The Standard - 2016 April 17 - Sunday

VOL. XXX  NO. 64  3 Sections 24 Pages P18  SUNDAY : APRIL 17, 2016  www.thestandard.com.ph  editorial@thestandard.com.ph

SOLON: NO TO NEW TAXES

A8

SAYYAF SUSPECTS SNATCH 4 SAILORS

By Francisco Tuyay

AN INDONESIAN sailor was shot and wounded while four of his compatriots were abducted by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits in Philippine waters between Tawi-Tawi and Lahad Datu in Sabah, authorities reported on Saturday.

ABU SAYYAF bandits are accused by the military of having a hand in the abduction of four Indonesian sailors in Philippine waters between Tawi-Tawi and Sabah.

Major Filemon Tan, spokesman of the AFP’s Western Mindanao Command, said there were 10 Indonesians onboard the tugboat T/B Henry which was towing the barge Christy en route to Tarakan in North Kalimantan, Indonesia after delivering 8,000 tons of coal in Cebu.

When they reached the area between Tawi-Tawi and Lahad Datu around 6:30 p.m. of Friday, they were intercepted by a grey-blue speedboat carrying five armed men.

Tan said the gunmen ordered the Indonesians to the lower deck but the crew resisted, resulting in the shooting of one of the sailors in the chest. The gunmen then ordered four of the sailors to board the speedboat and they fled toward the north.

Tan said the six remaining sailors, including the injured man, then radioed for help and Malaysian authorities rescued them and brought them to Tawau town in Sabah.

The kidnapping of the sailors from tugboat TB Henry is the third incident in three weeks to occur in the sea routes between Sabah and Tawi Tawi and Tan said there is reason to believe the kidnapping was perpetrated by Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Hatib Hadjan Sawadjaan.

But Tan also stressed that the abductors could also just be pirates using the name of the Abu Sayyaf.

“There is no proof that they are the ones who did that [abduction],” Tan said, adding that the Wesmincom has alerted all its units Next page

ARREST 81 KIDAPAWAN FARMERS OUT ON BAIL ORDER VS 600 ALIENS

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ALL the 81 drought-stricken farmers who were arrested during a protest in Kidapawan City last April 1 have been released on bail, lawyers said Saturday.

Lawyer Edre Olalia, secretarygeneral of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, said the farmers were released as lawyers prepared for the arraignment which the court scheduled for April 25.

Meanwhile, Olalia said an independent autopsy and external examination of two men killed in the violent dispersal last April 1 showed that they died of gunshot wounds and not hard objects, “not bullets” as claimed by Interior and Local Government Secretary Mel Sarmiento.

Olalia said forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun conducted last April 9

autopsies on the remains of 22-year-old farmer Darwin Sulang and 30-year-old bystander Enrico Fabilgar.

Fortun’s autopsy revealed that Sulang sustained a “single perforating gunshot wound almost in the middle of the forehead, which exited at the top back of the head” while Fabilgar sustained a “single penetrating gunshot wound of the trunk,” Olalia said.

Next page

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S U N D AY : A P R I L 17, 2 0 1 6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

NO MINDANAO PEACE UNDER RODY—BINAY

By Vito Barcelo

UNITED Nationalist Alliance presidential bet Vice President Jejomar Binay declared that strife-torn Mindanao will find no peace under an administration led by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte whose platform promote fighting crimes with violence and violations of human rights.

“We Muslims and Christians have the moral responsibility not to vote for Duterte,” he said during his meeting in Zamboanga City with the Grand Mufti and Ustadz of Region 9 and Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

To ensure that lasting peace is finally achieved in Mindanao, Binay said that a decisive and compassionate leadership was needed.

“We will always pursue peace. I will talk with anybody and continue negotiations.

The effort toward a Bangsamoro Basic Law will be wasted even if it was not passed [by Congress] because that will be part of our

dialogue,” Binay said.

Binay opposed the BBL while it was being deliberated in Congress because of legal infirmities in the Palace version of the bill, which eventually became the reason for its defeat in the 16th Congress.

Binay had earlier assailed Duterte for supporting acts of violence against Davao City’s poor citizens who have been suspected of committing crimes.

Duterte has even boasted to the media to “being the Davao Death Squad [DDS],” a vigilante group known for committing extra-judicial killings. The United Nations, Amnesty International, and other human

rights groups have tagged the DDS for the deaths of thousands of civilians, including minors.

The mayor has also admitted to the media his involvement in the murder of 1,700 individuals, 1,000 more than the 700 earlier estimated by Amnesty International.

In an earlier campaign sortie in Lanao del Norte, Binay had pledged to put up a “Malacañang in Mindanao” to help Muslims feel decentralization in government.

“I promise you that I will personally address the problems besetting Mindanao.

My plan is to establish a Malacañang in Cebu. Similarly, I will build a Malacañang here in Mindanao,” Binay said.

“In order to understand your problems here, I will hold office here in Mindanao so I can watch over local governments will experience the true meaning of decentralization and devolution. I will administer local autonomy,” Binay pledged.

MUFTIATE SUPPORT. Vice President Jejomar Binay speaks with Islamic scholars in Zamboanga City who expressed support for his opposition to extra-judicial killings and violations of human rights.

81...

From A1

The two died during the dispersal of the protest that the farmers staged on the highway linking Cotabato and Davao cities to demand government assistance after their crops were destroyed by drought.

Olalia said the released farmers “will rest, settle down and consolidate, reunite with families” even as their lawyers review affidavits and testimonies.

NULP’s Sarah Villamor said the farmers were released after the payment of P6,000 bail for each of the 78 farmers charged with direct assault and P12,000 bail for three farmers who were charged with frustrated homicide.

Villamor said 12 were released on April 13, four on April 14, 63 on April 15 and another two on Saturday morning after the posting of bail bonds that were

donated by individuals and groups.

“Many people believed that the farmers were seeking a legitimate redress of grievances so they contributed money for the bail,” Villamor said in Filipino.

Even the New York-based Human Rights Watch said police may have used unnecessary lethal force in breaking up the farmers protest in Kidapawan City on April 1, 2016.

HRW said police used truncheons and guns against the protesters, including women and children, some of whom threw rocks at the police to prevent them from hurting them further.

The Commission on Human Rights has already criticized the PNP for using firearms during the dispersal in violation of the rules during such an operation while the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights is conducting an inquiry in the bloodbath.

“The government needs to determine why the police found it necessary to fire

at protesters,” said Phelim Kine, HRW deputy Asia director.

He said that some protesters were throwing stones, but lethal force may only be used as a last resort to save lives.

The group interviewed eyewitnesses to the protests and called for the government to ensure that investigations into police use of force “are credible, transparent, and impartial.”

Some 6,000 protesters, primarily farmers and supporters from droughtstricken areas in North Cotabato and Bukidnon, gathered in Kidapawan City beginning March 28, calling for food aid and other assistance.

On March 30, the group protested by blocking the main highway into the city.

On April 1, police, some with riot shields and helmets, led an operation to clear the protesters from the road, backed by a Special Weapons and Tactics unit equipped with military-style body armor and M-16 assault rifles.

Sayyaf...

From A1

on the possible landing of the speed boat in their jurisdictions.

So far, Tan said the Abu Sayyaf is holding a total of 18 foreign hostage victims since Abu Sayyaf bandits resumed kidnapping sorties in Western Mindanao waters.

Tan said the incident happened barely 21 days after the Abu Sayyaf kidnapped 10 Indonesian crew of the tugboat Brahma 12 towing a barge with 7,000 tons of coal while cruising towards Batangas Port in Tawi-Tawi.

The 10 Indonesians were identified as Peter Tonson, Julian Philip, Elvis Peti, Surian Syah, Wawan Saputra, Bakyu Oktavianto, Wendi Raknadian and three others identified only through their names as Mahumud, Reynaldi and Surianto.

Someone claiming to be from Abu Sayyaf called the vessel’s owners to demand a ransom for the sailors’ release.

A week later, four Malaysian nationals aboard their motor vessel were also kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf off the coast of Semporna, Malaysia.

Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau’s Kuala Lumpur-based Piracy Reporting Centre, said the shipping community had expressed concern over the rise in attacks.

“Everyone is concerned as the attacks could hurt trade. Operating costs will go up if they were to use a longer but safer route,” he said.

“IMB fears such attacks will continue to escalate. How can seamen defend themselves against militants armed with high-powered guns and fast boats?” he added.

Many Western and other embassies routinely issue warnings against traveling to most of the Philippines’ Muslim-populated southern regions, which lie just northeast of Sabah, because of the risk of being abducted by the group.

In the past, Abu Sayyaf has mainly targeted tourists as they can demand high ransoms for foreigners.

Two Canadians and a Norwegian were kidnapped from yachts at a marina in September, with the militants setting an April deadline for a ransom to be paid.

The militants in a video demanded P1 billion ($21 million) for each of the three foreigners, but the Abu Sayyaf lowered their ransom demand to P300 million and postponed the execution of their victims from April 8 to April 25.

The bandits announced the changes in a video posted on YouTube which featured messages from two of the four hostages.

The captives were identified as Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, Norwegian resort manager Kjartan Sekkingstad and Hall’s Filipina girlfriend Marites Flor.

The victims were seized by armed men last Sept. 21 from the Oceanview Samal Resort in Barangay Camudmud in Samal island.

The videos were posted as another Abu Sayyaf bandit was killed while four troopers were wounded in the military operation against the Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group, presently holed-out in the jungles of Tipo-Tipo, Basilan Thursday.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK s u n d aY : a p r i l 17, 2 0 1 6

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NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Duterte clarifies china tack AMID criticism of his position on the country’s ongoing dispute with China on the West Philippine Sea, presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte clarified that he will not compromise on the country’s claims in the South China Sea. “I have told you before, that piece of water there is ours. China should understand that. I will never, ever surrender sovereignty over that area,” Duterte said at a campaign rally in Cainta on Friday, a day after he said he will abandon the country’s multilateral approach to the dispute.

“If the negotiation is not being done, or it is in still waters until now, maybe three years from now, I have to talk.

You know, you have a problem, you have to make deals,” he said.

“We will not insist on the ownership for the simple reason that we cannot enforce our desire to own,” Duterte added.

Duterte said China should not insist on its supposed “ownership” of the disputed areas and if they stop talking about sovereignty, he would also “shut up” and instead pursue a tack of “joint exploration” with China.

“Do not talk about ownership and I will not make a noise. For the six years that I’m president I’ll shut up,” he said.

But Duterte’s camp has also declared that Duterte fully supports the arbitration case questioning China’s occupation of areas in the West Philippine Sea filed with the UN Permanent Court of Arbitration which is based in The Hague, Netherlands.

“As a Filipino, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte fully supports the case now pending in The Hague questioning China’s occupation of areas in the West Philippine Sea that the Philippines considers its territory. He is hopeful for a favorable ruling for the Philippines,” Duterte media group head Peter Laviña said.

“The mayor believes the Philippines should continue to work closely with other countries towards finding a solution to the issue,” he added.

However, if this multilateral approach proves to be inadequate to resolve the issue, the PDP-Laban standard bearer is willing to explore other options including direct talks with China.

BiCol CamPaign. independent presidential candidate senator grace poe reaches out to supporters in camarines sur.

Binay, Roxas gang up on ‘indecisive’ poe

By Christine F. Herrera ZAMBOANGA CITY—The Binay and Roxas camps on Saturday hit their rival Senator Grace Poe’s “indecisive” leadership for hiring retired Marine Col. Ariel Querubin as the country’s anti-crime czar and immediately firing him by hiring another rival, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte instead.

Binay, standard bearer of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance, said it was barely a month when Poe announced during a presidential debate in Cebu that she would name Querubin as her anti-crime czar and answer to ridding the country of criminality.

On Thursday, Poe said she would appoint Duterte as her anti-crime czar, after Duterte

announced that he would name the neophyte senator as tourism or social welfare secretary if he wins the presidency.

The camp of Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II, for its part, said by hiring Duterte as her crime czar, Poe was sharing Duterte’s “kill-now-explain-later” doctrine in solving crimes.

“I thought she boasted in Cebu that her anticrime czar would be Querubin? She changes her mind too quickly,” Binay said.

“She had not even appointed him yet, but he was already fired. Immediately demoted.

Maybe she was told about things here in the Philippines that she does not know about,” the vice president said, taking a dig about Poe’s being an American citizen before she

decided to renounce her foreign citizenship.

Poe, who has been criticized for her lack of experience in government, had earlier announced Querubin as her choice to help her solve the country’s problem on illegal drugs.

“Some doubt my ability to fight crime, so as president who has to attend to several things.

I will have to appoint someone as my crime czar. I will appoint someone who has a Medal of Valor—Colonel [Ariel] Querubin,” Poe announced during the debate in Cebu.

Binay said Duterte’s days are numbered as he would make sure the law would catch up on him on the alleged cases of extrajudicial killings perpetrated by the Davao Death Squad, which Duterte allegedly created to clean up the city’s criminality.

MaR explains waning Ratings

By John Paolo Bencito

BaCk on tHe Hustings. presidential candidate Miriam defensor-santiago is back

on the campaign trail with her running mate senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Baguio city saturday.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II on Saturday urged his allies to continue supporting him because people will eventually vote for him after they realize that he has stayed with them through thick and thin.

“People already know me, a long-time neighbor they can easily set aside. We have been with them for some time, so it’s only natural that they look at others,” Roxas told a gathering of local allies.

Roxas also reiterated that while he is not leading now, he would be the “flavor of the month” whom voters would choose once they vote in May 2016.

Despite earlier pronouncements that he would soon lead the polls once the campaign period starts, his numbers have yet to overtake that of fellow presidential candidates Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Grace Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Tricia Robredo, the daughter of LP vice presidential bet Leni Robredo, admitted that she still fears some who would transfer to the camp of her mother’s rivals as soon as Election Day draws near.

Palawan Gov. Jose Alvarez promised, however, that Mar and Leni will win the polls because the LP’s grassroots can bring a 10 to 15 percent increase to the administration bets’ numbers.

Roxas believes, however, that if local leaders would shepherd the voters to their voting precincts, he will have that huge advantage in the polls citing the huge machinery of the LP. “My point is, whatever our numbers in the surveys, [local officials] can help shape the campaign here in the local level,” he added.

Roxas said that if the people won’t bring in the supporters to the voting precincts to vote for him, still, his bets would have huge advantage over him.

S U N D AY, A P R I L 17, 2 0 1 6

A4

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

WERE THE PANAMA PAPERS PLANTED? WHO CARES?

[ EDI TORI A L ]

By Leonid Bershidsky

CONDITIONAL SOME groups have accused the Liberal Party of using the Conditional Cash Transfer program to coerce recipients to attend campaign rallies of administration bets, specifically a recent “Unity Walk” at Luneta for former Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II. Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman has of course denied the allegations even as she admitted they have indeed told people they stood to lose their stipend if they fail to meet certain conditions —sending children to school and subjecting themselves to health consultations.

Soliman also hit the administration’s critics for what she said was a “flip-flopping support” to the program, with some even promising to expand it as a way to reach to the poor.

It is undeniable that the program, also called Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, is a convenient tool for a sitting administration to sway the sentiment of the poor and translate their gratefulness into votes. Sure, the many voices in and around urban centers, social media, academe and business may be more circumspect about whom they would support, even going to the extent of laying down criteria to guide them in their decision.

To those who have neither access to information nor predisposition to make their choices more deliberately, who emerge are the faces and names of those purporting to care about them. Who puts food on the table is the primary question—not qualifications, experience, moral superiority or general fitness for the job.

Unfortunately, most voters fail to see beyond the short-term magnanimity of the dole bearers, and this is where the trouble begins. It’s misplaced indebtedness—it’s taxpayers’ money in the first place.

Cash transfers and any other form of “generosity” are good only for the day, the week at a maximum. The candidates who really care are those who are prepared to undertake measures so that there would be less people on the receiving list because they have been empowered to provide for their families on their own.

SANDERS RAGES AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT

By Margaret Carlson SENATOR Bernie Sanders could see his flame fading during the debate with Hillary Clinton on Thursday. If he loses the New York primary on Tuesday, he can soldier on, but the gallop that won him eight of the last nine contests is over. You could tie up all the superdelegates in traffic in the Holland Tunnel until the Democratic convention and Sanders still couldn’t win the nomination without New York.

That’s probably why Sanders and Clinton rolled out all their old grievances, only louder and more insistently. There was a “no, you didn’t, yes, I did” quality to the back and forth. She went after him for his lack of specific-

A5

ity, notably for failing to spell out his plan for breaking up the big banks. He repeatedly questioned her judgment, a big step back from his earlier blunder of saying she wasn’t qualified.

“Let’s talk about judgment.

And let us talk about the worst foreign policy blunder in the modern history of this country,” he said, referring to Iraq. “I led the opposition to that war. Secretary Clinton voted for that.”

She had no comeback, perhaps because there is no comeback, unless you are ready to align yourself with Dick Cheney.

Nor does she have one for the hundreds of thousands of dollars she accepted from Wall Street for speeches. She said she would turn

It was a good moment for Sanders but not a great one.

Sarcasm doesn’t become him.

over transcripts: “Let’s set the same standard for everybody,” she said. “When everybody does it, OK, I will do it.”

Sanders saw an easy pitch and swung. “I am going to re-

lease all of the transcripts of the speeches that I gave on Wall Street behind closed doors, not for $225,000, not for $2,000, not for two cents,” he said. “There were no speeches.” There’s a presumption that banks and corporations make donations and pay big speaking fees because they get something for it, whether or not they do. No model of pure ethics, Congress banned such speeches years ago because it looked bad and sometimes was.

Most of the time, Clinton seemed to know that all she had to do was to run out the clock.

Her way is to nod her head as if she’s only stating what anyone with half a brain would agree with, speak in her best kinder-

garten teacher’s voice and, when exasperated, shout.

Sanders’ way is to shout all of the time. It wasn’t always this way. Not too long ago, when he and Clinton got along, he seemed happy to pull his punches (remember the line about how sick he was of hearing about her “damn e-mails”). Clinton patted him on the head no matter what he said, as if he were her doddering grandfather (though he is only a few years older than she is).

Several times, though, Clinton couldn’t resist the urge to hit Sanders where he is already bruised. He had to see the left hook coming but still, he had no new explanation for his vote against holding gun manufacturers liable, other than to coun-

ter that he was an early and persistent opponent of assault weapons. He didn’t nail her on her big mistake earlier in the week when she claimed that Vermont was responsible for most of the firearms used in crimes in New York. That statement was corrected

by Vermont’s governor and awarded three Pinocchios by a non-partisan fact-checker.

Sanders’ one big get was showing that Clinton was fudging on how she would save Social Security. Pressed and pressed, she finally admitted that she wouldn’t be raising taxes on the wealthy by raising the limit on taxable income for Social Security from $118,000 to $250,000. She prefers a “combination” of fixes.

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The most dramatic moment was when Sanders said that “superpredator,” a term Clinton used in 1996 to describe young black criminals, was “racist,” (like the word “liar,” it used to be employed sparingly). The most amusing exchange was Sanders’ response to Clinton’s claim that she called out the big banks on their mortgage practices during the financial crisis. He asked if that was “before or after” she took money from Wall Street, and then rolled his eyes. “Oh, my goodness,” he chided her, “they must have been really crushed by that.”

It was a good moment for Sanders but not a great one. Sarcasm doesn’t

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become him. He’s an earnest, decent crusader who believes to his core that big money has corrupted the system and tilted the playing field so that the little guy can’t get a leg up. The message appeals not just to young people, but also to many more who know we accept way too much as normal that isn’t.

It’s not right that Warren Buffett paid less in taxes than his secretary did. It’s not right that corporations can give as much money as they want to help politicians get elected. We just don’t think anyone will do anything about it.

Sanders would—and he will be missed.

Bloomberg

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

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Director of Operations Finance Officer

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

LAST week, a respected Russia scholar in the US speculated that the Kremlin might be behind the so-called Panama Papers, the big dump of data about offshore accounts that has implicated several countries’ officials in shady dealings. And on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin of Russia blamed the US for the leak.

So far, the Panama Papers have caused the resignation of Iceland’s prime minister (whose wife owned some bank debt that the government was trying to restructure) and Spain’s industry minister (who had denied, falsely, that he’d had any offshore dealings).

There probably will be further fallout: The millions of documents haven’t been fully investigated. Still, it’s probably safe to say that there will be no resignations, firings or criminal inquiries in Russia.

The Russian portion of the Panama Papers is not actionable. It details the offshore activities of Bank Rossiya, a financial institution that belongs to Putin’s close friends. Companies linked to the bank, and to Putin’s friends, appear to have profited from spurious stock deals and huge, artificially created breach of contract fines.

The companies also received inordinately big amounts of money for consulting and lobbying services. Yet the transactions appear legal, and at least in Russia, no one is going to investigate them. All Putin’s friends can do is roll their eyes: Most of them—and Bank Rossiya—are targeted by Western sanctions and could be subject to property seizure.

And Putin’s name doesn’t appear anywhere in the papers.

Putin, who doesn’t deny the authenticity of the papers, made a point of noting the absence of names. “They are not accusing anyone specifically,” he said during his annual call-in show on Thursday. “That’s the thing, they are just muddying the waters.”

That’s exactly what makes Clifford Gaddy, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a top US expert on Russia, suspicious.

In an article on the Brookings site, Gaddy called the revelations about Putin’s friends a “non-story” that would, “on net,” benefit Putin. The geographical breadth of the revelations would allow him to claim that “everybody does it,” and he wouldn’t be personally affected. Thus it makes sense that the Russians had some role in the leak. Gaddy wrote: “Any actual reputational damage to Putin or Russia caused by the Panama Papers is in fact pretty trivial. For that cheap price, the Russians would have 1) exposed corrupt politicians everywhere, including in “model” Western democracies, and 2) fomented genuine destabilization in some Western countries. What I wonder, then: Is it a setup? The Russians threw out the bait, and the United States gobbled it down. The Panama Paper stories run off Putin like water off a duck’s back. But they have a negative impact on Western stability.”

Gaddy, however, doesn’t see himself as spinning a conspiracy theory. As he told me in an e-mail, “It was a question to those who publish this information and draw Continued on A6 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

S U N D AY, A P R I L 17, 2 0 1 6

A4

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

WERE THE PANAMA PAPERS PLANTED? WHO CARES?

[ EDI TORI A L ]

By Leonid Bershidsky

CONDITIONAL SOME groups have accused the Liberal Party of using the Conditional Cash Transfer program to coerce recipients to attend campaign rallies of administration bets, specifically a recent “Unity Walk” at Luneta for former Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II. Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman has of course denied the allegations even as she admitted they have indeed told people they stood to lose their stipend if they fail to meet certain conditions —sending children to school and subjecting themselves to health consultations.

Soliman also hit the administration’s critics for what she said was a “flip-flopping support” to the program, with some even promising to expand it as a way to reach to the poor.

It is undeniable that the program, also called Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, is a convenient tool for a sitting administration to sway the sentiment of the poor and translate their gratefulness into votes. Sure, the many voices in and around urban centers, social media, academe and business may be more circumspect about whom they would support, even going to the extent of laying down criteria to guide them in their decision.

To those who have neither access to information nor predisposition to make their choices more deliberately, who emerge are the faces and names of those purporting to care about them. Who puts food on the table is the primary question—not qualifications, experience, moral superiority or general fitness for the job.

Unfortunately, most voters fail to see beyond the short-term magnanimity of the dole bearers, and this is where the trouble begins. It’s misplaced indebtedness—it’s taxpayers’ money in the first place.

Cash transfers and any other form of “generosity” are good only for the day, the week at a maximum. The candidates who really care are those who are prepared to undertake measures so that there would be less people on the receiving list because they have been empowered to provide for their families on their own.

SANDERS RAGES AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT

By Margaret Carlson SENATOR Bernie Sanders could see his flame fading during the debate with Hillary Clinton on Thursday. If he loses the New York primary on Tuesday, he can soldier on, but the gallop that won him eight of the last nine contests is over. You could tie up all the superdelegates in traffic in the Holland Tunnel until the Democratic convention and Sanders still couldn’t win the nomination without New York.

That’s probably why Sanders and Clinton rolled out all their old grievances, only louder and more insistently. There was a “no, you didn’t, yes, I did” quality to the back and forth. She went after him for his lack of specific-

A5

ity, notably for failing to spell out his plan for breaking up the big banks. He repeatedly questioned her judgment, a big step back from his earlier blunder of saying she wasn’t qualified.

“Let’s talk about judgment.

And let us talk about the worst foreign policy blunder in the modern history of this country,” he said, referring to Iraq. “I led the opposition to that war. Secretary Clinton voted for that.”

She had no comeback, perhaps because there is no comeback, unless you are ready to align yourself with Dick Cheney.

Nor does she have one for the hundreds of thousands of dollars she accepted from Wall Street for speeches. She said she would turn

It was a good moment for Sanders but not a great one.

Sarcasm doesn’t become him.

over transcripts: “Let’s set the same standard for everybody,” she said. “When everybody does it, OK, I will do it.”

Sanders saw an easy pitch and swung. “I am going to re-

lease all of the transcripts of the speeches that I gave on Wall Street behind closed doors, not for $225,000, not for $2,000, not for two cents,” he said. “There were no speeches.” There’s a presumption that banks and corporations make donations and pay big speaking fees because they get something for it, whether or not they do. No model of pure ethics, Congress banned such speeches years ago because it looked bad and sometimes was.

Most of the time, Clinton seemed to know that all she had to do was to run out the clock.

Her way is to nod her head as if she’s only stating what anyone with half a brain would agree with, speak in her best kinder-

garten teacher’s voice and, when exasperated, shout.

Sanders’ way is to shout all of the time. It wasn’t always this way. Not too long ago, when he and Clinton got along, he seemed happy to pull his punches (remember the line about how sick he was of hearing about her “damn e-mails”). Clinton patted him on the head no matter what he said, as if he were her doddering grandfather (though he is only a few years older than she is).

Several times, though, Clinton couldn’t resist the urge to hit Sanders where he is already bruised. He had to see the left hook coming but still, he had no new explanation for his vote against holding gun manufacturers liable, other than to coun-

ter that he was an early and persistent opponent of assault weapons. He didn’t nail her on her big mistake earlier in the week when she claimed that Vermont was responsible for most of the firearms used in crimes in New York. That statement was corrected

by Vermont’s governor and awarded three Pinocchios by a non-partisan fact-checker.

Sanders’ one big get was showing that Clinton was fudging on how she would save Social Security. Pressed and pressed, she finally admitted that she wouldn’t be raising taxes on the wealthy by raising the limit on taxable income for Social Security from $118,000 to $250,000. She prefers a “combination” of fixes.

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The most dramatic moment was when Sanders said that “superpredator,” a term Clinton used in 1996 to describe young black criminals, was “racist,” (like the word “liar,” it used to be employed sparingly). The most amusing exchange was Sanders’ response to Clinton’s claim that she called out the big banks on their mortgage practices during the financial crisis. He asked if that was “before or after” she took money from Wall Street, and then rolled his eyes. “Oh, my goodness,” he chided her, “they must have been really crushed by that.”

It was a good moment for Sanders but not a great one. Sarcasm doesn’t

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become him. He’s an earnest, decent crusader who believes to his core that big money has corrupted the system and tilted the playing field so that the little guy can’t get a leg up. The message appeals not just to young people, but also to many more who know we accept way too much as normal that isn’t.

It’s not right that Warren Buffett paid less in taxes than his secretary did. It’s not right that corporations can give as much money as they want to help politicians get elected. We just don’t think anyone will do anything about it.

Sanders would—and he will be missed.

Bloomberg

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

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LAST week, a respected Russia scholar in the US speculated that the Kremlin might be behind the so-called Panama Papers, the big dump of data about offshore accounts that has implicated several countries’ officials in shady dealings. And on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin of Russia blamed the US for the leak.

So far, the Panama Papers have caused the resignation of Iceland’s prime minister (whose wife owned some bank debt that the government was trying to restructure) and Spain’s industry minister (who had denied, falsely, that he’d had any offshore dealings).

There probably will be further fallout: The millions of documents haven’t been fully investigated. Still, it’s probably safe to say that there will be no resignations, firings or criminal inquiries in Russia.

The Russian portion of the Panama Papers is not actionable. It details the offshore activities of Bank Rossiya, a financial institution that belongs to Putin’s close friends. Companies linked to the bank, and to Putin’s friends, appear to have profited from spurious stock deals and huge, artificially created breach of contract fines.

The companies also received inordinately big amounts of money for consulting and lobbying services. Yet the transactions appear legal, and at least in Russia, no one is going to investigate them. All Putin’s friends can do is roll their eyes: Most of them—and Bank Rossiya—are targeted by Western sanctions and could be subject to property seizure.

And Putin’s name doesn’t appear anywhere in the papers.

Putin, who doesn’t deny the authenticity of the papers, made a point of noting the absence of names. “They are not accusing anyone specifically,” he said during his annual call-in show on Thursday. “That’s the thing, they are just muddying the waters.”

That’s exactly what makes Clifford Gaddy, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a top US expert on Russia, suspicious.

In an article on the Brookings site, Gaddy called the revelations about Putin’s friends a “non-story” that would, “on net,” benefit Putin. The geographical breadth of the revelations would allow him to claim that “everybody does it,” and he wouldn’t be personally affected. Thus it makes sense that the Russians had some role in the leak. Gaddy wrote: “Any actual reputational damage to Putin or Russia caused by the Panama Papers is in fact pretty trivial. For that cheap price, the Russians would have 1) exposed corrupt politicians everywhere, including in “model” Western democracies, and 2) fomented genuine destabilization in some Western countries. What I wonder, then: Is it a setup? The Russians threw out the bait, and the United States gobbled it down. The Panama Paper stories run off Putin like water off a duck’s back. But they have a negative impact on Western stability.”

Gaddy, however, doesn’t see himself as spinning a conspiracy theory. As he told me in an e-mail, “It was a question to those who publish this information and draw Continued on A6 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

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S U N D AY, A P R I L 17, 2 0 1 6

A6 EVERYMAN

By Rocky Ducayag ALMOST a month after the 2nd round of the presidential debate, netizens and supporters of presidential aspirant Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” C. Binay continue to seek for “justice” when their bet was blamed for the delay of the event. The debate held at the University of the Philippines in Cebu City was originally scheduled for 5 p.m. on March 20, but it was delayed for more than an hour as candidates and one of the organizers, TV5, sorted out what

OPINION

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

WHY BLAME BINAY?

moderator Luchi Cruz-Valdez said was a miscommunication between her and Binay’s camp.

Cruz-Valdez already issued a public apology, but it seems like it was not enough for Binay’s supporters.

They blamed the TV5 executive’s lapse for the Vice President’s low rating in the recent surveys of the two leading pollsters—the Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia.

Binay was initially allowed to bring his notes for the debate but the Commission on Elections disallowed

this. Cruz-Valdez claimed she was not informed of the rules. Because of the confusion, the event, hosted by Comelec, KBP, TV5, Philippine Star, and RMN, started at around 6:30 p.m.

I blame the organizers of the debate, particularly Cruz-Valdez. To me, she appeared funny for admitting to not knowing that candidates are not allowed to bring notes. Was she not aware of the first presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro where Comelec had called the attention of those who brought out notes during

the debate?

Not everybody’s aware of the real reason for the delay. So people kept on blaming Binay and this is so unfair. Even more lamentable was administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II for blaming Binay, even if he fully knew what happened.

An injustice has been committed against our “president.”

Rocky Ducayag is a Kalinga-based businessman who serves as Binay’s provincial political coordinator.

PASSENGERS WITH PROBLEMS

By Herve Bar ISTANBUL—Mohammed K. is in a Kafkaesque situation—for the past five months this refugee from Syria has been stuck in a no-man’s land at an Istanbul airport, unable to enter the country, but unable to leave.

His nightmare began in November 2015 when he landed in Istanbul with his wife and close friends on a flight from Amman, Jordan. “Everyone made it through customs, except me,” says the 28-year-old, dark circles under his eyes, who still can’t believe what is happening to him.

Since then, Mohammed has been held in a grayish room of the airport reserved for “passengers with problems.” The room is just a few steps from police offices, international counters, and long lines of travelers coming from all corners of the world.

When I arrived in Istanbul on a flight from Paris one late afternoon recently, I also got the privilege of being a guest in that previously unknown room at the airport.

To the Turkish authorities I was clearly a member of that group, “passengers with problems.”

‘No Istanbul, return to Paris’ When I got to passport control and handed over my passport, the agent frowned after typing my name into his computer. One of his colleagues came and led me into the terminal’s police station.

There, a silent official filled out a series of papers before glancing at me and saying in hesitant English: “No Istanbul, return to Paris tomorrow.” He added: “Security reason; you are not authorized to enter Turkey.”

I had a vague sense of what it could be about… Between 2012 and 2013 I spent almost a year covering the war in Syria from the southern Turkish city of Antakya, where I was based. When I had to go into Syria, I did so by either legally crossing through the Bab al-Hawa border post, or illegally, like the hundreds of refugees, fighters and jihadists were doing every day.

Returning from one of these journeys, I was arrested by Turkish authorities. Detained for two days and threatened with expulsion, I was finally released after paying a fine. I was then allowed to continue working. I thought the affair was laid to rest.

After the Islamic State attacks, some of the international criticism centered on Turkey’s “lax” attitude toward the jihadists and the war being waged inside the country by the PKK, a Kurdish rebel group. It seemed Turkey had responded by ratcheting up its security levels.

So there I was, in the room for “passengers with problems.” My

Passport control at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport. AFP

cell, computer, camera, and all my other electronic equipment had been confiscated, along with my passport.

Under the watchful eye of a police surveillance camera, the area served as a holding area and dormitory for all undesirables landing on Turkish soil—those who’ve lost or didn’t have a passport, those who’ve been refused a visa or those, like me, who were being thrown out of the country for “security reasons.”

The comforts were more than basic: A row of airport waiting chairs, a dozen futons, some folded out into individual beds with pillows covered in suspicious spots. The room had no windows, but it was bright, day and night, thanks to the artificial ceiling lights that were never turned off.

A half-eaten dinner lay on one table. An Iraqi Kurd from Erbil lay on a bed, his face hidden under a towel. The only door was kept locked by a guard posted in the office next door.

‘It’s completely crazy!’

People came and went, sometimes staying for a few hours, sometimes for a night or two.

A pathetic-looking, bearded man with the physique of a bodybuilder came in next.

Nationality? “Turkish, coming from Vienna,” the 30-something ground out. It was hard to understand what he was doing there. He made his way to a bed, flopped down on top of it, reached for the TV remote and, as if hypnotized, settled to watch an episode of “The Voice” Turkey.

In the middle of these shortterm ‘guests,’ Mohammed was an anomaly. Confined to those four walls for five months, he became

a long-term resident for reasons that he said were “inexplicable” to him.

“It’s completely crazy! There are nearly 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, but they still won’t let me inside the country,” he raged to me. He said he couldn’t be sent back to Jordan or to war-torn Syria. There was no question of him being sent on to Europe, his dream, where his wife was able to make it to Germany after traveling across the Mediterranean, like thousands of other refugees.

“I told them to send me to Sudan [where Syrians don’t need a visa], to Somalia, doesn’t matter where. But I need to leave this place! The police know I’m not part of IS. They know I’m not a member of PKK nor am I a criminal. Why don’t the Turks accept me just like any other refugee?”

His grotesque story sounded like something straight out of “The Terminal,” the 2004 Steven Spielberg film in which Tom Hanks starred as an Eastern European tourist who got stuck at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York because war breaks out in his country.’

I’m going insane!’

Since the beginning of March, Amnesty International has taken up Mohammed’s case, denouncing a “blatantly arbitrary detention.” In a similar situation, another Syrian refugee was held for nearly a year at the city’s other airport.

“I haven’t seen the light of day for five months. I eat the exact same thing three times a day. I’m going insane!” Mohammed says.

The adjoining bathrooms provide him with a sense of

privacy, and a place to smoke.

The guards give him a few cigarettes, and have let him hold onto his phone—an unheardof privilege—which is his only connection with the outside world. He uses it until late at night, until he’s able to fall asleep under those harsh neon lights.

With no books or magazines to keep his mind off his ordeal, Mohammed’s life revolves around watching the drama of those who come in and eventually go out again. “I see a lot of people, a bit of everything,” he says. There are probably jihadists and those who hope to be jihadists in the mix, but they “don’t cause any trouble.”

They generally just perform their daily prayers, he says.

“The guards are generally okay,” he says. “The cops are fair, except that day a Kuwaiti had the stupid idea to raise his voice and knock on the door.” Mohammed takes a fighting stance and mimicks the supposed punishment the Kuwaiti received.

With his long shorts and flipflops, he says he once engaged in a “10-day hunger strike” to protest his fate, but nothing happened. His Turkish attorney is likewise inefficient. “I’ve never met him. He doesn’t speak Arabic or English, and the only thing he seems capable of saying on the phone is, please wait.”

Better to laugh than cry Mohammed says his story is an “international scandal.”

“I prefer to laugh about it than cry,” he adds. “I joke about it sometimes with the police officers; they tell me I’m going to stay until the war in Syria ends.

That means I’m stuck in this hole for at least 10 years!” AFP

WERE THE... From A5 conclusions on the basis of it without, it seems to me, asking themselves: ‘Are we sure in publishing this information that it is reliable? That it is complete and unfalsified, and that it is not designed to serve someone else’s agenda?’”

To Gaddy, Putin’s statement that the information in the Panama Papers is accurate is also suspect on these grounds: “It would be fun, but I’m sure unproductive, to ask him: ‘Really? And exactly how do you know that?’”

The problem with this theory, however, is that it’s well, just a theory. Putin has as much evidence that the Panama Papers are a US plot as Gaddy does that they’re a Russian one, and yet the Russian president said, “We know there are employees of official US agencies in this, and the story first appeared—I asked Peskov, my press secretary, yesterday— in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

The Sueddeutsche Zweitung is part of a media holding, and this media holding belongs to the Goldman Sachs financial corporation, so the long ears of those who ordered this stick out everywhere, and those ears don’t even blush. We shouldn’t expect any remorse from them, they will keep doing it anyway, and the closer to the election, the more such leaks there will be.”

On Friday, Dmitri Peskov had to apologize for the Sueddeutsche Zeitung passage—the German daily has nothing to do with Goldman Sachs. It was all his fault, Putin’s press secretary said.

But the mistake is telling: Putin the ex-spy has been looking for clues that would link the leak to the US—because who else could be interested in stirring things up ahead of the September parliamentary and 2018 presidential elections in Russia?

Gaddy dismisses Putin’s conspiracy theory: “Of course he would say this.”

Any corruption-related leak of this magnitude can hurt or benefit multiple parties. It makes sense to apply Occam’s razor to these considerations before coming to any conclusions about the leak’s source. That can only be established if the leaker comes forward or is exposed.

But I would argue that, in the end, that the provenance isn’t important—only the accuracy of the data is.

Putin has confirmed that the Russian part is accurate.

The information is, of course, more damaging than Putin is willing to admit: It exposes the inner workings of Russia’s crony capitalism. The material also has proved accurate regarding accounts of people from Iceland, Spain, the UK and elsewhere. So why get hung up on its source?

It makes much more sense to applaud the work of the investigative journalists who checked and developed the leak.

It’s an extraordinary collective performance by a much-maligned professional community that has proved convincingly that it has an important social role to play.

Bloomberg

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NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

recto seeks aid to fishermen El Niño, which is leaving many farms parched of water, is also affecting those who live off the country’s waters.

Senate President ProTempore Ralph Recto on Saturday urged the government to extend its El Niño aid program “from inland places to the sea.”

“Not only farmers, but fishermen are getting hit, too,” Recto said, adding that “TV footage of fishponds drying up in Central and Northern Luzon “ back government reports of a large number of fisherfolk affected by the dry spell.”

Compounding the natural calamity, Recto said, “is the man-made

disaster of Filipino fishermen being shooed away by Chinese naval might from large sections of their traditional fishing grounds in the West Philippine Sea.” Recto said that last February, 100,000 fishermen, “which translates into 500,000 people to include their families,” were already feeling the effects of El Niño, according to a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources bulletin issued that month.

Even then, BFAR had warned that the rise in sur-

face and subsurface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean may reduce by 447,000 tons, or 20 percent, the annual volume of fish caught in the open sea.

The volume of fish caught within 15 kilometers from the shores—or what is called municipal waters—could go down by 279,000 tons or 23 percent.

BFAR also forecasted that El Niño may diminish fish catch in 58 provinces.

To its credit, Recto said the “very competent BFAR” has prepared a very good El Niño mitigation plan, “but within the limits of the funds given to it.”

Under BFAR’s plan, P673 million from its own budget will be spent this year to

cushion El Niño’s effects on domestic fisheries.

But this amount should now be augmented with money from the P39-billion calamity fund, Recto stressed.

Of the P39 billion, P18.9 billion, however, has been earmarked for Yolanda reconstruction, “which means only about P19 billion can be utilized for other calamities, like the El Niño.”

Recto said the national government should now cut red tape, hasten the process and download calamity aid funds to El Niño-hit local governments and frontline agencies like BFAR. “The fisheries sector deserves that aid because it contributes P200 million

to the economy annually,” Recto said.

“Fishermen are also among the poorest of the poor, with two in every three living below the poverty line,” said Recto.

“Yet they provide the 39 kilos of fish that every Pinoy eats annually,” Recto said, citing the per capita marine products consumption per year.

Half of the country’s catch —or about 2.34 million metric tons—come from aquaculture, including fresh- and brackish-water fishponds now affected by the dry spell, Recto said.

Recto believes that the BFAR can help affected fishermen, fishpond workers and owners, and fishpen op-

erators for as long as they’re given the resources.

Recto said “as an agency with a large clientele, which are in the millions, and all of them prone to typhoons, BFAR should in the future be a recipient of the QRF.” He was referring to the P6.7-billion Quick Response Fund embedded in the regular budget of about a dozen agencies. The fund is separate from the Calamity Fund.

At present, only the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and the National Irrigation Administration are QRF recipients in the agriculture cluster of the government, with each getting P500 million in QRF.

Pangasinan board bet hits corruPtion in gov’t

remote control. Traffic personnel of the Metro Manila Development Authority man their sta-

tions as the agency enforces the no-physical contact apprehension policy to instill discipline among private motorists and drivers of public utility vehicles. manny palmero

sm backs voc-tech education WHILE the SM scholarship program supports 1,500 scholars every year, the incoming school year (2016-2017) is unique.

There will be fewer scholars matriculating for four- and five-year baccalaureate degrees due to the full implementation of the K-12 basic education curriculum.

Grade 10 students of school year 2015-2016 will then be the pioneer Senior High School students as stipulated in Republic Act 10533 thus becoming the first batch to take on the additional two years of basic education schooling.

In the past, regular SM college scholars were enrolled in over 80 partner colleges and universities nationwide. Yearly, the Foundation welcomes a new batch of scholars to fill in the slots left by scholar graduates.

For school year 2015-2016, it opened its doors to 275 new scholars.

According to Carmen Linda Atayde, SMFI executive director for Education, this school year “we count a few scholars coming from the experimental Senior High School classes conducted by DepEd.

LINGAYEN—A former Bureau of Customs examiner is aiming for a seat in the provincial board of Pangasinan to introduce reforms and innovations in local legislation and boost the administration’s anti- corruption campaign.

Reform-oriented Roberto “Butch” A. Merrera, who was part of the team that instilled graft-free procedures at Customs under the watch of Commissioner Napoleon Morales, urged incumbent members of the Pangasinan board to give up their SUVs and other expensive perks of the office in the name of Daang Matuwid policy.

The son of the late Mayor Roberto Merrera Sr. of Binmaley rallied the local media at the President Hotel Breakfast Club to fight graft and corruption, which remains prevalent among certain officials who unashamedly place private interest obscenely over and above public interest, undermining public trust.

In his rounds of Pangasinan, Merrera observed that some board members have acquired negative reputations due to reports that “they are using their

office as an opportunity to enrich themselves, earning public dismay and contempt.”

Merrera belongs to a family of public servants including his father, a former mayor, and younger brother, Vice Mayor Pete Merrera who is running for mayor of Binmaley town.

Meanwhile, Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr. said the board members’ acquiring Ford Everest cars is a necessity, not a luxury.

“Of course, we expected some would raise a howl against this but they must also understand our plight,” Bince said.

Bince said they were thankful to Gov. Amado Espino Jr. for the vehicles, adding that in his more than 20 years in service as a board member, “this is the first time we were given a government-owned vehicle.”

He said this happened because of the Espino administration’s “judicious management of funds.”

Bince said the board members would have to turn over the vehicles to their successors, including Merrera if he wins and the incumbents’ term ends.

A N N OU N C E M E NT To a l l A B S - C B N m o b i l e Pr e p a i d S u b s c r i b e r s: We are pleased to announce that the following loads w i l l b e ava i l a b l e u n t i l A p r i l 2 3 , 2 016 Loa d N a m e

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SMFI’s Eleanor Lansang addresses SM voc-tech scholars.

There may also be a select few who may have passed previous scholarship screening but opted to postpone schooling.”

In spite of fewer college scholars for the coming school year, SM Foundation will honor its commitment to assist financiallyconstrained students with their education by strengthening its Technical-Vocational Scholarship

Program. Its longtime partnership with Don Bosco Makati Technical Institute has afforded training for those inclined to pursue technical/ vocational courses including outof-school youths.

At present, the Foundation maintains 40 scholars at the Don Bosco Makati Technical Institute’s Technical Vocational Education Training Center.

I n c lu si o n s 8 0 0 M B 3G ac c es s to i Want T V on A pr. 23 to watc h D onaire vs. Bedak, movies and T V shows.

8 0 0 M B 3G ac c es s to i Want T V on A pr. 23 to watc h D onaire vs. Bedak, movies and T V shows and ac c es s to spec ial T V Plus c hannel on A pr il 23 -24

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SUNDAY: APRIL 17, 2016

NEWS editorial@thestandard.com.ph

NO TO NEW TAXES—ROMUALDEZ

By Maricel V. Cruz

IMMIGRATION HUNTS DOWN 600 ALIENS

S E NAT O R IA L candidate Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez has vowed to oppose any new tax measures should he win a Senate seat, as this will add burden to the already burdened Filipino people.

By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Immigration is taking a hardline policy on wanted foreigners using the Philippines as their hiding place.

This year’s target is to track down and detain 600 foreigners wanted for various offenses.

Immigration Intelligence chief Rommel de Leon said that a more active detection, monitoring and investigation must be done not only by the agency but also with the active participation of the public.

He said the bureau went full blast against illegal aliens, serve warrant of arrests to wanted foreigners living in the country.

De Leon revealed that some 600 warrant of arrests were dispatched to 81 provinces.

“We are serving notice to those wanted foreigners that the arms of the law are now fast catching them. We are firm on our campaign and to stop foreigners from using the country as their haven and sanctuary,” De Leon said.

De Leon added that upon orders from Immigration Commissioner Ronaldo Geron, operatives were dispatched in 81 provinces to serve the warrant.

The BI Intel chief also issued a stern warning to his operatives against cooperating with the subject person.

Deputy Chief for Operations Charlie Bautista added that most of the crimes committed by foreigners were fraud, felony and public charge.

Illegal aliens who are detained by the BI are immediately sent on a plane back to their country of origin. However, those foreigners who committed crime in the country would have first to serve their sentence here before they are deported.

BALLOON FEST. Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez on board a hot air balloon

waves to his supporters during the International Balloon Festival 2016 at Pradera Verde open field in Lubao, Pampanga. He joined the festival at the invitation of the Pampanga government. VER NOVENO

SHOW OF FORCE: 5,000 JOIN ESTRADA RALLY AT LEAST 5,000 supporters of former President and Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada filled the San Andres Sports Complex in Malate, Manila in a show of force that he will still win the mayoralty race in Manila.

Estrada is running under the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, with Honey Lacuna as his vice mayor.

Former Manila mayor Alfredo Lim and former congressman Amado Bagatsing are challenging him for the capital’s highest post.

Barangay leaders loyal to Erap and all registered voters in Manila flocked to the sports complex as early as 2 p.m. that became a venue for the mayor to report the gains Manila has reaped in the three years of his incumbency.

Estrada said the more than P4billion indebtedness of the city left by the previous administration has been fully paid, and with the city finances now stable, his administration is able to deliver much-needed services to the public.

With peace and order his priority, Estrada reported that crime has decreased in the city and the police operation against illegal drugs has

been successful.

Estrada has also increased the budgets of all 896 barangays in the city, implemented repairs and construction of classrooms and school buildings, fast-tracked street lighting, flood control projects and concreting of streets.

He established the first Manila Dialysis Center, and modernized

the equipment of all six hospitals of the city. The Ospital ng Maynila now has MRI and CT Scan machines which are set to be inaugurated this week.

On the occasion of Estrada’s birthday on April 19, he will also inaugurate four newly completed public markets—Sta. Ana, San Andres, Trabajo and Sampaloc—aside from the

new Mehan Garden near City Hall.

At the meeting in San Andres Sports Complex, leaders of the PMP from the national, regional, city, district, zone and barangay levels all vowed to work hard for the reelection of Mayor Estrada, this time through a resounding landslide victory, said PMP secretary-general Pablo Casimina. Vito Barcelo

HEAT INDEX.

Female teens brave the heat of the noon-day sun playing badminton at a Manila street.

The ‘heat factor’ was posted this week, according to state weather forecasters, at a record-breaking 52.3°C in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, on Tuesday, April 12—the hottest so far this year. The heat factor, also called the ‘heat index’ or ‘real feel’, is an indication of the temperature based on a combination of the actual temperature and humidity.

EY ACASIO

At the same time, Romualdez stressed that transparency in government transactions through the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill which empowers the public to scrutinize public funds will sustain government’s financial requirements, including the implementation of his proposed institutionalization of expanded conditional cash transfer program.

Romualdez, head of the House Independent Bloc, said passing new tax measures is not an option to his advocacy as “malasakit” (compassion) to the poorest of the poor, explaining the people should instead rally behind all measures that would address corruption.

“The government needs more resources, but sustaining the increasing expenditures should not burden the poorest of the poor. Instead of passing tax measures, we should strengthen financial transactions through the passage of FoI measure to address tax leakage and all forms of corruption. We have to show malasakit to the people,” Romualdez pointed out.

“To afford the ordinary Juan and his family a decent standard of living, we need tax reform—adjust exemptions and deductions so people have more money to take home and spend for their families.

Adjusting tax rates for the earning but still poor or struggling by taking inflation into consideration in the outdated Tax Code. Inflation of currencies and high prices of basic commodities and utility services,” Romualdez stressed.

Romualdez reiterated his call to utilize the P723-billion “unspent” government funds since 2011 to finance his proposal institutionalizing, reforming and expanding the CCT program or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to ensure that this will be made available to those who truly need it and not be used as a political pawn.

Romualdez said only a little portion of the huge funds can be allocated to his measure which seeks to extend a maximum of P46,200 and a minimum of P24,200 financial support annually to each qualified household-beneficiary.

“We have more than seven hundred billion pesos of unspent funds. These monies from taxpayers have not been utilized since 2011, why not use these to help the poor put more food on their tables, give them additional medicines, and increase the education budget of their children?” Romualdez asked.

“I can’t see any logical reasons why the government is not spending the amount when there are many Filipinos who are in desperate situation and badly needing assistance,” Romualdez said.

SUNDAY: APRIL 17, 2016

Roderick T. dela Cruz EDITOR business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS

B1

COUPLE HAS MORE MODERN SHIPS THAN PHILIPPINE NAVY Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corp. co-founders Christopher and Mary Ann Pastrana

HE WAS an agriculture business student when he first met a nutrition student at the dormitories of UP Los Baños in the early 1980s. They fell in love, got married, became partners in a trading business and built a company that now owns more modern ships than the Philippine Navy.

The Pastrana couple has ten newly-built, state-of-the-art ships, outnumbering the new vessels of the Philippine Navy, which has recently received two retrofitted Hamiltonclass cutters from the US and three decommissioned frigates from Australia. The couple expects to get 20 more world-class watercraft at a cost of $8.3 million to $10 million each before 2020 as they embark on a journey to transform the decrepit and sometimes perilous Philippine shipping industry, connect the islands and change the lives of Filipino travelers.

The first 10 vessels have already set the bar higher in maritime transport, challenging rivals to improve their standards in order to alter the Philippines’ reputation as the site of the world’s worst maritime accidents.

“I am a regular traveler of the Philippines. I am from [Matnog] Samar. We traveled and had a very bad experience in 1996,” Christopher Pastrana says in a news briefing at a restaurant in Makati City.

Pastrana often pondered on the state of ferries or boats he was riding in on the way to his father’s hometown. “Life is priceless. Everytime I heard about sea accidents, I felt bad,” he says.

He saw the need and the opportunity to provide something better for island travelers. “I told myself that I would do something for this industry. There’s nothing that happens without God’s will. So I ended up going into the business, with the purpose of helping the countryside,” Pastrana says.

Pastrana is the chairman of Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corp., operator of FastCat roll-on/roll-off ferries and the co-founder, president and chief executive of Capp Group of Companies. His wife, Mary Ann Ibuna is the co-founder, executive vice president and treasurer of the group.

Pastrana, who graduated from UP Los Baños with a degree in Agricultural Business, and Mary Ann, a board certified nutritionist, formed Capp Industries Inc. in November 1989 to transport bulk cargo for the fertilizer, cement, mining and beverage industries. His company acquired the RoRo business of the Philtranco bus lines in 2002.

“We took over the subsidiary of Philtranco group which is the ferry business, which we expanded.

From four vessels, we were able to grow to nine vessels—all secondhand from different countries. We had vessels coming from Japan and

Norway. There were two that were part of the grant given by the Japanese government in the 1980s. And we grew the company. But there was a need for us to address issues that would provide better and safer means of transportation system. In 2010, we embarked on modernization program,” says Pastrana, who holds a Masters degree in Entrepreneurship from the Asian Institute of Management. He also finished an executive leadership program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston.

The Pastrana couple saw the need to introduce better vessels and services in the local maritime transport, as the country became infamous for sea disasters. In the evening of Dec. 20, 1987, passenger vessel Doña Paz ferry collided with oil tanker MT Vector off Mindoro island near Manila, leaving more than 4,300 passengers and crew members dead or missing in what is now considered the world’s worst peacetime shipping disaster.

“It was the worst maritime accident in the world, worse than the Titanic, with 4,000 lives lost. It is so embarrassing, when you go to conferences and all of these are being mentioned,” says Pastrana, who holds the rank of ‘captain’ in the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary.

“I saw the need to bring something better for our countrymen who are deprived of the basic needs in transporting or moving around the country. We are an archipelagic country, with the second longest coastline in the world and 7,107 islands. Then, we have a growing economy. We have a very good regional growth. But there seems to be a lack of focus and development

We intend to bring up to 30 of these ships, from 30 meters to 60 meters, to service about 12 million passengers a year and if we are lucky, 15 million tons of cargo.

in maritime. Because of the opportunity of traveling to different parts of the country, I saw the need to help in this industry,” he says.

Pastrana tried to look for a vessel that would be more suitable for Philippine conditions. “Our people in the countryside always bring boxes of goods when they travel. All of these, we tried to hook into our business model so we can cater to every Filipino,” he says.

“I tried to look for a vessel that is more suitable and I ended up finding somebody who sent me a plan from Europe. I was so impressed by the performance of the vessel, so I tried to contact them, but they could not believe me. They could not believe that the Philippines would embark on a modernization program,” he says.

Pastrana says the European company did not return his call until he ended up contacting the son of the person he was looking for. The person on the phone thought Pastrana was an Indian businessman. When the phone was passed to Pastrana’s contact, the person was surprised to learn that he was talking to a Filipino.

“So I invited him and I showed him the Philippines. That’s where it [partnership] all started. He said it is high time. We went around the country. In two days, I took him on a plane, took him in a boat and we went around. He said let us help each other,” Pastrana says.

APFC borrowed from Development Bank of the Philippines to finance 75 percent of the $249-million fleet modernization program, with the rest representing equity of the company. APFC also signed a loan agreement with United Coconut Planters Bank. The modernization program involves the acquisition of 30 RoRo vessels at a cost of $8.3 million to $12 million each from Sea Transport Solutions of Australia, the leading designer and builder of catamaran vessels in the world.

APFC tapped Sea Transport Solutions to build mid-speed RoRo passenger catamaran vessels, especially crafted for the Philippines’ unique weather and sea conditions. Pastrana says catamaran has the best design for fast ferries because of their speed, stability and large capacity.

“In this business, capital expenditure is substantial and operational expenditure is also significant. Before, we used to have nine ships with different designs, different parts and different maintenance requirements. Now, with a fleet of the same [catamaran] vessels, the cost of maintenance is lower and your crew can transfer from one vessel to another,” Pastrana says.

“We have better margin, because the vessels are fuel efficient. Because we are more efficient, we are lighter, we are faster, we are able to reduce our fuel expenditures,” he says.

“If you think about it, it has a long return [on profit]. But like I said, what is important is the service we provide,” he says.

“Right now, we have 10 vessels.

We are building two and there is an order for three more. Hopefully, we will have 20 vessels by 2018. Before 2020, we will have the entire 30 vessels,” Pastrana says.

Pastrana says with the 10 vessels already deployed, the company could serve three million passengers a year, a number that could reach 12 million by 2020. “It is a large investment. We are putting our resources to where it should be, because it really requires a lot of expenditures,” he says.

FastCat began commercial operation on Aug. 2, 2013 along the route of Batangas-Calapan, Mindoro. Since then, it has added routes including Bulalacao, Mindoro-Caticlan, Aklan (April 2015), Iloilo-Bacolod (September 2015), Matnog,

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B2

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

WHY GAUTIER BROUGHT FRENCH FURNITURE TO PH

By Othel V. Campos

FRENCH furniture maker Gautier has recently opened its first store in the Philippines, the second in Asia after South Korea, bringing in modern pieces for the upscale Filipino market.

Blims Lifestyle Group, a leading furniture distributor in the country, tapped the French company to provide the local market modern and contemporary trends in the furniture industry.

Gautier Philippines general manager Katrina Samantha Lim says it took BLG a year to get the French furniture maker to decide on Philippine expansion.

“This is our first time to venture into the high-end market. BLG has a defined customer base and we are very confident that this new concept will have its own following soon,” she says.

The youngest in a brood of six and the only female, Lim was entrusted the responsibility to look after the high-end venture of BLG. She is a daughter of BLG chairman Samie Lim. The talented young entrepreneur, who exudes feminine flair and artistic sensibility, felt that Gautier’s fine pieces would fit well into the lifestyle of Filipinos.

She noticed that more Filipino families now start to move up to the upper segment of the market, given their rising income and better opportunities in an economy that is constantly expanding.

Housed inside the newly-opened Shangri-La Hotel at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, the Gautier showroom boasts of a wide selection of finely-crafted furniture suited for modern Filipino homes.

From very stylish yet utilitarian living room ensemble to sophisticated dining sets and even down to office staples, Gautier has the perfect piece for every corner in every room, she says.

What is remarkable, Lim says, is that Gautier comes up with the

COUPLE... FROM B1 Sorsogon-San Isidro, Samar (November 2015), and Liloan, LeyteLipata, Surigao (December 2015).

A FastCat vessel can take in up to 275 passengers, seven trucks or buses and 34 cars. The vessel is fitted with world-class amenities. “Our shareholders agreed to provide better services. We access loans from the banks and the banks believe in our vision to make things happen for the maritime industry. So they lent us, with the 75-25 debt-equity requirement,” he says.

Pastrana says profit is secondary to the company’s vision. “We reduce risks of maritime emergencies...We are making a difference in the lives of the people and we are helping in nation building because we are connecting the islands,” he says.

“Moving forward, ten vessels are now here. We are happy to announce that we have connected most of the eastern and western corridor. It has been more than five years since we embarked on this modernization program. The vessels are already here. We still have problems, but at least we are moving forward,” he says.

perfect combination of simplicity and elegance.

All Gautier furniture are guaranteed for 10 years except sofas, soft materials and bedding.

All products also comply with European standards.

Gautier started as a manufacturer of children’s furniture—a sector where safety and quality are paramount and compromise is unthinkable.

It was the first French furniture manufacturer to have obtained triple QSE (quality safety and environment) certification. The company limits the future products environmental impact with ecodesign approach wherein 98 percent of waste is recycled.

Gautier is the fifth of Blims’ concept store. Other concepts are the ready-to-use and ready-todeliver furniture, now industry standards in convenience and practicality.

Gautier export manager Herve Soulard says the Philippines is a rising market—one with the promise of people moving up and families affording the finest products.

“The Philippines is also the first country in Southeast Asia where we have presence. We believe that the Philippines will be a big market for us soon,” he says.

After the Philippines, Gautier is set to expand to Singapore and Indonesia, according to Soulard.

Guatier France chief executive David Soulard also attended the opening of the Fort Bonifacio branch.

In 2015, the French firm spent 10 million euros to acquire new machineries for wood processing.

It uses 100 percent Pine wood The deployment of FastCat, which has an average speed of 16.5 knots or about 29 kilometers an hour, one of the fastest in the industry, has impacted domestic travel when it comes to mobility, convenience, safety, cleanliness and high standards. “We have seen how passengers appreciate our vessels. We are not stopping here. We are planning to have more of these ships and connect more islands,” says Pastrana.

Pastrana says he chose the catamaran design because of its flexibility, safety, fuel efficiency and lower operating cost. Catamaran is a multi-hulled boat or ship which is designed for open waters and suits the weather and sea conditions in the Philippines, he says.

“Before, about 50 percent of our operating cost was fuel. We were able to reduce that. We also reduced risks of maritime emergencies,” he says.

“We intend to bring up to 30 of these ships, from 30 meters to 60 meters to service about 12 million passengers a year and if we are lucky, 15 million tons of cargo, after we complete our expansion. That means we will be able to open the eastern, western, central nautical highway, including connectivity to Indonesia and Malaysia. Our coun-

Gautier Philippines opens its first store at Shangri-La Hotel in Bonifacio Global City. Shown during the store opening are (from left) Gautier France chief executive David Soulard, Gautier Philippines general manager Katrina Lim, Blims Lifestyle Group president Sam Frederick Lim and Gautier France export manager Hervé Soulard. harvested from Pine tree forest for all its furniture.

Gautier manufactures its furniture in three production sites in France— La Boupere, Chantonnay and Saint Prouant- all using cutting edge machineries and equipment.

With support from local small and medium enterprises, Gautier has become the European leader in contemporary furniture. It employs more than 950 employees across all manufacturing sites.

It trains its own in-house designers and constantly joins trade shows to keep updated. It has also teamed up with trend watchers in 30 countries.

With the partnership, Blims is looking at P60 million in annual sales from the Gautier concept in the first year of operations in the Philippines.

The company is currently looking for more sites in the country, especially upscale retail places and hotels.

Over 95 percent of the furniture sold in Gautier stores are manufactured in their French factories while the rest are produced in neighboring European countries.

Lim says the partnership with Gautier is a part of Blims’ raison d’etre or goal to upgrade the living standards of Filipinos.

Lim says Gautier is not just for chic and classy shoppers. “It is for today’s socially minded consumers who value the intangibles,” she says.

try has to work with our Southeast Asian neighbors to open our borders,” says Pastrana.

Ferries transport about 50 million passengers and 80 million metric tons of products every year. “We believe that connecting people removes cultural boundaries,” he says.

Mary Ann, his wife, also focuses on the business and now takes a post diploma course on maritime management. She is also the president of Scorpio Transport and Manning Services Inc., an overseas employment agency and Archipelago Philippine Seafarer Institute Inc., a maritime training center.

“We were entrepreneurs. We started with trading business of bulk materials. We were supplying materials for cement plants, which we do up to now. That business also has a shipping component. Before we got into the RoRo industry, we did not have background in maritime industry. Because of that, I enrolled taking Executive Maritime Management at the World Maritime University. I am doing it for the love of the industry so that we can be experts in what we are doing,” she says.

Mary Ann says APFC’s vision is to set the standard in ferry transportation by providing exceptional performance and customer service.

A FastCat vessel, which has fully air-conditioned business class and premium economy sections, complies with international, environmental and maritime safety standards. Mary Ann says FastCat is fitted with complete alarm systems and emergency lifeboats and life vests. Passenger seats are upholstered with a fire-retardant, durable and eco-friendly e-leather material.

FastCat has a clearance between the water and the hull of three meters, or three times higher than most RoRo vessels. It is built with twin hulls and 10 water-tight compartments for better stability, two steering control systems for automatic and manual operations and four American Bureau of Shipping-certified Yanmar engines, which emit less toxic substances than the average RoRo vessel.

“We are safety-conscious. We are internationally classed. We are being audited by ABS [American Bureau of Shipping] annually. Insurance companies also audit us. We are very transparent. We make sure we deliver,” she says.

“We are also the fastest. We run 16.5 knots, against competitors running 9 or 10 knots. What it takes competitors three hours, we get in 1 hour and 45 minutes. What we give

people is valuable time—time they should spend with their family, time they should spend for work or to be productive. We are getting there fast,” she says.

Mary Ann says FastCat also provides convenience that cannot be found in other vessels. “We have state-of-the-art, air-conditioned accommodation. We have entertainment on board and we have cafeteria. We set the standards high,” she says.

“The way we run the company, we affect the industry in so many other ways. We have a lot of retired seafarers coming to our office and they share their stories. They said they are so touched that there is now a serious player in the maritime industry. They come to me and say, whatever we can do, let us help you.

A lot of retired seafarers help us make this happen,” she says.

Pastrana says APFC’s expansion program also involves connecting the archipelago to Southeast Asian neighbors. “We are expecting to cross Malaysia from Palawan by the first quarter next year. We will do a trial run in May in Kudat [Sabah] to Palawan.

The actual commercial run will probably start next year,” he says.

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B3

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

ENTREPRENEURS and startup companies can have their own instant offices with a prestigious business address in Makati City, according to a serviced office operator.

“We provide clients with a prestigious address. Imagine 37th floor, LKG Tower, 6801 Ayala Ave., Makati City. That address can be your business address and in your website. Imagine what this will give as first impression to your clients,” says Lianne Muhlfeld, center manager of CEO Suite, a serviced office provider which opened a business center in Makati in May 2007.

CEO Suite, an Asian company established by Korean entrepreneur Mee Kim in Jakarta in 1997, operates 18 business centers across nine cities in eight Asian countries. It has a total of 600 ready-to-occupy office suites in Makati, Jakarta, Hanoi, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Beijing, Bangkok and Seoul.

Muhlfeld says CEO Suite provides clients with fullyfurnished serviced offices, instant offices, virtual offices, meeting and training rooms and professional services.

CEO Suite now has more than 140 team members in eight countries, including 13 in the Philippines.

Muhlfeld says CEO Suite business centers are known for their landmark locations, which provide occupants with 360-degree view of the city.

Its business center in Makati, with a total of 1,080 square meters, offers 30 offices, with an occupancy rate of 90 percent. It is located on the 37th floor of the 38-story LKG Tower, which stands out with its unique façade along Ayala Avenue.

Muhfeld says CEO Suite Manila provides different services for clients, including professional services such as recruitment, business registration or event

COUPLE... FROM B2

“We believe that being able to provide connectivity, seamless travel, to move people and goods freely, from east, west, central, all over the islands will help develop this country and help in nation building,” Pastrana says.

He says once the connectivity plan is completed, transporting cargoes between Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao will be much easier,

FIRM OFFERS FASTEST WAY TO SET UP A MAKATI OFFICE Shen Miranda, regional director for human resources at CEO Suite, says the company is on an expansion mode, in search for the site of its next business center at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

“We had several meetings with possible properties that we could consider in BGC. A lot of our clients would want to expand in that area. In fact, last year, I had a meeting with Mee Kim, with two properties. We are very particular with the property that we consider.

Our boss is very particular with the view. She wants a 360-degree view for external offices. Most buildings in BGC, however, were built near other buildings blocking their view. If you would check our profile, most of our properties are situated on the top floor of a property. That’s one of the amenities we are offering,” says Miranda.

“At the end of the day, you want to relax and look at the view. That’s a trademark of CEO Suite. Soon, we will be conquering BGC,” she says. Roderick T. dela Cruz

CEO Suite Manila center manager Lianne Muhfeld (left) handling.

“Most of the companies are startups. They would want not to encounter the inconvenience of going to the BIR, SSS, SEC, DTI. We can actually provide the services. With the additional fee, we can do these for you,” she says.

“We can also do recruitment.

Think of us as a hotel. Say you want to book plane tickets, book a hotel room or book a car, or you want to ask our team to handle your event coordination. We can do this for a minimal and competitive price. We inform you first about the price,” she says.

Muhfeld says serviced offices cost about P15,000 to P200,000 a month, depending on the size and the services. She says to avoid flyby-night occupants, CEO Suite requires a two-month security deposit.

“You have to sign a one-page contract. We require a security

deposit, refundable at the end of the contract,” she says.

CEO Suite’s basic package is a virtual business address, costing P2,888 a month, which can go down to P1,444 on promo rates, according to Muhfeld.

Muhfeld says CEO Suite has 100 customers for serviced offices and another 100 for virtual offices.

“We are running at 90 percent occupancy. We have about several offices available right now,” she says.

Serviced office occupants include foreign consulting firms, startups and IT companies while virtual office customers include entrepreneurs and professionals.

“A service office is actually an incubation space, as we can help you start up your business. We are very flexible with the lease agreement. We have a minimum of one month but you can sign up for as long as one year and is renewable,” she says.

faster and cheaper. “One container to Cebu will probably take you 12 to 14 days and to Mindanao, it is a bit longer at about 16 days. I am talking about the time to book the container, consolidate, schedule, deliver it and the time you get to the destination. If we complete our connectivity and alliance, you can bring your cargo to Cebu in 17 to 21 hours daily. Through the integration and seamless transportation, you can bring your cargo to Mindanao in 28 to 31 hours daily,” he says.

Pastrana, currently the president of Interferry, an international organization of ferry owners and operators, says APFC teamed up with Philtranco and Jam bus liners to boost domestic tourism. “They are targeting to reach 1,000 buses in combined fleet in the next two years. We hope that more Filipinos will visit other parts of the country. The Philippines is one beautiful country. I myself have reached only 15 percent of the archipelago.

Together, let us discover the country, the people, our fellowmen,” says Pastrana.

Filipinos traveling via Jam Liner (which plies the Manila-LagunaBatangas-Quezon route) and Philtranco (which covers Manila to Pampanga, Bicol, and parts of the Visayas and Mindanao) can now visit the islands of Mindoro, Boracay and Palawan through FastCat’s RoRo service.

Mary Ann, however, says major challenges remain along the way. “It was not an easy journey since 2010, when we started the program. We were subjected to a lot of challenges such as fuel prices, weather, fire, wind, government permits, ports’ permits, local governments’ per-

CEO Suite Manila staff greet customers mits, Marina permits, PPA permits,” she says.

Pastrana says the government should also recognize the need to deploy modern vessels. “It is frustrating that we cannot get along with different agencies in government, because if you look at countries, you can register and operate a boat in Japan in seven days from the time the ship was delivered. Here, we received a ship in December [2015], but it was given permit to operate just two weeks ago. It took so long. It was not a problem with just one agency. It was with several agencies in government. In fact, it took us three months to get our first vessel to operate,” he says.

While studying in the US, Mary Ann talked to a lecturer to vent her anguish. I was telling him it was just too hard. He said ‘if it is too easy, everybody else will be doing it.’ So maybe, we have a mission to accomplish. It is hard. When I pray, I say Lord it is like trekking a mountain and that mountain is now Mount Everest... But when people appreciate what we do, it is worth it,” she says.

In 2010, APFC became a member of InterFerry, a highly re-

nowned shipping organization representing ferry operators from 38 countries. InterFerry welcomed Pastrana into its board in 2014 and appointed him president in 2015.

The 41st Annual InterFerry Conference will be held in Manila on Oct. 15 to 19, 2016.

In 2014, the Maritime Industry Authority recognized APFC for its positive impact on the Philippine maritime industry and its efforts to modernize domestic shipping. The Health Department’s Bureau of Quarantine also awarded FastCat as the ‘cleanest vessel of the year’ in 2014.

Aside from operating FastCat vessels, the couple’s Capp Group is also into tugs and barging operations, ship management and repair, port operations and maritime training.

Pastrana, however, says APFC looks beyond profit as the main goal. “Profit is secondary. We are making a difference in the lives of the people and we are helping in nation building because we are connecting the islands,” he says.

“We want every Filipino to enjoy a ‘ferry’ safe, ‘ferry’ fast, and ‘ferry’ convenient trip,” he says.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

B4

world

brazil Faces ‘noisy’ Protests

syrian rescue workers and residents help an injured woman following a reported air strike by government forces on the rebel-held neighbourhood of haydariya in the northern city of aleppo AFP

Kerry demands russia rein in syrian forces US Secretary of State John Kerry called his russian counterpart Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday to demand that Moscow press its Syrian allies to respect a crumbling ceasefire.

“Secretary Kerry said the United States expected russia to urge the regime to comply with the cessation and that we would work with the opposition to do the same,” US spokesman John Kirby said.

Kerry’s call came as a new round of fierce fighting around the northern city of aleppo overshadowed peace talks aimed at ending Syria’s

five-year civil war. according to Kirby, Kerry told lavrov of Washington’s “serious concerns over the ongoing threats to the cessation of hostilities in Syria and the urgent need for the assad regime to stop its violations of the cessation.”

US officials have complained that russian warplanes appear to be flying

in support of Syrian forces attacking rebel positions in aleppo, Syria’s second city, despite Moscow having signed on to efforts to promote a political settlement.

But the situation has been complicated by the presence of fighters from the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front in aleppo. Nusra is not party to the ceasefire and both Moscow and Damascus reserve the right to strike groups they regard as terrorists.

On the call Kerry “made it clear that we’re concerned about the violence in and around aleppo, and that we’re concerned about re-

ports—which we believe have credibility—that there are violations of the cessation happening,” said Kirby. “and to the degree that they’re aided and abetted by russian air strikes, yes, that’s a matter of concern for us.”

The top US diplomat also expressed to lavrov concern about reports that iranian general Qassem Suleimani, commander of the covert wing of the revolutionary Guards Corps, is visiting Moscow.

Suleimani leads the Quds Force, which trains and supports Shiite militias in lebanon, iraq and Syria. He is subject to a travel ban under Unit-

ed Nations sanctions targeting iran’s guerrilla campaigns.

“He did raise it in the call,” Kirby confirmed. “We’re aware of reports that General Suleimani has travelled to russia. i’m not in a position to confirm whether that’s actually true.

“But as we’ve said when there have been previous reports of similar travel, there are UN sanctions on General Suleimani that remain in effect so such travel if true would be a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and we believe then a serious matter of concern both for the UN and for the United States.” AFP

PoPe Francis heads to Greek island oF lesbos Pope Francis speaks to journalists aboard the flight to the Greek island of lesbos where he will meet refugees and migrants.

Pope Francis and orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew fly to lesbos today for a visit that will again turn the spotlight on europe’s controversial deal with turkey to end an unprecedented refugee crisis.

AFP

POPE Francis left rome on Saturday bound for the Greek island of lesbos, on the frontline of Europe’s migrant crisis.

Francis, 79, took off from rome’s Fiumicino airport at 7:20am (05h20 GMT) for the island, where hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers and other migrants have arrived in recent months. in a move bound to turn the spotlight on Europe’s controversial deal with Turkey to end the unprecedented refugee crisis, the pontiff will visit a processing centre which has been slammed as prison-like by rights groups.

His five-hour stay will also include lunch with a handful of asylum-seekers in one of the adapted containers used to accommodate them. AFP

Brazil faces noisy protests and rowdy debates in congress Saturday as this year’s Olympic host country heads for a vote on whether to drive President Dilma rousseff from office.

Tahe Sunday vote could topple the 68-year-old leftist leader, in a political crisis threatening to destabilize latin america’s biggest economy as it struggles through a recession. rousseff ’s supporters and opponents planned rival rallies over the weekend as lawmakers debate a motion to send her to an impeachment trial in the Senate.

The president’s supporters have been gathering for days in a stadium in the capital Brasilia, where she was expected to visit them on Saturday.

Police tightly guarded the area around Congress, which was surrounded with metal barriers.

Pro- and anti-rousseff rallies are also planned in other cities on Sunday, including the economic capital Sao Paulo and rio de Janeiro, where the Summer Olympics will be held in august. lower house lawmakers were due to make further speeches on Saturday and Sunday before voting late Sunday on whether to call for an impeachment trial. rousseff is accused of illegally manipulating government accounts. in a rowdy opening session on Friday, the government’s top lawyer Jose Eduardo Cardozo drew noisy complaints when he repeated rousseff ’s claim that the impeachment drive was a “coup.”

“This is a historic process, there’s no doubt,” said House Speaker Eduardo Cunha, one of the leaders of the push to remove rousseff.

Cunha also faces corruption charges. late Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected rousseff ’s last-minute bid to have the impeachment proceedings suspended for alleged irregularities.

The pro-impeachment camp appear to have the two-thirds majority of votes needed to pass the impeachment motion up to the Senate, according to a tally by Brazilian newspapers. if that happens, rousseff will be sent to trial in the Senate in a process expected to last months. rousseff vowed on Thursday: “The government will fight until the last minute ... to foil this coup attempt.”

She also promised to negotiate with opponents if she is allowed to stay in office.

But the collapse of her coalition has been relentless, starting with the defection of vice president Michel Temer’s PMDB party. AFP

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B5

WORLD editorial@thestandard.com.ph

UN slams Nokor missile test The UN Security Council strongly condemned North Korea’s test-firing of a missile on Friday, saying that the launch violated UN resolutions even if it was a failure.

The council demanded that North Korea refrain from further actions in violation of resolutions barring Pyongyang from developing ballistic missile technology.

In a unanimous statement, the council said it would closely monitor the situation and was ready to “take further significant measures” against the reclusive state.

“Although the DPRK’s ballistic missile launch was a failure, this attempt constituted a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions,” the statement said.

Last month, the council imposed its toughest sanctions to date on North Korea after Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test and fired a rocket that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test.

Since the adoption of the new sweeping sanctions, North Korea has carried out at least two sets of ballistic missile launches that the council has condemned.

During Friday’s attempt, the missile disappeared from tracking

this undated photo released by north korea’s official korean central news agency (kcna) shows a live-shell firing drill by artillery sub-units under large combined units of the north korean army, under the simulated conditions of beating back enemy forces conducting a surprise night landing. AFP

radar a few seconds after its launch and was believed to have exploded in midair, according to a Seoul intelligence official quoted by the Yonhap news agency.

Asked about the failed launch, UN spokesman Farhan Haq said: “We certainly are aware of the recent reports of activity by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is alarming.”

“We once again call on the

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for restraint.”

The launch took place on the birthday of founding leader Kim Il-Sung.

In Washington, a Pentagon official said the test-firing of what appeared to be a medium-range missile ended in catastrophic failure.

“I can tell you it was a fiery, catastrophic attempt at a launch that was not successful,” Navy Captain

Jeff Davis told reporters.

The missile was likely “roadmobile”—or transportable—because it had been launched from an area on the east coast of North Korea where tests don’t normally occur, Davis said.

Recent intelligence reports suggested North Korea was preparing for the first-ever flight test of its Musudan missile, which is believed to be capable

of striking US bases on the Pacific island of Guam.

Davis said the latest launch attempt would surely factor into conversations between Washington and Seoul about the deployment to South Korea of the sophisticated THAAD system—Theater High Altitude Area Defense System.

“This is something that’s being done because of North Korea’s continued provocations,” he said. AFP

10 die as strong quake hits southern Japan Yemen peace MASHIKI, Japan—Rescuers were scrambling to find survivors Friday after a powerful earthquake hit southern Japan that left at least nine people dead and hundreds injured, sparking fires and buckling roads.

Tens of thousands of people fled their homes after the 6.5-magnitude quake struck the southwestern island of Kyushu on Thursday night, leaving lumps of broken concrete strewn in the streets.

Houses collapsed, factories stopped work and a high-speed train was de-railed, while the roof of the treasured Kumamoto castle in the southern city of the same name was also damaged.

“The house shook up and down,” said Nobuyuki Morita, 67, a resident of the worst hit town of Mashiki in Kumamoto prefecture, adding that he was watching TV at home when the quake struck.

“I was really surprised,” he said. “I had never experienced such a big quake since I was born.”

He and his wife spent the night in their car as the roof of their house had collapsed and furniture toppled over.

Dozens of aftershocks followed the quake, which hit about 9:26 pm (1226 GMT) on Thursday evening, and officials warned the death toll could rise as rescuers scoured the collapsed structures.

As rescue workers toiled through the night, an eight-month-old baby girl was pulled from the rubble alive and unharmed, NHK reported.

“As far as we can tell from infrared images from a police helicopter, there appears to be a significant number of houses destroyed or halfcollapsed,” said disaster minister Taro Kono.

“There are fears the number of injured could rise.”

Rescuers are concentrating their searches in Mashiki, near the epicentre of the quake where the most deaths have been recorded. on the streets, the remains of collapsed

talks set to resume

this handout photograph taken and released by the international Federation of red cross and red crescent societies (iFrc) shows earthquake-affected residents under the care of Japanese red cross medical staff at a hospital in kumamoto. a more powerful quake hit southern Japan early april 16, killing at least 10 people, toppling large buildings and triggering a massive landslide just over a day after an earlier tremor which left nine dead. AFP

Japanese-style houses—many of then aged wooden structures—could be seen, and damaged roof tiles lay in piles.

A rescue team with several search dogs patrolled around half-collapsed houses in the town.

But no new deaths have been announced for more than eight hours, suggesting that many among the thousands forced to flee their collapsed or unstable homes may have escaped alive.

Scores of people spent the night huddled in front of Mashiki’s town hall, some in tears, while others wrapped themselves in blankets to ward off the nighttime chill.

“I’m so scared of the aftershocks that I

cannot sleep,” 94-year-old Tomiko Takahashi told Jiji Press.

By Friday morning, the government said it had confirmed at least 860 people had been injured, at least 53 seriously. An official from the local Kumamoto disaster agency said at least nine were dead.

“We are combing through Mashiki where the damage was serious to see if there are any people who are still seeking rescue,” said government spokesman Yoshihide Suga.

Gen Aoki, a Japan Meteorological Agency seismologist, urged residents to be on guard for more aftershocks and warned rain in coming days could make the situation worse. AFP

A CoNCeRTeD United Nations effort aimed at ending nearly 13 months of war in Yemen sees peace talks resuming on Monday, but with a ceasefire barely holding.

Previous attempts have failed to stop the fighting which has killed thousands of people, forced almost 2.8 million from their homes and raised regional tensions.

A ceasefire that came into effect on Sunday at midnight to pave the way for the talks in Kuwait has been violated numerous times.

But the Iran-backed rebel Huthis, the government, and the United Nations, which sponsored the ceasefire, have avoided talk of it collapsing, as happened with three earlier truces.

The ceasefire does not apply to jihadist groups, which have exploited the chaos to strengthen their hold in the south.

The coalition led by Iran’s regional rival Saudi Arabia early this week described ceasefire violations as “minor”. The coalition began air strikes in March last year to support Yemen’s government.

Briefing the Security Council Friday ahead of the talks, UN envoy Ismail ould Cheikh Ahmed, who has conducted months of shuttle diplomacy, said Yemen has “never been so close to peace.”

The government and the rebels and their allies last sat down to talk in Geneva in December, but six days of negotiations ended with no major breakthrough.

“We can expect a hard time” at the Kuwait talks, said April Longley Alley, a Yemen specialist at the International Crisis Group.

“In a best case scenario, the two sides will agree to a package of compromises that will build trust, strengthen the ceasefire, allow for an inclusive government to return to Sanaa and restart the political process,” she told AFP. AFP

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

IGOROT WARRIORS SHOW PROWESS

Ben “Funky” Askren dominates the ground game against Nikolay Aleksakhin.

By Randy Caluag

FOR Igorot warrior Geje Eustaquio, the night was the best opportunity for the world to know and appreciate his native tribe’s rich heritage in warfare.

Entering the arena amidst a native war dance performed by fellow Igorot fighters in Team Lakay, the rising MMA star was out to show what the Igorot fighters are made of.

He didn’t disappoint the hometown crowd and millions on live television as he out-punched, outmaneuvered and out-hustled an equally tough opponent in Malaysian top prospect Gianni Subba in the co-main event of the ONE Championship: Global Rivals at the MOA Arena on Friday night.

“We, at Team Lakay, want to show the world who we really are—great warriors,” said the Eustaquio, who fought for the first time in his MMA career, at a higher division.

“We are humans like you guys. We don’t look like monkey. We don’t have tails. And we’re pretty sure that we are handsome and sexy,” Eustaquio said jokingly, eliciting laughter from the media during the post-fight interview.

Eustaquio, who piled up a fight record of 7 wins and 4 losses in the flyweight division

Geje Eustaquio (right) is announced the victor.

prior to this bantamweight victory, also revealed that the fight almost did not happen following a couple of injuries during his training.

“Three weeks before the fight, I injured my left shoulder, then the next week, I injured the right (shoulder). I told my coach about it, but he prodded me on to continue training,” said Eustaquio, whose victory later in the night, completed a clean sweep of the vaunted Team Lakay.

Earlier, teammate Honorio Banario defeated Vaughn

Geje Eustaquio in action against Gianni Subba

Donayre by Unanimous Decision in their lightweight tussle; Joshua Pacio stopped compatriot Rabin Catalan via strikes in Round 2 of their 57.4 catchweight bout; flyweight Danny Kingad scored a similar TKO win over Malaysian Muhamad Haidar in Round 1 and April Osenio registered the only submission (arm bar) win of the night at the expense of Fil-Briton Natalie Gonzales Hills.

Filipino-Australian fighter Reece “Lightning” McLaren showed the world that he is an absolute force to be reckoned with by dominating former combat sambo world champion Muin “Tajik” Gafurov over three rounds.

McLaren completely shut down Gafurov with his impeccable cage control, displaying a high-level grappling game that his foe failed to match up with.

The only Filipino casualty in the night was Burn Soriano of Hitman Training Camp after he got knocked out by Indonesia’s Sunoto.

Sunoto overcame an illadvised kimura attempt by Soriano to win by technical knockout. After Sunoto found himself in mount position, the Indonesian fighter unloaded

April Osenio pulls off an armbar against Natalie GonZales.

a volley of strikes to force the stoppage just minutes into the first round.

Another Igorot fighter, Eric Kelly, had his fight cancelled when his opponent failed to make the weight and a catchweight fight failed to materialize.

A ONE Championship official said they will book a fight for Kelly soon.

In other bouts, Martin Nguyen trounced Li Kai Wen

by TKO by strikes at 4:44 minutes of Round 1 in their flyweight bout.

In the main event of the evening, the United States’ Ben “Funky” Askren overcame an equally tough opponent in Nikolay Aleksakhin of Seltso, Russia to win by unanimous decision in a five-round Super Fight for the world welterweight title.

Askren put on an amazing display of high-level wrestling to score on multiple takedowns, maintaining control of Aleksakhin on the ground while doing damage from the mounted crucifix position.

Aleksakhin connected on a few solid strikes, but it wasn’t enough to trump Askren’s overall solid performance.

Askren, who was facing a solidly built foe, immediately relied on his solid ground

game, scoring take downs after take downs and kept himself busy with punches, elbows, and knees while taking control on sidemount.

The first two rounds were simply an Askren show. Aleksakhin, obviously the stronger puncher between the two, began to connect with his punches, hitting Askren and stalling him in most of the third canto.

But he could not sustain the momentum as Askren relied again on his worldclass wrestling and mowed down the Russian with multiple takedowns and punches on the ground as the American cruised to the win to keep his title.

Lightweight standout Lowen Tynanes of Ewa Beach, Hawaii defeated highly regarded Japanese veteran Koji “The Commander” Ando by unanimous decision in a grueling contest.

Tynanes used his superior wrestling skills to control the action in the cage, while also getting the better of Ando in the stand-up with his powerful leg kicks and straight right hand. After three rounds, Ando couldn’t amount to much as Tynanes ran away with the judges’ nod.

S U N D AY : A p r i l 17, 2 0 1 6

SPORTS

ArmAN Armero EDITOR

sports@thestandard.com.ph

By Eddie Alinea

“Lilipad uli si Superman (Superman will fly again)” If his best friend Buboy Fernandez is to be believed, Filipino ring legend Manny Pacquiao will be back in the ring to fight again despite his earlier statement that he is retiring for good.

Fernandez claimed that Pacquaio made the reference of Superman flying again right after the Filipino ring icon’s impressive victory over American Timothy Bradley Saturday nignt (Sunday in Manila) at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

Fernandez said those words only meant one thing: the 37-year old Cogressman from Sarangani will fight again. Fernandez made the statement during an an exclusive interview Tueday, the day Pacquiao and his team flew home back home to Manila from Los Angeles.

“If you will read between lines, iyon na ‘yun, lalaban pa uli si Manny,” Fernandez, who claimed he knows Pacquiao by heart being his bosom friend and neighbor at Barangay Labangal in General Santos City.

“We were actually wraping up with our equipment right after the fight when he told us, “Haplas (brother Roger Fernandez) and myself, to keep those equipment, save them and take care of them,” Buboy said.

“I told him, siyempre naman, magre-reire ka na at dapat lamang pag-ingatan namin ang mga ito.”

“Manny then uttered those words” Buboy said. “Tapos sabi pa niya, papaimbulog na naman si Superman upang pasayahing muli lahat ng boxing fans, lalo na ang atin mga kababayang Pilipino.”

“We have been friends since our childhood, magkapit-bahay at barkada kaya masasabi kong kilalang-

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BuBoy says Pacquiao will fight again

Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao (center) waves to the crowd after winning his welterweight fight against American Timothy Bradley. Beside him is his best fried Buboy Fernandez, who said that the Pacman will fight again.

kilala ko si Manny. Sa body English pa lang niya alam ko na kung ano gusto niya. Except for his parents, perhaps, brothers and sisters, ako na ang nakakikilala a kanya ng lubusan,” Buboy said.

“As of now, he’s retired until such time that he decides with finality kung anong buhay ang gusto niya after boxing,” he explained. “Understandable naman kung babalik siya sa boksing. Boxing is his life. Boxing gifted

him no less than 10 world championshipos in eiht weight divisions.

“As well as his his parents, siblings, wife and children wealth and good life. He loves the sport so much. at mahihuirapan siyang iwan ito, “ he added.

“And he. too, loves the fans to whom he dedicates all his fight. Of course, time will come na maiisip mo kelangan na mag-retire, he related.

“He’s no longrer getting any

younger. Naisipo niya rin ang family, Jinkee and children na hindi niya nakakasama pag may laban. Kaya marahil he announced his plan to hang up his gloves before the Bradley fight.” Buboy said.

Buboy said that the overwhelming unanimous decision result of he showdown that tilted in his favor must have led his boss to think otherwise. Which is why he is now asking those who want him contnue with his career

time to allow him to enjoy first a life in retirement before finally deciding.

“Naging napakaganda kasi ng laban at ng resulta.

Nakita nating lahat na bumalik ang dati niyang lakas at bilis. Na kaya pa talaga niya lumaban. So, let’s give him what he wants. Let’s allow him to enjoy a life in retirement, Buboy said.

“Matagal na rin naman si Manny sa boksing. Two decades plus na,” Buboy said.

“Manny’s already fighting long before he married Jnkee.

And longer before Jimuel.

Michael, Princess, Queenie and Israel came into his life.

Kilangan talaga nhya malasap ang buhay na walang inaalalang laban. Walang ensayo at walang biyahe sa malayong lugar para siya mawalay sa pamilya,” he said.

“But what I can say is, he’ll be back. Huwag kayong mainip. Sbi nga ni Manny, Superman will fly again.”

S. TAGALoG WINS HS CAGE CRoWN, NCR IS oVERALL CHAMP LEGAZPI, Albay—Cagers from the Southern Tagalog Region struck gold in the ballgames to share the top honors with the National Capital Region bets in the final of the 2016 Palarong Pambansa here.

The San Beda Red Cubs of Taytay, Rizal drew strength from their outside shooting and run-and-gun game to swamp the Central Luzon selection, 92-72, in the secondary boys basketball finals at the Ibalong Centrum Recreation gymnasium.

Team captain Sam Abu Hijleh scored 16 points for the Red Cubs, who went on to hand Region IV-A their fourth secondary cage crown in seven years.

A selection of cagers from Quezon, Cavite and Batangas, meanwhi8lke, took the top honors in the elementary boys basketball side following a 74-65 victory over the NCR bets 74-65.

But the Big City bets were not be denied their share of the honor as its women’s secondary team thrashed the Negros Island Region, 80-68, for the crown Overall, NCR capped its campaign with 104 golds, 46 silvers and 47 bronze medals, while Region IV-A placed second (38-43-59), with Western Visayas in close third (35-35-39) and with Central Visayas in fourth (29-31-29).

In the secondary division, NCR had 68 golds, 32 silvers and 29 bronzes, while Region IV-A finished behind (23-26-37).

Germy Mahinay scored 12 points for NCR, while Joshua Tagala added 13, including one of two treys in the third as they moved out of reach, 59-42.

Evan Nelle, who bagged the MVP honors, delivered 12 points, with his triple in first period allowing NCR to

Members of the Southern Tagalog champion team pose with their gold medals with Albay Gov. Joey Salceda after winning the secondary boys basketball crown of the 2016 Palarong Pambansa. Peter Atencio.

pull away, 11-8.

“This is a redemption for us. We did not make the finals last year. The boys who played back then are here again. Ramdam nila iyung pagkatalo last year. Ramdam

din nila ang pagkapanalo this year,” said NCR coach JB Sison.

Ry de la Rosa had 11 points, with two triples at the end of the first canto giving NCR a 20-15 edge.

The Central Luzon squad on had eight players in their rotation, and NCR began moving away by 11, 26-15, in the second period, and as soon as the Region 3 cagers began tiring out.

As coach Allan Trinidad finally walked out of the team in the second half, and left the team in the hands of his assistant, Felix Dimatulac, the Region 3 team just fell apart, and fell behind by as much as 29 points, 71-42, with 2:38 left in the third.

In secondary boys football, NCR outplayed Central Visayas, 2-1, in a fight-marred contest at the Bicol University-Albay Sports and Tourism Complex turf.

Davao Region won over Western Visayas, 1-0, in the elementary action.

In baseball, NCR eked out five runs in the third inning to beat Southern Tagalog Region, 8-3, to claim a three-peat.

In volleyball, NCR kept the secondary girls crown for a second straight year after Ella de la Torre-led Metro Manila squad took four sets to get past Region IV-A, 25-23, 14-25, 2522, 25-21 at the Bicol College court. Peter Atencio

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S U N D AY : A P R I L 17, 2 0 1 6

REUEL VIDAL EDITOR sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS JrNBA and JrWNBA

PRESENTED BY ALASKA DRAWS RECORD NUMBER

Kai Sotto (23), who is all of six feet nine inches tall, jumps at center court during a jumpball at the JrNBA/JrWNBA Presented by Alaska Regional Selection Camp held at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati.

By Homer Vidal

THIS just keeps getting bigger and better.

The JrNBA/JrWNBA Presented by Alaska Regional Selection Camp at the Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati City drew an all-time record number of 1,114 participants (1,030 boys and 84 girls) last weekend.

Sixteen boys and eight girls stood out over the rest and will advance to the next phase of the program which is the National Training Camp to be held April 22 to 24.

One boy, 6’9” Kai Sotto just 13 years old and the tallest to ever participate in the program for boys and girls 10 to 14 years old, literally stood out from all the rest.

Sotto was recruited to join the Under-16 Philippine national basketball team days after he was discovered during the camp.

Fourteen of the 16 JrNBA finalists are from Metro Manila. They include Mark

Glenn Gabon, 14, of National University; Luis Gabriel Aguila, 13, of Nazareth School of NU; Johndhel Austria, 13, of Escuela de Sophia; Jearico Nunez, 13, of University of Perpetual Help SystemDalta; Kai Zachary Sotto, 13, Jericho Ross Paglinawan, 14 and Mark Nicole Lucban, 13 of St. Francis of Assisi School; Reich Randell Villegas, 13, of Ateneo de Manila; Prince Junnell de Belen, 13, of San Isidro Catholic School; Pauloh Villarin, 13, of De La Salle Zobel; Patrick Lance Inting, 14, of Our Lady of Pillar Catholic School; and Miguel Rey Luis, 13, of Xavier School.

Two boys came from Ba-

Carly Monreal (center) dribbles past fellow De La Salle Zobel student Chynna Amol (10) and Magda Lioui Flores (right) of Christian Grace School of Cavite during the second day of the JrWNBA/JrWNBA Presented by Alaska Regional Selection Camp at Don Bosco Makati.

tangas and Bacolod. They are Anjelo Raphael Argente, 14, of De La Salle Lipa and Andrei Philip Lechoncito, 13, of St. John’s Institute of Bacolod.

Eight girls were selected.

They are Dianne Camille Nolasco, 11, of Miriam College; Lalaine Gonzales, 13, of Escuela de Sophia; Carly Monreal, 13, and Princess Marie Villarin, 10, of De La Salle Zobel; Jonalyn Bongalos of University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta; Magda Lioui Flores, 13, of Christian Grace School of Cavite; Lindsey Nacional, 12, of Baptist Bible Seminary Institute, Taytay; and Ma. Cecilia Quilenderino, 13, of Dalig National High School of Antipolo.

The fourth and final JrNBA/JrWNBA Philippines 2016 Regional Selection Camp had the most participants to ever to join a Regional Selection Camp since the start of the grassroots program in 2007.

The camp attracted young players from as far as Southern Tagalog and even

the Visayas. Jem Joaquin, 14, and Mark Salibio, 12, are indigenous people of the Ati tribe in Boracay.

The participants went through extensive skills challenges with 30 girls and 50 boys advancing to Day 2 and competing with peers in scrimmages.

Selected by the JrNBA/ JrWNBA evaluation committee led by JrNBA Coach Craig Brown and Alaska Aces Assistant Coach Jeffrey Cariaso, the 24 JrNBA and JrWNBA players will move on to the National Training Camp after showing allaround skills and exhibiting the JrNBA/JrWNBA core STAR values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude and Respect.

The JrNBA/JrWNBA Presented by Alaska National Training Camp, featuring an NBA and WNBA player or legend, will gather all regional picks from Baguio, Cebu, Davao and Manila, and top Alaska Power Camp performers.

GIRLS LEVEL UP IN NUMBERS AND SKILL NOT only are more and more girls joining the JrWNBA Presented by Alaska but the participants are more skilled than ever before.

Thirteen-year-old Carly Monreal of De La Salle Zobel is a perfect example of this year’s batch of players.

She has good fundamentals. She can dribble, pass and shoot with either hand.

She’s quick, strong and at least as good in basketball as—if not better than—boys her age.

Monreal says her older brother introduced her to

the sport when she was nine years old. It was only natural for her to play because her whole family was into basketball.

“I love playing basketball because it challenges me to get better every time I play. It also teaches how to be open-minded inside and outside the court,” said Monreal.

Yes, the girls of JrWNBA Presented by Alaska are getting better and better.

At least two students from Taytay, Rizal—who made it Young girls listen in earnest to what JrNBA/JrWNBA coach all the way to the National Ruben Lanot has to say. These girls are intent on becoming the Training Camp last year— best basketball players they can be.

were not even invited to join the 30 returning girls to Day 2 of the Regional Selection Camp in Don Bosco.

And the girls are breaking all stereotypes. Basketball is no longer just a sport for boys or students focused in athletics. Everybody, including girl scholars are joining in.

Lindsey Nacional, who lives in Queenstown Heights in Antipolo graduated valedictorian from the Baptist Bible Seminary Institute. She not only earned a sportsmanship award for being an athlete she was also

recognized for academic excellence by her school.

“My family and friends all play the sport. It not only improved my skills it also helped me gain confidence and taught me discipline, respect and hard work,” said Nacional.

Yes, the girls of JrWNBA Presented by Alaska have levelled up not just in numbers but in skill. Not only are more and more girls joining the JrWNBA Presented by Alaska but the participants are better and more skillful basketball players than ever before. Reuel Vidal

S U N D AY : A p r i l 17, 2 0 1 6

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

S U NDAY l if E

LIFE

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The couple receiving blessings from the main sponsors – Guy Lorenzo Medina, Lily Ang, Adette Bernabe, Robbie Bernabe, the couple, Nancy Chan, Tita Morales, and John Chan, with the officiating pastor Rev. Agbayani

Mehdi and Lourd sealed it with a kiss

LOuRD x mEhDI: A RAInBOW KInD Of LOvE Carotid artery

By TATum AnChETA

i

never really liked weddings. I feel like the preparations and the actual day is so stressful for the couple. But every time I attend one and I hear the couple in love

taking their vows, I get so gooey inside I always feel like I have to excuse myself out so I don’t end up crying.

Last week, I stood witness to the beautiful celebration of love of celebrity hairstylists Lourd Ramos and Mehdi Moussaoui. It’s not your usual wedding as it is about “a groom and a groom” – one of the many LGBT nuptials brave enough to show the world and celebrate a rainbow kind of love, especially in a country like the Philippines where until now, marriage between same sex couples is still not legalized.

“Our sexuality is not a choice, but happiness is a choice,” shared Rev. Crescencio Agbayani Jr. during the

ceremony. Rev. Agbayani is the founding pastor of LGBTS Christian Church Inc. Although the ceremony is not legally binding, Pastor Agbayani has been officiating the unions of same sex couples for years, and has been fighting for marriage equality in the country.

With the kind of career that these two celebrity hairstylists lead, the entourage and guests almost felt like the union was a fashion event. “We have chosen them because they saw how my life and career has evolved and flourished with love and success,” shares Lourd.

It was the first gay wedding I have ever attended and it was such an honor

to be one of Lourd’s maids of honor. The ceremony is not what you would consider a small affair as Lourd and Mehdi’s guests were almost at 500, but since most of the people knew each other, it felt like the most intimate wedding I’ve been to. The crowd would cheer and laugh at the couple’s funny quirks, as if we’ve all watched them fall in love through the times they’ve been together as a couple. Even Rev. Agbayani said that for almost a decade of officiating same sex marriages, the number of guests – gay and straight – who came to support the union proves that the country is ready for marriage equality.

Continued on C4

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Anne Curtis, wedding gown by Michael Leyva

Cake Concepts

VOWS OF ELEGANCE

photos by star sabroso till-contemplating and set-to-wed and exquisite flowers on each table, they couples were treated to a fabulous promise to make her chosen venue come alive. display of stylish wedding themes The culinary brilliance of the hotel’s at the recent “Vows of Elegance, A chefs will make every bite at the wedding Grand Wedding Fair” presented by Rita feast taste a little bit of heaven. The hotel’s Neri Events Planners and Makati Shangri- team of renowned chefs will design a menu La, Manila. especially for them, from a formal sit-down The majestic Rizal Ballroom was a dinner to a spectacular wedding cake for a perfect venue for showcasing luxurious and perfect celebration of their everlasting love. elegant wedding celebrations during the Makati Shangri-La, Manila partnered with fair, as the hotel itself with its remarkable Rita Neri, the country’s most sought-after ballrooms has become a popular choice by wedding organizer and regarded as the “fairy couples for memorable weddings. godmother” of Philippine weddings, to create Makati Shangri-La’s Signature Weddings “the bridal fair of the year” and help make offer a variety of options for themes such every couple’s dream wedding come true. as Classic Romanticism, Pristine Elegance, “To complement the hotel’s impeccable Oriental Dream and Romantic Hues, each service excellence, we partnered only with one having distinctive details to fit the couple’s the country’s best wedding planner, stylists preferred motif. Weddings are very memorable and service providers,” said Alain Borgers, occasions, and a stunning and elegant setting general manager of Makati Shangri-La, sets the tone for that moment when the couple Manila and area manager of Shangri-La looks into each other’s eyes and exchanges Hotels and Resorts in the Philippines. those two very important words.

Vows of Elegance brought together Weddings are also occasions best shared renowned event stylist in Asia Robert with loved ones and friends, and Makati Blancaflor (who decorated the hotel Shangri-La, Manila’s dedicated events driveway, Lobby Lounge, grand staircase managers are professional wedding specialists and the ballroom); young florist Pat who can make the wedding day become Pastelero (who styled the ballroom foyer); unforgettable in the eyes of guests. The bride’s master cake maker and decorator Penk very needs are looked after – from her choice Ching (who displayed her works of art as of linen and dinner service to the name cards a grand centerpiece for the hotel’s lobby

S

Kristel Yulo's flower girls

Pat Dy photography

Couples who held their wedding receptions in Makati Shangri-La, Manila from 1997 onwards walked down the runway

Resort Chic by Teddy Manuel

with a Grand Cake Exhibit of the most memorable wedding cakes she has created); theater artist and acclaimed events director Raymond Lauchengco; and Philip Santos.

Lauchengco took the lead in the theatrical fashion show about the tale of a young couple’s milestones in life – from the marriage proposal to the planning of a dream wedding.

The most awaited part of the two-day event was the Vows of Elegance Fashion

Show, a unique presentation featuring 10 elegant, previous brides of Makati Shangri-La, Manila who were joined by professional ramp models in the extraordinary multimedia show of young Filipino fashion designers Maureen Disini, Michael Leyva, Vania Romoff and Kristel Yulo. It was also the first time the designers revealed their 2016 collection of bridal gowns exclusively designed for Vows of Elegance.

Michael Leyva's bridal collection

S U N D AY : A p r I L 17, 2 0 1 6

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

'Classic' brides tend to choose white and green colors for their bouquets

Carnations, mums and roses make for an elegant garden style wedding

WEDDINg boUqUEtS: From gArLIc to gopro

By Bernadette Lunas

I

n the olden days, a bride was said to carry a bouquet of pungent herbs, spices and garlic to ward off evil spirits during her wedding day.

But things have changed since then.

Ladies now walk down the aisle, not with edible plants, but with flowers that speak of their style and personality.

Floral designer Patricia Pastelero says that the types of flowers used these days depend on the couple – on the bride more importantly.

“The classic brides tend to choose white or [a combination of] white and greens. The adventurous ones choose reds, purples,” Pastelero shares with The Standard Life, adding that some even choose non-floral bouquets.

Brides today also opt for a looser style of bouquet, according to Pastelero, “where the flowers can breathe a little bit more” as compared with bouquet arrangements that dominated the ‘90s to 2000s which were “tighter and very round.”

Having been in the wedding industry for six years, Pastelero has noticed that since brides have different styles and florists have varying styles as well, it is important for the brides-to-be to find their match.

“I always tell brides that whatever kind of supplier they’re trying to look for – whether it’s their bridal gowns, flowers or coordinators – it’s good to meet [with them] so they can see if they have the same aesthetic,” says the young florist who owns the flower boutique Spruce Floral Designs.

She continues, “Me, personally, I like to do a mix of different kinds of flowers. More springtime arrangements, different flowers that people have not yet tried using here.”

Rose, tulip, lily of the valley and stephanotis are some of the most common

blooms brides choose to carry with them.

But based on experience and observation, Pastelero shares that peony, despite being seasonal, tops the list of choice among brides here in the Philippines.

As much as possible, Pastelero uses imported flowers for the bouquets of the bride and entourage, as well as for the arrangements, in the presidential and VIP categories, while the church and reception area are usually adorned with local blooms like rose and carnation.

“Imported flowers, depending on the kind, can last for about two to three days.

Some can go as long as three to four days,” she says. “But we try to treat the flowers with a medicine called Floralife so they last longer,” Pastelero shares.

With different styles and a wide array of flower choices, wedding bouquets have become a form of expression for brides, much like her gown and motif, for the special day. Some go the traditional route, while others try something new – never mind if they will be labeled “quirky” or “weird.”

Each bride really has specific things she wants to do on her wedding day. And since it’s the one day that a woman is getting married and gets a chance to throw this big event, you can’t really blame her for her choices, avers Pastelero.

“I had one bride that asked me to put a GoPro in her bouquet so she could see people’s reactions as she walked down the aisle,” she fondly shares.

So whether it’s roses or carnations or peonies, flowers add a special touch that makes a wedding more meaningful and memorable especially for the most important person on that occasion – the bride, of course.

Photo courtesy of sprucefloraldesigns.com featuring photos by Nelwin Uy and Pat Dy

Colored bouquet of roses

Imported baby's breath adorns the church

Some adventurous brides choose non-floral, paper bouquets

Peonies (left); assorted local and imported flowers (right)

S U N D AY : A p r I L 17, 2 0 1 6

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LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

LoUrD x MEhDI...

From C1

“I hope the Philippines will be more open minded about it (same sex marriage) and I hope we have opened the way for others because it is our right to marry the one we love,” shares Mehdi who is French and comes from a country where same sex marriage has been legalized since 2013.

The motif of the wedding is white, beige, and nude and seeing the ceremony in a sea of white made the affair look so heavenly (in contrast to the other wedding that was happening next door with black and red as theme). Guests from the other wedding would peek at the ceremony and would ask anyone passing by if the wedding was really between two men. And we would always smile and say “Yes,” and quickly add at the back of our heads, “Deal with it.”

“Yes, I do.”

These words reverberated in the room, and the reverend would quip, “Tarush” each time Lourd would utter his vows. It was such a beautiful and light ceremony that people were laughing and crying at the same time. Last year, when Lourd showed us his ring, we were all shocked. “Huh? Too fast!” we said then.

“It was super fast but we were sure about our choice. Even my family asked me if I was taking drugs!” Mehdi jokingly says, “because no one can understand how I can marry someone that fast; even I do not know, but it is also our crazy mentality. Go fast when we are sure. Why waste more time if we are sure? We only have one life; let’s enjoy it as much we can,” he adds.

“He said, ‘this is fast but am very sure.’

He didn’t wanna let go of me!” Lourd giddily discloses.

The couple shared that before they dated, they actually were sort of rivals.

Being in the same business and the same profession, competition was tough. “We met many times always fast and without any talk,” Mehdi discloses. “I realized this guy was super snob and has a very selfish attitude but I was curious. I wanted to know him and after our first meeting, I saw a totally different person – very sensitive, simple, and I wanted to see him more and to get to know him better.”

People may find the decision to wed too fast but for them “it was a feeling no one can explain; weird, strange but super strong feeling,” Mehdi explains.

On normal days far from the usual glitz and glamour that the beauty business requires, the two just like spending their time together, going out to watch movies, eating out, and visiting Lourd’s family since Mehdi’s loved ones are in France. “We don’t speak of our work as soon as we are out of the salon,” Lourd says. “We live by the moment and we talk of the future.”

The couple legally wed in New York before the ceremony here in Manila. The wedding was more for the purpose of sharing and celebrating their love with their family and friends. After the union, it’s the same as usual: Work comes first and honeymoon might be postponed to July or August.

And what about "forever"? “Forever… it can be near and far, no one knows when or if we will go to the sky,” says Mehdi.

“It is better to enjoy day after day without thinking too much, and as I said before, we only have one life – let’s enjoy it as much as we can.”

Photos courtesy of www.mymetrophoto.com; follow on Instagram at @mymetrophoto

For comments, and topic suggestions, you may email me at tatum@thestandard.com.ph.

For my crazy life’s adventures follow me at @tatumancheta on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.

A double celebration! It was also Mehdi's birthday during their wedding day

The newlyweds with their secondary sponsors – Cristalle Belo, Emmy Chua, Pewee Isidro, Anna Moncupa, Kaye Morales, Chez Gempez, and Hindy Webber Tantoco

The newlyweds lighting the Unity Candle to symbolize the union of their lives

Men of Honor – Ferdie Salvador, Angelo Fanlconi, John delos Santos, Jayare Doncillo, the couple, Dr. Romulo Aromin, Jonathan Te, Junjun Ablaza, and Dada Wolf

A promise of their love

(Front) Hindy Webber Tantoco and Anne Jacobe; (second row) Katharina Rodriguez, Wilma Doesnt, Lourd Ramos-Moussaoui, and JC Carpio; (third row) Ina Dominguez Palma, Ange Penelope Yu, your editor, Pewee Isidro, Nj Torres, Lynette Padolino, Carthy Argar, and Denise Fajardo; (fourth row) Emmy Chua, Vivi Hirsh, Ina Tanchico, Aiza Duico, Milette Arzaga, Vida Sockanathan, and Elvry Lane

SunDAy : A pRIl 17, 2016

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Michael Mason (played by Richard Madden) is an American pickpocket living in paris who finds himself hunted by the CIA

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Going against commands, Sean Briar (played by idris Elba) recruits Michael (Madden) to use his expert pickpocketing skills to uncover a large-scale conspiracy

RIchaRD MaDDEn fIghTs TERRORIsM In ‘BasTIllE Day’

R

ichard Madden, who has gained mainstream attention with his notable role in the global hit TV series Game of Thrones, takes action on the big screen in Bastille Day starring alongside award-winning actor Idris Elba.

In the film, Michael Mason (Madden) is an American pickpocket living in Paris who finds himself hunted by the CIA when he steals a bag that contains more than just a wallet. Sean Briar (Elba), the field agent on the case, soon realizes that Michael is just a pawn in a much bigger game and is also his best asset to uncover a large-scale conspiracy.

Bastille Day finds two everyday man and unlikely heroes in present-day scenario when all the world is doing everything at all cost to fight terrorism. They’re thrown into a drama and they are forced to team up and navigate their way through a heinous plot aimed to kill thousands of people.

For his part, Madden saw the character of Michael as “a street rat, with not much of a moral compass or sense of responsibility for his actions. He’s an American pick-

Scottish stage and film actor Richard Madden

pocket in Paris, and he’s a bit adrift, but he’s got this incredible skill set, he’s really wonderful at what he does. But I think he’s not sure who he is and who he wants to be and he’s slightly lost in the world and has a certain sense of perhaps self-loathing and but he’s really ready to embark on a journey and try to find a different side of himself.”

The actors did most of the stunt work, including the fight scenes. Not having to cut between the actors and stuntmen was a way of keeping the film grounded in reality. Stunt coordinator Jimmy O’Dee worked for sever-

al weeks with the actors, preparing them for the scene. He would cut the action into manageable parts and then design the choreography of the fight and the actors would train together until they were completely in sync.

Madden was just as thrilled to be involved in the action scenes. He started training with the stunt team about six weeks before filming. “They built these 15-foot high obstacle courses which I’d have to run up and over, jumping over things, throwing myself through windows, tumbling down stairs. It was really tough but it prepared me for the chase sequences where I had to scramble over roofs and hang off the edge of buildings.

It was important that it didn’t look too professional because Michael isn’t a base jumper or anything; he’s just an ordinary guy, so the rooftop chase is quite scrappy. I wanted him to slip and fall and really scrambling for his life trying to get away.”

A more interesting aspect of the training for Madden was learning how to pickpocket.

Working with a consultant named, appropriately, Keith the Thief, Madden learned sleight

‘yo-kai Watch’ wins in TV ratings nationwide

The much-awaited Philippine Free TV debut of popular anime series Yo-kai Watch outscored the program of the rival network in TV ratings since it premiered on March 28.

From March 28 to April 8 (with the date April 4 to 8 based on overnight data), Yo-kai Watch marked an average household tv rating of 7.9 percent and ruled over its counterpart program Kris TV with just an average 4.7 percent in National Urban TV Audience Measurement (NUTAM) ratings.

This is according to the more widely recognized TV ratings supplier, Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.

Yo-kai Watch was also consistently ahead of competition in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila as the Kapuso program scored a rating 8.0 percent and 7.3 percent, ahead of its rival program which only garnered 3.9 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively.

Most of the urban TV households in the country are found in Mega Manila and Urban Luzon. Urban Luzon accounts for 77 percent, while Mega Manila

of hands tricks and distraction techniques.

“We wanted some of the manoeuvres he pulls to be a bit flamboyant so that it reflects Michael’s cockiness at his own ability. Director James was very keen to make sure that that the stealing didn’t appear to be like magic, but that it seemed realistic. So if anyone watching the film on DVD pauses and watches it in slow-motion to check it’s really me doing it, I did actually do it!”

Another of the main set pieces which required a tremendous amount of preparation was the bomb blast. Production designer Paul Kirby, and his team, built a replica Metro stop into the back of a building located right outside of Paris. David Kanter adds, “Richard worked really hard. He was pulled on a wire, repeatedly, to dramatize the force of the explosion. Everything had to be timed out right; there’s the explosion part which we did in different sizes and is comprised of many different components that convey a truly awful moment.”

Bastille Day opens April 20 in theatres nationwide from Axinite Digicinema.

Timely movie on faith and politics Diyos-Diyosan is a socio-political/spiritual treatise that highlights the roots of the country’s current political struggles and economic hardships—the focus on money and power by its leaders.

The film seeks to open the eyes of Filipino millennials to the realities of what a true leader should be, and is expected to be a media catalyst for the large percentage of undecided voters.

Its timing is perfect as it opens shortly before the Philippine national elections.

It is hoped that freedom-loving Filipinos draw inspiration from

the film’s lessons and use this as a guiding principle in eventually choosing the rightful and deserving leaders who could change the country’s course for the better.

Directed by Christian film director Cesar Buendia, the movie stars John Prats and Princess Punzalan, with a stellar supporting cast that includes Kiko Estrada, Cheska Diaz, Lorenzo Mara, Vaness del Moral, Glaiza de Castro, Tirso Cruz III and many others.

Diyos-Diyosan premieres on May 4 at all SM and Walter Mart cinemas across the country.

“yo-kai Watch” is a manga series based on yo-Kai Watch Busters by Atsushi Ohba began serialization in CoroCoro Comic in June 2015

increased its urban population share to 60 percent effective January 2016.

Join the Yo-kai Watch craze from Monday to Friday (8 a.m.)

after Dragon Ball Z only on GMA. For more updates, visit Yo-kai Watch GMA on Facebook.

“Diyos-Diyosan” is a socio-political film starring John prats and princess punzalan

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SunDAy : A pRIl 17, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Dance group crossover family

D

Boy band next Option

DAVAO ActS DOmInAtE fIRSt SEmIS Of ‘pIlIpInAS GOt tAlEnt’

avaoeños stood out last weekend and got the first two grand finalist slots in ABS-CBN’s world class talent search Pilipinas Got Talent.

After an intense battle of six semi-finalist, boy band Next Option emerged as the public’s choice and got the most votes through text, and for the first time in the country, online via Google.

Dance group Crossover Family, meanwhile, was unanimously chosen by judges Freddie “FMG” Garcia, Angel Locsin, Robin Padilla, and Vice Ganda over singing duo Poor Voice.

Ten more grand finalist slots will be filled in the coming weeks before the much-awaited ultimate showdown of Pinoy acts in PGT. This week, watch as belly dancers Angel Fire, singer Derf Cabael, hiphop dance group

Mastermind, kiddie acrobats Sto. Tomas Bulilit Generation, dancer Deniel Sarmiento, and lesbian band Lezboys battle it out to win the public and the judges’ votes.

Pilipinas Got Talent continues to be the most watched program in the country on weekends.

Last Saturday (April 9), the show hit a national TV rating of 32.6 percent versus Lip Sync Battle Philippines, which only got only 20.1 percent.

The show also ruled last Sunday (April 10) with a national TV rating of 32.5 percent, beating Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho with only 21.5 percent.

Pilipinas Got Talent airs every Saturday right after MMK and every Sunday after Rated K on ABS-CBN. For updates, follow @officialPGT5 on Instagram and Twitter or like www.facebook. com/officialPGT on Facebook.

ZoukOut breaks new ground After 15 years in the business, Asia’s definitive annual music festival, ZoukOut, is finally crossing borders. This year, ZoukOut breaks new ground on the fine, white sands of Boracay. Together with co-presenter, Globe Telecom, ZoukOut is out to redefine and amplify the LaBoracay experience. The much-awaited event is set to happen this summer on April 30 and May 1 at Epic and Uptown Beachfront, Boracay.

Adding to the excitement of the music fest, Globe rolled out a poll that allowed Filipinos to pick which home grown talents they want to represent the country at ZoukOut. Four big names in the Philippine electronic dance music industry, namely Mars Miranda,

Deuce, Kat DJ, and Carlo Atendido, were cast as the official candidates.

Their respective crews and fan bases went all out in campaigning for their idols, and the race was definitely a close one. On March 29, ZoukOut PH and Globe identified the top two DJs who led the polls, namely Deuce, with 1,800 votes and Carlo Atendido, with 1,600 votes. Both officially bagged the opportunity to showcase their talent on the first ever Philippine ZoukOut stage.

These Filipino talents will have the honor of playing their music alongside international DJs such as Kaskade, DVBBS and DubVision, among others.

“Part of our mission here at Globe is to

cROsswORD puzzlE

answer PreVIOUs PUZZLe ACROSS 1 “— Horizon” 5 Swipe 10 Gravy no-no’s 15 Revised 21 Mayberry kid 22 Oregon neighbor 23 “Adam Bede” author 24 More suggestive 25 Nefertiti’s god 26 Caesar’s night light?

(2 wds.)

28 Not out there (2 wds.)

29 Harangue 31 Cats do it 32 With suspicion 34 Narrow inlet 35 Yellowjacket kin 37 Explorer — Heyerdahl 39 Makes less wild 40 — -in-the-bone 41 They may be sunny 43 Sheik’s cartel

45 46 47 49 51 53 57 59 61 62 65 67 69 71 73 75 76 78 79 81 84 86 87

Mermaid’s domain Flies high Where Pago Pago is Castle underling Ursa Major neighbor Kind of job Ship of 1492 Hardy green Nautilus locale Yes, in Yokohama Snow shelter Tummy flattener (hyph.)

Mental acuity In inventory (2 wds.)

Slate Roman historian Leg part Sticky Like an acrobat Spacious Round building She went up the hill La —, Bolivia

89 Wordy Webster 91 Linen closet item 93 Vanna’s boss 95 Electric — 96 “I cannot tell — —” 98 Hurlers’ stats 100 Gathering of gnats 102 Kind of squash 104 Gloomy 106 Roast pig repast 108 Actual 110 Low-pH 113 Endured 115 Hourglass contents 117 Rock bottom 119 Overjoy 120 Hamilton’s prov.

121 Japanese PC giant 123 Rampage 125 Hills and — 127 This, to Juan 128 Pita treats 130 Float downriver 132 Half the parents 134 Dinnerware 137 Not hither 139 Pro — 141 Guilty one 145 Speak hoarsely 146 Exorcist’s quarry 148 Baba au — 150 — glass 152 Web addr.

153 Monotony 155 He played Obi-Wan 157 Charge with 158 Reflections 160 Good long sleep 163 Univ. staffer 164 Tiberius’ council 165 Globe feature 166 Burned up 167 Late-night Jay 168 Swirled 169 Uses a blowtorch

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016 170 Honks 171 Latin I verb DOWN 1 Reluctant 2 Car dealer’s extra 3 Mountain chain 4 Lease signer 5 Dilapidated hotel 6 Rite answer?

(2 wds.)

7 Mantra chanter 8 Graph 9 Big shot 10 Open meadow 11 Radius companion 12 Thick of things 13 Lawrence Welk tunes 14 Hot under the collar 15 Idle and Clapton 16 “Great” dog 17 I, to Fritz 18 — del Fuego 19 More uncanny 20 Long, braided locks 27 Karate moves 30 — ex machina 33 Advances 36 18-wheelers 38 Awful smell 40 Scary yell 42 Kind of boom 44 Stick in one’s — 46 Meager 48 It makes scents 50 Paris cop 52 GI mail drop 53 Width of a cir.

54 Turtle-to-be 55 Most sordid 56 Hong — 58 Pit stop sight 60 Theta preceders 62 Country houses 63 It may turn on you 64 Shipboard romance 66 Norse Zeus

68 70 72 74 77 80 82 83 85 87 88 90 92 94 97 99 101 103 105 107 109 111 112 114 116 118 122 124 126 128 129 131 133 134 135 136 138 140 142 143 144 146 147 149 151 153 154 156 159 161 162

bring a differentiated customer experience through access to some of the best onground events – from the most renowned concerts to the best party experiences like ZoukOut. This summer, Globe has prepared an impressive line-up of activities that come with exclusive perks and discounts for our customers,” says Senior Vice President for Consumer Mobile Marketing Issa Cabreira.

The first 250 Globe customers will be able to avail of the exclusive ZoukOut ticket discount. One just has to text ZoukOut to 2363 and they will receive a unique code which they can present to SM TicketNet to get the special discounted rate for the 2-day General Admission ticket bundle. From the original

Expresses disdain Like some chances Uris novel “The —” Sunblock additive Type of market “Fatha” Hines Plaintive cry Ache for Killer whale Cellist — Casals — -a-Dale Herr’s abode Stair part Sotto — Wolf, say German coal region Respectful title Exasperate Where Nairobi is Moon — Zappa Soft purple Morticia’s cousin High note Van — Waals force Morose Romulus’ twin More coquettish Ski lift (hyph.)

Freebies with soup Econ. indicator By hook or crook — Hawke of films Junk email Vacation jaunt Injured Gas-pump platform Forget it! (2 wds.)

Cafe — — Wavelet Toughens up Wyoming range Wormed the dog Dynamite inventor Urban, for short Friday’s creator — noire Beowulf’s drink Aloha in Rome Moo goo — pan TLC providers Slugger Mel of yore

price of P4500, qualified Globe customers will be able to avail P900 off.

Get ready for the most amazing summer ahead with all-out fun in the sun as the only sunrise party in Asia hits the Philippine shores. ZoukOut is co-presented by Nestea, and supported by Huawei, Solar Channel, Bacardi, Levi’s Philippines, SM Accessories, Air Asia, and Grab.

For table bookings and ticket inquiries visit http://zoukout.ph/. Just follow @enjoyGlobe on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ GlobePH and visit www. globe.com.ph/ summer-promos to get first dibs on how to get free passes to these summer events.

SunDAy : A pRIl 17, 2016

SHOWBITZ isahred @ gmail.com

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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HERo’S wElcomE foR mAnny pAcquIAo

t was a homecoming fit for the People’s Champ as GMA Network joined the nation in welcoming Manny Pacquiao on April 14.

Fresh from his victory in the boxing ring against Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley in the US on April 9 (April 10 in Manila), the boxing legend was congratulated by GMA Network Chairman and CEO Felipe L. Gozon, President and COO Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr. (second from right) and Executive Vice President and CFO Felipe S. Yalong

along with other Network officers and distinguished guests.

The boxer sat down and had a breakfast of champions of sorts, followed by a welcome parade from Makati to Quezon City.

Pacquiao fans across the country were still as enthusiastic as ever the Filipino boxer faced American boxer Timothy Bradley for the third time.

Pacquiao, by unanimous decision, won and it could be the last winning bout as he plans to retire now.

The bout, aired on free TV exclusively on GMA-7’s PacBrad III,

posted a 40.3 percent household rating in National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM) based on overnight data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, the industry’s trusted ratings service provider.

It prevailed over all counterpart programs shown on competing channels across all areas.

The Pacquiao-Bradley III main event rated 14.1 points higher than the GMA airing of the Pacquiao-Mayweather bout dubbed Battle for Greatness, which recorded 26.2 percent in NUTAM.

GmA network chairman and cEo felipe l. Gozon, manny pacquiao, GmA president and coo Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., and EVp and cfo felipe S. yalong

ABS-cBn and manila Bulletin’s pilipinas 2016 presidential Town Hall debate

Certified Kapamilya. young actress Ritz Azul

from Kapatid to Kapamilya

Ritz Azul is now officially a Kapamilya after signing an exclusive two-year contract with ABS-CBN on April 12.

Overwhelmed with the Kapamilya’s warm reception, Azul shed tears of joy and said, “I’m out of words. I just feel so blessed and so happy.”

Azul will be co-managed by Star Magic and her father Richard Azul. A guest appearance in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano will be the first among her upcoming projects to be handled by Dreamscape.

Present during the signing were ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo Katigbak, COO for Broadcast Cory Vidanes, TV Production Head Laurenti Dyogi, Star Magic consultant Johnny Manahan and business unit head for Dreamscape Deo Endrinal.

ABS-CBN, Manila Bulletin, the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), and the representatives of the five presidential candidates forged an agreement to hold PiliPinas 2016 Presidential Town Hall Debate on April 24.

It will be the final showdown before the May 9 polls.

By signing the MOA, Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Grace Poe, and former Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas to the format and mechanics of the Luzon leg of

the PiliPinas 2016 Debate series, which will be held at the Phinma University of Pangasinan.

Present in the signing were ABS-CBN Integrated News and Current Affairs head Ging Reyes, Manila Bulletin Editor-In-Chief Dr. Jun Icban, KBP Chairman Herman Basbano, and the candidates’ representatives: Atty.

George Garcia for Sen. Grace Poe, Atty. Antonio Kho for Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Atty. Abel Manlaque for Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Atty. Jay Layug for Vice President Jejomar Binay, and Atty. Concepcion Mendoza for DILG secretary Mar Roxas.

With a town hall format, the debate aims to bring forward the

true sentiment of the people by having ordinary Filipinos ask the candidates about the pressing issues in society. The topics were carefully selected from entries submitted by the general public to ABS-CBN. Issues that will be tackled in the debate include metro traffic and public transport, job security, health, foreign policy, basic public education, OFW concerns, and peace for Mindanao.

There will also be a “Face-Off,” where a candidate will pose questions to a fellow candidate.

ABS-CBN’s Karen Davila and Tony Velasquez will moderate the town hall debate.

The PiliPinas 2016 Presidential Town Hall Debate will be

telecast on April 24 at 5:45 p.m. on ABS-CBN and at 6 p.m. the debate begins.

There will also be a Halalan 2016 Debate Special on ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel, DZMM/Teleradyo, and News. abs-cbn.com beginning at 5 p.m. and it will provide indepth analysis before and after the debate.

Those who will watch the debate via livestreaming on news. abs-cbn.com will also get an additional treat as TJ Manotoc will host an online show during commercial gaps of the debate that will focus on the social media buzz related to the presidential town hall debate.

folded or bent egg in ‘I-Bilib’ Have you ever seen a folded or bent egg? Watch I-Bilib and believe what you will see. The I-Bilibers led by Chris Tiu call it the ‘folding egg experiment.” Watch and learn. Just prepare eggs and vinegar and follow Chris and IBilibers.

James and Roadfill will also show how they will fly aboard a lightweight aircraft. Yes, they will do it and will call it “ultralight flying.”

Another experiment in the

show is the “spinning vortex experiment.” This will show how one can spin around with the use of neodymium magnets.

Can your feet produce electric power? Well, the guys from Discover Science will pedal and produce power to fuel a giant merrygo-round.

Lastly, watch what a toothpick can do.

This you will see and many others only in I-Bilib, Sunday mornings on GMA 7.

fundraising concerts for merk couple A series of fundraising concerts is being prepared for couple Richard and Roni Merk who are currently undergoing medical treatments at the De Los Santos Hospital along E. Rodriguez Ave. in Quezon City. Richard is having his right foot treated to avoid amputation, while Roni just had a colon operation.

Spearheading the project is jazz singer Jacqui

Richard merk with wife Roni and their daughter manna

Magno. “Richard and Roni are good friends to everyone, and they’ve always been so generous to others especially their needy fellow artists, doing fundraising shows for them. Now it’s everybody’s turn to help them out in their time of need,” Jacqui said.

On April 28, a concert will be held at Primo’s in Greenfield, Mandaluyong. Those who have committed to perform so far are Ricky Davao, Skarlet and her band, Joey San Andress and his band, Mar Dizon and the TnT Band, Riki Gonzalez, Romy Posadas, May Bayot and Jacqui Magno.

On May 2, among the performers are Ricky J. Puno, Pat Castillo, Judith Banal, Jeannie Tiongco, Romy Posadas, Colby de la Calzada, Boyet Pigao. Rudy Lozano, Ulysses Avante, Ding and Tek Faustino, Richie Ramos and Emcy Corteza of Poppin’ Jazz, Ali Sotto and Jacqui Magno. This concert will be held at Musica Bar at Greenhills G-Strip Park at the Greenhills Shopping Center courtesy of Jonathan Go.

Vico Sotto and marc pingris (in blue shirts)

marc pingris supports Vico Sotto Basketball star Marc Pingris is campaigning for his wife’s younger brother, Vico Sotto, who is running for councilor in the first district of Pasig City. He is with the team of congressional candi-

date Mons Romulo, sister-in-law of Shalani Soledad, wife of senatorial candidate Roman Romulo.

The Romulo Sotto team is expected to become a major player in the coming elections.

s unday : a pril 17, 2016

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isaH V. rEd EDITOR niCKiE WanG WRITER

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SHOWBITZ

Superhero fantasy. The cast of aBs-CBn’s newest primetime series led by Bianca Manalo, dominic Ochoa and child star Marco Masa

‘My SupER D’ pREMIERES TOMORROW ON KApAMILyA NETWORK ISAH V. RED

a

BS-CBN and Dreamscape Entertainment Television will prove this summer that anyone who is armed with the power of love can be a superhero in My Super D, which stars Dominic Ochoa and Marco Masa. It debuts tomorrow on primetime.

Dominic will play Dodong, a security guard who is an avid fan of the deceased superhero Super D (Richard Yap) and is fond of helping others. His son Dennis (Marco), meanwhile, grows up in a simple yet contented family and admires his father for his dedication to help people who are in need.

However, with Dodong caring so much for others’ welfare, he tends to forget his duties as a father and often disappoints his wife Nicole (Bianca Manalo). After Dodong lands in jail for being allegedly involved in a construction accident, Nicole makes the hard decision of leaving Dodong and raising Dennis on her own.

After being freed from jail, Dodong works as a stunt double for Tony (Marvin Agustin), an actor in a children’s show and his long-time rival for Nicole’s love. Here, Dodong also meets Pablo Mateo (Nonie Buencamino), the show’s writer and one of Super D’s closest friends. Upon seeing and knowing Dodong, the writer realizes that he could be the rightful man who can take Super D’s place as mankind’s defender against evil forces.

One day, Dennis gets kidnapped by a group of unknown men, and with the help of Pablo, Dodong gets a grab of the powerful Blue Gem and turns himself into Super D, saving his son’s life from harm.

And from that day on, Dodong relives the legacy of the late superhero and starts his own journey of fighting crimes and saving lives as Super D. Now that he is officially a superhero, can Dodong successfully protect everyone from the forces of evil? Will he be able to balance his time for other people’s welfare and his own family? Will the Blue Gem be powerful enough in guarding his life and

nonie Buencamino and sylvia sanchez

Bianca Manalo

simon ibarra, Bong regala, Marina Benipayo and atoy Co

Marco Masa and dominic Ochoa

his family from potential harm?

Also joining the cast of My Super D are Sylvia Sanchez, Ronaldo Valdez, Jason Francisco, Jayson Gainza, Atoy Co, Mytle Sarrosa, Jef Gaitan, Louie Domingo, Bong Regala, Ryan Rems, and Marina Benipayo, with the special participation of Richard Yap, Lara Quigaman, and Ronnie Lazaro.

My Super D airs weeknights before TV Patrol on ABS-CBN (SD) and ABS-CBN (HD) (SkyCable 167). Catch up via iWant TV and skyondemand.com.ph for Sky subscribers.

Cinema One Originals ‘LORNA’ on CINEMA One

The Cinema One Originals film about a 60-year-old woman in search of Mr. Right leads the string of blockbuster movies hitting Cinema One, the leading cable channel in the Philippines, this month.

Myrtle sarrosa, ryan rems, and Jef Gaitan

Top billed by veteran actress Shamaine Buencamino, Lorna is a heartwarming tale on growing old alone, looking for love and eventually moving on.

Buencamino earned a nomination for the Best Performance by an Actress award in the 9th Asia Pacific Screen Awards for her role in the film that also took home the Best Supporting Actress award for Maria Isabel Lopez in the 2014 Cinema One Originals Film Festival. It has been screened in various international film festivals in different parts of the world.

Lorna also stars Hele ng Hiwagang Hapis director Lav Diaz, Felix Roco, and Racquel Villavicencio. It airs on Cinema One’s Blockbuster Sundays 8 p.m. on April 24.

Cinema One is on Skycable channel 56, Destiny Cable Analog 37 and Digital 57. To view full schedule of Cinema One movies like Cinema1channel on Facebook ( facebook.com/Cinema1channel).

“lorna” is a film about a 60-year-old woman in search of Mr. right