07-05-2018

ERDOGAN TO START
SECOND TERM WITH
NEW POWERS
CHEF WADE
WATSON, THE
STEAK MAN
FOES GAIN
FROM KILLINGS
PAGE 11
WORLD
PAGE 16
LIFESTYLE
PAGE 4
COMMENTARY
PH, Malaysia
sign sea
security deal
PAGE 3
Next Duterte-Trump
meet in US — Kim
Washington will pursue a second meeting
between President Rodrigo Duterte and US President
Donald Trump this time in the United States, US
Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said.
“As you know, President Trump has already
invited President Duterte to visit Washington
but obviously there had been lots of important
developments here in the Philippines and I think
it’s a question of scheduling as to when President
Turn to page 2
MANILA, PHILIPPINES THURSDAY, 5 JULY 2018
BHS, Dengvaxia SARO packaged
P11.6-billion projects okayed on same day
SEN. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito (left photo) with Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto field questions to resource persons. (Right photo) shows Julieanne Jorge, director of J. Bros Construction Corp.; Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
Assistant Secretary Antonio Molano Jr; Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo; former Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial; Health Undersecretary Roger Tong-An; Health Undersecretary Rolando Enrique Domingo; Health Secretary Francisco Duque;
DoH Commission on Audit ( CoA ) auditor Felicidad Rellen; DoH-CoA supervising auditor Milagros Deauna; Department of Budget and Management (DBM ) director Jane Abella during the Senate inquiry into the implementation of the DoH’s Barangay Health
Station project worth P8.1 billion.
ALFONSO PADILLA
By Leila Marie Rodriguez and Mario J. Mallari
On Dec. 29, 2015 the last working day for that
year, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad released
a single document containing two special
allotment release orders (SARO) for the funding
of the P3.5-billion Dengvaxia immunization
program and the P8.1-billion program for the
setting up of barangay health stations (BHS)
pointing to the packaging of both programs, a
Senate probe found yesterday.
The probe established circumstances that
prove the administration of former President
Benigno Aquino used the Department of Health
(DoH) as a milking cow to raise campaign funds
for the 2016 elections.
The twin projects were implemented a few
months prior to the campaign period of the
Sotto: No timeline yet for 2019 plebiscite
By Mario J. Mallari
Senate President Vicente Sotto III could
not give a specific timeline that would have
the draft Federal Constitution approved by
the Consultative Committee (ConCom) hit
2016 polls.
Senate health committee chairman Joseph
Victor Ejercito said the two projects totaling
P11.6 billion were both rushed for the 2016
elections.
“Since the SARO were released Dec. 29, 2015
which was the last day of 2015, so Dengvaxia
and the BHS came together. Actually it was
only one page (for both SARO),” Ejercito told
reporters after the hearing, when asked for
the possible connection of the project with
the 2016 polls.
“Obviously, [the BHS was] also done in haste.
The funding release was fast. And what was
obvious there is that it was done at the same
time as Dengvaxia.,” Ejercito said.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III
also noticed the same date the SARO for both
the target of a plebiscite by the middle of
next year even as the ConCom dismissed
as incomplete a supposed copy of the
proposed charter circulating online.
Former Supreme Court Chief
Justice Reynato Puno, chairman
projects were released which he said should have
been a red flag for the previous administration.
DAP-like diversions
Health Undersecretary Roger Tong-An
recounted the sequence of events that led to the
implementation of the two questionable projects
including the approval of the SARO.
After the SARO was issued, the funds for the
project were sourced from the 2015 Miscellaneous
Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF).
The MPBF was also the favorite source of
diversions of fund from the budget to augment
the notorious Disbursement Acceleration
Program (DAP) that the Aquino administration
created supposedly as a stimulus fund.
The SC in 2014 declared Executive actions
Turn to page 2
of ConCom, expressed hopes the
approved draft Constitution could
be presented to the public through a
plebiscite by mid-2019.
Sotto said the Senate will still have
Turn to page 2
Mayors restless,
want DU30 meet
By Michael Pingol
Local executives under the League of Municipalities
of the Philippines (LMP) have sought a dialogue with
President Rodrigo Duterte to air their concern on the socalled
narco list or the dossier on officials with links to
the drugs trade.
After back-to-back assassinations of Tanauan City
Mayor Antonio Halili and General Tinio, Nueva Ecija Mayor
Ferdinand Bote, LMP president Socorro, Oriental Mindoro
Mayor Marie Fe Brondial said the group sent a letter to
Malacañang requesting a meeting with the President to
present their concerns over the list and the growing unrest
among local chief executives.
Brondial said fear for their lives was the primary concern
of town mayors following the deaths of several local officials
– including those who the President had alleged were
involved in the drug trade.
Both mayors were killed over the week and one of
them, Halili, was included in Duterte’s list of officials
with alleged drug links.
A walk in the park Environment and Natural ResourcesSecretary Roy Cimatu welcomes President Rodrigo Duterte in Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife during the celebration of the DENR Anniversary
yesterday which also happens to be Cimatu’s birthday
YUMMIE DINGDING
‘THEY THUGGED US’
Aussies blame Gilas coach for brawl
BRISBANE, Australia – Australian
basketball legend Luc Longley
blamed the Philippines coach for
a shocking on-court brawl in their
World Cup qualifier, alleging he
incited his players to act violently.
He also hit out at Filipino players
for taking “gangster selfies” after
MAILING ADDRESS
3450 Concept Bldg., Florida St., Makati City,1235
Website : tribune.net.ph
Email : dailytribune@tribune.net.ph
the ugly clash.
The brutal melee in Manila
involving players, fans and officials
on Monday left the Australian team
fearing for their safety, and they
sought embassy help to fast track
their departure from the country.
They arrived home on Wednesday
FOR SUBSCRIPTION
Phone : +632 8337085
Email : ads@tribune.net.ph
NEWSSTAND PRICE
P18.00
morning and assistant coach
Longley -- the first Australian to play
in the NBA — said the violence was
the worst he had ever seen on court.
“I’ve never seen anything like
that, not even on YouTube. I do
believe that their coach, Chot
Reyes, incited them to come out
ISSUE
Vol. 18 No. 110
16 pages
and thug us,” said Longley, who
won three NBA championships
alongside Michael Jordan at the
Chicago Bulls.
“I think there’s video evidence
of that. Then he substituted a thug
out there, who took three or four
cheap swings at ‘Bubbles’ (Chris
Goulding).”
Thirteen players were ejected
after the all-in fight between the
Turn to page 2
‘I pity them’
“They are afraid, particularly those whose names are
on the list... I pity them. They told me ‘Mayor, we are not
involved in that (drug trade), why were we included?’”
Brondial said.
The LMP president is also urging the President to return
the supervision of police to mayors who were accused of
being involved in the drugs trade. The LMP has 68 leaders
Turn to page 2
A teacher’s porn
Authorities probably wouldn’t mind teachers selling
tocino, cosmetics, clothes and other stuff to students during
class to earn a few bucks. One elementary school teacher
in Dagupan, Pangasinan proved to be more enterprising by
selling online and charging in US dollars.
For teacher Gary, 22, his items were in demand and
foreigners found his price cheap so he made a killing. It
was also easy to do the “sideline” by doing away with the
hassle of billing and collecting from local buyers who paid
in “hulugan” (installment).
But selling videos and lewd pictures of minors online
for one dollar caused police to be hot on the trail of Gary.
The National Bureau of Investigation learned of Gary’s
abominable business from the “Cyber tip line” of the United
States and traced his IP address to the school where he
worked.
When the cops arrived to arrest him, Gary surrendered.
Even while his laptop yielded alleged videos and
pornographic photos of minors, he denied any wrongdoing.
“Hindi ko ‘yan magagawa sa mga bata dahil sila ang
buhay ko (I can’t do that to the kids because they are my
life),” he said.
Living off from the nude photos of minors? Well, with
that self-incriminating statement, it’s not surprising Gary
will face charges for violating the Anti-Child Pornography
Act of 2009 and imprisonment of from six to 12 years.

NEWS
2
Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
BHS, Dengvaxia
SARO packaged
From page 1
creating the DAP as
unconstitutional.
Sotto, during the testimony,
interrupted Tong-An and asked
him for the SARO numbers of
the BHS and the immunization
projects.
It turned out the BHS and
the anti-Dengvaxia projects have
consecutive SARO numbers.
SARO on same date
“So this was released
December 29? As far as I can
remember, it was the same
release date for the Dengvaxia
(immunization funding),” Ejercito
said during the hearing.
“It’s too much of a
coincidence because
it’s the same date,”
Ejercito added.
Just like the
Dengvaxia vaccine
program, the P8.1-billion BHS
project was initiated during the
time of former DoH Secretary
Janette Garin under the Aquino
administration.
Both projects were also funded
through government savings,
through budget realignment.
Ejercito noted in a January
2015 letter of Garin, she already
hinted that there would be funds
for the BHS even outside GAA.
Abad up for grilling
The senator said he is inclined
to invite former Budget Secretary
Florencio “Butch” Abad to the
next hearing to shed light on the
matter.
At the same time, Ejercito
said Garin is not yet off the hook
in the controversial DoH projects.
“I am not yet satisfied,
she needs to explain further,”
Ejercito said.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, on
the other hand, noted like the
BHS project, the P3.5-billion fund
for Dengvaxia was also sourced
from the MPBF.
“What was the real intention
of this fund?” Gatchalian said
of the MPBF, noting the huge
fundings for BHS and Dengvaxia
came from the said budget.
“Why is the (MPBF) funds
so huge but these appeared to
have been used sparingly and
later on transferred to projects
other than those specified (in the
budget), which looks (intended
From page 1
Gilas Pilipinas and the Boomers in
the third quarter, which was hash
tagged #basketbrawl as footage and
condemnation went viral.
What was already a badtempered
game erupted in the
third quarter when Philippine
player Roger Pogoy knocked
Goulding to the ground and
Daniel Kickert retaliated by
flattening Pogoy with a flying
elbow.
Longley, who rushed to the
aid of Goulding as he was set
upon by a dozen Filipino players
and officials, claimed Reyes was
“embarrassed” by how his team
was playing and urged them to
hit back at the Boomers.
“Garin is
not yet off
the hook.”
for) personal benefit,” he said.
“It is becoming dangerous that
Congress allocated the funds but
the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM) used these
for another purpose,” he said.
BHS project flawed
Another proof that the two
projects were rushed was Health
Secretary Francisco Duque’s
testimony that the BHS project
was “flawed from the start.”
Duque also pointed to “poor
planning” in the two-phase
BHS project awarded to JBROS
Construction Corp.
Similarly, Duque had stated
in an earlier Senate inquiry
that the purchase of the antidengue
vaccine
Dengvaxia from French
pharmaceutical firm
Sanofi Pasteur was
also rushed.
“There was poor
planning right from the start…
it was marked with a lot of
irregularities so to speak or
deficiencies,” Duque said.
Ejercito maintained that
while the objective of the BHS
project was “very good,” the
implementation was bad.
“The way I see it right now, the
problem was the execution and
implementation,” Ejercito said.
Garin defends project
Aquino’s Health Secretary
Janette Garin insisted there
was nothing irregular in the BHS
project.
Former Health Secretary
Paulyn Ubial, however, sided with
Duque as she noted the apparent
rush in the implementation of the
BHS project.
“Never did we have such a
huge project given in a year,”
Ubial said.
“We did not have national bidding,
it was done per region…for such a
huge project in such a manner it
was planned and executed in a very
short time with only one contractor,
really unimaginable at that point in
time,” Ubial said.
Apart from the “blame game”
among the present and former
DoH officials, it was found
out that there were instances
when there was no actual land
to erect a BHS or there were
problems on right of way, while
there were completed units
torn down.
He pointed to footage of
an angry Reyes during a timeout
telling his players to “hit
somebody.”
“He wouldn’t look me in the
eye at the end of the game when
I shook his hand, and I think he
was embarrassed and... if you
listen to his diatribe after the
game, I think it verifies it,” said
Longley in Brisbane.
“I’m upset with him more
than anybody, and to let his team
take selfies, gangster selfies on
the line after an event like that,
that shows total lack of control
or respect.”
Basketball’s governing body
FIBA has opened disciplinary
proceedings against both teams.
In a television interview, Reyes
Tree of wishes An employee of jewelry store Ginza Tanaka hangs a gold leaf strip wishing card onto a bamboo decoration during the annual
celebration of “Tanabata” or star festival in Tokyo.
AFP
From page 1
Mayors restless, want DU30 meet
of municipalities as members.
Halili was among local officials
stripped of police control as
a result of his alleged links to
illegal drugs. He had denied any
involvement in the narcotics trade.
Aside from Halili, mayors on
the “narco-list” who had met
violent deaths were Rolando
Espinosa of Albuera, Leyte;
Reynaldo “Aldong” Parojinog
of Ozamiz City, and Samsudin
Dimaukom of Datu Saudi
Ampatuan, Maguindanao.
“If there are mistakes made by
our mayors, killing them should
not be the solution,” Brondial said.
Go tell the police -- Año
Interior and Local Government
officer-in-charge and retired
military chief Eduardo Año urged
local chief executives to seek help
from their police forces should they
receive death threats.
Año, in a radio interview, said
mayors and local officials can
said his instruction during the
huddle was purely a basketball
strategy.
He said the Boomers were
beating them with their run-andgun
play and the only way to
stop them was to foul and disrupt
their system before they could get
some scoring opportunities.
“Anyone who understands
basketball, if you take offense
with that statement, you don’t
know basketball,” said Reyes, who
was caught on camera instructing
his players to “hit somebody; put
them on their ass.”
“Take a look at the statement:
They’re beating us on transition
so we have to foul early, don’t give
a layup, foul early, hit somebody,
put them down so the referees
ask for additional security and
assistance should they receive
threats, noting that officials
included in the list of suspected
people involved in drugs are
prone to receiving death threats.
“You know if you are involved
in a drug syndicate, there are
several things that could happen
since there is the drugs war,”
Ano said.
“Those threatened should
coordinate with the PNP...That
is important.”
He added threatened officials
should cooperate fully with the PNP
and the Philippine Drug Enforcement
Agency (PDEA) should they receive
threats on their lives.
Political strife blamed
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, however,
said the recent killings could be
attributed to politics and should
not be blamed on Mr. Duterte’s
strong stand against criminality.
Administration critics were
quick to blame Duterte for their
deaths, alleging his strong stand
will call a foul.”
Basketball Australia chief
Anthony Moore said his side
accepts responsibility for their
part in the brawl while the
Philippines federation offered
apologies to fans and the
basketball community, but not
Australia.
Kickert, whose retaliatory
elbow sparked the fight, said he
regretted his actions, with a long
suspension likely.
“I regret those things, but I’m
going to let FIBA do everything
they need to do, to take the time,
go through the process and come
to the answers that they see fit
and bring down the sanctions
they bring down,” he said.
AFP
against criminals has created a
climate of impunity.
The political opponents of
Mr. Duterte added the recent
events were “inspired” by the
President’s supposed threats
against local executives
engaged in criminal activities
or are coddling criminal
syndicates.
Lacson, however, belied the
allegations, pointing out that
local politics may have played a
big hand in the recent killings.
“No, I don’t think so. It’s not
where it came from,” Lacson
said in an ambush interview at
the Senate.
“Especially in local politics, if
the political battle is very fierce,
they resort to killing each other,”
he added.
The deaths of Halili and
Bote were the third and fourth
recorded killings of local
politicians this year.
Bote, a first term mayor, was a
partymate of Duterte at the PDP
while Halili had been included on
From page 1
the government’s narco list.
Last May 12, former La Union
Second District Rep. Eufranio
Eriguel was gunned down while
attending a barangay election
gathering and Buenavista, Bohol
Mayor Ronald Tirol was shot
dead in a cockpit arena last
May 27.
Prior to their deaths, Halili,
Eriguel and Tirol had been
receiving death threats even
before Duterte came to power.
Previous attempts thwarted
Eriguel and Tirol survived
previous attempts on their lives;
with the former surviving a bomb
attack in April 2016, and the latter
surviving an assassination attempt,
also in a cockpit arena, in 2014.
While Lacson believed local
politics might be behind the
assassinations, he said it is
incumbent upon the PNP to act
on it.
Alvin Murcia, Mario J. Mallari,
Angie M. Rosales, Elmer Navarro
Manuel
Sotto: No timeline yet for 2019 plebiscite
From page 1
to work with the House of
Representatives to finalize
a legislative calendar for the
draft charter.
“It’s very difficult to judge
the timing. They are not aware
of the congressional schedule
that’s why they think that’s
possible,” Sotto said.
“We still have to finalize
the calendar with our House
counterparts,” he added.
At least three days’ worth
of changes and revisions,
those are what may be
missing in the supposed draft
Aussies blame Gilas coach for brawl
“Federal Constitution” being
circulated online, ConCom
spokesperson Ding Generoso
said yesterday.
Generoso made the
clarification a day after
the 22-member ConCom
unanimously approved the
draft charter for submission
to Mr. Duterte last July 3.
According to Generoso,
the draft being circulated
online dated June 27 and
June 30 does not reflect the
many changes, including the
last-minute corrections done
by the ConCom before voting
on the draft.
Next Duterte-Trump
meet in US — Kim
Duterte would make a visit to the US,” he said during the US
Independence Day rites at the US Embassy.
“I think there is strong interest in both sides in facilitating the
visit to Washington so we’ll continue to work at it,” he added.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo himself relayed hopes for the two
leaders’ meeting when he met Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter
Cayetano last June 22.
Trump and Duterte met in Manila on the sidelines of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit last November. During
the meeting, the two discussed issues on drug menace, terrorism
and trade issues.
Kim said the two leaders have forged a “very strong relationship.”
“The two gentlemen have shared much in common, including on the
importance of rule of law even as the Philippines continues to pursue
the serious challenge of illegal drugs in the Philippines,” he said.
Cooperation on drugs up
“We understand that the drug issue is a huge challenge to the
Philippines, we understand that President Duterte is so focused on
that big problem and we will continue to work with the Philippine
government,” Kim added.
US has been providing Manila support in areas such as demand
reduction and drug rehabilitation efforts.
Among other things, US has also established law enforcement
cooperation with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law
enforcement agencies.
“I think our robust law enforcement cooperation will continue and
it is important both sides agree on the importance of rule of law and
respect for human rights as we proceed with efforts to deal with the
drug problem,” Kim said.
All for a scarf Cambodians carry a 1,149.8 metre-long krama scarf so it can be measured and judged as the world’s longest hand woven scarf.
Cambodia won a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the country’s famed scarf called the krama.
AFP
Ties strong
Kim said there had been significant development on the
Philippines-US relations.
He said both countries’ growing partnership in defeating terrorists
in Marawi City to rebuilding it after its liberation in October 2017.
“We worked together to defeat the terrorist attack on Marawi
City and now we’re supporting the government’s efforts to rebuild
Marawi,” he said.
He added the economic partnership between the two countries
continues to be “very strong.”
“We welcome the Philippines interest in doing a free trade agreement
with US and of course President Trump had a wonderful visit to the
Philippines in November, so I think the relationship is in great shape and
I think the future of the relationship is very bright,” he added.

Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
PAGE THREE
60 OFW repatriated
At least 60 overseas Filipino
workers (OFW) were saved
from possible arrest after
they were repatriated by the
Philippine Embassy in Moscow
from January to June this year,
the Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.
The number represented a
33 percent increase compared
to a year ago, DFA said.
OFW whose visas have
expired are unable to exit
Russia, compelling them to
seek the embassy to engage
the Russian police, courts and
immigration.
Filipino
expatriates in
Russia without
proper travel
documents
are vulnerable to arrest and
detention prior to deportation.
Filipinos who secure
embassy assistance for
voluntary repatriation allow
them to avoid jail.
“We developed this program
of voluntary repatriation
precisely for our undocumented
nationals to be able to exit
Russia and to ensure that
their rights and well-being are
protected,” Ambassador to
the Russian Federation Carlos
Sorreta said in a statement.
“It is difficult for most of our
citizens to undergo this process
on their own due to the language
barrier and the fear of spending
time in
jail,” he
added.
Rody blasts
‘faith’s
creeping
influence’
Family planning initiatives
and other government programs
are being hindered due to the
church’s “creeping influence of
faith,” President Rodrigo Duterte
said yesterday.
Duterte said although he did
not want to argue with the church
and other religious leaders, it was
this aspect of religion which he did
not like.
“The family planning, with due
respect. I don’t want to argue.
It has something to do with the
objection of religions, not all,”
Duterte said in his speech at the
celebration of the 31st anniversary
of the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR) in
Quezon City.
“I would not mention the faith
because again I would not want
to quarrel with them,” he added.
The Catholic church has been
one of those against birth control
methods other than natural family
planning. It has also opposed the
Reproductive Health Law.
Duterte said that the church
failed to acknowledge the
government’s efforts to implement
programs beneficial to
Filipinos.
“That is why one of my reasons
why I do not like this --- the creeping
influence of faith is that they
sometimes run counter to what
government believes to be good for
the people,” Duterte said.
During his term as Davao
City mayor, Duterte said the city
government had birth control pills
readily available for those who
needed it.
“Expatriates in Russia
without proper travel
documents are vulnerable
to arrest.”
Repatriation help sought
Catherine Alpay, third
secretary and vice consul
of the embassy’s assistanceto-nationals
section, said a
number of Filipinos still seek
repatriation assistance.
“We have a number of fellow
Filipinos here in Russia who
wanted to come home and
start anew but they can’t do
it since some of them violated
immigration rules,” she said.
“The voluntary repatriation
program allows them to go home
to be with their loved ones and
plan their next
steps,” she
said.
Aside from
those with
immigration
violations, among the recipients
of the embassy’s assistance are
Filipinos with urgent medical
conditions. The service is
purely voluntary and is free of
charge, the DFA said.
Sorreta said the conclusion
of a bilateral labor agreement
that will govern the deployment
of OFW to Russia continues to
be the focus of the embassy’s
OFW-related efforts.
“We are working closely
with our Russian counterparts
on this and the proposed
agreement was one of the
topics discussed during the
meeting between Foreign
Affairs Secretary Alan Peter
Cayetano and Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov in
Moscow last month,” he said.
By Elmer Navarro Manuel
The Communist Party of
the Philippines (CPP) is not
letting up on attacks against
President Rodrigo Duterte as
CPP founding chairman Jose
Maria Sison continued his
“blame-game” regarding the
on-and-off negotiations for the
resumption of peace talks with
the government.
The CPP, in a statement on the
72nd anniversary of the Filipino-
American Friendship day, said
that the President’s supposed
“independent foreign policy”
aimed at reducing reliance to the
United States has not translated
into policy.
“Over the past two years, he
has perpetuated US neocolonial
rule in the country,” he said.
“Despite his anti-American
histrionics, dramatic declarations
of an ‘independent foreign
policy,’ and theatrics of ‘shifting
to China and Russia’ early in his
term, he has proved himself no
different from previous puppet
presidents since 1946, who all
have steadfastly defended US
semicolonial rule,” it added.
The statement also mentioned
Duterte’s alleged refusal to
abrogate deals such as the Mutual
Defense Treaty of 1951, the Visiting
Forces Agreement of 1998, and the
Enhanced Defense Cooperation
Agreement of 2014.
“He also made no formal
protestation against the presence
of US military troops and advisers
in the country. Balikatan war
exercises, which epitomize US
military command and control
of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, have been held twice
since Duterte proclaimed he no
PH, Malaysia sign
sea security deal
Filipino and Malaysian
maritime police agencies will sign
a formal agreement for stronger
maritime security cooperation
against transnational crimes,
terrorism, and emerging nautical
concerns.
Director of Philippine
National Police-Maritime Group
(PNP-MG) Chief Superintendent
Rodelio B. Jocson said both
parties are now discussing
details of the agreement.
The agreement will
particularly focus on the areas
of operations, undertaking
coordinated maritime activities
in law enforcement, and
prevention of kidnapping, sea
hijacking, terrorism, trafficking
of persons, smuggling of
migrants, illicit drug trafficking,
arms smuggling and other illegal
and criminal acts, he said.
Jocson was in Puerto
Princesa for the 2nd Bilateral
Meeting of the Marine Police
Force-Royal Malaysia Police
(MPF-RMP) and the PNP-MG.
“Actually, this will be
tackled within the day. It has
Fantastic four President Rodrigo
Roa Duterte, Speaker Pantaleon
Alvarez, and Senate President Vicente
Sotto III exchange pleasantries as
they share the stage during the 117th
anniversary celebration of the Office
of the Solicitor General. With them
is Special Assistant to the President
(SAP) Bong Go.
longer wants them,” the CPP said.
Expose, oppose
The statement also urged
the Filipino people to “expose
and oppose the
US-Duterte regime’s
relentless
machinations
aimed at
maintaining
“To be successful in
preventing transnational
crimes, we need our
neighbors.”
not yet been signed because
we’re still reviewing the terms
and condition. Maybe we will
finish this within the day, if
not maybe we will do that in
the next bilateral meeting,”
Jocson added.
Marine resources protection
Commissioner of Police
Dato’ Sri Zulkifli Bin Abdullah,
who is the Head of Delegates
and the Director of the Internal
Security and Public Order
Department of the MPF-RMP,
added the agreement will
also include cooperation in
protecting marine resources
from poaching
“I am also the chairman
of what we call the Green
Committee in the Royal
Malaysia Police, and we have a
very keen concern for protecting
the marine environment. It
TWO alleged drug dealers stand next to
drug paraphernalia confiscated during
a police operation conducted in
Manila. President Rodrigo Duterte
had quit the International Criminal
Court (ICC), a decision which
opposition senators wanted the
Supreme Court to overturn. Mr.
Duterte branded the ICC as a
biased institution in launching a
preliminary examination on
his signature war on
drugs. NOEL CELIS / AFP
has not been discussed yet,
but it is important to protect
the environment, and we
will include that in the next
meetings we will have,” he said.
He added that any abuse
of the marine environment is
also “a crime that should be
taken seriously,” especially so
that they have had successful
operations against illegal
logging and poaching of
critically-endangered marine
wildlife in their own maritime
territory.
Protocol on
transnat’l crimes set
Jocson said the bilateral
meeting will also discuss
coordination protocols to
fight transnational crimes
and the forging of a stronger
relationship with the Malaysian
maritime police.
“To be successful in
preventing transnational
crimes, we need our neighbors
because if we do not know
them, the trust is different.
This kind of meeting will forge
The oral arguments on the challenge
to President Duterte’s decision to
withdraw from the International
Criminal Court (ICC) was reset by the
Supreme Court (SC) to August 14 from
August 7.
This was the second
postponement since the SC
ordered the government to
respond to the consolidated
petition of six senators and a
non-government organization
to stop the ICC withdrawal.
The postponement
was stated in the media
briefer sent by SC Public
Information Office chief
Theodore Te yesterday
after the justices tackled
the issue in an en banc
session.
The SC also directed
Solicitor General Jose Calida
to comment on Senator
Leila De Lima’s motion
to personally appear and
represent herself during the
oral arguments.
“The court also directed
the status of the Philippines as
a strong neocolonial foothold
of US hegemonic power in the
Asia-Pacific.”
Sison, on the other hand,
reiterated the “series of deal
breakers” from the government
side, citing Duterte’s “changes
of mind” for the peace talks to
push through.
The CPP founder revealed that
during the backchannel talks with
stronger relationships between
us and our personnel,” he said.
Under the proposed
agreement, the principles of
sovereignty, territory, noninterference
in internal affairs,
equality between the two
nations, common interests,
and international laws will be
respected.
It aims to establish a Joint
Enforcement Working Group,
a Joint Communication Plan
to ensure accurate and timely
information exchange and
intelligence sharing, designate
a Maritime Area of Common
Concern and Common Area
of Operations, and identify
Rendezvous Points for smooth
and coordinated maritime
activities.
The proposed forms of
cooperation are the exchange
of information and intelligence
sharing as may be permitted,
the conduct of capacity
building activities, and
search and rescue or retrieval
activities during disasters and
emergency.
SC: ICC orals reset to Aug. 14
Joma continues with anti-gov’t rhetorics
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
Partly cloudy
to cloudy skies with
isolated rainshowers
NORTHERN LUZON
Cloudy skies
with isolated
rain showers
W E A T H E R
the government peace panel, the
two parties have agreed to include
into the package agreement the
coordinated unilateral ceasefires,
a certified copy of a Presidential
proclamation to amnesty and
release of all political prisoners
listed by the National Democratic
Front of the Philippines
(NDFP) and
the creation
of an agrarian
SOUTHERN LUZON
Cloudy skies with
isolated rain showers
the Solicitor General to comment on petitioner
De Lima’ manifestation and motion within a
non-extendible period of five days from notice
of resolution,” the media briefer stated.
De Lima as counsel
De Lima, who is currently detained at the
Philippine National Police Custodial Center in
Camp Crame on drug charges, petitioned the
SC to allow her to represent the senators in
arguing the case.
Pending before the SC are the consolidated
pleadings of De Lima and her fellow opposition
senators Francis Pangilinan, Franklin Drilon,
Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros, and Antonio
Trillanes IV, and of the Philippine Coalition for
the ICC.
The senators urged the court to proclaim
as “invalid and ineffective” the country’s
withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the ICC’s
establishing treaty, without the concurrence
of at least 2/3 of the Senate, which was a
Constitutional requirement for the ratification
of treaties.
The other petition, which was consolidated,
sought the withdrawal to be declared “void ab
initio” and at the same time asked the court
to order the government to recall and revoke
the document submitted to the United Nations
Secretary General.
VISAYAS
Cloudy skies with
scattered rainshowers
and thunderstorms
reform and rural development
section in the Comprehensive
Agreement on Social Economic
Reforms (CASER).
He said that the interim peace
package would have been signed
had the resumption of the peace
talks pushed through last June
28 in Oslo, Norway, which could
have also paved the way for him
to come home to
the Philippines
in August.
MINDANAO
Cloudy skies
with scattered
rainshowers and
thunderstorms

COMMENTARY
4 Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
Daily
Tribune
WITHOUT FEAR • WITHOUT FAVOR
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
Crispin G. Martinez
Chito Lozada
Dinah Ventura,
Aldrin Cardona,
John Henry Dodson
Jaimes R. C. Sumbilon
Larry Payawal
Komfie Manalo
Patricia Ramos
Board Chair
Willie Fernandez
Publisher and President
Founding Chair
Executive Editor
Managing Editor
Associate Editors
Central Desk
Special Reports
Foes gain
from killings
The consecutive killings of local executives in two
days raise the specter of a potentially deadly
period in the runup to next year’s mid-term polls.
On Tuesday, General Tinio, Nueva Ecija
Mayor Ferdinand Bote was leaving a National
Irrigation Administration (NIA) office in an SUV
in Cabanatuan City when a motorcycle-riding man
shot him repeatedly with a pistol. The gunman escaped.
Last Monday, Tanauan City, Batangas, Mayor Antonio Halili was
shot in the heart and killed while singing the National Anthem with
hundreds of employees in a flag-raising ceremony. An apparent
single rifle
shot felled the 72-year-old mayor in
a murder
that was recorded in a social
media
video.
Both of
the assassinations
were done
professionally,
based on initial
reports, as
Halili was slain
by a sniper while
Bote was killed in
an ambush.
The yellow critics
of President Rody Duterte
immediately ascribed the deaths to
the administration, of course without any proof to show, as they
claim a culture of impunity exists due to Mr. Duterte’s unrelenting
war on drugs.
Mr. Duterte stating Halili’s name among mayors with narcotics
links who had recently died violently also contributed in his
opponents blaming him for the string of deaths.
The Palace was correct, however, in saying that Rody did not
make any accusation in his remark and merely expressed his
suspicion about Halili’s death.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the exact translation
of Mr. Duterte’s line on the day Halili died was, “I heard today
that Halili has died. But we’re suspecting that it’s drug-related.
It’s just a suspicion.”
The increased power to be bestowed on local governments
under the draft Federal Constitution is also being seen as a
catalyst for fiercer competition among political rivals in the
provinces.
The draft Constitution allows increased autonomy in the
Federated Regions which will each get a share of not less than
half of all collected taxes on income, excise, VAT (value added
tax) and Customs duties which are automatically released.
Rody’s suspicion of the drugs menace being behind the Halili
“The recent deaths
only favor those
who are against the
radical changes.”
killing all the more makes the situation
disturbing since it may indicate that drug
traffickers are making their move to gain
from coming political exercises which are
the national elections next year and the
effort to shift to a Federal government.
Government’s unrelenting anti-narcotics campaign has caused
syndicates to lie low or even transfer to neighboring countries.
Indonesia recently launched a tough anti-narcotics drive,
saying narcotics traffickers driven away from the Philippines
had relocated to Jakarta.
Political rivalry, or for any other reason, the twin
assassinations pose a serious challenge to law enforcers who
are being relied on in the peaceful conduct of the coming
national exercises.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the
Philippine National Police (PNP), which are the lead agencies
in probing the cases of Halili and Bote, should act with
dispatch in resolving the cases.
A pivotal factor in attaining Rody’s main goals such as the
eradication of crime, the shift to a Federal government and
the granting of autonomy to Muslim Filipinos would need
overwhelming support from Filipinos to succeed.
The recent deaths only favor those who are against the
radical changes that Rody wanted instituted in the country.
Without ascribing any sinister agenda to his opponents,
recent events afforded them more ammunition against Rody in
a period when the opposition voices have been marginalized
due to the solid accomplishments of the President in the first
two years of his term.
It is convenient for his opponents to drag the administration
into the killings, but the motives of those who gain most from
it are far from Rody’s camp.
Needed: Campaign for,
against federalism
A
new charter adopting
the federal system
of government, has
been drafted by the Duterteappointed
Consultative
Commission (ConCom),
which is to be shortly
submitted to the President
for his review and revisions,
should there be any.
This will then be sent to
Congress, presumably with
the two chambers being sent
the same draft charter copies
for their study and for sure, revisions
mostly from the House of Representatives,
which has a bigger membership compared
to the Senate, which can only count on
24 senators.
The House is expected to rewrite the
ConCom draft while transforming itself
into a constituent assembly (con-ass)
while the Senate is expected to block the
con-ass as it will insist on separate voting.
Should majority of senators adopt the
congressional ConCom’s move for a conass,
the question whether the Constitution
allows separate voting of two chambers, or
whether the House can go at it alone, will
surely erupt. This will then be challenged
before the Supreme Court which may
take time.
But all the House can really do is to
either revise or throw out the ConCom
draft charter and come up with is own
version of the federal system it envisioned.
Whatever decision the House leadership
makes, what is clear is that the draft
federal charter must be presented to
the Filipino electorate for approval or
rejection through a plebiscite. Will the
Senate agree to hold a plebiscite if the
House has not agreed to the chambers’
separate voting?
At this time, however, majority of the
Filipino electorate
FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
We saw it in the
preemptive
positioning and
strategic appointments in
key judicial posts where
prospective legal suits and
charges might be prosecuted
during and after Benigno
Aquino III’s incumbency. The
fear that he and his highest
lieutenants might end up
behind bars as experienced
by Aquino’s own predecessor
was compelling enough. The
gambit to strategically position pawns
across the judicial chess board not so
much to advance an army as to protect a
flank was a classic play in a game of chess.
In the real-life game of politics however,
the employment of pawns diminishes the
office to which these are appointed where
judicial positions require not simply the
highest degrees of independence but the
public’s esteem and respect.
The recent quo warranto controversy
of the Supreme Court (SC) is a case in
point. Forcibly injecting and consequently
infecting the SC with someone who has
less experience and relatively unqualified
averages down and diminishes the High
Court’s cumulative experience and
credibility. This is important where legal
compliance is a measure of integrity.
Absent full compliance for one, results in
the reduced integrity level of the whole
court.
The SC’s diminution is worsened by
the intrigue and infighting produced by an
illegal appointment leading to alienation
and organizational dysfunction. The
BYSTANDER
Dean de la Paz
are unaware of the 1986
Constitution being replaced
by a federal system and,
worse, they may not know
just what the federal system
entails. This is what the
recent surveys have found.
The chair of the ConCom,
former Supreme Court
Chief Justice Reynato Puno
had a different version,
as he claimed the people
had a positive response to
recommendations contained
in the draft Federal Constitution.
“We have been submitting these
various recommendations to the people
through the media. And so far, the result,
the reaction is positive on the part of the
public,” Puno said.
The media are hardly the “people”
that can be relied on for the electorate’s
“There hardly has been any
all-out information drive.”
feedback, positive or negative. It is also
probably fairly accurate to state that
media as a whole have hardly focused on
this issue on the change to federal system.
What media have obtained by way of
news on the federal shift would be press
releases coming from the ConCom which
hardly offer much by way of information.
Also, there hardly has been any all-out
information drive — whether for or against
the shift to federalism, which is important
for the electorate to make an intelligent
decision if and when voters are faced with
a plebiscite.
Personally, I take the view that Filipinos
are not ready for a shift to federalism,
perhaps more because even our elected
leaders in different regions are not that
trained and ready to take on major state
infallibility of the SC has
fallen, we are sure of that.
But when did the SC’s fall
from grace start, and who
deliberately hollowed out the
judicial system’s foundations?
Indulge us to quickly
retrace how the public had
gradually lost respect for the
SC following a strategic play
by the previous administration
to severely weaken it and
thereafter position a pawn in
its own image - one similarly
inexperienced, and now proven unqualified.
“The SC’s diminution is worsened
by the intrigue and infighting.”
Disrespect does not develop overnight.
Like excrement it is dropped from higher
places. As past is a prologue, let’s recall
the year we elected Aquino and his
uncomfortable inaugural.
While no law dictates a presidentelect’s
oath should be administered by the
Chief Justice, Aquino chose to disrespect
judicial tradition and culture in lieu of
partisanship, political patronage and plain
puerile proclivity. To administer his oath,
he chose a partisan.
Such disrespect degenerated into
vengeance. The relationship with the
justice before whom he took his oath would
be reprised in a landmark conviction that
deepened wounds inflicted on the Supreme
Court.
As the coup de grace in the Corona
impeachment, brandishing before media
confidential deposits controversially
roles which may screw up an independent
18 states operating under a federal system.
Not even the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front (MILF) that insists on a Bangsamoro
government under a parliamentary system
is ready to take on an efficient and
virtually independent Moro government.
Then too, there is still that possibility
that given a few years more in the
leadership position in the Bangsamoro
government, secession will be the
government’s headache. By that time, the
MILF and its troops will have, compliments
of the Muslim governments the world over,
attack helicopters and other military
equipment, even patrol boats, along with
its troops, fighting it out with the federal
government police and military troops for
independence.
Should such a scenario become a reality,
it won’t be long before other “states” will
be expected to seek independence.
The other problems are areas that
would be turned into “states” that are
controlled by the Communist rebels, and
areas where the government provincial
or municipal, go along with the rebels
and allow them to extort their claimed
“revolutionary tax.”
A federal shift to succeed in this country
is to do it slowly. It never should be a sudden
shift in changing government systems.
At the same time, the opposition should
come up with an information drive for
the people to learn the advantages and
disadvantages in having a federal system.
That is, instead of coming out with claims
of a federal shift leading to a Duterte
dictatorship, which is a baseless argument.
And that’s the trouble with the political
opposition, especially the above ground
communists who are in the House as
partylisters. All they want is to oust Duterte
for them to take power again with the other
opposition congressional members.
Pawns in the judicial system
obtained, Aquino’s appointed ombudsman,
acting as a hostile witness, revealed $12
million in five different bank accounts.
Never mind the flawed arithmetic that
wrongly totalled time deposits matured
and redeposited several times over. And
never mind the bank secrecy statutes.
The assault on the Chief Justice then
worsened. We now know substantial funds
for specific needs vetted through public
hearings and the budget processes, and
eventually identified in the General
Appropriations Act (GAA), were hijacked
midstream and diverted from the Executive
Branch to chosen allies in the impeachment
trial, there to fund pet projects outside the
GAA.
Aquino’s Disbursement Acceleration
Program was eventually declared fraudulent
and unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. In
retaliation the latter’s budget and operating
expenses would be endangered by the
Executive Branch. Worse, Aquino threatened
to foist the House of Representatives against
the High Court.
Threatening the independence of the
Supreme Court goes beyond disrespect.
Further undermining its integrity, the
most damaging might be Aquino’s forced
insertion of a hollow Trojan Horse inside
its sacrosanct chambers thereby creating
internal decay, distrust and dissent.
Hopefully fresh appointments will
restore our respect for the SC and the
Office of the Ombudsman. It will be a
satiric twist of fate especially ironic when
Aquino finally faces the same judicial body
he intimidated and threatened, and from
whom he might eventually beg for mercy
and understanding.
Published daily by the Daily Tribune Publishing Co., with offices at 3450 Concept Bldg., Florida Street, Makati City • Editorial: (02) 831-0496 • Administration: dailytribune@tribune.net.ph, (02) 833-7085 / (02) 551-5148. To advertise and subscribe: ads@tribune.net.ph, dailytribune@tribune.net.ph, (02) 833-7085 / (02)
551-5148. To submit an opinion article, email opinion@tribune.net.ph. To submit a letter to the editor, email: letters@tribune.net.ph • News: news@tribune.net.ph • Metro: metro@tribune.net.ph • Lifestyle: lifestyle@tribune.net.ph • Business: biz@tribune.net.ph • Sports: sports@tribune.net.ph • PR: pr@tribune.net.ph.

Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
COMMENTARY
5
Utrecht-based Jose Ma. Sison
declares those in the rebel
movement will no longer
negotiate peace with the government
of the Republic of the Philippines
and would rather work with anti-
Duterte forces to help oust him from
office then negotiate with them
should they succeed.
President Duterte, for his part,
welcomed Sison’s statement for it is
the rebel movement’s prerogative to
negotiate peace or not. And in jest
he added it’ll not matter much if we extend
the 50-year communist rebellion, the longest
running in the world, if we add another 30
years to it if so desired by the rebels.
It is evident in both statements the
exasperation of the two leaders about the
turn of events that they view in different
perspectives as derailing all efforts to end
the communist rebellion. The Communist
Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-led
National Democratic Front and the GRP were
set to continue the stalled peace negotiations
last month.
The demand of Duterte to have the
negotiations held in the country was opposed
by the rebel negotiators where Sison sits as
VOX POPULI
Jesse E.L. Bacon II
Can peace be negotiated?
its senior adviser. Both exchanged
unsavory statements against each
other that GRP negotiator, Labor
Secretary Silvestre Bello, likened
to lovers’ petty spat.
Unill now, however, the prospects
of the two panels going to the
negotiating table again seemed
farfetched. Duterte is not budging
from his demand that negotiations
be held in the Philippines.
Sison and company, however, are
bent on insisting it must be held in
a neutral country, which is by tradition the
practice to eliminate any possibility, perceived
or real, of advantage by the government over
the belligerent group that desires to oust it.
As it stands now, the stalemate just proves
that peace is indeed elusive, if not impossible,
to be the subject of negotiation. Peace is an
inherent gift of creation. It precedes creation
itself for it already existed at the time of
creation.
It is exhibited in the manner by which the
entire galaxy moves in perfect precision. Just
imagine a split of a second dysfunction in the
rotation of the planets around the sun what
havoc will it cause on the entire universe.
This is what is meant by peace. And in the
societal context it means harmonious living
between and among human beings anchored
on justice.
When there are only about one percent
of the world’s population controlling more
than half of the world’s wealth, this is pure
injustice. But this unjust situation can’t be
overturned by simply employing force on the
part of the aggrieved and presto a new world
order founded on justice is born.
The longest running Philippine communist
rebellion is not caused by
the rebels’ romantic affair
with armed struggle. No
person in his right mind will
ever put himself at risk by leaving behind his
family and everything and go to the mountains
to fight the status quo or the government in
the hope of overthrowing it. There must be a
compelling reason why they abandoned safety
and comfort in exchange for the cause they
are fighting for.
Admittedly, it is their hope the rebellion
they are staging will turn the present unjust
order to a just one. Of course, this is one
dream worth pursuing. Its pursuit, however,
is no mean feat. And in those countries
where they succeeded, sadly, they are reembracing
the very unjust order that they
“The stalemate just proves
that peace is indeed elusive.”
were able to overthrow through their bloody
rebellion.
Why the vicious cycle, if I may say so?
Because human endeavor is shaped by
that controversial original sin that marred
the perfect creation of that God that
Duterte described as stupid for making this
happen. The story of the original sin is all
about human greed. When Adam and Eve
succumbed to the serpent’s temptation to
eat the forbidden fruit they were not hungry
but desiring to become
like the all-knowing, allpowerful
Creator.
For peace to reign in
our land, the world order shaped by greed
causing injustice to become the rule rather
than the exception must be overturned.
Should it be overturned through the use of
force as espoused by the rebels? Or should
the status quo be allowed to do everything
under its power to prevent such order from
being overturned?
In the periphery of this debate is the call
for everyone to be a peacemaker. How? By
not conforming to ways of this world that is
shaped by greed.
jelbacon@yahoo.com; jelbaconii@gmail.com
Not because we do not share
the more popular sentiment
of supporting our basketball
team in “mauling” their Australian
opponents in the FIBA qualifying
tournament game the other night
could we be considered less patriotic.
Don’t get me wrong. If I was
caught in the middle of such
situation, I would not hesitate for a
second to lend a hand to my fellow
Filipinos no matter what, whoever
is right or wrong. But as soon as
the smoke clears, it’s then time to assess who
is right or wrong and no amount of reasoning
could justify converting a
supposedly friendly ballgame
into a fisticuff.
And it pains me a lot to
see numerous posts in the social media urging
everyone to stand by our basketball team
without bothering to know who even started
it all. Posts like “Laban Pinoy,” Hindi n’yo
kami kaya kahit maliit kami,” abound. Worse,
INSIDE CONGRESS
Charlie V. Manalo
“What Reyes actually meant was
for his players to foul early.”
Wrong sense of patriotism
even Smart Gilas head coach
Chot Reyes has been trying to
justify what his players did.
When, in fact, he could be the
one who should bear the brunt
of the responsibility over that
incident.
Reyes insists it was Australian
Daniel Kickert who instigated
the ruckus that led to the brawl
when he hit Matthew Wright
during the pre-game warm-up.
“But the reality is (Daniel)
Kickert was hitting our players during the
warm-ups. He was the one who came in and
decked (RR) Pogoy for the
fifth time. You can’t expect
to do that to a team for five
times and not expect them
to retaliate. Unfortunate as it is, you have
to be there to know what really went down,”
Reyes was quoted as saying.
But a video clip of the pre-game warm-up
reveals it was Cris Abueva who tried to trip
Kickert from behind the mid-court as the two
teams were doing round robins.
Thinking it was Wright who tried to trip him,
Kickert pushed the Fil-Am player, triggering
a commotion.
Then, a couple of plays before hell broke
loose, Reyes called for a timeout but he
was caught on video telling his boys, “Hit
somebody. Put somebody on his ass.”
About 30 seconds after the timeout, Pogoy
shoved Nathan Sobey, sending the Australian
to the floor, prompting Kickert to throw a
hard elbow to Pogoy’s chin. A free-for-all
melee then ensued. Unfortunately, posts on
the social media point to the Kickert elbow on
Pogoy as the one which allegedly triggered the
riot, totally ignoring the latter’s hard charge
on Sobey.
Now, going back to Reyes’ statement, many
were quick to defend him, saying his players
might have taken his words – “Hit somebody”
– literally, and that led to the brawl.
According to them, what Reyes actually
meant was for his players to foul early.
Sorry, but I don’t buy that line of
reasoning. In Reyes’ own words, he admitted
he was aware players from both teams
were hurting each other. He even singled
out Kickert as having sent Pogoy down five
times and that one cannot expect (Pogoy)
not to retaliate.
So, if he was aware of that, why should
he give an instruction for his boys to hit
somebody? Why not just tell them to foul early
before their opponents get near the basket. I
just don’t see “Hit somebody” rhyming with
“Foul early.”
Now, are we to condemn fellow Filipinos
(including me and Chino Trinidad who said
the incident brought our country shame), for
not standing behind our national team in this
infamous brawl?
This is not an issue of patriotism. This is not
an issue of national security or sovereignty but
an international competition aimed, ironically,
at fostering global harmony.
Maybe it’s about time we revisit our concept
of nationalism and patriotism.
Extra rice, anyone?
The prices of rice increased for the
24th straight week on the third week
of June, with the average for the wellmilled
variety pegged at P41.46 per kilogram,
according to data released by the Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA).
That average is 0.22 percent higher than
prices seen on the second week of June
and 6.86 percent higher from the previous
year’s price of P38.80 per kilo during the
same period.
“Faster rates of price increases are
noted at wholesale and retail trades
of well-milled rice,” the PSA said,
which adding farmgate price of
palay averaged P21.36/kg., up by
0.56 percent from the previous week’s
P21.24/kg.
But the entry of 172,000 metric tons
of imported rice last June 28 through a
government-to-government tender by
the National Food Authority (NFA)
should result in rice prices
dropping soon with more
NFA rice being available
on retail from P27 to P32
per kilo.
Clearly, the
challenge for
government
is to fasttrack
the delivery
of the imported rice
to all four corners of the
archipelago. Of the 172,000
metric tons, 132,000 MT are
still at ports while 37,444
MT are now at designated
NFA warehouses.
The sooner the
172,000 MT of rice are
offloaded and sent
off from the NFA
warehouses the
better. That is if
the government
is to stop the
price increases
brought about
by a depressed
supply of the staple grain on the
market.
In all, the total tender is for 250,000
metric tons with the remainder still to be
shipped to our shores.
That’s just for the short term, though,
because to really bring down the
prices of rice in the country, a
number of things must happen.
First, we must achieve
100 percent rice
supply sufficiency
either by allocating more farmlands or
increasing yield per hectare through
an aggressive, government-aided
program.
During the 70s, the
International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI)
in Los Banos,
Laguna served
as the center of all scientific studies regarding
increasing rice yield.
Our Southeast Asian neighbors like Thailand
are now net exporters of rice, largely because
they sent people to IRRI during the Masagana
99 days of the Marcoses to extract every
available knowledge on increasing palay yield
resistant to pests and drought.
We’ve been the leader in rice research
before and there’s no reason why our farmers,
with the government providing the seedling,
fertilizer and other subsidies, could not
replicate past rice production successes.
Second, the cost of harvesting and milling
rice, as well as its storage and transport
must be brought down with government and
private sector support.
Third, government must step in to stop
the unconscionable profiteering of some rice
traders who buy palay at nearly below cost
of production and then laugh all the way to
the bank with huge profit spreads.
Here we just have to compare the farmgate
price of palay at P21.36/kg. and the retail
price of P41.46/kg. of rice to know
some middlemen are
making a killing at the
expense of farmers and
rice consumers, all
106 million of
us Filipinos.
If NFA
rice can retail
at P27 per
kilo, why can’t
we slash down
the profit of the
middlemen?
Farmgate prices
should be raised
though, because
we must encourage more
Filipinos to farm by making
it profitable for them and
not just the middlemen.
As it is, the
average age
of Filipino
farmers is 57
years old and many of their
children, according to government
surveys, are not inclined to follow their
footsteps.
With the aforementioned rice scenario,
would you care for an extra serving of rice?
Concept News Central

6 SPORTS
Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
CRUCIAL MEETING SET
PBA awaits FIBA verdict
By Julius Manicad
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) would wait for
word from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) before
coming up with sanctions on its players who participated in the
free-for-all brawl against members of the Australian national
men’s basketball team.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said they want to dig deep
and get into the bottom of the incident before penalizing erring
players who were part of the melee that erupted during the third
window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifier last Monday at the
Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
A total of nine players in Terrence Romeo, Carl Bryan Cruz,
Jayson Castro, Japeth Aguilar, Calvin Abueva, Roger Pogoy, Troy
Rosario, Matthew Wright and naturalized player Andray Blatche
were thrown out of the playing court for their involvement in the
brawl that gained international attention.
Also seen throwing punches were assistant coach Jong Uichico
and former PBA player Peter Aguilar as well as Allein Maliksi and
Jio Jalalon, who was caught on camera planting a powerful right
hook on the jaw of Nathan Sobey while security personnel were
escorting him to safety.
Marcial said he will summon all these personalities as well
as ranking officials of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, led by
president Al Panlilio, to explain their side of the story.
But it is not yet sure whether they will penalize those involve
right away as they want to see how the world-governing body in
basketball will handle the situation.
“FIBA already launched an investigation so we have to wait for
their verdict before we make any decision,” said Marcial, adding
that PBA board of governors chairman Ricky Vargas will also be
in attendance in the closed-door meeting set Thursday afternoon
at the PBA office in Quezon City.
“We invited them to a closed-door meeting so we can determine
what really happened. Then, we will wait for the penalties that
will be handed by FIBA before we can formally come up with our
own verdict.”
It’s quite difficult to speculate the sanction that would be
imposed by FIBA.
Based on FIBA’s Recommended Penalties for Misconduct of
Players, a player who will be ejected from the game for intentionally
or flagrantly contacting an opponent only merits a two-game
suspension for first offense.
The case of Gilas and Boomers, however, is very different as
it involves not just intentional contact, but acts of violence such
as grappling, kicking and punching. The elder Aguilar was even
seen hurling a metal chair at Sobey, who was clearly defenseless
by the time of the attack.
Source said the penalty may be as severe as one to two years of
suspension on erring players while the federation will be barred
from hosting any major international tournament sanctioned by
FIBA.
It could also be as light as a two to three-game suspension
with a hefty penalty, similar to what FIBA imposed on Serbian
center Nenad Krstic, who got embroiled in a brawl with the Greek
national team in 2010.
The FIBA disciplinary panel already notified SBP to submit all
supporting documents like videos, testimonies and other pieces
of evidence about the incident. The federation was given a week
to comply.
SBP was also furnished a copy of the incident report from the
referees, table officials and members of the technical committee.
FIBA is expected to come out with a decision in a tribunal at
the end of the qualifying window.
Panlilio said they are ready.
“The tribunal will take a look at both side and come up with
their own assessment. I’m glad they gave us this opportunity because
we will present the whole context – not just (what happened)
in the 4:01 mark of the third quarter,” he said.
“But just like in business, you have to expect for the worst-case
scenario and prepare for it.”
Beermen punch
quarterfinal ticket
By John Bryan Ulanday
San Miguel Beer shrugged off a shaky start to pull off a 115-
106 victory over Blackwater and advance to the quarterfinals of
the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup
yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Fresh from a 10-day layoff, the Beermen needed just a quarter
to heat up before turning a 24-31 deficit into a 57-49 lead at
halftime.
San Miguel jacked up the lead to as many as 24 points, 107-83
midway thorough the fourth period en route to the convincing
victory.
With the win, the reigning champion improved to 6-4, fortifying
its hold of fifth spot with still a game left in their mid-season
campaign.
“Coming off a long break, it’s really hard. Good thing our
players realized that our quarterfinal slot is not yet sure,” said
San Miguel head coach Leo Austria.
“I’m happy with my team even though we had a bad start. We
had a slow start, but in the end, we finalized our entry to the
quarterfinals.”
Arwind Santos tallied 23 points, 15 rebounds, three assist and
two blocks in just 24 minutes of action off the bench to take the
cudgels for struggling Renaldo Balkman, who finished with only
12 points and seven rebounds.
Marcio Lassiter was also impressive with 18 points for the
Beermen, who drew enough firepower from their shock troopers
like Kelly Nabong.
Nabong delivered 13 points and four rebounds in just 19 minutes
as a backup for Junemar Fajardo, who is fresh from a grueling campaign
with Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifier.
Meanwhile, Henry Walker registered 29 points, 12 rebounds and
four assists for Blackwater, which finished its campaign with a
sorry 1-10 record.
The scores:
San Miguel 115 - Santos 23, Lassiter 18, Nabong 13, Balkman 12,
Cabagnot 12, Fajardo 10, Heruela 10, Ross 7, Pessumal 6, Mamaril
2, Vigil 2, Rosser 0.
Blackwater 106 - Walker 26, Digregorio 19, Pinto 13, Zamar
11, Banal 11, Al-Hussaini 10, Jose 6, Sena 4, Javier 2, Palma 2,
Cortez 2, Maliksi 0.
Quarter scores: 28-34, 57-49, 84-70, 115-106.
ALEX Cabagnot of San Miguel Beer delivers an easy layup over the defense of Blackwater during
their Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup game last night at the Mall of Asia
Arena.
ROMAN PROSPERO
All set for PH Team to Asiad
By John Bryan Ulanday
It’s already a go for Team Philippines
in the 18th Asian Games as the Philippine
Sports Commission (PSC) is set to release
the budget needed for the its participation
in the prestigious quadrennial conclave this
August in Jakarta.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC)
president Ricky Vargas reported that the
government already agreed to release
the P72-million fund after they vowed
to return the P10-million financial
assistance in the previous Southeast
Asian Games last year.
Vargas said the fund remains untouched
and they made arrangement with the PSC
to return it in exchange for the release of
fund needed for the equipment, parade
and competition uniform, allowance, hotel
accommodation and airfare of 272 athletes
By Julius Manicad
The agent of Chris Goulding is seeking
justice following the free-for-all melee that
erupted in the third window of the FIBA
World Cup Asian Qualifier between Gilas
Pilipinas and Australia Monday night at
the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
In a social media post, Daniel Moldovan
said the brawl was clearly an assault as
Goulding was attacked by a handful of Gilas
Pilipinas members, including assistant
coach Jong Uichico, while lying helplessly
on the floor.
Moldovan said what the Filipinos did was
such a disgrace and FIBA should ban, not just
the players, but also the Samahang Basketbol
ng Pilipinas (SBP) for a year.
“Let’s call this for what it is. This is an
assault,” said Moldovan, who also manages the
career of Australian NBA player Aaron Baynes
of the Boston Celtics.
“Spats and occasional fights happen in a
game, but for a bench to clear and players,
support staff, arena employees to start kicking,
stomping, throwing chairs – it is ASSAULT! I
hope FIBA bans the federation for a year!”
Uichico expressed regret over what
happened, saying that his emotions got the
better of him “like a father who cares about
VARGAS
in the Asian Games.
“It was given to the POC to pay for
the parade uniform in the SEA Games
last year. We didn’t spend it so it’s not
unliquidated. The money is still with us.
It’s still unspent,” said Vargas following the
POC general assembly yesterday.
“The chief of mission (Richard Gomez)
said there should be no problem in the
Asian Games funding. That’s a commitment
from the PSC.”
Gomez said preparation for the Asian
Games is already in full swing.
In fact, Adidas gave a hefty 50-percent
discount for competition uniform on top of
two sets of rubber shoes.
They have also finalized the fitting
for the parade uniform, which would be
designed by Randy Ortiz.
“We have an approved budget of P72
million,” Gomez said. “We worked out the
number of athletes with the amount we have.”
Aside from the P72-million
government funding, the POC would
also solicit from the private sector to
boost its war chest for the training
and preparation of athletes in the SEA
Games next year and Olympics in 2020.
Goulding’s agent bats for SBP suspension
his sons.”
He added that he realized that he shouldn’t
have jumped in and joined the action, where
he was caught on camera pummeling the
defenseless Goulding with a barrage of powerful
punches.
But Moldovan dismissed his apology.
“Your words are hollow,” he said in his
personal Twitter account.
Batang Gilas falls to Argentina
By John Bryan Ulanday
GOMEZ
Batang Gilas had a gallant stand before
succumbing to Argentina, 71-74, to end its
group stage campaign without a win in the
FIBA World Cup U17 tournament Wednesday
at the Newell’s Old Boys gym in Rosario,
Argentina.
After trailing by as many as 11 points, the
Nationals stormed back to steal the lead as
Terrence Fortea banged in a trey early in the
fourth period, 64-61.
The home team quickly responded with
an 11-2 blast to erect a 72-66 lead with only
three minutes left.
Fortea nailed another triple to pull the
Nationals closer, 71-74, with only 27 seconds
Smart-Army,
Cocolife chase
2nd victory
Games Today:
(FilOil Flying V Centre)
4:15 pm — Generika-Ayala vs F2
Logistics
7:00 pm — Smart-Army vs Cocolife
The solo second spot in Pool B will be
at stake when Smart-Army and Cocolife
slug it out in the 2018 Chooks to Go-
Philippine Superliga (PSL) Invitational
Conference today at the Filoil Flying V
Centre.
Game time is at 7 pm with both the Giga
Hitters and Asset Managers looking for a
chance to clinch the outright semifinal berth
in this prestigious women’s club tourney
bankrolled by Isuzu, UCPB Gen and SOGO
Hotel with ESPN5, Hyper HD and Aksyon
TV as official broadcast partners.
Prior to that, Pool A leader Generika-
Ayala inches closer from sealing the outright
semifinal ticket when it tackles F2 Logistics
in the 4:15 pm first game of this league that
also has Mikasa, Senoh, Mueller, Asics and
Grand Sport as technical sponsors.
Action is tipped to heat up as the
Lifesavers posted convincing victories
over Foton and United Auctioneers-UP
while the Cargo Movers are fresh from a
fourth-place finish from the 2018 Sealect
Tuna Women’s Volleyball Championship
in Sisaket, Thailand.
Meanwhile, Petron made a rousing
debut when it crushed Foton, 27-25, 25-
19, 22-25, 25-17, late Tuesday at the Cadiz
Arena in Negros Occidental.
National Team stalwart Ces Molina fired
15 points while Mika Reyes and Aiza Maizo-
Pontillas chipped in 13 and 12 hits, respectively,
for the Blaze Spikers, who made their first
game after winning the Grand Prix last May.
But all eyes will be on the Lifesavers.
Bannered by Angeli Araneta, Bang
Pineda, Patty Orendain, Ria Meneses and
Kat Arado, Generika-Ayala made heads turn
with its revved up offense and airtight net
and floor defense.
Head coach Sherwin Menses said their
resolve would be tested when they face a
very solid team in the Cargo Movers.
“F2 Logistics is a very solid team. Even
if you’re playing their second unit, it’s like
facing the starters,” said Generika-Ayala
coach Sherwin Meneses.
“But the ball is round. I think we are
capable of pulling an upset because my
players are all working hard.”
The Cargo Movers, on the other hand,
are riding the crest of their successful
campaign in Thailand, which came at
the heels of a straight-set win over the
Tornadoes in the opener.
“You didn’t act like a father who cares
about his sons. You acted like a classless
animal with zero brains. Hand in your resignation,
your country deserves better.”
FIBA already launched an investigation
and is expected to come up with a verdict
any time soon.
Moldovan said they might seek legal action
should the FIBA action is inadequate.
left. Unfortunately, Kai Sotto muffed a potential
equalizer as time expires.
Gerry Abadiano and Fortea spearheaded
the attack with 17 points apiece while Sotto
tallied 12 points and 15 rebounds for Batang
Gilas, who did an impressive job keeping the
game close from start to finish.
With the setback, Batang Gilas fell to
the basement with no win in three matches
following sorry losses to Croatia and France
in the first few days of this prestigious competition.
The Nationals, however, will still march
to the Round of 16, where the world’s no. 2
squad in Canada is waiting.
The win-or-go home match is set at 12:45
am (Manila time) Thursday.

Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
SPORTS
7
EARLY EXIT FOR MARIA
Sharapova crashes out of Wimby
LONDON, United Kingdom -- Maria Sharapova suffered her first
opening round Wimbledon defeat and earliest Grand Slam exit in
eight years when she bowed to fellow Russian and world no. 132
Vitalia Diatchenko on Tuesday.
Sharapova, the 2004 champion, was joined at the exit by 2011 and
2014 winner Petra Kvitova, who was stunned by Belarusian world
number 50 Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
However, two-time men’s champion Rafael Nadal and three-time
winner Novak Djokovic eased into the second round.
Sharapova was cruising to victory in Court Two with a set and
5-2 lead before qualifier Diatchenko shrugged off a back injury to
win 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 after more than three hours of action.
Sharapova, playing Wimbledon for the first time in three years after
missing 2016 through a drugs ban and 2017 due to injury, gave up the
match on her 11th double fault.
It was her earliest exit at a Slam since a first round defeat at the
2010 Australian Open.
“It’s always tough to assess your motivation levels after a first
round loss but I won’t shy away from learning from my errors,” said
31-year-old Sharapova.
Eighth seed Kvitova was the bookmakers’ favourite for a third
Wimbledon crown after winning five titles in 2018, including
the grass-court tournament at Birmingham last weekend, while
amassing an WTA Tour-leading 38 match victories.
But she slumped to a disappointing 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 loss to Sasnovich.
“When I was younger, I played better on the Grand Slams
than the other tournaments. Now is the time when I’m playing
better on the other tournaments than the Grand Slams,” said
the 28-year-old Czech.
Kvitova is the fourth top 10 women’s seed to lose in the first round.
Number four Sloane Stephens and fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina
were eliminated on Monday.
France’s Caroline Garcia, seeded six, was also beaten Tuesday,
going down 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic.
World number one Nadal breezed into the second round with a 6-3,
6-3, 6-2 win over Israel’s Dudi Sela as the Spaniard returned to action
for the first time since claiming his 11th French Open title. AFP
Carlos waxes
hot with 64
CAGAYAN DE ORO -- Jobim Carlos dropped eight birdies to complete
a stirring bogey-free 64 and wresting a two-stroke lead over
Korean Lee Song in the ICTSI Pueblo De Oro Championship here.
Rains the past few days caused adverse conditions on some
parts of the Pueblo layout, forcing the organizing Pilipinas Golf
Tournaments, Inc. to use winter rules at the start of the P3-million
tournament with Carlos making the most of it by gunning down
four birdies on each nine, capped by a three-birdie binge from No.
15 for a pair of 32s.
But it also took Carlos a quick swing check on his iron game to
get back into the groove after finishing tied for sixth at Del Monte
Championship last week where he missed a lot of greens despite
solid driving.
“I called coach Carito (Villaroman) the other day and we corrected
some minor details on my swing. And it did wonders,” said Carlos,
who broke through at PGT Asia at Riviera last month then ruled the
PGT Apo Invitational two weeks ago on a strong windup.
He birdied all par-5s, knocked down three more on par-4s inside
10 feet and banged in a six-footer on the par-3 11th, barely missing
a 63 on a flubbed seven-footer on the last hole.
“The greens here are a bit tricky. You always have to be on the
right side otherwise you’ll be in trouble because most are undulating,”
said Carlos.
But a slew of aces kept Carlos within sight, including Lee, now
eyeing no less than a victory after finishing tied for second with
James Ryan Lam at Del Monte. The young Korean also spiked his
66 with four birdies in the last six holes for a 34-32 card and trailed
by just two.
“I had good iron shots at the back but I think my putter was
hot,” said Song, who drilled in a 20-footer on No. 13 and drained a
33-footer on the last for two of his highlight birdies.
Tony Lascuña, due for a big win after a string of top 10 finishes, also
turned in a solid 67, hinting at a putting contest in the next three days.
Reigning PGT Order of Merit champion Clyde Mondilla finally
moved into early contention after a number of missed cut stints in
both the PGT and PGT Asia this year due to bad back.
Zimbabwe rugby team sleeps on streets
HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Zimbabwe’s national
rugby team slept on the streets in Tunisia after
being offered accommodation in a “disgusting”
hotel before a World Cup qualifier match, a
former sports minister said Tuesday.
Photographs showed players lying on a
pavement wearing blankets and surrounded by
their luggage ahead of the Africa Gold Cup match
against Tunisia in Monastir on Saturday.
“Our national rugby team, the Sables, is being
treated in the most appalling way in Tunisia,”
former sports minister David Coltart posted on
Ealas shine in Jakarta ITF tilt
Unified Tennis Philippines national junior team players Alex and Miko
Eala dropped a pair of three-set losses in contrasting fashions, but still
made heads turn when they made it to the finals of the International
Tennis Federation (ITF)-AGS Junior Tennis Championships recently in
Jakarta.
The unranked Alex, 13, bucked the odds and toppled seeded bets on
her way to the girls’ singles finals.
Unfortunately, she fell short of her comeback bid against top seed
Priska Nugroho of Indonesia, yielding a 2-6, 6-4, 1-6 decision in the
ITF Group 4 tournament.
The seventh ranked Miko also upended No. 3 Karan Srivastava,
6-2, 6-1, in the quarters then blasted fifth seed Odeda Arazza,
6-1, 6-2, to earn a crack at the boys’ crown.
But after forcing a decider with a tough win, he
fell short and dropped a 3-6, 7-6(6), 5-7 decision to
top seed Ryoma Matsushita of Japan.
“We congratulate Miko and Alex for proving
that the Philippine team is a force to reckon with.
We also commend the rest of the UTP national team in this tourney for
their sportsmanship and passion for the sport,” said UTP president Jean
Henri Lhuillier.
Other members of the squad were Bea Acena, Manuel Balce III.
Melanie Dizon and Macie Carlos.
“Part of UTP’s mission is to continuously expose emerging Filipino
junior tennis players to global competitions, thus giving them the opportunity
to hone their skills on and off the court against some of the
world’s best junior players.”
UC guns for finals berth
By Gabriel Malagar
CEBU CITY – University of Cebu shoots for
the second finals berth as it faces University of
the Visayas in the juniors division of the CESAFI
Partner’s Cup pre-season tournament at the Cebu
Coliseum here.
Action is set at 5:15 pm with the winner booking
RUSSIA’S Maria Sharapova falls while playing Russia’s Vitalia Diatchenko during their women’s singles first round match on the second day of the 2018
Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London.
AFP
Tepora sets
sights on
world title
By Gabriel Malagar
CEBU CITY – Undefeated Cebuano
boxer Jhack Tepora gets his first crack
of a world title when he clashes with
Edivaldo Ortega of Mexico in the World
Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight
finals on July 15 at the Axiata Arena in
Kuala Lumpur.
A 23-year old southpaw, Tepora is in
perfect shape and ready to go for the win
when he sees action in the undercard
of Manny Pacquiao-Lucas Matthysse
welterweight title fight.
He knocked down Lusanda Kutaisi
of South Africa in his previous fight last
year in East London, giving him a fighting
chance against the 28-year old Mexican
who also plays the same style as him.
But Tepora dismissed his chances,
saying that he couldn’t take Ortega lightly
so he will do his best to train with just
over a week left before the biggest bout
of his career.
BRAZIL’S forward
Neymar celebrates after
scoring the opening
goal during the Russia
2018 World Cup
Round of 16 football
match between
Brazil and Mexico at
the Samara Arena in
Samara. AFP
a finals duel with University
of Southern Philippines-Foundation,
which made history by making it
to the finals for the very first time.
The Baby Panthers sealed the first finals
slot after claiming their fifth victory in six
matches via an impressive 75-67 win over University
of San Jose Recoletos Tuesday night.
his Facebook account.
“They have been forced to sleep on the
streets as the accommodation they were
provided with is disgusting.”
As Zimbabwe sports fans expressed their
shock over the pictures, the Rugby Africa
governing body apologized for the team’s
treatment.
“Rugby Africa and Tunisia Rugby Union
would like to express their sincere apologies
to the Sables team and management for this
unfortunate situation,” it said in a statement.
PayMaya squandered a two-set lead
but pulled through in the decider,
hacking out a 28-26, 25-16, 25-27, 25-27,
15-12 victory over BanKo-Perlas to force
a sudden-death for the other finals berth
in the Premier Volleyball League Season
2 Reinforced Conference crown yesterday
at the Filoil Flying V Center.
Grethcel Soltones crashed into the
battle of power-hitting imports and
proved her mettle, blasting away 18 attack
points, including the solid match-clinching
spike that scraped past BanKo-Perlas’
reinforcement Kia Bright’s arms and into
the stands.
The former NCAA Most Valuable Player
delivered three of the High Flyers’ last four
points, including a cross-court attack that
broke an 11-all count and another hit before
a Bright miscue gave PayMaya a three-point
cushion.
Bright kept the Spikers in the game with
a drop shot but Soltones, who also rattled
off three straight points early in the fifth,
finished them off with that high-flying attack.
“My mindset in this kind of matches is
‘I have to get this point.’ I really wanted to
win so I stayed focused,” said Soltones, who
also had three aces to finish with 22 points.
Import Tess Rountree turned in a
superb all-around game with 34 hits,
29 excellent receptions and 15 digs
while Shelby Sullivan added
“This does not reflect the standards of the
Rugby Africa Gold Cup competition.”
Khaled Babbou of Tunisia Rugby denied the
hotel standard was a tactic to win the game.
“Something went wrong for which I am sorry,
but this was corrected this morning,” he said.
“I can assure you that there was absolutely no
intention to destabilize our opponents.”
Coltart called on Zimbabwean rugby authorities
to assist the team, adding that players had been
held up at customs for six hours as they did not
have money to pay for visas.
AFP
PayMaya forces sudden-death
Real Madrid denies
Neymar recruitment
MADRID, Spain — Real
Madrid dismissed as “absolutely
untrue” reports of a $360-million
bid for Paris Saint-Germain’s
Neymar that sparked rumors he
could serve as a replacement
if superstar Cristiano Ronaldo
leaves the Spanish giant.
The colossal transfer claim,
which would dwarf the
$222-million deal that
made Neymar the world’s
most expensive player
last year, was made by
Spain’s public television
station TVE on Monday
evening.
Real were quick to knock it
down, saying in a statement it had
not been consulted by TVE before the
broadcast.
“Real Madrid made no offer of any
kind to PSG or the player,” added the
European champions, the home of Ronaldo
since 2009.
TVE stood by its reporting however, saying
on its website that the claim came from
sources it considered to be the “most
14 markers and locals Celine Domingo
and Jerrili Malabanan chipped in eight
points apiece.
Bright finished one point better than
Rountree while the power-hitting Jutarat
Montripila came away with 23 hits for the
Perlas Spikers.
The victory set up a do-or-die match
for a finals seat on Friday with the
High Flyers halting the Perlas Spikers’
amazing eight-game streak capped by
their 25-19, 26-28, 25-23, 25-23 victory
in the opener of their best-of-three
semifinal series.
But PayMaya took the first two sets of
Game Two, including an imposing romp
in the second only to reel back in a pair
of back-and-forth extended sets.
They blew two match points in the
fourth and failed to counter Montripila
and Bright’s hits, the last over two
defenders and after a long, thrilling
rally.
The High Flyers regrouped and
controlled the fifth, leading at 7-4 and
9-5 before the Spikers strung up three
straight hits and threatened at 8-9.
A Rountree off-the-block hit made it
a two-point lead for PayMaya but Bright
came through with back-to-back hits and
the two teams traded errors to remain
tied at 11 before Soltones hammered in
a cross-court hit
and another power
spike.
reliable”.
The report came hours after Neymar’s
Brazil saw off Mexico 2-0 in the World Cup
last 16 in Russia to set up a tantalizing
quarterfinal clash with Belgium.
Despite Real’s strong rejection, the
transfer rumor mill swirled at the possibility
of a galactic swap, following hints that both
Neymar and Ronaldo could be unhappy at
their star-studded clubs.
Neymar, 26, moved to PSG last year and
went on to score 19 goals in just 20 league
games before suffering a foot injury in
February that required surgery in Brazil.
He only returned to France in May,
fuelling speculation that he could seek to
leave the club after just one season.
Ronaldo, who shined in the World Cup
before his Portugal side was beaten by
Uruguay on Saturday, cast doubt over his
commitment to Real after winning the
Champions League in May.
“It was very nice to be in Madrid,” he
said, adding that “in the next few days I will
give an answer to the fans”.
He later walked back the statement,
but doubts over his future at Madrid have
lingered.
AFP

8
SPORTS
Howard set to join Wizards
LOS ANGELES, United
States -- The Washington
Wizards are poised to sign
journeyman center Dwight
Howard to a one-year contract.
In order for Howard to
join the Wizards, the 15-
year veteran would have
to negotiate a buyout from
the Brooklyn Nets, who acquired
him just last month
HOWARD
Maradona offers to coach Argentina
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina --
Diego Maradona wants to return to
the position of Argentina coach and
is willing to work for free as Jorge
Sampaoli faces pressure to resign
following their World Cup travails.
Speaking on his “Hand of God”
television show, the 57-year-old
Maradona, who coached Argentina
for two years from 2008-10, said it was
painful to see the current state of the
national team.
“I would return to leading the
national team and I would do it for
free, I wouldn’t ask for anything
in return,” Maradona said on his
program, which runs on Venezuelan
channel Telesur.
FINALLY!
England snaps
WC penalty jinx
MOSCOW, Russia -- England held its nerve against
Colombia to win its first ever penalty shootout in a World
Cup and reach the quarterfinals in dramatic fashion on
Tuesday.
Eric Dier scored the decisive spot-kick to win the
shootout 4-3 and send Gareth Southgate’s young team
through to a meeting with Sweden, which earlier beat
Switzerland.
A bad-tempered match at the Spartak Stadium here
that featured eight yellow cards -- six for Colombian
players -- ended 1-1 after 30 tense minutes of extra-time,
meaning the game had to be decided by penalties.
The South American side, without injured forward
James Rodriguez, appeared on the edge of reaching its
second consecutive World Cup quarterfinal when Jordan
Henderson’s effort was saved by Colombian goalkeeper
David Ospina to keep the score at 3-2.
But Mateus Uribe then rattled the crossbar
and after Kieran Trippier leveled at 3-3, England
goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved from Carlos Bacca,
extending his left arm to stop the ball as he dived
to his right.
That gave England match point and Eric Dier made
no mistake, beating the despairing dive of Ospina
before he was mobbed by his teammates.
It is the first time England has won a shootout at
a World Cup -- and comes after six failures in seven
attempts at major tournaments before Russia.
Southgate’s team was minutes away from victory
during normal time but Yerry Mina rose to head home
an equalizer from a corner and cancel out captain Harry
Kane’s 57th-minute penalty.
The late, late goal deflated England and the
momentum shifted visibly towards the South Americans,
from the Charlotte
Hornets, The Atlantic
reported.
Players cannot
officially sign contracts
with teams
until Friday under
NBA free agency
rules.
In 81 games last
season with the
Hornets, Howard
Sampaoli is resisting intense
pressure to resign following
Argentina’s 3-4 defeat to France
on Saturday during a World Cup
campaign that was fraught with
tension and disputes.
The coach is believed to have lost
the support of his players with some
claims attributing team selection and
tactics to captain and star Lionel Messi.
Sampaoli, though, has another four
years to run on his contract, meaning
the Argentine Football Association
(AFA) would have to pay a reported
$15 million to sack him.
“Hopefully God will give me
the strength to return to the
bench,” said Maradona, whose
averaged 16.6 points and 12.5
rebounds.
The Wizards would be Howard’s
fifth NBA team since 2015 and
seventh overall. In just over 1,000
games, the former first round
draft pick has suited up for the
Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets,
Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic
and the Hornets.
He has career averages of 17.4
points and 12.7 rebounds. AFP
own World Cup coaching campaign
in 2010 ended in an ignominious
0-4 thumping by Germany in the
quarterfinals in South Africa.
“I’m 57, watching my country, which
was beaten by a team that isn’t one of
the best in the world -- it really hurts to
see everything that we’ve built destroyed
so easily.”
Maradona was a genius as a player,
leading Argentina to World Cup glory
in 1986 and again to the final four
years later.
But his coaching career has been
far less glamorous despite his stint in
charge of the national team, in which
he presided over a record-equaling 1-6
defeat to Bolivia.
AFP
who started extra-time with a spring in their step.
“To get knocked down at the end like we did with that
goal in added time, you know, it’s difficult to come back
from that,” said Dier.
“But we did. We were ready for that. We knew what
we had to do, we stayed calm, we stuck to our plan, we
never panicked all the way through extra time. We knew
that if it has to go to penalties, it has to go to penalties.
We were ready for that.”
England, for so long under-achievers on the
international stage, is the only former winner left in
the bottom half of the draw and, with Sweden up next,
will fancy its chances of reaching the semifinals for
just the third time in history.
Pickford is the first England goalkeeper to save a
penalty in a shootout at a major tournament since David
Seaman at the 1998 World Cup against Argentina.
“It’s a great night to win a penalty shootout,” he said.
“Ideally we don’t want to go to a penalty shootout but we
are delighted for the fans and the whole country.
“It gives us belief to go into the Sweden game.”
Kane’s penalty in the first half made him the
tournament’s top scorer with six goals, two clear of
Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku.
With Spain already ejected, England faces Sweden in
Samara on Saturday, with Russia and Croatia potential
semifinal opponents.
Brazil and France lurk in the top half of the draw
but Lionel Messi’s Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo’s
Portugal are out.
Even Prince William got caught up in the emotion,
tweeting: “I couldn’t be prouder of @England - a victory
in a penalty shootout! You have well and truly earned
your place in the final eight of the #worldcup.” AFP
BRITISH goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saves a penalty kicked by Colombia’s forward Carlos Bacca
during the Russia 2018 World Cup Round of 16 football match between England and Russia at the
Spartak Stadium in Moscow.
AFP
By Aldrin Cardona
NIZHNY NOVGOROD – Street-wise and
tough yet with a razor-sharp edge, Uruguay
had moved serenely into the World Cup
quarterfinals, side-stepping the chaos
that swamped former winners Argentina,
Germany and Spain.
Uruguay had shown in Russia that it is
extremely difficult to beat yet sometimes
underwhelming factors you could have
predicted from it before the World Cup.
A low-key start and an 89th-minute
winner that gave it a forgettable 1-0 win
over an Egypt side missing Mohamed
Salah has now given way to real hope it
can win their third World Cup.
With a defense built around the central
pairing of Jose Gimenez and the vastly
experienced 32-year-old Diego Godin --
they also play together at Atletico Madrid
-- Uruguay has won all four games in
Russia, conceding a solitary goal.
It is also the only side to beat Russia,
3-0, in the group stage in what appeared to
be a reality check for the host nation before
it went on to stun Spain in the Last 16.
Uruguay extinguished Cristiano
Ronaldo’s Portugal on a thrilling night
REVIEW
Losers
Aldrin Cardona, Editor
Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
It is to the Filipino’s chagrin that our national basketball players had
to cover their too obvious defeat with misplaced machismo, leaving
just three of their teammates fighting to the last when the whole team
should have carried on-- win or lose.
Because that is how the beautiful game of basketball is played-- a
team starts with five, and wins or loses the game with five.
That is unless more than seven players have fouled out, which happens
very seldom in clean and honest matches.
The Australia-Philippines tiff for the leadership of the FIBA World Cup
Asian Qualifier late Monday, that ended in the Aussies’ favor even before that
disreputable brawl took place, had put the country in ignominy. There was
nothing to be proud of with that. And that we say firmly.
It stole some highlights from LeBron James’ signing with the Los Angeles
Lakers in the NBA, alright.
It made international news just as quick as the Philippines Gilas’ Peter Aguilar
sneakily slammed a chair against Aussie Boomer Nathan Sobey’s nape. It was
an act good for entertainment wrestling and nothing more.
That a social media meme listing the casualties of that melee-- Terrence
Romeo, Carl Bryan Cruz, Jayson Castro, Japeth Aguilar, Calvin Abueva, Andray
Blatche, RR Pogoy, Troy Rosario and Matthew Wright for the Philippines; and
Daniel Kickert, Thon Maker, Nathan Sobey and Chris Goulding for the Austrialian
side-- had blazed past the farthest fiber optic lines of the US, Canada, China
and Russia, just as quick as it did to the internet towers of Tawi-Tawi-- made the
rivalry known for all the wrong reasons around the world.
The Gilas side nearly cleared its bench. Only the five Australian players on
court, who were subjected to the hit-or-miss kicks and punches by the now
infamous Gilas brawlers with support from many Filipino hooligans who could
not seem to accept legitimate defeats,
had been ejected.
Only June Mar Fajardo,
Baser Amer and Gabe
Norwood showed true class.
They held their chins up
even in the face of an
Australian slaughter,
because that is
how we play the game: Lose with grace, win
with humility and do both with dignity.
Gilas coach Chot Reyes called the
outcome of the game as ‘unfortunate.’
He had the game in his hands from the start. He had lost it even before the tip-off
was made, however.
At one point, he gave his players the license to “hit somebody, put somebody
on his ass.” And so his players did and a lot more. So classy, not!
This Gilas bunch will be remembered for this notoriety.
After the brawl that nearly emptied the Gilas side, the Philippines had lost
more than the game.
The team has to face the consequences of majority of its players’ actions. The
International Basketball Federation had announced to have “open(ed) disciplinary
proceedings against both teams. The decision(s) will be communicated in the
coming days.”
Suspensions would tell on the Philippine campaign for a World Cup slot, and
would put down the drain everything team benefactor Manny V. Pangilinan had
poured into the Gilas program.
We had lost the international respect earned by the previous Gilas squads
who have worked harder so that this bunch would enjoy what they had before
they snapped out of their minds and basketball control.
It no longer matters who started the fight.
Whether the Aussies had called the Filipino players monkeys or not, as alleged
by the Philippine side after the melee, they have acted like monkeys when they
could no longer hold the game together.
We profusely apologize to monkeys for saying that.
But yes, Gilas did.
Uruguay ready to spoil French party
in Sochi to reach the quarterfinals, with
Edinson Cavani scoring two brilliant
goals.
Next up the grizzly, experienced World
Cup campaigners take on a young France
-- including the exciting Kylian Mbappe and
Atletico’s Antoine Griezmann -- in Nizhny
Novgorod on Friday, bidding for a place in
the semifinals.
It is a tough assignment for France and
any hope that its stars will enjoy the same
space they found in their 4-3 win against a
disorganized Argentina have already been
extinguished.
“France’s strongest points are the
attackers, Griezmann and Mbappe,”
Uruguay’s veteran coach Oscar Tabarez said
in his understated yet determined way after
the Portugal victory.
“If you let France have space it will be
very difficult.”
“El Maestro” Tabarez has been in charge
of Uruguay for 12 years and has not only
forged a strong team who rarely fail to
deliver on the big stage, but also a side
with an immense work ethic and huge
experience.
AFP

51.00
52.00
53.00
54.00
55.00
PESO-DOLLAR RATES DOW JONES STOCK MARKET
4 JULY 2018
25700
25200
7900
7700
24700
7500
24200 7300
81.08
53.36 132.36
points
4 JULY 2018 4 JULY 2018
points
Century Pacific eyes
expansion with
P1.8-B capex
Turn to page 10
Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
BUSINESS
9
‘BBB-originated funds to fuel growth’
By Komfie Manalo
Some P56 billion worth of funds
find their way into the financial
system every month as a result of the
government’s ambitious infrastructure
buildup program, a development helping
make possible for the Philippines
to continue to grow no matter the
economic headwinds.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez
III pointed this out yesterday when he
expressed optimism the Southeast Asian
nation was on track towards continued
growth approximating 7 percent in terms
of the gross domestic product (GDP) this
year.
The flow of state-generated funds into
the real economy forms part of the multiyear
Build, Build, Build program that should
eventually cost more or less P9 trillion, he
said.
According to Dominguez, that much
money in the system was certain to create
jobs, attract investments “and finally
disperse growth to the countryside.”
He said that
in the first five
months this year
alone, national
government
spending on infrastructure reached P281
billion, representing an increase of 42
percent over the same period last year.
This was on top of private sector
construction and public sector projects
financed through Public-Private Partnerships
(PPP).
“The Build, Build, Build program will
drastically alter the Philippine economic
landscape. It will create over a million jobs
per year. It will bring our logistics backbone
up to par in a region that is growing very
dynamically,” Dominguez said.
He estimated 30 percent of the
spending go to wages each month and
infuse the economy with P17 billion
in the form of additional income and
purchasing power for workers apart from
creating some 100,000 new jobs that spur
economic activity in related sectors and
other multiplier effects.
“The flow of state-generated funds into the real economy
forms part of the multiyear Build, Build, Build program
that should eventually cost more or less P9 trillion.”
Dominguez said that combined with
other reforms such as the long-due
modernization of the tax system and
improvements in the ease of doing
business, the infrastructure buildup
program should help reduce the poverty
incidence by a third of the 2015 level of
21.6 percent to just 14 percent by 2022.
“This will be the absolute measure
of success of our strategy of inclusive
growth. This is the goal that has been
set for us by President Duterte, and this
is how we are implementing it,” he said.
“We fully aspire to be the fastest growing
economy in the fastest growing region
in the world. This will not be an easy
task to accomplish. But we are ready
to meet the challenges, driven by the
optimism of our people, the confidence
of our development partners, and the
leadership of President Duterte.”
6.5% GDP growth more likely
However, some analysts noted several
headwinds that could hamper the
government’s 7 percent GDP growth
target, citing the spiraling inflation, the
rising interest rates and the weak peso.
These economic spoilers could limit
the domestic economy’s growth range to
only between 6.5 percent and 6.9 percent,
one analyst said.
On Tuesday, credit rating agency S&P
Global Ratings expressed confidence
that a 6.5 percent or higher GDP growth
over the next few years was “very easily
achievable” for the Philippines on the
basis of the country’s economic policies.
S&P Asia Pacific Economist Vincent
Conti bared this outlook and said, “And
the reason for that is very favorable
demographic trends that continue to
benefit the Philippines, particularly
providing a very mobile and effective
labor force that has generated a lot of
investments and consumption onshore.”
Conti said economic policy in the
Philippines “seems to be very stable” and
expected to have continuity.
“A lot of positives from the economic policy
as well. The ramping up of infra program is
one of the relatively newer additions to the
policy toolkit and that’s actually a positive
in that it can generate even further potential
growth farther into the future,” he said.
Bright future
Dominguez led the administration’s
Build, Build, Build team comprised of
Secretaries Ernesto Pernia of the National
Economic and Development Authority
(NEDA), Mark Villar of the Department
of Public Works and Highways (DPWH),
Arthur Tugade of the Department of
Transportation (DoTr), and Vivencio
Dizon, president and CEO of the Bases
Conversion and Development Authority
(BCDA) along with MTD Clark Inc.
chairman Isaac David and president
Nicholas David to showcase “the progress
of the infrastructure program as it is
actually unfolding on the ground.”
Late surge put PH
stocks up 1.12%
The Philippine Stock Exchange Index
(PSEi) maintained its upward climb for
the fourth straight day as afternoon
trades averted a downhill trend from
break time.
The 30-company local composite
closed 1.12 percent higher on Wednesday
at 7,348.42, representing an 81.08
points climb from July 3’s closing of
7,267.34. It was also the PSEi’s highest
closing since June 20.
The broader all-shares index was also
up by a percent to settle at 4,454.04.
Philstocks Financial’s Justino R.
Calaycay, Jr. interpreted the event as
positive for the bourse.
“It is good to see the market holding
on given that we are in the bear market
situation,” Calaycay said in a phone
interview.
Despite the 2.4 percent upward trend
in the past five days, Calaycay ruled out
the index breaching the 8,000 mark at
the end of the year as forecast.
“The market can settle at 7,500 or
7,700 but not 8,000. Given the risks in
the market plus the situations the world
economy is in, we can target 7,700,”
he said.
At the broker’s briefing, Calaycay
also painted a bleak outlook for the
local market as he expressed doubt
the bourse could sustain its growth
trajectory.
“Volume is still relatively thin. We’re
concerned about the sustainability of
the rise,” he said.
Calaycay’s view is contrary to the
projection of Finance Secretary Carlos
Dominguez III who expressed optimism
the Duterte administration’s massive
Build, Build, Build infrastructure program
would ensure a 7-percent gross
domestic product (GDP) expansion
this year.
The flow of state-generated funds
into the real economy forms part of the
multiyear Build, Build, Build program
that should eventually cost more or less
P9 trillion, he said, adding that much
money in the system was certain to create
jobs, attract investments “and finally
disperse growth to the countryside.”
“The Build, Build, Build program
will drastically alter the Philippine
economic landscape. It will create over
a million jobs per year. It will bring
our logistics backbone up to par
in a region that is growing very
dynamically,” Dominguez said.
Services and properties,
highest sub-indices
Services and properties
gained the
highest among
sub-indices yesterday,
advancing
1.93 percent and 1.75
percent, respectively. Mining
and oil firms were in the red,
down 0.43 percent at 9,669.62.
A total of 56 listed companies
remained unchanged, as both
advancers and decliners were tied in
numbers at 100.
Liberty Flour Mills bounced
back from Tuesday’s big loss to
close the trading with a 50 percent
gain at P39.60 per share. Mabuhay
Holdings Corporation and Cebu
Property Ventures and Development
Corporation both gained 10
percent.
Chemical Industries of the Philippines
was the only loser in double
digits, down 26.34 percent to close at
P192.10 per stock.
Henry Sy’s SM Investments Corp.
was the most actively traded stock,
up by 1.09 percent. Ayala Land, Inc.
and SM Prime Holdings, Inc. followed
suit with their prices in green.
Andrew Malihan
SINGAPORE Airlines adopts the latest in business class seat design aboard its latest
acquisition of the Boeing B787-10 Dreamliner aircraft.
ANTHONY CHING
Asian markets were down Wednesday,
though Hong Kong recovered slightly
from an earlier tumble, as trade tensions
between the US and China continued to
weigh on investor sentiment.
Wall Street ended the session down
in a shortened trading day ahead of
By Komfie Manalo
The Philippines has called
on trade ministers of the
Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) and the six
states with which the bloc has
existing free trade deals to
be more realistic to complete
the proposed Regional
Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP) this year.
The RCEP is an expanded
free trade agreement between
ASEAN member-states and
their free trade partners
Australia, China, India, Japan,
South Korea, and New Zealand.
Trade and Industry
Anti-trust watchdog Philippine
Competition Commission (PCC) has
voided the P205.3 million acquisition deal
between Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp.
and Trans-Asia Shipping Lines for failure
to notify the commission of the transaction
in December 2016.
At the same time, the PCC fined
Chelsea P22.8 million regarding the botched
transaction. Chelsea Logistics Holding Corp.
is a unit of KGLI-NM Holdings Inc., which in
turn controls 2Go. Trans-Asia Shipping Lines
operates a passenger and cargo shipping
business in Cebu.
“Every M&A (merger and acquisition)
notification subjected to PCC review
is evaluated in a fair and transparent
Secretary Ramon M. Lopez
represented the Philippines at
the 5th RCEP Intercessional
Meeting in Tokyo over the
weekend, where he joined
Japan Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe, ASEAN Secretary-General
Dato Lim Jock-Hoi, and trade
ministers from the 16 RCEP
participating countries (RPC).
“It is about time that we
shift gears and lean towards
being more realistic than
idealistic. While we attend to
our own interests, we should
also remember that a mutuallybeneficial
agreement requires
trade-offs,” said Lopez.
“We should also keep in
mind that this mega-regional
trade pact should be inclusive
and progressive and should
cater not only to today’s
generation but also of the
future,” he added.
The free trade agreement
that began negotiations in
2013 covers trade in goods,
trade in services, investments,
economic and technical
cooperation, intellectual
property, competition, dispute
settlement and other issues.
On the trade in goods, some
countries’ submissions were still
below the targeted 92 percent
for tariff elimination. RPCs
committed to submit improved
manner with the public’s welfare as
foremost concern. There are sanctions
for violations, there are clearances when
there are no competition concerns,” said
PCC Chairman Arsenio M. Balisacan.
The nullification of the Trans-Asia deal
also led to PCC’s conditional clearance of
a related transaction -- the acquisition by
Chelsea Logistics Holding Corp. of KGLI-NM
Holdings Inc., which in turn controls 2Go.
The latter transaction involves the
acquisition by Chelsea Logistics of shares
in KGLI-NM to consolidate its majority
ownership in KGLI-NM and gain a 52.98
percent stake in the 2Go group.
PCC’s investigation initially found
that control of both 2Go and Trans-Asia
A MAN surrenders his
US dollars for local
currency at a money
changer along FB
Harrison and Gil Puyat
Avenue. The local unit
has fallen 6.3 percent
thus far this year.
PH bats for prompt end to RCEP
offers by the middle of July.
Meanwhile, Lopez
commended the progress
on e-commerce for closing
several articles in the RCEP
key elements paper. He said
that e-commerce significantly
lowers the barriers to entry and
operating costs for businesses,
particularly micro, small and
medium enterprises (MSME),
which comprise 99.6 percent
of all registered businesses in
the Philippines.
The RPC will meet again in
Singapore this August to assess
the outcome of the 23rd round
of negotiations in Bangkok,
Thailand.
Regulator voids Chelsea-Trans Asia deal
Asian markets down as trade fears linger
Wednesday’s Independence Day holiday,
with falls in tech stocks pressuring the
market.
Concerns remain for Shanghai, which
is down more than 20 percent from
its January high on concerns about a
slowing economy, even before new US
tariffs threatened by Donald Trump kick
in Friday.
China’s yuan however stabilised
after a rally on comments from central
bank chief Yi Gang, who pledged to
keep the exchange rate stable and
avoid using the currency as a weapon
in any trade war.
The unit has fallen around eight
percent since the end of March, adding
to fears about the economy as leaders
struggle to cap massive debt while
supporting growth.
Despite the central bank’s
by Chelsea would lead to a substantial
erosion of competition affecting rollon/roll-off
passenger shipping services
(RoPax) in Cebu-Cagayan De Oro, Cagayan
De Oro-Cebu, Cebu-Ozamis, Ozamis-Cebu,
Cebu-Iligan and Iligan-Cebu legs; and
cargo shipping services in the same
areas plus the Cebu-Zamboanga leg. In
these legs, 2Go and Trans-Asia overlap or
compete directly with each other.
However, Chelsea and its parent firm
Udenna Corp. protested the ruling and insisted
the deal is not covered by the compulsory
notification because the transaction was below
the P1 billion threshold. It added the PCC even
raised the mandatory review value floor to P2
billion.
Komfie Manalo
reassurances, “the markets remain
very bearish on China... well over and
above trade tensions, as waning growth
momentum has contributed to diverging
economic indicators versus the US,”
said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific
trade at OANDA.
AFP

10 BUSINESS
Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
Century Pacific eyes expansion
with P1.8-billion capex
By Komfie Manalo
Canned food manufacturer Century Pacific Food
Inc. (CNPF) is eyeing a 10 to 15 percent increase in
production capacity this year as it earmarked a capital
expenditure of up to P1.8 billion to finance its growth.
Christopher Po, CNPF executive chairman said the
company is looking to expand its tuna canning plant
in General Santos City.
“We think the efficient scale for a new plant will be
between 50 to 100 metric tons of tuna produced a day.
Once we finished this plant, it will satisfy our requirements
for the next three to five years,” he told reporters.
The firm currently processes about 300 to 350 metric
tons of tuna a day.
Po said the new plant is expected to be completed
by third quarter next year.
He noted the company targets its earnings growing
“mid-single digit” this year, as revenues continue increasing
by 20 percent.
“Our focus is really the Philippine market, 75 to 80
percent (of our revenues come from) domestic market.
This year, the branded domestic business is growing
State pension fund Government
Service Insurance System (GSIS)
is raising its offshore portfolio
to P58.3 billion as it looks for
opportunities overseas.
GSIS president and general
Nikkei index
closes lower on
tech weakness
Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index
closed lower on Wednesday as high tech
shares dropped sharply tracking falls on
Wall Street.
The Nikkei ended down 0.31 percent or
68.50 points at 21,717.04 yen while the broader
Topix index edged up 0.03 percent or 0.45
points to close at 1,693.25.
Analysts said tech shares suffered partly
due to news that a Chinese court temporarily
banned US firm Micron Technology from
selling its products.
Investors were cautious about the trend in
Chinese stocks but “with the prospects that the
yuan’s depreciation is bottoming out thanks
to an announcement by the People’s Bank of
China... buying back supported the Japanese
market later,” Okasan Online Securities
strategist Yoshihiro Ito said in a commentary.
The dollar fetched 110.37 yen in Asian trade,
against 110.59 yen in New York late Tuesday.
In Tokyo, semiconductor equipment maker
Tokyo Electron dropped 4.44 percent to 17,740
and semiconductor testing devices maker
Advantest dived 4.28 percent to 2,189 yen.
Game giant Nintendo dropped 5.27
percent to 34,510 yen and Uniqlo casual wear
operator Fast Retailing fell 2.14 percent to
48,730 yen.
In contrast, oil developer Inpex added 2.10
percent to 1,163 yen and oil refiner JXTG fell
2.60 percent to 796 yen. AFP
ATI posts record
TEU volume in H1
International gateway port Manila
South Harbor, managed by listed Asian
Terminals Inc. (ATI), ended the first
half of 2018 on a record note posting its
highest mid-year container volume.
For the first six months, Manila
South Harbor handled over 560,000 teus
(twenty-foot equivalent units) of foreign
containerized shipment, bannered by a
back-to-back 100,000-teu performance
achieved in May and June.
This represents nearly a five percent
increase in volume compared to the first half
of 2017, in step with the country’s economic
growth pace.
In May, ATI handled an all-time high
single-month volume of nearly 105,000 teus,
followed by over 103,000 teus in June.
While volume has increased, terminal
efficiency and yard utilization at Manila
South Harbor have remained optimum.
Aside from growing customer preference,
ATI cited the efforts of the Bureau of
Customs-Port of Manila (POM), through
the leadership of district collector Erastus
Sandino Austria, as positive contributor
to the volume upsurge, especially for
promoting a private-sector and customercentric
philosophy at the POM, which have
resulted in greater port efficiencies.
“Through ATI’s and BOC’s collaboration,
we are ensuring the seamless flow of goods
through Manila’s main gateway port for a
robust supply chain,” ATI executive vice
president William Khoury said.
ATI also credits the Terminal Appointment
Booking System or TABS, an online cargo
delivery scheduling system, for sustaining
the orderly and uninterrupted flow of trucks
and shipment at the port 24/7, as well as its
employees, unions, port authorities and other
stakeholders for contributing to its milestone
achievements.
faster,” Po said.
CNPF, a leading exporter of original equipment
manufacturer (OEM), tuna and coconut products,
sells products in 60 countries.
“We sell quite a bit to the EU (European
Union), as well as Japan. The Philippines
enjoys a duty-free entry into the EU market
through the GSP (Generalized System
of Preferences) Plus system so that has
helped the tuna industry,” he said.
“We also aim to serve the markets
that are more stringent in terms of quality
but are willing to pay better margin, so
that’s part of our strategy when it comes
to exporting,” he added.
Its other business segments include
marine, meat, and milk and mixes. Among
the brands under CNPF are Century Tuna, 555,
Argentina and Swift.
The company booked a net income of P2.6 billion
in 2017, slightly down by 4 percent from P2.7 billion
the previous year, due mainly to higher raw material
prices.
PNA
GSIS hikes offshore portfolio to P58.3 billion
manager Jesus Clint Aranas
said that he has authorized
the allocation of nearly $300
million in the infrastructurefocused
the Asia Infrastructure
Fund (AIF). He said that GSIS’s
portfolio in the AIF cushioned
the decline of the fund’s assets
due to the slump of the local
stock market.
Aranas said, “Our investments
right now are in local securities,
WEDNESDAY
4 JULY 2018
PHILIPPINE STOCK EXCHANGE
NAME OPEN HIGH LOW CLOSE VALUE (P)
FINANCIALS
BANKS
ASIA UNITED 59.6 59.6 57.25 57.25 599,735.50
BDO UNIBANK 126.7 128.6 125 128.6 272,745,258
BANK PH ISLANDS 88.2 88.2 87.2 88 186,774,277
CHINABANK 33.5 33.5 33.35 33.4 1,230,350
EAST WEST BANK 14.42 14.78 14.42 14.64 3,890,528
METROBANK 74.65 74.65 73.7 74.6 224,890,568.50
PBCOM 20.8 20.8 20.8 20.8 4,160
PHIL NATL BANK 48.3 48.3 48.25 48.25 666,460
PHILTRUST 117.4 117.5 117 117 46,900
RCBC 28.85 28.85 28.5 28.6 467,695
SECURITY BANK 200.2 203.4 198 203 65,163,419
UNION BANK 87.15 87.4 87.15 87.4 526,517
OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
BRIGHT KINDLE 1.47 1.47 1.47 1.47 14,700
BDO LEASING 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 14,500
COL FINANCIAL 16.46 16.46 16.4 16.4 1,245,332
FIRST ABACUS 0.68 0.68 0.68 0.68 2,040
FERRONOUX HLDG 3.43 3.52 3.43 3.51 65,420
FILIPINO FUND 8.68 8.71 8.68 8.71 123,336
IREMIT 1.46 1.46 1.46 1.46 2,920
MEDCO HLDG 0.54 0.54 0.54 0.54 19,980
NTL REINSURANCE 1.13 1.13 1.09 1.1 799,050
PHIL STOCK EXCH 195 195.1 185 195 1,429,473
SUN LIFE 1,855 1,855 1,855 1,855 166,950
INDUSTRIAL
ELECTRICITY, ENERGY, POWER & WATER
ALSONS CONS 1.17 1.2 1.16 1.2 530,120
ABOITIZ POWER 34.75 35.3 34.65 35.15 53,731,535
BASIC ENERGY 0.238 0.244 0.233 0.239 205,670
ENERGY DEVT 5.14 5.25 5.14 5.19 4,428,021
FIRST GEN 14.82 14.98 14.58 14.66 37,821,920
FIRST PHIL HLDG 61.1 61.1 61 61.1 1,689,205
PHIL H2O 7.1 7.65 6.81 6.81 40,930,757
MERALCO 354 358 350 358 136,123,472
MANILA WATER 28 28 27.1 27.2 4,687,435
PETRON 8.97 8.99 8.82 8.85 3,153,634
PETROENERGY 4.1 4.12 4.09 4.09 221,280
PHINMA ENERGY 1.27 1.31 1.27 1.31 171,830
PHX PETROLEUM 11.82 12.1 11.82 12.1 227,888
PILIPINAS SHELL 51.95 52 51.6 52 44,596,107
SPC POWER 5.35 5.35 5.2 5.3 234,220
VIVANT 20 21 20 20 168,700
FOOD, BEVERAGE & TOBACCO
AGRINURTURE 15.74 15.8 15.68 15.8 12,585,702
CNTRL AZUCARERA 22.7 22.7 22.2 22.7 287,895
CENTURY FOOD 15.9 16.2 15.9 15.94 8,720,390
DEL MONTE 8.3 8.3 7.8 7.8 138,940
DNL INDUS 10.2 10.22 10.16 10.18 5,441,092
EMPERADOR 7.3 7.3 7.16 7.25 9,403,285
SMC FOODANDBEV 61.3 62.55 61.3 62.4 11,391,573.50
ALLIANCE SELECT 0.58 0.58 0.57 0.57 395,600
GINEBRA 21.4 21.4 21.25 21.25 468,950
JOLLIBEE 260 260 251 259.8 312,920,260
LIBERTY FLOUR 39.6 39.6 39.6 39.6 7,920
MAXS GROUP 11.22 11.38 11.16 11.16 1,450,204
MG HLDG 0.188 0.193 0.188 0.191 318,650
PEPSI COLA 2.2 2.24 2.2 2.2 6,694,640
SHAKEYS PIZZA 12.48 12.48 12.32 12.32 88,768
ROXAS AND CO 2.23 2.31 2.2 2.2 460,610
RFM CORP 4.61 4.61 4.61 4.61 4,610
ROXAS HLDG 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 6,800
SWIFT FOODS 0.127 0.13 0.126 0.13 68,790
UNIV ROBINA 125 125.5 123.8 124.8 160,993,897
VITARICH 2.51 2.51 2.46 2.47 2,876,380
VICTORIAS 2.52 2.52 2.52 2.52 12,600
CONSTRUCTION, INFRASTRUCTURE & ALLIED SERVICES
ASIABEST GROUP 26 26.7 24.8 25.2 2,175,800
CONCRETE A 65 65 65 65 9,750
CEMEX HLDG 3.1 3.1 3.05 3.07 6,265,520
DAVINCI CAPITAL 4.95 4.95 4.95 4.95 4,950
EAGLE CEMENT 15.8 15.8 15.7 15.76 1,020,406
EEI CORP 10.8 10.86 10.74 10.74 221,510
HOLCIM 7.11 7.11 7.04 7.04 494,977
MEGAWIDE 20.3 20.3 19.96 20 15,917,265
PHINMA 7.69 7.7 7.69 7.7 308,760
VULCAN INDL 1.45 1.55 1.44 1.55 15,084,410
CHEMICALS
CHEMPHIL 192.1 192.1 192.1 192.1 1,921
CROWN ASIA 1.87 1.87 1.76 1.77 620,530
LMG CHEMICALS 5.17 5.29 5.11 5.15 467,953
MABUHAY VINYL 3.3 3.32 3.23 3.23 19,690
PRYCE CORP 5.95 6.08 5.95 6 119,950
ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS &EQUIPMENT
INTEGRATED MICR 14.28 14.66 14.28 14.48 15,025,212
IONICS 2.37 2.56 2.35 2.51 19,639,090
PANASONIC 6.98 6.98 6.82 6.86 154,252
SFA SEMICON 1.91 1.94 1.84 1.91 245,530
CIRTEK HLDG 48.4 48.4 47.35 47.5 23,781,750
HOLDING FIRMS
ABACORE CAPITAL 0.246 0.25 0.242 0.242 252,430
AYALA CORP 919.5 928 903.5 928 315,579,625
ABOITIZ EQUITY 54 56.1 53.3 54.9 105,013,572.50
ALLIANCE GLOBAL 11.62 11.74 11.6 11.7 39,238,970
ANSCOR 6 6 6 6 25,200
ANGLO PHIL HLDG 0.92 0.95 0.9 0.95 101,850
ATN HLDG A 0.68 0.71 0.66 0.68 15,521,250
ATN HLDG B 0.66 0.72 0.66 0.69 2,692,040
COSCO CAPITAL 6 6.07 5.97 5.97 1,477,701
DMCI HLDG 10.78 11.4 10.78 11.3 66,557,522
FILINVEST DEV 7.1 7.1 6.83 7.1 10,563
FJ PRINCE A 4.25 4.25 4.24 4.25 84,900
FJ PRINCE B 5.01 5.01 5 5 50,020
FORUM PACIFIC 0.194 0.194 0.194 0.194 194,000
GT CAPITAL 919 919 892.5 900 143,587,990
HOUSE OF INV 5.98 6.49 5.98 6.49 48,707
JG SUMMIT 50.5 51.05 49.95 51.05 165,564,136.50
JOLLIVILLE HLDG 5.7 5.7 5.5 5.5 32,450
LODESTAR 0.55 0.56 0.54 0.55 427,920
LOPEZ HLDG 3.6 3.61 3.59 3.59 4,605,600
LT GROUP 17.96 18.2 17.8 17.8 25,252,506
MABUHAY HLDG 0.71 0.79 0.7 0.77 36,603,140
METRO PAC INV 4.64 4.69 4.57 4.68 112,588,600
PACIFICA 0.04 0.04 0.038 0.039 220,700
PRIME ORION 2.63 2.68 2.63 2.66 973,710
PRIME MEDIA 1.18 1.2 1.15 1.18 198,640
REPUBLIC GLASS 2.81 2.81 2.8 2.8 165,260
SOLID GROUP 1.63 1.63 1.62 1.62 9,730
SYNERGY GRID 500 500 495 500 159,050
SM INVESTMENTS 915 925 900 925 352,628,450
SAN MIGUEL CORP 137.5 137.5 136.5 137.5 29,914,469
SOC RESOURCES 0.76 0.78 0.76 0.78 61,000
SEAFRONT RES 2.55 2.55 2.55 2.55 239,700
TOP FRONTIER 257 257 256 257 58,900
WELLEX INDUS 0.236 0.237 0.234 0.234 325,290
ZEUS HLDG 0.205 0.205 0.203 0.203 103,840
PROPERTY
ARTHALAND CORP 0.78 0.78 0.74 0.75 2,064,300
ANCHOR LAND 14.08 14.2 14.08 14.2 43,660
AYALA LAND 38 38.4 37.7 38.2 238,131,445
ARANETA PROP 1.95 1.95 1.93 1.93 416,450
BELLE CORP 3.15 3.18 3.14 3.16 433,270
A BROWN 0.96 0.96 0.94 0.94 2,367,550
CITYLAND DEVT 0.91 0.91 0.89 0.89 853,150
CROWN EQUITIES 0.234 0.235 0.224 0.226 1,464,510
CEBU HLDG 5.7 5.7 5.7 5.7 30,210
CEB LANDMASTERS 4.54 4.54 4.49 4.5 674,610
CENTURY PROP 0.435 0.44 0.43 0.44 178,200
CEBU PROP A 6.6 6.6 6.6 6.6 7,260
CYBER BAY 0.405 0.405 0.405 0.405 44,550
DOUBLEDRAGON 25.25 25.8 25.1 25.25 19,280,165
DM WENCESLAO 10.46 10.46 10.2 10.2 59,193,344
THE tuna processing company has set aside P1.8 billion to boost operations this year.
bonds, different areas... We have
adopted the multi-asset strategy
which is the global trend, which
is you do not put your eggs locally
all the time.”
GSIS senior vide president
for financial management group
Gracita Gilda Bocanegra, said
the Macquarie AIF is invested
in infrastructure assets in Asia,
which covers Japan, Korea,
China, Australia and India.
NAME OPEN HIGH LOW CLOSE VALUE (P)
EMPIRE EAST 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.63 630
EVER GOTESCO 0.117 0.117 0.116 0.116 10,460
FILINVEST LAND 1.4 1.45 1.4 1.42 13,125,520
GLOBAL ESTATE 1.18 1.2 1.18 1.2 1,203,050
8990 HLDG 7.49 7.49 7.4 7.44 8,395,692
IRC PROP 1.53 1.62 1.53 1.59 27,131,820
CITY AND LAND 0.99 0.99 0.97 0.97 265,500
MEGAWORLD 4.4 4.47 4.39 4.45 116,977,130
MRC ALLIED 0.57 0.59 0.56 0.56 11,670,540
PHIL ESTATES 0.43 0.43 0.42 0.42 2,177,350
PRIMEX CORP 3.2 3.34 3.09 3.25 33,219,340
ROBINSONS LAND 18.96 19.78 18.82 19.78 21,585,896
PHIL REALTY 0.485 0.49 0.48 0.49 223,450
ROCKWELL 2.05 2.05 2 2.04 379,240
SHANG PROP 3.2 3.25 3.2 3.25 19,400
STA LUCIA LAND 1.07 1.07 1.03 1.05 583,050
SM PRIME HLDG 36 37 35.5 37 313,889,745
STARMALLS 7.15 7.29 6.81 7.08 13,576,377
SUNTRUST HOME 0.8 0.8 0.73 0.8 738,750
VISTA LAND 6.09 6.23 6.09 6.23 7,565,610
SERVICES
MEDIA
ABS CBN 24.8 24.8 24.25 24.4 5,046,445
GMA NETWORK 5.4 5.4 5.38 5.4 417,769
MLA BRDCASTING 17 17 17 17 1,700
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
GLOBE TELECOM 1,640 1,693 1,618 1,693 34,873,805
PLDT 1,268 1,299 1,268 1,299 67,909,995
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
APOLLO GLOBAL 0.043 0.043 0.042 0.043 265,500
DFNN INC 6.84 7.47 6.84 7.38 52,687
IMPERIAL 2.1 2.1 2.07 2.07 137,260
ISLAND INFO 0.143 0.146 0.139 0.141 2,280,290
ISM COMM 3.19 3.29 2.9 2.99 99,252,730
JACKSTONES 4.08 4.16 3.8 3.85 3,343,440
NOW CORP 9 9.07 8.95 9 16,598,214
TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.43 0.45 0.425 0.445 10,867,400
PHILWEB 5.18 5.18 5.12 5.12 972,198
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
2GO GROUP 15.18 15.18 15.12 15.12 125,678
ASIAN TERMINALS 13.5 14 13.5 14 27,500
CEBU AIR 67.7 68 66.65 67.45 45,443,800.50
CHELSEA 7.2 7.2 7.03 7.09 13,382,003
INTL CONTAINER 78.5 79.8 78.5 79.5 57,233,475
LBC EXPRESS 14.9 14.9 14.9 14.9 2,980
LORENZO SHIPPNG 1.11 1.12 1.05 1.05 1,960,810
MACROASIA 24.15 24.3 23.95 24.05 10,680,580
METROALLIANCE A 2.72 2.74 2.58 2.68 1,150,440
METROALLIANCE B 2.57 2.78 2.57 2.78 28,480
PAL HLDG 8.52 8.52 8.52 8.52 12,780
HARBOR STAR 3.11 3.2 3.11 3.17 1,814,920
HOTEL & LEISURE
ACESITE HOTEL 1.38 1.38 1.38 1.38 41,400
BOULEVARD HLDG 0.052 0.053 0.052 0.052 180,010
DISCOVERY WORLD 2.16 2.16 2.16 2.16 2,160
WATERFRONT 0.77 0.77 0.75 0.76 525,550
EDUCATION
CENTRO ESCOLAR 8.8 8.8 8.8 8.8 880
IPEOPLE 12.98 12.98 12.7 12.7 28,060
STI HLDG 1.16 1.16 1.15 1.15 579,920
CASINOS & GAMING
BERJAYA 5.03 5.9 5.03 5.9 5,813
BLOOMBERRY 9.79 10.18 9.79 10.18 84,672,012
PACIFIC ONLINE 11.02 11.02 11 11 46,214
LEISURE AND RES 4.07 4.2 4.06 4.17 887,830
MANILA JOCKEY 4.16 4.33 4.04 4.29 381,520
MELCO RESORTS 5.25 5.25 5.13 5.19 1,591,094
PREMIUM LEISURE 0.85 0.87 0.85 0.85 1,130,730
TRAVELLERS 4.86 4.94 4.86 4.92 6,757,910
RETAIL
METRO RETAIL 2.59 2.65 2.59 2.59 571,010
PUREGOLD 46.5 46.5 45.8 46 43,471,005
ROBINSONS RTL 79.7 81 79.5 81 27,947,310
PHIL SEVEN CORP 120.5 127 120.5 121 165,655
SSI GROUP 1.85 1.93 1.83 1.85 3,914,830
WILCON DEPOT 11.7 11.9 11.7 11.9 15,247,518
OTHER SERVICES
APC GROUP 0.465 0.465 0.46 0.46 566,350
EASYCALL 19.58 20 19.3 19.86 1,140,622
GOLDEN BRIA 240.6 265 240.6 265 2,591,170
IPM HLDG 8 8.02 8 8.01 264,407
PAXYS 3.35 3.45 3.29 3.41 408,020
PRMIERE HORIZON 0.36 0.36 0.335 0.35 286,350
SBS PHIL CORP 8.11 8.4 8 8 4,063,017
MINING & OIL
Bocanegra said the investment
amount is GSIS’ commitment
along with other foreign investors
to the $3-billion Macquarie Asia
Infrastructure Fund (MAIF).
Komfie Manalo
MINING
ATOK 19.44 20.9 18.72 20 798,667
APEX MINING 1.47 1.49 1.47 1.48 613,010
ABRA MINING 0.0025 0.0026 0.0025 0.0026 167,700
ATLAS MINING 4.02 4.03 4.02 4.03 237,500
COAL ASIA HLDG 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 210,000
CENTURY PEAK 1.69 1.7 1.69 1.7 463,930
DIZON MINES 7.15 7.7 7.15 7.67 83,426
FERRONICKEL 2.17 2.17 2.13 2.15 3,814,570
GEOGRACE 0.187 0.187 0.184 0.186 9,280
LEPANTO A 0.128 0.129 0.125 0.125 249,180
LEPANTO B 0.127 0.127 0.127 0.127 90,170
MANILA MINING A 0.0077 0.0077 0.0077 0.0077 7,700
MANILA MINING B 0.0079 0.0079 0.0078 0.0078 101,500
MARCVENTURES 1.53 1.58 1.51 1.52 783,210
NIHAO 1.29 1.32 1.22 1.29 460,290
NICKEL ASIA 4.59 4.59 4.52 4.53 4,068,540
OMICO CORP 0.51 0.51 0.49 0.495 249,420
ORNTL PENINSULA 1.36 1.39 1.27 1.31 8,578,320
PX MINING 4.8 4.85 4.5 4.5 1,757,230
SEMIRARA MINING 30.3 31.25 30.3 30.8 46,264,705
UNITED PARAGON 0.006 0.0063 0.0059 0.0063 24,100
OIL
ORNTL PETROL A 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.012 279,700
ORNTL PETROL B 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 25,300
PHILODRILL 0.012 0.012 0.011 0.012 203,400
PHINMA PETRO 3.16 3.16 2.94 2.95 1,357,910
PXP ENERGY 10.7 10.7 10.56 10.56 15,115,864
PREFERRED
HOUSE PREF A 99.5 99.5 99.5 99.5 547,250
AC PREF B1 495 500 495 500 1,094,950
AC PREF B2 505 505 501 505 1,017,150
DD PREF 100.5 100.9 100.1 100.9 1,129,732
SMC FB PREF 2 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,010,000
FGEN PREF F 102.9 102.9 102.9 102.9 4,116
FGEN PREF G 107 107 107 107 4,280
GLO PREF P 501 501 500 500 450,680
GTCAP PREF A 997 997 997 997 39,880
GTCAP PREF B 988.5 988.5 988 988 39,535
LR PREF 1.05 1.05 1.03 1.03 475,930
MWIDE PREF 103 103 103 103 716,880
PNX PREF 3A 103.9 103.9 103.9 103.9 1,039
PNX PREF 3B 107 107 107 107 524,300
PCOR PREF 2B 1,072 1,072 1,072 1,072 26,800
SMC PREF 2B 76.3 76.3 76.3 76.3 763
SMC PREF 2F 75.95 76.5 75.95 76.5 7,901,540
PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS
ABS HLDG PDR 24 24 23.1 23.1 6,755,470
GMA HLDG PDR 5.24 5.24 5.24 5.24 524
WARRANTS
LR WARRANT 2.35 2.42 2.33 2.42 148,420
SMALL, MEDIUM & EMERGING
ITALPINAS 5.15 5.29 5.11 5.2 4,184,895
XURPAS 3.39 3.43 3.28 3.35 7,229,240
EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS
FIRST METRO ETF 108 109.3 108 109.3 591,246

John Castro, Editor
Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
‘Unknown substance’
hospitalizes 2 in UK
LONDON, United Kingdom
-- British police said Wednesday
that two people are in a critical
condition in a Salisbury hospital
after being exposed to an
“unknown substance,” just a
short distance from where former
Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his
daughter were poisoned.
The two patients “are both
currently receiving treatment
for suspected exposure to an
unknown substance at Salisbury
District Hospital,” Wiltshire police
said.
“They are both in a critical
condition,” the police said, adding
that they considered the situation
a “major incident”.
The two people, a man and
a woman both in their 40s,
were discovered unconscious on
Saturday June 30 at a house in
the village of Amesbury, which is
around a dozen kilometers (eight
miles) from Salisbury.
Sergei and Yulia Skripal were
found slumped on a bench in
the city in southwestern England
where the former double agent
lived in March, sparking a
bitter diplomatic crisis between
Moscow and London, which says
a Soviet-made nerve agent dubbed
novichok was used on the pair.
Wiltshire police said they
initially suspected that the two
people had fallen ill after using
“possibly heroin or crack cocaine
from a contaminated batch of
drugs.”
“However, further testing is
now ongoing to establish the
substance which led to these
patients becoming ill and we are
keeping an open mind as to the
circumstances surrounding this
incident,” they said.
Security cordons have been set
up around the areas where the
two people went before they fell
ill, police said, and security has
been boosted in both Amesbury
and Salisbury.
A Public Health England
spokesman said “it is not believed
that there is a significant health
risk to the wider public.”
“This will be continually
assessed as further information
becomes known,” they said in a
statement.
Skripal and his daughter Yulia,
who was visiting from Moscow,
collapsed on March 4 in Salisbury.
They were treated for an extended
period of time before being released
from Salisbury hospital. AFP
FIREFIGHTERS work to put out a fire in a car in the Malakoff neighborhood of Nantes early on July 4, 2018. Groups of young people clashed with police
in the western French city of Nantes on the night of July 3 after a man was shot dead by an officer during a police check. Cars were burned and a shopping
centre partly set alight in the Breil neighbourhood as police confronted young people, some armed with molotov cocktails.
AFP
UAE demands stop to Israel housing
GENEVA — The UAE demanded
the implementation of all United
Nations, UN, resolutions that call
on Israel to stop its settlement
expansion in occupied Palestinian
areas, including in East Jerusalem.
It also called on the
international community to
end Israel’s occupation and
guarantee the legitimate rights of
the Palestinian people, including
the right to self-determination
and establish an independent
country, with East Jerusalem as
its capital.
The country’s statement was
made during a speech by Obaid
Salem Al Zaabi, Permanent
Representative of the UAE to
the UN in Geneva, at the 38th
session of the Human Rights
Council, which witnessed a
general discussion on the state
of human rights in Palestine and
other occupied Arab lands.
Al Zaabi highlighted Security
Council Resolution No. 2334 for
2016, which asserts that Israel’s
policy of settlement expansion in
occupied Palestinian areas since
1967, including East Jerusalem,
has no legal basis, is a stark
violation of international law,
and is a major obstacle to
creating two states that can live
together in peace and security.
Two years after the resolution
was issued, the wall is still
continuing to be built and the
number of settlements is
increasing while the two-state
solution has disappeared, even
before it was discussed, he said.
Al Zaabi called on the council
to face its responsibilities to
enforce its mandate to end Israel’s
injustices and its construction of
settlements.
WAM
Dozens dead in Indonesia ferry accident
WE ARE HIRING!
Looking for highly motivated and result-oriented
individuals for the following posts:
Reporters/ Writers
Deskmen
Proofreaders
Office Assistant
News Monitoring Staff
Applicants may bring or email their resumé to the Daily Tribune
office at 3450 Concept Bldg., Florida St., Makati City.
dailytribune@tribune.net.ph / 8337085
SELAYAR, Indonesia — Nearly
three dozen people have died after
a ferry ran aground off the coast of
Indonesia, according to an updated
official toll Wednesday, the latest
deadly maritime accident in the
Southeast Asian archipelago.
The KM Lestari was believed
to be carrying nearly 190 people
when damage to its hull forced
the captain to ground the vessel
on Tuesday afternoon about 300
metres (yards) off Selayar island,
near the larger island of Sulawesi.
Images from the scene showed
terrified passengers clinging to the
side of the tipped over ferry, while
others floated in the sea awaiting
help.
Waves swamped the boat’s deck,
sweeping trucks and other vehicles
on the ferry overboard, as rescuers
battled high winds and rough seas
to pluck victims from the water.
Indonesia’s disaster agency
said 34 people died in the accident
while 155 passengers have been
rescued, it added. AFP
CORREA
QUITO, Ecuador — An
Ecuadoran court on Tuesday
ordered the arrest of Brusselsbased
former president Rafael
Correa over alleged links to the
kidnapping of an opponent in
Colombia.
The National Court of Justice
said Judge Daniella Camacho
“resolves to impose preventive
detention” against Correa and has
alerted Interpol.
Correa, president from 2007-
2017, was one of the feistiest
characters in Latin American
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraqi forces
launched a major operation against
remnants of the Islamic State
group on Wednesday following
public anger over the jihadists’
murder of a group of abducted
civilians.
Dubbed “Vengeance for the
Martyrs”, the operation will see
army, special forces, police and
Kurdish peshmerga fighters
hunting down IS cells in the
center of the country, Iraq’s Joint
Operations Command (JOC) said
in a statement.
WORLD 11
Erdogan to start second term
with new powers
ANKARA, Turkey — President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan will on Monday
be sworn in for a second mandate
as Turkey’s head of
state after his election
triumph last month,
assuming sweeping
powers granted under
a new constitution, a
presidential source said.
Erdogan, who has
dominated Turkey first as premier
from 2003 then president from 2014,
scored an outright victory in the first
round of the June 24 elections with
52.6 percent of the vote.
Those elections were particularly
crucial as it is only after the polls that
the new presidential system, which
was agreed in a 2017 referendum and
opponents fear will lead to one man
rule, comes into force.
Erdogan will be sworn at the
parliament, a presidential source, who
asked not to be named, told AFP. State
media reports said the oath ceremony
would be at 1300 GMT.
Two hours later a “transition
ceremony” marking the shift to
the new system will take place at
his vast presidential palace on the
Erdogan will have
the authority to
appoint and sack
ministers, judges and
other state officials.
outskirts of Ankara, Anadolu news
agency reported.
The Turkish leader is expected
to deliver a speech
during the ceremony
to be attended by
leading figures from the
business, art and sports
as well as foreign heads
of state, according to
the Hurriyet daily.
The ceremony will be followed by
a dinner and then Erdogan is due to
announce his new cabinet, it said.
Under the new system, Erdogan
will enjoy greater powers with
the authority to appoint and sack
ministers, judges and other state
officials.
The post of prime minister,
currently held by Erdogan’s ally
Binali Yildirim, is to be scrapped as
of Monday, leaving the president in full
and sole charge of the government.
A decree published in the
Official Gazette on Wednesday
formalized the transfer of some
duties and authorities of the cabinet
to the president.
Also, the references in
certain laws like “cabinet” and
“prime ministry” have
been changed to say
“president” and the
“presidency,” according
to the decree.
The new regulations
will come into force on the
day the president is sworn in,
Anadolu said.
The new parliament is
meanwhile expected to be
sworn in two days earlier on
Saturday.
Erdogan’s ruling
Justice and
Development
Party has failed to
secure a majority
in the 600-seat
parliament on its
own in the June
elections. But
it does enjoy a
clear majority
within a pact
with its
partner the
right-wing
Nationalist
Movement
Party. AFP
British lesbian can live,
work in HK with partner
HONG KONG, China — A British lesbian won the right to live
and work in Hong Kong with her partner in a landmark decision
Wednesday by the top court in the city, where same-sex unions are
not recognized.
The Court of Final Appeal judgment ends the protracted legal
battle by “QT,” who has entered into a civil partnership in Britain
in 2011 and moved to Hong Kong with her partner the same year.
“The ability to bring in dependants is an important issue for persons
deciding whether to move to Hong Kong,” the court said, adding it was
“counter-productive” to limit that right to straight couples.
It said employment visas are granted “because he or she has the
talent or skills deemed needed or desirable. Such a person could
be straight or gay.”
Gay marriage and same-sex unions are currently not recognized
in Hong Kong.
QT was denied a dependant visa, forcing her to stay on as a visitor
without the right to work, after she moved to Hong Kong when her
partner got a job in the city.
In September last year she won her case at the Court of Appeal
as it ruled immigration authorities had “failed to justify the indirect
discrimination on account of sexual orientation that QT suffers.”
But that decision was challenged by the government and taken
to the city’s highest court, in what critics said was a disappointing
backwards step.
Top financial institutions including Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs
and Morgan Stanley have publicly backed QT, saying diverse hiring
practices are crucial to attracting and retaining top talent.
During the case, Dinah Rose, representing QT, argued the bid
was not about social benefits or financial gain, or expecting the
immigration department to recognize gay marriage -- but “just (to
be) able to live with your partner.”
She added the couple have a “public, registered” and legal bond
which is not recognized in Hong Kong and are therefore “placed in
a significant disadvantage” compared to straight couples. AFP
Ecuador court: Arrest Correa
politics. He now lives in his
wife’s native Belgium, but is
under investigation at home for
involvement in the kidnapping of
former lawmaker Fernando Balda
in 2012.
Correa questioned the
motivation for the case, after he
and his former ally, the current
President Lenin Moreno, struggled
for control of their deeply divided
leftist ruling Country Alliance
party.
Balda considered himself
a persecuted politician under
Correa’s government.
Last month, a judge ordered
Correa to appear in court every two
weeks to assist the investigation.
The first appearance was
ordered for Monday, when
Correa presented himself to the
Ecuadoran consulate in Brussels
to “comply with the precautionary
measure imposed by the illegal
and illegitimate link to the socalled
Balda Case,” he said on
Twitter.
Three police intelligence
Iraq forces hunt jihadists over murders
It comes after the bodies of
eight IS captives were found late
last month along a highway north
of Baghdad. Some of the abductees
had appeared in a video in which
IS threatened to execute them
unless Baghdad released female
prisoners.
The JOC statement said army,
federal police, special forces,
peshmerga fighters and the Hashed
al-Shaabi paramilitary force had
launched “a vast operation to clear
out the region east of the Diyala-
Kirkuk” highway.
ERDOGAN
agents have already been ordered
arrested in the case, in addition
to an ex-police commander and
a former top intelligence official,
who was detained last month in
Spain.
Correa has said on Twitter
that he had no knowledge of the
crime. “I don’t know what they
are linking me with, or to whom,”
he said.
“Maybe they can get some
false testimony. But they’ll never
prove anything, because there is
nothing.”
In February Ecuadorans voted
to bar Correa from being able
to make a comeback in 2021 by
backing a referendum question
on reimposing presidential term
limits.
The results were a win for
Moreno in his struggle with Correa,
who during his term launched
vigorous reforms, boosted social
spending, curbed oil firms’
profits and suspended some debt
payments that he considered
illegitimate.
AFP
The operation was being
supported by the Iraqi air force
and the US-led coalition that
intervened against IS in Iraq and
Syria after the jihadists seized
control of large parts of both
countries in 2014.
One jihadist had already been
killed and eight captured, the JOC
said. The operation marked the
first time that federal Iraqi forces
and the peshmerga were working
together since clashes following
last year’s Kurdish independence
referendum.
AFP

12
NATION
John Henry Dodson, Editor
Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
The ‘Fallen Airmen’ soar
as PAF modernizes
CURTISS P-26A fighter plane
President Rodrigo Duterte
on Tuesday presided over the
wreath-laying in honor of the
“Fallen Airmen” during the 71st
founding anniversary of the
Philippine Air Force (PAF) held
at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.
Unknown to many young
Filipinos, the very first “fallen
airman” of record was the gallant
Cesar Basa who, with only 15
minutes worth of fuel left in
his Curtiss P-26A “Peashooter”
fighter plane, tried to engage
Japanese enemy fighter pilots.
According to historical
accounts, Basa was
already on patrol for
two hours on December
12, 1941 when he
scrambled to join five
Filipino fighter pilots
led by Captain
Jesus Villamor in
repelling 27
Japanese
bombers
and 17 escort
fighters.
BASA
The Japanese were on a
bombing run with the Batangas
Airfield as their primary target
when they were met by Villamor’s
fighters.
Outnumbered but never
outgunned, Villamor and his
fighters won several dogfights
at 12,000 feet to prevent the
Japanese raiders from reaching
and bombing Batangas Airfield.
The only casualty among the
Filipinos was Basa whose plane
was intercepted and shot down
by seven Japanese fighters.
While Basa was able to bail out
of the plane, he was raked with
machinegun fire while helplessly
on his parachute.
Basa was awarded the
Silver Star in recognition of his
gallantry.
Fast-forward to 2018 and the
PAF is taking the first steps in
integrating efforts to regain its
air defense capabilities.
This was emphasized by Air
Force head Lt. Gen. Galileo
Gerard Kintanar as the air
service celebrated its anniversary
with President Duterte as guest
of honor.
Integration
“Currently, our focus is on
integrating efforts in regaining
air defense capabilities
for peace and resilient
development, our anniversary
theme for this (year),” he
added.
Kintanar, however, admitted
that integration is a challenge
due to the cost of developing
a robust joint command,
control, communications,
computer and information
(C4I) system. But he said
the Air Force has taken
the initial steps with
acquisition of 12 South
Korean-made Mach 1.5
capable FA-50 light-lift
fighter trainers and
the coming activation
of their brand-new air
defense surveillance
radars.
The above-mentioned
platforms are part of
the ongoing Revised
Armed Forces of
the Philippines
Modernization Program.
“But this is only our
path ahead with our FA-50(PH)
aircraft in harness and with
our air defense surveillance
radars scheduled to go up in
time, best practice dictates
that our decision loops must
be based on common operating
features and shared situational
awareness. In this time and
age no Air Force can afford to
fly in the haze of uncertainty
or fog of conflict,” the PAF
chief added.
In line with this,
Kintanar said the PAF is
Villamor, fearless
The Philippine Air Force
(PAF) headquarters in Pasay
City was named after him –
Jesus Antonio Villamor.
Villamor may be the greatest
Filipino airman having led his
squadron with four kills – three
Japanese A6M “Zeroes” fighters
and one G3M bomber – during
the battle to save Batangas
Airfield.
Two of the four kills were by
Villamor himself, who joined
the Philippine Army Air Corps
(PAAC) Flying School in 1936
before training in the United
States.
Villamor flew B-17s in the
US before being sent back to
the Philippines to lead
the 6th Pursuit
now coordinating with the
Department of Transportation
(DoTr) and Civil Aviation
Authority of the Philippines
(CAAP) to integrate their air
defense radars with those of
the CAAP to enable PAF to
effectively monitor and detect
unregistered aircraft and
other unidentified entrants.
“More importantly we need
to engage more stakeholders
as we develop a national
strategy for aviation security
with DoTr and CAAP as our
main partners,” he added.
John Henry Dodson with PNA
VILLAMOR
Squadron prior to Japan’s
invasion of the Philippines.
Villamor is acknowledged
to be the only Filipino to twice
receive the Distinguished
Service Cross (DSC) Award of
the US for actions on Dec. 10
and 12, 1941.
He later served as an
intelligence officer in the fight
against the Japanese and died
on Oct. 28, 1971 with a rank of
colonel.
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte at the statue of the ‘Fallen Airmen.
By Alvin Murcia
Gov’t workers
perks taxable
The Supreme Court (SC) voted
unanimously Tuesday to uphold
Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
regulations taxing the allowances and
bonuses of government employees.
The SC junked a 2014 petition
filed by a labor group and lower
court judges which questioned
BIR’s memorandum order 23-2014
that required government agencies
to withhold taxes on fringe benefits.
“An employee who claims
exemption from withholding taxes
has the burden to prove the factual
and legal basis of the claim before
proper administrative and judicial
proceedings,” the SC said.
The SC ruled that the judiciary,
the Office of the Ombudsman and
constitutional commissions cannot
hide behind their fiscal autonomy
to escape the common burden of
paying taxes.
The petitioners argued that
the “fringe and minimal benefits”
of government workers, such
as allowances, bonuses and
compensation for services, are
non-taxable.
Not so, ruled the high court
when it said: “All income received
by an employee from his/her
employer are presumptively
taxable and subject to withholding
tax.”
“Government, as an employer,
has the duty to withhold and remit
the proper taxes due,” the SC ruled.
But the court struck down
section VI of the BIR memo that
named governors, city and municipal
mayors, barangay captains, and
heads of government agencies and
government-owned and controlled
corporations as persons authorized
to withhold and required to remit
withholding taxes.
The SC said the BIR
“overstepped the boundaries” of
its authority to interpret existing
provisions of the National Internal
Revenue Code of 1997 in issuing
Section VI of the memo.
Prior to the BIR memo,
government employees’ benefits
were not taxed, except for the 13th
month pay above P30,000, as well
as the “loyalty pay.”
Dengue down 40.7%
Cases of dengue in Bacolod City decreased by 40.7 percent from
January 1 to June 23 this year compared to the figures for the same
period last year, a report released by the City Health Office on
Thursday (CHO) showed.
The data, covering the first 25 weeks this year, showed 278 cases,
including three deaths. Last year, 469 cases, with three deaths, were
reported.
The top 10 barangays with the highest dengue cases since January
this year are Taculing with 27 cases; Sum-ag, 26; Villamonte,
24; Handumanan, 23; Singcang-Airport, 22; Alijis, 18; Mansilingan,
17; Tangub, 16; Mandalagan, 14; and Estefania, 12. PNA
Boracay’s return to ‘rightful owners’ assured
By Angie M. Rosales
President Rodrigo Duterte
yesterday said he will return
areas in the island resort of
Boracay to their rightful owners
after its rehabilitation.
“Now the problem is how
to determine who owns what,”
said Duterte. “So there has to
be a committee to be fair to
everybody.”
Duterte said every
stakeholder, from the local
By Kathleen Mae Bulquerin
Combined police and military forces
repelled an attempt by the Bangsamoro
Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) to seize
control of the town of Datu Paglas in
Maguindanao Tuesday.
The BIFF bandits were forced to flee after
nine hours of fighting starting at around 5
a.m., according to a report reaching Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters
yesterday.
Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, commanding
officer of the 33rd Infantry Batallion, said
the BIFF was led by one Sulaiman Tudon.
Musa Kalim, a suspected BIFF leader, was
critically-wounded. Three soldiers were also
wounded in the operation which saw the military
use attack helicopters and armored vehicles.
“We confronted enemy snipers and
(defused) improvised bombs as we seized the
areas previously occupied by the terrorists,”
said Cabunoc.
“We also wanted to contain the fighting
outside of the highly populated area some
500 meters away,” he added.
Seeing action against the BIFF were elements
of the local police, the 1st Mechanized Infantry
government to property owners,
will have to come together to
sort out ownership by looking
at the titles.
The President made the remark
during the 31st anniversary of the
Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) at the
Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife
Center in Quezon City.
Duterte reiterated he has no
plan of opening the island to
big businesses such as casino
resorts.
Brigade composed of the 33rd
Infantry (Makabayan) Battalion
and the 4th Special Action
Battalion of the AFP.
The BIFF bandits
were flushed out
from previously occupied
positions in Sitio
Mopac of
“My stand is that Boracay
has never been open to any
commercial exploitation. I will
not allow gambling, I will not
even give it to big business,”
said Duterte.
“Let us determine first who
owns the place. If there is any
title. And if it gets to be muddy, to
really dwell into it and question
everything,” he added.
Duterte stressed that to
maintain Boracay’s viability, “it
is our moral obligation to make it
Barangay
Poblacion, just
500 meters away from the town hall.
Some 500 people who escaped the fighting
were sheltered at the municipal building.
According to intelligence reports, the
group of Tudon wanted to impose Islamic law
on the residents of Datu Paglas.
clean, hygienic and safe.”
“We banner it throughout the
world: ‘Go to Boracay,’ and it’s
full of s***,” he pointed out.
The President said he
plans to subject portions of
Boracay to land reform while
living a strip for commercial
establishments.
“I would leave it to Congress
to decide. That’s up to Congress
to decide how much Boracay can
handle. It cannot handle so much
people.”
BIFF bandits routed in Maguindanao
PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
THE Army unleashed its
mechanized units against the
BIFF bandits. AFP FILE PHOTO

Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
METRO
13
Czech witnesses to testify
The anti-graft court
Sandiganbayan has allowed former
Czech Ambassador to the Philippines
Josef Rychtar and Inekon Group
chief executive officer Josef Husek
to testify via teleconferencing on the
ongoing graft trial of former MRT-3
General Manager Al Vitangcol for
alleged extortion over a maintenance
contract.
Earlier, the court had refused the
prosecution’s request to present the
witnesses in Vitangcol’s two graft
cases due to difficulty in bringing the
witnesses to the country in the absence
of a mutual legal assistance treaty or
reciprocity agreement on criminal
matters between the Philippines and
the Czech Republic.
Rychtar is currently assigned
to Santiago, Chile while Husek is
currently in Prague, Czech Republic.
But after receiving printouts of
electronic correspondence between
the witnesses and prosecutors
handling the case,
the anti-graft court
reversed its earlier
decision.
The Sandiganbayan
stressed Rule 10 in
Section 1 of the Rules
on Electronic Evidence is broad
enough to include the presentation of
testimonial evidence through video
conferencing.
“The court, after examining the
said printouts, and in the interest
of justice, resolves to grant the
prosecution’s motion. Said printouts,
which essentially explained the reason
for the inability of said witnesses to
travel to the Philippines to testify in
the present cases, do not constitute
a part of the prosecution’s evidence,”
the court said in a resolution penned
by 6th Division Chairman Sarah Jane
Fernandez.
Vitangcol is facing two counts
of graft and one count of violation
of the Government Procurement
Act for allegedly demanding $30
million from Inekon officials in
2012 in exchange for the MRT-
3 maintenance contract during
a meeting at the Forbes Park
residence of Rychtar who was
then Czech ambassador to the
Philippines.
Meanwhile, Transportation
Secretary Arthur
Tugade yesterday
said the independent
audit and assessment
for the entire MRT-3
system, including the
48 train cars from
Dalian, China, has
been completed.
“The audit is
done. The report
will be discussed
with Dalian and
please, let us
not pre-empt the
results. I will talk
to you on the firm
and final position
on these trains
once the discussion
is finished,” Tugade
told members of
the media during
a press briefing at
the National Government
Administrative Center
site in Capas, Tarlac.
On January 3,
TUV Rheinland, an
independent certifier,
started its safety audit
on 48 train cars from
Dalian, China. This independent
audit will determine the extent of
rehabilitation works that needed
to be done on the MRT-3. At the
same time, it also looked into the
condition of the new Dalian coaches
and their compatibility to the MRT
tracks.
The 48 Dalian trains were
delivered in 2016 but remained
unused due to compatibility issues.
The new coaches were part of the
MRT-3 expansion project aimed at
decongesting the railway system
and increasing its capacity to serve
over 800,000 passengers daily.
Also, Tugade announced that
Japanese company Sumitomo-
MHI is expected to return in the
next couple of months as the
maintenance provider of MRT-3.
This came after the exchange
of note verbale in January 2018
between the governments of the
Philippines and Japan, and advance
discussions with Sumitomo-MHI on
the MRT-3 Rehabilitation Project.
Jaimes R. C. Sumbilon
By Nelson S. Badilla
The head of the Manila
International Container Port
(MICP) will be brought once
again to the chopping board as
he is being watched “tightly”
by Customs Commissioner
Isidro Lapeña due to poor
performance.
Upon his assumption at
the Bureau of Customs (BoC)
last January, Lapeña vowed
to improve the collection
of the BoC, carrying out
no-nonsense reforms that
include correct valuation
and tariff classification of
products.
Fare hike A driver of a passenger jeepney plying the route of Libertad to DFA-Pasay, along with transport groups,
is asking for a provisional fare hike of P1 in the minimum fare. The Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory
Board has yet to decide on the petition.
RAFAEL TABOY
By Nelson S. Badilla
Twelve traffic enforcers
of the Metropolitan Manila
Development Authority (MMDA)
will soon be removed from the
agency after they were found
using illegal drugs.
MMDA General Manager Jojo
Garcia said six of them will be
automatically dismissed from the
agency since they are on the job
order status.
The six others would have
to undergo proper and legal
procedure before they are put
on the chopping board because
their employment status is
either on regular category or
contractual status, Garcia told
the media.
He said the discovery of the
illegal activities of the 12 traffic
enforcers came after a drug
The court has allowed
former Czech envoy
and Inekon group
CEO to testify via
teleconferencing.
12 MMDA enforcers
on chopping block
test was done from May 22 to 24
on orders of MMDA Chairman
Danilo Lim.
The 12, whose names
were withheld by the official,
remained positive for drugs after
a confirmatory test was done.
The drug test was held
in connection with the antidrug
campaign of the Duterte
administration.
Also, Lim wants to ensure that
MMDA is a drug-free government
agency.
Meanwhile, the plan to ban
provincial buses from plying
Edsa on rush hours will start on
August 1, instead of July 15.
Garcia revealed this after
the MMDA and the provincial
bus operators came up with the
compromise to re-schedule the
Edsa ban project of the agency.
Under the agreement,
Rebuilding lives Supporters of Kuya Bong Go, Special Assistant to the President, donated plywood sheets to the victims of a recent fire in
Barangay Vasra in Quezon City to help them build temporary shelters. Earlier, Go had appealed to his supporters to help the poor and victims of
disasters instead of spending money for his posters and other promotional materials.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
provincial buses are not allowed
to pass the stretch of Edsa from
7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 6 p.m.
to 9 p.m.
The route of the buses that
will come from the northern
part of Luzon will end in Cubao
area in Quezon City while those
coming from the South will end
in Pasay City.
According to Garcia, this
plan will surely help address the
traffic problem since the number
of provincial buses traveling
on the whole of Edsa would be
reduced to 6,000 from 8,000
during rush hours.
He added all provincial bus
companies are mandated to abide
by the MMDA plan because it was
based on the agreement between
the agency and the bus operators.
The dry run of the project is
slated on July 23.
MICP chief faces axe anew
“Lapeña said 16 of 17
BoC ports have met their
collection target, except
MICP.”
This is apart from ending
the massive graft and
corruption at the BoC.
During the time of then
Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon,
the bureau consistently failed
to attain the target collection
pegged by the Department of
Finance (DoF).
Lapeña the other day
disclosed to media 16 of 17
ports of the BoC have met
their collection target for the
Following rampant drug
trafficking and smuggling of
goods at the airports, the Bureau
of Customs (BoC) will implement
a mandatory x-ray inspection of
the hand-carried baggage of all
incoming passengers.
Customs Commissioner Isidro
Lapeña directed BoC personnel
to make sure hand-carried bags
of all passengers being fetched
by government officials are
subjected to mandatory x-ray
inspection.
The new BoC directive came
after a recent revelation of alleged
“sundo system,” also called “escort
system,” at the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport (NAIA) and
other main gateways.
According to the Presidential
Anti-Corruption Commission, the
“modus has been going on for
many years now” and it involved
at least eight groups “composed
of government workers and
airport personnel.”
The “salubong or sundo
system” is an illegal operation
first half of the year.
Excluding MICP, all 16
ports even exceeded their
targets.
MICP, which is under
Atty. Vener Baquiran, only
got P13.507 billion for June
collection as against P14.738-
billion target.
The Daily Tribune learned
Baquiran was appointed as
collector of MICP last June 11.
He replaced Marites
Martin who was booted out by
Lapeña due to poor collection
from April to May.
Baquiran was on a floating
status after Lapeña removed
him from the Port of Manila
(PoM) last April 10 after
he missed the target from
February and March.
The BoC chief took
Baquiran out of the graveyard
and assigned him to the MICP,
apparently to give him a
chance to prove his financial
management and collection
expertise.
If the MICP missed it again
this July, then Lapeña will
have no choice but to remove
Baquiran from the MICP using
the former’s previous decision
on him and on Martin as
sufficient basis to bring him
anew to the BoC’s chopping
board.
Directive vs ‘sundo system’ out
By Elmer Navarro Manuel
Acting Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD)
Secretary Virginia Orogo revealed
yesterday the agency is eyeing to
revive an old project to provide
temporary shelters for street
dwellers.
Orogo, in a televised interview,
said the DSWD is looking to give
a fresh spin on the previous
administration’s project of
providing activity centers for street
children that was shelved before it
was fully implemented.
The project of the previous
administration was supposed to be
carried out with the cooperation
of local government and various
non-government organizations.
“We are trying to come up with
another concept, similar to the
activity center, but we will call it
‘Silungan sa Barangay.’ It will be
a temporary shelter for children
we find abandoned by parents,”
Orogo said.
She added street families will
also be welcomed to the temporary
where contrabands are being
brought into the country by
syndicates who will be “escorted”
by government officials for an
easy pass at the airports.
Meanwhile, Manila
International Airport Authority
(MIAA) General Manager Ed
Monreal yesterday advised
passengers to ensure their
baggage are free from prohibited
items before checking them in.
Earlier this week, a female
passenger was questioned at the
NAIA Terminal 2, as authorities
discovered a plastic bag full of
caliber .38 empty bullet shells
inside her baggage.
Based on MIAA’s records,
an image of a large amount of
ammunition was seen during the
x-ray inspection of the female
passenger’s baggage.
Bullets are one of the prohibited
items in NAIA. The MIAA, however,
allows the passengers to go on with
their flights after surrendering the
ammunition.
The passenger was from
shelter.
Orogo said the parents would
be counseled and taught livelihood
activities in the
shelter.
“We will provide
livelihood training
programs so that
they will not let their
children go out to the
street and earn for
themselves,” Orogo
said.
Orogo said while
there are no actual
provisions in the law
against arresting
or apprehending
loiterers, the
Philippine National
Police should be
careful in picking
up young loiterers
because they could
easily be traumatized.
President Rodrigo
Duterte announced
last month that
teenagers should not
be spared from his
Honolulu and had a connecting
flight to Laoag. Authorities did a
manual search in her presence.
They found 416 pieces of
empty bullet shells placed inside
a transparent resealable plastic
bag and was placed in a box.
The passenger claimed the
box belonged to her brother who
requested her to bring with her.
MIAA added the passenger
also claimed she was assured the
baggage only contained clothes.
“Tanim bala” (bullet planting)
used to be a mode of extortion at
NAIA, and this has been a major
fear among travellers accessing
the country’s major airport.
“For me, the end of ‘tanim
bala’ is one of the major
accomplishments here in NAIA
during the first few months of
Duterte administration,” he said.
In 2016 after Monreal assumed
his post, MIAA has issued a policy
allowing passengers to take
their flights after surrendering
the ammunition found in their
luggage. Anthony Ching and PNA
Homes for street dwellers soon
crackdown on loiterers as he
believed that it was also for their
own good.
NOTICE OF LOSS/THEFT/DESTRUCTION/
MUTILATION/ DEFACEMENT
Notice is hereby given of the loss/theft/destruction/mutilation/
defacement of the following AGRARIAN REFORM/LANDBANK
BOND/S on (date) _______________________.
Registered Owner Serial No. Face Value
General Insurance A-001056 500,000.00
&Surety Corp.
G
General Insurance A-008454 100,000.00
&Surety Corp.
F
General Insurance A-08455 100,000.00
&Surety Corp.
F
General Insurance A-008456 100,000.00
&Surety Corp.
F
General Insurance A-028016 500.00
&Surety Corp.
A
General Insurance A-050724 5,500.00
&Surety Corp.
C
General Insurance A-062715 10,000.00
&Surety Corp.
D
General Insurance A-062716 10,000.00
&Surety Corp.
D
General Insurance A-062717 10,000.00
&Surety Corp.
D
General Insurance A-062718 10,000.00
&Surety Corp.
D
Any person/entity other than the registered owner who has claim/interest
on the above Bond/s requested to notify immediately the BOND SERVICING
DEPARTMENT, Land Bank of the Philippines, 26th Floor, LandBank Plaza,
M.H. Del Pilar cor. Dr. Quintos, St., Malate, Manila. Any such claim presented
on this/these bond/s after the period of two (2) years counting from the date of
the fourth publication of this Notice shall no longer be entertained.
Daily Tribune - July 5, 12, 19 & 20

14
SPOTLIGHT
Dinah S. Ventura, Editor
Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
Fil-Am Lia Cirio of Boston
Ballet on Manila stage
Story has it that Lia Cirio moved around so much when she was
born that the doctor who delivered her told her parents they had a
dancer on their hands. “My parents also tell me that when I spoke
some of my first words, I spoke about ballet,” she says.
Those early signs may have sealed Lia’s
fate. Today, she is a principal dancer with the
Boston Ballet and is enjoying a thriving career
taking on both classical and contemporary
roles. Her passion for ballet rubbed off on her
brother Jeffrey who followed her footsteps,
becoming first a dancer with Boston Ballet
like her, and who’s now a principal dancer
with American Ballet Theater.
Lia is one of the featured performers in
Ballet Manila’s American Stars Gala slated
on July 7. Born to a Filipino father and an
American mother, the ballerina is also making
not just her debut on Philippine stage, but
also her first visit to the country of her roots.
As Lia recalls, the elder Cirios knew very
little about dance but because she expressed
an interest in it as a young girl, they enrolled
her in a neighborhood school offering lessons
in tap, jazz and ballet. Performing the role
of Clara in The Nutcracker when she was
12 sealed her fate. Deciding afterwards that
she wanted dancing to be her profession,
Lia entered the Central Pennsylvania Youth
Ballet when she was 14. Among her early
inspirations in ballet were Maria Tallchief,
Margaret Tracey, and Darcey Bussell.
At 16, Lia felt she was ready to turn
professional and decided to try for a company
that would take her in. Upon a friend’s
recommendation, she auditioned at the
Boston Ballet and was given a contract for
the second company on the spot. Though
it couldn’t have been easy, the Cirio family
moved with the underage Lia to Boston just
so she could pursue her dream.
“My parents have always been supportive
of anything we choose to do,” says Lia whose
dogged pursuit of ballet inspired her younger
brother Jeffrey to also take it up. The siblings’
shared passion for dance led them to form
the Cirio Collective, a creative venture that
fosters collaboration among talented dancers,
choreographers, musicians and other artists.
Since it is a summer venture, they are able
to do their respective jobs and keep the
Collective going, with one of their dancers,
Brad Schlagheck, serving as manager.
“We all work together throughout the
year to plan and develop what’s next for
NEA Crossword Puzzle
© 2018 UFS, Dist. by Andrews McMeel Syndication for UFS
the Collective,” shares Lia who wants to
expand on their venues and opportunities.
“Jeff and I are committed to making
the Collective be a haven
for choreographers,
musicians, and
dancers who want to
create
without being afraid.
Several
of our dancers have
begun
choreographing, and w e
are excited about t h e
future of our own
little
company.”
With Boston
Ballet, Lia is happy
to be dancing a
variety of ballets
that she loves. She
never gets tired of
taking on the same roles
repeatedly. “Putting a
fresh take on
roles I
have danced
before is never
difficult. There is
never perfection in
ballet, and there is
always something
to improve, so I
do not have a problem
revisiting roles.”
One of her favorite
ballets is La Bayadere,
in which she has taken on the
title role of Nikiya, the temple
dancer whose romance with the
warrior Solor gets quite complicated.
“I love her character. She is moral
a n d strong, and she loves
deeply. I also loved dancing
the role of Aurora in The Sleeping
Beauty, which I have also danced
several times. When I first danced
37 “- a rebel”
38 Mighty Dog rival
40 Coffee brewers
41 Pallet
42 Slump
43 Urban trains
46 Frank
48 Kind of shopping
50 Rock layers
54 Click “send”
55 Facilitated
56 Water logged
57 Peered
Aurora, I was younger and afraid to tackle the
role. This last time I danced it, I was confident
and it felt so amazing to ‘conquer’ it. I also
really love dancing Balanchine ballets, and
there are so many of them that it would be
hard to talk about all of them — Diamonds,
Chaconne, Prodigal Son, Symphony in C…
the list goes on.”
Lia is thankful that alongside classical
roles, she also gets to dance contemporary
works at Boston Ballet. “Jiri Kylian, William
Forsythe, Wayne McGregor, Jorma Elo –
we are blessed to work with all of these
choreographers. I love that Mikko Nissinen,
our artistic director, has chosen to push his
dancers to be able to dance not only classical
ballets, but neoclassical and contemporary
works as well. We have an eclectic repertory
and this is what makes the company both
exciting and versatile.”
It’s not lost on Lia that ballet can be such
an unforgiving profession, where the dancer
has to constantly live with pain and deal with
the fact that, despite the years spent on honing
one’s skills, the career span still is relatively
short. But Lia insists it’s well worth the effort.
“It might be trite, but Balanchine was once
quoted as saying, ‘I don’t want people who
want to dance, I want people who have to
dance.’ Really, that sums it up perfectly.
I have to dance—and will—as long as I
am able.”
Ballet Manila’s American Stars
Gala goes onstage on July 7,
Saturday, 7:30 p.m., at Aliw
Theater, CCP Complex. The
one-night-only concert will
be headlined by Boston Ballet
principal dancers Lia Cirio and Junxiong
Zhao; Houston Ballet principal dancers Yuriko
Kajiya and Jared Matthews; Ballet Manila
resident guest principal artists Katherine
Barkman and Joseph Phillips; and Boston
Ballet soloist Hannah Bettes. The show is a
fundraiser for Ballet Manila’s Project Ballet
Futures scholarship program. Tickets are
available at TicketWorld outlets, online
at www.ticketworld.com.ph, or through
891-9999.
19 Suit material
20 Apartments
22 Run at top
speed
24 And so on
25 Veld grazer
26 In with
27 Places
29 Memorable
decade
34 Pipe bend
36 Mozart’s
birthplace
BOSTON Ballet principal
dancer Lia Cirio, one of the
featured guests in Ballet
Manila’s American Stars
Gala, enjoys revisiting roles
that she loves.
39 Lyric poems
43 Pasture
grazers
44 Car with a bar
45 Hidden
obstacle
46 - cow!
47 Antler bearer
49 Burrow
51 Wood shaving
tool
52 Unisex wear
53 Tack on
BALLET Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde (center) meets Boston
Ballet principal dancers Lia Cirio (left) and Ashley Ellis on a visit to the
company’s headquarters and studio last April.
Tacloban closes
Sangyaw Fest
The month-long Sangyaw
Festival, dubbed the brightest
festival in the Philippines with
the happiest people in the world,
closed with the Sangyaw Parade of
Lights graced by Senator Cynthia
Villar, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee
Marcos, former senator Bongbong
Marcos and former Manila mayor
Alfred S. Romualdez.
Tacloban City Mayor Cristina
Gonzales-Romualdez was grateful
for the successful 129th City
Fiesta of Tacloban in honor of
the city’s patron saint, Señor
Santo Niño de Tacloban.
“I thank my people who had
been there to support us, our
sponsors, the media and my
family. It’s a great blessing and
competitions: the 6th Sangyaw
Frisbee Competition and National
Darts Competition; Sangyaw
Mini X Games competition and
Battle of Kankabato: 1st Sangyaw
Airsoft Tournament; the 2018 Jet
Ski Tacloban Race; 1st Mayor
Cristina G. Romualdez Regional
Chess Tournament; 2nd Mayor
Cristina G. Romualdez Pedicab
Race; 2nd Mayor Cristina G.
Romualdez Cup, National Sepak
Takraw Tournament 2018; 10th
Mayor Cristina Cancabato Bay
Fishermen’s sports competition;
and the Sangyaw Adventure Race.
There were also nightly
cultural presentations, the
65th charter day celebration,
pre-balyuan rites and the
ACROSS
1 Pull off a coup
6 -up(on stage)
11 Xbox enthusiast
12 Open-mouthed
13 Made like a
bunny
15 Evening wraps
16 Not transparent
18 Mouse alert
19 California’s Big-
21 Poe’s “The Murders
in the- Morgue”
22 Parking lot mishap
23 Ocean motion
25 Microwave
28 Pop up
30 Granted
approval
31 Outback bird
32 Noncom
33 Family mem,
35 Explorer
Sebastian-
DOWN
1 “Yecch!”
2 - Paulo, Brazil
3 Out caller
4 News stories
5 Get ready
6 Klondike
7 Freud topic
8 Sturdy lock
9 Fencer’s blade
10 Kind of job
14 Arrow cousin
15 Soft leather
17 Ballpoint
ancestor
(2 wds.)
Answer to previous puzzle
SENATOR Cynthia Villar (center) with Alfred Romualdez, Tacloban City mayor
Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez, former senator Bongbong Marcos, and Ilocos
Norte governor Imee Marcos at the Sangyaw Parade
experience to celebrate with the
happiest people in the world,”
said the Mayor.
Former mayor Alfred was
thankful that the events of the
fiesta went peacefully and that
everyone helped each other to
promote the city’s tourism. He was
happy for the big turnout of visitors
and foreigners the past month.
“Mahal ko ang Tacloban
— it’s Ilocos’ sister city. Taontaon
kailangan nandito ako sa
fiesta,” said Bongbong Marcos.
The Sangyaw Festival featured
daily fiesta activities like sports
balyuan rites, Sangyaw Awards,
Balikbayan Night, Battle of the
Bands, and beauty pageants
Miss Tacloban 2018, Sangyaw
Queen competition, Ginoong
Sangyaw 2018, and national
bodybuilding competition Mr.
Sangyaw Tacloban 2018.
The most-awaited Sangyaw
Festival of Lights was held on
June 29 with a grand parade
around the city and performances
from Manila-based and local
bands at the Sangyawan Music
Festival. A pontifical Mass closed
the month-long celebration.
SUDOKU
by Ramon Lorenzo
Write a numeral from 1 to 9 in
each box so that each appears only
once in each row, column and 3 x
3 box.
Answer for yesterday’s puzzle
After entering a boat, Jesus made
the crossing, and came into his own
town.
And there people brought to him a
paralytic lying on a stretcher. When
Jesus saw their faith, he said to the
paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins
are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said
to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking,
and said, “Why do you harbor
evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your
sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise
and walk’?
D A I L Y G O S P E L
Matthew 9:1-8
But that you may know that the
Son of Man has authority on earth
to forgive sins,” he then said to
the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your
stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they
were struck with awe and glorified
God who had given such authority
to human beings.

Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
LIFESTYLE
15
Oh, salmon,
my salmon!
BEING of Chinese descent, salmon was not something that I grew up
eating. Our default fish was lapu-lapu or grouper, which my mom
would steam, fry or grill. Since lapu-lapu was a premium type of
fish, we would consume it from the head to the tail. No wastage. By the
time we were done with it, even its head would not be recognizable—and
I know that you know what I mean. But once I got to taste salmon in the
course of my career in the publishing industry, this deep-sea fish with a
distinct orange-colored flesh instantly became one of my top favorites. My
husband Raff and I would consume it the way I and my family would eat
lapu-lapu—down to the head and tail plus the belly in between.
Yes, head and tail plus the belly in between!
This is because salmon, being a healthy fish and
a seriously tasty one at that, is a little pricey.
The prized parts are the salmon steak cuts that
you can get from the fish when you make thin
slices on the fish in the mid-section. This was
the part that I got to taste first, grilled but with
its natural juiciness and flavor intact, and then I
was hooked forever. Raff and I still get to enjoy
salmon’s meaty mid-section every now and then.
Just recently, when we attended the opening
lunch or Diamond Hotel Philippines’ Filipino
Culinary Pride food festival held at Corniche
Restaurant, the two of us skipped the Porchetta
at the carving station and instead indulged in the
salt crusted salmon with calamansi and coconut,
also at the carving station. It was prepared
according to the featured chef Sau del Rosario’s
specifications, with the whole salmon fish, skin
and all but gutted, covered in rock salt and rock
SHAKE sushi from Kimono Ken.
GRILLED chimichurri salmon by Toni and Sergio.
Staycationing is a creative and
practical way to treat yourself and
detach from the stresses of daily life.
Not only is it convenient to have all
your creature comforts close by, but
you get to be in full control of all the
details- from what music to play to
what’s acceptable as party wear. On
top of that, you don’t even have to go
shopping for any special equipment or
ingredients for a night in unless you
want to. A good bottle of wine, a couple
of cans of tuna in the pantry, and a
few odds and ends in your refrigerator
are all you need for a gourmet meal to
kick off your evening of indulgence.
salt pressed down to
make it adhere to the
skin of the fish, and
then baked. When
it comes out of the
oven, the salt crust
has stuck and have to
be “hammered” off
to reveal the fish and
share it with everyone
else. This way, the
flavor of the salt and
other condiments
seeps in to the salmon
meat the natural way
as it cooks.
Aside from baked salmon, grilled salmon is
our favorite way of preparing the lovely fish.
The meat is so flavorful on its own that it only
needs salt and pepper to enhance and bring
out its natural flavors. No need for fancy
preparations and margination.
When we buy salmon for home cooking,
however, the price of the steak and fillet
parts in the mid-section can be quite
daunting, so I buy salmon head and salmon
tail most of the time. I used to buy salmon
belly, but it can sometimes be too fatty
or the strips are sliced too thin so there’s
not much meat to enjoy. The fish vendors
on wheels in our subdivision sell salmon
head, the straight cut and the not-so-Vcut
salmon heads, and I sometimes buy
because salmon head is good for sinigang
or tinola. Raff, who is a recovering stroke
patient I personally take care of, gets the
meaty collar, and I get to sip and suck the
rest of the bony head. At times, when I
get bored with the default sinigang and
tinola preparations of the salmon head, I
cook it in garlic and oyster sauce, and it is
equally good. Since our fish vendors on
wheels often carry salmon tail among
their “merchandise,” that’s what I
buy more often. It is a bit more
expensive than salmon head,
but it is meaty and the only
disposables are the bones. I
have the fish vendor slice the
tail like small steak cuts, and
it is basically that—salmon
steak in smaller form. Now,
this I get to prepare in
even more creative ways. I
steam it with salt, pepper,
ginger slices, rice wine,
Something light
If you’re watching your weight,
skip the carbonated alcohol and
alcopops and go straight for the
good stuff. A lively Beaujolais would
be perfect, or some nice mild Rioja
Crianza. Despite these being both
red wines, they’re light, young, and
slightly acidic, pairing well with a
full-bodied fish such as tuna.
To whip up something light and celebratory
like these two wine selections
could not be easier. A dash of mustard
in some Greek yogurt, a spattering
of capers, a can of Gold Seas Tuna
Chunks in Spring Water, and you’re all
WORLD OF FLAVORS
Dolly Dy-Zulueta
spring onion, a little soy
sauce and a drizzling
of sesame oil. I make
salmon teriyaki with
it, as I always have a
bottle of mirin in the
refrigerator ready.
I dice the salmon
and make salpicao
or bulgogi with it.
Sometimes, I just grill
it with salt and pepper
and make a nice creamy
garlic sauce to go with
it. At other times, I just
lightly cook it in olive
oil with minced garlic.
Salmon is the best fish for
Raff, whose diet and nutrition
I have personally taken charge of as part of
his recovery efforts. It is a deep-sea fish and is
therefore loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, protein,
phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, Vitamin C,
zinc, iron and calcium, although, yes, there is a
difference in nutrient content between a wild
salmon and a farmed salmon. But it is basically a
good fish to form bulk of Raff’s diet. His mainly
fish (with some seafood and a little chicken, no
pork and beef, but lots of vegetables and fresh
fruits) diet, coupled with his daily
walk outside with me in the
morning and his twicea-week
physical therapy
sessions, have enabled him
to recover fast in the
past two years.
Loving
salmon
i n
Unexpected wine and tuna pairings
The next time you’re feeling a little stressed out but can’t afford to take the weekend
off for a vacation, choose to pamper yourself by setting your sights on a night of luxury
at home.
ADD tuna to your mac and cheese recipe for an exciting twist.
set. Spread the mix on whole wheat
toast medallions, sprinkle with chives
or parsley, and enjoy.
SINIGANG na salmon belly sa mangga
Something refreshing
Want something light and tasty?
Pair a bolder red wine like burgundy
or merlot with a tuna dish that can
stand up to more intense flavors and
still shine.
A good place to start would be
the basic flavor — Gold Seas Tuna
Chunks in Olive Oil — and build it
into a robust casserole. Because tuna
usually has a clean, light flavor, it’s a
great base to construct a casserole on.
Choose to stick to your tried
and tested recipes or simply
wing it and load it up a deep
baking dish with tuna, vegetables,
noodles, and spices to see
where your creativity can take
you.
Something spicy
Looking for something with
a little bite to heat up your
“blah” nights? Finger foods
are always great if you have
someone to hand-feed them to,
and Gold Seas Tuna Chunks in
Olive Oil and Chili will bring
a gentle heat that guarantees
a good time. Put together a
spicy tuna roll by mixing in a
little sriracha, Japanese mayo,
scallions, and then laying the
SALMON Aburi Sushi by Akira.
mix on a bed of sushi rice. Roll up in a
tidy package with nori, and viola, the
perfect bite-sized package of delectable
savory and spice.
To wash it down, choose to temper
this fiery morsel with a dry Riesling or
a slightly acidic, light Zinfandel, which
has enough spice notes of its own to
play along with the spice in the tuna
mix.
Something rich and cheesy
Sometimes cheese is all you need to
make your week right again. Whip up
your favorite mac and cheese recipe
but stir in a little Gold Seas Tuna
Chunks with Herb and Garlic for an
exciting flavor twist. The tuna will cut
through the heaviness of the cheese
and noodles and make it a little
lighter. Pair this comforting dish with
all its forms—smoked, sashimi, sushi, grilled,
sautéed, steamed, baked, pan-fried—I continue to
experiment with my favorite fish in the kitchen.
Here, let me share with you one easy-to-follow
salmon recipe I personally whip up for Raff.
SINIGANG NA SALMON BELLY SA MANGGA
1/2 kg. salmon belly
2 Tbsps. cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pc. red onion, cut into wedges
2 pcs. ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 pack Maggi Sinigang Green Mango Surprise
Soup Base Mix
1.2 liters water
2 pcs. siling pansigang (finger chili)
1/2 pc. radish, peeled and sliced thinly
(optional)
1/2 cup string beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
(optional)
1 bunch kangkong (water spinach), leaves
picked
Procedure
1. Wash and remove scales of salmon belly
strips. Cut strips into two.
2. Heat oil in stock pot. Sauté garlic and onion
lightly. Add tomatoes.
3. Dissolve sinigang sa mangga mix in water
and pour into the stockpot.
4. Add siling pansigang, radish and string
beans. Let boil.
5. Taste and season according to preference.
6. Add kangkong. Simmer for a few minutes,
then turn off heat.
This makes four to six servings.
SINIGANG na salmon sa miso by Neil’s Kitchen.
A good bottle of wine and Gold Seas Tuna make the
perfect match.
either a dry Chardonnay or
a Sauvignon Blanc.
Something savory
If fresh, citrusy, and flavorful
is what you need to
wash those doldrums away,
why not whip up a tangy
salad topped with Gold Seas
Tuna Chunks in Lemon and
Pepper. Make sure to use a
good amount of your favorite
crispy greens to balance the
filling, hearty texture and flavor
of the tuna. To round out
the meal, pair the dish with
something light and fruity,
light on the palate. You can
choose to go with your favorite
sweet, light, white wine,
or pick out an inexpensive
dry Italian white such as a
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
or a light rosé.
Something exotic
Tuna curry isn’t something you
commonly come across, but Gold Seas
Tuna Chunks in a Light Indian curry
is light and delicately spicy, giving you
the delightful play of spices without the
overpowering heat. Try it on a bed of
roasted vegetables (we recommend eggplant),
and pair it with something light
and sweet like an Australian moscato
or even a light red wine such as your
favorite shiraz.
And there you have it—a quick list
of easy to make dishes from your basic
kitchen staple and our suggestions for a
nice, smooth drink to go with them. The
next time you feel a little overwhelmed,
put on some quiet jazz, switch your phone
to airplane mode, and indulge. Leave the
dishes, and all your worries, for tomorrow.

16
LIFESTYLE
Dinah S. Ventura, Editor
Thursday, 5 July 2018
Daily Tribune
CHEF Wade’s
Fowlplay
appeals to
millenials who
want a hip place
for chicken and
beer
By Kathleen A. Llemit
Chefs can come off as snobs or intimidating or both.
Chef Wade Watson, however, has remained as warm and
welcoming as when I first met him three years ago.
Like most people, there’s something off-putting about
chefs whose brows are perpetually creased or expect
you to agree with every other food he dishes out for you.
In the case of the Australian chef, it is hard not to like
the guy. I met him when I attended an event held in his then newlyminted
restaurant named Bondi&Bourke in Salcedo Village, Makati.
The Bourke is a 20-suite boutique hotel located
inside the same compound as Bondi&Bourke
Davao
Wade Watson:
Steak man
Though it was a product launch, Chef Wade,
not duty-bound to sit with a handful of reporters
curious about the opening of a new Australian
grub place, made time for a request to interview
him. Given the demands he had to face because
it was nearing dinner and that meant more diners
were expected to come in, he gamely sat down and
chatted with writers even for just a few minutes.
And, boy, did he leave an impression.
He was jolly, laidback and straightforward, just
like his food. The conversation went on about his
stints abroad working for big-name restaurants
in Australia, Thailand and Hong Kong before he
found his place in the Philippines. He talked about
how basic a cook he was
and how he liked his food
as he had grown to eat it in
their home -- no frills, just
good, old comfort food. And,
yes, he confessed he cannot
understand why some “kids”
do molecular gastronomy
when they can’t even do a basic hollandaise sauce.
When I encountered him again this year, Chef
Wade was the same as ever -- funny, laidback and
straightforward. Tasked to write about the chef
this time, I had to find a way to contact him as it
had been three years and I had lost his contact
Bondi&Bourke is known
for its hearty steaks and
generous portions of
Australian favorites.
BONDI&BOURKE Davao is housed in a stone house that predates
the second World War. Its oak motif lends a homey appeal and
compliments Chef Wade’s take on unpretentious food.
details. But, guess what? I didn’t have to do a lot
of sleuthing as Wade, as approachable as ever,
published a mobile number in his web site so
people may directly get in touch with him. It’s
no fluke. I didn’t have to wait for days for him to
reply to a message I sent, asking for an interview.
To cut the long story short, although he was game
for an interview, we settled for an email interview
since he was down on our appointed date and I
had to write the piece about him.
So how was Wade in 2018? Apparently, he had
gone a long way from owning a lovely grub place
in Makati to running three more restaurants and
a boutique hotel.
“It’s been a very fast three
years. Some unexpected,
off the cuff decisions and
opportunities have come
our way. I’m lucky to have
awesome supportive partners
that have the same foresight,”
chef Wade wrote back.
In the last three years, he has been doubling
as a man of the kitchen of not just his flagship
restaurant in Makati, but also occasionally
dropping by another Bondi&Bourke branch in
Forbestown Bonifacio Global City. In recent times,
he has to fly out of Manila to oversee his three
properties in Davao.
Just a year and a half of opening his
two branches in the capital, he found a
chef friend whose wife was from Davao
and opened a branch of Bondi&Bourke at
the heart of Davao City. Not only that, he
opened a 20-suite boutique hotel called
The Bourke inside the compound where
the restaurant is located.
The restaurant is a quaint stone house
with a design that predates the second
world war. Its high ceiling, slanted roof,
detailed grill work and oak motif are said
to complement Wade’s take on comfort
food served in a homey space.
He confessed that President Rodrigo
Duterte had a hand in his decision to try
his luck in Davao, and that the president
opened the restaurant when they launched
it.
“I believe that Davao has amazing
potential. It’s a great city and an emerging
economy. I witnessed it firsthand in Cebu,
and I strongly believe in creating a market
if there isn’t a strong one. It was a very
off-the-cuff and fast decision, but thus
far, one that is paying off. I think we are
going to see some very fast and calculating
changes in the city,” said Wade.
Prior to opening his Bondi&Bourke
chain, he worked for Abaca Boutique
Resort and Restaurant.
This same trust and risk-taking also
led him to open another concept that he
CHEF Wade Watson
only opened in Davao.
“It’s all about great fried chicken and beer in
a very hip, cool millennial place,” described Chef
Wade on his latest venture called FowlPlay located
in Pelayo Street.
With all these developments, he admitted he
barely has time for his little one as he often sees
himself flying back and forth to Davao. He shared
he is lucky to have an efficient partner, Hannah,
who helps him run his business and their home.
With a lot on his plate, does he ever get stressed
now that his food empire is growing?
Typical of Chef Wade, he first wrote “Hahaha”
in all caps and continued to be as unfiltered as I
could imagine him speaking.
“I generally am stressed. As we grow, as we
have more outlets and staff, it comes with the
job. Travel is a great reliever and I have been
fortunate to visit a kobe beef farm in Japan this
year. That helps! But with the phone always on
and a never-ending, myriad of day-to-day issues,
it’s always going to be there. A lot of people tell
me about this thing called exercise, so I’m close
to changing what really is a sh---ty lifestyle,”
closed Wade.
Although these were relayed via email, I could
hear that loud boom in his voice, his eyes direct,
unpretentious, always fun.
A July celebration
Birthdays, like all other anniversaries,
are very important milestones in every
person’s life. These annual events not
only bless celebrators with another
year in their respective lives, but
also chronicles the many memories accumulated
through the years.
CHEF Masahiro welcomes birthday and anniversary celebrators at Kitsho.
This July, as it awaits its anniversary
month in September,
Japanese restaurant Kitsho enjoins
its guests on a year-round
celebratory mood. Executive
chef Mizumoto “Hiro” Masahiro
welcomes both celebrators and
celebrants as they all join in
the merriment and fellowship of
SUCCULENT sashimi is among the staples.
every occasion celebrated.
Anniversary and birthday
celebrators get to enjoy some
of the perks of the month, such
FRESH salads await diners
ROLLED sushi aplenty
as the “5 + 1” promo in which
another guest enjoys the weekend
buffet spread free of charge for
every five paying guests in their
company. Masahiro may set up
the smorgasbord spread even
on weekdays should there be
an advanced reservation of 10
to 15 persons. The lunch buffet
is at P1,232 per person (VAT included)
while the dinner buffet
is at P1,400 per person (VAT
included).
A-la carte diners, on the other
hand, get to enjoy 15 percent
discount on their orders, with the
exception of the lunch set menus.
Chef Hiro can also create and prepare
a special menu, depending
on a client’s budget.
The celebratory vibe is
heightened with the most
scrumptious options in both the
buffet spread and a la carte options
— from the extensive sushi
and sashimi selections and
mouthwatering yakimono
dishes to steaming hotpots
and tender meat cuts unto
delectable desserts.
Restaurateurs who wish to
have Japanese cuisine added
to their existing menus, or
those who wish to create
an entire Japanese section
of food options may consult
Masahiro regarding these
concerns. Simply send him an
email via masahiro1964mizumoto@live.jp.
Kitsho is operated and
managed by MCK Millennium
Foods, Inc. and is located at
the ground floor of Hotel Jen
Manila. For reservations, call
the restaurant’s trunk line at
(02) 994-3623 or (02) 795-8888
extension 2312 . You may also
check out Kitsho’s social media
pages on Facebook, Twitter,
and Instagram.