The Standard - 2016 July 21 - Thursday

VOL. XXX NO. 159 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 THURSDAY : JULY 21, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Budget chief fears pension crisis

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SAF RAIDS NBP, DRUG LORDS’ DEN

By Rey E. Requejo and John Paolo Bencito

A BATTALION of Special Action Force police commandos has been deployed to secure the New Bilibid Prison and to guard against illegal drug operations inside the national penitentiary, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Wednesday.

Aguirre said the 320 SAF commandos will be scattered around the maximum security compound where life-term prisoners, political prisoners and other notorious criminals are detained.

“We will begin with the maximum security and Building 14 with 1 battalion or 320 troops.

But the whole of NBP will be taken over,’’ Aguirre said in an interview.

Aguirre earlier said 75 percent of drug transactions in the country are happening inside the NBP. The mobilization of the SAF troops is part of the government’s plan to use “shock and awe” tactics to paralyze the criminal operations inside the country’s national penitentiary.

The Justice Secretary said the

country’s penal facility remains as a drug den despite the series of raids by the past administration.

Since November last year, the Justice Department led by then Justice secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima, the National Bureau of Investigation and elite police forces conducted a total of 30 raids under Oplan Galugad.

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Takeover. National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa inspects a battalion of Special Action Force commandos who

have taken over the National Bilibid Prison while armored personnel carriers and other police vehicles gear up for action. DANNY PATA

GMA case dismissal Duterte’s trust rating hits new high lauded by FVR, CBCP By John Paolo Bencito

By Sandy Araneta

FORMER President Fidel V. Ramos on Wednesday supported the release of former President and current Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, describing the accusations of plunder

against her as “shallow.”

Her release from detention would also enable Arroyo to join the National Security Council (NSC) if it is convened by President Rodrigo Duterte to discuss the country’s territorial dispute Next page

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is now the country’s most trusted government official a week following his assumption into office and now holds the highest level of public trust since 1999, the latest Pulse Asia survey revealed Wednesday.

Duterte won the highest trust rating of majority of Filipinos

since the polling firm Pulse Asia first conducted its survey, with an overwhelming 91 percent majority expressing trust in him and practically no one distrusting him at 0.2 percent.

A sizeable majority of Filipinos (62 percent) trust Vice President Leni Robredo at 62 percent, while over one in every 10 Filipinos or 11 percent distrust her outright.

More than a quarter of Filipinos at 27 percent are undecided about whether to trust or distrust Robredo.

Some 42 percent of Filipinos are also undecided whether they should trust Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno, the third highest official, more than the 35 percent who expressed their trust in her.

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Both Duterte and Robredo have high awareness ratings at 100 percent, while some 79 percent of Filipinos were aware of Sereno.

For most Filipinos, the Duterte government must prioritize three economic issues—controlling increases in prices (68 percent), creating employment opportunities (56 percent) and crafting new pro-poor programs (55 percent) in the first six months in office.

The nationwide survey was conducted from July 2 to 8, 2016 among 1,200 Filipinos and with a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar thanked the

GMA...

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with China over the West Philippine Sea, Ramos added.

“Former presidents are ex-officio members of the NSC. Since GMA has been released, we are now four,” said Ramos.

Ramos said Aquino convened the NSC only once, several years ago.

Despite the Supreme Court ruling, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales on Wednesday insisted that the prosecution provided enough evidence to convict Arroyo of plunder.

“We believe that we were able to prove the guilt of GMA [Arroyo] beyond reasonable doubt,” she said. “If the Supreme Court indeed believes that the evidence of the prosecution is insufficient, we believe otherwise.”

The Supreme Court, voting 11-4, favored Arroyo’s petition to junk the plunder case against her, which stems from the release of intelligence funds from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office from 2008 to 2010 amounting to more than P366 million.

Morales said she has not received a copy of the ruling, but said she would study it and consider filing a motion for reconsideration.

She also confirmed that her office was investigating yet another plunder case against Arroyo over the alleged misuse of PCSO funds covering a different period.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines called on the public and government officials to respect the Supreme Court decision acquitting Arroyo of plunder, and told the faithful not to be quick in condemning others but to “find gifts” in people often discredited by society.

“We must respect the Supreme Court’s decision. You know, a decision like that doesn’t mean that the person isn’t guilty of the charges against her; it just means that what she was accused of doing wasn’t proven to be true in court,” Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani said over Churchowned Radio Veritas.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, on the other hand, said, “We must be careful, the person we want to discredit might be a gift of God. “Jesus sees a gift even in Judas,” he said. “There’s hope even in

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Filipino people for their overwhelming support for the governance of President Rodrigo Duterte. He said “this recordhigh trust rating of 91 percent, is a humbling reminder that the genuine and meaningful change that our people aspire for is now being felt.”

“This expression of confidence, shall serve as an inspiration to the Duterte administration to continuously make a real difference and make our people’s lives better, safer, and healthier,” Andanar said.

Robredo also thanked the public for their trust in her.

“We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from our fellow Filipinos. From 1 percent in the pre-election surveys to 35.1 percent—and now, a trust rating of 62 percent,” she said in a statement. someone who had betrayed Jesus,” the Cardinal said.

Mrs. Arroyo remains detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City despite the Supreme Court order for her immediate release.

Court spokesman Theodore Te said the Court has not yet issued the daily certified promulgated decision because the justices have not yet signed it.

“The main decision still has to be finalized by the winning ponente [writer] before it is circulated among the justices for signatures where they write if they concur, dissent or took no part.

Once the signatures are completed, the decision will then be submitted to the Chief Justice for final signature and certification,” Te said Wednesday.

This, he added, meant that the release of the ruling “depends on how quickly all 15 justices sign the decision.”

He said that the release should include separate opinions, both concurring and dissenting, of the justices.

In Arroyo’s case, there are five opinions being finalized.

Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin wrote the main decision.

Associate Justices Arturo Brion and Estela Perlas-Bernabe have submitted separate concurring opinions while Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno and Associate Justice Marvic Leonen also have separate dissenting opinions.

In previous high-profile cases, the Court usually released the decision and opinions two to three days after promulgation.

Sources said Leonen has not yet submitted his dissenting opinion as of Wednesday afternoon.

But Te said the decision was “on its way to being released.”

Only after this is done can the Sandiganbayan implement the order to release Arroyo.

Police security remained tight near the Veterans Memorial Medical Center where Arroyo is detained.

The erstwhile president’s counsel, Laurence Hector Arroyo, said the 11-4 decision that acquitted his client has not yet been signed by the justices, delaying her release.

He said Mrs. Arroyo planned to attend the first State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte on July 25. With Rio N. Araja, Rey E. Requejo and Vito Barcelo

Duterte rules out talks with China

Connecticut Senator Christopher Murphy took to the social networking site Twitter on late Tuesday night to share Duterte’s position on the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s decision upholding the country’s case against China.

“In Manila—just out of meeting with new Philippines President Duterte. Assured us he has no plans to negotiate with China over islands dispute,” Murphy wrote in a tweet.

“We were first US elected officials to meet with Duterte. Says he will not trade territorial rights to China. Tribunal decision nonnegotiable,” he added.

A US congressional delegation made a courtesy visit to the President Wednesday at Malacañang Palace. The delegation included Senator Brian Schatz, Congressman Ted Deutch, Congressman John Garamendi, Congresswoman Donna Edwards, and the outgoing US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr., Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, and Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez were also present at the meeting.

The Palace on Wednesday said the government is pursuing a “diplomatic path” in handling the decision, adding that the government will engage China in compliance with the laws.

Ramos, meanwhile, said that he will meet with Duterte over the weekend to discuss the country’s bilateral relations with China, saying that he is willing to accept Duterte’s offer as long as he gets a medical clearance from his doctors.

The administration should have a team fluent in Mandarin when they draft the Philippines’ contin-

gency measures when engaging with China, he said.

“The important thing that must be settled is the Philippines and China bilateral talks. Do we continue or don’t we?,” Ramos said in a media forum.

“If we continue, am I still part of it or is there a new course of action? Third, do we have a plan A, B, or C? With that, you must have all contingencies for which you must be prepared,” he added.

Duterte asked Ramos, president from 1992 to 1998, to be the country’s special envoy to Beijing on July 14, two days after the release of the decision of the international arbitration tribunal favoring the Philippines in the case it filed against China in 2013.

Yasay on Wednesday said US Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Manila next week to meet with the President to strengthen ties between Manila and Washington.

“Secretary Kerry will visit Manila, Philippines, from July 26-27, where he will meet with President Rodrigo Duterte and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Perfecto Yasay to discuss the full range of our cooperation with the new administration,” Deputy Department Spokesperson Mark Toner said in a press statement Wednesday.

Kerry will make his visit after Duterte’s first State of the Nation Address on July 25, Monday.

Before arriving in Manila, Kerry will travel to Vientiane, Laos, from July 25-26 to participate in the Asean Regional Forum, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting, the Asean-US Ministerial Meeting, and the Lower Mekong Initiative Ministerial Meeting.

Also on Wednesday, Malacañang said the government

is pursuing a “diplomatic path” in its talks with Beijing over their territorial dispute.

“The Philippines continues along a diplomatic path to fully realize the EEZ rights granted by the Arbitration Court—engaging in bilateral talks to find mutually acceptable arrangements… We consider our sovereign economic rights, granted by the law of nations to be non-negotiable,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

In Taiwan, lawmakers and fishermen were heading to an island in the disputed South China Sea Wednesday to protest an international tribunal ruling that undermined Taipei’s claims there.

Eight lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and opposition Kuomintang (KMT) boarded a military plane early Wednesday to the Taiwancontrolled Taiping island in the Spratly island chain.

Later Wednesday, five fishing boats were also set to sail to Taiping from southern Pingtung county over the perceived threat to fishermen’s livelihoods. Those boats will arrive in five days.

The protests come after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled last Tuesday that China has no historic rights to its claimed “nine-dash line” in the South China Sea and that it had violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the exclusive economic zone.

Crucially for Taipei, it ruled that Taiwan-administered Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys chain, was legally a “rock” that did not give it an exclusive economic zone, undermining Taiwanese claims to waters surrounding the island.

Taiwan last week sent a warship to the South China Sea “to defend maritime territory,” with President Tsai Ing-wen rallying troops on the deck of the frigate a day after the ruling.

“The ruling is absolutely unacceptable. It is necessary for us to visit Taiping at this time to show the international community that it is an island, not a rock,” said KMT lawmaker Johnny Chiang who is heading the protest visit.

With Sandy Araneta, AFP

SAF...

Police Commission investigate government officials alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

The task force, called the DILG Inter-Government Operations Network Group or Digong will build up evidence against such officials, said Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno.

“With so many top government officials being linked to illegal drugs, Task Force Digong will seek to find the truth so that those who are guilty will face the full force of the law, while those who are innocent will be cleared,” Sueno said.

The Task Force will be represented by members from the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Bureau

of Jail Management and Penology, the Philippine Public Safety College, the Local Government Academy, and local government officials.

Sueno will head the task force, while DILG Undersecretary for Operations John Castriciones will be its deputy chairman.

The task force can make recommendations to the Napolcom for the filing of appropriate criminal or administrative charges, Sueno said.

“The President has imposed a three- to six-month deadline against illegal drugs. Task Force Digong will help make this happen through better cooperation among agencies and faster, immediate action,” Sueno said.

By John Paolo Bencito

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte assured US lawmakers Wednesday that he has no plans to negotiate with China over their territorial dispute in the South China Sea even as former President Fidel Ramos said he will meet with the President over the weekend to discuss his role as presidential troubleshooter for talks with Beijing.

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The department is also looking at isolating high-profile inmates on a remote island to prevent them from conducting their illegal operations while serving their sentences.

Aguirre also revealed that drug lords detained in Building 14 have put up a P50 million bounty for his assassination.

He made this revelation during a visit to the NBP to oversee the deployment of SAF personnel.

The Interior Department on Wednesday created an inter-agency task force to help the National

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Suarez says Binay supports him QUEZON Rep. Danilo Suarez said Wednesday former vice president Jejomar Binay had given his blessing for him to run as the United Nationalist Alliance’s candidate for speaker with the objective of getting the post of minority leader.

Suarez made the statement following the meeting between Binay and incoming Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, secretary of the ruling Partido Demokratiko PilipinoLakas ng Bayan, in Makati City on Tuesday.

Suarez had supported Binay’s candidacy for president in this year’s elections.

Suarez said Alvarez merely inquired about UNA’s candidate for the speakership race in light of former speaker Liberal Party member Feliciano Belmonte Jr.’s admission that he would no longer be part of Alvarez’s super majority and might opt to be part of the minority bloc.

“They [Alvarez and Binay] met yesterday [Tuesday] and talked about the speakership,” Suarez said.

“After the meeting, [former] Vice President Binay told me that I am the UNA candidate [for the speakership race].

“I assured them [Alvarez and Binay] that I’ll be leading a constructive and cooperative opposition group that will support the acceptable and agreeable legislative agenda of the government.”

Suarez hinted that Navotas City Rep. Tobias Tiangco, another contender for the speakership race, might no longer get the post of minority leader as UNA had decided to comply with the agreement with the PDPLaban.

“We will comply with the agreement and the VP [Binay] decision will prevail,” Suarez said.

But Tiangco, a known Binay ally, denied that Binay had chosen Suarez as UNA’s candidate in the speakership race.

“That is not true,” Tiangco said. He said what transpired during the meeting was Alvarez’s commitment to support only Suarez as UNA candidate for the next House Minority Leader.

[Former] Vice President Binay said Alvarez will only support our bid for the minority leadership if Suarez will be our candidate,” Tiangco said.

He questioned Alvarez for “meddling” with the much-awaited outcome of the minority race in the incoming 17th Congress.

“I do not think that is acceptable. They control the majority and the minority at the same time,” Tiangco said referring to the imminent formation of a co-opted minority bloc or a “company union” supported by the emerging super majority bloc that Belmonte has also been fearing.

But Suarez, who is almost certain of being the minority leader, said “there will be no company union. That is baseless and unfounded.”

A House source said Suarez would be able to obtain at least 30 lawmakers from the super majority to beat Belmonte.

Maricel V. Cruz

Breakfast forum. Former President Fidel Ramos holds up a copy of the book 2030 World Community One Family during

the Kapihan Sa Manila Bay Media Forum with the topic on the West Philippine Sea at the Cafe Adriatico in Manila. President Rodrigo Duterte has tapped Ramos to help the country in the bilateral talks with China. LINO SANTOS

Hold-departure order against Gatchalians THE anti-graft court has issued a hold-departure order against Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay, and 24 other people in connection with an allegedly anomalous deal to acquire a bank in 2009.

The Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division released

the order dated July 18 on Wednesday afternoon.

The court said Gatchalian and Pichay could not leave the country unless they were able to secure an approval from it as a result of the graft and other charges that the Ombudsman had filed against them.

The court’s HDO came

after the Ombudsman last week filed before it a case on the allegedly anomalous acquisition by the Local Water Utilities Administration of a thrift bank owned by the Gatchalian family worth P80 million.

Included in the HDO are Gatchalian’s parents Dee Hua Gatchalian and

William Gatchalian and brothers Weslie Gatchalian and Kenneth Gatchalian.

Sherwin posted a 90,000-peso bail on Friday last week while Dee Hua, William, Weslie and Kenneth also posted bail amounting to P90,000 each on Wednesday. Maricel V. Cruz

Duterte’s address to focus on his legislative agenda

Protest. Taiwanese fishermen display flags and placards before departing for Taiping island, part of the disputed Spratly Islands chain in the South China Sea, at a fishing harbor in southern Pingtung on July 20, 2016. Taiwanese lawmakers and fishermen were heading to the island in the disputed South China Sea Wednesday to protest an international tribunal ruling that undermined Taipei’s claims there. AFP

COMMUNICATIONS Secretary Martin Andanar said Wednesday President Rodrigo Duterte’s first State of the Nation Address will focus on his legislative agenda rather than on the shortcomings of the previous administrations.

“This address will focus on the plans of the President, his road map for the next six years,” Andanar said in a radio interview.

“His legislative agenda will be laid out to the people so they can understand what are his priorities.”

Duterte’s guests have been requested to come in business attire instead of in extravagant gowns, which was typical during the previous Sonas.

All the former Presidents—Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III—have been invited to at-

tend Duterte’s first Sona, which will take place at the Batasang Pambansa on July 25.

Aquino has already sent his regrets to the organizers without giving any reason why he is not attending.

Duterte’s daughter, Davao Mayor Sara Duterte, has also sent word that she won’t be able to attend her father’s Sona.

Department of Finance spokesman Paola Alvarez said Monday the SONA could focus on Duterte’s 10-point agenda, including the revival of the death penalty and the drive for constitutional change to allow a shift to a federal form of government.

Award-winning director Brillante Mendoza will oversee the camera shots to create a meaningful visual narrative of the address. John Paolo Bencito

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Pension crisis alarms DBM

By Julito G. Rada

BUDGET Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Wednesday expressed concern at the pensions of the country’s security personnel after the Aquino administration failed to resolve the problem of an indexed retirement scheme that may develop into a pension crisis.

Release political prisoners. Members of the women’s group Gabriela, led by Rep. Emmi de Jesus, picket the Department of Justice in Ermita, Manila to call for the release of political prisoners. DANNY PATA

Davao vice mayor Paolo also files leave

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—Even though his sister Mayor Sara Duterte is still on leave, presidential son and Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte also filed a leave of absence for unspecified reasons and appointed the city’s top councilor as acting mayor until he and his sister return.

City information officer Jefry Tupas said Duterte appointed Councilor Bernard Al-ag as acting mayor until the end of his leave which coincides with the day his sister’s leave also ends. Both are expected at city hall on Monday morning.

Also on Wednesday, Sara herself sent a text message to journalists saying she will not be attending the first State of the Nation Address of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte.

Paolo also said he will not be attending the event although witnesses said he had just fitted bespoken clothes for the event earlier this week.

The developments raised eyebrows in this city of 1.5-million people, who are used to the sometimes stormy relationship between the President and his children.

Friends of the Duterte family said the relationship with his children has been flaky since the President

had his marriage with their mother, Elizabeth Zimmerman, legally annulled in 1988.

Zimmerman herself does not hide her dislike for the President’s current partner Cielito Avanceña and even requested the Presidential Management Staff, headed by longtime Duterte aide Christopher Go, to ensure that she be seated with her children some distance from Avanceña.

On July 1, Sara was ready to meet journalists for her first press conference since being elected to the mayor’s office for the second time, but the press conference was de-

layed when she was asked to meet with his brother Paolo and Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno.

After the meeting, however, Sara no longer appeared at the venue of the press conference and Paolo appeared in her stead to announce that she would be going on leave until July 22.

The incident raised speculation that Sara was being prepared to assume the responsibilities of a first lady to her father, but Sara issued a statement saying her leave was due to a personal matter and had nothing to do with Malacañang or her father.

Car theft law takes effect THE anti-car theft bill which makes the crime a non-bailable offense and lengthens its prescribed period of imprisonment and has lapsed into law because former President Benigno Aquino failed to sign it before stepping down last June 30.

Senator Grace Poe, who sponsored the measure in the Senate, said the New Anti Carnapping Law of the Philippines will now take effect 15 days after publication. The new law repeals Republic Act 6539, or The AntiCarnapping Act of 1972.

“It is our hope that this new and comprehensive anti-carnapping law imposing much stiffer penalties, alongside strict implementation by our law enforc-

ers, will hinder the commission of this crime and give vehicle owners peace of mind,” Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs in the 16th Congress, said.

Under the law, a person found guilty of carnapping is penalized with 20 to 30 years of jail term, while the old law only imposes 14 years and eight months to 17 years and four months imprisonment.

If violence, intimidation or use of force were used, the person found guilty would be imprisoned for 30 years and one day to 40 years.

When the owner, driver, occupant of the carnapped motor vehicle was killed Not over yet. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales answers a question or raped, the person found guilty would during a news briefing in Quezon City over the acquittal of former President be sentenced to life imprisonment. PNA Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. MANNY PALMERO

“We really need to address this immediately,” Diokno said at the sidelines of a forum in Makati City. “Otherwise, the problem will get bigger and bigger.”

Diokno explained that soldiers and policemen are not members of any pension fund but only of retirement schemes, like the AFP Retirement and Separation Benefits Systems, which failed to develop into a sustainable pension system funded by member contributions.

Consequently, soldiers and policemen were placed under a retirement scheme that was indexed to the salaries of those in active service but since the system was not capitalized by member contributions, the government has to fund the pensions of retirees.

However, Diokno said the government now has to pay more for pensions than for the salaries of those still in the active service.

“In fact, the pension of the military is much higher than the salaries of incumbents. In the police, it’s almost equal.

Next year, we are appropriating something like P80 billion just to pay for the pension of the military,” Diokno said.

“My projection is six years from now, the budget for pensions will be about 80 percent of the budget of the military and the [remaining] 20 percent will be [have to be] allotted for their salaries,” he added.

“In 2016, the pension budget amounts to P71 billion which is projected to reach more than double in eight years at P187.9 billion.

In view of the foregoing, a reform must be effected for a more sustainable pension system,” the report said.

“We really have to find a way to integrate the military pension system to Government Service Insurance System,” Diokno said, adding, however, that those who are already under the indexed pension system will continue to receive their current benefits.

He said a government technical working group recommended the creation of a seed fund to generate sufficient interest income to cover the annual pension requirements of all uniformed services.

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Group exposes ‘midnight circular’ on meat inspection THE Duterte administration has been asked by the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. to defer the implementation of a joint circular issued by former Cabinet officials on the eve of the turnover of their responsibilities.

Pampi which counts among its members the largest meat processing companies sent a letter on July 4, 2016 requesting Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to defer Joint Administrative Circular No. 02 issued by former Cabinet officials on June 29.

Former secretary Proceso Alcala of Agriculture and Secretary Janette Garin of Health signed the joint circular transferring the functions of DA’s National Meat Inspection Service to DoH’s Food and Drug Administration to implement provisions of Republic Act No. 10611 or the Food Safety Act. “We believe and in fact herewith request that the joint order to immediately implement RA 10611 be deferred to give time for the present administration to study the same and establish the reasons for the haste by which it is being recommended to be undertaken,” Pampi president Felix O. Tiukinhoy Jr. said in the letter.

Tiukinhoy said Pampi had opposed the transfer of the functions in the regulation of processed meat because it would only add another layer in the bureaucratic process of issuing permits for food products.

Book on Mindanao. Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely and MILF Peace Panel Chairman Mohagher Iqbal lead the launching of the book ‘Mindanao: The Long Journey to Peace and Prosperity’ at the Discovery Prime in Makati City. TEDDY PELAEZ

Workers’ one-stop-shop formed ening the time to process their documents, the one-stop shop will also reduce the expenses of OFWs THE Department of since the services of concerned govLabor and Employment ernment agencies can already be availed of in just one location. has created a one-stopIn his inaugural address, Presishop for Filipinos wanting dent Duterte has directed all govto work overseas for ernment agencies to fast-track and make accessible the governeasy and speedy access ment services to the Filipinos and of government service in reduce official transaction time to securing the requirements 72 hours.

Meanwhile, around 19,000 for their jobs. workers received a total amount of “The one-stop shop is part of P974 million in benefits through the efforts of the department to the settlement of labor disputes realize the directives of President under the Dole’s Single Entry ApRodrigo Duterte to make the proach (SEnA) scheme from Janservices of government agencies uary to May this year.

SEnA is being implemented by accessible to Filipinos who are currently working or planning to the NCMB, the National Labor work overseas,” Labor Secretary Relations Commission, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Silvestre Bello III said.

“The one-stop-shop will in- Philippine Overseas Employment clude several facilitative services Administration, DoLE Regional which aim to make the issuance Offices, and even the Philippine and validation process of docu- Labor Offices.

Bello said most of the resolved mentary requirements easier and more convenient for OFWs, es- issues involved underpayment of pecially for returning migrant wages, non-payment of over-time pay, holiday pay and thirteenth workers,” he said.

Apart from the Philippine month pay, non-coverage of soOverseas Employment Admin- cial protection benefits under SSS, istration and Overseas Work- PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG, and ilers Welfare Administration, the legal dismissal cases.

He said that SEnA settles all isone-stop shop will also include other government agencies, such sues arising from labor and emas the Department of Foreign Af- ployment which may include the fairs and the National Bureau of termination or suspension of employment issues; claims for any sum Investigation.

He said that Filipino work- of money, regardless of amount; ers applying for work overseas Intra-union and inter-union issues should be able to get all the clear- except petition for certification ances they need, including those election, after exhaustion of adrequired by the DFA, the police ministrative remedies; unfair labor authorities, and health services in practices, closures, retrenchments, redundancies, temporary lay-offs just one place.

He added that aside from short- and OFW cases.

By Vito Barcelo

Disaster resilience. MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos (right) checks out an equipment along

with Annie Garcia, president of SM Supermalls, and engineer Bien Mateo, VP for Operations and Director for SM Cares’ programs on persons with disabilities during the 2nd Disaster Resilience Conference for Persons with Disabilities and Senior Citizens held at the SMX convention center in Pasay City. LINO SANTOS

Sotto chided for ‘shaming’ TV contestant

By John Paolo Bencito THE Philippine Commission on Women on Wednesday scored television host and Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto for “victim blaming and shaming” women, who stereotyped a female contestant who had suffered abuses.

Saying that such acts promote the culture of misogyny that justifiy abuses against women, the PCW said that Sotto “should also

be cautious and ensure that they are not exposing the victim to further harm and vulnerability.”

“These are clear examples of victim blaming and shaming which can be likened to faultfinding against rape and sexual harassment victims who were blamed for wearing sexy outfits, getting drunk or walking alone in dark streets,” the PCW said in a statement.

“Women should never carry

the guilt and blame and likewise restrict their freedom and desires. Women should live equally with men,” the government agency added.

In one of its segments on July 9, Katrina Conde, a solo parent of four children and recipient of the “Sugod Bahay” contest, was asked by the hosts to share her life story, highlighting the reasons behind her separation from her estranged husband.

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5 ‘druggies’ massacred in Malabon

By Jun David

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE Roxas Boulevard Corner Pablo Ocampo, Sr. Street Manila 1004

DEPARTMENT ORDER NO.038.2016 18 July 2016 SUBJECT: CREATION OF THE ANTI-RED TAPE TEAM IN THE DEPARTMENT WHEREAS, Republic Act (RA) No. 9485, entitled “An Act to Improve Efficiency in the Delivery of Government Service to the Public by Reducing Bureaucratic Red Tape, Preventing Graft and Corruption, and Providing Penalties Therefor” otherwise known as the “Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007”, declares as policy of the State to promote integrity, accountability, proper management of public affairs and public property as well as to establish effective practices aimed at the prevention of graft and corruption in government; WHEREAS, RA No. 9485 further provides that the State shall take appropriate measures to promote transparency in each agency with regard to the manner of transacting with the public, which shall encompass a program for the adoption of simplified procedures that will reduce red tape and expedite transactions In government; WHEREAS, Department Personnel Order No. 446-2015 dated 1 September 2015 has mandated the development in the DOF of a Quality Management System (QMS) certifiable to ISO 9001 :2008; WHEREAS, the Department is committed to streamline the delivery of government services and intends to pursue this by designating employees and officials specifically for this purpose.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, the Anti-Red Tape Team is hereby created: 1. The DOF Anti-Red Tape Team (Team) shall be composed of the following: Chairman

: Undersecretary Gil S. Beltran

FIVE suspected drug personalities including a 50-year-old mother and her son were killed while another relative was seriously wounded when unidentified men peppered them with bullets inside a public cemetery shortly after midnight Monday in Malabon City.

Myrna Moon, staying at Tugatog Cemetery located along Dr. Lascano Street, Barangay Tugatog succumbed to bullet wounds in the body while being rushed to Jose Reyes Memorial and Medical Center while her 28-year-old son Edmund Otico of 13 E. Dionisio St., Barangay Maysilo was declared dead at the Tondo Medical Hospital due to gunshot wounds in the body.

Myrna’s other son Edmer Otico, 31, also resident of E. Dionisio St., sustained bullet wounds in the back, right arm and left hand and was still under observation at Tondo Medical Hospital while Fe Nicanor, 43, also staying at Tugatog Cemetery, expired at Jose Reyes Memorial and Medical Center.

The sixth victim identified only as alias “Peter Bakla” died on the spot from bullet wounds in the head and body.

Investigation conducted by PO2 Julius Mabasa and PO1 Jose Rome Germinal of Malabon Police Criminal Investigation Unit showed that the shooting happened in the middle of a birthday celebration of Edmund held in a mausoleum inside Tugatog Cemetery at around 12:30 a.m.

The victims were having a drinking spree when four men armed with unknown caliber of handguns and all wearing bonnets opened fire. The gunmen fled on board two motorcycles.

Two pieces of folded white bond paper with markings that say “Pusher kami wag tularan” and “Sunod na kayo, papasok na kami jan”, eight pieces of empty shells, five deformed bullets , a bullet of still unknown caliber of firearms and sachets of suspected shabu were found at the crime scene.

Malabon police chief Sen-

ior Supt. John Chua said that Myrna’s other son whose name was withheld admitted that her mother was involved in illegal drug trade while his two brothers served as runners of her illegal activities.

In Makati, Mayor Abigail Binay asked residents and barangay officials of the city’s six exclusive villages to cooperate and help the police unmask drug users and pushers in their communities.

“The war on drugs can only be won if we extend our full cooperation with the police, especially in locating known pushers and users in our own backyard,” Binay said.

Oplan Tokhang mandates police station commanders to ask community leaders to submit a list of residents known to be into illegal drugs, including pushers, dealers, couriers and dependents.

Binay made the appeal after Makati City Police chief Rommil Mitra said there were zero surrenderees in barangays Magallanes, Dasmariñas, Forbes, San Lorenzo, Bel-Air and Urdaneta.

Police have not carried out the operations in the villages, except for Magallanes, because they were not provided with a list of suspects. With Joel Zurbano

Members: a.

All members of the Taskforce/Committee on Citizen’s Charter of the Department; b.

At least one (1) representative from the respective Committees on Citizen’s Charter of each of the bureaus and attached agencies; and

c.

Such other members as may be designated by the Secretary.

2. The Team shall have the following duties and responsibilities: a.

Review and evaluation of the Department’s Citizen Charter and rules and regulations regarding processes in the Department and its bureaus, attached agencies and government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs), especially those that provide front line services, with the end view of: i.

Strictly complying with the provisions of RA No. 9485;

ii.

Improving efficiency in the conduct and delivery of services;

iii. Simplifying procedures while ensuring proper controls are in place; and iv. Maintaining transparency, preventing corruption safeguarding integrity in the delivery of services.

and

b.

Recommend measures to rationalize procedures and reengineer the existing transaction systems in the Department;

c.

Explore the use of modern communication technologies, including social media, to expedite transactions, improve efficiency in the delivery of services and receive customer feedback;

d.

Review the implementation of the Public Assistance Desk, No Fixer Policy and No Lunch Break Policy, and such other policies that may affect the delivery of services;

e.

Submit quarterly reports to the Secretary at the start of each quarter, providing the Team’s progress, proposed next steps and applicable deadlines, starting on 1 August 2016;

f.

Review the Report Card Survey and coordinate with the Civil Service Commission to improve the Department’s Report Card Survey ratings;

g.

Provide the Team’s final recommendation with attached drafts of proposed issuances on or before 31 December 2016;

h.

Call on other DOF units and its bureaus, attached agencies and GOCCs to provide assistance and other resources as needed to accomplish the foregoing; and

i.

Recommend to the Secretary such actions as may be necessary for the implementation of the foregoing.

The Team may charge expenses incurred in connection with the performance of the duties and responsibilities enumerated herein against DOF appropriations of the current year, subject to applicable government budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

This Order shall take effect immediately and all concerned shall be guided accordingly.

CARLOS G. DOMINGUEZ Secretary (TS-JULY 21, 2016)

SCTEX upgrading. Construction men work on the asphalt overlay of the Tarlac-bound portion of Porac, Pampanga, as part of extending NLEX’s world-class features to Subic-Clark-Tarlac-Expressway. The Manila North Tollways Corp., concessionaire of NLEX and SCTEX, has earmarked P1 billion for the pavement improvement of the entire 94-kilometer stretch of SCTEX from 2016 to 2018. The 2016 pavement upgrade amounting to P350 million includes asphalt overlay and road patching of Porac in Pampanga to Concepcion in Tarlac, while the 2017 upgrade involves the repair from Porac to Floridablanca and from Concepcion to San Miguel. In 2018, pavement works will be from Floridablanca to Tipo and from San Miguel to La Paz. MNTC president Rodrigo E. Franco said, “The SCTEX pavement upgrade aims to increase the level of comfort and convenience of motorists during travel and further provide a seamless connection between NLEX and SCTEX.”

CPR training for students pushed

By Rio N. Araja HIGH school students trained on the basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation can help save lives, basketball coach Joseller “Yeng” Guiao said on Tuesday.

At a news conference organized by the Philippine Heart Association at Annabel’s in Quezon City, Guiao said not only athletes and other sporty people would stand to benefit if House Bill 5891 he had authored in the last Congress would be looked into.

“Anybody of us will benefit. This is our main purpose why we are pushing for the bill’s passage,” he said.

The active involvement of senior high school students is a force multiplier outside and inside their homes in saving countless number of lives, he said.

Guiao, former Pampanga’s District 1 representative, authored HB 5891 or “An Act requiring K-12 High School Students to Undergo CPR Training,” to increase CPR knowledge as “a single most effective first aid intervention that can be administered to an individual suffering from cardiac arrest.”

He joined PHA president Raul Lapitan, PHA vice president Jorge Sison and PHA advocacy committee chairman Orlando Bugarin in reach-

ing out to the ordinary people to extend CPR training in many parts of the country.

Under HB 5891, a student must be certified by his/her competent school authority as having undergone the CPR training program, at least once, before being allowed to graduate.

He stressed the importance of being a CPR-equipped person, citing the knowledge to administer the basic chest compressions within three to five minutes will increase the victim’s chance of survival.

Sison warned asthma, electrolyte imbalance, severe dehydration and heat stroke may trigger a cardiac problem.

t h u r s d ay : j u ly 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

A7

news

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Zambales town mayor hurt in Subic car crash

9 DSWD execs falsified public documents—Elman

A municipAl mayor from Zambales and his companion narrowly escaped death when his mitsubishi Strada was almost torn in two after colliding head on with a shuttle bus in Subic on Wednesday morning. chief inspector leonardo madrid, Subic police chief, identified the injured as San marcelino mayor Elvis Soria, 52, who is now under observation in Baypointe Hospital in Subic Bay Freeport after sustaining severe wounds due to impact.

However, two of Soria’s companions, manuel Rodriguez, a director of Zambales Electric cooperative (ZAmEcO ii), and Arlan pascasio, the driver of mitsubishi Estrada (HBE 549), were pronounced dead on arrival at the San marcelino District Hospital.

Another companion, Ernesto cudia, remains in critical condition.

The Subic police said the accident occurred around 1:30 a.m.

Wednesday when Soria and the three companions were heading north towards San marcelino. upon reaching the pamatawan Bridge in Barangay pamatawan, Subic, a southbound Daewoo shuttle bus of Hanjin Shipyard with plate number AKA 5482 and driven by noly Edibag Jr., 36, of lucapon, Sta. cruz, Zambales, swerved into the opposite direction colliding head-on with the incoming Strada. Authorities said Edibag was drunk when apprehended. He also reportedly rammed his shuttle bus into some tiangge stores in castillejos town earlier. madrid said a case of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide, serious physical injuries and damage to property are being prepared against Edibag. PNA

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera

Benefactor. Greg Secker, chief operating officer of The Greg Secker Foundation, turns over a two-story house he donated to the House of Refuge, an orphanage in Project 8, Quezon City. The Foundation is also building 100 houses and training centers for the victims of Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in Lemery, Iloilo, a picture of which he shows during a press conference at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City. The foundation provides skills training and livelihood programs for its beneficiaries.

Secker is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and the owner of Learn to Trade Company. LINO SANTOS

DAVAO CITY—Nine employees of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Davao region have been indicted on charges of falsification of public documents, said Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao, Rodolfo Elman.

The nine employees were identified as Assistant Regional Director for Administration mila Segovia; Administrative Officer iii Raffy mag-Aso; finance analysts Ricardo Abad ii, marife Tan, cris Anne

pormento, mary Jane Adlawana and pompa Bandigan; and consultants ma. Annabelle Jabla and Santos Eusebio Jr. Elman said the nine DSWD employees face charges in relation to

the construction of bunkhouses for the families hit by Typhoon “pablo” in 2012, in compostela Valley province and Davao Oriental.

He said they found that laborers supposedly contracted to build the bunkhouses did not sign documents such as labor agreements, job orders and book payrolls. mag-Aso, Adlawan and Segovia were also found administratively liable for the same offense, for serious dishonesty and for conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and a penalty of dismissal from the service

was imposed on them.

Elman said he has asked Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo to implement the dismissal order of the Ombudsman on the three officers of the DSWD. “i asked her to implement [the order] considering that one of the respondents is holding a high position,” he said. if the respondents were not satisfied with the decision they can file a motion for reconsideration before the court of Appeals, Elman said. The respondents were given 10 days upon receipt of the order to file a motion.

Legacy. Farmers from Tabuk, Kalinga transplant Heirloom Rice from seeds that were passed on from their forefathers since time immemorial. DAVID CHAN

Suspected hired gun and drug pusher shot dead in Ilocos Sur

By Florante S. Solmerin

A SuSpEcTED gun-for-hire and drug trader with five standing arrest warrants died Tuesday in an armed encounter with arresting policemen in cabugao, ilocos Sur, the criminal investigation and Detection Group in camp crame, Quezon city said on Wednesday. ciDG-Region 1 chief, Senior Supt. Amando lagiwid, identified the slain suspect as Roger Sinco.

“Sinco was a remnant of the Sinco Group engaged in gun-for-hire and illegal drugs trade, and listed as the Regional level lambat Sibat priority and Drug personality Target,” lagiwid said.

Before the encounter, the ciDG officer said, the arresting team went to the house of the suspect in Sition padual, Barangay pug-os before dawn to implement a search warrant.

But, he said, Sinco refused the conduct of the search and started to shoot the cops who

fired back at him. lagiwid said Harry Savellano, Elyrey Agustin, Eric Savellano and Edgar Basuil were with Sinco during the encounter.

“Sinco sustained a gunshot wound and was taken to the Duero General Hospital, which declared him dead on arrival.

However, Sinco’s group managed to escape arrest on two tricycles both without plate numbers,” the ciDG officer said.

Recovered from the crime scene were 15 cartridge cases, two loaded .45-caliber pistols, a loaded .38-caliber improvised gun (known in the vernacular as “paltik”), five sachets of suspected shabu, a magazine, assorted drug paraphernalia and a cellular phone. police records show that Sinco was wanted for violations of Republic Act 10591 (comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act), RA 9165 (comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act), direct assault upon agents of a person in authority with the use of loose firearms, and murder.

T H U R S D AY : J U LY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

Turning... From A8 did the DoJ sit on all these obviously nuisance complaints for four excruciating years, when it took only a few months to recommend their dismissal due to lack of merit and probable cause?” asked CJHDevCo executive Alfredo Yñiguez.

The case against Sobrepeña for estafa filed by the BCDA on March 9, 2012 was recommended for dismissal by DoJ Prosecutor Monica

[ EDI TORI A L ]

FRIVOLITY TUESDAY’S Supreme Court decision clearing former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of plunder and ordering her release gained mixed reactions from government officials and other groups.

Many welcomed the decision on the former President, citing her frail health, the insufficiency of proof and the apparent agenda of vindictiveness that marked her detention. The Palace exhorted the people to respect the ruling. Former President Fidel Ramos said the accusations were shallow in the first place.

Some, however, were dismayed—at best, careful.

A students’ organization decried the rotten justice system that led to the ruling while the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said an acquittal does not guarantee innocence. Former Palace officials did not quite know what to say—“Sorry, I cannot help you,” according to ex-Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma. Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales said she was surprised and disappointed and is getting ready to appeal the case.

Arroyo has been detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center since 2012 for alleged misuse of P366 million in intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The court, which voted 11-4 in favor of the former president, dismissed the petition because the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to establish Mrs. Arroyo’s guilt.

For somebody who has been detained four years amid a debilitating physical condition, Arroyo herself was optimistic: “Keep the faith in the justice system,” she said.

That no less than the Supreme Court threw out the case because of lack of evidence is a slap on the face of Arroyo’s successor, former President Benigno Aquino III. Aquino ran and won the presidency by boosting his own stock while belittling others, claiming that only he and his allies could lead the country out of the Dark Ages to which Arroyo plunged us all into.

He squandered six years in power by using his political capital going after his enemies while coddling his errant friends, all the while proclaiming virtue and righteousness.

What comeuppance, then, that Aquino now faces various cases arising from his acts as chief executive, with regard to the Disbursement Acceleration Program and the deaths of police commandos pursuing terrorists in Maguindanao.

It is not surprising to hear Mr. Aquino cry persecution this early, but it is certainly amusing to listen to him prattle on about the supposedly dark motives of the people who have filed the cases.

Aquino is the master of frivolous complaints, given his experience with Arroyo and also with the late Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was impeached and removed from office in 2012. The various impeachment grounds against Corona were whittled down into the lame and unimpeachable reason of failure to declare all material holdings in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

But perhaps this batch of complainants are more conscientious than Aquino could ever be. They must ensure that the cases, if any must be filed at all, would have ample basis and stand on strong proof. That the charges should crumble from their own weakness would be a disservice to the justice system.

The Standard Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 8325556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.thestandard.com.ph; E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

ONLINE

TURNING VICTORY INTO DEFEAT LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES I THINK I’ve found something that Noynoy Aquino cannot possibly blame Gloria Arroyo for: the dismissal of the government’s plunder case against Arroyo. How can he, when Arroyo didn’t do a thing to defend herself, except to point out that the case that Aquino and his legal eagles filed was so weak, it just had to be thrown out?

It’s becoming perfectly clear that the breathtaking incompetence that was the calling card of the administration of Aquino killed the case against Arroyo.

Because it certainly didn’t look that way in the beginning, according to the congressman who originally exposed the alleged plunder of sweepstakes funds by the Arroyo regime.

It was former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares who first revealed the alleged anomalies involving the funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office in a privilege speech

can be accessed at: thestandard.com.ph

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

as a neophyte lawmaker.

This was the same exposé that was picked up by Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III in the Senate, which led a high-profile investigation by that chamber that eventually became the basis for the filing of the plunder case against Arroyo by the Office of the Ombudsman.

But Colmenares told me yesterday that while he believed that the case against Arroyo was ironclad, the government somehow found a way to weaken it in its prosecution to the point where a mere “demurrer to evidence” was required to kill it. Worse, Colmenares and his witnesses in the original House exposé were told by government lawyers who took over the job of prosecuting the case that, basically, their help was no longer required because the Ombudsman, the Department of Justice and the rest of the gang had everything under control.

“I’m still shocked by the Supreme Court ruling,” said Colmenares, himself a crackerjack lawyer. “I don’t know how the government could lose

Arroyo didn’t win the case.

Aquino lost it.

such a strong case.”

Well, they did. And in the end, Arroyo’s lawyers didn’t even have to present their own witnesses and evidence when they went to the Supreme Court.

All they asked, after the government’s brilliant legal minds finished with their presentation of evidence, was that the court consider the prosecution’s case. And to declare it insufficient.

That’s exactly what the Supreme Court did, ruling 11-4 that the prosecution’s case was so weak that it had to dismiss the case. Piece of legal cake.

Of course, unlike in the arbitral case in The Hague, the Aquino administration didn’t hire high-priced American lawyers to plead

Rolando G. Estabillo Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

its case against Arroyo. It relied on its own homegrown team of legal luminaries in the Ombudsman and the Justice department, with Aquino as their overall legal strategist.

And that’s why Arroyo didn’t win the case. Aquino lost it. *** Speaking of strange court actions, I’ve been told that the head of a government corporation used three estafa cases that had been dismissed four years ago in order to discredit a private businessman with whom he had been feuding in court.

The three cases filed by Bases Conversion and Development Authority head Arnel Casanova were used to discredit Camp John Hay Development Corp. chairman Robert John Sobrepeña even if these had already been dismissed for lack of probable cause as early as 2012 by the Justice department.

Notifications of the dismissal of the estafa cases were issued only last month in June 2016, four years after the cases were recommended for junking in 2012. “Why Continued on A9

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Maan Ilustre Advertising and Marketing Head Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

Liwag for lack of probable cause in a resolution dated Aug. 28, 2012.

But the respondents were only notified with copies of the resolution of dismissal last June 22.

In this case, Casanova accused Sobrepeña of twice selling a log cabin in Camp John Hay for P40 million. Casanova even caused the publication of full-page ads that claimed the developer was engaged in fraudulent business practices.

In another case for estafa

filed on April 23, 2012, several complainants were allegedly persuaded to purchase land in Camp John Hay on the basis of false representations by CJHDevCo that its lease with the BCDA was for 50 years. This case was recommended for dismissal by DoJ prosecutor Caterina Isabel Caeg on July 16, 2012, but the parties were notified with copies of the resolution also only four years later, or on June 17, 2016.

In the third case against Sobrepeña, filed by Kim Sung Hwan on April 23, 2012, the complainant was supposedly persuaded to purchase a unit in Camp John Hay Suites, now called The Forest Lodge, on the same basis of CJHDevCo’s 50-year lease with the BCDA. This case was also recommended for dismissal by Prosecutor Caeg for lack of probable cause in a resolution dated July 27, 2012.

A9

The same thing happened.

Again, Sobrepeña and other respondents were only notified with copies of the resolution four years later, or only last June 17.

“It was obviously more like persecution and not prosecution,” Yñiguez said. “With the dismissal of these trumped up charges, I hope we can now all move on for the benefit of all of the stakeholders, the City of Baguio and the general public.”

T H U R S D AY : J U LY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

A8

OPINION

ADELLE CHUA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

OPINION

Turning... From A8 did the DoJ sit on all these obviously nuisance complaints for four excruciating years, when it took only a few months to recommend their dismissal due to lack of merit and probable cause?” asked CJHDevCo executive Alfredo Yñiguez.

The case against Sobrepeña for estafa filed by the BCDA on March 9, 2012 was recommended for dismissal by DoJ Prosecutor Monica

[ EDI TORI A L ]

FRIVOLITY TUESDAY’S Supreme Court decision clearing former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of plunder and ordering her release gained mixed reactions from government officials and other groups.

Many welcomed the decision on the former President, citing her frail health, the insufficiency of proof and the apparent agenda of vindictiveness that marked her detention. The Palace exhorted the people to respect the ruling. Former President Fidel Ramos said the accusations were shallow in the first place.

Some, however, were dismayed—at best, careful.

A students’ organization decried the rotten justice system that led to the ruling while the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said an acquittal does not guarantee innocence. Former Palace officials did not quite know what to say—“Sorry, I cannot help you,” according to ex-Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma. Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales said she was surprised and disappointed and is getting ready to appeal the case.

Arroyo has been detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center since 2012 for alleged misuse of P366 million in intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The court, which voted 11-4 in favor of the former president, dismissed the petition because the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to establish Mrs. Arroyo’s guilt.

For somebody who has been detained four years amid a debilitating physical condition, Arroyo herself was optimistic: “Keep the faith in the justice system,” she said.

That no less than the Supreme Court threw out the case because of lack of evidence is a slap on the face of Arroyo’s successor, former President Benigno Aquino III. Aquino ran and won the presidency by boosting his own stock while belittling others, claiming that only he and his allies could lead the country out of the Dark Ages to which Arroyo plunged us all into.

He squandered six years in power by using his political capital going after his enemies while coddling his errant friends, all the while proclaiming virtue and righteousness.

What comeuppance, then, that Aquino now faces various cases arising from his acts as chief executive, with regard to the Disbursement Acceleration Program and the deaths of police commandos pursuing terrorists in Maguindanao.

It is not surprising to hear Mr. Aquino cry persecution this early, but it is certainly amusing to listen to him prattle on about the supposedly dark motives of the people who have filed the cases.

Aquino is the master of frivolous complaints, given his experience with Arroyo and also with the late Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was impeached and removed from office in 2012. The various impeachment grounds against Corona were whittled down into the lame and unimpeachable reason of failure to declare all material holdings in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

But perhaps this batch of complainants are more conscientious than Aquino could ever be. They must ensure that the cases, if any must be filed at all, would have ample basis and stand on strong proof. That the charges should crumble from their own weakness would be a disservice to the justice system.

The Standard Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 8325556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.thestandard.com.ph; E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

ONLINE

TURNING VICTORY INTO DEFEAT LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES I THINK I’ve found something that Noynoy Aquino cannot possibly blame Gloria Arroyo for: the dismissal of the government’s plunder case against Arroyo. How can he, when Arroyo didn’t do a thing to defend herself, except to point out that the case that Aquino and his legal eagles filed was so weak, it just had to be thrown out?

It’s becoming perfectly clear that the breathtaking incompetence that was the calling card of the administration of Aquino killed the case against Arroyo.

Because it certainly didn’t look that way in the beginning, according to the congressman who originally exposed the alleged plunder of sweepstakes funds by the Arroyo regime.

It was former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares who first revealed the alleged anomalies involving the funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office in a privilege speech

can be accessed at: thestandard.com.ph

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

as a neophyte lawmaker.

This was the same exposé that was picked up by Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III in the Senate, which led a high-profile investigation by that chamber that eventually became the basis for the filing of the plunder case against Arroyo by the Office of the Ombudsman.

But Colmenares told me yesterday that while he believed that the case against Arroyo was ironclad, the government somehow found a way to weaken it in its prosecution to the point where a mere “demurrer to evidence” was required to kill it. Worse, Colmenares and his witnesses in the original House exposé were told by government lawyers who took over the job of prosecuting the case that, basically, their help was no longer required because the Ombudsman, the Department of Justice and the rest of the gang had everything under control.

“I’m still shocked by the Supreme Court ruling,” said Colmenares, himself a crackerjack lawyer. “I don’t know how the government could lose

Arroyo didn’t win the case.

Aquino lost it.

such a strong case.”

Well, they did. And in the end, Arroyo’s lawyers didn’t even have to present their own witnesses and evidence when they went to the Supreme Court.

All they asked, after the government’s brilliant legal minds finished with their presentation of evidence, was that the court consider the prosecution’s case. And to declare it insufficient.

That’s exactly what the Supreme Court did, ruling 11-4 that the prosecution’s case was so weak that it had to dismiss the case. Piece of legal cake.

Of course, unlike in the arbitral case in The Hague, the Aquino administration didn’t hire high-priced American lawyers to plead

Rolando G. Estabillo Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

its case against Arroyo. It relied on its own homegrown team of legal luminaries in the Ombudsman and the Justice department, with Aquino as their overall legal strategist.

And that’s why Arroyo didn’t win the case. Aquino lost it. *** Speaking of strange court actions, I’ve been told that the head of a government corporation used three estafa cases that had been dismissed four years ago in order to discredit a private businessman with whom he had been feuding in court.

The three cases filed by Bases Conversion and Development Authority head Arnel Casanova were used to discredit Camp John Hay Development Corp. chairman Robert John Sobrepeña even if these had already been dismissed for lack of probable cause as early as 2012 by the Justice department.

Notifications of the dismissal of the estafa cases were issued only last month in June 2016, four years after the cases were recommended for junking in 2012. “Why Continued on A9

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Maan Ilustre Advertising and Marketing Head Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

Liwag for lack of probable cause in a resolution dated Aug. 28, 2012.

But the respondents were only notified with copies of the resolution of dismissal last June 22.

In this case, Casanova accused Sobrepeña of twice selling a log cabin in Camp John Hay for P40 million. Casanova even caused the publication of full-page ads that claimed the developer was engaged in fraudulent business practices.

In another case for estafa

filed on April 23, 2012, several complainants were allegedly persuaded to purchase land in Camp John Hay on the basis of false representations by CJHDevCo that its lease with the BCDA was for 50 years. This case was recommended for dismissal by DoJ prosecutor Caterina Isabel Caeg on July 16, 2012, but the parties were notified with copies of the resolution also only four years later, or on June 17, 2016.

In the third case against Sobrepeña, filed by Kim Sung Hwan on April 23, 2012, the complainant was supposedly persuaded to purchase a unit in Camp John Hay Suites, now called The Forest Lodge, on the same basis of CJHDevCo’s 50-year lease with the BCDA. This case was also recommended for dismissal by Prosecutor Caeg for lack of probable cause in a resolution dated July 27, 2012.

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The same thing happened.

Again, Sobrepeña and other respondents were only notified with copies of the resolution four years later, or only last June 17.

“It was obviously more like persecution and not prosecution,” Yñiguez said. “With the dismissal of these trumped up charges, I hope we can now all move on for the benefit of all of the stakeholders, the City of Baguio and the general public.”

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

THE RESURRECTION OF GLORIA ARROYO TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO THE majority decision of the Supreme Court dismissing the plunder charges against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for transferring P366 million in intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office proves that the rule of law still prevails in our country.

It was a difficult journey for the former President, who became the poster child for BS Aquino III’s supposed straight and narrow path.

Recall how Mr. Aquino’s attack dog, former Justice secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima, stopped Mrs. Arroyo in her tracks when the latter was on her way to get medical attention abroad.

That was a clear violation of human rights.

It was also an act of vindictiveness and persecution that made Mrs. Arroyo languish under hospital detention for years.

Just what Gloria did to BS Aquino that made him so vindictive against her remains a mystery.

The vindictiveness of BS Aquino became even more pronounced when Mrs. Arroyo’s coaccused were granted bail.

Santa Banana, how could GMA be more guilty than her co-accused when evidence proved she did profit a single centavo from the transfer? In fact, as the Supreme Court had found, approving the transfer was only a ministerial act on her part.

Aquino also went on to condemn Gloria for the many problems that confronted him dur-

ing his administration, referring to her nine years in office as a lost decade. What baloney.

Records show that it was Aquino’s predecessor who instituted economic reforms that strengthened the country’s economic fundamentals.

Would you believe that even when BS Aquino was already stepping down, he even directed the Sandiganbayan to convict Arroyo? This made GMA lawyers elevate the plunder case to the Supreme Court and seek a demurrer of evidence or dismissal of the case.

She has suffered far too long.

Now, we hear dismal groans from Senator De Lima against the Supreme Court decision, and also from Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, another Aquino attack dog. They just can’t take it, can they?

Former Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza, Gloria’s lead counsel, put it so well when he said that after Good Friday comes Easter Sunday. And I agree with him.

President Duterte may have said earlier that as a lawyer and former prosecutor, he found the evidence against Mrs. Arroyo very weak. He even wanted to pardon her but Gloria did not want pardon, because then she would have to admit her guilt. She wanted a dismissal of the

VINDICATION THE Supreme Court on Tuesday acquitted former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the plunder charge filed against her in relation to the alleged misuse of P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office intelligence funds from 2008 to 2010.

This recent turn of events should not come as a surprise to those who have followed the case and understood the legal procedure afforded to respondents in criminal cases. Contrary to the Yellow theory that this acquittal was only made possible after the recent change of administration, the truth is that this case did not have any factual basis or legal leg to stand on. It was clearly haphazardly filed. Consider the following antecedent facts which, to a criminal law practitioner, would show that the charges for the then accused PGMA was very shallow: GMA’s approval of the release of the subject amount in the case was merely ministerial.

This means no discretion was involved. This takes into consideration the presumption of regularity of the required signatures of officers below her office, which included not only officers of the PCSO but also of the Commission on Audit.

For litigators, the granting of bail can be a sign of the strength of the evidence against an accused. For a plunder case charges against her.

Santa Banana, would you believe that Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno and Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, both Aquino appointees, tried to postpone the decision of the High Court but failed? Another Associate Justice, Benjamin Caguioa, a former classmate of BS Aquino and his appointee, also voted against Gloria. This only means these justices remain loyal to him who appointed them.

Reports say Gloria may get back at her tormentors by filing cases against them. I don’t believe that Gloria is that vengeful. *** It’s sad to think that the late former Chief Justice Renato Corona did not live long enough to see the vindication of former President Ar-

MINORITY REPORT DANILO SUAREZ based on conspiracy, its weakness can be clearly seen from the fact that eight out of the 10 accused have been granted bail.

Considered as a political trophy, former President Arroyo was denied bail even if her signature had only been affixed in a ministerial function.

The denial of bail for a former President, who at that time was already a senior citizen and with medically-certified lifethreatening disease, was so ruthless that it received the attention of international law and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.

GMA’s case was brought to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. This UN Working Group’s conclusion? GMA’s continued incarceration is arbitrary detention and the Philippine Government should immediately release her.

Last and most important fact: The case against Mrs. Arroyo is predicated on conspiracy. Hence, the act of one respondent is considered the act of all accused.

Unknown to most of the public, all but two of the accused in this case have already been acquitted during the previous administration. There is no legal basis to continue with the trial

royo. He, too, was a victim of vindictiveness by the BS Aquino administration.

He was impeached, tried and convicted for an unimpeachable offense. His sin? Not stating in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth all his peso and dollar accounts.

We all know now that BS Aquino III went after Corona by bribing lawmakers. After Corona’s conviction and ouster, BS Aquino packed the Supreme Court with his favorites, even defying tradition by naming a junior associate and bypassing the most senior of them.

Santa Banana, why was BS Aquino so vindictive against Corona?

The latter dared to raise the compensation to be given to Hacienda Luisita tenants after Sereno objected to it. It seemed

of the case or the detention of the former president based on the acquittal of her alleged coconspirators.

The Supreme Court’s decision on GMA’s demurrer is a confirmation that the past administration’s motto of the “straight and narrow” is a mere facade of its ruthless disrespect of our institutions. A solon closely associated with the previous administration seeks to cast a shadow on this acquittal by questioning its timing and associating it with the Duterte administration.

Let me answer that they had six long years and the whole government’s machinery at their disposal to build a strong case against the former president.

Their own Solicitor General and three Aquino appointees to the Supreme Court voted for GMA’s facts and legal arguments, which only lends credence to the rumor that this case was hastily filed to just to satisfy the then-powers that be.

Yes, this acquittal was only possible after the change in administration, but only because we are no longer lead by a vindictive despot who would flout the law and destroy democratic institutions just to follow his vested interests. Let us go beyond the faces and names of this case because this victory is a vindication not just for the former president, but also for the rule of law.

that BS Aquino could not forgive Corona for going against the Cojuangcos in Hacienda Luisita.

My gulay, the Bureau of Internal Revenue even filed tax evasion cases against Corona.

The former chief justice was said to have died of a heart attack. It could well be a broken heart. *** The new Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo wants the Philippines to host the next Miss Universe contest. And Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach even had an audience with President Duterte to push for it.

But are we ready for such a world event when there are flight cancellations and delays just because of a small crack at the main runway at Naia, diverting flights to Mactan and Clark? My gulay, the airport con-

gestion is bad enough.

We don’t need this additional trouble.

Then there’s the problem of traffic gridlocks and nightmarish traffic along Edsa, not to mention ongoing buildings of overseas and flyovers that screws up traffic flow to more than hours.

What about all the squatter colonies that foreign tourists and visitor see along the way? Will they again be hidden from the visitors as before?

How about the street children and homeless people living along avenues and highways?

Will they be rounded up again by the Department of Social Welfare and Development?

Is the Duterte administration ready to show the world that we are still a Third World country?

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

DUTY CALLS

TERROR IN NICE

FLORENCIO FIANZA FOR the third time in 18 months, France is again in mourning, reeling from a major terrorist attack in the city of Nice that killed 84 people of various nationalities and wounded over a hundred.

During a fireworks display as part of the July 14 Bastille Day Celebration, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a French Tunisian, drove a truck for over a mile along the main seaside boulevard where the festivities was taking place and plowed through the crowd before getting killed himself. Many of the dead and wounded were children whose lives were cut short by a mentally disturbed individual with a perverted view toward his fellow men.

Since the attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris in January 2015, 231 people have been killed and about 206 wounded by terrorists.

This makes France, second only to the United States in the developed world in terms of lives lost because of terrorism. France is turning into a virtual police state because of the number of heavily armed uniformed personnel patrolling the streets in many cities.

Because of the Nice incident, French President Francois Hollande extended the

POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE IT WAS the “toingk” heard around the world.

Melania Trump, clad in virginal, angelic white, was loudly applauded by spectators when she delivered a moving speech lauding her husband, United States presidential candidate Donald Trump, at the recent Republican National Convention.

Some critics lauded Melania’s speech, saying it showed Trump in a softer and more congenial light. There was only one thing wrong with it—at least two paragraphs were cribbed from a 2008 speech by First Lady Michelle Obama that she delivered at the Democratic National Convention—exactly mirroring the event where Melania gave her speech.

Subsequent news reports on the Internet established that Melania claimed she herself had written the speech.

Her official speechwriters said they had written a differ-

state of emergency for another six months. He also vowed to maintain and toughen French policy in Syria and Iraq. And as he stated in the two previous terrorist attacks in Paris, terrorism will not change the French way of life by forcing the country to abandon its democratic values.

Clearly, however, terrorism is taking its toll on the French people. As one witness in the Nice attack who escaped injury said when interviewed by a CNN reporter, he could not understand why there is so much hatred in this world. From what is emerging from initial police investigation, the perpetrator simply wanted to kill as many people as he could. As it turned out, there were several Tunisians and Muslims among those who were killed.

Tourism will certainly take a hit. France, after all, is the most visited country in the world. Unlike the previous terrorists attacks in Paris where everyone in the political divide were united, the handling of the security in Nice was severely criticized by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy—and for good reason. Why for instance were the barricades in the entrances of the main

boulevard where the celebration was to take place not strengthened to prevent trucks from ramming through? What assumptions were made by the police in preparing their security plan?

One would think that blocking the entrances to the event was basic. There should also have been considerable police presence in these places.

In this case, however, it appears that the barricades that were installed were very weak and no police presence at the barricades allowing the perpetrator to drive for almost two kilometers before being stopped. The big fear of every police organization trying to prevent terrorism are lone-wolf attacks by single individuals. This was the case in Orlando, Florida and is the same in Nice. But the Nice attack was somewhat different in the sense that there was security preparation. That it failed to prevent the attack will have to be explained by the police to the satisfaction of the public. The people themselves must have sensed this because they booed the French Prime Minister when he laid a wreath where the incident happened.

What all this random terrorist attack on soft targets is

telling us is that there simply is not a place in this planet where a traveler can be absolutely safe anymore. Western countries that have been routinely issuing travel advisories warning their citizens traveling to developing countries not to go to certain places must now also be assessing the safety of travel in their own countries. For Filipinos who are able to visit Europe for vacation, it would be prudent and wise to be on guard all the time and be aware of what is happening around you. This way, if something does happen, one can at least be prepared to act.

Terrorism has really changed the world. *** By all accounts, the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, invalidating all of China’s claims in the South China Sea, was a tremendous and decisive victory for our country. We got more than what we bargained for. Our subsequent government actions have also been by and large mature and responsible.

A few days ago, President Rodrigo Duterte announced his intention of appointing former President Ramos as special envoy to talk to Chi-

na about our dispute in the South China Sea. The President could not have made a better choice. FVR has the international stature, respect even by the Chinese and the experience to do a good job.

It is not, however, that simple. FVR is 88 years old and cannot stay away from the country for long periods of time. Although relatively healthy for his age, he has to be monitored by his doctors.

This job also cannot simply be done in just one sitting but over an extended period of time.

There is also the question of his exact mandate. FVR has said that he wants to meet with President Duterte to discuss these issues before committing to anything.

What seems to be apparent also is that this administration unlike the previous one would like to be more open minded but deliberate in crafting the best position that the country will take if indeed there will be bilateral talks. But China seems to be scuttling it before it can even begin by imposing conditions which we cannot agree due to constitutional restrictions.

Both countries should simply sit down and talk without any preconditions.

PLAGIARISM: A GLOBAL EPIDEMIC ent speech but she changed many parts of it, and that they did not recognize the speech when she delivered it.

The Internet jeered, saying that her speechwriters were Mr. Copy and Mr. Paste, and coming out with the hashtag # Fa m o u s Me l a n i a Tr u mp Quotes, attributing to her other people’s lines, among them: “Luke, I am your father.”

But was it really plagiarism?

Two years ago, Benjamin Muller wrote a commentary published on Poynter.org about the different kinds of dishonest writing. He quoted Norman Lewis’s definition of plagiarism: “Using someone else’s words or original ideas without attribution.” Muller also gave a rule of thumb: using seven to 10 words verbatim from another source.

Another type of intellectual dishonesty is patchwriting, where writers reword material taken from another source while “relying heavily on the

vocabulary and syntax of the source material,” Muller said, quoting Kelly McBride, Poynter vice president.

In Melania’s speech, not only were some sentences lifted verbatim from Michelle’s, but the sequence of thoughts was the same, though some rewording was done in other sentences. Therefore, she seems to have committed both plagiarism and patchwriting.

The Republican Party, which chose the Orange One as its official candidate, sprang to Melania’s defense with a downplay of the incident and brushed aside accusations of plagiarism. This was the same approach taken by a certain Philippine senator’s staffer who was found to have copied parts of a foreign writer’s research article in something he wrote for the senator—and that the senator defended.

Contrast that behavior with this: just a few days ago, one of my Facebook friends

found instances of patchwriting in a piece published in Huffington Post that was written by a Filipino writer who styled himself as a “political science scholar.” After my FB friend called the attention of HuffPo’s editors to it, citing the original source materials, the writer apologized and took the piece down. Also, some years ago, a corporate honcho who delivered a university commencement address that was found to have been copied largely from foreign speeches apologized and took responsibility for the matter, although he did not write the address himself.

Plagiarism is not only the scourge of academe but of the “real world.” Few people are as honorable as Corporate Honcho. Most people, many of them young students, are bewildered with all the fuss about copying; they see nothing wrong with it. But plagia-

rism is the same lying to others and stealing from others; it is dishonest, a mark of laziness, and perhaps even a sign of limited critical or original thought.

Using other’s ideas or quotes in your own work is allowed, provided that attribution is made. It is not hard to write, “according to…” “She said…” It is plagiarism only if the source is not mentioned; just remember to give credit where credit is due.

This is one of the points of thesis writing in college: to instill in each student the value of intellectual integrity, by teaching them to cite their sources in detail.

Melania’s on-stage debacle is a lesson about honesty.

Don’t spread the plagiarism virus. There’s too much of it going around already.

Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste Twitter: @jennyortuoste Instagram: @jensdecember

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Twitter to stream NBA live content NEW YORK—Twitter and the National Basketball Association announced a deal Tuesday to stream live content, but not games, to users of the social media platform.

The deal will deliver a weekly NBA pregame show with “first-ofits-kind elements created specifically for integration with Twitter conversation,” according to a joint statement.

“The weekly pregame show will be featured exclusively on Twitter for logged-in and logged-out users.

Ahead of the 2016-17 season, the NBA will announce an additional

to-be-determined show that will also stream exclusively on Twitter.”

The deal adds to the live sports content on Twitter as it seeks to expand its audience beyond a core base of celebrities, politicians and journalists.

“We’re excited about bringing live content to Twitter, which has proven to be an ideal destination for real-time sports conversations,”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.

“We’ve seen technology bring fans closer to our game, teams and players in ways we could have only imagined a decade ago. This expanded partnership will help feed our fans’ growing demand for the NBA by more deeply integrating the league across Twitter’s many platforms.”

Twitter chief Jack Dorsey added in the

statement that “the league has been at the forefront of embracing new ways to reach their fans” and that “we’re happy to bring even more great NBA content to our global audience.”

The partnership includes an extension of the NBA and Twitter’s Amplify program, which allows advertisers to deliver marketing pitches alongside Twitter content.

The deal calls for

more NBA content to be made available on Vine, the looping video feature of Twitter, and Periscope, which offers live streaming.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Earlier this year Twitter struck a deal with the National Football League to stream Thursday night American football games, and also streamed content from the Wimbledon tennis tournament. AFP

Dee Brown’s iconic Blind Dunk lives on

By Peter Paul Duran IT WAS the 1991 NBA All-Star Weekend Dunk Contest.

He might never even have fathomed it at that time, but Decovan “Dee” Brown’s winning dunk started a chain of events that spurned a viral phenomena 25 years later.

Announcers called it “the Blind Dunk” or the “No Look Dunk” and Brown certainly didn’t care how it was called as long as he was able to jam his coup de grace.

And after more than two decades, his trademark throw-down has now invaded pop-culture, known as the Dab. “It was the first time I ever did that dunk, I didn’t practice it and I just hoped I would make it,” Brown told scribes during the Gatorade NBA Fit Week.

“Now it’s become so popular (Dab) and (at first) I had no clue what it was until my children showed it to me,” added the NBA great, who played for the Celtics from 1990-1998 before retiring in 2002 after 12 sea-

sons in the NBA. Now people of all sorts are doing it, from athletes to rappers and celebrities.

It’s everywhere on social media and “The Dab Father” can’t help but feel a sense of pride everytime people do the move.

“Twenty-five years later, people can still remember that dunk and what I did. It’s an iconic thing and it makes you really proud that you did something people still talk about,” he said.

Although he considers the dunk he did was pure “luck,” he stressed to some 25 elite college basketball players during the 2016 NBA Gatorade Training Center that they need not rely their games to fate.

“You always have to make yourself better and always do things out of the box, challenge yourself because once you do that, you find yourself getting better,” he said.

Brown is in town with Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight tipping-off the NBA Training Center as part of the NBA FIT Week at the Hoops Center in NBA great Dee Brown, who played for the Boston Celtics, is interviewed by mediamen during Mandaluyong. the launching of the NBA Fit Week. MAXINE LAGMAN

Knight has high hopes for Suns PROMISING Phoenix Suns’ point guard Brandon Knight rues the untimely injuries that plagued his team last year, but still has high hopes for the franchise next season.

The former 8th overall pick in the 2011 draft was posting career-high numbers after he joined the Suns midway the 2015 season, but a recurring sports hernia hampered him throughout last year.

Knight, who is in the country for this year’s Gatorade NBA Training Center at the Hoops Center in Mandaluyong, came off an impressive ‘15-’16 campaign averaging 19.6 pts, 5.1 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game before being sidelined at the end of Phoenix’s 2359 season.

The 6’3” guard missed a total of 30 games after being in and out of the lineup due to various injuries, particularly a groin injury which marred his stellar year.

His backcourt tag-team with Eric Bledsoe last season could’ve helped the Suns, but the duo combined for only 83 appearances due to injuries, with Bledsoe hurting his left knee early in December.

But the former NBA AllRookie First Team member is positive that his team will make a turn-around next season, even though there are rumors brewing about him being traded.

Knight is in town with former Celtic and 1991 Dunk Champ Dee Brown for the Gatorade NBA Fit Week. Peter Paul Duran

No Murray, Federer, Nadal at Toronto Masters net tilt

Parade of ships. Hundreds of traditional boats near Camaret after leaving the port of

Brest, western of France, for a parade between Brest and Douarnenez. Hundreds of hold sailing ships passed through the famous Tas-de-Pois passage, in Britany for the main final parade of the the Brest 2016 Maritime festival (FÍtes maritimes de Brest 2016). AFP

TORONTO—Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on Tuesday pulled out of next week’s Toronto Masters, joining Wimbledon champion Andy Murray in deciding to skip the event.

Seventeen-time major champion Federer’s last match was his loss to Canadian Milos Raonic in the Wimbledon semi-finals, while Nadal, who has won 14 titles in Grand Slam tournaments, has not played since withdrawing from the French Open in May with a wrist injury.

World number three Federer has won the Toronto event twice in his career, but

also missed the tournament last year.

“Toronto is one of my favorite events on the calendar and I am disappointed that I won’t be able to compete in front of the great tennis fans in Canada,” the Swiss great told Tennis Canada.

“Looking ahead, it is best for me that I take more time after Wimbledon.”

Spain’s Nadal has still not recovered from the problem that forced him to end his campaign at Roland Garros when it was just two matches old.

“I am disappointed to announce I won’t be able to

come to Toronto to play this year,” said Nadal.

“I only started practising a week ago after my wrist injury and I am not ready to play such an important event.”

Reigning Toronto champion Murray announced his decision to skip the tournament on Monday, saying that he too needed more time to recover from winning his third major title.

That leaves Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic, who suffered a shock third-round defeat to American Sam Querrey at Wimbledon, as the only member of tennis’ “big four” taking part in Toronto. AFP

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Plaridel golf fires off on Friday SENATOR JV Ejercito is expected to lead the ceremonial tee-off to kick off the 2ndPlaridel Golf Cup at Wack-Wack golf course on Friday, at 8 a.m.

Joining Ejercito, who is also president of the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club, will be SamahangPlaridel Chairman Crispulo “Jun” Icban (editor-in-chief of Manila Bulletin) and President Rolando G. Estabillo (publisher of Manila Standard).

Dozens of golf enthusiasts among newsmen, journalists, communicators and their friends are competing in the annual 18-hole tournament sponsored this year by San Miguel Corporation, International Container Terminal Services Inc. and Goldensky International Group Inc. to raise funds for SamahangPlaridel’s projects.

The system-36 scoring format will be applied for both media and guest divisions.

Hole-in-one sponsors are Piagio Ape from Autohub group, Family Inada and Club Car from the Turf Company.

Other corporate sponsors are San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Airlines, Pagcor, SM Mart Inc., MNTC, Ayala Land, Philex Mining, GMA-7, Stradcom, Phil.

Charity Sweepstakes Office, Wilcon Depot, Inc., PCSO, Milleage Asia Corp. and Liwayway Marketing Corp.

Interested mediamen who want to participate may get tickets at the WackWack golf club. Tournament fee is pegged at P4,000, to include lunch, giveaways and raffle prizes.

Tiger pulls out of PGA tourney LOS ANGELES—Ailing Tiger Woods pulled out of the PGA Championship on Tuesday, meaning he will have missed out on all four majors this year because of injury.

The former world number one has been sidelined since last August because of back trouble that required surgery and he has since tumbled down to 628 in the world rankings.

“We have been in contact with Tiger’s agent, Mark Steinberg, and he informed us today that our four-time PGA Champion will be unable to join us at Baltusrol Golf Club next week for the 98th PGA Championship,” PGA of America said in a statement.

The 14-time major champion Woods, who last won a major at the 2008 US Open, was among 112 players originally listed for the year’s final major tournament on July 28-31 in Springfield, New Jersey. AFP

This combination of pictures created on July 19, 2016 shows some of the top Russian athletes that may miss the upcoming 2016 summer Olympics in Rio as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on July 19, 2016 it will study “legal options” on banning all Russian athletes from the Rio Games and also ordered a disciplinary commission to look into the role of Russian officials in a state-run doping system.

The IOC executive held emergency telephone talks today after a World Anti-Doping Agency commissioned report said there had been statesanctioned doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and other major events. Top row, from left: Sergey Shubenkov (men’s 110 metres hurdles), Yelena Isinbayeva (women’s pole vault), Vladimir Morozov (men’s 50-metre freestyle swim), and Yuliya Efimova (women’s 100m breaststroke swim). Second row, from left: Sofya Velikaya (Women’s sabre), Aliya Mustafina (Artistic Gymnastics), Dmitriy Muserskiy (L) and Dmitriy Ilinykh (men’s volleyball), and Evgenia Kanaeva (Rhythmic Gymnastics). AFP

Ban on Russia delayed LAUSANNE —The International Olympic Committee barred Russia’s Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko from the Rio Games and withdrew backing for international events in Russia over a state-run doping programme, but delayed ruling on a complete ban on the country until after a key court case on Thursday.

With the Rio Games due to start on August 5, the IOC executive committee held emergency talks Tuesday on what Olympic president Thomas Bach called a “shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sport and on the Olympic Games” by the Russian government.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which commissioned an independent inquiry into Russian

doping, has led international calls for Russia to be banned from Rio over revelations of widespread state-run doping at the Sochi Winter Olympics and other major events in Russia.

But the IOC said after the talks it will first “explore the legal options with regard to a collective ban of all Russian athletes for the Olympic Games 2016 versus the right to individual justice.”

It is also waiting on a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling on Thursday on an appeal by 68 Russian athletes against an IAAF ban from the Rio competition.

The controversial Mutko, a long-time ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was the highest-profile casualty of the first sanctions as the IOC grapples with the biggest doping scandal in Olympic history.

He has denied any wrongdoing and said he expects his deputy to be cleared as well.

But the IOC ordered a disciplinary commission to look into his ministry’s role in what Monday’s report called a “state-dictated failsafe system” of drug cheating that included Russia’s secret service swapping dirty urine

samples for clean ones through a hole in a wall in Sochi.

Lead investigator Richard McLaren says he has conclusive evidence that the four-year doping scheme was directed by the sports ministry with the FSB intelligence agency.

As a consequence, the IOC said it will not grant any Rio accreditation “to any official of the Russian Ministry of Sport or any person implicated in the (McLaren) report.”

That includes Mutko, who has denied that the government directed the doping programme. He told the Interfax news agency he was hoping for a “reasonable” decision from the IOC on Russia’s participation in Rio. AFP

Far Eastern U stuns Santo Tomas in kickfest

UST (left) and College of St. Benilde jins clash in the women’s senior division of the MVPSF-Meralco Philippine Taewondo League last weekend at the SM City Centerpoint in Sta. Mesa, Manila

FAR Eastern University pulled off a riveting 28-27 upset of reigning men’s UAAP champion University of Santo Tomas, highlighting mostly close and thrilling matches in the MVPSFMeralco Philippine Taekwondo League at the SM City Centerpoint in Sta. Mesa, Manila last Saturday.

With the count deadlocked at 27-all after the tag round, FEU capped its incredible comeback as Kristian Mendoza Tagarao struck Joaquin Mendoza with a 45-degree kick to the body in earning the “golden point” in sudden death for the squad’s first win in Group C. Squandering a 14-9 lead after the first round, the UST bets absorbed their first loss in the tournament organized by the Philippine Taekwondo Association and sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and Meralco.

But they managed to bounce back in their second match in nipping College of St. Benilde, 28-26, in the wellattended event witnessed by a crowd of 500 animated and avid fans and also backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee.

It was another close call for the Growling Tigers, who benefited from the one-point penalty slapped on Blazer Enrico Mora in the tag round for wearing the wrong uniform.

In another nail-biter in Group B of the women’s senior division, the UST Lady Tigresses leaned on veteran Abigail Cham in sudden-death to fashion a hairline 21-20 decision over the CSB Lady Blazers after their match ended tied at 20-all following the tag round.

A member of the national pool, Cham sneaked in a 45-degree kick to the body of CSB’s lanky Noelyn Campos for the golden point.

“The loss by our boys was a wake-up call for us,” noted UST women’s coach Jasmin Simpao, the wife of former national standout Dindo Simpao, after her team’s close win over CSB. Simpao’s charges avenged the loss of their men’s counterparts as they drew strength from the efforts of Cham and Marjelle Sy in subduing the Lady Tams, 18-13, in the other senior women’s match.

Mentored by the national head coach and Sydney Olympic Games veteran Kitoy Cruz, the CSB men’s squad did not go home empty-handed as it vented its frustration in whipping FEU, 49-23, closing out the day’s schedule.

T H U R S D AY : j U lY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Tour de France’s final push begins BERN, Switzerland—Spending four days in the Alps might sound relaxing yet it will be anything but for Chris Froome and his Tour de France rivals.

Golden ticket. Jennylyn Reyes of Petron raises her golden ticket, making

her the fourth Filipina to compete in the FIVB Women’s Club World Championship set at the Mall of Asia Arena from Oct. 18 to 23. A seasoned national team member who was part of the Petron squad that saw action in the AVC Asian Women’s Club Championship in Vietnam last year, Reyes is considered as the country’s best floor defender with her quickness, agility and leadership on the court. Reyes will be joining Kim Fajardo and Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rachel Ann Daquis of Petron in the prestigious squad, which will be bannered by seven foreign reinforcements. ROMAN PROSPERO

LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Estate of the late CEFERINO LIM FOLLOSCO was extrajudicially settled among his heirs as per Doc. No. 21; Page No. 6; Book No. 42; Series of 2016, under Notary Public Atty. Ruben T.M. Ramirez.

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that HERMA SHIPPING AND TRANSPORT CORPORATION with office address at #94 Scout Rallos St., Kamuning, Quezon City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Domestic/Inter-Island Shipping Operator on a Non-pioneer status with the acquisition of one (1) unit brand new 16 MB Oil Tanker Vessel-MT Matipuno, 1,586 GT. Any person with valid objection/s on the above-mentioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD.) RAFAELITO H. TARUC Director Infrastructure and Service Industries Service (TS-JULY 21, 2016)

(TS-JULY 21, 28 & AUG. 4, 2016)

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REGION IV-A CALABARZON Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal

July 20, 2016

INVITATION TO BID The Department of Education Regional Office IV - A (CALABARZON), through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) invites contractors registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) to bid for the following projects at DepEd Regional Office lV - A (CALABARZON), Gate 2-Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal: Lot 1

Name of Project Renovation of the Current Dormitory Room and Conference Building to two (2) Storey Multi-pu rpose Building

Location DepEd RO lV-A, Gate 2, Karangalan Drive, Cainta, RizaI

Cost of Bid Docs 10,000.00

Contract Duration 150

Amount (Php) 9,706,748.76

Prospective bidders must be PHILGEPS registered with a valid PCAB License applicable to the contract. Have completed a similar contract with value of at least 50% of the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC), and with key personnel and equipment available for the execution of the contract. The BAC will use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the Preliminary Examination of Bids and conduct post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid.

All particulars relative to the Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference, Evaluation of Bids, Postqualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA.9184 and lts Revised lmplementing Rules and Regulatlon (lRR).

The schedule of BAC activities is as follows: NO.

BAC ACTIVITIES

1

Advertisement

2

lssuance of Bid Documents

3

Pre-bid Conference

4

Receipt and Opening of Bids

SCHEDULE July 22, 2016 to July 29, 2016 July 22, 2016 to August 9, 2016 July 28, 2016, 10:00 AM August 9, 2016, 10:00 AM

VENUE

ESSD DepED RO lV-A Conference Room DepED RO lV-A Conference Room

The BAC will lssue bidding documents to prospective bidders at Education Support Services Division (ESSD), DepED Regional Offlce lV-A, Gate 2 Karangalan drive, Cainta, Rizal upon payment of a non-refundable amount to the Regional Office Cashier.

The DepEd Regional Office lV-A reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, and to annul the bidding process and reject all bids prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

(TS-JULY 21, 2016)

(SGD) ANN GERALYN PELIAS Chief Administrative officer BAC Chairman

Wednesday sees the start of the final push from Bern in Switzerland all the way to Paris and Tour glory.

But in the meantime, there will be a lot of suffering, starting with Wednesday’s 184.5km 17th stage to Finhaut-Emosson.

It’s an aptly-named destination, Finhaut meaning high finish and reaching almost 2,000-metres above sea level.

The finish line arrives at the end of a 30km stretch including 23km of climbing and just 7km of respite.

It will surely test Froome and his rivals to their limits,

coming as it does at the end of a mountainous stage that penetrates deep into the Alps.

Froome has a healthy 1min 47sec lead over his nearest rival, Dutchman Bauke Mollema, but all the pre-Alpine talk was about attacking the yellow jersey and trying to prevent Froome landing a third Tour title in four years.

Having secured top 10 finishes in the previous three years, Mollema, 29, is growing into his role as title-challenger.

“A two-minute gap to Froome is big. I can’t remember a time that I took two minutes from him in a TT (time-trial) or a moun-

tain stage, but I am in the form of my life,” said Mollema.The major difficulty will be the fact that the next four days include four tough Alpine stages, with Thursday’s 17km time-trial followed by a pair of explosive stages, the first with an uphill finish and the second no less mountainous for its descent to the line.

“We’ve never yet done four such tough stages in a row at the end,” said Italian Fabio Aru, currently sitting 10th but determined to fight for a top-three podium finish.

“So it will be interesting to see how everyone reacts to such selective challenges.”

Froome said from the start of the Tour that he felt this would be the crucial period in the whole race. AFP

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

Roxas Boulevard Corner Pablo Ocampo, Sr. Street Manila 1004

DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR NO. 002-2016 July 8, 2016 SUBJECT: EXTENDING UNTIL JUNE 30, 2017 THE PERIOD FOR COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 5.2 OF DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR (DC) NO. 01-2015, AS AMENDED BY DC NO. 03-2015, THE “REVISED GUIDELINES ON AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT DEPOSITORY BANKS” In the exigencies of service, in view of the numerous requests received by this Department, and to minimize operational impact among NGAs, GOCCs, and LGUs, Department Circular (DC) No. 01-2015, as amended by DC No. 03-2015, is hereby further amended, to wit: Section 1. Extension of the Compliance Period to June 30, 2017. The compliance period provided for in Section 6.1 of DC No. 01-2015, as amended, is hereby extended to June 30, 2017.

Accordingly, all NGAs, GOCCs or LGUs maintaining accounts with banks not compliant with the requirements of Section 5.2 of DC No. 01-2015, as amended, except those allowed under Sections 5.3 and 5.4 thereof, shall have until June 30, 2017 to transfer all funds and cash balances to a bank compliant with the provisions of said Section 5.2.

Section 2. Maintenance of Existing Accounts. From the date of the effectivity of this Circular until June 30, 2017, NGAs, GOCCs and LGUs may maintain existing accounts with a noncompliant bank but may not increase deposit balances beyond what they were as of the effectivity of this Circular.

Section 3. Requests for Extension of Deadline.

After June 30, 2017 and the bank is still unable to meet the requirements of Section 5.2 of DC No. 01-2015, NGAs, GOCCs or LGUs may request the Department of Finance (DOF) to extend the deadline indicated in Section 1 hereof by one (1) year, subject to the submission of a transition plan, for DOF’s evaluation and approval. The request for extension must be submitted at least ninety (90) days before the deadline. DOF has until the day before the deadline to evaluate, and approve or disapprove the request.

Section 4. Transfer of Funds After Compliance Period.

If the NGAs, GOCCs or LGUs do not request for an extension, or if their request is disapproved by the DOF, the same must transfer ail funds and cash balances to banks that meet the requirements of Section 5.2 of DC No. 01-2015.

Section 5. Repealing Clause. This Circular further amends DC No. 01-2015, as amended by DC No. 03-2015. All other orders, circulars, memoranda, issuances contrary to or inconsistent herewith are hereby revoked and/or modified, and all concerned shall be guided accordingly.

Section 6. Effectivity. This Order shall take effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

(SGD) CARLOS G. DOMINGUEZ Secretary (TS-JULY 21, 2016)

PH bets focused on task ahead

By Peter Atencio FILIPINO athletes who are going to see action in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro are getting focused on the challenges ahead of them.

Chef de mission Joey Romasanta said this some three days before the Filipino athletes are to leave for Brazil this Saturday.

“Everything is going smoothly. The athletes are getting focused on what they are supposed to do and not really on what comes after,” said Romasanta in an afternoon television interview.

Ian Lariba will carry the Philippine flag during the parade of athletes in the opening ceremony of the Games.

Lariba, who is the country’s first female table tennis player to reach the Olympiad, will be the first to compete on Aug. 6, along with boxers Rogen Ladon and Charly Suarez.

Joining Lariba are Kirstie Elaine Alora of taekwondo, Hidilyn Diaz and Nestor Colonia of weightlifting, Miguel Tabuena of golf.

Long jumper Marestella Torres-Sunang of athletics and Ian Lariba of table tennis are also coming.

Trackster Eric Cray will be coming in from the United States while marathoner Mary Joy Tabal is flying in from Japan.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Butch Ramirez, POC president Peping Cojuangco, Romasanta, and other sports officials, led a send-off ceremony last Monday in (TS-DEC. 1, 2015) Malacañang.

T H U R S D AY : J U LY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

3 Filipino tracksters ready to make big strides in Rio

LOTTO RESULTS

6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M+ 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

By Peter Atencio

LONG jumper Marestella Torres-Sunang, sprinter Eric Cray and Filipino marathon queen Mary Joy Tabal and are all primed and ready to make big strides in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Coach E offers year-round cage program

The three athletes said this after they were honored on Tuesday during a sendoff ceremony organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and their supporters.

“Sa kundisyon ko ngayon, goal kong makapasok sa finals.

Hindi ko na tinitingnan ang distance,” said Torres-Sunang during a gathering at the Orchid Gardens Suite in Vito Cruz, Manila.

She achieved the Olympic qualifying mark of 6.71 meters

KNOWN for providing low coachstudent ratio to give aspirants more hands on training, Coach E Basketball School is offering a year-round program to its students.

Open to boys and girls four to 16 years old, the program offers an eightsession per semester module, but Coach E Basketball School is opening its whole, year-round, tri-mester program for interested young players.

First semester—July to September 2016 Second semester—October to December 2016 Third semester—January to March 2017 First semester classes will start its semester on July 23. Six venues have already been secured to cater to those students from different parts of the metropolis.

Pending the approval of Celebrity Sports Plaza, which is being eyed as the seventh venue for the participants, sessions will begin at the following: The Zone in Makati, Mother Goose Nursery School in San Juan, Valle Verde 2 in Pasig City, Greenhills West in San Juan, San Beda Alabang and Ateneo in Quezon City.

Parents of interested participants can contact 6311195 / 6684347 and mobile no.09088846947. They can also email usatcoachebasketball@gmail.com.

Online payment is available through Coach E website, www.coach-e.com, via Paypal while registration is walk-in.

From July 23 to Sept. 11, The Zone and Mother Goose Nursery School will hold Saturday classes from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

Valle Verde 2, Greenhills West, and San Beda Alabang will also open classes on the same date, but the weekly Saturday sessions will begin from 2 to 4 p.m.

On Aug. 6, Ateneo de Manila University will start its Saturday sessions scheduled at 2 to 4 p.m. and will run until Sept. 11.

when she brought home the gold in the 2016 Kazakhstan National Open recently in Almaty.

In her preparations for Rio, the 35-year old Torres-Sunang said she has incorporated the use of meditation through yoga into her training program.

This, Torres-Sunang explained, helps give her more flexibility and avoid injuries when she trains with her coach Joebert Delicano.

On the other hand, Cray is busy trying to stay in shape with

his coach Devian Clarke.

“I just go in and train. We are going to a higher distance so I can deal with the buildup and make sure that I am healthy going to Rio,” said Cray following a long distance Skype call in El Paso, Texas where he is based.

Cray, a double gold medallist and double games record setter in the 100-meter dash and in the 400-meter hurdles in the recent Southeast Asian Games, will see action in the 400-meter hurdles in Rio. “ I am preparing for the route and the weather. We train inside the school with a combination of uphill, downhill and rough road per loop,” said Tabal through chat after voice communications became choppy.

Tabal, who is personally

trained by Philip John Duenas in Cebu, made the cut when she reached the finish line in the Ottawa Marathon in 2:43.29, which was faster than the Olympic standard of 2:45.

She is currently in Japan training at the Nippon Sports Science University under renowned mentor Akio Usami.

American businessmansportsman Jim Laffery, who has started an Adopt-an-Olympian program is currently supporting the preparations of both TorresSunang and Cray. Cebu-based businessman Jonel Borromeo is helping out Tabal through his company Motor Ace Philippines-Kawasaki.

“We are close to a medal hunt here,” said Laffery as he presented his program to Patafa president Philip Ella Juico.

SBP-Passerelle caging set

Adamson University to defend their Passerelle championship title

THE Small Basketeers of the Philippines-Passerelle Twin Tournament, the country’s most prestigious inter-school basketball competition for kids, is back for its 31st season.

Defending their championship title in the SBP division will be La Salle Greenhills, while Adamson University will be back to reclaim their Passerelle championship title.

The 2016 tourney will open on Sunday at the Fr. Rafael Cortina Gym in Xavier School, Greenhills, San Juan.

This will be followed by elimination games in NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to determine which teams qualify for the regional championships. The best teams from each region will battle it out at the national finals Tentative schedules of the regional playoffs will be Oct. 21 to 24 in Davao City for Mindanao, Nov. 4 to 7 in Baguio City for Luzon, and Nov. 18 to 21 in Roxas City for Visayas.

Over 600 players from more than 150 schools nationwide are expected to join the competition. School teams participating in the SBP division (9-11 year old kids) in the NCR will include Ateneo de Manila University, De La

Salle Santiago Zobel School, De La Salle Greenhills and Xavier School. Joining the Passerelle (12-14 year olds) division, meanwhile, will be Adamson University, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle Santiago Zobel School, De La Salle Greenhills, San Beda College and University of Santo Tomas.

Organized by the Basketball Efficiency and Scientific Training (BEST) Center, the country’s premiere sports clinic, and supported by MILO in cooperation with Chris Sports and SKLZ, the SBP-Passerelle Twin Tournament provides a venue for young cagers to apply what they learned from basketball trainings and showcase their skills. Some of the national basketball stars who started their career in SBP-Passerelle include Chris Tiu, JV Casio, Larry Fonacier, LA Tenorio, Kobe Paras, Kiefer Ravena, and Mark and Mike Nieto.

For more information and schedule updates, call 411-6260 or 372-3065/66, email bestcentersports@gmail.com or follow BEST Center on Facebook at https://www.facebook. c om / BE S T- C enter- Sp or t s Inc-66172039922.

EBL hearing for Fantoni and Nunes THE EBL hearing for Fulvio Fantoni and Claudio Nunes was held the 15th of July, at Headquarters of the EBL in Lausanne.

President of the Disciplinary Commission is Jurica Caric (Croataia).

Mr. Eric Laurant (Netherlands), Chairman of the EBL Investigation Committee, is the prosecutor for Fantoni Nunes’ case.

Mr. Ross Wenzel, member of Kellerhals Carrard lawfirm, is the EBL lawyer for the prosecution. Mr. Wenzel is an expert in sports law, in particular international arbitration and commercial contracts and he regularly represents clients before the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).

Update – July 16, 2016: The EBL hearing for Fantoni and Nunes finished yesterday evening.

The Disciplinary Commission will come up with a decision in maximum three weeks.

-oOoTHE GUARDIAN 12/28/2011 Bridge hand of the year: extraordinary play Zia Mahmood This is a candidate for, not only for hand of the year, but hand of the century.

Today’s deal was voted hand of the year by the International Bridge Press Association.

It involves a type of play previously unknown to anyone except Geza Ottlik and Hugh Kelsey, whose Adventures in Card Play is the most complex bridge book ever written. The star was Norway’s Geir Helgemo, who sat South at game all.

This was the bidding: West led the king of clubs and East played the jack, won by Helgemo with the ace.

He cashed the ace of hearts and the king and ace of diamonds, then cashed the king of hearts, then led the nine of spades from dummy… and ran it!

This astonishing first-round finesse was required, as you will see, from the end position that arose.

A spade to the jack came next, and with six cards remaining Helgemo led the king of spades from his hand. West had three master cards

in hearts and three in clubs, and had to find a discard on this round of trumps. Since North had three low hearts and South had three low clubs, whatever West did would prove fatal. If he discarded a heart, Helgemo would overtake the king of spades with dummy’s ace. Then he would ruff a heart, ruff a club, ruff a heart, ruff a club, and dummy’s last heart would be a winner at trick 13. If instead West threw a club, Helgemo would allow the king of spades to hold in his own hand. He would ruff a club, ruff a heart, ruff a club, ruff a heart, and his club would be a winner at trick 13. An entryshifting trump squeeze involving a seemingly unnecessary finesse in trumps-but if you follow the play of this incredible deal closely, you will see that the contract would have had no chance if declarer had cashed the ace of spades before leading through East’s queen.

North ♠A9743 ♥K8763 ♦A6 ♣7

West ♠None ♥QJ952 ♦109 ♣KQ10982

East ♠Q82 ♥104 ♦QJ85432 ♣J South ♠KJ1065 ♥A ♦K7 ♣A6543

West 2♦1 Pass Pass Pass

North 2NT² 4♣³ 5♦5 Pass

East Pass Pass Pass Pass

South 1♦ 3♣ 4NT4 7♦

(1) Hearts and a minor (2) spade support, forcing to game (3) short clubs (4) keycard blackwood (5) two key card and the queen of spades, treating his fifth cards as the equivalent of the queen.

Comments to: sylvia.alejandro@yahoo

A16

T H U R S DAY : J U LY 2 1 , 2 0 16 RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

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

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

GlobalPort’s Anthony Semerad (right) and Mahindra’s John Pinto battle for the looseball in a PBA Governors’ Cup game won by the Enforcers, 108-98.

Bombers take on Generals JOSE Rizal University seeks to put an end to a disappointing start as it clashes with an unpredictable E m i l i o Games today Aguinaldo (The Arena, San Juan) 10 a.m.- Jose Rizal College today in vs EAC (jrs) the 92nd NCAA 12 noon- St. Benilde vs LPU (jrs) basketball 2 p.m.- Jose Rizal vs EAC (srs) tournament at 4 p.m.- St. Benilde The Arena in vs LPU (srs) San Juan City.

Tipped to make a repeat of their Final Four finish last year after keeping an intact core, the Bombers failed to live up to pre-season hype and lost three of their first four games, including a 66-69 defeat to the Lyceum of the Philippine University Pirates Friday.

The lost sent the Kalentong-based dribblers down the lower half of the standings alongside EAC, LPU and San Sebastian, all possessing 1-3 (win-loss) slates.

“We’re not playing with heart,” said a disappointed Jose Rizal coach Vergel Meneses.

Jose Rizal’s main men Tey Teodoro, Paolo Pontejos, Jordan dela Paz and the Cameroonian duo of Abdel Poutouochi and Abdul Razak Abdul Wahab have been excruciatingly inconsistent and would need some stepping up.

The Generals have shown the ability to hatch some surprises with the starting five of Hamadou Laminou, Sydney Onwubere, Francis Munsayac, Remy Morada and Igee King playing impressive early.

EAC mentor Ariel Sison though thinks his team needs to finish game right.

White keeps Mahindra nd stain-free in 2 victory

By Jeric Lopez

THE surprise tour continued for Mahindra.

The Enforcers turned in another impressive showing, this time outmuscling GlobalPort in the clutch to hack out a 108-98 triumph and continue rolling in the early part of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

James White continued to be a force for Mahindra, leading the Enforcers with another monster output of 28 points and 20 rebounds, both team-highs, along with four shot blocks.

A burly barrage down the stretch proved to be the key for the Enforcers as they turned a onepoint deficit in the middle of the

Iconic Blind Dunk lives on TURN TO A12

payoff period to a decisive rout in the closing minutes.

Mahindra unleashed tons of firepower to take the game emphatically through a booming 22-7 blast in the last six minutes of the contest to leave GlobalPort in the dust.

As Mahindra continued to impress, it now holds a 2-0 start—tied with Meralco for the early tourna-

ment lead. This is the down the stretch with Games Friday (Smart Araneta Coliseum) Enforcers’ best start the mentioned pivotal p.m. - San Miguel vs. NLEX in their young fran- 4:15 spurt that turned the 7 p.m. - Star vs. Blackwater chise history. tides in its favor.

“I want to deflect all the effort Playing confidently, the Enforcto my guys. We withstood a very ers produced a key 8-1 spurt to strong GlobalPort team,” said Ma- start the second half and grasp a hindra deputy coach Chris Gavi- 53-44 lead with under nine minna. “We need to stay humble and utes in the third canto. hungry despite this good start and However, the Batang Pier also keep our consistency.” bounced back in the latter part of The second straight setback sent the third to trim Mahindra’s lead the Batang Pier to 0-2 and to the to a single point, 70-69, heading bottom of the heap in a tie with to the fourth, leaving the final 12 Phoenix. minutes to decide the victor.

Mahindra also got a nice lift from GlobalPort played sans ace spitAldrech Ramos, who scored 16 fire Terrence Romeo, who was points, while LA Revilla and Paolo forced to sit out due to intestinal flu.

Taha added 11 and 10, respectively.

Sutton led GlobalPort with his Dominic Sutton’s three-point game-high 34 points. play gave GlobalPort a slim 85-84 Mahindra ended up with a slim lead with over seven minutes left, 45-43 edge at halftime following a but Mahindra had the last laugh tight opening half.

Ban on Russia delayed TURN TO A13

THURSDAY: JULY 21, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

business@thestandardtoday.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS

B1

Govt revives Clark rail project

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Transportation Department proposed to build a railway system connecting Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City and Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade told reporters the planned rail system would use the right of way of North Luzon Expressway and Philippine National Railways. “It [rail] would come from Naia or Trinoma [in Quezon City] to Clark,” Tugade said.

Tugade said the department would finalize the proposal for submission to the National Economic and Development Authority within 90 days. The proposed rail system aims to promote Clark International Airport as an alternative international gateway to Naia

which is now congested.

A similar project was proposed under the Arroyo administration but was shelved by the Aquino administration.

Japan International Cooperation Agency said Naia was expected to exceed its maximum handling capacity this year, when the airport would handle 37.78 million passengers.

Its maximum handling capacity stands at 35 million passengers a year.

Tugade also said the agency planned to ask airlines to transfer their turbo-props operations to Clark as part of the government program to decongest the NAIA.

The meeting with the airline operators is scheduled Thursday.

Tugade said general aviation at Naia would be removed to increase the capacity of the terminal “When I remove general aviation, you will have an additional space between 18 percent and 21 percent.

Already, this weekend, I was pleased to get an open letter from [Philippine Airlines] chairman Lucio Tan saying he is openly endorsing the removal of general aviation and that he will also remove all his jet and helicopters there to show his commitment. Same is true with Lance Gokongwei,” Tugade said.

He said general aviation would be transferred to Sangley Point in Cavite.

Meanwhile, the Duterte administration also proposed to build a cable car to address traffic congestion at Edsa. “I’m not thinking this for a replacement for train. Hopefully I can make this concept approved by end of the year and implement it by mid next year,” Tugade said.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the government needed at least 10 years of continuous buildup of roads, bridges and railways to fully achieve the so-called “golden age” of infrastructure.

PSe comPoSite index Closing July 20, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

8,051.97 15.96

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing July 20, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.110

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P46.990 LOW P47.150 AVERAGE P47.064 VOLUME 680.500M

P427.00-P620.00 LPG/11-kg tank P36.35-P43.45 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P24.75-P29.60 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene

Most innovative deal.

First Metro Investment Corp., the investment banking arm of the Metrobank Group, is recognized at the Triple A Asia Infrastructure Awards 2016 of the Hong Kong-based finance publication The Asset. Shown receiving the Most Innovative Deal award for the P31.97-billion project loan facility for Therma Visayas Inc. in which First Metro is the sole mandated lead arranger and sole bookrunner are (from left) Aboitiz Power Corp. project development manager Nicolo Subido, First Metro executive vice president Justino Juan Ocampo, Aboitiz Equity Ventures senior vice president and treasurer Gabby Mañalac, The Asset editor-in-chief Daniel Yu, AEV vice president May Peñaloza, First Metro vice president Maria Teresa De Vera, AEV assistant vice president Clarice Uvas-Marucut and First Metro first vice president Arsenio Kenneth Ona.

Lopez stops Nickel Asia shipment from E. Samar

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Wednesday, July 20, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.8440

Japan

Yen

0.009424

0.4415

UK

Pound

1.311200

61.4219

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128949

6.0405

Switzerland

Franc

1.014919

47.5429

Canada

Dollar

0.768167

35.9840

Singapore

Dollar

0.739153

34.6249

Australia

Dollar

0.750100

35.1377

Bahrain

Dinar

2.649849

124.1295 12.4951

THE government stopped the ore shipment of a unit of Nickel Asia Corp. from Manicani Island in Eastern Samar, Environment Secretary Regina Lopez said Wednesday.

“We are suspending the retrieving of the stockpiles to address the ecological balance,” Lopez said at the sidelines of the general meeting of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines in Makati City.

Nickel Asia’s affiliate Hinatuan Mining Corp. operates a nickel mine in Manicani Island. The Environment Department suspend-

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266738

Brunei

Dollar

0.736431

34.4974

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.028637

1.3415

UAE

Dirham

0.272301

12.7557

Euro

Euro

1.102300

51.6361

Korea

Won

0.000877

0.0411

China

Yuan

0.149321

6.9948

India

Rupee

0.014882

0.6971

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.250000

11.7110

New Zealand

Dollar

0.704700

33.0110

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031243

1.4635 Source: PDS Bridge

ed the operations of Hinatuan Mining in Manicani in 2011, but allowed the mining company to dispose ore stockpile.

“In the audit, they are taking too much soil. They are taking the soil out and it goes to China,” Lopez said.

“I am committed to the welfare of people in the island, to get them out of poverty,” she said.

Lopez said the company should use the ore stockpile for mine restoration. “They have to use it for restoration, put it back in the hole,” Lopez said.

Hinatuan Mining already made eight shipments of ore from Manicani Island, involving 400,000

metric tons of nickel ore. “There are 1.4 million metric tons of nickel ore left,” Lopez said.

“I am not against mining. All decisions are made based on the common good. They can’t adversely affect farms, rice fields and rivers,” Lopez said.

Nickel Asia president Gerard Brimo said in a statement the company had not yet received the order.

Nickel Asia’s stock fell 4.1 percent Wednesday to close at P5.80.

“On the Manicani issue, our subsidiary Hinatuan Mining Corp. has not engaged in mining since the late 1990s and has been directed by the DENR-MGB [Mines and Geosciences Bureau]

last year to remove the stockpiles of mostly low-grade limonite ore that was accumulated during the mining operations then,” Brimo said.

Brimo said Nickel Asia had explained to Lopez that the removal of the stockpiles was the right thing to do from an environmental perspective, as it would do away with any potential environmental impact that such stockpiles might pose, while at the same time providing badly needed employment and tax revenues.

“We have not received any order from the DENR-MGB to cease the removal of the stockpiles,” Brimo said.

THURSDAY: JULY 21, 2016

B2

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

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Wednesday, July 20, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 4 17 30.45 10.4 2.6 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 75 91.5 137 80 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 8.7 12.02 19.6 6.12 1.02 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 58 62 88.35 52 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources Citystate Savings COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. I-Remit Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92

20.6 125 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

15.32 62.5 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.37 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 3.68 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 6.5 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 9.66 0.0670 2.31 1.61 2.99 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 1.39 390 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 1.15 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 3.43 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 3 0.030 1.23 0.550 2.26 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 0.93 170 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 5.6 7.1 1.44 1.97

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 2.8 4.6 0.79 1.1

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.97 3.8 47.4 46 115.80 115.00 99.75 98.95 38.05 37.95 4.16 4.06 1.84 1.51 9.12 9.12 15.6 15.4 21.25 20.3 7.10 6.83 1.96 1.96 0.600 0.580 94.55 93.5 0.96 0.95 14.88 14.78 23.40 23.40 60.00 59.70 103.9 100 520 520 288.8 280 32.1 32.35 212 202.4 1470.00 1415.00 67.00 65.15 1.6 1.5 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

45.25 45.55 45.1 Agrinurture Inc. 3.61 3.61 3.33 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.83 0.84 0.83 Alsons Cons.

2.01 2.03 1.99 Asiabest Group 13.5 15.12 13.52 Cemex Holdings 11 11.04 10.9 Century Food 16.28 16.6 16.28 Chemphil 169.9 168 153 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 190 209 175 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 21 21.5 20.5 Concepcion 50 55 50 Crown Asia 2.18 2.27 2.19 Da Vinci Capital 5.72 6.02 5.71 Del Monte 12.3 12.3 12 DNL Industries Inc. 9.620 9.690 9.440 Emperador 7.30 7.34 7.30 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.70 5.80 5.73 EEI 9.10 9.61 9.11 Euro-Med Lab 1.69 1.71 1.7 First Gen Corp.

25.2 25.4 25.15 First Holdings ‘A’ 69.85 70 69.6 12.00 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.20 12.20 Holcim Philippines Inc. 15.10 15.14 15.04 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.76 5.76 5.72 Ionics Inc 2.350 2.420 2.360 Jollibee Foods Corp.

248.00 250.60 249.00 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.6 3.98 3.57 Macay Holdings 34.00 35.65 34.00 Manila Water Co. Inc. 26.9 27.2 26.85 Maxs Group 28.4 28.8 28.35 Megawide 8.59 9.92 8.55 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 309.00 311.00 308.60 MG Holdings 0.280 0.275 0.275 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.40 4.29 4.29 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.45 3.5 3.43 Petron Corporation 11.08 11.10 10.98 Phil H2O 3.35 3.35 3.35 Phinma Corporation 11.66 11.66 11.60 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 6.45 6.45 6.38 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.64 1.65 1.63 Pryce Corp. `A’ 3.31 3.45 3.3 RFM Corporation 4.29 4.30 4.27 Roxas Holdings 3.9 3.89 3.88 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 212 209 209 Splash Corporation 3.03 3.05 3.03 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.151 0.151 0.150 TKC Steel Corp.

2.40 2.52 2.36 Trans-Asia Oil 2.55 2.55 2.51 Universal Robina 200 200 198 Victorias Milling 4.6 4.65 4.44 Vitarich Corp.

1.01 1.02 0.98 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.34 1.36 1.32 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.390 0.390 0.380 Aboitiz Equity 83.20 84.40 83.30 Alliance Global Inc. 16.32 16.32 16.14 Anglo Holdings A 1.35 1.40 1.35 Anscor `A’ 6.11 6.20 6.15 ATN Holdings A 0.410 0.415 0.390 ATN Holdings B 0.405 0.410 0.395 Ayala Corp `A’ 890 894 885 Cosco Capital 7.9 7.95 7.87 DMCI Holdings 12.80 12.80 12.62 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5.96 6.62 6.07 F&J Prince ‘B’ 6 6.98 6.58 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

6.85 6.95 6.82 Forum Pacific 0.255 0.245 0.220 GT Capital 1560 1573 1549 House of Inv. 6.47 6.47 6.45 JG Summit Holdings 86.00 86.00 85.40 Jolliville Holdings 4.34 4.3 4.3 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.5 7.86 7.64 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.73 0.74 0.7 LT Group 15.94 15.98 15.84 0.490 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.500 0.490 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 7.25 7.28 7.19 MJCI Investments Inc. 3.13 3.13 3.11 Pacifica `A’ 0.0330 0.0330 0.0320 Prime Media Hldg 1.340 1.340 1.340 Prime Orion 1.980 1.980 1.940 Republic Glass ‘A’ 2.70 2.70 2.70 San Miguel Corp `A’ 78.00 81.15 78.10 Seafront `A’ 2.4 2.40 2.40 SM Investments Inc. 1010.00 1017.00 1008.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.26 1.27 1.26 South China Res. Inc. 0.92 0.92 0.90 Transgrid 181.00 250.00 204.80 Top Frontier 189.000 189.800 185.000 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3350 0.3350 0.3250 Wellex Industries 0.2060 0.2060 0.2040 Zeus Holdings 0.310 0.315 0.310 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.860 8.300 7.850 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.30 1.32 1.26 Araneta Prop `A’ 2.280 2.320 2.270 Arthaland Corp.

0.285 0.285 0.275 Ayala Land `B’ 40.050 40.100 39.850 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.41 3.46 3.38 Cebu Holdings 5.03 5.05 5.05 Cebu Prop. `A’ 5.45 5.8 5.8 Cebu Prop. `B’ 5.73 6.4 5.9 Century Property 0.540 0.54 0.520 City & Land Dev. 1.03 1.03 1.03

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

Close

SHARES 15,564,942 117,306,237 83,467,974 233,514,760 705,548,691 372,814,256 1,561,448,046

3.88 47.5 115.30 99.00 38.05 4.06 1.70 9 15.44 20.25 6.80 1.97 0.580 94.35 0.96 14.8 23.40 59.85 100.1 680 289 32.2 202.2 1420.00 66.90 1.52

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.83 47.4 115.80 99.50 38 4.16 1.59 9.12 15.58 21.1 7.10 1.96 0.580 94.4 0.96 14.8 23.40 59.90 100 520 287 32.2 208.4 1470.00 67.00 1.51

-1.29 -0.21 0.43 0.51 -0.13 2.46 -6.47 1.33 0.91 4.20 4.41 -0.51 0.00 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.08 -0.10 -23.53 -0.69 0.00 3.07 3.52 0.15 -0.66

135,000 20,500 1,461,960 2,849,100 37,200 16,000 3,166,000 200 174,200 1,902,700 9,000 72,000 377,000 1,196,190 29,000 880,400 500 241,240 4,200 10 1,400 27,900 850,210 80 12,930 161,000

45.45 3.45 0.83 2.01 15.08 10.96 16.6 168 176 20.8 53.6 2.24 5.81 12.28 9.580 7.31 5.80 9.45 1.7 25.25 70 12.20 15.04 5.75 2.400 250.40 3.98 35.50 27.2 28.8 9.65 308.60 0.275 4.29 3.5 11.10 3.35 11.60 6.40 1.64 3.35 4.29 3.89 209 3.04 0.151 2.39 2.55 200 4.5 1.02 1.32

0.44 -4.43 0.00 0.00 11.70 -0.36 1.97 -1.12 -7.37 -0.95 7.20 2.75 1.57 -0.16 -0.42 0.14 1.75 3.85 0.59 0.20 0.21 0.00 -0.40 -0.17 2.13 0.97 10.56 4.41 1.12 1.41 12.34 -0.13 -1.79 -2.50 1.45 0.18 0.00 -0.51 -0.78 0.00 1.21 0.00 -0.26 -1.42 0.33 0.00 -0.42 0.00 0.00 -2.17 0.99 -1.49

1,911,800 3,822,000 368,000 1,711,000 117,900 32,516,600 1,775,300 60 11,290 9,903,700 215,920 6,034,000 1,608,600 24,800 4,052,300 747,600 7,730,300 1,926,200 38,000 3,151,400 88,520 13,600 139,400 190,000 821,000 729,770 29,000 2,400 1,880,700 119,500 8,551,600 282,570 30,000 2,000 598,000 28,530,012 5,000 13,900 178,200 464,000 1,525,000 1,057,000 39,000 10 682,000 950,000 4,786,000 1,538,000 1,697,730 90,000 9,076,000 497,000

0.385 84.40 16.22 1.35 6.18 0.405 0.395 894 7.88 12.78 6.25 6.98 6.95 0.229 1573 6.47 85.95 4.3 7.84 0.74 15.98 0.490 7.23 3.13 0.0330 1.340 1.960 2.70 80.00 2.4 1017.00 1.26 0.92 207.00 189.800 0.3250 0.2040 0.315

-1.28 1.44 -0.61 0.00 1.15 -1.22 -2.47 0.45 -0.25 -0.16 4.87 16.33 1.46 -10.20 0.83 0.00 -0.06 -0.92 4.53 1.37 0.25 -2.00 -0.28 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.01 0.00 2.56 0.00 0.69 0.00 0.00 14.36 0.42 -2.99 -0.97 1.61

270,000 1,279,770 1,804,500 40,000 3,900 16,390,000 900,000 251,480 2,680,300 2,593,800 567,100 8,000 228,600 3,730,000 147,690 620,400 1,914,480 4,000 1,177,400 510,000 11,421,600 1,000 20,495,900 4,000 3,700,000 4,000 290,000 58,000 1,050,330 25,000 538,570 273,000 62,000 2,270 17,050 8,010,000 190,000 1,230,000

8.300 1.30 2.300 0.275 40.050 3.4 5.05 5.8 5.9 0.540 1.03

5.60 0.00 0.88 -3.51 0.00 -0.29 0.40 6.42 2.97 0.00 0.00

1,560,200 2,724,000 1,066,000 220,000 18,162,400 591,000 26,300 1,600 6,800 5,197,000 5,000

815,990.00 79,656,393 47,224,782.00 7,600.00 -46,000.00 -197,066.00 -93,595.00 40,600.00 -20,988,326.50 -5,117,902.50 89,610.00 -42,350.00 -9,650 8,852,348.00 401,330.00 8,544,425.00 44,200.00 76,398.00 133,593,244.00 -11,112,254.00 501,551 -50,750.00 3,600.00 -10,172,997.00 -2,009,349.00 18,896,957.00 13,818.00 49,677,075.00 2,180,270.00 -1,738,430.00 -634,800.00 -163,200.00 32,250,456.00 34,000.00 -5,571,530.00 -1,152,000.00 37,963,048.00 -2,034,134.00 1,649,200.00

17,980.00 1,018,770.00 722,880.00 -307,040.00 37,400.00 -745,040.00 8,939,873.00 -34,600.00 52,466,733.00 -2,560,370.00 -13,500.00 78,930,165.00 -5,714,198.00 21,968,878.00

55,578,450.00 38,345,354.00 163,174.00 -35,770.00 36,563,082.00 76,332,399.00

-4,846,648.50 78,177,675.00 -2,040.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

180,537,360.00 246,380.00 -702,160.00

High

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.050 Crown Equities Inc. 0.134 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.690 Double Dragon 63 Empire East Land 0.810 Ever Gotesco 0.155 Global-Estate 1.10 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.94 Interport `A’ 1.24 Keppel Properties 4.80 Megaworld 5.06 MRC Allied Ind. 0.110 Phil. Estates Corp.

0.2800 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.500 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 40.50 Primex Corp.

14.46 Robinson’s Land `B’ 31.85 Rockwell 1.71 Shang Properties Inc. 3.3 SM Prime Holdings 30.00 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.99 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 1.050 Vista Land & Lifescapes 5.830

3.81 1.49 5.80 0.79 1.23 -3.23 7.27 1.03 2.42 0.00 0.99 0.00 1.79 0.00 16.05 9.27 3.45 1.75 -1.52 -0.17 0.00 2.86 1.03

33,000 42,300,000 35,181,000 437,930 17,533,000 20,000 36,086,000 9,211,000 6,000 4,000 19,958,100 1,710,000 230,000 1,311,000 83,000 665,000 3,184,000 431,000 91,000 24,172,900 1,683,000 6,104,000 3,489,900

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 2.6 7.67 4 1700 2720 8.41

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 1.6 4.8 2.58 830 1600 5.95

70.5 1.97 119.5 7 5.8 0.017

17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 4 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 2.53 95.5 1 15.2

6.5 1.91 1.01 3.1 0.650 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 1.9

7.59 0.63 1.71 5 1.14

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

Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Discovery World DFNN Inc. Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Golden Haven Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ Imperial Res. `B’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Yehey

1.71 6.80 -3.20 0.00 -0.72 -0.82 -4.07 4.90 0.00 0.51 0.00 6.60 -37.89 -5.72 -1.71 -0.48 1.66 10.00 0.00 -1.73 -9.80 -20.83 0.00 0.21 2.90 1.11 0.36 0.00 -1.03 2.32 4.27 -5.00 1.67 -5.99 0.00 2.49 1.34 -0.96 0.00 -0.35 -1.50 -1.12 -0.85 3.57 -0.40 1.10 -1.48 0.00 0.00 -0.83 1.47

627,000 -1,055,626.00 355,530 33,000 1,683,000 4,900 24,420.00 59,100 10,158,600 2,446,192.00 529,310,000 462,870.00 1,577,000 -14,250.00 194,030 2,831,651.00 43,000 761,800 -10,980.00 43,000 10 103,765 -161,460,350.00 142,700 381,900 -160,466.00 1,400 3,759,000 837,940 -22,873,545.00 1,005,100 10,420 -38,330.00 14,000,000 335,000 33,780,000 24,150.00 14,006,000 451,820.00 269,000 -14,650.00 3,600 596,900 1,209,791 193,000 9,150.00 22,000 1,100 271,000 12,887,000 -5,926,130.00 13,510,100 25,688,376.00 21,715,000 613,800.00 38,900 8,500 1,590 -98,090.00 163,300 -36,730.00 135,420 16,483,440.00 1,180,000 13,785,000 4,127,000 5,963,185.00 2,182,400 -628,350.50 190,600 4,575,000 -3,363,210.00 5,055,000 21,000 1,738,000 -2,330,000.00 22,200

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 12.7 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.236 6.5 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 1.54 0.012 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

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

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

5.00 0.93 2.51 0.44 -0.69 2.57 -1.64 -2.00 0.69 -2.17 5.17 2.52 0.00 0.00 0.00 -2.08 -4.13 6.38 -2.46 0.00 0.00 2.24 -1.52 1.58 -7.69 0.76 1.02 -9.09

56,000,000 605,000 290,000 990,000 122,800 13,100 826,000 1,255,000 133,900 13,607,000 4,030,000 31,470,000 3,920,000 25,400,000 40,700,000 1,449,000 12,604,400 4,961,000 559,000 99,300,000 200,000 40,000 1,636,000 6,866,000 53,200,000 427,010 110,000 11,700,000

70 553 525 8.21 12.28 111 1047 78.95 84.8

33 490 500 5.88 6.5 101 1011 74.5 75

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PF Pref 2 SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I Swift Pref

9.02 -4.07 -0.18 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.10 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.16 -0.57 0.00 -0.65 0.00

282,720 5,360 2,360 613,900 1,079,000 35,750 4,770 13,900 82,740 9,060 5,000 66,750 39,130 87,690 579,100 5,000

-934,150.00 -5,664,682 -84,590.00

18.42

6,340,000

-71,100.00

18.65 0.81 2.26 5.74

26,215,800 684,529.00 1,000 1,194,300 -8,764.00 5,814,100 -7,371,470.00

-0.08

5,980

1.34

1

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,822.48 (up) 13.24 INDUSTRIAL 12,009.08 (up) 68.37 HOLDING FIRMS 7,969.30 (up) 43.57 PROPERTY 3,650.93 (up) 15.97 SERVICES 1,658.14 (down) 13.04 MINING & OIL 11,216.87 (down) 24.52 PSEI 8,051.97 (up) 15.96 All Shares Index 4,802.65 (down) 43.33 Gainers:113; Losers: 84; Unchanged: 54; Total: 251

Close

0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 3.1 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39 23 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

1.090 1.050 1.090 0.144 0.134 0.136 0.740 0.690 0.730 64.95 63.3 63.5 0.830 0.790 0.820 0.150 0.150 0.150 1.19 1.08 1.18 1.96 1.93 1.96 1.27 1.27 1.27 4.80 4.80 4.80 5.11 5 5.11 0.110 0.107 0.110 0.2950 0.2600 0.2850 0.520 0.490 0.500 57.95 40.50 47.00 15.8 14.36 15.8 32.95 31.35 32.95 1.76 1.71 1.74 3.3 3.25 3.25 30.00 29.85 29.95 0.99 0.97 0.99 1.020 1.080 1.100 5.900 5.830 5.890 SERVICES 7.6 7.89 7.6 7.73 50 53.4 50.5 53.4 1.25 1.26 1.21 1.21 0.650 0.650 0.630 0.650 11.18 11.2 11.1 11.1 6.1 6.1 5.9 6.05 6.39 6.41 5.99 6.13 0.1020 0.1090 0.1020 0.1070 2.87 2.88 2.84 2.87 99 99.95 99.2 99.5 2 2 1.92 2 5.15 5.50 5.16 5.49 3.22 2.00 1.92 2.00 970 914.5 914.5 914.5 2340 2340 2300 2300 6.30 6.30 6.27 6.27 16.90 17.26 16.44 17.18 20.00 22.00 20.15 22.00 1.24 1.35 1.24 1.24 63.7 63.75 62.45 62.6 25.50 25.20 22.00 23.00 240 235 170 190 0.0092 0.0092 0.0091 0.0092 9.36 9.38 9.30 9.38 0.345 0.355 0.340 0.355 1.8000 1.9900 1.7900 1.8200 2.8 3 2.79 2.81 12.86 13 12.86 12.86 6.80 6.85 6.65 6.73 3.02 3.09 3.01 3.09 1.17 1.23 1.18 1.22 20.00 20.00 19.00 19.00 0.600 0.620 0.600 0.610 3.84 3.85 3.6 3.61 5.06 5.10 4.95 5.06 3.610 3.780 3.420 3.700 11.98 12.14 12 12.14 5.20 5.20 5.15 5.15 142.00 150.00 141.00 142.00 17.00 17.00 16.62 16.94 2130.00 2120.00 2090.00 2098.00 0.445 0.445 0.435 0.440 1.170 1.170 1.140 1.160 46.20 47.85 46.20 47.85 87.75 87.75 87.10 87.40 6.38 6.45 6.37 6.45 3.38 3.42 3.32 3.33 0.650 0.660 0.630 0.650 1.96 1.96 1.88 1.96 3.6 3.6 3.55 3.57 6.110 6.380 6.200 6.200 MINING & OIL 0.0040 0.0042 0.0041 0.0042 3.23 3.30 3.22 3.26 4.38 4.58 4.38 4.49 0.227 0.232 0.227 0.228 7.2000 7.4 6.8 7.1500 7.0100 7.4000 7.0100 7.1900 0.61 0.61 0.6 0.6 0.500 0.490 0.485 0.490 8.70 8.86 8.50 8.76 0.920 0.930 0.900 0.900 0.290 0.315 0.285 0.305 0.238 0.246 0.237 0.244 0.255 0.255 0.250 0.255 0.0120 0.0130 0.0120 0.0120 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 0.0140 1.92 1.94 1.87 1.88 6.05 6.15 5.8 5.8 2.82 3.1 2.81 3 1.2200 1.2200 1.1800 1.1900 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 4.01 4.10 4.02 4.10 8.57 8.67 8.44 8.44 4.43 4.64 4.44 4.50 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 0.0120 118.10 121.90 119.00 119.00 3.92 4.04 3.92 3.96 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 PREFERRED 50.45 55 50.2 55 540 540 518 518 546 545 545 545 6.1 6.1 6.09 6.1 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 111.8 112.5 111.8 111.8 1019 1018 1010 1018 78.5 78.5 78.5 78.5 80.1 80.9 80 80.9 76.9 76.9 76.9 76.9 79 79 79 79 77.5 78.4 77.5 78.4 79.45 79.85 79 79 77 77 77 77 77 77.1 76.5 76.5 2.5 2.5 2.2 2.5 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.660 3.180 2.700 3.150 SME 6.81 8.45 7.5 8.08 3.69 3.72 3.72 3.72 5.75 6.04 5.85 5.88 16.38 17.36 16.38 17.32 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 132 132 131.5 131.9

T op g ainerS VALUE 1,151,512,928.808 1,777,908,885.12 1,958,116,825.83 1,855,078,181.34 1,529,125,804.76 221,409,051.156 8,808,486,094.958

Low

1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 8.4 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

53,600.00 7,316,019.00

Close

152,520.00 67,770.00 5,268,265.00 -13,571,390.00 8,593,920.00 554,750.00 40,055,787.00 -10,460.00 -608,100.00 62,403,990.00 29,874,505.00 9,800.00 406,900.00 6,131,706.00

-22,890.00 -179,580.00

980.00 1,180,000.00

-73,510.00 -23,144,425.00 -51,480.00

-4,645,024.00 -3,168,920.00 -5,926,421.00 12,991,200.50 -2,019,860.00 -3,689,890.00 -1,375,140.00

-5,154,525.00

1,319.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Alterra Capital

8.08

18.65

Philippine trust Co.

520

-23.53

LR Warrant

3.150

18.42

Imperial Res. `B'

190

-20.83

F&J Prince 'B'

6.98

16.33

Forum Pacific

0.229

-10.20

Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry

47.00

16.05

Imperial Res. `A'

23.00

-9.80

Transgrid

207.00

14.36

United Paragon

0.0100

-9.09

Megawide

9.65

12.34

Philodrill Corp. `A'

0.0120

-7.69

Asiabest Group

15.08

11.70

Conc. Aggr. 'A'

176

-7.37

Mabuhay Vinyl

3.98

10.56

Bright Kindle Resources

1.59

-6.47

Grand Plaza Hotel

22.00

10.00

Melco Crown

3.61

-5.99

Primex Corp.

15.8

9.27

FEUI

914.5

-5.72

THURSDAY: JULY 21, 2016

B3

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

7-Eleven partner. Major convenience store chain 7-Eleven, through exclusive local licensor Philippine Seven Corp., beefs up its store network presence and franchise expansion in the south through a partnership with LTS Supermarkets Inc. 7-Eleven’s partner is one of Davao’s longest-running home-grown enterprises and owner of NCCC Mall and HB1 pharmacy chains. Shown during the contract signing are (seated, from left) Bobby Mabanta, consultant, LTS Supermarkets; Lemuel Lemoncito, assistant vice president for operations, LTS; Uly Borral, regional operations manager, MRBU; Javelin Lim, president, LTS; Richard Lee, VP for operations, PSC; Francis Medina, business development division head, PSC; and Evelyn Enriquez, legal and corporate services division head, PSC.

SM Prime bonds raise P10b

By Jenniffer B. Austria

SM PRIME Holdings Inc., the largest integrated real estate developer, has successfully raised P10 billion from the issuance of 10-year fixed rate bonds amid strong demand from investors.

SM Prime vice president for finance Ma. Teresa Cecilia Reyes said in a text message the base offer of P5 billion worth of bonds and a P5-billion oversubscription option were fully subscribed at the end of the offering period.

Reyes said total demand

reached P29 billion, or more than 4.8 times oversubscribed at the base offer. The bonds, which will be issued on July 26, carry an interest rate of 4.2005 percent a year.

The P10-billion bond offer forms part of the P60 billion worth

Isuzu posted record sales in 1st 6 months

By Othel V. Campos ISUZU Philippines Corp. said Tuesday sales in the first six months of 2016 jumped 30 percent to a record 13,258 units from 10,169 units year-on-year.

Isuzu cited figures reported by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association, in which the company sales growth surpassed the industry’s 27.4 percent expansion in same period.

“The brisk movement experienced across Isuzu Philippines Corporation’s model lineup is a manifestation that the company offers consumers some of the most relevant products available locally, said Isuzu president Hajime Koso.

“With many of Isuzu products geared toward business use, the growth is also an accurate indication of the market’s optimistic view regarding the economy,” he said.

The entire product range of Isuzu registered increases from January to June 2016, with deliveries of Isuzu heavy-duty Category V trucks producing the best result with an 833.3-percent increase.

The record sales were supported by the increases achieved by Isuzu’s Category IV buses, 25 percent; light-duty Category III commercial trucks. 18.8 percent; and Category IV trucks, 16.6 percent.

Combined sales of Isuzu’s commercial trucks and buses totaled to 2,703 units, up 37 percent from 1,977-unit sales on year.

The company sold 2,361 units of Crosswind units in the six-month period, up 20 percent from a year ago. Deliveries of the D-MAX pickup were not far behind at 1,897 units, up 34 percent.

Meanwhile, Isuzu’s best-selling vehicle remains the mu-X SUV, which for the first six months registered a 31-percent increase to 6,297 units. The result placed the mu-X among the top models in its category, securing a 29-percent share in the segment.

of fresh funds that the property company plans to raise over the next three years to finance capital expenditures.

The Securities and Exchange Commission earlier approved the P60-billion shelf registration of SM Prime.

SM Prime president Hans Sy said the retail bond issue would sustain SM Prime’s development roadmap, which is geared toward provincial expansions and mostly allotted on malls and offices developments.

“We remain optimistic on the huge growth potential in

the provinces where large areas remain unserved,” Sy said.

SM Prime tapped BDO Capital & Investment Corp., BPI Capital Corp., China Bank Capital Corp. and First Metro Investment Corp. as bond underwriters and bookrunners.

East West Banking Corp., PNB Capital and Investment Corp. and United Coconut Planters Bank joined as participating underwriters of the bond issue.

SM Prime operates four core businesses—malls, residential, commercial and hotel and convention centers. It plans to

spend P60 billion annually over the next three years to further expand its presence in other parts of the country.

The group as of end-March had 56 malls operating in the Philippines, with a total gross floor area of 7.3 million square meters.

The company also operates six malls in Chinese cities—Xiamen, Jinjiang, Chengdu, Suzhou, Chongqing and Zibo.

Share price of SM Prime on Wednesday closed at P29.95, down P0.05 from the previous day’s close.

Market climbs; Security Bank up THE stock market gained Wednesday, ignoring the losses in the rest of the region after the International Monetary Fund lopped 0.1 percentage point off its outlook for the global economy for both this year and next.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 15.96 points, or 0.2 percent, to 8,051.97 on a value turnover of P8.8 billion. Gainers beat losers, 113 to 84, with 54 issues unchanged.

SM Investments Corp. of retail tycoon Henry Sy rose 0.7 percent to P1,017, while retailer Puregold Price Club Inc. of tycoon Lucio Co advanced 3.6 percent to P47.85.

Security Bank Corp., the sixthlargest lender in terms of capital, climbed 3.1 percent to P208.40, while Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third biggest bank in terms of assets, gained 0.5 percent to P99.50.

Japanese stocks, meanwhile, finally fell Wednesday after six straight days of gains, and most other Asian markets moved cautiously following weak leads from New York and Europe.

The Nikkei in Tokyo had surged more than 10 percent during its rally—fuelled by hopes for stimulus measures as well as a weaker yen—and investors decided it was time to cash in.

The index ended down 0.3 percent.

Asian markets moved more cautiously than they have in the past week, although confidence that central banks will introduce more monetary easing measures is providing some support.

Hong Kong added one percent, having fallen Tuesday for the first time after a six-session winning streak.

Sydney ended up 0.7 percent but Shanghai shed 0.3 percent and Seoul was 0.1 percent lower.

In early European trade London rose 0.4 percent, Frankfurt added 0.7 percent and Paris put on 0.6 percent.

“The rally is losing some momentum as the [corporate] reporting season heats up,” said Niv Dagan, executive director at Peak Asset Management LLC in Melbourne.

“We’re staying cautious and taking a little bit of profit off the table. With the equity rebound

stalling, we are really looking for positive momentum from the reporting season” for the next leg-up in stock markets, he told Bloomberg News.

While the Dow on Wall Street closed at another record, the broad lead from Europe and New York was tepid after the IMF reduced its outlook for the global economy.

The Fund pointed to last month’s shock vote for Britain to leave the European Union, saying it had darkened the skies in that country and across the euro area and dented an already fragile recovery.

It also downgraded its 2016 growth estimate for the British economy by 0.2 percentage points, putting renewed pressure on sterling, which eased to $1.3087 in Asia and back towards the three-decade lows hit after the June 23 vote.

Adding to the downbeat mood in Europe, a key survey showed Tuesday that investor confidence in Germany fell to its lowest level in nearly four years in July on concerns about the Brexit fallout.

With AFP

B4

Q2 growth likely exceeded 7%

By Julito G. Rada

THE Philippine economy likely grew by over 7 percent in the second quarter, faster than the 6.9-percent expansion in the first quarter, Nomura Securities Co. Ltd. said in a report.

“Following the impressive 6.9-percent economic growth in the first quarter, Nomura expects growth of the Philippines to accelerate in the second quarter to above 7 percent and to settle at an average of 6.5 percent for the full year to become one of the fastest growing in Asia,” Euben Paracuelles, executive director and economist of Nomura, said.

“This [2016 growth projection] is not all about election-related spending: the quality of growth continues to improve with larger contributions from investment spending,” Paracuelles said.

He said whether this could be sustained in the rest of the year would depend in large part on the new administration’s economic agenda.

Paracuelles said Nomura’s base-

line view remained that Presidentelect Duterte’s policy approach would be pragmatic and would unlikely reverse the reform progress made in the last few years.

“As a result, we are optimistic that the medium-term growth outlooks will stay solid,” Paracuelles said.

The report was contained in the latest issue of EconomyPH, the bi-monthly economic newsletter from the Investor Relations Office of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Meanwhile, Rizki Fajar, vice president and economist of RHB Securities Indonesia, said the Philippines was on track to maintain a solid growth in 2016.

“The Philippines’ economy

remains on track to sustain its growth trajectory in 2016, on the back of robust household consumption coupled with efforts to accelerate infrastructure spending and ample fiscal space to stimulate government spending. As a whole, the economy will likely continue to hold up and we envisage it to grow by 6 percent in 2016, compared with 5.8 percent in 2015,” she said.

Fajar said the Philippines was expected to continue enjoying a manageable inflation environment and a relatively stable exchange rate.

“The expected widening current account surplus in 2016 should provide an underlying support to

the peso in 2016. Elsewhere, inflation will likely remain subdued and manageable, which in turn will not warrant additional stimulus from monetary policy and the policy rate will likely remain stable in 2016,” Fajar said.

She said under the assumption of no sudden change in main policies, RHB Securities Indonesia expected the Philippine economy to continue to grow higher as private investment started to recover.

DBS Bank of Singapore kept its growth forecast for the Philippines this year at 6.3 percent on possible moderation in private sector investment that could offset the increase in spending of the Duterte administration.

Hyundai posts 53% growth in car sales

By Othel V. Campos

Teleperformance builds shelters. Teleperformance, the world’s leading provider of outsourced customer experience management services, participates in the Bayani Challenge, Gawad Kalinga’s annual home-building project in Silay City, Negros Occidental. Employees from Teleperformance Cebu, Bacolod and Metro Manila join to build houses, repair schools and reach out to a community in Silay. Shown are members of Team Teleperformance at the Bayani Challenge 2016.

Luzon needs additional 5,000 MW by 2030—DoE

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Luzon grid will need an additional 5,000 megawatts by 2030 to support economic growth in the next 15 years, an official of the Energy Department said Wednesday.

Energy Undersecretary Mylene Capongol said the forecast was based on the 2015-2030 Distribution Development Plans of 140 distribution utilities nationwide.

She said aside from the Luzon grid, the Visayas grid would need 1,300 MW while Mindanao grid would require around 900 MW of new generation capacity.

“The new administration targets GDP growth of 6 percent to 7 percent in 2016, 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent in 2017 and 7 percent to 8 percent until 2022 with most of the spending expected to support

higher infrastructure needed to deliver basic services to the people,” Capongol told participants of the 4th Annual Philippines Power and Electricity Week Forum organized by IBC Asia “Thus higher growth for energy use specifically for electricity is expected, entailing significant amount of investments mainly coming from the private sector,” Capongcol said.

Capongcol said in terms of electricity production, a high dependency on coal was recorded at 44 percent as of March 2016. Natural gas and renewable energy supplied 22 percent and 25 percent, respectively during the period.

“While we saw significant growth in the use of variable renewable energy due to the different incentives provided by the Renewable Energy Act, the sup-

ply of electricity from hydro had been adversely affected by the El Niño phenomenon registering a 1-percent decline over the past five years,” she said.

Capongcol said Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi had asked the department to ensure the provision of basic services especially electricity that was crucial in setting economic development in the countryside.

She said that barely a month in office, Cusi was able to solve the electricity connection problems of 576 households in marginalized areas in Manila and Bulacan, allowing for their more transparent power sourcing.

Capongcol said that in terms of energy mix, oil accounted for around 31 percent in 2015, followed by coal with 23 percent, geothermal with 19 percent, nat-

ural gas and hydro with 10 percent and other renewable energy such as biomass, solar and wind with 17 percent.

She said more than 53 percent of the country’s total energy requirement was supplied by indigenous energy while 47 percent was from imported oil, mainly used for transport and coal for generating electricity.

Capongcol said for the upstream oil and gas development, the department would continue the conduct of the Philippine Energy Contracting Round with a target of 18 service contracts for award until 2030.

The service contracts will form part of the petroleum reserves estimated at 94.74 million barrels of oil, 3.96 trillion cubic feet of gas and 41.34 million barrels of condensate.

HYUNDAI Asia Resources Inc., the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the country, said sales grew 53 percent in the first semester on the back of strong domestic demand.

“Reflecting the vibrancy of the country’s economy and automotive industry, Hyundai continues to show boundless potential as the company further delights its customers with its portfolio of modern premium products and services,” said Hari president and chief executive Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo.

The company said sales of passenger cars surged 58 percent in the first six months to 11,207 units from 7,111 units in the same period in 2015.

Second-quarter sales of passenger cars alone jumped 74 percent from a year ago, amid strong pickup of the Accent model.

The light commercial vehicles segment also performed well, growing 44 percent in the first six months. Second-quarter light commercial vehicle sales expanded 54 percent, led by robust sales of the all-new Tucson.

Agudo said the company remained optimistic that good economic performance would continue in the next six months.

“The Philippines is seen to remain its upbeat position in the eyes of investors given President Duterte’s pronouncement to continue the economic policies of the previous administration.

The country’s strong macroeconomic foundation has kept it resilient despite geopolitical headwinds, such as the ‘Brexit.’

This, however, will be put to the test as China threatens to hinder trade relations in the region due to the unfolding of recent news from the West Philippine Sea issue,” Agudo said.

T H U R S D AY : J U LY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

B5

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

Govt asked to defer rules on meat sector

By Othel V. Campos

THE Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. has asked the Duterte administration to defer the implementation of a joint circular that transfers meat inspection function from the National Meat Inspection Service to Food and Drug Administration.

Pepsi volunteers. A Pepsi volunteer from Bacolod City works on a worn-out school desk to make it look like new again as a part of the company’s nationwide support for this year’s Brigada Eskwela program. PepsiCola Products Philippines Inc. manifests anew its support to the annual program being spearheaded by the Department of Education by deploying 422 “Bukluran” volunteers from the firm’s rank and file to help enhance the learning environment of at least 20 public elementary schools nationwide.

Abotiz completes bigger feedmills ABOITIZ Construction Group Inc.-Methaphil announced Wednesday the completion of the P295-million feedmill expansion program of sister company Pilmico Foods Corp.

“Our success with Pilmico’s feedmill expansion projects reflects the continuous and robust growth of our workforce of kauban [Cebuano for teammate], the heart and soul of the organization,” said Methaphil president and chief executive Napoleon Pe Jr. Pilmico expanded its feedmilling operations in Iligan City and Tarlac province.

The two new feedmill expansion projects are expected to support Pilmico’s growing sales volume from the increase

in demand from other market segments such as poultry and gamefowl by providing additional capacity.

Metaphil completed the design and construction of Pilmico’s feedmill expansion in Kiwalan Cove, Dalipuga, Iligan City, with a total contract value of P139 million.

It also designed the construction of Pilmico’s second feedmill expansion in Sto. Domingo, Capas, Tarlac, with a total contract value of P156 million.

Both project costs covered expenses on site development, pile works, civil works, structural steel works, a feed mill control room and the fabrication and erection of hoppers, or large, pyr-

amid-shaped containers.

Metaphil said it would continue to serve more affiliates and pursue international projects.

“The awarding of additional major works, not just from existing clients, but from previous ones as well, is highly anticipated,” Pe said.

Pilmico is the food subsidiary of the Aboitiz Group with stake in swine production and animal feeds.

Metaphil is an industrial contractor with diverse expertise from petrochemical, resorts, warehouses and office buildings.

It employs over 500 engineers, technicians and administrative professionals.

Othel V. Campos

“We believe and in fact herewith request that the joint order to immediately implement RA [Republic Act No.] 10611 be deferred to give time for the present administration to study the same and establish the reasons for the haste by which it is being recommended to be undertaken,” Pampi president Felix Tiukinhoy Jr. said in a letter to the Agriculture and Health Departments.

Former Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Health Secretary Janette Garin signed the joint circular transferring the functions of DA’s National Meat Inspection Service to DoH’s Food and Drug Administration to implement provisions of RA 10611 or the Food Safety Act. Tiukinhoy said in a statement Pampi had opposed the transfer of the functions in the regulation of processed meat because it would only add another layer in the bureaucratic process of issuing permits for food products.

“There will be an increase in the bureaucracy of handling processed and pre-packaged food products, whether locally produced or imported, including meat products.

There will be two Cabinet departments involved in a single issue.

Consequently, there will be layering of costs, which will affect the Filipino consumers,” he said.

RA 10611 proposes the transfer of the supervision and regulation of processed and pre-packaged meat products from NMIS to FDA “for reasons unclear and consistently objected to by industry mainly because of the duplication of functions,” Tiukinhoy said.

Tiukinhoy said because of the objections gathered during the period of consultations, the implementation of RA 10611 and the formulation of the implementing rules and regulations were delayed and remained unfinished.

“Yet the former secretaries have resolved to implement RA 10611 much ahead of the legal prescribed period of implementation starting February 2017,” he said.

The group seeks clarification if the said joint order should be given effect “considering that there is already a change of administration and the tenets and proposed objectives of the new administration may not support this transfer of responsibility, given that there will be new policies this administration will be adopting in the best interest of agriculture, agribusiness and food safety and security.”

Cathay’s PH headache; New Army and Navy Club up HONG KONG’S Cathay Pacific is facing a different headwind in the Philippines—a current that could force it to abandon inbound and outbound cargo operations in Manila.

Cathay Pacific is embroiled in a legal tussle with local cargo handler People’s Air Cargo and Warehousing Inc., or Paircargo, of controversial businessman Vic Cheng Yong, the founder of Philippine International Air Terminals Co. Inc., or Piatco.

Paircargo sued Cathay Pacific 12 years ago, claiming their existing contract prohibited the airline from engaging other contractors for cargo handling services. The legal case has persisted to the chagrin of Cathay Pacific.

Paircargo in its 2004 lawsuit claimed its existing contract was about to expire in 2007. The cargo handler insisted that its contract should be extended for another 10 years and succesfully obtained a court ruling to maintain the status quo pending the resolution of the case.

Cathay Pacific sought relief from the Court of Appeals, questioning the arbitrary extension of the injunction. The CA postponed action on the lawsuit until the resolution of related cases pending at the Supreme Court.

When those cases at the High Court were finally resolved in 2012, the CA called for mediation proceedings between the parties. The parties after arbitration moved for the dismissal of their case in a regional trial court and executed a settlement and compromise agreement on April 29, 2013. The trial court dismissed the case with finality on July 3, 2013.

The agreement called on Cathay Pacific to continue using Paircargo’s warehouse facilities and services for its import and transit air cargo requirements at the Manila airport up to March 31, 2016. But the same compromise deal allowed Cathay Pacific to accept competitive business proposals for the same services and notify Paircargo of the result of the tender not later than Jan. 29, 2016. Paircargo may participate in the tender.

To make the story short, Cathay Pacific conducted a competitive bidding and assessment and determined that Paircargo’s offer was inferior. Cathay Pacific awarded the warehousing and cargo handling service to another company.

Paircargo surprisingly filed another lawsuit with the same trial court seeking relief from Cathay’s decision to team up with another service provider.

The Hong Kong-based airline cried foul at Pair Cargo’s maneuver, claiming it was a victim of another legal harassment. It also warned that its case might send a wrong signal to the international community on how to conduct business in the Philippines.

The Philippine government should intervene in the legal case as it might indicate its lack of supervision over local and international air cargo policies.

The government government stands to lose around 17 percent of the total international cargo going out of Manila and the same volume of inbound marketing, if Cathay Pacific decides to pull out the operation. Migrant Filipino workers flying on Cathay Pacific will also suffer a flight incon-

venience.

Cathay Pacific, according to a source, has notified its worldwide offices that it might stopped inbound cargo to the Philippines in mid-April next year.

New lease on life Once condemned and left to rot for almost three decades, the historic Army and Navy Club in Manila is getting a new lease on life.

Major restoration works are currently ongoing to save the iconic building, which stands as a silent witness to Fil-Am relations during the early American occupation in the 1900s.

The William E. Parsons-designed structure, which used to be the watering hole of US military officers and servicemen, is being transformed into a plush hotel spa.

Oceanville Hotel and Spa Corp., which leased the Army and Navy Club complex from the City of Manila, is doing the massive restoration works that bigger developers have shied away from.

This is not only because of the restoration’s prohibitive cost (experts agree that restoration costs three to five times higher than normal construction)--but also the painstaking research, difficulty in finding technical experts, and regulatory compliance from multiple government agencies that a restorer-developer must to go through.

Oceanville is investing P2.4 billion to bring back the Army and Navy Club to its old glory. The biggest challenge is to rehabilitate the building, repurpose it with modern amenities, without altering its historic appearance.

A new structure behind the hertitage building, meanwhile, is rising. The new building, completely separate from the Army and Navy Club,would be the new home of Casino Filipino when it leaves its current leased premises in Waterfront Pavilion Hotel & Casino Manila.

The new casino building, which occupies a 6,500-square-meter lot within the Army and Navy complex, was sub-leased

by Oceanville to Vanderwood Management Corp., a distinct company.

Accusations by anti-gambling advocates that the casino would be inside the Army and Navy hotel, thus, are totally baseless and misplaced. The hotel spa would only house 74 guest rooms, dining areas and wellness and fitness centers. The casino is located in an entirely different building.

Oceanville is being unfairly dragged into the legal and public relations war between Vanderwood, the casino space lessor, and those blocking Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. from transferring its casino to a new site. After all, once Waterfront Pavilion loses its anchor client, it may have difficulty finding a productive use for its large hotel floor areas once reserved for gaming.

E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or extrastory2000@gmail.com or business@thestandard.com.ph

B6

THURSDAY: JULY 21, 2016

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

Customs rules under review Corruption harder to defeat than drugs A GREAT deal of disbelief and skepticism was generated by thenpresidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte when he promised that, if elected, he would “put a stop to drugs, crime and corruption” within three to six months. The disbelief and skepticism were generated by Duterte’s announced intention to go hammer-and-tongs against drugs and crime; they were generated by his inclusion of corruption among his list of to-be-destroyed evils.

To be sure, destroying the drug trade – the manufacture, pushing and use of drugs – is a tough job. But the drug trade is physical and above-ground: the laboratories where the drugs are concocted, the shipments and deliveries of the banned products, the runners and pushers with sachets of shabu on their persons and the locations where they conduct their illegal activities are determinable.

In far too many cases, PNP (Philippine National Police) personnel and local officials know who are engaged in the manufacture, sale and use of banned drugs and where they carry on their unlawful operations, but either look the other way or are participants in them. President Duterte undoubtedly knows – after all, he has his Davao City experience to go by – that many of the extrajudicial killings that have taken place since June 30 are cases of PNP personnel silencing their ‘assets’ and partners in crime to prevent them from being unmasked. At the rate that people are being extrajudicially killed – the total as of last week was close to 200 – Rodrigo Duterte’s job-completion timeline of three to six months may well be met.

The physical and visible character of the drug trade has rendered easy the identification of the breakers of the drug laws and the determination of the character and extent of the scalawags’ operations. This, coupled with the fact that the war against drug trade is being waged by people with arms, explains the large measure of success that the war has achieved, which is best manifested by the extrajudicial killings of alleged drug manufacturers and users and the ‘surrender’ of thousands of confessed drug users all over the nation.

If widespread disbelief and skepticism greeted Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration that he would eliminate corruption within three to six months, it was because corruption is a far tougher nut to crack than the drug trade and violent crime. In contrast with the drug trade, corruption involves no visible manifestations, such as manufacturing laboratories and distribution infrastructure.

Corruption is practiced quietly and subtly. Corruption is difficult to detect and even more difficult to stop. And unlike the war against illegal drugs, the war against corruption is waged not with policemen brandishing weapons, conducting noisy raids and making loud threats.

The Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019) embodies a list of practices characterizable as corrupt.

It is not an all-encompassing list; other practices could be added to it. What they have in common is the causing of loss of disadvantage to the government. Examples of the kinds of official acts that are disadvantageous and damaging to the government’s interest are to be found in the list of charges against former vice president Jejomar Binay. The acts include the awarding of contracts without public bidding, overpricing of projects and releases of payments without adequate documentation. Other corrupt practices provided by R.A. 3019 are payments for ghost projects, payments to ghost payees and unauthorized diversions of funds. Still other corrupt practices of public officials are bribery and extortion in connection with the grant of public benefits and services.

Although the Revised Penal Code includes offenses committed by public officials, R.A. 3019 represents the frontline in the government’s program for holding public officials accountable for their acts. Given the size of the bureaucracy, there should be a multitude of cases of official malfeasance and misgovernance every year; the fact that there are not too many prosecutions under RA 3019 is a good indication of the difficulty with which instances of official corruption are brought to light. Yet, President Duterte believes that his administration can eradicate corruption within three to six months.

The prospects of success are not bright, but it is to be hoped that President Duterte will succeed in his drive against corruption. In this hope, the 16 million Filipinos who voted for him are joined by the 34 million who did not vote for him.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

By Gabrielle Binaday

THE Finance Department said it will need more time to issue the implementing rules and regulations for the recently enacted Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez told reporters in a recent interview the agency would need 60 days to study the law and release the IRR. “I don’t know about the time frame, but certainly we should give it at least one or two months,” Domiguez said, adding the new law is about 200 pages long.

Republic Act 10863 or CMTA was signed into law by former President Benigno Aquino III in May to update the Tariff and Customs Code which was last amended in 1978 and modernize the operations of the Bureau of Customs.

BOC is the second largest reve-

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

The Finance Department earlier said the law would further improve the agency’s goal to curb smuggling.

The law prescribes reforms such as electronic processing of shipment of documents, streamlining of export and import procedures, simplifying processes for seizure and disposition of illegal goods and steeper penalties for violations.

CMTA also exempts employees of the BOC from the Salary Standardization Law to grant them relatively higher pay than other

government workers.

Another key provision in the law is the increase in the de minimis value to P10,000 from P10 for articles brought into the country duty-free through the postal office, by courier companies or by hand.

The measure provides for an automatic indexation of the amounts every three years to account for inflation to permanently do away with the outdated values.

The law also has a provision raising the amount of exemption for a ‘balikbayan’ box to P150,000 from the previous P10,000. The same amount of exemption will be granted to returning overseas Filipino workers.

Former Customs commissioner Alberto Lina earlier conducted public consultations with several stakeholders in drafting the IRR before their term ended on June 30.

Lina said former Finance secretary Cesar Purisima asked them to draft the IRR,

Virtual reality conference.

Young and brilliant minds converge in the three-day First Philippine Virtual Reality Conference at PLDT Innolab in Mandaluyong City. VR Conference, organized by Virtual Reality Philippines and sponsored by PLDT, is the biggest gathering of virtual reality developers, including VR startups, independent developers, programmers, 3D animation specialists and enthusiasts in the country. Shown are (from left) VR PH founder and tech-evangelist Cristopher David, PLDT vice president for mainstream business development and research Joey Limjap, members of team VROS Mark Joseph Basibas, Juan Paolo Espiritu and John Hay Supetran, Michael Gaerlan of Samsung and Lem Palad of Smart Communications Inc.

BSP increases auction of term deposits

By Julito G. Rada BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas increased the size of term deposits offered in the weekly auction from P50 billion to P70 billion starting Aug. 3 to effectively siphon off excess liquidity, Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said Wednesday.

The week-long tenor will continue to account for P10 billion but the 28-day tenor will be increased to P60 billion from the previous P40 billion, Bangko Sentral said.

The seventh term deposit auction on Wednesday remained highly oversubscribed. Data showed the P10 billion offered for a week tenor received total bids of P48.4 billion, while the month-long P40-billion term deposits attracted total bids of

P129.4 billion.

Both tenors fetched a weighted average accepted yield of 2.5 percent, matching the floor rate in the deposit facility.

“The auction results continue to show that there is good liquidity in the system, with both tenors being filled at 2.5 percent with substantial over subscription.

There also continues to be good interest in the longer tenor,” Tetangco said in a text message.

“We have thus increased the 28day volume to P60 billion as part of our plan to gradually raise the auction size. We will continue to adjust the auction size, as market conditions warrant,” he said.

Tetangco said last week the continuous high oversubscription in term deposit auctions warrant-

ed an assessment if the volume would be increased from the current P50 billion weekly.

The first six weekly auctions starting June 8 were all highly oversubscribed. Tetangco said the regulator was closely monitoring the trend to better gauge if there was a need to increase the volume and even the frequency of auctions.

Tetangco said this was also a proof that monetary conditions were supportive of economic growth. Tetangco also said Bangko Sentral might consider lowering the reserve requirement of banks.

The term deposit facility is Bangko Sentral’s latest tool to siphon off excess liquidity in the financial system.

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WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Lawmakers extend the emergency in France PARIS—French lawmakers voted massively Wednesday to extend the state of emergency introduced late last year for a fourth time following the July 14 massacre in Nice.

After seven hours of fraught debate into the night, during which the opposition accused the government of being lax on security, the lower house of parliament voted by 489 to 26 to prolong the measures for a further six months.

The move comes six days after a truck driver plowed through a crowd at Bastille Day celebrations in Nice, killing 84 people in the third major attack in France in 18 months.

The Islamic State group said the Tunisian driver was one of its “soldiers” but investigators say that while Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel showed a recent interest in jihadist activity but there was no evidence he acted on behalf of IS. France has been under a state of emergency since the jihadist attacks in Paris in November, which were also claimed by IS. President Francois Hollande had planned to lift the measures on July 26 but changed tack after the Nice attack.

His Socialist government had proposed a three-month extension but relented to demands from the conservative opposition that the tough security laws be kept in place until the end of January.

The laws give the police extra powers to carry out searches and place people under house arrest.

On Wednesday, MPs also voted to allow authorities to search luggage and vehicles without prior approval from a prosecutor and to allow the police seize data from computers and mobile phones.

The bill now passes to the upper house, the Senate, which is set to debate it Wednesday afternoon.

Hollande’s Socialist government has been under heavy criticism from the right for its response to a slew of attacks that have claimed over 230 lives since January 2015.

With elections due next year, the cross-party solidarity seen after last year’s attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has evaporated. AFP

Erdogan back in Ankara as purge hits thousands ANKARA—Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was Wednesday to head a crunch security meeting in Ankara for the first time since the failed coup, with tens of thousands either detained or sacked from their jobs in a widening purge.

Premiere. Actress Sammi Hanratty attends the premiere of New Line Cinema’s ‘Lights Out’ at the TCL Chinese Theater on July 19, 2016, in Hollywood, California. AFP

The Turkish air force meanwhile launched its first strikes against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK in northern Iraq since the putsch aimed at unseating Erdogan, in a sign he has regained full control over the armed forces.

The coup represented the most serious threat to Erdogan’s 13-year domination of Turkey, and the president has said he came within 15 minutes of being killed or kidnapped by the plotters before escaping.

The putsch left over 300 dead and caused scenes of devastation, especially in Ankara where raids by F-16s and attack helicopters on strategic targets terrified residents and turned parts of parliament and the police headquarters to rubble.

More than 9,000 suspects have been detained, including some of Turkey’s most senior generals, and thousands of officials, police and teachers dismissed from their posts.

Erdogan, who was in the Aegean resort of Marmaris when the coup struck late Friday, flew to Istanbul where he had stayed since, appearing before supporters each night in a “vigil” for democracy.

But the president returned to the capital late Tuesday for the first time since the coup, a Turkish official told AFP. He also held his first international bilateral meeting, hosting Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili at his presidential palace in Ankara.

The president will later Wednesday around 0900 GMT lead a meeting of his national security council at the presidential palace, his office said. The council is composed of top military figures and security ministers.

Erdogan will then at 1200 GMT lead a meeting of the cabinet, also at the palace, whose immediate vicinity was bombed during the botched coup bid.

Erdogan told supporters in Istanbul on Monday that “an important decision” would be announced after the national security council meeting, without specifying.

The crunch meetings come as the controversy grows over the scope of the legal crackdown against those behind the coup plot, with global leaders urging Turkey to obey the rule of law.

Erdogan’s suggestion that the death penalty could be reinstated has also sent shudders through Europe, with the EU warning such a move would be the nail in the coffin of Turkey’s already embattled bid to join the bloc.

Ankara says the coup was masterminded by the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen and the legal crackdown appears to be targeting people suspected of any connection to him. AFP

Publishers take on China at HK book fair HONG KONG—Hong Kong’s feisty publishing industry vowed to take on China by selling books critical of Beijing, despite the disappearances of five city booksellers, as a major annual book fair began Wednesday.

The booksellers, who went missing last year and resurfaced in the mainland, worked for a Hong Kong publishing house known for gossipy titles about China’s political leaders.

One of the men is still detained and another, who skipped bail and is now in Hong Kong, has revealed how he was blindfolded and inter-

visit to Portugal Tuesday the

B7

rogated for months during his detention.

Some mainstream bookstores in Hong Kong removed works likely to offend mainland authorities from their shelves in the wake of the disappearances.

And while independent shop owners are still willing to stock the books, some have told AFP that salacious or critical titles about Beijing politics have dwindled as publishers have been scared off.

But on the first day of the book fair Wednesday, there was determination to keep fighting.

“As a publishing house, I per-

sonally think I should not worry...

You lose if you start to worry,” said Jimmy Pang, head of Hong Kong publisher Subculture.

Pang said he would not stop printing political books out of fear, but described the pressure on the Hong Kong industry as “white terror”.

“If a book is suddenly banned, say after some mainland officials say it is, the whole line of production can get into trouble, from its writer, publisher, to the distributor and even readers. It can happen two or three years after the book is printed,” Pang said. AFP

Rainy in Beijing.

A woman braves the heavy rain in Beijing on July 20, 2016. AFP

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B8 Trump picked to run for US president CLEVELAND—Republicans formally chose Donald Trump as the party’s presidential nominee Tuesday, a landmark moment in American politics and a stunning victory for a man whose White House ambitions were once openly mocked.

After a turbulent campaign that saw Trump defeat 16 rivals and steamroller stubborn party opposition, the tycoon said it was time to “go all the way” and beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in November.

“This is a movement,” he told the delegates via video link.

On the convention floor, states from Alabama to West Virginia took turns to pledge their delegates.

It fell to Trump’s home state of New York, represented by a coterie of the candidate’s adult children, to hand him the majority-plus-one needed to clinch the nomination.

“It’s my honor to be able to throw Donald Trump over the top in the delegation count tonight,” Donald Trump Jr. said to cheers and applause.

When the bombastic mogul came down the escalators of Trump Towers in New York 13 months ago to announce his candidacy, few experts gave him even the faintest chance.

His campaign has defied political norms—embracing racially inflammatory policies, offending key voting blocks, eschewing big-spending advertising campaigns and relying on saturated media coverage above campaign structure.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s surreal.

I’m so proud of my father,” said Trump’s eldest daughter and businesswoman Ivanka Trump, often described as his secret weapon.

“He’s the ultimate outsider and he did it. We are so proud of him.”

Trump became the presumptive nominee nearly two months ago.

But the relentless controversy over his campaign rhetoric and a simmering movement by anti-Trump delegates to deny him the nomination made it less than a foregone conclusion.

Around the convention floor, Trump’s victory was far from universally welcomed.

Many delegates clapped politely after his victory, a few angrily walked out or voiced their unease.

Several states refused to honor party convention and pledge their delegates to a front runner who was by then unopposed. AFP

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD

Day 2. Delegates cheer during the second day of the Republican National Convention on July 19, 2016, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The convention nominated Donald Trump for president. AFP

Study: Beijing driving Chinese Muslims to IS BEIJING—The tough religious restrictions on Muslim minorities in China’s far west may have driven more than 100 to join the Islamic State group, a US think tank said Wednesday.

Beijing has long claimed that IS is recruiting Uighurs from the mainly Muslim region of Xinjiang, and blamed outside forces for fomenting deadly acts of violence there and elsewhere in China that have claimed hundreds of lives.

At the same time, authorities have banned or strictly controlled the observance of certain Muslim practices, such as growing beards and fasting during Ramadan, saying they are symbols of “Islamic extremism”.

Those policies “could be a push factor driving people to leave the country and look else-

where for a sense of ‘belonging’”, the Washington, DC-based New America Foundation wrote in a study of leaked registration documents for IS fighters.

The findings were based on data from more than 3,500 foreign recruits provided by a defector from the jihadist organisation.

Of those, 114 came from Xinjiang, the study says, making it the fifth highest contributor of fighters among the provinces and regions named in the data―after three areas in Saudi Arabia and one in Tunisia.

Overall, recruits were more like-

ly to come from “regions with restive histories and tense local-federal relationships”, the report said.

The nominally autonomous Chinese area offered IS rich recruitment potential due to “significant economic disparities between the ethnic majority Han Chinese and the local Uighur Muslim population” and “substantial state repression”, it said.

Beijing regularly accuses what it says are exiled separatist groups such as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement of being behind attacks in Xinjiang, which has seen a wave of deadly unrest.

Britain’s upper house passed an order last week adding the group to a list of terror organizations.

But many independent experts doubt the strength of overseas Uighur groups and their links to global terrorism, with some saying

China exaggerates the threat to justify tough security measures in the resource-rich region.

- ‘China’s ‘9/11’’ -All the Xinjiang recruits named in the IS documents listed their place of origin as Turkestan or East Turkestan, the name for the region often used by separatists.

Even so, the study found that the recruits had no prior experience with jihad, presumably including ETIM, raising questions about China’s official narrative of radicalization in Xinjiang.

On average, the fighters from Xinjiang were less educated, less well traveled, and more likely to be married than others who sought to join IS. They also claimed only a low level of religious training.

The data included a number of registration forms for children, including one as young as 10, the pa-

US and its anti-IS allies regroup after jihadist attacks WASHINGTON—With the jihadist attacks proliferating around the world, the United States has reassembled its coalition partners for meetings Wednesday and Thursday to review a two-year-old war that has so far failed to eliminate the Islamic State group.

The militant group may have lost ground in Iraq and Syria, but in recent weeks it has claimed horrific attacks in Nice, Istanbul,

Baghdad and Dhaka that have left hundreds dead and injured.

The attacks are “going to be a primary focus, obviously, of the discussions,” Brett McGurk, President Barack Obama’s special envoy to the anti-IS coalition, acknowledged.

For two days, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Ashton Carter will meet with about 40 of their coun-

terparts in Washington, including France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Echoing French Prime Minister Manuel Valls’ warning of more attacks ahead and and more “innocents killed,” McGurk also cautioned: “Nobody can say these attacks are going to stop.

“Unfortunately, I think we are going to see more of these,” he

said.

McGurk emphasized that the coalition, which has conducted 14,000 air strikes in two years, is “succeeding on the ground.” But he added, “We have a lot of work to do on the [jihadist] networks.”

The problem, says Michael Weiss, an expert at the Atlantic Council think tank, is that “at the territorial level ... ISIS is down but not out.” ISIS and IS are an alter-

nate acronym for the Islamic State group.

“It has lost its ability to back and hold large swaths of terrain but it has not lost its ability to wage ... opportunistic attacks,” he said.

Washington maintains that since its peak in 2014 IS has lost nearly 50 percent of the Iraqi territory it conquered and between 20 and 30 percent of its Syrian strongholds. AFP

During a

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C1

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

BERNADETTE LUNAS WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

W EL L NES S & EN V IRONMEN T

LIFE

The brands we trust. Reader's Digest Group Advertising and Retail Sales Director Sheron White and Managing Director Walter Beyleveldt (ninth and tenth from left, first row) with the brands, services and personalities that received this year's Reader's Digest Trusted Brands award

‘READER’S DIGEST’

F

RECOGNIZES CONSUMERS’ CHOICE

or Filipinos, the issue of choice has always been a matter of trust. From the brands we put in our shopping carts to the services we rely on, Filipino consumers have a strong sense of brand familiarity – and that belief weighs heavily on the decision-making process.

Reader’s Digest (RD), one of the longest-running and most read print publications in the world, once again put the spotlight on the companies we believe in at the RD Trusted Brands 2016 Awards ceremony held June 30 at the Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas, Pasig.

The Trusted Brands Survey, identifies the brands and services Filipinos trust, above all others. It also honors the country’s most trusted TV news Presenter, Radio News Presenter, Entertainment/ Variety Show Presenter and Sports Personality.

“For the past 18 years, we have been surveying the people of Philippines and consumers in major markets across Asia, about which brands they depend on, believe in and that they expect to provide premium value and exceptional service,” notes Walter Beyleveldt, Reader’s Digest managing director, Asia Pacific.

“Every survey we ask thousands of people

– both our readers and a representative sample of consumers in each market – to tell us which brands they consider worthy of their support, custom, and their trust.

Not only have we learnt which brands consumers follow, we have discovered a lot about what trust means and how it wins the hearts of people across Asia. Being included in this prestigious list is a huge endorsement and one the winners should be very proud of,” he added.

Beyleveldt and Sheron White, RD Group Advertising & Retail Sales director, Asia Pacific flew in from Australia to personally award the trophies to the winners.

Motivational speaker and business influencer, Anna Esperanza was the keynote speaker.

‘Trust is an emotion that fuels our decisions whether we are conscious of it or not—an intangible quality that signals reliability and integrity. Whether it is a product or service, trust is what reassures us that we are making the right choice’ – Sheron White, RD Group Advertising and Retail Sales director, Asia Pacific

For consumers, by the consumers

Trust is a key component in the relationship between brands and their customers.

It is built on – and it builds – loyalty. And loyal customers, as any successful brand knows, are key to getting – and remaining – in competitive times.

Trust is hard won – it is usually built up over many years. Trust goes hand-in-hand with a good reputation and delivery of customers’ expectations. It emerges out of

Most Trusted Radio Personality Mike Enriquez (center) with Beyleveldt and White

the very best consumer experiences, and is achieved only by truly understanding your customers.

“Trust is an emotion that fuels our decisions whether we are conscious of it or not—an intangible quality that signals reliability and integrity. Whether it is a product or service, trust is what reassures us that we are making the right choice,” said White.

“A trusted brand has both international appeal but also upholds a strong local connection. It has individual relevance for all its consumers, just about anywhere and in any culture,” she added.

The Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand mark has become a recognizable symbol globally. The winners of the latest survey will now be able to use this badge of recognition for 2016 to help consumers make the right choices.

For the 2016 Trusted Brand Survey, Readers Digest commissioned global market research company CATALYST.

Approximately 8,000 individuals were selected across five of Asia’s key markets – Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

The survey covers 44 categories of products and services across a wide range of industries.

Around 1,000 respondents were surveyed in the Philippines. Half were subscribers to Reader’s Digest, while the remainder was selected to reflect the demographics of the general population.

The final ranking in each product category were obtained by multiplying the total number of votes for a brand with its average score for six qualitative characteristics. For statistical accuracy and to ensure results were compiled in an objective manner using proven methodology, the data was weighted to reflect the population distribution of participants.

Continued on C2

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LIFE isahred @ gmail.com

EXTRA ENERGIZED PLAY IN RAMPAGE 2016 AND PRO GAMING SERIES 2016 SUMMER SPLIT

T

he eSports gaming culture has indeed come a long way. From a simple computer hobby to a rapidly growing online community of professional players and enthusiasts from all over the world, the gaming phenomenon has truly risen as a whole new platform that connects like-minded individuals—all in the pursuit of high-energy interactive play, creativity, and friendly competition.

Following its overwhelming success, Bacchus, the No. 1 Korean-made energy, partnered with Garena Philippines, the country’s publisher of the popular online game League of Legends (LoL for short), in bringing back Rampage 2016—the biggest and grandest gathering of LoL enthusiasts and the most awaited eSports event of the year on July 23, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Rampage 2016 again summons avid League of Legends players and young fanatics to take part in this epic one-day only gathering. Apart from the competing teams’ explosive battle for supremacy through live eSports action, the highly anticipated gaming event will also showcase other attractions, like the Celebrity Showmatch featuring stellar personalities Alodia and Ashley Gosiengfiao, Shehyee, Yassi Benitez, and CJ Navato; mystifying Cosplay interactions; the Finals for the Bacchus

Energized partnership. Bacchus and Garena Philippines join forces to bring Rampage 2016, the biggest and grandest gathering of League of Legends gamers

Pro Gaming Series 2016 Summer Split, a Merchandise Caravan for limited edition and exclusive items; and other surprise activities for the entire fandom to enjoy.

Spectators can likewise expect no less than fully energized plays from competing gamers as Bacchus Energy Drink levels up the game by providing them the extra

power and game-changing boost.

“We are very excited and proud to sponsor this highly engaging e-gaming activity here in the Philippines. As all the games are expected to be intense and wellfought by the competing teams, Bacchus Energy Drink, with its highest amount of brain-boosting Taurine, combined

with the performance-enhancing Royal Jelly and Korean Ginseng, will stimulate gamers in bringing out their best game by elevating their level of play, stamina and mental focus.” Dong-A Pharma Philippines, Inc. (DPPI) is the exclusive distributor of Bacchus in the country.

A firm supporter and advocate of balanced work-life, Bacchus, through Rampage 2016, aims to underscore the importance of engaging in fun, leisurely activities like eSports gaming as a way of de-stressing or relaxation.

“Having fun or relaxation has been scientifically proven to have beneficial, positive impacts on people. With this in mind, Bacchus aims to draw more awareness on why we should embrace a more balanced, modern and integrated lifestyle; to find time to enjoy and pursue things which we love, which of course can only be achieved if we have more energy and stamina,” said Amen Say, DPPI president.

As co-presenter of the event, Bacchus is also introducing to the gaming crowd its newest offering, the Carbonated Bacchus canned variant, with an improved formulation perfectly-suited for young consumers. Dong-A Korea Vice President Dong Hoon Lee and Dong-A Philippines officials led by Say will be in the event to welcome the crowd.

Wine Story, Planet Grapes at Bridal Fair

Wine Story brings vintage champagne Cuvee Alain Thienot 2002 to 'The Wedding Project' bridal fair

Planet Grapes showcases its impressive range of wines for banquets and other special occasions

Luxury wine retail store Wine Story brought some of its premium quality wines, including the vintage champagne Cuvee Alain Thienot 2002 from France, to “The Wedding Project,” a bridal fair that runs anew from July 22 to 24 at Shangri-La Plaza Mall’s Grand Atrium.

Planet Grapes, a wine restaurant-bar where Filipino street food meets wine, also takes part in the special event that draws brides, party planners and individuals on the lookout for suitable gifts, from all over the metro.

Wine Story is offering 10 percent off for a purchase of a case of 12 wines, and 15 percent off for a purchase of three cases or 36 bottles for the duration of “The Wedding Project.” On the other hand, Planet Grapes has a regular case deal of 20 percent discount for a purchase of 12 bottles of the same wine, and 15 percent discount for a purchase of 12 bottles of different wines.

To avail of the special discount, interested parties are invited to visit Wine Story and Planet Grapes at the exhibition venue.

Visitors can have a sample of cheese and sip fine wines from the Wine Story and Planet Grapes booths. Wine Story will

Most Trusted personalities

From C1

Readers’ Digest...

Platinum, Gold And Asia Award

Platinum Trusted Brand Awards were given to brands that performed exceptionally, winning their category with a score higher than the nearest competitor.

Platinum award winners included Baby Company (Baby Store); SM Supermalls (Shopping Center); ABSCBN (TV Network); Century Tuna (Canned Tuna); Monterey (Frozen Meat) Magnolia (Fresh/ Frozen Poultry); Carrier (Air Conditioner); Uratex (Mattress); Boysen (Paint); Pilot (Pen); Executive Optical (Eye Center) and PLDT Home (Landline Phone Service).

Gold Trusted Brand Awards were given to brands that scored significantly higher than their rivals.

The Gold award winners were Healthway

(Ambulatory Medical Services); Condura (Air Conditioner); PLDT Home DSL (Broadband Services); San Marino Corned Tuna (Canned Tuna); Baguio Oil (Cooking Oil); Citibank (Credit Card Issuing Bank); Asian Eye Institute (Eye Center); Ideal Vision (Eye Center); Medicard (Health Card); Acer (Personal Computer); Camella Homes (Property Developer); DMCI Homes (Property Developer); Condura (Refrigerator); GMA7 (TV Network); Panda (Pen); Sharp (Washing Machine) and Whirlpool (Washing Machine), to name a few.

Asia Trusted Brand Awards were given to a brand that wins Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand award in the same category for at least three countries surveyed.

Recipients of the Trusted Brand awards

enthrall visitors with its impressive and rare premium collection of fine French wines as well as iconic wines from other major wine-producing countries. Wine enthusiasts, event planners and couples are bound to be drawn to the unique appeal that Planet Grapes’ wines could bring to wedding banquets and other special events.

Wine Story and Planet Grapes set up cocktail tables highlighting their wine offerings amidst the resplendent and festive ambience befitting a wedding celebration.

Wine Story, which lives up to its vision of making wine enjoyment a part of people’s lives, is located at G/F, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, EDSA, Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City; G/F, Serendra, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City; and G/F, One Rockwell West, Makati City. For a company overview and events roundup, log on to www.winestory.com.ph.

Planet Grapes has branches in Upper McKinley Road, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City; North Wing of Shangri-La Plaza Mall, EDSA, Mandaluyong City; and Level 4 New Wing, Ayala Center, Cebu City. For the latest happenings at Planet Grapes, visit www.planetgrapes.com.ph/events.php.

Mike Enriquez

received a trophy and are allowed to use the globally recognized Trusted Brand Logo in their marketing collaterals and merchandising materials.

Another highlight of the night was the special awards given to the country's most trusted personalities.

For the sixth consecutive year, Jessica Soho was named Most Trusted TV News Presenter. Mike Enriquez, on the other hand, was chosen as Most Trusted Radio Presenter. Toni Gonzaga won Most Trusted Entertainment/ Variety Show Presenter, while Filipino boxing champ and now Senator Manny Pacquiao is still the Philippines Most Trusted Sports Personality.

“There are awards and there are awards, and the Reader’s Digest Survey, is in itself a trusted award. This is a result of a survey conducted among its readers and not an award that you can apply for,” says Enriquez.

“They just write you one day to inform you that you have been chosen, and being named most Trusted Radio Presenter is definitely quite an honor.”

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LIFE isahred @ gmail.com

MONSANTO, UP GROUP

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PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

onsanto Philippines, together with the University of the Philippines League of Agricultural Biotechnology Students (UPLABS), recently led a student outreach activity in Muntinlupa City to broaden young people’s awareness on the role of modern agriculture in feeding the country’s growing population.

UP-LABS members performed an onstage adaptation of the published children’s book Lina’s Town Rises Again, inspired by the tale of triumph of a lady corn farmer in Sultan Kudarat.

Almost 50 grade school students and teachers from the Alabang Elementary School watched the live performance at the Bulwagang Haribon, Insular Life Corporate Centre in Muntinlupa City.

Monsanto Corporate Engagement Lead Charina Garrido-Ocampo shared that the activity was meant to help young students gain a basic understanding of the food value chain, the different challenges to food sufficiency, and the role of modern science in keeping up to the growing demand for food.

She also highlighted the importance of engaging the next generation for the future of agriculture. “Today’s youth plays a critical role in contributing creative ideas and actions to address real-world issues such

UP-LABS members performing an on-stage adaptation of the published children’s book 'Lina’s Town Rises Again,' which was inspired by the tale of triumph of a lady corn farmer in Sultan Kudarat.

as food security. Monsanto’s collaboration with UP-LABS demonstrates our efforts to work with different stakeholder, including the young, to promote sustainable agriculture,” Ocampo said.

Meanwhile, UP-LABS President Jakov Abellido hopes that the activity will be able to correct the stereotypes surrounding agriculture as a low-income and “uncool” profession, and in turn, attract them to take

agricultural science.

“Currently, the image of agriculture among the younger population remains 'uncool'. Rapid urbanization and ruralurban migration continue to become major factors causing the disinterest in agriculture among young people. Because of this declining interest, reaching out and educating them is a key step in ensuring our youth’s continued involvement in the

farming sector,” Abellido said.

Monsanto is committed to expanding the discussion on the importance of sustainable agriculture in schools and colleges across the country. Since 2012, Monsanto has already reached out to more than 10,000 students in Quezon City, Iloilo, Davao, General Santos and Cagayan through their activities geared towards making young minds interested in agriculture.

MakatiMed is FIBA partner hospital

From left: Vicente A. Reloza, MD (Chairman, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation); Joseph D. Lipana, MD (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation); Carlo V. Borbon, MD (Orthopedic Surgery); Gabriel G. Gabriel, MD (Chairman, Emergency Medicine); Manuel V. Pangilinan, MakatiMed Chairman; Marc L. Castro, MD (Orthopedic Surgery); Dino C. Vargas, MD (General Surgery); Francis Fernandez, MD (Orthopedic Surgery).

Makati Medical Center was the hospital of choice of FIBA (Federacion International de Basketball) for the Men’s Basketball Olympic Qualifying Tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. The Olympic Qualifying Tournament determined which teams will compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics to be held in August in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

As a partner hospital of the International Basketball Federation, MakatiMed nurses, doctors, and sports medicine specialists provided on-site medical assistance to

participating athletes. MakatiMed was also on-call for other medical services FIBA needed for the duration of the tournament.

“MakatiMed’s world-class facilities and highly trained healthcare professionals will ensure the health and safety of participating athletes in this elite tournament,” said Rosalie R. Montenegro, Makati Medical Center President and CEO. Two other qualifying tournaments will be held during the same week in Turin, Italy and Belgrade, Serbia.

Enjoy life fully with Spinal Care For many who hold regular office jobs, much of one’s daily activities require long hours of sitting – from the commute to and from the workplace, being chained to the desk to beat deadlines, lunch breaks, and meetings in and out of the office. The sedentary period continues with prolonged dinners while catching up with family. And that’s already an estimated 8-10 hours sitting down, which, if done on a daily basis, can cause spinal misalignments or subluxations.

With the spine involved, a serious health matter arises and this can be addressed by chiropractic care. Emphasizing the importance of keeping your nervous system functioning well in order to maintain good health, Chiropractic care has become the third largest healthcare profession and the number one alternative healthcare approach in the world. Unknown to many, its benefits extend beyond managing back issues since it is also an important practice to regularly maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Spinal Care Chiropractic aims to provide the best Chiropractic care possible utilizing the Gonstead technique – one of the safest and most effective in the world. Less than one percent of chiropractors worldwide specialize in Gonstead due to its complexity and in the Philippines, heading Spinal Care Chiropractic is Dr. Daniel Su, a Taiwan-

Long hours of sitting may cause major health concerns linked to the back and spine

born Australian Gonstead chiropractor who graduated with a Bachelor of Chiropractic Science Degree and earned his Masters in Chiropractic from Macquarie University in Sydney. Dr. Su has also completed the threemodule Gonstead Ambassador Program, making him the only Gonstead practitioner in the Philippines.

The Gonstead technique is conducted with a thorough analysis of the whole spine to detect the presence of spinal misalignments or subluxations.

A customized treatment plan is then created for patients after the initial consultation to

Dr. Daniel Su of Spinal Care is the only Gonstead Chiropractic practitioner in the Philippines

correct these subluxations and restore the body’s natural healing process, improving one’s total well being. It also addresses other areas such as the hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee and foot. It can likewise delve into cases related to pregnancy and childbirth, children’s development, improving posture, scoliosis and increasing mobility. And not only that as it can help a patient deal with sleeping disorders, reducing the occurrence of common colds and cough, and strengthening one’s immune system.

Spinal Care’s results-focused wellness approach also covers managing stress and

will extend its services with sound advice on living a healthy lifestyle, proper diet and nutrition. It is a great alternative to painful, risky, expensive and oftentimes unnecessary medical procedures.

Spinal Care Chiropractic is located at Unit D‐1, Mezzanine Level, Crescent Park Residences 30th St. cor. 2nd Ave BGC. For inquiries, please call 816.3982, 0917 842.6160 or email info@spinalcareph.com.

You may also visit www.spinalcareph.com and Like Spinal Care Chiropractic on Facebook.

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LIFE isahred @ gmail.com

EXTENDING QUALITY LIFE

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AT THE LIFE EXTENSION

he Life Extension (TLE) Health and Wellness Center in Diliman is more than a beauty hub in Quezon City. What makes TLE truly exceptional are its state-ofthe-art wellness screening tests and its six signature therapies.

Thermal Cupping Therapy utilizes heat from a Far Infrared Mineral Lamp and Ventosa to stimulate blood circulation and regulate the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the tired cells, while facilitating the removal of toxins and cellular waste.

In Magnetic Acupressure (Needleless Acupuncture) pressure pins/magnets with suction caps are applied to client’s acupoints to open circulation, draw toxins out through the skin, and relax the tissues. The pressure pins remain on the client’s acupoints for 15 minutes before he is given a therapeutic massage with essential oils. This therapy brings relief to aching muscles and joints.

Lymphatic Drainage Massage, a 90-minute treatment, detoxifies the body and boosts the immune system by stimulating the lymphatic system (lymph vessels, lymph nodes and organs).

Diathermy Therapy uses a specialized machine and electromagnetic coils that direct the electromagnetic energy down into the tissue. Diathermy decreases joint stiffness, arthritis, frozen shoulder, muscle spasm and injuries such as sprains and strains.

It is also helpful for accelerating healing of wounds and swelling.

Medical screening

Cupping Therapy

Diathermy treatment

The Activated Charcoal Detox Bath has the client lying in a tub of water mixed with therapeutic charcoal. This bath removes impurities, soothes tired muscles

and rejuvantes the body. This detoxifying therapy is helpful for smokers, drinkers and those who are taking maintenance medicine.

It also alleviates skin disorders.

In Bio-Clarity Therapy, the client sits without clothes inside a wooden contraption (head out) wherein the body is infused with steam and sauna. A combination of a wet and dry spa using special herbs, it facilitates a variety of health benefits such as weight loss, improved blood circulation, pain relief, clearing of cellulite, improvement of skin tone, and removal of toxins. Those who’ve tried it say that it’s the one of the best stress-busters!

The Life Extension (TLE) Health and Wellness Center also offers clients general medical evaluation prior to undergoing any treatment or service. The center utilizes modern technology to determine overall well-being.

Screening methods are quick and non-invasive. Qualified wellness consultants can also give immediate advice to the clients. If additional evaluation is needed, there are other establishments located within the building that offer medical tests.

Visit The Life Extension (TLE) Health and Wellness Center, located on the third floor of the Bell-Kenz Tower, 127 Malakas Street, Central Diliman, Quezon City. The center’s trained wellness consultants can recommend a therapy or a combination of treatments that’s suited to your state of health.

For inquiries, contact telephone numbers (02) 911-1314 and (02) 400-4205 or mobile 09175777675. TLE is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Anlene’s Move Check test for stamina

Anlene's free Move Check tests helps determine your level of arm flexibility, balance, posture, and lower body strength

Our flexibility, balance, posture, and body strength deteriorate as we age.

These are basic physical strengths that enable us to perform our daily functional movements freely without pain.

If we do not counter the decline with fitting physical activities and proper nutrition, soon our movements will be limited and our stamina will weaken. We will get tired easily, experience shortness of breath, feel weak and fall sick often.

To fight this decline, Anlene believes that our stamina should be at the most possible optimum level. And the simplest, no-cost way to build stamina is by moving – moving often correctly, fitness-wise.

Anlene steps up its “Sarap Kumilos” advocacy to encourage people to engage in physical movement more often, even

just through usual functional tasks such as climbing of stairs, doing household chore, or simply walking. As long as they are done properly with the goal of challenging our cardiovascular and muscular strengths, these ordinary physical movements can help improve stamina for overall health.

Not to be missed is the significance of nutrition. Adding Anlene in the diet, with its twice the Calcium and five times the Vitamin D than regular milk, gives us a surefire enabler of fitness quality movements.

Anlene has set up in select Puregold supermarkets easy Move Check tests on flexibility, balance & posture, and lower body strength. Results show baseline ability to freely perform regular tasks without pain or injuring ourselves, find

out problem areas and learn tips to improve. You can also know important facts about posture, causes of imbalance, and falls, bone health, and many other easy ways to increase stamina.

Some of the physical functions that are assessed are ability to walk without staggering, climb the stairs without tripping, stretching our arms to reach for things atop a shelf, moving from one place to another or standing up without falling out of balance.

Anlene Move Check tests are free, even without product purchase. But premium bags are given free to buyers of Anlene packs.

Anlene has been made more affordable with the price-cut of its 180-gram pack, from P120.00 to P99.00

80th 7-Eleven store unveils new promotion Chevron Philippines Inc., the marketer of the Caltex brand, along with Philippine Seven Corporation, opened another 7Eleven convenience store in San Mateo, Rizal on May 30, the 80th store of the brand.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the opening of our 80th 7- Eleven store in our Caltex retail site,” said Peter Morris, country manager of Chevron Philippines Inc. “Our partnership with 7- Eleven brings in a consistent and exciting way to

provide service to our customers who are out to enjoy their journey wherever this may take them.”

To celebrate that milestone, Caltex is giving 7-Eleven Every Day Rewards! members a special treat at the 80 Caltex stations with 7-Eleven stores. Every single receipt of fuel purchase with an Every Day Rewards! card of P1,000.00 at participating Caltex stations gives the registered member a free 16Oz Gulp and Big Bite.

Every Day Rewards! card

members that gas up at Caltex stations with a 7-Eleven store get an SMS on their registered mobile phone containing a special code when they make a single receipt purchase of P1000.00 and present their Every Day Rewards! Card.

Customers can then present this code at any 7-Eleven store to claim a Big Gulp and Big Bite hotdog sandwich.

The promotion will run until Aug. 16 and redemption at 7-Eleven is until Oct. 15.

Caltex celebrates the opening of the 80th 7-Eleven store with special treats

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isahred @ gmail.com

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‘X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE’ DIRECTOR GAVIN HOOD HELMS ‘EYE IN THE SKY’

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cclaimed filmmaker Gavin Hood, known for his works in worldwide hits X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Tsots and Ender’s Game, brings together Award-winning actors Helen Mirren (Oscar® and Golden Globe Award® for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen) and three-time Emmy Award winner Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) in the contemporary international thriller Eye in the Sky. Set in the modern yet shadowy world of remotely piloted drone warfare, Eye in the Sky boards a top-flight ensemble cast that also includes Alan Rickman, Jeremy Northam, Iain Glen and Phoebe Fox, the film deftly explores a political, legal and moral minefield in which every decision comes at a steep price.

Eye in the Sky brings Helen Mirren in the midst of complicated mission as she plays UK Colonel Katherine Powell who is tracking a British national, Susan Danford (Lex King), suspected of working with the East African terrorist group Al-Shabaab. The operation is a complex and coordinated effort between different countries. On the ground, Kenyan intelligence operatives, like Jama Farah (Barkhad Abdi), keep an eye on the suspects. From the air, US Air Force pilots, like Lt. Steve Watts (Paul), remotely fly drones from a Nevada bunker to provide an eye in the sky. In London, Powell coordinates these various forces, as well as communicates to a panel of government officials above her. Her supervisor, Lieutenant General Frank Benson (Rickman), observes the operation remotely with a select group tasked with providing judicial and government oversight. UK Attorney General George Matherson (Richard McCabe) adjudicates the legality of the unfolding operation, while Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Brian Woodale (Northam) and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Angela Northam (Monica Dolan) oversee the optics and ethics of the mission. Together, these figures form the ‘kill chain’, an attack structure that coordinates target identification and the spe-

Helen Mirren as Colonel Katherine Powell, a military intelligence officer in the British thriller “Eye in the Sky”

cific force dispatched to remove the target.

Following His 2007 film Rendition, director Gavin Hood returns to the realm of contemporary warfare with the tense thriller Eye in the Sky. The decision to destroy the targets is further complicated by the problem of collateral damage, which again has to be measured from afar. “Guy’s script created a very complex scenario,” continues filmmaker Gavin Hood, a South African filmmaker. “The script is informative in the way that it sets up the landscape, the chain of command and the way modern drone warfare is used.

The collateral damage caused by a drone strike extends beyond potential human casualties. The killing of civilians, even ac-

cidentally, has a profound impact on the propaganda war. “That is a very important conversation,” says Hood. “Are drone strikes, which inevitably do result in civilian casualties, actually generating so much anti-Western sentiment that whatever success they may have in taking out a high-value individual, is offset by a growing animosity for the West? That’s a propaganda question. In war, propaganda is an extremely important tool. Are we creating negative propaganda towards the West through the use of drones?

“I think the film asks whether we really are winning when using this form of warfare. Are we really winning when using these drones? When should we use this

“Eye in the Sky” is about military personnel facing legal, ethical and political dilemmas presented by modern drone warfare

technology? What are the consequences of using this technology? Come and see this movie and you can decide for yourself.”

Eye in the Sky opens today in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.

Spotlight on new reality shows This August, FYI keeps it real with the premier of three new shows that will intrigue and inspire viewers.

In Teenage Newlyweds, premiering Aug. 9, viewers get to follow the lives of three newly married teen couples as they begin to learn how to build a future together, all while still growing up. Through video diaries and journals, Teenage Newlyweds captures the story of former long-distance turned married Mormon-couple Halie and George, opposing personalities Brenda and Travis, and small-town high school sweethearts, Emma and Joey. See how these teen couples handle the ups and downs of marriage, 10 p.m., every Tuesday.

When it comes to weight loss, it’s easy for personal trainers to talk the talk. But what if that trainer had to walk the walk?

Starting Aug. 2, FYI’s new series Fit to Fat to Fit features 10 personal trainers who will eat what the average overweight American eats and stop working out altogether.

After four months, each trainer surprises their overweight client and together they start a weight-loss program. At the end of a second four-month period, they will each reveal their new weight. Will the trainers lose the weight they gained? And will their weight gain motivate their teammates?

Tune in 9 p.m. every Tuesday.

Home Grown Makeover with Frederique and Carter is a new series, premiering Aug.17,

that intertwines floral design and home renovation. Supermodel turned entrepreneur Frederique Van der Wal believes that a person’s favorite flower can inspire the entire home design process. Each week, viewers meet a new client who is experiencing a major life event, which signifies an opportunity for an amazing home transformation. Frederique together with Carter Oosterhaust and their amazing team act like fairy godparents in creating stunning home design surprises that far exceed all expectations. Watch these amazing home design stories every Wednesday at 9PM. FYI™ is available on SKYCable Ch 79; Cable Link Ch. 44; Dream Satellite Ch 21.

“Teenage Newlyweds” focuses on several young couples who decided to tie the knot in their teens

“Fit to Fat to Fit” follows fitness experts as they gain and then try to lose weight with their clients

“Home Grown Makeover with Frederique and Carter” takes people in greenery-deprived living spaces and provides flower and plant solutions

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isahred @ gmail.com

FAN LOVE FILLS TFC’S ‘JADINE LOVE WORLD TOUR’ SINGAPORE

fter five movies, a teleserye and five concerts outside the Philippines, James Reid and Nadine Lustre, more popularly known as JaDine, continue to reach new heights and captivate Filipinos as they performed for thousands, in the last leg of their JaDine Love World Tour from The Filipino Channel (TFC) last month at the Max Pavilion in Singapore.

The JaDine Love World Tour that kicked off in Manila, featured the highlights of the Philippine concert, as well as salient points of the Doha, Dubai, London, and Milan stops.

At the Singapore concert, as soon as the lights dimmed and Reid and Lustre appeared on stage, the screams became delightfully deafening, the excitement uncontained and the fan love undeniable for the two multi-talented performers.

The breakthrough love team treated the fans to thrilling duets from “We Found Love” by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris, “It Might Be You,” by Stephen Bishop and “Ikaw” by Regine Velasquez.

Their individual powerhouse performances such as Lustre’s own hit “Para-paraan” and Reid’s dance medley also brought the house down but the crowd loved the real-life couple more when they performed a lyrical dance to Juan Miguel Severo’s spoken poetry

Team Real. James Reid and Nadine Lustre performing at the Max Pavilion in Singapore to the delight of thousands of adoring fans

and against stirring pieces such as “Stay” by Sam Smith and “Love Me Like You Do” by Ellie Goulding.

Fans of the love team best known on television via their phenomenal On The Wings Of Love were fortunate not only to witness the Asian leg of the world tour but also to witness R & B Queen Kyla perform the official

soundtrack of the teleserye, live.

Joining Kyla was The Voice of the Philippines finalist Daryl Ong, who charmed the ladies with “Stay” another song from the soundtrack plus his own hits. Much to the thrill of the ladies, Ong, went down from the stage to serenade them.

One of the much-anticipated part

Meet and greet. JaDine with Kyla (leftmost) and Daryl Ong (rightmost) meet with fans after the Singapore concert

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE

ACROSS 1 Monopolizes 5 Removed rind 10 Polite bark 14 Antiquity 15 Wear away 16 BBs 17 Noted groundhog 18 Mutinous one 19 River hazard 20 Holds in high regard

22 It accompanies chirping 24 901, to Caesar 25 Pothole filler 26 Kind of reality 30 Part of FDIC 34 Votes against 35 Physicist — Bohr 37 Strong emotion 38 Meadow browser 39 Colorful carp 40 Loo, in brief

41 Gardner title word 43 Therefore 45 Others, to Ovid 46 Worked clay 48 Pictures, often 50 Mardi Gras monarch 51 Afore 52 Gray or beige 56 Slip and slide 60 Graceful entryway 61 Quebec city 63 Painted tinware 64 About half of us 65 Four duos 66 Ocean dwellers 67 Zest for life 68 Has occasion for 69 Heck!

DOWN 1 Ad spiel 2 They accompany aahs 3 Pluck 4 Handpicks 5 Period when the asteroid hit Earth 6 Mars, to Plato 7 Filch 8 Churchill successor 9 Erases 10 Spendthrift 11 Former science magazine

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016

12 13 21 23 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 36 42 43 44 45 47 49 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 62

Qatar neighbor 80-day traveler Ostrich cousin Long-faced Sweater style (hyph.)

Hawkeye Ms. Witherspoon Was fond of Paris cops Rich boy, in “Nancy” comics Do the trick Tee partner Many many years Of baked clay Honeycomb cell Grommets Was an accomplice “The,” to Wolfgang Hi-tech scan Repute Of historic time Stanford rival Add brandy Lost no time Weed killer Ms. Raines of old movies Quit working Sault — Marie

of the show was the Question and Answer portion where DJ Jhai’Ho asked the couple questions, much to the thrill of the fans.

ABS-CBN Asia Pacific Managing Director Ailene Averion was heartened to see the support of the Filipinos in Singapore not only for the kilig factor but also what one

of the most popular love teams on Philippine television can bring to the table.

Averion said, “We thank the fans of JaDine who came together to show their overwhelming support not only for the thrill that the wellloved duo brings in but also for their world-class performances.

She added: “Our kababayans know great artistry when they see one and their support showed this. It is TFC’s role to continue being a showcase of this talent and to continue becoming a purveyor of world-class content through its programs and special events.”

The fan love was evident at the fans’ day held the day before.

JaDine spent an hour with the members of the We Love Jadine Singapore Chapter. Fans pitched in just to dress up the room and give special gifts.

Addressing the two, chapter President Katrina Banares shared, “Because of you, overseas Filipinos no longer feel homesick. We felt like that we were back in the Philippines because of OTWOL. We are all admiring you. Young or old, single or married, we became a family because of James and Nadine. A friend once said, age is measured by the friends you have and the memories you make. And because of you and Jadines family, I found a new family.”

Thousands of JaDine fans flock to Max Pavilion Singapore to watch their idols live in concert

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isahred @ gmail.com

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CCP SPECIAL CONCERT SERIES OPENS WITH PIANIST OLIVER SALONGA

oung pianist Oliver Salonga is the first featured artist of the CCP Special Concert Series 2016, which will be held on July 27, 7:30 p.m. at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino.

Praised for his emotional energy and technical brilliance, Oliver Salonga has enthralled music aficionados in concert halls in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Australia and the Philippines.

The two-time winner of the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) is an alumnus of the Philippine High School for the Arts where he was awarded Outstanding Graduate Artist for Music.

Oliver Salonga recently obtained his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance at the University of Southern California under the guidance of Norman Krieger. He also minored in Music Analysis, Music Management, Audio-Engineering and Collaborative Arts.

In 2009 and 2011, he obtained his Master of Music degree and Artist Diploma in Piano Performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music under 2001 Van Cliburn Silver Medalist Antonio Pompa-Baldi, and was awarded the Sadie Zellen Piano Prize for his superior musical talent. Under his guidance, Salonga won the Gold Medal in 2008 Jeonju International Piano Competition in South Korea. He has been invited to the world’s most prestigious competitions including the Hilton Head International Piano Competition (2010), Scottish International Piano Competition (2011), and Rina Sala Gallo International Piano Competition (2011).

He is currently under the guidance of Prof. Angela Cholakyan, Russian concert pianist and pedagogue, at the Soochow University in China and serves as her assistant. He also handles piano duo ensembles and piano students in the preparatory division. With her partnership, Oliver has won 2nd prize in 2015

Steinway National Piano Competition and 2nd prize in 2015 Yamaha Piano Competition in China.

His program is as follows: Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No.31 in A-flat Major, Op.110; Chopin’s Introduction and Variations on La ci darem la mano, Op.2; Rachmaninoff ’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36 and Liszt: Rhapsodie Espagnole, S.254.

Salonga will also give a piano master class at the CCP Little Theater on Aug. 2.

Other featured artists of the CCP Special Concert Series are award-winning guitar Trio Triple Fret on Aug. 24 and brilliant soprano Bianca Camille Lopez on Sept. 28.

For information regarding tickets, regular and student subscriptions, please contact the Paulo Perez of the CCP Marketing Department at 832-3704. For information regarding the piano masterclass, please email the CCP Artist Training Division at ccp.artist.training@gmail.com or 832-1125 loc. 1604.

‘It’s Showtime’ claims noontime leadership Kapamilya noontime show It’s Showtime continues to spread good vibes and captures more viewers as it ruled the ratings game on July 16.

More viewers tuned in to the surprise performance and grand reveal of the newest “Tawag ng Tanghalan” judge, Queen of Soul Jaya, as the episode hit a national TV rating of 19.7 percent, according to data of Kantar Media.

It easily beat its rival show Eat Bulaga!, which celebrated the first

anniversary of AlDub, with only got 15.9 percent.

Huge surprises await “Tawag ng Tanghalan” fans as Jaya joins the stellar list of judges set to find the country’s next singing superstar.

From where would the first-ever “Tawag ng Tanghalan” champ be?

Don’t miss the talented Pinoy singers as they battle for supremacy in “Tawag ng Tanghalan” in the noontime variety show It’s Showtime, Monday to Saturday on ABS-CBN or ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable ch 167).

Featured Artist. Multi-awarded pianist Oliver Salonga takes centerstage at the CCP Special Concert Series 2016

Hundreds learn to prepare for emergencies Red Alert hosts, broadcast journalist Atom Araullo, geologist Mahar Lagmay and Dr. Ted Esguerra, brought their emergency tips and techniques to the field again to prepare over 200 participants on how to protect oneself and other people in times of danger at the “3rd Red Alert Emergency Expo” on July 9 in Tanay, Rizal.

New episodes of ‘Inazuma Eleven Go’ and ‘Sonic Boom’ premiere this July

Matsukaze Tenma, the protagonist in “Inazuma Eleven GO”

Sonic the Hedgehog, the heroes’ leader of the series, is known for his extraordinary speed

Get ready for awesome battles and fiery competitions in two of the most beloved video game-inspired anime series ever. All-new episodes of Inazuma Eleven Go and Sonic Boom are coming to Toonami, home to the best action-packed shows.

Premiering on July 31 at 11:45 a.m. is Inazuma Eleven Go Hyperdimensional Dream Match, which follows the adventures of the Inazuma Best Eleven. Watch as they play against rival team Inazuma Battle Eleven at the Holy Road Stadium. Everything is up for grabs but who will claim first place? All we know is that things are definitely heating up over at the field.

Meanwhile, bring yourself up to speed on all things Sonic, weekdays at 8 a.m. and 4:35 p.m..

Sonic the Hedgehog has been one of the world’s biggest gaming icons for over 20 years. Now he’s back with a boom in this fresh take on the cool, courageous, quick-ofmind and quicker-of-body hedgehog star. Returning with his familiar friends, and an all-new look and feel, Sonic Boom is packed full of fun and adventure.

Don’t miss the heart-stopping action, only on Toonami.

Toonami is available on SKYcable Channel 42, Destiny Cable (Digital) Channel 42, Cignal Channel 36 and Cable Link Channel 214.

“Red Alert” host Atom Araullo joins the Red Alert Emergency Expo

With the help of safety and security professionals, Araullo led the DZMM contingent in educating hundreds of teachers and students from different universities in the metro on what to do to prepare for, and survive, a disaster, accident, or crime.

DZMM Radyo Patrol reporters Henry Atuelan, Dexter Ganibe, Hajji Kaamino, Zandro Ochona, and Robert Rivera and DZMM anchor Gretchen Fullido were also present in the event, which also featured singers Darren Espanto, Bugoy Drilon, and Leizl Garcia who provides entertainment to the participants.

Catch Red Alert on DZMM Radyo Patrol 630 and DZMM TeleRadyo every Sunday at 10 a.m. and on ABS-CBN every Wednesday after Bandila.

DZMM, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, is the flagship AM radio station of ABS-CBN, the Philippines’ leading media and entertainment company.

A Red Alert Emergency Expo participant tries to put out the fire using a fire extinguisher

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ISAH V. RED EDITOR NICKIE WANG WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

TRES KANTOS

‘I Love OPM” celebrity edition grand winner Tres Kantos with mentor Erik Santos

NAMED FIRST GRAND CELEBRITEAM ISAH V. RED

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res Kantos, the trio of Jovit Baldivino, Bugoy Drilon, and Dominador Aviola, was proclaimed the first-ever grand CelebriTeam in We Love OPM’s Grand Celebrity Sing-Offs Sunday night at Newport Performing Arts Theater.

The team mentored by Erik Santos garnered 80.45 percent of the combined scores obtained from public votes and the score given by guest judge and music icon Ryan Cayabyab.

The group performed Cayabyab’s “Nais Ko,” and took home P2 million, half of which will be given to their chosen charity, Casa San Miguel, which promotes music and arts for less fortunate children.

Tres Kantos beat Oh My Girls, composed of Ylona Garcia, Krissha Viaje, and Alexa Ilacad – mentored by Yeng Constantino. They got 58.27 percent of the combined scores.

Meanwhile, O Diva, composed of Emmanuelle Vera, Liezel Garcia and Klarisse de Guzman and mentored by KZ Tandingan, received 57.78 percent.

“I am so happy, nervous, excited, happy. Mixed emotions,” said Bugoy in an interview after the show.

“We Love OPM” guest judge Ryan Cayabyab

Jovit, who won the first season of Pilipinas Got Talent, said, “We really can’t explain how we feel. This is the second time I was named grand champion and I felt what’s it like to compete again.”

“I’m really thankful for everyone behind this program. Why I am here, I owe it to all of them,” said Dominador or Daddy D, who previously joined It’s Showtime’s “Tawag ng Tanghalan.”

Erik also shared that although he served as mentor in the program, he learned to lot about himself from the entire experience. He said, “I’ve learned a lot from this show. I’m really grateful that I became part of this great show. I discovered a lot about myself, as well as the weaknesses and strengths of each of my members.”

Aside from the grand finalists’

‘I Love OPM” grand winner Yohan Huang, Sam Concepcion and Iñigo Pascual

From left: Kean Cipriano, Nyoy Volante and Jay-R during the show’s opening number

performances, I Love OPM Grand TouriStar Yohan Hwang, Sam Concepcion, and Inigo Pascual also turned in a performance that charmed the audience.

CelebriTeams that competed in the We Love OPM and failed to get in the grand finals include Richard Poon’s Voice Next

The talent program host Anne Curtis

Mentors Yeng Contastino, Erik Santos and KZ Tandingan open the show with Mitoy Yonting and Mike Hanopol

Door composed of Kyle Echarri, Bailey May, and Juan Karlos Labajo, Jay-R’s Hot Spots composed of Marrki Stroem, Ryan Sy, and Alex Diaz, and Nyoy Volante’s Power Chords composed of Kaye Cal, Marlo Mortel, and Marion Aunor.

Hosted by Anne Curtis, We

Love OPM: The Celebrity Sing Offs premiered in May after the successful run of I Love OPM. The celebrity mentors and CelebriTeams will come together once again in a special called We Love OPM: Ang Soundtrack ng Buhay Natin this Saturday after MMK on ABS-CBN.