the former MRT-3 general manager.

But Abaya’s misfortune is that every time he tries to improve his public image, he always becomes the victim of propaganda blow-

The 365... From A10 The job and duties of the Comelec chairman must be clarified. As chairman, he has the power to call a board meeting, and during voting he can vote to break a deadlock. He also has the right to vote if needed. A chairman is administratively empowered to clear his desk of administrative duties like taking care of the budget, providing salaries of employees and other administrative duties hiring and firing people.

But, it must be made clear that a Comelec commissioner is not beholden to the chairman and can vote the way he/she wishes.

Bautista and Guanzon must clear the air about this issue for the common good. *** Many questions have been raised as a result of President Aquino’s statements that the reopening of the Mamasapano massacre by the Senate is “politically motivated.”

Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile had wanted to

to social justice, which means that one who has less in life should have more in law. Social justice, however, has no bearing here. Poe may be a foundling but she certainly isn’t one who has “less in life” as indicated in the comfortable life she had and currently has.

Second—in case of doubt, courts should allow one to run for public office. There is, however, no doubt to resolve in favor of Poe, because she is clearly disqualified under the Constitution from running for president.

Third—the SC has decided that a natural-born Filipino citizen who became an alien can reacquire natural-born citizenship upon repatriation.

That ruling does not apply to Poe, who is not a natural-born Filipinon citizen to begin with.

Fourth—international conventions allow a foundling to run for president. That is not so. Those conventions require Congress to enact a law to that effect, and there is none so far.

Finally—Poe enjoys certain presumptions which allow her to run for president. If that is so, then the Comelec has no authority to disallow perceived nuisance candidates from running for public office, and that it will have to permit just about anybody to run for president. Good grief!

back. This happened when Abaya attempted to ride an MRT train with an aide holding an umbrella over his precious head and it happened again when the President said he was not letting go of his favorite secretary, when the MRT trains stalled not once but twice last Friday.

I’m still betting Abaya will somehow hang on to his post. But I’m happy that the Palace spokesman who asked that the AquinoAbaya double train suicide should not be taken literally is being proven correct—there’s only the figurative killing of these two, and it’s happening practically every blessed day.

ask more questions about the slaughter of 44 police commandos. Enrile was under detention when this was first investigated by the Senate.

There are also questions on the motives of Mrs. Llamanzares reopening the probe because she is running for president, and that the Senate was being used for campaign purposes.

Thus, Santa Banana, foremost among the questions being asked is: “Why is BS Aquino III so touchy about the Senate reopening the Mamasapano massacre? Are the President and the Liberal Party hiding something that the people do not know?”

Personally, I would like to know why the Armed Forces of the Philippines failed to respond to the call for assistance by the “Fallen 44,” when the military could have done so.

As Commander-in-Chief, BS Aquino III has a lot of explaining to do. And by the way, why have the relatives, survivors and others not been given the justice they deserve with not one of those charged with the slaughter being charged in court?

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

Spieth blitzes field to win in Hawaii LOS ANGELES— Jordan Spieth claimed his seventh USPGA Tour title Sunday, routing the field to win the Tournament of Champions and match Tiger Woods for the most career wins before the age of 23.

Russian, Non win kiteboarding LISA Nikitina of Russia flaunted superb riding skills and racked up two victories, including the Twin Tip crown, while Atte Kappel of Sweden repeated as Masters Twin Tip champ in the second leg of the ICTSI Philippine Kiteboarding Tour Season 3 at Aqua Boracay in Bulabog Beach Sunday.

Julius Non from Soloviento, Caliraya also made an emphatic return to the kiteboarding scene, winning the men’s Twin Tip while John Clyde Pardo took the novice men’s diadem, edging Gordon Gelito with Jondymar Cortes, William Cansino and Blazei Schmidt placing third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Non, who won the inaugural leg in Calatagan, Batangas in 2013, scored 10.0 nett to foil local bet Bong Fernando, who had 12.0, while Ronnel Mateo pooled 16.0 for third followed by Doque delos Santos (17.0) and Christian Tio (19.0).

Nikitina turned in a nett score of 6.0 to best German Kathrin Bogwardt (9.0) while Viola Kaukonen of Finland, Mary Jane Gajisan and Liezl Tio took the next three spots with 17.0, 22.0 and 28.0, respectively, in the opener of the three-day event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc and organized by the Philippine Kiteboarding Association.

The Russian ace rider also dished out the same awesome form in ruling the Freestyle division, besting Bogwardt and another German Franziska Limmer with Kaukonen settling for fourth in the second day of action where Nikitina also won a Cabrinha board in the raffle draw.

Bogwardt, however, got back at Nikitina and foiled the Russian’s three-title bid, topping the Hangtime class with a score of 3.57 seconds with Gajisan placing second (3.33) and Nikitina ending up third (3.19) followed by Kaukonen (3.15) and Limmer (2.82) in the event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. and backed by Cabrinha, Coca Cola, Greenyard Boracay and Sailor Jerry.

Jordan Spieth poses with caddie Michael Greller and the winner's trophy on the 18th green after putting for birdie to go 30 under and win the final round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club in Lahaina, Hawaii. AFP

Llamas, Andrade log Capiz tennis triumphs TOP seed Tracy Llamas and unranked Al Francis Andrade dished out top form to nail two titles each in the 2016 Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional tennis circuit presented by Slazenger at the Vistec Tennis Club in Roxas City Monday.

Llamas, one of the rising stars from La Carlota, Negros, Occidental, mastered Louise Clavaton twice, posting a 6-3, 6-1 triumph in

the girls’ 18-U finals and hacking out a tough 7-5, 6-4 decision for the 16-U diadem.

Andrade matched that feat in the boys’ side of the Group 3 tournament as the unfancied Kalibo bet humbled top seed Lorenzo Legaspi, 6-2, 6-3, to pocket the 16-U title then overpowered Justin Alba, 6-0, 6-1, in the premier 18-U championship, making him the player to watch in the next stops of the circuit sponsored by Pal-

awan Pawnshop and Slazenger as the official ball of the age-group circuit and the Open Festival.

“It has been an inspiring start not only for us but for these young players with Andrade emerging as the surprise package of the tournament,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/ CEO Bobby Castro. “It is for this reason—to discover fresh talents—that we have committed to put up this nationwide, year-long circuit.”

Andrea Suace lived up to her billing as the top seeded bet from Iloilo crushed Jane Diangco, 6-2, 6-3, to cop the girls’ 14-U crown while local bet and third seed DJ John Guillano stunned top seed Angelo Mejia, 6-2, 1-6, 10-6, to snare the boys’ title in the five-day event kicking off this year’s tour backed by new partner Asiatraders Corp., exclusive distributor of Slazenger in the country.

Messi tipped to regain award ZURICH—Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is targeting an unprecedented fifth Ballon d’Or award in Zurich on Monday, with the Argentine heavily favoured to reclaim the prize from three-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

Brazil striker Neymar, who plays alongside Messi at Barca, is also in the running to be crowned world player of the year after he was included on the three-man shortlist for the first time.

Messi and Neymar, along with overlooked Uruguay star Luis Suarez, formed a formidable front three that propelled Barca to five trophies in 2015, including a second Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey treble in six seasons.

Messi, who won the award four times in a row from 20092012, scored 48 goals for Barca in 2015 as the Catalan giants reclaimed their status as the world’s top club side, easily overcoming South American champions River Plate in the Club World Cup in Japan last month.

Former Barca captain Carles Puyol believes Messi is the clear frontrunner for the award and backed the Argentine to rack up yet more honours in the years to come. AFP

Barcelona’s Brazilian forward Neymar (L) celebrates a goal with teammates Barcelona’s Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez (2nd L), Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (2nd R) and Barcelona’s Brazilian defender Dani Alves (R) during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs Granada CF at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. AFP

The 22-year-old Texan fired a closing round of sixunder 67, capping an incredible week of precision golf to win by eight strokes.

He finished at 30-under 262, becoming just the second player in history to hit that magic 30 number.

It may be his first USPGA Tour tournament of 2016, but Spieth has picked up right where he left off last year when he won two majors and five titles. He also finished runner-up at the PGA Championship and fourth at the British Open.

The reigning Masters and US Open champion is pleased with his start to the year.

“Very satisfied,” Spieth said. “I felt comfortable the whole week. It felt like it was a short three-week break over the holidays and just tried to continue exactly what we were doing last year.

“It worked this week and all parts of the game were firing.”

Fellow American Patrick Reed, the defending champion in the tournament open only to the prior season’s winners, ended up in sole possession of second place after making a final round charge.

He had four birdies on the front nine at the par73 Plantation Course at Kapalua. He finished with a four-under 69 to reach 22-under 270.

Brandt Snedeker (67), and Brooks Koepka (71) tied for third at 21-under, nine strokes back of Spieth.

Rickie Fowler shot a six-under 67 to finish alone in fifth.

Horton Smith, who won 14 times from 1928-30, holds all-time record for the most victories before the age of 23.

Spieth, who doesn’t turn 23 for another six months, says he is uncomfortable with comparisons to 14-time major champion Woods.

“I am no where near him.

I don’t think there is any reason to compare,” he said. “It is awfully early. What Tiger has done I can’t imagine ever being done again.

“It is nice to be in that company anytime you can get into the company of some of the hall of fame players. It is certainly a goal I have had since I was a kid.” AFP

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sports sports@thestandard.com.ph

A13

Packers, Seahawks advance

WASHINGTON—dramatic missed field goal saw the Seattle Seahawks edge past the Minnesota Vikings as the Green Pay Packers demolished the Washington Redskins on a pulsating day of NFL wild card action playoff on Sunday.

The story of the day came in Minneapolis, where Vikings kicker Blair Walsh fluffed an easy 27-yard field goal attempt with 26 seconds left on the clock to allow Seattle to cling on for a nail-biting 10-9 victory.

Walsh’s miss was the final act of an icy afternoon in Minnesota, where sub-zero temperatures before kick-off made the game the third coldest match in NFL history.

The mercury plunged minus six degrees Fahrenheit (minus 21 Celsius) before the game.

The coldest match ever recorded was the 1967 “Ice Bowl” between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers, where the temperature was minus 13 at kickoff.

The Seahawks, runners-up in last season’s Super Bowl and champions two years ago, Running back Eddie Lacy #of the Green Bay Packers carries the ball against the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter during the now advance to a meeting with the National NFC Wild Card Playoff game at FedExField on January 10, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. AFP Conference number one seeded Carolina Panthers next week.

Seattle coach Pete Carroll paid tribute to his team’s never-say-die approach.

“This was really a survival game for both teams,” Carroll said. “It was an amazing defensive effort on both sides; it was one of those all-day jobs.”

Added Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman: “The football gods were with us today.”

In Washington, the Redskins’ unlikely run to the postseason came to an abrupt end as Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay rediscovance since 2010 thanks to a covering the collegiate basketered their best form to clinch a convincing MOST Valuable Players Kiefer Ravena of 35-18 victory. AFP series of double-double per- ball beat despite Perpetual’s Ateneo and Allwell Oraeme of Mapua lead the formances. absence in the NCAA Final Belo ended his collegiate Four behind a strong camwinners of the Collegiate Mythical Five when the career on a memorable note paign that almost equaled his UAAP-NCAA Press Corps and Smart Sports as he helped FEU capture its MVP year in 2014. present the Collegiate Basketball Awards on first title since 2005, while The five players are also qualiwinning the Finals MVP fied for the Smart Player of the Jan. 26 at Saisaki-Kamayan in Greenhills. honors.

Year, which will be announced Although he was on the on the night of the awards LOS ANGELES—The National Football Ravena and Oraeme are performances during the losing end of that title series Leading the list of awardLeague’s efforts to tone down some of the game’s joined by Far Eastern Uni- collegiate season. with FEU, Ferrer had a sen- ees are FEU’s Nash Racela violence in a bid to protect player health has versity’s Mac Belo, UniverRavena captured his sec- sational season for UST and and Aldin Ayo, the former made gridiron “soft”, US presidential hopeful sity of Santo Tomas’ Kevin ond straight UAAP MVP was second to Ravena in the Letran coach, now with La Donald Trump said Sunday.

Ferrer and University of award in his final season UAAP MVP derby.

Salle, who will both receive Trump who leads the polls for the Republican Perpetual Help’s Scot- with Ateneo, while Oraeme Thompson, now playing for the top coaching honors afnomination for the White House, said in Reno, tie Thompson in the 2015 powered Mapua to its first Ginebra in the PBA, earned ter steering their teams to the Nevada, that too many penalty flags were ruinbatch for their outstanding NCAA Final Four appear- the nod of the group of scribes championship. ing the NFL. “You used to see these tackles and it was incredible to watch,” Trump said. “Now they tackle -- ‘Oh, head-on-head collision, 15 yard (penalty)’.

“The whole game is all screwed up. You say, PARIS—Fallen FIFA chief Sepp Blatter ing the ban, clearing the way for both 1998, was also fined 50,000 Swiss francs ‘Wow, what a tackle.’ Bing. Flag. while Platini, a FIFA vice-president, was “Football’s become soft. Football has become soft.” will appeal against his eight-year ban, his men to appeal.

A lawyer for Platini, who has also been fined 80,000 Swiss francs.

Trump’s comments came on the second day lawyer said Sunday, joining fellow susThe court insisted there was “no legal of the NFL playoffs, and a day after a chippy pended official Michel Platini in a fight banned for eight years, had earlier confirmed an appeal would be launched. basis” for the payment that Blatter authogame between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pitts- to clear his name.

“We will appeal it, of course,” Blatter’s In December, FIFA’s ethics tribunal rised for Platini in 2011. burgh Steelers, in which two personal foul calls Platini’s lawyer Thibaud d’Ales said Saton Bengals defenders helped the Steelers move US-based attorney Richard Cullen con- ruled both men had abused their posifirmed to AFP in an email. tions over a 2 million Swiss francs ($2 urday that his 60-year-old client had indeed within range of their game-winning field goal.

The confirmation came after FIFA’s million, 1.8 million euros) payment made received the reasons behind the ban.

Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict could “We’ll read them, analyse them and be facing suspension for driving his shoulder ethics tribunal on Saturday revealed it to Platini in 2011 for work carried out belaunch an appeal on Monday,” D’Ales into the head of Pittsburgh receiver Antonio had provided Blatter and UEFA presi- tween 1999 and 2002. dent Platini with the reasons for imposBlatter, who has headed FIFA since said. AFP Brown, who suffered a concussion.

Ravena, Oraeme lead college season’s Best 5

Trump: NFL football is soft

Ex-FIFA chief Blatter to appeal 8-year ban

Moralde battles Sabalde for WBC International featherweight title

By Ronnie Nathanielsz UNBEATEN John Vincent “Mulawin” Moralde of the Sanman Boxing Club will battle Anthony “Zorro” Sabalde of the Flores and Wakee Salud boxing stable for the vacant World Boxing Federation International featherweight title at the Gaisano Mall Atriun in General Santos City on Feb. 13.

The fight card is the second in a series titled “Brawl At The Mall: Glory” with youthful Sanman Promotions’ CEO Jim Claude Manangquil announcing that it

would be the first of seven or eight boxing shows for this year.

Manangquil also announced plans to promote a fight card in Manila soon.

Moralde, who has a record of 14-0-0-7 KOs and Sabalde, whose record is 10-4-0-5 KOs, will battle for the vacant World Boxing Federation title over 10 rounds.

“We are testing John Vincent Moralde to face a quality opponent like Sabalde, who is well-trained and is a talented southpaw and should not be taken lightly,” Manangquil said. “If Moralde wins, we are planning to set him up in the US together with Harmonito dela Torre, who is currently train-

ing now under a Cuban coach in Florida.”

Moralde, on the other hand, said: “I will work hard for this fight against Sabalde. I usually don’t take my opponent lightly. But I know I will be victorious in this fight. I have confidence with my ability that I will soon be a world champion.”

The 21-year-old Moralde, a native of Davao City, captured the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental featherweight title via a unanimous decision against previously undefeated Australian Brayd Smith on March 14, 2015 in Queensland, Australia.

Smith collapsed soon after the bout due

to bleeding in the brain and passed away two days after the bout.

Four months later, Moralde returned to the ring to knock out Fil-American William George in the second round on July 11 at the Robinson’s Mall Atrium in Gensan.

Moralde continued his winning form with a unanimous decision against Jerry Castroverde of Cebu at the Gaisano Mall Atrium also in Gensan on Sept. 26 last year.

Moralde recently arrived from Japan together with stablemate Romero “Dynamite” Duno. Both were hired for three weeks as sparring partners of former WBC bantamweight world champion Hozumi Hasegawa.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Aces try to finish off Batang Pier

By Jeric Lopez

CONFIDENT, but cautious.

That’s the mentality of Alaska coach Alex Compton and his wards as they try to finish off GlobalPort in the resumption of their Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup bestof-seven semifinals series.

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that UNIVERSAL ROBINA CORPORATION is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Producer of Chilled Carcass/Pork Primal Cuts at a capacity of 23,520,000 kgs/year on a Non-Pioneer Status, with project site located at Buliran Road, Antipolo City.

Any person with valid objection/s on the above-mentioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD.) NESTOR P. ARCANSALIN Director Resource-Based Industries Service (TS-JAN. 12, 2016)

GlobalPort’s Terrence Romeo tries to score against two Alaska defenders in a PBA Philippine Cup semifinal game won by the Aces, 109-84. While the likes Calvin Abueva and Dondon Hontiveros are consistently getting support from their Alaska teammates, the same could not be said of GlobalPort as stars Romeo and Stanley Pringle have been lacking support the last three games.

The Aces, who hold a commanding 3-1 series lead, can wrap it all up and go back to the finals with yet another win against the ailing Batang Pier today in their 7 p.m. Game 5 encounter at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Following three straight wins in the series after dropping the opener, Alaska certainly has momentum and confidence on its side and Compton is hoping that the Aces can finish the job the soonest.

“I hope we can finish it in Game 5,’’ said Compton.

Despite a tight grip on the series and being already at the cusp of making it back to the finals, Compton is still cautious of the Batang

PSA Forum tackles PXC 51, basketball THE coming PXC 51 featuring fighters Wesley Machado and Rex de Lara together with the men behind the National Basketball Training Center will grace today’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

It will be the first session for the year for the weekly fo-

Municipality of Pateros OFFICE OF THE MAYOR BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE Metropolitan Manila INVITATION TO BID (ITB-15-050) LABOR AND MATERIALS FOR THE PROPOSED P. HERRERA STREET ROAD EXTENSION FROM G. DE BORJA STREET TO MARTIRES DEL ’96 STREET, PATEROS, METRO MANILA. 1. The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS through the LGU FUNDS intends to apply the sum of FIVE MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED THIRTY SEVEN THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED THIRTY TWO PESOS AND 07/100 (P5,837,132.07) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the above mentioned projects. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2. The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS now invites contractors with PCAB Category SMALL B and above.

Completion of the Works is required ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY (180) CALENDAR DAYS upon receipt of the Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed, within TWO (2) years prior to the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from BAC OFFICE, Mezzanine, Municipal Hall, Pateros, Metro Manila and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from January 08-15, 2016 from 8:00 to 5:00 p.m.

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of TEN THOUSAND PESOS (P10,000.00) January 08-15, 2016 from 8:00-5:00 p.m.

6. Pre-Bid Conference is scheduled on January 15, 2016, 2:00 p.m. at the Conference Room, 3rd floor, Municipal Hall.

7. All bids should be place on the BID BOX located at the CONFERENCE ROOM, 3/F, MUNICIPAL HALL, PATEROS, METRO MANILA on February 02 , 2016, 1:30p.m. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in the form of CASH OR MANAGER’S CHECK PAYABLE TO : MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS and in the amount stated in ITB Clause.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. Bids shall be opened on February 02, 2016 @ 2:00P.M.. at the Conference Room, 3/F, Municipal Hall, Pateros, Metro Manila.

8. The MUNICIPALITY OF PATEROS THRU BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE (BAC) reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

9. For further information, please refer to: ARLENE P. ORTIZ Head, BAC Secretariat Pateros, Metro Manila Telefax: 641-7195 e-mail: arlene@pateros.gov.ph, January 05, 2016

(TS-JAN. 12, 2016)

Pier’s capabilities of Game Today mounting a possible (Game 5, Semifinals - Smart Araneta Coliseum): last-ditch push to save 7 p.m. - Alaska vs. GlobalPort its campaign.

“We don’t underestimate them (Globalport). They are always a dangerous team to face,’’ said Compton.

Should Alaska win, it will be the third time in the last four conferences that the Aces will enter the finals.

In Game 4 last Sunday, Alaska continued its mastery of GlobalPort as it dominated from start to finish, en route to an easy 109-84 drubbing of the Batang Pier.

While the likes Calvin Abueva and Dondon Hontiveros are consistently getting support from their Alaska teammates, the same could not be said of GlobalPort as stars Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle have been lacking support the last three games.

Batang Pier’s Joseph Yeo, Keith Jenses, Jay Washington and Doug Kramer have been playing inconsistently and performing subpar in the last three games.

GlobalPort coach Pido Jarencio certainly needs production from those guys if the Batang Pier want to extend the series.

(SGD) ADELIO T. DOMINGO Chairman Bids and Awards Committee

rum presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

Joining Machado and De Lara is PXC director for fight operations Robert San Diego.

The event is scheduled Jan. 16 at Solaire Resort and Casino starting at 8 p.m.

To discuss the NBTC pro-

Donaire’s...

From A16 during its Annual Awards Night presented by MILO and San Miguel Corp. at One Esplanade in Pasay City.

It marks the first time in the last three years that there will be multiple awardees for the coveted title bestowed by the country’s oldest media organization on deserving athletes and teams, who made their mark during the year.

Donaire, lady boxer Josie Gabuco, Team Manila, and the Ateneo Blue Eagles shared the Athlete of the Year honors in 2012.

This is the fourth time Donaire (2007, 2011, 2012) will be feted by the sports-writing fraternity with the same award, while it will be the first for both Nietes and Tabuena.

PSA president Riera Mallari of The Standard said Donaire, Nietes and Tabuena “again showed and proved to the world what Filipino athletes are made of as proof of their triumph and success in their respective fields last year. As the country’s sources of pride, all three are truly deserving of the Athlete of the Year honor.”

Donaire, who suffered a sixthround setback when he moved up to featherweight and faced the much bigger and stronger Nixcholas Walters went back to super bantamweight and scored impressive second-round TKO victories over Brazil’s William Prado last March and former European champion Anthony Settoul of France in July and then showed his true worth by dropping No.1-ranked Cesar Juarez twice in Round 4 before winning a comfortable unanimous decision in what turned out to be a brutal battle down the stretch of a bout considered a candidate for

gram are program director Eric Altamirano, selection committee head Ato Badolato and players Mike Tolomia of Far Eastern University and Baser Amer of Meralco.

PSA president Riera Mallari of the Manila Standard enjoins members to attend the forum that begins at 10:30 a.m.

“Fight of the Year.”

The 33-year-old Donaire, who makes the first defense of his newly won title against Zsolt Bedak of Hungary on April 23 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, thanked the PSA president and the members for the award which he indicated meant so much to him.

“I am very honored and very thankful to the PSA. I accept the award with pride and they will see more of me in the years ahead,” Donaire said.

The Filipino Flash begins a determined effort to recapture the glory years of his career when he was named “Fighter of the Year” in 2012 and was No. 5 in the Ring Magazine poundfor-pound rankings with a run of four smashing victories against the best super bantamweights at that time.

The soft-spoken Nietes started the year by becoming the longest-reigning Filipino world champion after surpassing the long standing record of seven years and three months and 10 days held by the late great world junior lightweight champion Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde.

In a commendable gesture, Nietes flew to Manila shortly afterwards to visit Elorde’s widow Laure Elorde in her Paranaque home and then paid his respects at the tomb of Elorde at the Manila Memorial Park.

Ms. Elorde was touched by the gesture and praised Nietes not only for his achievements, but more so for his humility which reminded her of her late husband.

Nietes is expected to defend his title in late May against mandatory challenger Moises Fuentes of Mexico, which was ordered by WBO president “Paco” Valcarcel despite the fact that the champ dropped the same foe three times in their last meeting to win by a rousing ninth-round knockout.

T UE S DAY : JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 6

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

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

Clinton invites Pacquiao to Democratic Party Convention

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Proponents of the 2016 Le Tour de Filipinas link hands during its launching Monday at the Luxent Hotel. They are (from left) Legazpi Mayor Noel Rosal; Daet Mayor Tito Sarion; Rudy Fulo of Air21 (LTDF); Donna May Lina, Chairman (LTDF); Amb. Marion Derckx of The Netherlands; Paquito Rivas, Race Controller; Secretary General Avelino Sumagui of PhilCycling; and Atty. Adolfo Cruz, Commissaire (LTDF). LINO SANTOS

Long routes a challenge to 15 Le Tour PH teams

By Peter Atencio

TWO long and flat routes will make the 2016 Le Tour de Filipinas an interesting race when it kicks off with a four-stage edition and heads south starting on Feb. 18 from Antipolo City to Legazpi City in Albay.

Filipino riders from three local clubs will be familiar with the terrain and are expected to be as competitive as the 12 foreign squads competing.

“For the foreign teams, it’s their unfamiliarity with the route on Day 2 and 3, which will be challenging. They are long. One is more than 200 kilometers. And they’re flat,” said Atty. Ding Cruz, one of the commissaires of the race.

Cruz talked about the challenges of the bikefest during a

press conference Monday the Luxent Hotel in Timog Ave., Quezon City.

Stage One of the race, which is supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, Petron, will have 75 cylists negotiating past a 153-km ride from Antipolo City to Lucena City in Quezon.

Here, the “tatlong eme” uphill climb in Atimonan is expected to test the endurance of each participant.

Then, the 204-km Stage 2 from Lucena City to Daet, Ca-

marines Norte takes place from Feb. 19, before the 187-km course the following day from Daet to Legazpi City in Albay.

Stage Four follows on Feb. 21 and cyclists will go around Mayon Volcano twice on an out-andback route in Legazpi City. It will cover 147 kilometers.

Frenchman Thomas Lebas will be around to defend the general classification crown he won last year.

He will lead the Japan-based Bridgestone Anchor team, which are among the 12 foreign squads. Other foreign teams are Minsk (Belarus), Skydive Dubai (UAE), Team Ukyo(Japan), Novo Nordisk (USA) and Global (Holland).

There’s also Sauerland (Germany), LX IIBS (Korea), Korail Continental (Korea), Terrangganu (Malaysia), Attaque Team

Gusto (Taiwan) and Black Inc. (Laos).

The Philippine team is made up of Roland Oranza, John Mark Camingao, George Oconer and Ronald Lomotos, while 7-Eleven Road Bike Philippines will have Baler Ravina, Marcelo Felipe, Jay Lampawog, Spanish rider Edgar Nieto and Australian Jesse James Ewart.

Cebu’s Team Kopiko will be led by Ronald Hualda and John Mier.

National team rider Mark Galedo will miss the race as Team 7-Eleven is reserving him for the Tour de Langkawi from Feb. 24 to March 2 in Malaysia.

Langkawi organizers have moved the schedule to give way to the Philippine bikefest, according UBE Media president and chief organizer Donna May Lina.

SECRETARY Hillary Clinton, the leading candidate in the race for the Democratic Party nomination to the US presidential elections in November, has invited eight-division world champion and Philippine congressman Manny Pacquiao to attend the Democratic Party National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from July 25 to 28 and to possibly join in proclaiming her should she be the Democrats’ choice.

Clinton is obviously banking on Pacquiao’s influence over Filipino-Americans living in the US, as well as Americans, who admire him for his achievements in the ring.

In the last congressional elections in the US, Pacquiao attended a big rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he endorsed US Senate majority leader Harry Reid, who eventually won a close contest, which was credited partly to Pacquiao’s influence by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, a close friend of Senator Reid.

The report, which The Standard/boxingmirror. com received last week about the Clinton invitation, was confirmed by Pacquiao’s business manager Eric Pineda, who watched the PBA semifinal Game 3 between Alaska and GlobalPort, along with Mahindra’s import for the next conference.

Pacquiao, who faces Timothy Bradley for a third time on April 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, is himself seeking a Senate seat in the Philippine presidential elections in May. Pacquiao, who is the lone representative from the province of Sarangani in the Philippine House of Representatives, is scheduled to leave for Los Angeles to attend the first of two press conferences officially launching the trilogy with Bradley, after which he will fly to New York for the second and final media affair.

He will return to Manila to begin training in his hometown of General Santos City and will eventually return to the Wild Card Gym for the final three weeks of training.

Pineda said he was not sure whether Pacquiao will join Democratic Party leaders in proclaiming Ms. Clinton, should she win the nomination.

Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank is a card-carrying democrat and at one time was a member of the administration of President John F. Kennedy.

Too many Aces STEP BACK ARMAN D. ARMERO

IN the ongoing semifinal series between GlobalPort and Alaska, the Aces have shown that despite losing the initiative in Game 1, they are capable of mounting a comeback by playing a more disciplined type of basketball in the next three games of the series.

This they showed in Games 2, 3 and 4, where

they beat the Batang Pier by large margins to take a commanding 3-1 lead and inch closer to the finals of the PBA Philippine Cup. The Aces played deliberate, patient basketball and shared the basketball and went to the rim only when the lanes were clear.

In short, they didn’t force their shots and constantly looked for the open man.

In contrast, the Batang Pier relied too much on Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle, who had been marked men since Game

1. The Aces trained their defensive guns on the two guards, forcing them to either commit errors or give up the ball to other teammates, who, unfortunately, failed to deliver.

Alaska also had too many aces to go to. In Game 4, where the Aces bulldozed their way to a 109-84 victory, four players delivered for the team, led by Calvin Abueva (20) and Dondon Hontiveros (16).

But it was Rome dela Rosa who proved to be a

key component for Alaska in Game 4. Dela Rosa finished with nine points, scoring seven of his total in the fourth period, when Batang Pier tried to rally from a 20-point deficit after three quarters 82-62.

Dela Rosa’s contributions only showed that Alaska has too many weapons on its roster, making it difficult for Batang Pier to read Alaska’s offensive patterns.

Romeo did finish with 24 points and Pringle had 16, but were still out-

gunned by the Aces who drew consistent scoring not only from their old reliables, but from practically everyone from the Alaska roster.

Down 1-3 and a loss away from ending their season, the Batang Pier must find a way to muffle Alaska’s guns. And the only way to do this is to match the Aces’ defensive intensity while drawing more contributions from their roster. *** I watched Game 4 of

the semis between GlobalPort and Alaska while lying in my hospital bed.

I was confined for three days at the Commonwealth Hospital and Medical Center in Fairview for diarrhea. I’m okay now and I’d like to thank Dr. Lagunzad and Dr. Bunyi and the nursing staff of Rm. 4018 for taking care of me. Of course, I thank God for teaching me that I should rely more on him than on my strength.

For reactions, e-mail me at armero_23@yahoo.com

T U E S DAY : J A N U A R Y 1 2 , 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

Dirk Nowitzki (41) of the Dallas Mavericks gives his teammates high-fives during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. AFP

Go-to guy Dirk lifts Mavs past Wolves LOS ANGELES—Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki, 37 years old and with more than 1,300 NBA games under his belt, is still the Mavericks’ go-to guy.

The German veteran scored a game-high 29 points on Sunday as the Mavericks edged the Minnesota Timberwolves 93-87 in Minneapolis, taking up the slack on a night when many of his teammates struggled offensively.

“He’s a guy that’s prepared himself for greatness virtually every night,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said of Nowitzki.

“One of the things we want

to try to do is take some of the burden off of him, but there’s nights like tonight where it’s unavoidable.”

Dallas forward Chandler Parsons added 14 points and center Zaza Pachulia scored 13, but it was Nowitzki’s scoring touch that made the difference.

He hit four of seven threepoint attempts, while the rest of the Mavs were a combined two of 13 from beyond the arc.

Nowitzki finished the game 12-for-22 from the

floor and pulled down seven rebounds in 31 minutes.

It was his fourth straight 20-point effort and his 13th such game this season.

“The guys kept coming to me,” Nowitzki said. “Defensively, it was a good effort tonight. We didn’t have a lot of guys who were shooting the ball especially well, but I thought defensively we kept battling.”

Second-year guard Andrew Wiggins led the Timberwolves with 21 points.

Dallas led by six at halftime and closed out the third quarter with an 18-4 scoring run.

The Timberwolves trimmed the deficit to 85-82 late in the

fourth quarter, but Nowitzki converted a three-point play with 1:30 remaining, and Dallas held on.

The Los Angeles Clippers had to work overtime to stretch their winning streak to nine games with a 114-111 victory over the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans.

Point guard Chris Paul scored 25 points with 11 assists and five rebounds for the Clippers, one of seven Los Angeles players to score in double figures.

The Pelicans were without top scoring forward Anthony Davis, who was still nursing a sore back two days after diving into the stands after a ball.

But they held a 106-105 lead with 2:42 left in overtime before Wesley Johnson and Paul made back-to-back three-pointers to give Los Angeles a five-point lead. Luc Mbah a Moute and Johnson then made three of six free throws to help the Clippers secure the win.

Although he was pleased with the victory, Paul reiterated that the Clippers aren’t themselves without Blake Griffin, still sidelined by a torn quadriceps tendon.

“We want to continue to try to keep winning games and build our team as much as possible, but this is not our team without (number) 32,” Paul said. AFP

Alaska tries to finish off GlobalPort TURN TO A14

Long routes a challenge to 15 PH Le Tour teams TURN TO A15

Donaire’s reaction to PSA award: Awesome!

By Ronnie Nathanielsz “THAT’S awesome!”

This is the reaction of five-division world champion and reigning WBO super bantamweight titlist Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire when he was informed by this writer of his choice as one of three Athletes of the Year by the Philippine Sportswriters Association.

Named alongside Donaire was Donnie “Ahas” Nietes, the longestreigning Filipino world champion, who is king of the WBO light flyweight division, and young golfer Miguel Tabuena, winner of the prestigious Asia Tour.

Donaire, Nietes and Tabuena carved out what the PSA described as “memorable victories one after the other on a year when success came few and far between for Filipino athletes.”

For their triumphant campaigns, the three will share center stage on Feb. 13 when the PSA honors them with the prestigious Athlete of the Year award Turn to A14

TUESDAY: JANUARY 12, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

BUSINESS

B1

2015 Customs collection sank

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

THE Bureau of Customs said Monday import duty collections contracted P2.3 billion, or 0.6 percent in 2015 to P366.9 billion from P369.11 billion in 2014, on lower oil prices.

Preliminary data showed the 2015 actual collections were also P69.6 billion, or 15.9 percent, below the government’s target of P436.5 billion.

“It’s due to the decrease in total value of imports this year. Oil also decreased in volume and value,”

an official of the Bureau of Customs said in a text message.

Data from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries showed the average price of crude oil dropped from $105.87 per barrel in 2013 to $96.29 per barrel in 2014 to $52 per barrel in 2015.

The Bureau of Customs also missed what Commissioner Alberto Lina described as the doable target of P400 billion for the year.

“I am okay with the P400 billion [collection], but if it will be higher than that, then, that would be better,” Lina said in an earlier interview.

Lina was appointed to head of the Bureau of Customs in April, following the resignation of former commissioner John Sevilla.

The bureau’s top performers in 2015 were Zamboanga, which topped the target collection by

P175 million; Legaspi (P290 million) and Iloilo (P2.3 billion).

The lowest performers were Aparri, Limay and San Fernando, which fell short of their respective targets by P455 million, P23 billion and P835 million.

Data showed that in December alone, revenues collected by BoC reached P37.1 billion, 5.8 percent or P2.2 billion short of the P39.4billion target for the month.

This was the tenth month the BoC missed its target collection.

It only surpassed the monthly target in March and June.

Customs is the second largest

revenue-collecting agency of the government, next to the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Government revenues in November climbed 12 percent yearon-year to P177.5 billion but fell 21 percent short of the P224.065billion programmed collections for the month.

November collections brought the 11-month tally to P1.945 trillion, up by 12 percent from P1.735 trillion registered in the same period in 2014.

Collections also missed the P2.089-trillion goal for the 11-month period.

PSe comPoSite index Closing January 11, 2016

8000 8340 7880 7420 6960 6500

6,288.26 287.17

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing JANUARY 11, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.270

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P47.240 LOW P47.350 AVERAGE P47.271 VOLUME 582.900M

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

oPriceS il P today

GabayGuro program.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.’s GabayGuro program provides opportunities to teachers who have shaped the lives of today’s youth. High school teacher Paciano Salting (fifth from left) from Pangasinan becomes the lucky owner of a brand new Foton vehicle at a raffle draw during the grand gathering for teachers. With Salting are (from left) PLDT vice president for revenue and cash accounting Gil Garcia, head for subsidiaries and affiliates finance-1 planning and reporting Jerone Tabanera, head for subsidiaries and affiliates finance 1 Maria Christina Semira, Foton Philippines executive vice president Anna Maria Parado, Glaiza Salting, PLDT product manager for home broadband solutions Linette Garcia-Perez and vice president for financial planning Marisa Conde.

P25.03-P28.48 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Monday, January 11, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.0190

Japan

Yen

0.008506

0.3999

UK

Pound

1.453000

68.3186

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128821

6.0570

Switzerland

Franc

1.005328

47.2695

Canada

Dollar

0.706664

33.2266

Singapore

Dollar

0.693289

32.5978

Australia

Dollar

0.698080

32.8230

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655690

124.8679

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266418

12.5267

Brunei

Dollar

0.690894

32.4851

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000072

0.0034

Thailand

Baht

0.027563

1.2960

UAE

Dirham

0.272301

12.8033

Euro

Euro

1.092600

51.3730

Korea

Won

0.000829

0.0390

China

Yuan

0.151658

7.1308

India

Rupee

0.014967

0.7037

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.228571

10.7472

New Zealand

Dollar

0.655910

30.8402

Taiwan

Dollar

0.030048

1.4128 Source: PDS Bridge

BSP to keep rates despite Fed hike—Guinigundo

By Julito G. Rada BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas is not likely to adjust interest rates given the robust economy, Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said Monday.

Guinigundo said Bangko Sentral was not entertaining the idea of changing the monetary policy, even after the US Federal Reserve raised its interest rates by 25 basis points. “[The] Bangko Sentral need not adjust [its policy settings] even if other central banks increase interest rates… The economy is growing and there is no need to adjust policy rates,” Guinigundo said during the Kapihan sa Manila Hotel forum.

Guinigundo said Bangko Sentral was considering three factors in a decision to change the policy rates, including the state of the economy, monetary condition

and inflation rate.

“We are also closely monitoring our monetary condition, especially the excess liquidity in the financial system, and inflation rate…

We remain data-dependent…We see inflation settling within the 2 to 4 percent target range this year.

[Because of this], we don’t have to act,” Guinigundo said.

The economy grew 5.6 percent in the first three quarters of 2015, lower than the target range of 7 percent to 8 percent, but still one of the fastest in Asia. Inflation rate also averaged 1.4 percent in 2015, below the target range.

Guinigundo said the approaching national elections in May might cause inflation rate to ac-

celerate from the current level.

British bank Hongkong and Shanghai Bangking Corp. said earlier in a report Bangko Sentral might implement a policy rate cut in the second quarter this year as inflation remained manageable.

HSBC said Bangko Sentral had enough room “to maneuver” in its monetary policy stance, especially with the implementation of an interest rate corridor in the second quarter of 2016.

The last time the Monetary Board of Bangko Sentral changed the policy rates was on Sept. 11, 2014, when overnight borrowing was increased by 25 basis points to 4 percent and overnight lending was raised to 6 percent.

TUESDAY: JANUARY 12, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Monday, January 11, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 890 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 91.5 137 80 361.2 57 180 124 3.26 47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 20.6 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 3.95 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 5.25 12.98 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 238 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 26 2.17 0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 5.29 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510 10.5 26.95 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69

STOCKS

Close

High

Low

FINANCIAL 2.5 2.17 45.8 44 99.50 94.50 82.00 81.00 37 36.5 2.41 2.41 1.18 1.15 14.9 14.2 18 17.2 635.00 630.00 0.440 0.400 74.2 69 0.93 0.92 16.10 15.80 51.00 49.90 98 95 100 100 276 275 32.9 31.7 136.1 133 57.00 56.40 1.7 1.54 INDUSTRIAL 35.9 Aboitiz Power Corp.

40.9 40.55 39.4 1.11 Agrinurture Inc. 4.4 4.38 3.8 1.01 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.7 0.72 0.63 1.86 Alsons Cons.

1.35 1.37 1.28 7.92 Asiabest Group 10.18 10.2 10.02 15.32 Century Food 16 16 15.4 10.08 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 18.7 18.7 17.8 29.15 Concepcion 42.1 42.05 41.5 1.5 Crown Asia 2.2 2.19 2 1.5 Da Vinci Capital 2 1.93 1.7 10.72 Del Monte 11.62 11.6 11 9.55 DNL Industries Inc. 8.000 7.980 7.240 9.04 Emperador 8.90 8.90 8.35 6.02 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.70 5.70 5.51 8.86 EEI 5.41 5.40 5.24 20.2 First Gen Corp.

21.1 21.2 20.1 71.5 First Holdings ‘A’ 63 63 60.8 13.86 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 11.96 11.54 11.50 13.24 Holcim Philippines Inc. 13.82 13.80 13.80 5.34 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.5 5.52 5.2 0.395 Ionics Inc 2.310 2.340 2.100 173 Jollibee Foods Corp.

205.00 206.00 194.00 LBC Express 11.64 11.64 10.34 34.1 Liberty Flour 25.80 26.90 26.90 2.3 LMG Chemicals 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.63 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.01 3.01 3.01 33 Macay Holdings 40.00 38.95 35.70 23.35 Manila Water Co. Inc. 24.9 24.95 24 17.3 Maxs Group 17.5 17.5 16.76 5.88 Megawide 5.69 5.52 5.5 250.2 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 310.00 309.20 301.00 3.87 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.4 3.45 3.24 8.45 Petron Corporation 6.46 6.44 5.84 10.04 Phinma Corporation 11.26 11.60 11.20 3.03 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 3.80 3.76 3.56 1.95 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.50 1.49 1.35 1 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.22 2.22 2.16 4.02 RFM Corporation 3.88 3.95 3.85 161 San Miguel’Pure Foods `B’ 117 121 112.1 1.55 Splash Corporation 2.59 2.58 2.46 0.138 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.137 0.140 0.133 1.02 TKC Steel Corp.

0.96 0.96 0.92 2.09 Trans-Asia Oil 2.06 2.05 1.99 152 Universal Robina 180.3 179.5 170 4.28 Victorias Milling 4.55 4.55 4.53 0.640 Vitarich Corp.

0.56 0.56 0.55 10.02 Vivant Corp.

22.50 22.50 22.50 1.2 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.06 1.03 1.01 HOLDING FIRMS 0.44 Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.360 0.365 0.300 48.1 Aboitiz Equity 56.3000 55.5500 54.0500 20.85 Alliance Global Inc. 15.20 15.20 14.56 1.6 Anglo Holdings A 1.11 0.90 0.82 6.62 Anscor `A’ 6.30 6.20 6.15 0.23 ATN Holdings A 0.210 0.210 0.206 634.5 Ayala Corp `A’ 700 690 660 7.390 Cosco Capital 7.9 7.88 7.55 12.8 DMCI Holdings 12.58 12.36 11.72 2.6 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5.6 5.6 5.5 2.26 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

4.25 4.20 4.10 0.152 Forum Pacific 0.200 0.198 0.198 837 GT Capital 1340 1328 1290 5.3 House of Inv. 5.44 5.33 5.18 IPM Holdings 9.89 9.80 9.20 49.55 JG Summit Holdings 67.10 66.50 65.00 3 Keppel Holdings `A’ 5.99 4.01 4.01 4.84 Lopez Holdings Corp.

6.09 6.09 5.8 0.59 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.69 0.66 0.6 12 LT Group 14.6 14.5 13.74 0.580 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.49 0.48 0.48 4.2 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 5.19 5.15 5.06 0.030 Pacifica `A’ 0.0290 0.0290 0.0280 1.23 Prime Media Hldg 1.100 1.040 1.020 0.550 Prime Orion 1.780 1.750 1.700 59.3 San Miguel Corp `A’ 52.00 52.00 50.60 1.5 Seafront `A’ 2.38 2.38 2.38 751 SM Investments Inc. 808.00 802.60 769.50 1.13 Solid Group Inc. 1.12 1.13 1.08 0.93 South China Res. Inc. 0.70 0.70 0.70 80 Top Frontier 63.700 68.950 63.800 0.211 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.2700 0.2600 0.2500 0.179 Wellex Industries 0.1900 0.2100 0.1860 0.310 Zeus Holdings 0.231 0.231 0.230 PROPERTY 6.74 8990 HLDG 7.000 7.050 6.810 12 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 7.30 6.00 6.00 0.65 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.69 0.69 0.60 1.2 Araneta Prop `A’ 1.090 1.130 1.080 0.192 Arthaland Corp.

0.210 0.210 0.200 30.05 Ayala Land `B’ 31.750 31.400 30.000 3.36 Belle Corp. `A’ 2.7 2.68 2.4 4.96 Cebu Holdings 5 4.8 4.75 0.79 Century Property 0.52 0.52 0.45 1.1 City & Land Dev. 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.97 Cityland Dev. `A’ 0.96 0.960 0.96 0.083 Crown Equities Inc. 0.117 0.112 0.110 0.415 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.420 0.410 0.390 2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 625 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 62 88.35 52 276 41 118.2 59 2.65

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

PB Bank Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Union Bank Vantage Equities

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

SHARES 14,624,343 82,362,884 152,016,752 202,684,586 173,861,492 4,085,936,823 4,788,040,514

2.5 45 99.50 82.00 37 2.45 1.18 14.4 18.3 655.00 0.460 74.4 0.93 16.50 51.00 99 122 278.8 32.8 136 57.00 1.7

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.3 45.8 95.00 81.25 36.5 2.40 1.15 14.2 17.2 630.00 0.400 69 0.92 16.00 50.00 95 100 275 31.9 133 56.55 1.55

-8.00 1.78 -4.52 -0.91 -1.35 -2.04 -2.54 -1.39 -6.01 -3.82 -13.04 -7.26 -1.08 -3.03 -1.96 -4.04 -18.03 -1.36 -2.74 -2.21 -0.79 -8.82

110,000 22,800 3,356,220 3,434,740 36,100 122,000 27,900 156,400 180 730,000 3,983,530 879,000 342,000 386,670 1,920 20 3,330 72,400 631,630 7,350 317,000

39.4 4 0.72 1.29 10.18 15.48 17.8 42 2.1 1.8 11 7.310 8.42 5.54 5.29 20.4 61.25 11.50 13.80 5.3 2.140 194.00 10.34 26.90 1.75 3.01 38.95 24 16.76 5.5 301.00 3.24 5.85 11.60 3.73 1.39 2.2 3.90 116 2.5 0.135 0.92 2.02 173.6 4.55 0.56 22.50 1.01

-3.67 -9.09 2.86 -4.44 0.00 -3.25 -4.81 -0.24 -4.55 -10.00 -5.34 -8.63 -5.39 -2.81 -2.22 -3.32 -2.78 -3.85 -0.14 -3.64 -7.36 -5.37 -11.17 4.26 0.00 0.00 -2.63 -3.61 -4.23 -3.34 -2.90 -4.71 -9.44 3.02 -1.84 -7.33 -0.90 0.52 -0.85 -3.47 -1.46 -4.17 -1.94 -3.72 0.00 0.00 0.00 -4.72

2,224,300 1,336,000 13,000 1,206,000 1,300 222,500 216,700 17,600 730,000 7,587,000 127,400 13,007,800 2,201,400 14,354,500 1,394,600 4,005,200 667,040 4,700 25,000 1,968,300 5,523,000 917,740 37,100 400 15,000 2,000 3,700 835,300 346,200 1,453,600 301,690 139,000 2,608,700 33,600 137,000 469,000 436,000 1,826,000 6,260 2,276,000 5,700,000 31,000 3,695,000 2,328,470 1,129,000 383,000 2,400 92,000

0.300 54.5000 14.60 0.90 6.20 0.210 665 7.62 11.72 5.6 4.20 0.198 1292 5.18 9.80 65.50 4.01 5.8 0.6 13.74 0.48 5.06 0.0290 1.020 1.710 52.00 2.38 769.50 1.10 0.70 63.800 0.2500 0.1860 0.231

-16.67 -3.20 -3.95 -18.92 -1.59 0.00 -5.00 -3.54 -6.84 0.00 -1.18 -1.00 -3.58 -4.78 -0.91 -2.38 -33.06 -4.76 -13.04 -5.89 -3.06 -2.50 0.00 -7.27 -3.93 0.00 0.00 -4.76 -1.79 0.00 0.16 -7.41 -2.11 0.00

2,940,000 2,299,040 7,074,400 6,000 204,000 540,000 468,350 2,240,100 5,497,700 146,200 551,000 500,000 324,900 171,000 1,411,200 2,336,350 1,000 403,200 405,000 1,309,200 40,000 23,933,500 92,100,000 31,000 2,432,000 543,850 32,000 323,470 430,000 133,000 1,300 2,080,000 740,000 130,000

6.850 6.00 0.61 1.120 0.200 30.000 2.47 4.75 0.48 0.91 0.96 0.110 0.390

-2.14 -17.81 -11.59 2.75 -4.76 -5.51 -8.52 -5.00 -7.69 0.00 0.00 -5.98 -7.14

67,900 3,700 2,091,000 39,000 110,000 23,486,000 5,053,000 17,300 4,536,000 64,000 10,000 4,050,000 530,000

421,395.00 5,749,389 28,851,607.00 29,600.00 4,820.00 4,600.00 -208,784.00 -113,800.00 -129,000.00 -127,085,356.50 4,770,000.00 6,361,117.00 0.00 1,250,380 2,828,231.00

4,564,220.00 -109,420.00

-18,576.00 17,880.00 730,000 115,640.00 1,551,400.00 -2,344,824.00 -971,739.00 15,095,606.00 6,449,671.00 -17,018,545.00 8,817,084.00 10,159,235.00 -913,170.00 -44,616,438.00

639,580.00 588,854.00 -5,294,650.00 13,594,092.00 -214,580.00 -2,945,413.00 -48,636.00

905,880.00 -304,658.00 25,000.00 -33,750.00 -1,840.00 2,856,360.00 -51,146,845.00 3,788,090.00 -46,750.00 54,000.00 90,000.00 -36,546,206.50 -1,691,646.00 -1,240.00 -102,537,150.00 9,609,296.00 -18,313,006.00 1,869,200.00 -18,158,090.00 414,430.00 -75,460.00 -72,021,740.50 299,198.00 4,513,008.00 1,591,723.00 1,058,500.00 -244,381.50 -82,159,115.00 -25,670.00 -346,250.00

144,502.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.72 8.54 31.8 2.29 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.39 2.69 22.15 1.6 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp.

Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 7.67 2720 8.41 70.5 1.97 119.5 0.017 0.8200 2.2800 12.28 3.32 3.2 1 2.46 15.2

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 4.8 1600 5.95 17.02 1.23 102.6 0.011 0.041 1.200 6.5 1.91 1.95 0.650 1.8 6

0.62 1.040 6.41 4 18 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.335 0.37 3 2.28 8.8 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 1.71 5 0.315 1.14

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Asian Terminals Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp.

Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ.

DFNN Inc. Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. IP E-Game Ventures Inc. Island Info ISM Communications Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Macroasia Corp.

Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail MG Holdings NOW Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. Phil. Racing Club Phil. Seven Corp.

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp.

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 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 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.236 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 0.0100

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

Philex `A’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. `A’ Semirara Corp.

TA Petroleum United Paragon

70 553 525 118 120 515 8.21 12.28 111 1060

33 490 500 101 101.5 480 5.88 6.5 101 997

1047

1011

78.95 84.8

74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ First Gen F First Gen G GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F

12,900.00 -147,043,365.00 2,236,620.00

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

394,440.00

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

2,240.00 8,100.00

Close

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

High

VALUE 1,002,582,314.35 1,273,067,199.026 1,685,167,010.62 2,061,631,543.43 923,580,635.509 88,023,670.506 7,229,978,850.31

FINANCIAL 1,436.29 (down) 50.36 INDUSTRIAL 10,125.99 (down) 422.06 HOLDING FIRMS 6,012.77 (down) 249.21 PROPERTY 2,545.52 (down) 171.32 SERVICES 1,383.68 (down) 56.18 MINING & OIL 9,249.42 (down) 443.51 PSEI 6,288.26 (down) 287.17 All Shares Index 3,627.97 (down) 160.31 Gainers: 22; Losers: 182; Unchanged: 28; Total: 232

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

22.7 0.770 0.141 0.99 1.67 1.16 3.88 0.073 0.385 8.55 25.00 1.35 20.60 0.76 4.7 0.830 4.930

22.5 19.7 20.3 0.700 0.670 0.670 0.144 0.139 0.139 0.99 0.90 0.90 1.67 1.56 1.56 1.12 1.09 1.12 3.82 3.51 3.52 0.073 0.072 0.073 0.39 0.385 0.385 8.55 8.47 8.47 24.95 22.80 23.50 1.35 1.33 1.35 20.40 19.02 19.20 0.76 0.71 0.74 4.8 4.8 4.8 0.800 0.700 0.740 4.930 4.590 4.620 SERVICES 6.55 6.65 6.1 6.12 61.1 61.1 59.9 59.9 1.12 1.15 1.12 1.12 0.440 0.430 0.410 0.410 11.7 10.98 10.98 10.98 27 27 26.9 27 3.67 3.67 3.50 3.51 0.0380 0.0380 0.0360 0.0370 3.14 3.15 3 3.15 79.75 79 75.95 76 9.64 9.57 8.33 9.57 5.56 5.68 5.50 5.61 1758 1758 1685 1686 6.60 6.60 6.40 6.46 21.45 21.00 21.00 21.00 1.17 1.17 1.14 1.14 63.7 63.55 57.8 58 0.0093 0.0093 0.0084 0.0084 0.136 0.129 0.122 0.122 1.3800 1.3800 1.3000 1.3400 7.10 7.01 6.81 6.81 4.41 4.48 4.24 4.48 2.32 2.33 2.00 2.33 0.500 0.500 0.480 0.480 1.98 1.98 1.9 1.98 1.69 1.71 1.59 1.59 3.78 3.79 3.50 3.60 0.260 0.255 0.255 0.255 0.680 0.680 0.620 0.630 4.35 4.50 4.40 4.40 3 2.53 2.5 2.5 9.4 9.35 9.35 9.35 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 21.00 21.00 19.96 20.85 1958.00 1949.00 1920.00 1920.00 0.470 0.455 0.430 0.440 0.470 0.470 0.440 0.445 33.00 33.00 30.40 30.50 65.00 64.50 62.40 63.10 5.20 5.20 4.60 4.60 2.90 2.87 2.55 2.59 0.410 0.410 0.390 0.395 1.51 1.51 1.51 1.51 3.79 3.74 3.52 3.55 0.320 0.320 0.310 0.310 3.380 3.600 3.150 3.590 MINING & OIL 0.0049 0.0049 0.0040 0.0041 1.84 1.89 1.70 1.70 4.00 4.01 3.90 3.90 0.195 0.198 0.198 0.198 0.58 0.57 0.55 0.55 0.55 0.54 0.48 0.49 6.21 6.21 5.89 5.92 0.51 0.51 0.46 0.48 0.270 0.275 0.255 0.265 0.167 0.169 0.163 0.163 0.202 0.187 0.186 0.186 0.0100 0.0100 0.0099 0.0100 0.011 0.011 0.010 0.011 1.62 1.61 1.59 1.59 4.86 4.92 4.45 4.46 2.43 2.54 2.36 2.37 0.5400 0.5300 0.5100 0.5100 1.1500 1.1400 1.0700 1.0700 0.0094 0.0097 0.0097 0.0097 0.0098 0.0090 0.0090 0.0090 3.38 3.26 3.25 3.25 4.45 4.45 4.25 4.30 1.26 1.26 1.22 1.22 0.0110 0.0120 0.0100 0.0100 130.90 130.30 124.40 125.50 2.1 2.01 1.93 1.93 0.0070 0.0070 0.0070 0.0070 PREFERRED 62 61.05 60 60 525 532 516 516 530 515 507 515 103.4 104 103 103 110.5 117.5 107 108 526 528 528 528 6.5 6.5 6.35 6.4 1.07 1.1 1.09 1.1 107 109 108 109 1030 1036 1035 1036 1077 1077 1065 1065 1029 1022 1020 1020 104 104 103.7 103.7 106 106.8 106.7 106.8 81 81 78 80 82.5 83 82.5 82.5 79 78.25 78.2 78.25 79 79 78.5 79 79.8 79.8 78.5 79.7 WARRANTS & BONDS 1.920 1.870 1.780 1.810 SME 3.1 3.14 2.9 3.14 2.57 2.54 2.54 2.54 2.79 2.75 2.57 2.59 14.64 14.64 13.18 13.2 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 108 108 102.9 102.9

T op g ainerS STOCKS

Low

-10.57 -12.99 -1.42 -9.09 -6.59 -3.45 -9.28 0.00 0.00 -0.94 -6.00 0.00 -6.80 -2.63 2.13 -10.84 -6.29

3,492,000 20,000 830,000 5,437,000 20,569,000 327,000 80,177,000 630,000 110,000 417,900 6,716,400 108,000 22,597,500 3,629,000 7,000 614,000 6,388,000

4,055,354.00 7,000.00

-6.56 -1.96 0.00 -6.82 -6.15 0.00 -4.36 -2.63 0.32 -4.70 -0.73 0.90 -4.10 -2.12 -2.10 -2.56 -8.95 -9.68 -10.29 -2.90 -4.08 1.59 0.43 -4.00 0.00 -5.92 -4.76 -1.92 -7.35 1.15 -16.67 -0.53 0.00 -0.71 -1.94 -6.38 -5.32 -7.58 -2.92 -11.54 -10.69 -3.66 0.00 -6.33 -3.13 6.21

178,900 41,130 129,000 1,080,000 100 900 7,967,000 18,400,000 210,000 562,770 700 589,900 86,120 240,300 31,600 129,000 2,518,270 38,000,000 2,990,000 1,322,000 3,816,000 1,466,000 10,000 55,000 105,000 7,657,000 3,805,000 1,080,000 4,713,000 22,000 32,000 500,000 10,530 24,800 113,955 530,000 53,620,000 4,166,200 943,450 3,033,300 6,262,000 5,600,000 40,000 543,000 130,000 34,000

-18,900.00

-16.33 -7.61 -2.50 1.54 -5.17 -10.91 -4.67 -5.88 -1.85 -2.40 -7.92 0.00 0.00 -1.85 -8.23 -2.47 -5.56 -6.96 3.19 -8.16 -3.85 -3.37 -3.17 -9.09 -4.13 -8.10 0.00

3,159,000,000 288,500.00 62,000 216,000 24,000.00 90,000 987,000 27,700.00 1,533,000 100,000.00 34,000 5,818,000 31,790.00 350,000 7,200,000 1,060,000 184,700,000 242,500,000 828,000 2,897,000 610,240.00 64,000 157,000 16,830.00 414,000 9,700.00 1,000,000 4,000,000 8,000 551,000 -93,050.00 390,000 456,900,000 312,820 328,218.00 313,000 14,000,000 63,000.00

-3.23 -1.71 -2.83 -0.39 -2.26 0.38 -1.54 2.80 1.87 0.58 -1.11 -0.87 -0.29 0.75 -1.23 0.00 -0.95 0.00 -0.13

39,750 6,730 5,040 10,000 22,700 520 18,000 57,000 100,020 120 1,030 55 10,200 3,610 15,400 47,900 11,000 60,250 86,810

-5.73

157,000

1.29 -1.17 -7.17 -9.84

132,000 2,000 386,000 1,878,200

7,740.00 2,172,708.00

-4.72

66,780

1,978,850.00

-95,000.00 -10,074,220.00 -98,667,760.00 510,900.00 -64,611,355.00 -201,520,607.00

-8,318,180.00

-54,240.00 24,290.00 -11,453,930.00 11,400.00 -291,310.00 -3,158,851.50 -296,800.00 -58,245,635.00 46,700.00 -76,997,711.00 18,000.00 7,530.00 22,994,022.00 -280,600.00

-1,863,130.00 1,484,340.00 67,190.00 4,500.00 -50,370.00 103,000.00 -20,825.00 -45,331,230.00 9,000.00 1,195,200.00 -2,481,255.00 -22,926,747.50 -158,615.00 -48,570.00 -25,350.00

-1,003,365.00

-6,500.00

-1,040,000.00 -825,050.00 -95,380.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Yehey

3.590

6.21

Keppel Holdings `A'

4.01

-33.06

Liberty Flour

26.90

4.26

Anglo Holdings A

0.90

-18.92

Oriental Pet. `A'

0.0097

3.19

Philippine trust Co.

100

-18.03

Phinma Corporation

11.60

3.02

Anchor Land Holdings Inc.

6.00

-17.81

Alliance Tuna Intl Inc.

0.72

2.86

Abacus Cons. `A'

0.300

-16.67

Leisure and Resort

1.1

2.80

Paxys Inc.

2.5

-16.67

Araneta Prop `A'

1.120

2.75

Abra Mining

0.0041

-16.33

Starmalls

4.8

2.13

MEDCO Holdings

0.400

-13.04

MWIDE PREF

109

1.87

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

0.6

-13.04

Asia United Bank

45.8

1.78

Empire East Land

0.670

-12.99

IN BRIEF B3 Oil contracts pending

TUESDAY: JANUARY 12, 2016

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

THE Energy Department has sought guidance from the Finance Department on the awarding of oil and gas exploration contracts on areas near the disputed territories in the West Philippine Sea. Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada said the awarding of service contracts under the so-called 5th Philippine Energy Contracting Round had been delayed “What we did, we passed it on to DoF so they can review all the conditions because there were earlier guidelines... Finance approval of the contracts [is needed]. They have to endorse the contracts,” Monsada said.

She said Energy would submit contracts for final approval by Malacañang after the Finance Department endorsed them.

The contract areas included Area 7 (Recto Bank block) covering 468,000 hectares, which received an offer from Colossal Petroleum Corp., an unit of listed Coal Asia Holdings Inc. Alena Mae S. Flores

Quirino hydro project. The National Irrigation Administration signs an agreement with Quirino Power Energy Corp. to conduct a feasibility study on the proposed 3.6-megawatt Addalam hydropower project in Barangay San Leonardo, Aglipay, Quirino province. NIA administrator Florencio Padernal (fourth from left) shakes hands with Quirino Power president Michelle Chua during a signing ceremony at the NIA central office on January 11, 2016. With them (starting from second from left) are NIA deputy administrator for engineering and operations Erdolfo Domingo, legal services department head Genever Dionio, Paul Ng and Quirino Rep. Dakila Carlo Cua.

Stocks sink again, enter bear market

By Ian Sayson

STOCKS tumbled to the lowest level in almost two years as the benchmark gauge entered a bear market amid a selloff by foreign investors.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 287.17 points, or 4.4 percent, to 6,288.26 at the close, the lowest level since Feb. 18, 2014.

Losers routed gainers, 182 to 22, with 28 issues unchanged.

The gauge has declined 23 percent from a record 8,127.48 set on April 10, shaving about $61 billion in value from the country’s stocks as of Friday’s close. The slump sent valuations to the lowest level since 2012.

Philippine equities, the worstperforming market in Southeast

Asia so far this year, posted the biggest foreign outflow in six weeks last Friday as concern about China’s economic slowdown and slumping oil prices sap demand for developing-nation assets already hurt by higher US interest rates. Overseas investors sold $13.5 million of Philippine equities this year. They withdrew a record $1.19 billion in 2015, becoming net sellers for the first time since 2008.

“It’s Halloween in January—The red flags are all there for investors to realign their portfolios,” Astro

del Castillo, managing director at First Grade Holdings Inc., said.

“The sentiments are overwhelmingly negative that a bear market is inevitable.”

The Philippine index has fallen 9.6 percent this year. The measure is trading at 15.3 times projected 12-month earnings, the cheapest level since September 2012, and down from 19.7 on April 10. That compares with the MSCI Emerging Markets Index’s multiple of 10.3.

“At the rate things are going, it’s not improbable for the index to even fall below 6,000,’’ said Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist at BDO Unibank Inc. and who forecast last week that the gauge could reach a bottom in the first quarter anywhere between 6,000 and 6,400.

“What’s positive now is that valua-

tions are becoming attractive and you can now get what you want at the price you want.”

Petron Corp. the biggest refiner, tumbled 9.4 percent, pacing losses among the 30 shares in the benchmark equity gauge. SM Investments Corp., owner of the nation’s largest bank by assets and biggest property developer, fell 4.8 percent, the biggest contributor to the index’s decline.

Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. slid 6.3 percent, leading a slide among casino stocks, after Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corp. said the nation’s gaming revenues this year is forecast to reach P135 billion. Gaming revenue rose 17 percent to about P130 billion pesos last year, Pagcor chairman Cristino Naguiat said. Bloomberg

Cirtek investment CIRTEK Holdings Philippines Corp. said Monday it invested in CloudMondo, a start-up company founded by renowned Filipino entrepreneur and Silicon Valley pioneer Diosdado Banatao.

Cirtek chairman Jerry Liu said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the deal would enable the company to expand its business from manufacturing to connectivity and content.

Cirtek under the deal is expected to manufacture and supply millimeter wave radios in the 60 to 80 GHz spectrum to Cloudmondo.

“We are pleased with the opportunity to be a strategic co-investor in CloudMondo. Our involvement puts TECH in an excellent position to jumpstart and expand our business from manufacturing to connectivity and content,” said Liu. Jenniffer B. Austria

Smart divestment THE broadband unit of Smart Communications Inc. obtained a regulatory approval to sell its landline business to PLDT-Philcom Inc. for P308.3 million.

The National Telecommunications Commission said it approved the asset sale and purchase agreement jointly filed by Smart Broadband Inc. and PLDT-Philcom in August 2013 Smart Broadband signed an agreement to sell, assign and transfer to Philcom all its LEC assets and telecommunications business in Mindanao.

Smart Broadband is a holder of several certificate of public convenience and necessity and provisional authority to install and operate LEC services in Surigao City; Butuan City; Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte; Tagum, Davao del Norte; Bayugan, Prosperidad, San Francisco in Agusan del Sur province; Cagayan de Oro City; and Medina, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental.

Darwin G. Amojelar

2008 world downturn has come to an end LATE in 2007, red flags began to go up regarding the US real estate-backed securities market.

Fears were being expressed that the big investment houses were placing on the market a rising volume of securities backed by sub-prime real estate mortgages. The dam was bound to burst soon, observers thought.

The observers were absolutely prescient.

The dam broke the following year. The market for real estate mortgage-backed securities market was shown up to be the rotten market that it had become, and its collapse followed. The collapse resulted in the closure, sale or forced merger of a number of leading financial institutions, including an investment house that had been in existence for over a century.

Expectedly the troubles that beset the venerable Lehman Brothers and other leading Wall Street investment houses began to create troubles not only for other members of the US’s elite financial community but also, and more important, for America’s top non-financial corporations, which relied on the banks and the investment houses for the resources with which to finance the operations of the world’s

largest economy.

The effects of Wall Street’s problems were cascading all the way down to Main Street, destroying production, employment and incomes, not only in the US but in the rest of the world economy as well. What started out as the beginning of a US recession was rapidly developing into a full-blown world depression.

The time had come for the US monetary and financial authorities to act quickly and decisively.

Into the increasingly turbulent scene now entered the Federal Reserve Board, the body that sets policy for the US central bank. The Board, known for short as the Fed, was then headed by economist Ben Bernanke.

Realizing that the developing financial turbulence threatened—if not effectively addressed—to surpass the Great Depression of the 1930s in intensity, extent and duration, Ben Bernanke’s Fed decided to put into play one of the principal stabilization tools available to a central bank, to wit, interest rate policy. In an unprecedented move, the Fed reduced the Fed funds rate—the rate of interest charged by the central bank on its loans to banks—to 0.25 percent per annum, or barely above zero percent. Never before had the Fed funds rate been set so low. It was as bold as the US central bank could be under the circumstances. The Fed was making a statement, and the statement came through loud and clear.

To anyone who has a basic understanding of economics—and of monetary policymaking in particular—the import of the Fed’s action was clear. With a very low interest rate on their borrowings from the 12 Federal Reserve Banks, banks could afford to charge corresponding low interest rates on their loans to their corporate and individual clients. The latter could, in turn, afford to pass their interest savings on to their customers in terms of unchanged or lower prices.

The Fed was cognizant of the fact that, as the country with the world’s largest economy, the US had the capability to lead the rest of the world down the road to hyperinflation and severe economic instability. America’s central bank decided early that such a disastrous scenario must not be allowed to happen.

For economic historians, every significant economic event or era must be assigned a beginning date and an ending date. Most economic historians are agreed that the world economy’s first 21st century debacle began on the date that the US’s central bank, recognizing the gravity of the 2008 situation, decided to take the unprecedented step of bringing the Fed funds rate to near-zero percent. Is the world depression that began in 2008 still in progress? If it isn’t, on what date can it be said to have ended?

During the seven-year period after 2008, chairman Ben Bernanke maintained that the

Fed would not alter its interest policy—that is, would not increase the Fed funds rate—as long as the US economy had not achieved adequate and sustainable recovery. He stuck to his guns in the face of anxiety in the world financial community, particularly in the community of emerging-market financial institutions, that an upward movement in the Fed funds rate would trigger an outflow of funds back to the US. For some time Bernanke’s successor, Janet Yellen, hewed to the the-time-is-not-yet-here policy stance of the Fed. As long as the Fed was not convinced that the emerging US economic recovery was sustainable, there would be no increase in the Fed funds rate.

Late last year, convinced by increasingly robust data on US employment, production and incomes, chairperson Yellen announced that the Fed was effecting a modest upward increase in the Fed funds rate, to 0.5 percent per annum. But she quickly added that the Fed would not hesitate to react appropriately in the event that America’s economic recovery showed signs of faltering.

With the policy change announced by chairperson Yellen, the greatest downturn ever to hit the world economy can be adjudged by economic historians to have begun in 2008 and to have ended in 2015.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

B4

Max’s expanding to China

By Jenniffer B. Austria

Restaurant operator Max’s Group Inc. said Monday it is venturing into China, as it signed a deal with ZhongFa Group to build at least 15 Yellow Cab Pizza stores in the world’s second largest economy within the next five years.

“We are thrilled with the opportunity of bringing our pizza to Beijing, Tianjin and parts of Hebei province. We share the excitement with our partner, the ZhongFa Group, to serve our food offerings to the Chinese,” said Max’s Group president and chief executive Robert Trota.

The agreement marked the first development deal signed by Max’s Group in 2016.

Trota said the continuous expansion of the company’s restaurant chain overseas reflected a strong interest in its brands.

The restaurant chain finalized five new international partnerships in 2015, with various international partners involving the rollout of 15 Yellow Cab stores in Saudi Arabia within 10 years, 10 Yellow Cab and eight Pancake House restaurants in

United Arab Emirates within five years,10 Sizzlin’ Steak outlets in Vietnam within five years and three Max’s Restaurants in San Diego, California in five years.

The company earlier targeted to have at least 200 stores overseas by 2020.

ZhongFa Group, established in 1993, is a diversified group based in China engaged in commercial real estate, electronic business and hotel management, with operations spanning across China, the Philippines, Kenya, Palau, Switzerland and soon Canada.

ZhongFa plans to expand into F&B business in China through its latest vertical company JuYangYiTong, to bring well known international brands into China market.

“We believe the food and bev-

erage industry in China has huge potential. With our newly established company JuYangYiTong led by one of the ZhongFa family members Mike Zhang, we plan to satisfy Chinese customers’ growing needs of high-quality food and beverage products. We are delighted to choose Yellow Cab Pizza as our first venture with MGI Group. Yellow Cab Pizza has everything that China’s discerning customers are looking for—quality, service and ambiance,” said ZhongFa Group chief executive Guiping Wang.

Yellow Cab has a network of 118 branches, including six franchised outlets in Qatar.

Max’s Group plans to open more than 70 stores in 2016, including 60 to 65 stores in the Philippines and 15 to 20 stores overseas.

Port upgrade. Baltic Container Terminal, a subsidiary of Philippine port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc., completess its railway terminal modernization project in December 2015. BCT’s new rail facility can serve up to 24 full container trains each day, and has an annual capacity of 500,000 twenty-equivalent units. Shown are BCT’s new cranes as they prepare to load containers onto a stack train.

Manufactured by Kocks Krane, the rail-mounted gantries are capable of moving over 30 containers per hour.

Aboitiz says it won the auction for Naga plants

By Alena Mae S. Flores ABOITIZ Power Corp., one of the country’s largest energy companies, said Monday it should be declared the winning bidder for the 153.1-megawatt Naga power plant complex in Cebu province, after the Supreme Court voided the deal with SPC Power Corp.

“I think it should be us. If topup was nullified, then I think we won the bid,” Aboitiz Power chief executive Erramon Aboitiz told reporters.

The Supreme Court earlier issued a decision nullifying the right of SPC Power to top the winning bid on the Naga power plant complex.

SPC Power previously won the land-based gas turbine bid together with the right to top the winning bid on adjacent properties in an open bidding held by the Power Sector Assets and Li-

abilities Management Corp. in 2009.

SPC Power then exercised the right to top the offer of Aboitiz Power, after PSALM conducted the bidding in March 2014.

Therma Power Visayas Inc., a unit of Aboitiz Power, emerged as the highest bidder with an offer of P1.09 billion.

SPC offered the second highest bid of P859 million for the Naga facility during the 2014 bidding, but the company exercised its right to top the offer of Therma Visayas.

SPC Power together with PSALM was supposed to file a motion for reconsideration with the high tribunal last year. “We’ll await for the MR. If the MR is consistent with the original ruling, then I really think it should be awarded to us,” Aboitiz said.

“We won the bid. I don’t know, but lawyers have a different way

of looking at things,” he said.

PSALM sought clarification from the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel regarding the SC decision.

“Our sale was done in good faith based on legal opinion that the right to top was valid so securing a clarification may be in order,” PSALM president Lourdes Alzona said earlier.

The Naga power complex consists of the 52.5-MW Cebu 1 and 56.8-MW Cebu 2 coal-fired thermal power plants, and the 43.8MW Cebu diesel power plant 1 composed of six 7.3-MW bunker-C fed power units.

These power plants use a combination of coal, bunker C oil and diesel as fuel.

Senator Sergio Osmeña III filed a case with the Supreme Court in 2014 seeking to stop the sale of the Naga power plant complex in Cebu to SPC Power

and nullify the stipulation in the lease agreement.

Therma Visayas also asked PSALM to hold the turnover in abeyance, pending the resolution of the case filed by Osmeña. The turnover of the facility to SPC, however, pushed through.

The SC said in its decision the property was outside the leased premises covered by the agreement. It said the contention of SPC regarding right of way and operational requirements “are clearly not analogous to a lessee’s legitimate interest on the property being leased.”

The court also said SPC had never operated the Naga landbased gas turbine.

“We hold that the grant of right to top to SPC under the LBGTLLA is void as it is not founded on the said lesses’s legitimate interest over the leased premises,” it said.

Foreign capital inflows hit $5b

By Julito G. Rada FOREIGN companies invested $451 million in the Philippines in October, bringing the total to $5 billion in the first 10 months, data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show.

Bangko Sentral said net inflows of foreign direct investments reached $451 million in October, up by 1.4 percent from $445 million a year ago, on sustained investors’ confidence in the economy.

“Favorable investor sentiment on the back of the country’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals resulted in net inflows across all FDI components,” Bangko Sentral said in a statement.

Net investments in debt instruments, or inter-company borrowings between foreign direct investors and their subsidiaries in the country, increased 71.1 percent in October to $287 million from $168 million a year ago.

Investments in equity capital also posted a net inflow of $101 million, as equity capital placements of $109 million outweighed withdrawals of $8 million.

“These net inflows in equity capital, however, were lower by 52.5 percent than the $213 million net inflows registered in the same period last year,” Bangko Sentral said.

The bulk of equity capital investments came from South Korea, Japan, the United States, Thailand and Taiwan.

These were invested in financial and insurance; real estate; manufacturing; administrative and support service; and electricity, gas, steam and airconditioning supply activities.

Data showed FDI net inflows in the first 10 months dropped 4.9 percent to $5 billion from $5.2 billion a year ago, mainly because of the 11.6-percent decline in investments in debt instruments to $2.8 billion from $3.2 billion, coupled with the 10.8-percent decrease in reinvestment of earnings to $637 million.

Bangko Sentral said fullyear FDI inflows would likely reach $6 billion in 2015, in line with the sustained positive developments in the domestic economy and some improvement in the global economic conditions as well as the implementation of PPP projects that were awarded earlier.

Bangko Sentral said FDI inflows would likely to increase to $6.3 billion in 2016.

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

B5

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

Speed up your Android phone IT’S a fact of life. Your Android phone, so snappy when you first bought it, will eventually slow down with use. Apps take longer to launch and screens might take more time to redraw. There’s no need to rush out and buy a new phone just yet, though. There are a number of things you can do to get some of the old speed and performance back. These tips apply specifically to Android 5.1 or Lollipop phones.

Farmers’ aid. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala leads the service presentation ceremony of the

farmers’ assistance program at the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute in Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on January 6, 2016. The government, through the Department of Agriculture, turned over P26.2 million worth of agricultural equipment and materials to the farmers of six previously acknowledged Moro Islamic Liberation Front camps in Maguindanao and Lanao provinces. Joining him are (from left) former Agriculture Secretary and Philippine government peace panel member Senen Bacani, MILF camps coordinator Mohamad Saleh, Castro Amran and Col. Felicisimo Budiongan of Camp Badre.

No property bubble in PH—Guinigundo

By Julito G. Rada

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said the real estate sector is not stressed at the moment, with banks’ exposure to the industry remaining at a manageable level.

“At this point, we don’t see any signs of stress in the real estate sector,” Guinigundo said during the Kapihan sa Manila Hotel Monday.

He said recent stress tests by banks showed their capital adequacy ratio remained above the Bangko Sentral’s 10-percent limit, even if real estate loans soured 25 percent.

“We asked first the big banks to do their stress tests. The results, so far, showed that they are still above the 10-percent regulatory

capital we imposed on banks,” Guinigundo said.

He said some sectors had raised concerns on the growth of liquidity and loans in the Philippines.

Critics have said higher growth of money supply and loans might result in asset bubbles.

“We tried using both the BIS methodology for judging whether the situation is dangerous or not, and the IMF identification of possible asset bubbles. Those two tests showed that we are far from the so-called danger level,” Guini-

gundo said.

He said Bangko Sentral has been constantly in touch with various real estate developers— especially the bigger ones—“and it is very comforting to know that our RE developers have become more prudent, more discreet with respect to their expansion plans.”

And because real estate developers had learned their lessons during the 1997 financial crisis, he said they built towers one at a time.

“They see to it that almost 75 percent of, let’s say, first tower is sold out before they build the next tower. And because they have learned their lesson, they don’t build... as they did in the past,” he said.

Bangko Sentral in 2012 broadened the scope of scrutiny on not just direct housing loans but also on banks’ holdings of bond and equity investments that fund property developments.

PSA: Rice inventory good for 100 days

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales THE Philippine Statistics Authority said the country’s current rice inventory is sufficient for 100 days.

The PSA said the rice inventory as of December 1, 2015 stood at 3.44 million metric tons, up 13.5 percent from 3.03 million metric tons at the end of 2014.

Stocks in households and National Food Authority warehouses year-on-year increased 4.9 percent and 68.9 percent respectively.

Stocks in commercial warehouses, however, dropped 0.2 percent, the PSA said.

The agency said 47.8 percent of the total rice inventory were with households, 28.4 percent in commercial warehouses and 23.8 percent in NFA depositories.

Stocks in households would be sufficient for 47 days while those in commercial warehouses would be enough for 29 days, it said.

The PSA said stocks in NFA depositories would be sufficient for 24 days.

The NFA earlier said it might import an additional 400,000 metric tons of rice this year, which would

be used as buffer stocks for the lean season.

The volume was on top of the 750,000 metric tons of rice imports approved last year. The NFA Council has not official decided on the additional rice imports.

The NFA said of the 250,000 metric tons of rice imports last year, the first shipment of 125,000 metric tons arrived in November while another 125,000 metric tons were due last December.

For the 2016 imports of 500,000 MT, the first shipment of 175,000 MT would arrive by the end of January, 175,000 MT by the end of February and 150,000 MT by the end of March next year.

The PSA, meanwhile, said total corn inventory at the end of 2015 stood at 252,200 metric tons, up 23 percent from 216,000 MT at the end of 2014.

The PSA said around 63 percent of the total corn stock inventory were in commercial warehouses, 36.5 percent with households and 0.5 percent with the NFA depositories.

Stocks in households and commercial warehouses year-on-year increased 5.2 percent and 36.5 percent, while stocks in NFA depositories decreased 18.4 percent.

1. Uninstall all the apps you no longer use. There are so many free apps around that it’s easy to install programs on a whim then forget about them. Do this often enough and you’ll fill up your device with apps you neither use nor need. Even if these apps aren’t running, they can slow you down simply by taking up valuable space in your phone’s storage.

To get rid of apps you no longer use, go to Settings > Apps and swipe your way to the All tab and take a long, hard look at the list of programs on your phone. Tap on the ones you no longer need and choose Uninstall.

2. Disable built-in apps you don’t use. It’s easy enough to uninstall stuff you’ve downloaded from the Google Play Store, but you can’t do that with the apps that come bundled with your phone.

You can disable them, however, to make sure they don’t use up system resources.

To disable unused built-in apps, tap the ones you don’t use and choose Disable. Be careful, though, not to disable an app that affects any apps that you might use. But not to worry—you can enable any disabled apps the same way.

3. Back up your photos and videos regularly to another device and delete them from your phone. Those high-resolution photos or videos you take will take up space and can pile up before you know it. It’s a good idea to regularly back up the ones you want to keep and get them off your phone. Watch out, too, for those Viber images and video. These can eat up a lot of space and should be cleaned up from time to time.

4. Close down apps to free up memory. Android can multitask but if you have too many apps running at the same time, this can slow you down. To close apps that you don’t need to be running, go to System > Apps and swipe to the Running tab. Tap on the apps you want to close and choose Stop.

5. Keep your home screen simple. Drop the live wallpaper in favor of a striking static image and go easy on the widgets. All of these take use up system resources. Also remove unused icons.

The less clutter you have on your home screen, the better.

6. Reduce or turn off animations. Make your phone feel more responsive by reducing or turning off animations. This will feel a little like voodoo, but it works. Go to Settings > About phone and scroll down until you find Build number. Tap on this seven times and Android will give you this message: “Congratulations, you are now a developer.” After this, you will find a new item in Settings called Developer options. Tap this and change three settings: Window animation scale, Transition animation scale, and Animator duration scale. Set each of these to .5x (it is set to 1x by default) or turn them off altogether. If you don’t like the results, you can always go back to 1x.

7. Restart. Restarting your phone is a quick when your phone starts to feel sluggish. A restart clears out the cache and stops unnecessary tasks. Just hold down the power button and choose Restart.

8. If all else fails, do a factory rest. If no amount of tinkering helps, consider a full device reset as a last resort. Be sure to back up all your important data before doing this, because this will wipe the phone clean and restore it to the state it was in before you weighed it down with all your apps and data. That means you will lose login data for Google and other accounts, system and app data and settings, all downloaded apps, and all your photos, music, videos and other user data on the phone, so backup and proceed with caution. To activate this nuclear option, go to Settings > Backup and reset.

Column archives and blog at: http://www.chinwong.com

N O T I C E T O T H E PU B L I C P l e a s e b e i n f o r m e d t h a t t h e f o l l o w i n g a c c o u nt a b l e f o r m s o f I N V ESTO R S A S S U R A N C E C O R P O R AT I O N (I AC) h ave b e e n l o s t : T Y PE O F PO LI CY

SER I ES FRO M

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BEND - Bond Endorsement 2101

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C O C N - N o n - LTO C e r t i f i c a t e o f C ove r 5080496 5080500 5086938 5086938 5086926 5086926 5089546 5089546 5 0 914 91 5 0 914 9 8 5 0 914 6 9 5 0 91473 5 0 91871 5 0 91875 5 0 91879 5 0 91879 5 0 918 9 3 5 0 918 9 4 5 0 918 0 9 5 0 918 0 9 5 0 918 0 2 5 0 918 0 2 5 0 918 0 0 5 0 918 0 0 5 0 91812 5 0 91812 5 0 918 9 6 5 0 919 0 0 5 0 919 2 7 5 0 919 2 8 5 075 9 3 3 5 075 9 3 3 5 075 912 5 075 912 5 075 814 5 075 814 5 075 9 4 9 5 075 9 4 9 5 0 9 4 411 5 0 9 4 411 5094439 5094439 5 0 9 4 4 41 5 0 9 4 4 41 5 0 9 4 4 81 5 0 9 4 4 81 5 0 9 4 5 01 5094502 5 0 9 4 510 5 0 9 4 510 5094388 5094390 5094536 5094536 5 0 9 4 3 81 5094386 5094549 5094550 5 0 9 4 52 8 5094530 5094349 5094350 5 0 9 4 4 01 5094405 5093434 5093434 5093392 5093392 5 0 9 3 37 2 5 0 9 3 37 2 5093355 5093355 5093465 5093465 5093496 5093496 5093500 5093500 5093564 5093564 5093598 5093600 5093545 5093545 5 07 70 81 5 07 70 81 5 07 7076 5 07 7076 5 076 9 52 5 076 9 52 5 0 9 5 6 41 5 0 9 5 6 41 5 0 9 5 4 97 5 0 9 5 4 97 5 0 9 5 67 2 5 0 9 5 67 2 5095588 5 0 9 5 5 91 5 0 9 5 5 51 5095553 5095599 5095600 5 0 9 5 617 5 0 9 5 617 5095654 5095654 5095666 5095666 5095603 5095603 5095596 5 0 9 5 5 97 5 0 9167 7 5 0 916 81 5 0 916 9 4 5 0 916 9 5 5 0 916 52 5 0 916 52 5 0 916 2 8 5 0 916 2 8 5 0 916 5 4 5 0 916 5 9 5 0 91673 5 0 91673 5 0 916 2 5 5 0 916 2 5 5 0 916 8 9 5 0 916 8 9 5 0 916 9 2 5 0 916 9 2 5 0 916 6 6 5 0 916 6 6 5 0 916 37 5 0 916 37 5 07 73 8 6 5 07 73 8 8 5 07 74 47 5 07 74 47 5 07 742 6 5 07 74 3 5 5 07 73 9 0 5 07 74 0 0 5 07 7379 5 07 7379 5 07 737 2 5 07 737 2 5 07 73 67 5 07 73 67 5 07 73 5 8 5 07 73 5 8 5 07 7418 5 07 7418 5 07 73 81 5 07 73 8 4 5 0 9 6 2 51 5096450 5089022 5089050 5 0 8 52 6 2 5085350 5 0 8 52 51 5 0 8 52 6 0 5085353 5085550 5 0 8 5 9 51 5 0 8 615 0 5088685 5088685 5 0 8 873 6 5 0 8 8737 5 0 8 874 6 5 0 8 874 6 5 0 8 874 9 5 0 8 874 9 5 0 8 876 2 5088800 5 0 8 875 9 5 0 8 876 0 5 0 8 875 5 5 0 8 875 5 5096003 5096003 C T PLCV - C o m m e r c i a l Ve h i c l e C T PL 16 6 9 9 16 6 8 6 16 67 7 16 6 6 0 16 6 51 2 0 676 2 0 678 20698 1974 6

Po l i c y 1670 0 16 6 8 6 16 6 8 0 16 6 6 0 16 6 52 2 0 676 2 0 678 2 070 0 1974 6

19 3 01 18 0 51 18 0 5 3 18 2 51 18 9 67 C T PL E N D - C T PL E n d o r s e m e n t 14 521 14 6 5 3 14 6 5 8 14 6 6 2 14 6 5 5

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C T PL P C - Pr i va t e C a r C T PL Po l i c y 70 5 4 3 70 5 5 0 70 5 41 70 6 8 8 70 6 9 8 70 6 8 6 70 671 70 6 5 8 70711 7070 6 62349 62333 62364 6 2 373 62388 62392 6 24 0 0 6 2 312 714 01 71411 714 3 9 714 41 714 9 8 70 615 70 6 4 6 70 6 5 0 72020 7 2 018 7 2 011 7 2 0 01 7 2 0 47 72659 72692 7 2 742 7 2 747 7 2 79 4 72772 7 2 76 6 7 2 731 72722 7 2 70 3 7 2 701 7 2 75 4 73 3 52 73 3 6 4 73 42 9 73 373 73 3 8 9 73 37 7 73 424 73 42 0 73 414 73 412 73 4 0 8 73 4 0 3 73 3 9 2 73 3 6 8 73 5 01 6 316 2

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FI D (1) - Fi d e l i t y B o n d 2 751 310 2 3107

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G (13) - Pe r f o r m a n c e B o n d 14 376 14 3 5 5 15 810 15 8 0 8 15 970 15 9 5 4 174 6 5 175 7 7 175 75 175 6 9 18 3 21 18 3 2 5 18 3 2 7 18 3 2 9 18 3 3 2 137 24 137 2 0 173 9 9

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G (16) - S u r e t y B o n d

G (2) - B i d d e r ’s B o n d

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G PA - G r o u p PA I n s u r a n c e Po l i c y 1814 18 31 18 0 4 210 6 5 01 2176 219 6 14 5 3 14 6 3

1819 18 5 0 18 0 5 212 5 5 01 218 5 2205 14 6 0 14 6 4

J C L (6) - H e i r ’s B o n d (O n e Ye a r ) 13 51 15 01

13 51 1524

J C L ( 7 ) - H e i r ’s B o n d ( Tw o Ye a r s) 73 2 751 1152 701 803

73 5 752 12 0 0 70 3 814

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LTO - L a n d Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n O p e r a t o r C o m p r e h e n s i ve 12 51 2603 3 2 01 MCEND - Motor Car Endorsement 1152 5354 5364 5368

13 0 0 2650 3208 12 0 0 5 3 61 5366 5400

M R N A - M a r i n a C o m p u l s o r y PA Po l i c y 142 8 142 8 O R H O - O f f i c i a l R e c e i p t (f o r G e n e r a l U s e) 2 3 0 4 81 2 3 0 4 81 24 5 3 5 5 24 5 3 5 5 2 24 4 51 2 24 5 0 0 219 8 0 5 219 8 0 5 219 8 24 219 8 24 219 8 2 6 219 8 2 6 219 8 2 9 219 8 3 0 219 8 0 3 219 8 0 3 217919 217919 2179 21 2179 2 2 2179 3 2 2179 3 2 2 719 4 8 2 719 4 8 2 2 07 7 7 2 2 07 7 7 220827 220827 2 2 0 817 2 2 0 817 2 2 0 813 2 2 0 814 2 2 3151 2 2 315 3 2 2 3 0 01 2 2 3 0 01 223036 223036 2 2 3 0 42 2 2 3 0 42 223050 223050 2 2 3112 2 2 3112 2 2 314 9 2 2 314 9 2 2 319 0 2 2 319 0 2 2 319 2 2 2 319 2 2 2 319 4 2 2 319 5 2 2 3197 223200 2 2 3131 2 2 3131 2 2 3 015 2 2 3 015 2 2419 2 2 2419 2 2 2418 9 2 2418 9 2 2418 4 2 2418 4 2 2410 3 2 2410 3 2 2415 6 2 2415 7 2 24161 2 24161 2 2416 5 2 2416 5 2 24178 2 24178 2 2419 8 2 2419 8 2 24 9 9 4 2 24 9 9 4 2 24 9 51 2 24 9 5 3 2 24 9 6 2 2 24 9 6 2 2 24 976 2 24 976 2 24 978 2 24 978 2 24 9 8 3 2 24 9 8 3 2 24 9 97 2 24 9 97 2 24 9 8 0 2 24 9 8 0 2 2 614 0 2 2 614 0 2 2 6187 2 2 6187 2 2 618 4 2 2 618 4 2 2 616 8 2 2 616 8 2 2 616 5 2 2 616 6 2 2 616 0 2 2 616 0 2 2 6151 2 2 6151 2 2 612 6 2 2 612 6 2 2 615 3 2 2 615 6 2 2 73 07 2 2 73 07 2 2 73 9 5 2 2 73 9 5 2 2 73 3 2 2 2 73 3 2 2 2 73 52 2 2 73 52 228454 228454 2 2 8 4 61 2 2 8 4 61 2 2 8 47 2 2 2 8 47 2 228483 228483 2 2 8 4 91 2 2 8 4 91 228432 228432 2 2 8 52 7 2 2 8 52 7 2 2 8 4 97 2 2 8 4 97 2 2 9101 2 2 915 0 225723 225723 2 2 5 73 4 2 2 5 73 4 2 2 5 73 9 2 2 5 75 0 2 2 5 73 2 2 2 5 73 2 225727 2 2 5 73 0 2 2 5 6 51 2 2 5 6 51 2 2 5 6 61 2 2 5 6 61 2 2 5 671 2 2 5 671 2 2 5 678 2 2 5 678 225696 2 2 5 6 97 2 2 5 70 0 2 2 5 718 2 2 5 4 01 2 2 5 4 31 218 52 9 218 52 9 218 5 31 218 5 31 218 5 5 4 218 5 5 8

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PA - Pe r s o n a l A c c i d e n t 4969

4969

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I N V E S TO R S A S S U R A N C E C O R P O R AT I O N U n i t 1/ 2 0 t h F l o o r, B D O P l a z a , Pa s e o d e R ox a s n e a r c o r.

M a k a t i Ave n u e, M a k a t i C i t y 12 0 0 Te l N o s .: (6 3 2) 8 2 2- 4 0 0 0 / 8 2 2- 5 0 0 0 / 8 91- 0 9 9 4 / 8 910 9 9 6 / 8 91- 0 976 ( T S - J A N . 12 , 2 015)

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

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

EDITOR

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China stocks resume plunge on growth fears S HA N G HA I — C hi n a’s stock market resumed its volatile plunges on Monday, as worries over the slowing economy and the government’s ability to manage it sent traders fleeing, dealers said.

Investors have been alarmed by slowing growth in the world’s secondlargest economy, which is expected to have expanded last year at its slowest pace in a quarter of a century. Official data on fourth-quarter and annual growth is due to be released next week.

But early indicators have stoked pessimism. The government said on Saturday that China’s consumer price inflation came in at 1.6 percent in December, well short of the government’s target of “around three percent”.

On Monday, the Shanghai Composite Index plunged 5.33 percent, or 169.71 points, to 3,016.70 on turnover of 286.4 billion yuan ($43.6 billion).

The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China’s second exchange, dropped even more, tumbling 6.60 percent, or 130.62 points, to 1,848.10 on turnover of 377.8 billion yuan. In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index slipped 2.8 percent, or 565.21 points, to close at 19,888.50.

“The market is already in a downward spiral and it’s still exploring

the bottom after last week’s plunge,” Zhang Yanbing, an analyst at Zheshang Securities, told AFP. “The economy remains weak and there’s no driver for a market rebound.”

The Shanghai index fell nearly 10 percent last week, slammed by concerns over China’s flagging economy and weakening currency but also by a regulatory blunder.

On Friday, authorities reversed course and suspended a new “circuit breaker” mechanism that had fueled investor panic and a global rout by automatically closing Chinese markets early twice in just four days.

The plunges have brought a rough start to the year for an index that soared 150 percent in the 12 months to mid-June and then plummeted more than 30 percent in three weeks, prompting an unprecedented government rescue package which helped the market end the year up 9.4 percent.

To the dismay of investors, China’s central bank recently guided the yuan currency down by setting its daily fix lower for eight sessions, representing a 1.4 percent fall, before a slight reversal on Friday.

On Monday, the People’s Bank of China set the daily reference rate— around which the yuan can move up or down two percent—at a stronger 6.5626 to $1.0, up .02 percent against the US dollar.

“Pessimism is the dominant sentiment,” William Wong, head of sales trading at Shenwan Hongyuan Group in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg News. AFP

S. Korea, US plan more strategic deployment SEOUL—South Korea said Monday that further US “strategic assets” might be deployed to the Korean peninsula, following a flyover by a US B-52 bomber in response to North Korea’ nuclear test.

Seoul also announced new restrictions on the movement of its citizens to the jointly-run Kaesong industrial park, just a few kilometer over the border inside North Korea.

The South has taken an uncompromising stance in the wake of Wednesday’s test, urging the international community to impose harsh sanctions on Pyongyang and resuming high-decibel propaganda broadcasts into North Korea.

In a show of strength on Sunday, a B-52 Stratofortress—flanked

by South Korean F-15 fighter jets and US F-16 planes—flew over Osan Air Base, some 70 ki-

lometers south of the inter-Korean border.

The US military said the fly-by was a demonstration of the “ironclad” commitment to its military alliance with South Korea, and a direct response to the North’s fourth nuclear test.

“South Korea and the US are in close consultation about additional deployment of other strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula,” Defense Ministry spokesman Kim MinSeok told a regular press briefing in Seoul.

US and South Korean media reports have speculated that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald R e a g a n — c u r r e nt l y based in Japan—as well as B-2 stealth bombers and F-22 stealth fighter jets are among the deployments being considered.

Asked about Sunday’s flyover, China’s foreign

ministry on Monday urged all sides “to exercise restraint” to avoid jeopardizing stability on the Korean peninsula.

Under the US-South Korea military alliance, there are nearly 30,000 US troops permanently stationed in South Korea, which is also protected by the US “nuclear umbrella”.

South Korean President Park GeunHye will make a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, followed by a rare news conference, her office said.

The South’s special envoy on North Korea will meet in Seoul with his US and Japanese counterparts the same day.

North Korea says last week’s test was of a miniaturized hydrogen bomb—a claim largely dismissed by experts who argue the yield was far too low for a fullfledged thermonuclear device. AFP

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

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

Extradition process starts for ‘El Chapo’ MEXICO CITY—Mexican authorities launched Sunday the process to extradite drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to the United States, as they also sought to question US actor Sean Penn over their clandestine meeting.

The extradition bid marks a reversal from President Enrique Pena Nieto’s refusal to send Guzman across the border prior to his July escape from a maximumsecurity prison.

The attorney general’s office said in a statement that Interpol Mexico agents went to Guzman’s prison near Mexico City to execute two arrest warrants for his extradition, two days after he was captured in a deadly military raid.

Mexico received the US extradition requests last year on a slew of charges, including drug trafficking and homicide. Guzman is wanted in a half-dozen US states.

A federal official told AFP the process could take “months,” but that authorities will likely “try to do it fast.”

After judges rule on the extradition, the foreign ministry has to issue a decision, which Guzman can appeal.

His lawyer has vowed a “tough” legal fight that could reach the Supreme Court.

Guzman is now back in the same prison that he escaped from on July 11 when he snuck down a hole in his cell’s shower that led to a 1.5-kilometer tunnel outside the prison.

Officials defended the decision to send him back to the Altiplano prison, some 90 kilometers west of Mexico City, saying it remains one of the most secure in the country and that the cells were reinforced with metal rods under the floors.

A tank is stationed outside the prison.

Guzman fled prison once before in 2001, but after his February 2014 capture, Pena Nieto vowed to keep him behind bars in Mexico. He escaped 17 months later and a dozen prison officials were detained.

Analysts say the government should extradite Guzman instead of taking the risk of losing him again. AFP

Present. Actors Bella Thorne and Dani Thorne attend the 2016 Weinstein Company and Netflix Golden Globe Awards After Party at The Beverly Hilton on January 10, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Rocker David Bowie succumbs to cancer LONDON—British music legend David Bowie has died after a long battle with cancer, his official Twitter and Facebook accounts said Monday, prompting an outpouring of tributes for the innovative star.

A notoriously private person, Bowie’s death came as a surprise just days after he had released his 25th studio album “Blackstar” on his 69th birthday on Friday.

“David Bowie died peacefully today [Sunday] surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer,”

said a brief statement posted to both his Twitter and Facebook accounts.

“While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you to respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief.”

Bowie’s agent Steve Martin confirmed he had died and film director Duncan Jones, Bowie’s son with his first wife Angela Bowie, confirmed the news on Twitter.

“Very sorry and sad to say it’s true. I’ll be off-line for a while.

Love to all,” Jones wrote on his official account.

The death brings the curtain down on one of the most acclaimed artists of modern British music, with a career dating back to the hit “Space Oddity” in 1969, about an astronaut called Major

Tom, who is abandoned in space.

It spanned styles ranging from glam rock, New Romantic, Krautrock and dance music to alternative rock, jungle, soul and hard rock, underpinned by an astonishing array of stage personas from the sexually ambiguous Ziggy Stardust to the so-called Thin White Duke.

Bowie had last performed in 2006 and was rarely seen in public, and it was unclear whether he died in his long-term home New York or his native Britain.

He was born David Robert Jones in Brixton, inner south London, on January 8, 1947, before his family moved out to the leafy suburb of Bromley when he was six.

In the first of many re-inven-

tions that were to make him a style icon, he named himself David Bowie in 1966 to avoid confusion with Davy Jones, lead singer with Beatles rivals The Monkees, and studied Buddhism and mime.

The 1970s—the decade that saw him dominate the British music scene and conquer the United States—brought forward a string of successful albums.

It began with the critically acclaimed “Hunky Dory”, continued with “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars”—whose hits included “Starman” and “Suffragette City”—followed by the rock album “Aladdin Sane”, the apocalyptic “Diamond Dogs” and a fling with so-called plastic soul, “Station to Station.” AFP

Several migrants attacked in Cologne

Red-letter day. Twenty-year-old women wearing kimonos attend a “Coming-of-Age Day” celebration at the Toshimaen amusement park in Tokyo on January 11, 2016. AFP

COLOGNE—A group of Pakistanis and a Syrian were violently attacked by about 20 unknown assailants late Sunday in the German city of Cologne, police said.

With tensions running high over more than 500 reported assaults against women on New Year’s Eve in the western city blamed on migrants, police said Monday that the mob attacked six Pakistanis, two of whom had to be hospitalized.

Shortly afterward, a group of five people attacked a 39-yearold Syrian national, injuring him slightly.

Sunday’s violence, in the city

center outside the main railways station, marked a new escalation since the rash of assaults occurred during year-end celebrations.

Police on Sunday said they had received reports of “groups of people seeking to provoke” and dispatched reinforcements to the area between the station and the city’s iconic Gothic cathedral.

Officers checked the identification of about 100 people and two were detained for refusing to obey police orders.

On Saturday, police used tear gas and water cannon to clear a rally of the far-right PEGIDA movement in Cologne, after protesters flung fire-

crackers and bottles at officers they accused of failing to prevent assaults during New Year’s festivities.

Police said late Sunday that more than a week on from New Year’s Eve, some 516 complaints had now been lodged, including 40 percent that are related to sexual assault.

Witnesses described terrifying scenes of hundreds of women running a gauntlet of groping hands, lewd insults and robberies in the mob violence.

The scale of the Cologne assaults has shocked Germany and put a spotlight on the 1.1-million asylum seekers who arrived in the country last year. AFP

TUESDAY : JANUARY 12, 2016

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TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

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

BERNADETTE LUNAS WRITER

life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

A RTS, CU LT U RE & T ECH

LIFE

Mica Pineda, Hans Eckstein, Jeremy Domingo, Christine Flore (back, standing) and Joy Virata, Paul Holme, and Pinky Amador (seated) headline Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot, a comedy-mystery that follows William Gillette, a Broadway star known for his portrayal of detective Sherlock Holmes, both in the play and in real life.

REPERTORY PHILIPPINES CELEBRATES 49 YEARS OF EXCEPTIONAL THEATER

R

epertory Philippines has produced some of the most talented actors in Philippine theater today such as Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson, Pinky Amador, Cocoy Laurel, Subas Herrero, Cris Villonco, and co-founder Leo Martinez. The theater company has staged well renowned shows like Les Miserables, The King and I, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Wizard of Oz, and The Sound of Music, among many more plays.

It was founded in 1967 by five Filipino theater actors who wanted to create an avenue for fellow actors to earn a living in the industry they enjoy working in. The late Zeneida “Bibot” Amador, Carmen “Baby” Barredo, Leo Martinez with Tony Mercado and wife Monina opened their first play with only an audience of seven.

“It’s funny when you think about our beginning because when we did our first show Miss Julie, we only had seven members in the audience. And only three were paying customers,” shares Barredo, the company’s co-founder and current artistic director. “Repertory Philippines began as a dream by Zeneida Amador,” she adds. “She wanted to make theatergoing a social habit and to give opportunities for actors to showcase their talents.”

Repertory then staged the Broadway comedy, Luv, in the same year after they first opened, followed by Sophocles’ Antigone, Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, and Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? After a series of plays, they were then heralded as the country’s leading English-language drama company. Today, Repertory Philippines Foundation Incorporated consistently produces at least seven productions a year, having done so for the last 40 years with an average of 200 performances annually, with over 400 straight plays and musicals under its belt.

Stepping Out will star Bituin Escalante, Cara Barredo, David Shawn Delgado, Sheila Francisco, Sheila Valderrama-Martinez, and Sweet Plantado Tiongson as members of a dance class trying to learn the basics of tap while developing friendships

“What fuels us to continue despite the many challenges is passion,” says Barredo.

“Because of our longevity, we have witnessed the increasing interest of the public towards theater.” For its 79th season, Repertory is sustaining the public’s interest in theater by producing a mix of comedy, drama, and musicals for young children.

From January 15 to February 7, experience yet another unforgettable stage performance

by Repertory for Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot. The play follows William Gillette, a Broadway star known for his portrayal of detective Sherlock Holmes, both in the play and in real life. The story follows as the character invites his cast mates to his Connecticut castle for a weekend, where someone ends up dead. Gillette now must channel his inner Holmes to track the killer and stop the next death.

For the Valentine season, February 19 to March 13, catch Almost, Maine, with the play set in the town of Almost where

Repertory has a sweet treat for kids and the kids at heart with Hansel and Gretel, the Brothers Grimm classic about siblings that eat a witch’s candy house

the residents fall in and out of love in unusual ways. The stage play is the perfect Valentine’s date for you and your loved one for the season of hearts.

Repertory is also geared up for the summer with the staging of Stepping Out from April 1 to 24. It is Richard Harris’ Broadway comedy about former chorus girl Mavis who teaches a dance class while dealing with the drama cooking up in the studio. Stepping Out was awarded Best Comedy at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards which is organized by notable British critics and editors.

For the latter part of the year, Repertory will be staging Hansel and Gretel – the Brothers Grimm classic about siblings that eat a witch’s candy house – as part of the theater company’s commitment in providing avenues for children to enjoy theater. This will run from August 20 to December 15.

The classic and Pinoy favorite A Little Princess, will also run from November 18 to December 18. It tells the story of the famous

To round off the year, Repertory is presenting the musical A Little Princess, which tells the story of Sarah who suffers in the hands of Miss Minchin at a boarding school in London. Things turn for the worse when her father dies and she becomes a pauper

Sarah, whom many Filipinos have gotten used to calling Ang Munting Prinsesa following the TV show that kids of all ages watched on a local channel. Bring your kids, your younger siblings and relive the tale of the little princess who suffers at the hands of Miss Minchin at a boarding school in London.

Today, more and more people are heading out to the theaters to watch live plays. This year, Repertory is hopeful that once again, the seats will be full and thunderous claps will reverberate from the corners of the theater. Catch the plays they have lined up for the year and celebrate the 79th year of Repertory Philippines.

For more details, inquiries on ticket or show buying, call Repertory Philippines at 843-3570 or visit the website at http://www. repertoryphilippines.ph/.

TUESDAY : JANUARY 12, 2016

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

ARTS AND CULTURE ROUNDUP What’s on in theaters and galleries this week

EXHIBITS

THEATER PLAYS

Colors of Life Dragon Gallery, RCBC Plaza, Makati City Ongoing until January 16

Tosca Greenbelt 3 cinemas, Makati City January 12

See how young students perceive what a happy and healthy lifestyle is in an exhibit that mounts more than 20 artworks selected from the 544 entries for the 6th Colors of Life Students Visual Arts Competition. Staged by insurance company Cocolife, the exhibit theme “Happy and Healthy” aims to promote the awareness, ideals and qualities of having a healthy lifestyle to the young individuals of today’s generation.

Currently on exhibit are the winning works created with watercolor, oil and acrylic paints by students in grade school, high school and college levels.

Multi-awarded artists from the fields of advertising, film and visual arts selected the top placer, runners-up and special prize winners.

Giacomo Puccini’s melodrama about a volatile diva, a sadistic police chief, and an idealistic artist is the third offering of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Metropolitan Opera in HD. The Luc Bondy production of Tosca is led by an exceptional cast including Patricia Racette who portrays the tempestuous diva Floria Tosca; Roberto Alagna as Tosca’s lover, the painter Cavaradossi; and George Gagnidze who plays the corrupt and lustful Scarpia.

The CCP Met Opera in HD series features screenings of the latest operatic productions of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Tosca was featured in the Met Opera’s 2013-2014 season and was transmitted live worldwide on October 29, 2013 in more than 2,000 movie theaters around the world.

For more information on this ongoing exhibit, send an email to dragongallery@ yuchengcomuseum.org

Begin Main Gallery, ArtInformal, Mandaluyong City Ongoing until February 6

The Game’s Afoot Onstage, Greenbelt 1, Makati City January 15 to February 7

ArtInformal gallery welcomes the year not with a blank canvas but with a collection of paintings, photographs, installations and more in its first group exhibition for 2016. Nine young artists that include Pope Bacay, Julia Barrameda, Mars Bugaoan, Camille Cabatingan, Pin Calacal, Andie Harn, Kitty Kaburo, Henrielle Pagkaliwangan and Veronica Pee showcase their narratives of personal and impersonal beginnings and their perceptions of what it means to begin again.

Bacay and Kaburo reimagine environments and landscapes through experimentation of layers, renditions and processes while Bugaoan breathes life onto old photographs through scratches and erasures. Pee continues her exploration of the moon; Barrameda and Pagkaliwangan chronicle the ephemerality of experiences through video and acrylic sheets, respectively.

Calacal uses hair to highlight the tension between new life and intimate bonds

Theater company Repertory Philippines opens its 79th season with Ken Ludwig’s award-winning comedy-thriller The Game’s Afoot. Set in 1936, the story follows Broadway star William Gillette, who is known for his brilliant portrayal of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes.

After a show, he invites his castmates to his castle for a weekend of revelry wherein one of them turns up dead.

Gillette must channel his inner Sherlock and figure out who the killer is before the latter strikes again.

The Game’s Afoot is directed by Miguel Faustmann. The cast is led by Pinky Amador, Jeremy Domingo, Hans Eckstein, Natalie Everett, Christine Flores, Paul Holme, Mica Pineda, Jay Valencia Glorioso, and Joy Virata.

formed from dead and loose strands.

Harn, on the other hand, fabricates a memorial quilt that celebrates her classmates’ pursuit of becoming artists, and Cabatingan morphs fossilized creatures to comment on animal cruelty.

Visit www.artinformal.com for more details.

Rehearsals For The Willful Silverlens Galleries, Makati City Ongoing until February 6

For more information on this one-day screening, call Greenbelt 3 cinemas’ Customer Service Hotline at (02) 7577883, or the CCP Sales and Promotions at (02) 832-3706 or send an email to ccpsalesandpromo@gmail.com

Call (02) 843-3570 or visit www. repertoryphilippines.com.ph for more details.

WORKSHOPS Shui Mo: Chinese Painting Workshop (Intermediate) Yuchengco Museum, RCBC Plaza, Makati City January 16, 23, 30, February 6, 13, 20, 27, March 5, 12 and 19

Singaporean artist Genevieve Chua debuts her latest series of works in the Philippines. In her solo exhibition, Chua presents pieces that take cues from her previous series. The visual artworks present the wilderness that is pared down to its essential forms, achieved through a methodology of visualization of audio bytes.

Chua’s abstraction has made it possible to show that painting bears flatness and depth simultaneously without surpassing each other.

The photographics “Tillandsia Usneoides” for instance features a deliberate line that ruptures spatial dynamics between images.

Learn the traditional Chinese brush painting technique Shui Mo from seasoned Chinese painting instructor Pieh Tsai ShiuYuin (Arsenia Lim) in 10 Saturdays, from January to March. Shui Mo (water and ink) is a freestyle technique created using a brush dipped in ink and water and painted onto rice paper.

The topics to be covered are Pine Tree, Wisteria, Narcissus and Rose. The 10-day workshop is open to participants 15 years and older, who have prior experience in Western or Chinese painting. Workshop fee is P6,500 excluding materials, which can be purchased from the instructor on the first session.

For more details and inquiries about this ongoing exhibit, contact info@silverlensgalleries.com or (02) 816-0044.

For workshop details, contact programs officer Elma Abrina at (02) 889-1234 or info@yuchengcomuseum.org

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Summit Media’s Hue Can Do It: The NO-Pressure, NOJudgment Coloring Book that features 40 Filipino artists

Sanctuaries: 30 stress-coloring plates inspired by paintings on hand-woven mats by Jomike Tejido

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF COLORING BOOKS

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hat used to be regarded as mere tools to help children pass the time have become a hot publishing item. We refer to none other than coloring books – and it looks like this is not just a passing fad or fancy but a lasting trend judging from the growing number of people who are taking on the activity which many say is also therapeutic. In fact, coloring books now have their own category at Amazon.com.

According to American writer Susannah Cahalan in an interview with The New York Post, nine of the 20 books on Amazon’s current bestseller list belong to a genre that didn’t exist two years ago. More than 2,000 have hit the stands since 2013, and the coloring book genre’s two biggest bestsellers Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest have sold a combined 13.5 million copies in 50 countries.

The trend reportedly began in 2011 when a small UK publishing house, Lawrence King Publishing, approached Scottish freelance illustrator Johanna Basford. An editor there had stumbled across her work online and thought that her intricate drawings would

Mandalas are circular designs, which reflect the wholeness of a person

Mystical Maidens: Art Works by Jonathan Rañola

make the perfect coloring book.

The result was The Secret Garden, a complex hand drawn coloring book initially marketed for older children. However, adults soon began buying the coloring book – and the rest, as they say, is publishing history.

The adult coloring book trend has also reached Manila, and those who want to engage in this absorbing activity can find a variety at SM Stationery.

Among the reasons why adult coloring books have become so popular is the perception that the activity of coloring has calming virtues as it relieves stress, with art

The bestselling coloring book for adults, Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book by Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford sold more than 1.4 millions copies, and now has its Philippine edition entitled Ang Lihim na Hardin: Isang Matintang Paghahanap ng Kayamanan at Kinukulayang Aklat

becoming therapy, with the activity deemed as undemanding similar to knitting or working on a puzzle.

Some also point to the “Peter Pan syndrome” where one desires to reach out to the “inner child.”

Others say the coloring books satisfy the desire to experience the tactile sensation that is missing in a largely digital world.

Whether elaborate Mandalas, paisley-patterned wildlife or whimsical gardens with hidden treasures, you can channel your creativity in the coloring books for adults that are available at the SM Stationery section of the SM Stores.

Materials may vary per branch.

Stabilo colored pens

Patterns with geometric shapes stimulate the mind as shapes that are symmetrical in structure depict organization and efficiency

Color as you go with this ring bind coloring book

TUESDAY : JANUARY 12, 2016

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

T EC H TA L K

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YOUR MOBILE APP SOLUTION FOR LAST MINUTE HOTEL BOOKING

e’ve tried out so many travel accommodation sites for our trips over the past years, and we’d usually encounter a missed email, wrong information, or cancellation of booking when we have already reached our destination. More often than not, finding ourselves in a desperate situation leaves us with no option but to book at the last minute any hotel that is available on sight. Often, we settle for the next best thing rather than endure a night with no roof over our head. Sometimes, the worst part is we have blown off all our accommodation money to that home stay we thought was already arranged – and you don’t get reimbursed as soon as possible when your booking is cancelled.

HotelQuickly might just be the solution for your last minute booking.

Stop getting frustrated with your other travel accommodation and start enjoying your planned vacation. HotelQuickly

is a mobile hotel booking application that allows users to get the best available 3- to 5-star hotels fast and hassle-free throughout the Asia Pacific region at more affordable rates. Rates on the app are about 28 percent cheaper than other online hotel booking options.

“HotelQuickly is relevant to the Filipino market as more than 40 percent of Filipinos connect to the internet via mobile devices to do research on various products they want to buy. And 83 percent of Filipinos who go online are looking for hotels for weekend getaways and staycations. Especially with the large number of inbound leisure tourists in the Philippines, booking cheaper yet curated hotels is made easier through HotelQuickly, even on the last minute,” says HotelQuickly’s co-founder and chief sales officer Raphael Cohen.

HotelQuickly has more than 11,000 hotels in more than 250 destinations in

countries like Australia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and now, the Philippines.

What makes using HotelQuickly more fun are the free accommodations you can avail of. Get free night stays in a hotel of your choice by inviting your friends. Each time an invited friend downloads the app, they get P600 (off) while you receive a P40 credit. In addition to this, once they book a hotel, you get a P600 credit. You may redeem and use your credits on the next destination of your choice.

Simply download the HotelQuickly app in the App Store or Google Play. Once you open the app, you’ll see the countries and cities covered by HotelQuickly with an up-to-date list of available hotels and rooms with the normal and discounted prices. The app allows you to look at high resolution photos of the hotel, check

out information on the facilities, read consumer reviews, and even search the hotel location through a virtual map. To make a reservation on your preferred hotel, simply swipe to confirm and wait for a confirmation email.

For more information visit www.hotelquickly. com or follow them on Facebook at Hotel Quickly and @HotelQuicklyPH on Twitter.

THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN ART AND TECHNOLOGY Celebrating BenCab’s 50 Creative Years with a limited edition Samsung gadget

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amsung and Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera have collaborated to mount a one-of-a-kind interactive exhibit as part of the National Artist for Visual Arts’ celebration of his 50th year as one of the most renowned artists of the country.

Dubbed “BenCab in Two Movements,” the ongoing exhibit (until January 16) at the Yuchengco Museum celebrates the creative milestone of the prolific artist and captures his transformational, collaborative spirit and his great willingness to push his craft to the next frontier.

The collaboration also serves as further proof on how art and technology are intertwined. Museum visitors will also get to dance along with BenCab’s collaborator, Polish choreographer Paulina Wycichowska, whose movements are captured in 40 sketches in the 2006 work Studies of Dance Movements.

Enhancing exhibit viewers’ interactive experience are customized Samsung Smart TV and mobile apps.

Coinciding with the event is Samsung’s unveiling of the Galaxy Note5 BenCab Limited Edition, of which only 1,000 units will be made available in the market.

The limited-edition phablet comes in the Gold Platinum Galaxy Note5 variant with three pre-loaded Samsung art applications, exclusive BenCab artwork wallpapers, a commemorative BenCab in Two Movements micro art book, a special protective case featuring BenCab’s 2007

work Dance Interpretation, a certificate of authenticity, and unique serial number engraving at the back of the device.

The launch of the limited edition Galaxy Note5 captures BenCab’s belief that technology can bring the arts and

culture closer to the hearts and minds of Filipinos – a cause embraced by Samsung.

BenCab disclosed that as an artist, he has always dreamt of putting up a museum that would show not only his own work but Philippine tribal art and contemporary works as well. The legacy he leaves will be “far more meaningful if it can also be experienced, not just seen. “Making my work interactive to the audience is like bringing these museums into people’s lives,” he said. In the case of the Galaxy Note5, bringing BenCab’s work to Filipinos via their smartphones is also one way of making the arts more immersive for people who are used to multimedia, the National Artist added Reflecting BenCab’s appreciation of how technology can enhance art is his choice of the Galaxy Note5 which offers a large 5.7” Quad HD Super AMOLED display, making it the optimal device on which to view the artist’s various works.

BenCab’s artistic spirit takes flight with this initiative

by Samsung Electronics Philippines, which articulates the technology leader’s commitment to the promotion of artistic expression and cultural development.

Log on to ZALORA (zlrph.com/samsung-bencab) or go to the select Samsung Experience Store to know more about the Galaxy Note5 BenCab Limited Edition smartphone. Visit www.nextisnow.ph for more details. You may also visit www. samsung.com and global.samsungtomorrow.com.

LENOVO REMODELS THE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM WITH AIRCLASS

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nline courses and training has been a trend for the last couple of years. Corporate or single students seek diploma or certificate courses online, from language courses to actual masteral courses. The number of students participating in online or blended learning rose to 80 percent in the past five years, and 74 percent of companies use virtual learning for employee training.

With this perceived influx, Lenovo created a platform that can serve a better online classroom for the students.

The company recently announced the release of AirClass at the recent 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The new platform is the answer to a better virtual experience for corporate training or students looking for online education.

It is a simple-to-use dashboard for both instructors and students, with access to

tiles for sharing documents, photos and videos. It also has a live chat panel where the training can commence. AirClass archives an entire class and lets you play back at your deemed time. It also has an emotions analytics feature that tracks student engagement by capturing and analyzing video from their personal webcams. Technology analysts predict the market for emotion-analyzing software to reach as high as $10 billion worldwide in five years, and AirClass is among the first to bring this capability to virtual learning.

The emotion-analyzing feature acts as a tool for instructors to custom fit their students’ training based on the profile of the student that is captured during interaction. Students can opt to let their laptop camera capture video of them during the class, which is combined with other students’ data and analyzed to

produce a report about the student’s attention and engagement during the presentation. AirClass Replay helps the instructor assess what works and does not work for the students.

“From studying people in virtual learning environments, we know they want to interact with their instructor and peers in a way that mimics a live classroom,” says Lenovo vice president George He who is also the president of the Ecosystem and Cloud Services Business Group for Lenovo. “AirClass from Stoneware, now a part of Lenovo Software, makes the experience that much more engaging with emotion analytics and immersive playback options.”

AirClass will be sold on a subscription model based on number of instructors and number of classrooms per instructor.

Price starts at $600 per year for one instructor and one classroom, while pricing can go as low as $12 per classroom for up to 10 classrooms. Each classroom has an unlimited number of sessions.

Full pricing detail is available at airclass. com. For more information follow Lenovo on Facebook or Twitter (@Lenovo) or visit at www.lenovo.com.

T UES DAY : JA NUA RY 1 2, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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Brooklyn is a coming-of-age romantic film that follows the journey of a young Irish woman in post-WWII

AwArds seAson frontrunner At AyAlA MAlls CineMAs

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The period drama stars Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen in the title roles

Ronan has already won five Best Actress plums for her role in the film

Brooklyn premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim Saoirse Ronan

Brooklyn, where the characters of Ronan and Cohen fall in love, serves as new home to many Irish immigrants

he profoundly moving story of Brooklyn about a young Irish immigrant played by Saoirse Ronan who has already won her Best Actress awards for her deeply moving performance in the movie in recently concluded British Independent Film Awards, Boston Online Film Critics Association, Detroit Film Critics Society, Hollywood Film Awards, New York Film Critics Circle, Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association will soon open exclusively in Ayala Malls Cinemas on Jan. 27.

Brooklyn, a frontrunner at the upcoming major film awards such as the Golden Globes and Oscars follows the love and coming-ofage story of story of Eilis Lacey (Ronan), An Irish immigrant must choose between two men, two countries and two destinies in a story of departures, longing and slow-simmering romance, tracing the unexpected journey of a young girl becoming a woman in America.

Through the film’s contemporary lens, the story reels back to the refined rhythms of the 1950s as a post-WWII wave of newcomers was arriving on U.S. shores in search of prosperity.

Eilis has lived her whole life in tiny Enniscorthy, Ireland – where everyone knows everyone else’s business and then some -- when she is swept away to America, thanks to her sister, who wants to see her flourish. She arrives into the diverse tumult of Brooklyn already homesick, feeling like an exile. But as Eilis dexterously learns to adapt to life as a New Yorker, she meets a funny, sweet, charismatic suitor determined to win her devotion.

Just as she seems on the verge of beginning a new life, a family tragedy brings her back to Ireland where she is pulled back into the life she left behind … and a decision

that could affect her future forever.

Caught between two different calls to her heart, Eilis confronts one of the most breathtakingly difficult dilemmas of our fluid modern world: figuring out how to merge where you have come from with where you dream of going.

Brooklyn director John Crowley, best known for the BAFTA-winning drama Boy A, seems to have immediate insight into the material –since he, too, is an Irishman living outside Ireland, in his case having left his birthplace for England. To Crowley, Brooklyn also evinces a modern conception of love.

“It’s a story that says love is complicated,” he muses, “and that the heart isn’t necessarily loyal to just one person; it can perhaps, unlike a head, conceive of loving two people simultaneously. Eilis’ choice between two men is also a choice for what kind of life she wants to lead. It costs her a lot emotionally, yet the only way for her in life is to keep moving forward. Love in this story is a very real force that can potentially be destructive or liberating depending on which way it bounces.”

Ronan says she felt an immediate, almost uncanny, affinity for Eilis as soon as she read the script.

“Nick Hornby (screenwriter) isn’t from Ireland, yet he managed to completely capture the spirit of the country. The writing was so beautiful, and so beautifully subtle,” she comments. “It felt close to my heart because it was about my people. It was the journey that my parents went on back in the ‘80s; they moved to New York and went through all these same things, even though it was a different era.

The biggest hurdle anyone goes through in life is leaving the security of your family and your friends behind for something new.”

Log on to www.sureseats.com for advanced ticket purchase and schedule.

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

Nigerian-American director Rick Famuyiwa directs the HBO movie that revisits the national debate over race relations and sexual harassment

Greg Kinnear plays Joe Biden

KERRy WaShingtOn, WEnDELL PiERCE anD gREg KinnEaR in hBO ORiginaL mOviE

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onfirmation, premiering same time as the US this April on HBO and HBO GO, stars Kerry Washington, Wendell Pierce, Greg Kinnear, Jeffrey Wright, Eric Stonestreet, and Jennifer Hudson.

Written by Susannah Grant and directed

by Rick Famuyiwa, the film details the explosive 1991 Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination hearings, which brought the country to a standstill and forever changed the way we think about sexual harassment, victims’ rights and modern-day race relations.

Confirmation is executive produced by Michael London, Janice Williams, Kerry Washington and Susannah Grant. Darren Demetre is the producer. The HBO Films presentation of a Groundswell Production in association with ABC Signature Studios debuts in April, exclusively on HBO. Confirmation looks behind the curtain of Washington politics, depicting a pivotal moment in American culture that became a turning point in workplace equality and gender politics.

Kerry Washington portrays law professor Anita Hill, who accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, with Wendell Pierce as Judge Thomas and Greg Kinnear as Democratic Senator Joe Biden, who presided over the

hearings as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Jeffrey Wright plays Harvard law professor Charles Ogletree, Professor Hill’s lead attorney during the hearings, and Eric Stonestreet portrays Ken Duberstein, a Washington lobbyist hired by President George H. W. Bush to promote Judge Thomas’ confirmation. Jennifer Hudson portrays Angela Wright, another Thomas accuser, who was subpoenaed but was never called to testify before the Judiciary Committee.

Dylan Baker plays Republican Senator Orrin Hatch. Erika Christensen plays Shirley Wiegand, Hill’s close friend. Kimberly Elise plays Sonia Jarvis, a civil rights attorney on Anita Hill’s legal team. Malcolm Gets plays Republican Senator Arlen Specter. Grace Gummer plays Ricki Seidman, aide to Senator Edward Kennedy. Zoe Lister-Jones portrays Carolyn Hart, an aide to Senator Biden. Peter McRobbie portrays Republican Senator Alan Simpson. Treat Williams plays Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy. Alison Wright portrays Ginni Thomas, Thomas’ wife.

The behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Rachel Morrison; editor Dirk Westervelt; production designer Stephen Altman; composer Harry Gregson-Williams; costume designer Hope Hanafin; and casting directors Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 48 50 54 58 61 62 63 65 66 67 68 69 70 71

ANSWER FOR PREVIOUS PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Tower over 5 Secret store 10 FBI agent (hyph.)

14 Pinnacle 15 — — in the bucket 16 Delicate blossom 17 Centurion’s route 18 Laments loudly 19 Aahs’ companions 20 Jamaican music 22 Goofballs 24 Stuffy 25 Antacid?

26 28 32 35 37 38 39 41 42 45 46 47

Chemist’s condiment Famed orca Barrel stopper Mouse alert Beaches Literary collection Due for payment One who often gets fleeced Boondocks Pixel Soulmates Hall decker

Bygone despot Apollo’s priestess Ike’s missus Good jumper Kind of split Sleep like — — Ursa Major neighbor Rocky ledge Omigosh!

Limerick writer — Nash Munich single Acorn, to an oak Above the horizon Antlered ruminant

DOWN 1 Wildlife refuges 2 Vocal group 3 Rolex rival 4 Changing lanes 5 Wedding fixture 6 Summer cooler 7 Doctrine 8 Privilege 9 — Downs (racetrack) 10 Harpo’s brother 11 Cattle calls 12 Memorable tennis champ 13 Loch — monster 21 Tooth-puller’s org.

23 Scout for trout

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25 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 36 37 40 43 44 46 49 51 52 53 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 64

Took off Execs Survey finding Whimper “Has 1001 —” Lavish party A law — itself Makeshift coathanger Moppet Certain NCOs Make mention of Plugged up Sedgwick of the screen Frisked about GP group Fire of the mind Welsh dog An awful lot Antoinette or Osmond Foolish, plus Raring to go Boyle and Moss “I cannot tell — —” Slangy refusal Beethoven was born there So-so mark

Kerry Washington (top) and Wendell Pierce in a scene from the TV movie Confirmation

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SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

FuSinG FaShion and aRT From C8

Heart Evangelista is really taking art and fashion to the next level.

It was in August when the actress and wife of Sen. Chiz Escudero started painting on her Hermes bags and totally aced it.

This time, she is on to a new “fashion x art” endeavor where she is collaborating with her close friend, designer Mark Bumgarner in Mark Bumgarner X Love Marie.

The collaboration will showcase embellished and hand-painted dresses and shoes that Evangelista and Bumgarner have been working on for months now.

At a recent press conference, the two let the members of the press have a glimpse of the unfinished dresses that will be auctioned off in a fashion show at Dusit Thani Manila on Jan.18, which will be for the benefit of Thalassemia Association of the Philippines and Corridor of Hope.

Heart has been helping patients suffering from thalassemia, a hereditary blood disorder, through her annual gift-giving project “I Heart Thalassemia Kids.”

Meanwhile, Heart was able to teach art for the first time to cancer survivors, cancer patients and some members of St. Luke’s Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City through the cancer support group, Corridor of Hope. The art workshop was called “Heart of a Hero.”

The actress has finally found a way to merge her passion for art and fashion with her advocacy to help the sick. Indeed, her name suits her for having a big heart for those in need.

HHHHH TempTaTion on Gma After 11 years since the hit series Stairway To Heaven made waves among Koreanovela

Heart Evangelista is not just an actor, she's an artist, too

fans in the Philippines, Choi Ji Woo and Kwon Sang Woo are back in Temptation.

Cha Seok-hoon is a naïve man who grew up in a rural village in Gangwon Province. he gets into the country’s top university despite his family’s economic plight, and he takes on all sorts of part-time jobs, from quick services to construction work, in order to earn his tuition.

He meets Na Hong-joo, a girl also from a poor family. Hong-joo is resigned to a miserable existence, until Seok-hoon brings happiness and hope into her life.

They get married, and Hong-joo is a

Korean stars Choi Ji Woo and Kwon Sang

Designer Mark Bumgarner

calm and understanding wife, always the first to sacrifice and make concessions.

However, Seok-hoon finds himself plunged into massive debt due to a failed business venture with another partner.

Yoo Se-young is a hotel heiress, trained to take over her father’s company from a young age. Called a “woman of iron,” she is a workaholic and a headstrong leader, and has no interest in love or marriage. One of her family friends is rich playboy Kang Min-woo, who unsuccessfully tried to seduce her in the past. Min-woo has everything he could ever want, and approaches life with the philosophy that you should have a hundred different faces for a hundred different women. He got married only because it was a requirement for his inheritance.

While on a business trip to Hong Kong, Se-young meets Seok-hoon and Hong-joo, and for her amusement, she makes them a dangerous offer to test their marriage: In exchange for paying off Seok-hoon’s debts so that he could avoid going to jail, she asks for four days with him.

Seok-hoon makes a crucial choice and takes the deal. But his strange relationship with Se-young soon jeopardizes his marriage.

Upon their return to Korea, Seok-hoon and Hong-joo’s marriage is unable to survive this crisis of trust, and they eventually divorce.

Meanwhile, Se-young finds herself genuinely

falling for Seok-hoon.

Temptation airs on GMA Telebabad after Kapuso Primetime Cinema.

HHHHH RakRakan ReSeT Rakrakan Festival ‘15, one of last year’s most highly anticipated music festivals, had been cancelled in the last minute due to torrential rains that made travel and access very difficult in the metro, and which would have gravely affected every guest’s Rakrakan experience.

Nonetheless, the event is rescheduled on Jan. 16 at the Globe Circuit Events Ground, Circuit Makati, with all the same activities: 70 bands (albeit some minor changes in the lineup), three stages, a merchandise and food bazaar, open skate and mini competition, street art contest, and others.

Current ticket-holders will just have to hold on to their SM tickets until the event date; while tickets are still selling at all SM Tickets outlets nationwide at P1500 and P430 for VIP and general admission respectively (inclusive of SM Tickets charges).

Check out www.rakrakanfestival.com and https://www.facebook.com/rakrakanfestival for the updated lineup and more details.

Alvin, Theodore and Simon are voiced by actors Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney

The wacky trio of Alvin, Theodore and Simon is back in the new installment of Chipmunks movie series

MusiC-filled Cross-Country odyssey

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trutting and dancing their way into their latest movie installment, Alvin, Theodore and Simon star in the latest addition to the hit franchise Alvin and the Chipmunks in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip with the returning voice cast of Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Jesse McCartney.

In Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, the Chipmunks hit the road and embark on a journey to stop their guardian Dave (Jason Lee) from what they believe to be a wedding proposal in Miami.

Alvin, who’s charming and musical with boundless enthusiasm and animal magnetism; Simon, whose

I.Q. is just north of Einstein’s; and Theodore, who’s shy, goodnatured, loving and sensitive along with new equally mischievous pal, Miles (Josh Green) son of Dave’s special friend, Samantha (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) are not thrilled on the idea of Dave and Sam tying the knot. ‘ In a pact that recalls the expression, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend,’ the Chipmunks and Miles reluctantly join forces to travel cross-country, to Florida, and try and break up what they believe will be Dave’s marriage proposal to Sam. It’s a journey filled with adventure, laughs, music and lots of local color. But director Walt

Becker also notes that it’s also about Alvin, Simon, Theodore and Miles finding their way into a kind of blended family. He further points to the film’s new blended family elements as an entryway to this new chapter in the Chipmunks’ lives. It’s no longer just the three boys and Dave Seville. Two new characters – a love interest for Dave, and her teenage son – enter the scene, and turn the ‘Munks’ life and family topsy-turvy.

“I think the idea of a blended family is one that many people can relate to,” says Becker. “The Chipmunks are always trying to do the right thing, but end up doing it in the wrong way. You can mine a lot of comedy from

those family experiences.”

There’s also a lot of humor mined from the guys’ crosscountry odyssey. It begins when Miles smuggles the ‘Munks aboard a flight, where everything goes wrong. In flight, they meet a new foe – a TSA Agent named Suggs, played by recent Emmy® winner Tony Hale (Veep).

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip shakes things up, musically. Each stop on the ‘Munks’ and Miles’ quest has its own special character and different musical influence – from modern, hip-hop/country vibe of an Austin, Texas bar to the great jazz, blues and funk of New Orleans, and finally to the Latin flair of Miami.

Continuing a soundtrack tradition for the series, Alvin and the Chipmunks put their own delightful new spin on smashes including “Uptown Funk,” “Turn Down For What,” and more. In addition, Redfoo and the boys trade verses on “Juicy Wiggle (Munk Remix).”

The soundtrack also features Sheppard’s platinum-certified international hit “Geronimo” and The Score’s “Oh My Love.” Mark Mothersbaugh is the composer and the executive music producer is Alana Da Fonseca.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip opens Jan. 20 in cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

Sad new Year for Showbiz German Moreno, or just Kuya Germs to many, was a star - builder, host and producer

ISAH V. RED New Year suggests new beginnings and hopes for better and prosperous year ahead. But the start of this year brought two depressing news to the showbiz world.

Of course, the saddest news in the morning of Jan. 8 was Kuya Germs’s death. I woke up early that day, as usual, switched the TV on and there in Unang Hirit was the news about his passing.

The news had a dazing effect on me recalling he was on his way to recovery after that stroke almost a year ago. I even saw him several times in his midnight show Walang Tulugan, and he looked happy, also at a couple of press conferences at GMA Network where he would be asked to say a few words.

Later in the day, I would learn that he suffered a cardiac arrest early in the morning and then rushed to St. Luke’s Medical Center where he expired at exactly 3:20 a.m. waking an entire industry to a feeling of grief.

Those who don’t sleep early will no longer hear him holler “Walang Tulugan” on TV every Saturday late night till early Sunday morning.

Kuya Germs, as his friends and colleagues in show business called him, was German Moreno in real life. His story is one for the books, starting as a janitor and “telonero” (someone who raises and closes the curtains at the beginning and end of a show) at Clover Theater (where people watched live comedy skits and dances on stage) in Sta. Cruz Manila up to the time

Kuya Germs with some of his talents during a taping for Walang Tulugan

he was taken in by Dr. Jose Perez of Sampaguita Pictures as a comedic talent and later on as a talent and producer at GMA Network.

He is the “Master Showman,” to many people. At 82 years old, the master had bid everyone goodbye.

But his memory remains in the stars that he made popular among them Sharon Cuneta, Dawn Zulueta, Billy Crawford, Lea Salonga, Lani Mercado, among many.

He also initiated the “Walk of Fame” in Eastwood, Quezon City, which is the local counterpart of the “Walk of Fame” in Hollywood, USA to recognize artists, broadcasters, singers and others who made significant contributions to the showbiz industry.

Now, can his nephew John Nite fill in his uncle shoes?

HHHHH Sleep tight gino His surname is a Filipino variation of the Spanish gerund “durmiendo”, which in English means “sleeping” (from the verb “dormir”), but to his friends, like me, there is never a moment when we were together without us laughing at his anecdotes. He was a graphic storyteller and a passionate film critic.

But last week, Jan. 4, Gino suffered a massive stroke. He did not survive, surprising many of his friends, including myself, of his sudden departure.

Born on April 14, 1947, Justino Dormiendo was 69 when he left his family and friends.

Before he became a film critic, Gino was a grade school teacher at

Kuya Germs suffered from mild stroke on Jan. 2 last year. The same happened on Jan. 8.

Ateneo De Manilao, after which he worked at San Miguel Corporation before deciding to go freelance and become a film critic founding along with other critics the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino.

Up until his death, he was an art critic. He was also a quondam actor, his last appearance was as the late director Lino Brocka in Lav Diaz’s Ebolusyon ng Isang Pamilyang Pilipino in 2004.

Gino’s remains was interred last Thursday at Loyola Memorial Park after a three-day vigil at a chapel in the park. ➜ Continued on C7