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DUTERTE REFUSES TO COOPERATE WITH ICC PROBERS, WON’T LET THEM IN By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will not cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s probe into the Philippines’ drug war, his lawyer said Thursday, after its judges found the crackdown could be a crime against humanity.

ICC judges authorized Wednesday a full-blown investigation into Duterte’s anti-narcotics campaign, which rights groups estimate has killed tens of thousands of people, saying it resembled an illegitimate and systematic attack on civilians. Duterte “will not cooperate since first of all, the Philippines has left the Rome

Statute, so the ICC no longer has jurisdiction over the country”, chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo told local radio dzBB. “The government will not let in any ICC member to collect information and evidence here in the Philippines. They will be barred entry.”

UNFAZED. President Rodrigo Roa

Duterte presides over a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases core members prior to his talk to the people at the Malacañang Palace on September 15, 2021. Karl Alonzo

VOL. XXXV • NO. 214 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

COVID-19 overflows

QC outbreaks set off massive contact tracing

into 91% of provinces

By Maricel V. Cruz QUEZON City public health authorities are working to determine the cause of the COVID-19 outbreak in two convents where hundreds of people tested positive for the coronavirus. The Quezon City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CESU) said they are in the process of a massive contact tracing effort to contain further spread of the virus. Of the some 400 people at the Religious of the Virgin Mary Convent on N. Domingo Street, Cubao, 50 members of the staff and 64 nuns tested positive. None of the nuns were vaccinated because their original inoculation schedule was cancelled. However, members of the staff are fully vaccinated. Rolando Cruz, CESU chief, said his team became aware of the situation after the cases

MM tags 57 villages under granular lockdown

2,304,192 Anislag Street in Barangay Quirino 3-B (Claro) in Project 3, Quezon City is under a special concern lockdown starting Thursday (Sept. 16, 2021). Metro Manila is under Alert Level 4 during the implementation of the COVD-19 alert level system, where smaller areas such as streets or houses with a high number of coronavirus cases will be placed on lockdown. Joey O. Razon

By Willie Casas, Joel E. Zurbano and Macon Ramos-Araneta

EALTH officials said 91 percent of provinces and cities are at high risk for COVID-19 as some 57 areas in Metro Manila, according to the National Capital Region Police Office, were placed under granular lockdowns.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said of the provinces and cities classified

as high risk for COVID-19, at least 82 percent have high health care utilization and

intensive care utilization rates. Under the Department of Health’s (DOH) metrics, areas are classified as high risk if more than 70 percent of its COVID-19 hospital beds and ICU beds are occupied. The COVID-19 fatality rate among the elderly, ages 50 to 80 years, also remains high, at 4.9 percent Duque said. The number is high especially when

compared to 0.39 COVID-19 case fatality rate among those aged between 1 and 49-years old, the Health chief said. In Metro Manila, of the 57 areas placed under granular lockdown, 36 villages were under the Quezon City Police District; nine villages each were under the Northern Police District (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela) and Next page

21,261

177,946

36,018

277

2,090,228 13,644 (As of 4 PM, September 16)

SolGen tapped to relay COA scrutiny of PRC PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has directed Solicitor General Jose Calida to formally request the Commission on Audit to scrutinize the financial records of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC). In a taped address aired on Thursday,

Duterte said he preferred that an audit be conducted “immediately.” “The next step would really be the letter to be delivered to the COA by Solicitor General Calida regarding my request to audit the Red Cross,” said Duterte.

Soak-the-rich-and-famous: BIR targets social media influencers By Julito G. Rada

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue will investigate an initial list of 250 social media influencers to check if they have been paying their taxes.

In a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, the BIR said letters of authority for the conduct of investigation were already issued to certain social media influencers found to be “top earners” in their field. Next page

The President has called on the PRC to open its financial records for thorough scrutiny by COA. But COA chairperson Michael Aguinaldo earlier told a House inquiry they Next page

WHIRLWIND TOUR. Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat and Intramuros Administrator Guiller Asido set out for a whirlwind tour of maze-like Baluarte De San Diego in Intramuros, Manila on Thursday, September 16, 2021. Intramuros and other outdoor parks in Metro Manila are now open to visitors under limited capacity and shortened operating hours as it eases lockdown restrictions under what is now known as alert level system 4, with 5 being the harshest form. Norman Cruz

Palace vows good pay to lure medical workers By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SHARING AND CARING. To kickstart the Christmas countdown, SM shows the most

uplifting way to best celebrate the season with “100 Days of Caring” featuring 100 days of spreading love, thoughtfulness, and care for one another and for the communities. Steven Tan, President of SM Supermalls, leads 76 malls in pledges to give support to 100 beneficiaries per mall, ranging from fisherfolk in North Luzon to Indigenous Peoples in Mindanao.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has promised to look for funding sources to tap additional medical front-liners that will help in the country’s fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This, as healthcare workers bewailed the absence of budget allocations to compensate for the “challenges” they have encountered in saving the lives of COVID-19 patients. Kilusang Kontra Covid (KilKovid) president Anthony Leachon denounced the delay in the distribution of the health workers’ benefits. “We condemn any misappropriation of any funds that could have alleviated their sufferings. We decry any form of abuse, verbal or otherwise, coming from anyone, Next page

China inoculates over a billion people CHINA has fully vaccinated more than one billion people against the coronavirus – 71 percent of its population – official figures showed Thursday. The country has mostly curbed the virus within its borders but is racing to get the vast majority of its population vaccinated as a new outbreak takes hold in the southeast. “As of September 15, at least 2.16 billion vaccine doses have been Next page

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DND quizzes Japan over terror alert T

HE Department of National Defense (DND) is coordinating with Japan to get more details on its advisory on possible terror attacks in six countries in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines.

He, meanwhile, added that troops were always on alert for terror attacks as the Philippines have been combating terrorists since the 1990s. Lorenzana said the Armed Forces of the Philippines had yet to see any indications of an imminent terror attack. He added the AFP had intensified monitoring and intelligence gathering activities against terrorist groups known to be operating in the country. “We know where they are hiding in Basilan, Jolo, and the BARMM. In the BARMM region, groups that could conduct terrorists are known to be there but we are still to see any activity that could cause concern. They are under control even the police are saying that

they are still to detect any imminent attack,” Lorenzana said. He was referring to members of the Abu Sayyaf, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and the Jemaah Islamiyah. Lorenzana said the intelligence community had yet to detect the presence of foreign terrorists operating in the country. Meanwhile, Malacañang said the government was intensifying its readiness against a possible terror attack. “We thank them (Japan) for the information, and we are strengthening our preparedness for a possible terror attack,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said. Also on Thursday, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority asked the public to follow the rules and regulations enforced under the Alert Level 4 and granular lockdown in the National Capital Region to ensure the system’s pilot implementation will be successful. Chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. and other MMDA officials inspected a number of private establishments in cities of Mandaluyong and San Juan at the start of the implementation on Thursday. San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora and Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos joined the team who visited restaurants, salons, and other establishments in Greenhills Shopping Center and SM Megamall to check on their compliance. During the inspection, the officials installed “100% Fully Vaccinated” stickers at the entrance of establishments whose employees have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. “We are satisfied with the private establishments’ compliance with the guidelines for the Alert Level system piloted in Metro Manila. Despite the short notice to the mayors, they all delivered,” Abalos said. Among those placed under a 14-day granular lockdown Thursday was H. Santos Street in Barangay Tejeros in Makati City. “I ordered the granular lockdown after noting an increase in the number of COVID-positive cases in the said area. We need to contain the infection by promptly identifying, isolating and treating infected residents,” said Mayor Abigail Binay. She said affected residents will be provided with essential needs during the lockdown period. “Having successfully implemented a localized lockdown before, we can assure the affected residents that we will take care of their essential needs while they remain in their homes. We have prepared food packs and other essential items, including COVID-19 home care kits for individuals who test positive,” Binay said.

Cryptic titles like ‘bat cave’ used in DPWH budget program By Maricel V. Cruz

In an online press briefing Thursday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said they have yet to get a response from Japan’s defense attaché at its embassy in Manila regarding their request for information on the matter. “We need to get the details of the attack they are saying, we cannot just guess on what attack they are saying, what is their basis, and where they did they get the report, and when it happened, who took it, so we have a lot

of questions which only Japan can answer,” he added. Earlier this week, Japan’s Foreign Ministry issued an alert cautioning its citizens in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Myanmar, against possible terror attacks. Lorenzana said he was surprised by Tokyo’s advisory considering that the Philippines has a lot of experience in terrorist attacks compared to Japan.

QC... From A1

COVID-19... From A1

were recorded in the surveillance data reported by a testing laboratory. “We didn’t conduct the swab test. They had themselves tested in a laboratory and the results were recorded in the surveillance data,” Cruz said in Filipino. “Now, our team is conducting an investigation and intensive contact tracing to get more details,” he added. Part of the investigation is to determine if any of the infected people from the convent had any close contact with anyone outside the facility. The RVM mother house had been placed under a Special Concern Lockdown (SCL) since Sept. 14. Meanwhile, the Convent of the Holy Spirit is also under s SCL after 22 of its 90 residents tested positive for the coronavirus. CESU investigators are still looking into the outbreak of COVID cases in the facility. Last week, more than 100 people— most of them children—at an orphanage tested positive for COVID-19. Mayor Joy Belmonte directed the CESU to make an inventory of all closed-setting facilities in the city including convents, nursing homes, homes for the aged, rehabilitation centers, shelters for street children, halfway homes for victims of violence and abuse, hospices, and correctional facilities and instructed them to be more proactive in conducting testing and reviewing the health protocols being observed by these facilities and other high-risk institutions. Belmonte also reminded the public, especially administrators of facilities with confined and closed settings to observe minimum health protocols at all times and to report immediately to CESU or the barangay as soon as someone within their community is manifesting symptoms of COVID-19.

Eastern Police District (Mandaluyong, Marikina, Pasig and San Juan); and three villages were under the Southern Police District (Las Piñas, Makati, Muntinlupa, Pasay, Parañaque, Pateros and Taguig). No area under the Manila Police District is currently under a granular lockdown. Metro Manila is under Alert Level 4 of the five-tier alert system, to strike a balance between curbing COVID-19 spread and slowly reopening economic activities. Under this alert level, persons below 18 years old and above 65 years old, those with immunodeficiencies, comorbidities, or other health risks, and pregnant women are not allowed to leave their homes except to obtain essential goods and services and to work in permitted industries and offices. Dine-in services in restaurants, religious gatherings, and personal care services limited to barbershops, hair spas, nail spas, and beauty salons are allowed at a limited capacity -- 30 percent for outdoor services, regardless of vaccination status and 10 percent for indoor services for fully vaccinated persons only. As of Sept. 5, the Philippines has fully vaccinated 4 million senior citizens, while 3.42 million others have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines. The National Capital Region--where nearly 60 percent of the population are fully vaccinated against COVID-19--still has most of the country’s new COVID-19 infections, data from the DOH showed. On Sept. 15, the capital region logged 4,391 new COVID-19 cases, followed by Calabarzon with 3,681, Central Luzon with 1,681, Cagayan Valley with 988, and Western Visayas with 767. Among provinces and cities, Cavite recorded the most number of fresh infections with 1,674. Quezon City comes second with 1,261, while Laguna placed third with 658.

The Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 said Metro Manila should be under the strictest level, or Alert Level 5, of the new quarantine classification, as infections are showing no signs of slowing dow and hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases. “We believe we should be under Alert Level 5, not Alert Level 4. This is our worst surge in the past year and a half,” Dr. Antonio Dans, spokesman for the alliance, said in Filipino. Movement restrictions are equivalent to those in the old enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). “Will we wait until dead bodies pile up in emergency rooms before we declare Alert Level 5?” he said. With 13.5 million people in Metro Manila, the NCR on Thursday shifted to Alert Level 4 under the government’s new quarantine rules. Earlier, the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. also raised doubts if the new alert level system will be effective in bringing down new COVID-19 cases. The Philippines logged 21,261 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of infections to 2,304,192. There were 277 new fatalities Thursday, the highest since Aug. 25, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 36,018. The DOH also reported 13,644 new recoveries, bringing the total number of recoveries to 2,090,228. There were 177,946 active cases, of which 86.1 percent were mild, 9.2 percent were asymptomatic, 0.6 percent were critical, 1.4 percent were severe, and 2.65 percent were moderate. Nationwide, 77 percent of ICU beds, 68 percent of isolation beds, 73 percent of ward beds, and 57 percent of ventilators, were in use. In Metro Manila, 79 percent of ICU beds, 65 percent of isolation beds, 72 percent of ward beds, and 61 percent of ventilators, were in use.

Duterte... From A1

Edre Olalia, the president of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, said the organization hoped this was “the beginning of the end to impunity” while rights group Karapatan said: “Duterte and his cohorts should be made accountable for these crimes.” Duterte was elected in 2016 on a campaign promise to get rid of the Philippines’ drug problem, openly ordering police to kill drug suspects if officers’ lives were in danger. At least 6,181 people have died in more than 200,000 anti-drug operations conducted since July 2016, according to the latest official data released by the Philippines. ICC prosecutors in court papers estimate the figure to be between 12,000 and 30,000 dead. Duterte has repeatedly attacked the

world’s only permanent war crimes court, calling it “bullshit” and vowing not to cooperate with its probe. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Thursday Duterte had “no reaction” to the ICC announcement. “From the start he has said he will die first before he will face foreign judges,” Roque told reporters. “If there are complaints, they have to be adjudged in the Philippines because our courts are functioning, and the ICC court has no jurisdiction.” But the country’s top judges disagreed, ruling earlier this year that the ICC can prosecute “government actors” for alleged crimes committed before the nation withdrew from the tribunal. The ICC said there was a “reasonable basis” to believe that the crime against

humanity of murder had been committed in the crackdown. Its investigation will also cover alleged extra-judicial killings in the southern Davao region between 2011 and 2016, when Duterte was mayor. “If he’s guilty, he should be held accountable,” said Santos Reario, a barber in Manila. “Maybe that’s why he’s planning to run for vice president -- to escape accountability.” Duterte, barred under the Constitution from seeking a second term, declared last month he will run for the country’s second-highest office next year. Critics said the move was partly driven by fear of criminal charges, though there is debate over whether the vice president enjoys legal immunity.

COA audit. The PRC is headed by Senator Richard Gordon, who is also the chairperson of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee which is investigating allegations of overpricing in the procurement of medical supplies such as face masks and personal protective equipment last year. “Either you submit to an auditing procedure or we quarrel. If we quarrel, do your worst because I will do mine,” Du-

terte said in a pre-recorded Talk to the People aired Saturday morning. The President said he is ready for a long legal battle if that is what it would take for COA to audit PRC’s financial records. “I do not care. I will not give funding to the PRC. As far as I’m concerned, the Red Cross does not exist. You can create a controversy there or a crisis, I do not mind because as I said, I am on the right track,” he said.

“If you are operating here and you receive the money and spend it, you are accountable to the government and therefore an audit is in order.” “I said this will involve a long, legal battle but I am prepared to go into it and really demand the accountability of Senator Gordon and all of them in the Red Cross to account for the money that was given by the government of the Philippines for the longest time,” Duterte added.

administered nationwide,” said National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng at a press briefing. Chinese health authorities said late last month that 890 million people in China had been fully vaccinated and two billion doses administered. The government has not publicly announced a target for vaccination coverage, but top virologist Zhong Nanshan said last month that the country is likely to have 80 percent of its population inoculated by the end of the year. China is currently battling an outbreak of the Delta variant in the southeastern province of Fujian that has infected almost 200 people so far in three cities, many of whom are schoolchildren. The Fujian cluster is the biggest rebound in weeks and comes after the country declared the Delta variant under control, in a test of China’s “zero-case” approach to the pandemic. China reported 80 new cases on Thursday, of which 49 were domestic transmissions. AFP

Dominguez during a recent Department of Finance executive committee meeting. Under RMC 97-2021 issued last month, social media influencers should pay income tax and percentage tax or, if applicable, the value-added tax , as mandated under the National Internal Revenue Code and other existing laws. Based on the circular, social media influencers are defined as those who derive their income from YouTube Partner Program; sponsored social and blog posts; display advertising; becoming a brand representative/ambassador; affiliate marketing; co-creating product lines; promoting own products; photo and video sales; digital courses, subscriptions, ebooks; and podcasts and webinars. The circular said social media influenc-

ers who receive free goods in exchange for promotions must declare as income the fair market value of these products. Income treated as royalties from another country, including payments under the YouTube Partner Program, shall likewise be included in the computation of the gross income of the socmed influencer and shall be subject to tax. “It must be emphasized that the BIR also has the power to obtain information from foreign tax authorities pursuant to the Exchange of Information provision of the relevant tax treaties. The BIR has the means to verify their income as it is clothed with a special power to obtain information from its treaty partners. The BIR may safely rely on the data provided by its treaty partners to establish the influencer’s tax liability,” the circular said.

Duterte pulled Manila out of the Hague-based court after it launched a preliminary probe, but the ICC said it had jurisdiction over crimes committed while the Philippines was still a member. Rights groups, lawyers and relatives of people killed in the drug war welcomed the ICC decision. “I’m glad because this might be a way for us to get justice for the deaths of our loved ones,” said Corazon Enriquez, who blames Duterte for the killing of her son during a police raid on their home in 2016.“That’s what we’re hoping for -- for that person responsible for the deaths of our children and family members to pay.”

SolGen... From A1 have no jurisdiction over the Red Cross, and that they could only examine government payments to the non-government entity. Malacañang, however, insisted that government funds paid to the PRC for the COVID-19 tests were subject to

Palace... From A1 but most especially those coming from government officials who owe to these health workers the survival of this nation.” In a meeting at Malacañan Palace Wednesday night, National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. told Duterte that hospitals were struggling in attending to the needs of COVID-19 patients as they were currently facing manpower shortage. “We really need to address this because the complaint of all hospitals is they lack doctors, nurses and other healthcare-related workers,” Galvez said in Tagalog. Duterte said he would exert all efforts

to hire more healthcare workers. “We will see what we can do. We will try to look for the money to have more recruits joining this fight against COVID,” the President said. Duterte also said a “good” salary could persuade medical personnel to join the continuing battle against COVID-19. “The pay is good. Perhaps, we can convince more people to join us in this fight because I think the lure of a good salary is there. It is higher now,” he said. Leacho, for his part, said frontliners were not only physically exhausted, but were mentally and emotionally distressed as well. “They need all the love, care, and respect from each and every one of us, and most especially our country’s leaders, without any exception,” he said.

Soak-... From A1 According to the BIR, influencers who earn money from their posts on digital media are classified as self-employed individuals or persons engaged in trade or business as sole proprietors. Their earnings are generally considered as business income, as defined under BIR’s Revenue Memorandum Circular 97-2021 issued last Aug. 16. “We encourage them to register, and then we have the profiling of over 250 personalities. We will do the investigation so that they would pay the necessary corresponding tax on their earnings,” BIR Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa said in his report to

A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Thursday questioned the Department of Public Works and Highways for utilizing some P10.33 billion in ‘contingent funds’ for the construction of sports facilities and certain amenities, including a ‘bat cave’ amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During the House committee on appropriations’ hearing on the proposed P686.11 billion budget of the DPWH for 2022, Rep. Ferdinande Gaite of Bayan Muna asked DPWH Secretary Mark Villar about the supposed P10.33 billion transferred to the DPWH from its “contingent fund” in 2020. The DBM defines contingent fund as “an appropriation under the Office of the President to cover funding requirement of new or urgent projects and activities of national government and government-owned corporations that need to be implemented or paid during the year, such as, but not limited to legal obligations of the government arising from final and executory decisions, requirements of newly created offices, or deficiencies in the appropriations for local and external travels of the President of the Philippines.” Gaite said that “based on the listings of the projects, apparently there were sports facilities, swimming pools, cruise sport, convention center, museum, and I do not know what this is, a ‘bat cave,’ were the products of the P10.3 billion.” But Villar was clueless on Gaite’s revelation by saying that his agency would provide the legislator a list of the projects which utilized the contingent fund. “These are some titles that are not clear, what you’re saying, but we can send you a list then you can confirm the projects you are mentioning,” Villar said. But Gaite was not satisfied with Villar’s explanation, insisting that he did not see any urgency for such projects in this time of pandemic. Villar implied that the on-going infrastructure projects being implemented by the DPWH-- which he said “is ranging from tourism to assisting our soldiers in their infrastructure needs” -- is not an issue whether it is pandemic or not; but for as long as these are able to generate jobs. “I stand by our infrastructure program. In the end, what is important is that we can generate jobs,” the Cabinet official said.

China... From A1

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6.5 m voters deactivated —COMELEC

HE Commission on Elections has called on “deactivated” voters numbering around 6.5 million or those who did not vote during the two consecutive elections to reactivate their status and be able to cast their ballots in the 2022 national and local elections.

Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said they can reactivate [their status as registered voter], thru an email to the Comelec, comelec.gov.ph]. The email of Comelec regional offices are there for those who were not able to vote for two consecutive national elections,” Guanzon said. The deadline of registration to vote for 2022 polls is September 30, although the Senate has adopted a resolution urging the poll body to extend the voter registration period given that quarantine restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic has limited people’s mobility. Guanzon, however, said the Comelec has yet to decide on such extension. The filing of candidacy for the 2022 polls is scheduled from October 1 to 8, and the Comelec has set the venue at Sofitel Hotel tent in Pasay City for a more spacious venue, given the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has also prompted the COMELEC to only allow one companion per candidate who is filing certificate of candidacy. Antigen COVID-19 test will be provided for free by the Comelec, but the cost of the COVID-19 test of the companion will not be shouldered by the poll body. Comelec said it would entail an additional P8 billion budget next year to reduce the number of registered voters per clustered precinct during the 2022 national and local elections. During the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System hearing, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice raised the need to reduce the number of voters per clustered precinct.This, Erice said, would ensure that health protocols are followed during next year’s polls, considering the health risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two House bills support media, creative industries By Maricel V. Cruz TWO bills have been filed at the House of Representatives, seeking to provide much-needed support to the country’s creative industry and media practitioners. House Bill (HB) 8101, or the proposed Philippine Creative Industries Act, authored by Creative Industry and Performing Arts Chair and Pangasinan Rep. Christopher De Venecia proposes financial and institutional support to targeted creative industries. HB 8140 of ACT-CIS Rep. Rowena Taduran provides security of tenure and better benefits for all workers in the media industry. “These are twin measures,” de Venecia said at a news conference, adding that hearings for both measures were conducted almost simultaneously. The proposed Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, which has been approved

by the House on second reading, provides for the creation of the Philippine Creative Industry Development Council and formulation of the Philippine Creative Industries Development Plan. Creative industries identified in the measure include traditional cultural expressions, music and the performing arts, architecture and interior services, animation and digitized creative content, audio-visual, broadcast and interactive media, cultural sites, and visual arts. When enacted, the measure will help freelancers formalize themselves into the economy. Meanwhile, Taduran’s House Bill 8140 seeks to professionalize the private mainstream media sector by providing workers just compensation and job security. Taduran said that most private media firms are still implementing the “talent system” and are only giving “allowances” as remuneration for their workers.

Vax-for-sale suspect falls

OPERATIVES of the National Bureau of Investigation-Anti-Fraud Division arrested a Chinese national in Manila for selling COVID-19 vaccination slot amid relentless efforts against those who take advantage of the pandemic. NBI Officer-In-Charge Director Eric Distor identified the suspect as Xiao Shi a.k.a. Feng Wang Qun. Charges for Estafa under Article 315, Direct Assault under Article 148 and Disobedience of Lawful Orders of Persons in Authority under Article 151, all of the Revised Penal Code, were filed against the suspect before the Office of the City Prosecutor, Manila. Distor said that the operation stemmed from a complainant who said that she was lured by the suspect to pay P18,000 in exchange for COVID-19 vaccination slot in Manila. Suspect represented himself as a member of the Manila COVID-19 vaccination team and that he could secure a vaccination slot and inoculation for the complainant since he had the right connections with the Officials of Barangay 239 Binondo, Manila. Believing suspect’s representation, complainant paid suspect P18,000 as consideration for her first dose of Covid 19 vaccine. Willie Casas

House lauds BARMM poll resetting

A HOUSE leader on Thursday hailed the House of Representatives’ passage of the bill resetting the first regular elections of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as “a victory for the Bangsamoro people.” Voting 187-0-0, the legislative chamber on Wednesday approved on third and final reading House Bill (HB) 10121 postponing the BARMM polls from 2022 to 2025. The approval came on the same day House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco received a correspondence from Malacañang informing Congress that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has certified the measure as urgent. Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera, who presided over Wednesday’s session and co-author of HB 10121, said the postpone-

ment would “allow the peace and development thrusts of BARMM to fully take off for the benefit of the region and its people.” “We cannot agree more with the President that the postponement of the BARMM elections will give the Bangsamoro transitional government ample time to fulfill its mandate, establish a strong bureaucracy, and enact foundational codes essential to the achievement of the aspirations of unity, genuine autonomy, and development in the BARMM,” Herrera said. By postponing the BARMM polls to 2025, Herrera said the 80-member Bangsamoro Transition Authority, or BTA, also known as the interim BARMM parliament, will be given an additional three years to put up service facets essential to good governance. Maricel V Cruz

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Let fully-vaxxed APORs move freely—Marcos

ALERT LEVEL. House Majority

Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (right) talks with Public Works Secretary Mark Villar during a courtesy call at the Majority office after the Committee on Appropriations Briefing on the 2022 DPWH Budget on Thursday. Romualdez and Villar observed the pilot implementation of the new Alert Level System for COVID-19 in Metro Manila. Ver Noveno

Guevarra: EJK group awaits report on Macabadbad slay in S. Cotabato By Rey E. Requejo

USTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday said a government committee on extra-judicial killings (EJKs) is awaiting a report from the police on the killing last September 15 of lawyer Juan Macabadbad, vice chairman of the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao. “As part of standard procedure, the DOJ (Department of Justice) will await the report of local police investigators and evaluate whether the killing falls under the jurisdiction of the inter-agency committee on EJKs,” Guevarra said, in a text message.

Guevarra chairs the Inter-Agency Committee on Extra-Legal Killings, Enforced Disappearances, Torture and Other Grave Violations of the Right of Life, Liberty and Security of Persons created under Administrative Order No. 35.

The Justice Secretary made the statement following reports that Macabadbad was gunned down by two assailants in front of his house in Surallah, South Cotabato. In a strongly worded statement, the UPLM has asked the government to conduct a swift investigation and prosecution of those behind the lawyer’s killing. With Macabadbad’s killing, “the Duterte administration added to its legacy the 58th lawyer and the third National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) member killed during his murderous regime,” UPLM Chairman Antonio Azarcon said in a statement. “The culture of impunity pervades

with the lack of serious investigation and prosecution over thousands of extrajudicial killings in the country,” Azarcon said. He pointed out that if those in government continue to fail to stop the continued killings of lawyers, “then they should give way to those who have the moral ascendancy to bring back peace and justice to our country.” Macababbad was the go-to attorney of the impoverished, and he handled criminal and civil cases of the poorest of the poor for free, his colleagues in Mindanao said on Wednesday. UPLM said it noted that Macababbad had received death threats before the gun attack.

FORMER Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. on Thursday appealed to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on COVID-19 to allow fully vaccinated Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APORs) living in locked-down areas a “free egress-ingress.” “Let them go out for a living. And allow them to be with their families after work. It’s their daily routine to get through with this pandemic… financially and mentally,” Marcos said in a statement. He made the call following the IATF’s pronouncement of granular lockdown rules that will be implemented in the National Capital Region (NCR) starting Sept. 16. The IATF said only health care workers and returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) will be considered APORs and will be allowed passage to and from areas under granular lockdown. “Why are they called APORs if they won’t be allowed to leave the house, isn’t that the meaning of that acronym?” Marcos said. Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said on Tuesday that NCR will be placed under Alert Level 4, the second-highest classification under the new IATF guidelines. Individuals prohibited to leave their homes under Alert level 4 include: those aged below 18 and aged above 65, people with comorbidities, immunocompromised, and pregnant women except when buying food and working in essential industries. “Total lockdowns run counter to having APORs and the IATF will appear inconsistent should they insist on it. We are appealing to the IATF to let fully vaccinated APORs to leave their homes under granular lockdowns,” Marcos added. Recently, more than a thousand business owners submitted a joint manifesto urging the government to give fully vaccinated individuals more mobility to spur economic growth. The group added that this move “would give establishments an opportunity to bounce back and workers to rebuild their livelihood.” Marcos also said it is important for the unvaccinated to see the added benefits of being fully vaccinated, since this will ease their fears and finally encourage them to get the jab. “It is also important to show people that there are many benefits of having a complete vaccine to allay the fears of some and encourage them to get vaccinated.” Rey E. Requejo

3 big-ticket military projects on hold

GO TIC CHING (Jack Uy)

THE allocation of funds for three big-ticket modernization projects for the military has been delayed due to the government’s move to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic response, the country’s defense chief said on Thursday. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, in an online press briefing, said this when asked if there is a chance of any modernization contracts being signed before the end of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s term next year. “These are delayed as the funding meant for this was used in the COVID-19 response,” he added. Lorenzana said these include the signing of the Philippine Navy’s corvette (small warship) acquisition program, which provides for the acquisition and construction of South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries of two modern corvettes equipped

February 28, 1946 – September 14, 2021

VAX STICKERS.

San Juan City Mayor Francis M. Zamora (right) and MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos lead the installation of the 100% Fully Vaccinated and VIP (Vaccine Incentive Program) Stickers to a restaurant at Greenhills in San Juan City on Thursday. Establishments getting the seal have employees fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as verified by the city’s Business Permits and Licensing Office and the City Health Office. Manny Palmero

ahahahaha President, Tacloban Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (TFCCCI) “Alpha,” Tacloban Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigade, Inc. PRO8 Regional Advisory Council Representative, TFCCCI Board of Director, Tacloban Charitable Association Inc. Board of Director, Philippine Red Cross (Tacloban Chapter) Past President, Kangha-Uy Association (Leyte-Samar Chapter) Past President, Philippine Chinese Too Guan Tong (Tacloban Chapter) Past President, Philippine Tiong Gui Tong (Leyte Chapter) ahahahaha He was one of the pillars of the social and private sector and a well-respected icon of the

Filipino-Chinese community in Region 8. He led a life of service and charitable endeavors. He had a generous heart, a kind soul, and was a source of strength, unity, and inspiration for many people including his own family.

His remains lie in state at St. Peter Memorial Chapel, Real St., Tacloban City and

interment will be on Saturday, September 18, 2021 at the Tacloban Chinese Cemetery after the 7:00AM mass at the Sacred Heart Parish, T. Claudio St., Tacloban City.

He is survived by his wife Nelia; children - Nancy with husband Joel; Jennelyn with

husband Grebert Karl; Nicholas Jason “Colai” with wife Cocaine; and Jo-anne with husband Derick; and grandchildren—Brad Wayne, Sean Ethan Andrei, Gabrielle Karlene, Phoebe Dominique, Jake Devin and Dash Jacob.

May we request our pious readers to pray for his eternal repose.

with missiles and other high-tech weapons and sensors. Also set for signing are the contracts for the acquisition of six offshore patrol vessels supposed to be built by Australian defense manufacturer Austal, which has a shipyard in Balamban, Cebu, and the multirole fighter project of the Philippine Air Force. “So these are the big-ticket items now waiting for funding,” Lorenzana said. He expressed hope that funds will be provided for these projects as these are all under the so-called “multi-year financing” and only requires down payment to push through and can be paid within a five- to-10-year period. This payment procedure is also called soft financing and can be offered by the host governments of the manufacturers, Lorenzana said. Francisco Tuyay

Privacy body, finance groups hit app harvesting THE National Privacy Commission (NPC) and finance groups have strongly condemned the harvesting of excessive information of some online lending platforms, such as saving their users’ contact lists and photo galleries. In a joint statement, the NPC, Fintech Alliance.PH, the Philippine Finance Association, and several entities from the non-bank financing sector said the application (app) permissions that some online lending platforms practice on their mobile app are “unreasonable and unnecessary.” “Such practice is unnecessary because an applicant’s creditworthiness may be determined through other lawful and reasonable means,” the joint statement read.

It said non-compliant online lending platforms also exploit the personal data of their borrowers by using it to “shame and coerce them into paying their loans.” “We remind concerned digital lending players to strictly adhere to the Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics as well as the Code of Collection Standards and Ethics that the FinTech Alliance.PH and the Philippine Finance Association have established and standardized in the industry to ensure strict compliance while promoting consumer protection,” it said. Finance entities, it said, are obligated to comply with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and related laws when processing the personal data of their customers.

Opinion Conciliation in the barangay

EVERY so often we hear our neighbors and friends saying that they have pending cases in the barangay, either as a complainant or a respondent. The cases range from civil disputes to the commission of petty crimes. What is a barangay? It is a basic political unit that serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs, projects, and activities in the community, and where disputes are amicably settled (Section 384, Chapter 1, Book III, Republic Act 7160). A barangay may be created out of a contiguous territory with a population of at least two thousand inhabitants. For cities and municipalities within Metro Manila and other metropolitan political subdivisions or highly urbanized cities a barangay shall have five thousand inhabitants (Section 386, Republic Act 7160).

The cases range from civil disputes to the commission of petty crimes. Consistent with the mandate of Republic Act (R.A.) 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code, for barangays to amicably settle disputes, it created the lupong tagapamayapa (“lupon”). Interestingly, the settlement of disputes at the barangay level was first introduced by Presidential Decree (P.D.) No. 1508 in 1978. Hence, the Katarungang Pambarangay was not an original creation of R.A. 7160. The primordial objective of PD No. 1508 (the Katarungang Pambarangay Law; now included under R.A. 7160) is to reduce the number of court litigations and prevent the deterioration of the quality of justice being brought about by the indiscriminate filing of cases in the courts. To attain this objective, R.A. 7160 requires the parties to undergo a conciliation process before the Lupon Chairman or the Pangkat (see below) before filing a complaint in court (Zamora v. Izquierdo, G.R. No. 146195, November 18, 2004). R.A 7160 increased the authority of the lupon in criminal offenses, from handling only those punishable by imprisonment not exceeding thirty days or fines not exceeding P200.00 (as provided in P.D. No. 1508), to those offenses punishable by imprisonment not exceeding one year or fines not exceeding P5,000.00 (Uy v. Contreras, G.R. No. 111416, September 26, 1994). It also broadened the authority of the lupon over civil and criminal cases arising

from incidents occurring in workplaces or institutions of learning, which shall be brought for amicable settlement in the barangay where it is located (Section 409, Republic Act 7160; G.R. No. 111416, September 26, 1994). For each dispute brought before the lupon, a conciliation panel composed of three members shall be known as the pangkat ng takapagkasundo (“pangkat”). The parties shall choose from the list of members of the lupon. If the parties fail to agree on the members of the pangkat, this shall be determined by the drawing of lots by the lupon chairman (Section 404, Republic Act 7160). The lupon of each barangay shall have the authority to bring together the parties actually residing in the same city or municipality for the amicable settlement of all disputes. In the case of Vercide v. Hernandez, the trial judge dismissed the action for recovery of possession of real property due to the failure of the complainants to refer their case to the lupon before filing it in court. However, the parties resided in different barangays in two different provinces where the property in question was also located in one of the latter. With this, the requirement of prior referral to the Lupon does not apply. The Supreme Court explained that for the rule to apply the parties must be residing in the same city or municipality, and reside in the same barangay or in different but adjoining barangays within the same city or municipality. (Vercide v. Hernandez, A.M. No. MTJ-00-1265, April 6, 2000) Because of this, the judge was administratively sanctioned. There is also no requirement of prior referral to the lupon where one party to the action is the government, or any subdivision or instrumentality thereof; or where one party is a public officer or employee and the dispute relates to the performance of his official functions (Section 408, Republic Act 7160). The lupon shall also have no authority in bringing parties to barangay settlement where there is no private offended party, or where the offense committed is punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year or fines exceeding five thousand pesos (Section 408, Republic Act 7160). The following are examples of offenses that require prior barangay settlement: slight physical injuries, light coercion, unjust vexation, or simple slander. All amicable settlements shall be in writing and attested to by the lupon or pangkat chairman (Section 411, Republic Act 7160). The settlement may be enforced by execution with the lupon within six months from the date of the settlement. After the period lapses, the settlement may be enforced by action in the appropriate city or municipal court (Article 417, Republic Act 7160). No complaint, petition, action, or proceeding involving any matter within the authority of the lupon shall be filed or instituted directly in court or any government office for adjudication, unless there has been a confrontation between the parties before the lupon or pangkat, and that no conciliation or settlement has been reached as certified by the lupon or pangkat (Section 412, Republic Act No. 7160). Full version on www.manilastandard.net

The flags are scarlet (1)

MEET Ken Abante, Jahleel-an Burao, and John Michael Lava. They are 29, 34, and 28 years old, doing their work from the provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Quezon, respectively. They know each other because they were, in different years, among the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines. Now they are all volunteers for Citizens’ Budget Tracker – a community of professionals lending their technical expertise to efforts to look into government procurement during the pandemic. It started last year when Abante, who had gone home to his hometown for the lockdown, witnessed healthcare workers – including many of his family members and relatives – having little to no access to personal protective equipment. Why couldn’t they get the most basic protection they deserved, he asked, when there was money supposedly allotted by the government for this purpose? He took a step back and pondered the bigger picture. He began with a basic spreadsheet, he says. “It was just on Google Sheets, and we used publicly available data.” Eventually he started calling on friends and volunteers. “You needed people to visualize and cross-check the balances,” he says. Burao, Lava, and other accountants, auditors, data scientists, lawyers and other professionals heeded his call. “There were many who wanted to help in this open data and accountability effort.” Lava honed his experience working for a big auditing firm. Burao worked in management consulting, specializing in risk management and advisory services, and then moved on briefly to the academe and in microfinance banking. Now she is in the start-up space. “This is probably why we had the courage to write this report—because we don’t have any interests at all,” Burao says. “We can’t be accused of promoting our management services. We are just plain citizens who have no stake except our concern for our democratic

institutions that we will inherit. We also have a practical stake in terms of our taxes. This is why we got involved.” According to Lava, they analyzed Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation’s finances through documents available through the Securities and Exchange Commission. It was a straightforward analysis. They ensured that their wording would be as objective as possible. “This is fact-based, this is what we saw from reading the report. We did not infer or do an assumption – the financial statements can stand on their own. What we recommended was for the company to release some documents to support or refute our observations. That is the beauty of audit,” he says. But what does their analysis of the financial statements of Pharmally – that controversial company which cornered billions of pesos worth of taxpayers’ money in pandemic-related deals, and that company which the President and his subalterns are staunchly defending – even contain in the first place? At the very least, six things. The team noted five high-risk observations and one mediumrisk observation in relation to the contracts awarded to Pharmally by the Procurement Service – Department of Budget and Management. The contracts awarded between April 2020 and June 2020, totaling P7.9 billion, were all signed by Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao. The high-risk observations are: Potential under-declaration of input VAT related to purchases amounting to P402.2 million. This represents revenue that the government could have collected and circulated within the economy to deliver much-needed services to the people. Insufficient contracting capacity. To see whether a company could undertake the contract to be entrusted to it, it is commonsensical for approving authorities to see whether the company is technically, financially and legally capable. This can easily be gleaned by looking at the Single Largest Completed Contract or the Net Financial Contracting Capacity. With Pharmally, there are no contracts that could be used to evaluate the SLCC. There were no significant operations in 2019 – the year Pharmally was set up – and the 2020 statements do not have disclosures on contracts. There is also a formula for the

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

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EDITORIAL

Post-COVID economy

HE Philippine economy is far from collapsing despite the onslaught of COVID-19. The restrictive lockdown measures may have taken away millions of Filipino jobs and shut down many establishments, but they have not made a dent on the economy so far.

Economic activities admittedly have considerably slowed down in some sectors, especially in tourism, retail and personal services. The poverty level obviously has worsened because of the number of jobless persons, and yet the overall economy is functioning and nowhere near a crisis level. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno early this week assured financial services group and global investment bank Nomura of Japan that the macro-economic fundamentals of the Philippines had remained intact and that this Southeast Asian nation was poised for a strong economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 era.

The overall economy is functioning. Macro-economic fundamentals are a summary of the country’s economic health. They serve as guide to investors, creditor banks and traders doing business in the Philippines. A runaway inflation and volatile exchange rate, for instance, will discourage investors and watchers of the Philippine economy because it will impact on production cost and borrowing rate and, ultimately, on one’s return on revenue.

The gross international reserves of the Philippines stood at $108.05 billion at the end of August, or higher than the foreign debt of $97 billion as of end March. The healthy level of international reserves stabilizes the exchange rate and shields the Philippine economy from a potential foreign exchange crisis. Solid macro-economic fundamentals such as higher international reserves, flexible exchange rate, low inflation and interest rates, and a stable banking system provide a conducive business environment that, in turn, create jobs and attract both local and foreign investments. The same solid macro-economic fundamentals will ensure recovery in the long-term period and the post-COVID era, and help keep the economic effects of the pandemic temporary. The economy bounced back with an 11.8-percent expansion in the second quarter and will likely overcome bumps in the road.

Ombudsman Martires should be impeached

LAST week, Ombudsman Samuel Martires announced that he wants imprisonment for at least five years for anybody who even dares to comment on the Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of any government official or employee. Toward that end, Martires is urging Congress to amend Republic Act No. 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, to include a penal provision that will impose a five-year sentence on anybody who comments on those SALNs. To justify his plan, Martires said public access to the SALNs of government officials has been “weaponized” particularly by the media, and the same can be used to “destroy the reputation” of an official. Martires also insulted the media, saying, “I do not know if they understand English ... I am sorry to say this, but the provisions of 6713 is (sic) very clear. Napakaliwanag, only for publication, walang komentaryo -- that’s transparency.” In short, Martires says Republic Act No. 6713 only allows the media to publish the SALNs but not to comment on them. Martires’ latest public display of his tantrums is nothing new. In September 2020, Martires issued Memorandum Circular No. 1 which prohibits the public and the media from accessing the SALN of top government officials on file in his office. The circular allows access to those SALNs only if the prior written consent, duly notarized, of the official whose SALN is sought to be accessed, is submitted to Martires’ office by those interested in obtaining them. That’s making public access illusory. A news website traces Martires’ odd behavior to an incident when the media reported on his SALN for 2018, which supposedly showed an increase of P15-million in Martires’ personal wealth over just five months (from August to December 2018)

Who are these millennials who dared look into Pharmally’s financial statements? computation of the NFCC; the team arrived at the NFCC based on available information and came up with P5.99 million (mainly current assets of P599,450 multiplied by the NFCC factor of 10)—a far cry from the staggering amount of the contracts. There are also no indications of liabilities or lines of credit. “Capitalization was grossly insufficient to warrant the awarding of P7.9 billion worth of contracts from April 2020 to June 2020,” the report said. “The risk of default and insolvency is very high, and is quite a gamble given the volume and urgency of the items for procurement. Should the company be unable to deliver on its commitments, the government will be assuming the risk of default.” Insufficient disclosures and details for donations that were declared as fully deductible expenses. In the 2020 income statement, Pharmally reported donations of P33.13 million, representing 78.6 percent of general and administrative expenses. The company

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

when Martires was already the Ombudsman. Martires was supposedly upset with that revelation, but the news report did not indicate if Martires explained the P15-million increase in his personal wealth. It appears, therefore, that Martires issued his Memorandum Circular No. 1, and wants a prison term for anyone who comments on any SALN, to get even with the media for the 2018 incident involving his own SALN. In other words, Martires is using his power as Ombudsman to vindicate his own private grievance.

Don’t comment on the SALNs, he said.

Under the Constitution, the public has the right to access the SALNs of government officials, and only Congress has the power to regulate that right. Since Martires is not Congress, Martires’ Memorandum Circular No. 1 is unconstitutional because it is a usurpation of the legislative power of Congress. As an ex-Justice of the Supreme Court, Martires ought to know that. Republic Act No. 6713 allows public access to, and the publication of, the SALNs of all government officials and employees. Contrary to what Martires says, there is nothing in this law that prohibits anyone from commenting on those SALNs. As every student of Constitutional Law knows, laws cannot be construed to lead to an absurdity, and it is absurd for Republic Act No. 6713 to allow public access to those SALNs and their publication by the media, and yet disallow the public from commenting on them. Evidently, it’s Martires who does not understand Republic Act No. 6713. Martires insults the media by suggesting that media practitioners don’t understand English. It’s Martires who does not understand English, as seen in his faulty interpretation of Republic Act No. 6713. provided no details of the donation. Missing and incomplete material disclosures in the 2020 financial statements. The Philippine Financial Reporting Standards for Small to Medium Enterprises and the Corporation Code require companies to disclose relevant information for material line items. There was insufficient disclosure on donations, related party relationships, loans and special agreements, sales and revenues, and appropriated retained earnings. “There could be a risk of fraudulent financial reporting,” the report says. Sources of interest expense and foreign exchange gains/ losses are not presented and disclosed in the 2020 financial statements. There was an interest expense of P1.7 million but the team could not verify the source. The company also posted unrealized foreign exchange gains amounting to P63.2 million in 2020‚—“an extremely curious case,” according to the analysts. The medium-risk observation is that reported amounts cannot be matched in the disclosures. The team recommended that the company present the reconciliation between the subsidiary ledger and general ledger, and provide the relevant documents to prove that there is no financial statement manipulation. The second part of my column will talk about Abante’s, Burao’s, and Lava’s thoughts on accountability, governance, and citizens’ crucial role in achieving them. adellechua@gmail.com

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In fact, Martires can’t even speak proper English when he told the media, “I am sorry to say this, but the provisions of 6713 is (sic) very clear. Napakaliwanag, only for publication, walang komentaryo—that’s transparency.” Apparently, Martires does not know when to use the singular or plural form of verbs, and he has difficulty composing sentences in complete English. Martires’ idea of “transparency” in government is faulty. Transparency presupposes the absence of needless restrictions. Prohibiting public commentaries is incompatible with transparency. Further, Martires’ opinion that the SALN has been “weaponized” by the media against government officials cannot prevail over what the Constitution and the law provide. The SALN is precisely designed by the Constitution and the law as a public weapon against corruption in government. Besides, if a government official has nothing to hide, then he should not be afraid to allow public access to his SALN. I agree with Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate when he called Martires’ plan to muzzle public commentaries on the SALNs as an abridgement of the freedom of expression guaranteed under the Constitution. The 73-year old Martires says he will stand by his views even if it means being removed from office. That told, it’s time for Congress to impeach Martires for culpable violation of the Constitution and for his betrayal of the public trust reposed upon him as Ombudsman.

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Wheels up: Thai protesters skate for democracy KICKFLIPPING Thai skateboarders are flipping the bird at authorities, joining pro-democracy rallies in Bangkok to vent their anger over a lack of respect and dedicated public space for extreme sports in the kingdom. A youth-led pro-democracy movement kicked off in Thailand in July last year, demanding reforms to the monarchy, a rewrite of the military-scripted constitution and the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-cha. A deadly third coronavirus wave and theManila detention of protest leaders sucked Standard Manila much momentum from the movement TODAY Standard this year, but there have been near-daily TODAY small-scale rallies since June. The sluggish rollout of Thailand’s vaccination program, and the financial pain from restrictions has heaped political pressure on Prayut’s government. During a recent demonstration at the Democracy Monument—a major intersection in Bangkok—groups of skaters slid over metal bars and benches while others scaled the central part of the monument to drape a giant cloth banner with anti-government messages. Nattakarn Tewarit, 17, says he and his fellow skaters are unfairly maligned as troublemakers and deserve greater respect after the sport was included in the recent Tokyo Olympic Games for the first time. AFP

World

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SpaceX blasts off into orbit with all-civilian space tourists

SPACE MISSION. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Inspiration4 crew launches from Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on September 15, 2021. The Inspiration4 mission, the first to send an all-civilian crew to orbit, will venture deeper into space than the International Space Station. (Inset) This screengrab taken from the SpaceX live webcast shows crew members (from right) Hayley Arceneaux, Jared Isaacman, Sian Proctor and Christopher Sembroski after being buckled into their seats in the Crew Dragon capsule ahead of the launch. AFP

A SPACEX Falcon 9 rocket carrying four space tourists blasted off WednesCYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA day night YELLOW from the BLACK Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the first mission to orbit the globe with an all-civilian crew. A huge fireball illuminated the sky as the rocket’s nine engines began to pull away from Earth at 8:02 p.m. (0002 GMT Thursday). Around 12 minutes later, the Dragon capsule separated from the rocket’s send stage as the crew entered orbit, while the re-usable first stage made its way back to Earth for a vertical landing on a sea barge. “A few have gone before and many are about to follow,” said Jared Isaacman, the 38-year-old billionaire who chartered the flight. The spaceship’s trajectory will take it to an altitude of 575 kilometers, which is deeper into space than the International Space Station (ISS). After spending three days spinning around planet Earth, the four-person crew, all Americans, will splash down off the Florida coast. “The #Inspiration4 launch reminds us of what can be accomplished when we partner with private industry!” tweeted NASA administrator Bill Nelson ahead of the launch. NASA’s commercial crew program was founded in 2011. SpaceX, founded by billionaire Tesla owner Elon Musk, hasn’t disclosed what States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney told the trip cost Isaacman – but the price tag AFP. runs into the tens of millions of dollars. Australia had sketched plans to dramatically tool up Inspiration4’s crew leader is a high its military in 2020 as threats from China mounted and school dropout who went on to found trust in the United States alliance waned after Donald Shift4 Payments, which provides payCYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Trump’s mercurial presidency. ment processing services. He is also a This agreement would seem to bind Australia to the keen aviator. US and Britain for decades to come. His three crewmates were selected It “may be the first of many, including the deploythrough a competition, and their stoment of US long-range strategic strike weapons, inries have been followed in a Netflix cluding missiles and stealth bombers, to Australia,” documentary. said Michael Sullivan, an international relations expert Hayley Arceneaux, a pediatric canat Flinders University. cer survivor, is a 29-year-old physician “Eventually,” he said, that could also mean “the reassistant. She is the youngest Amerideployment of some US forces to Northern Australia can to go into orbit and the first perfrom US bases on Okinawa and Guam, which are inson with a prosthesis, on a part of her creasingly vulnerable to Chinese military attack.” AFP femur. AFP

Australia enters uncharted waters with nuclear sub plan N OTICE

Notice is hereby given that ROBINSON LAND CORPORATION with office address at 43rd Floor, Robinson-Equitable Tower, ADB Avenue corner Poveda Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as a New Operator of Tourist Accomodation Facility (Grand Summit Hotel General Santos) with a capacity of 102 rooms under R.A. 11534 (CREATE Act) and the Special Laws-Tourism-Hotel of the 2020 IPP, with project site located at G. Catolico corner Lagao Bula Road, General Santos City,South Cotabato.

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

USTRALIA’S shock decision to acquire US nuclear-powered (SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA submarines and cruise missiles Director Infrastructure and Services Industries Service helps bind a faltering alliance with Washington, but risks severely Manila Standard worsening an already fractious TODAY relationship with China. (MS-SEPT. 10, 2021)

With no public debate and little warning, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday announced Australia was going nuclear. Not developing nuclear weapons, but building a fleet of at least eight state-of-the-art nuclear-powered submarines with American and British help. In one swoop Morrison ripped up several local po-

litical taboos – chiefly a long-standing ban on nuclear power and ingrained caution about stoking military tensions with China. “Until very recently -- perhaps until 12 hours ago” the idea would have been “fringe” according to Sam Roggeveen of Sydney’s Lowy Institute, describing the ground shift felt Down Under. The deal – jointly announced with President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson – gives Australia access to potent US military firepower refused even to close allies such as Israel. It would allow Australia’s military to travel, and strike targets, far from its coast. Nuclear subs “are quieter, faster and have longer endurance, which will allow Australia to deploy its future submarines to Indo-Pacific locations for much longer periods of time,” Ashley Townshend of the United

French forces kill IS Sahel jihadist leader wanted by US—Macron THE head of Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, who was wanted for deadly attacks on US soldiers and foreign aid workers, has been killed in an operation by French troops. Manila Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi was Standard “neutralized by French forces,” PresiTODAY dent Emmanuel Macron tweeted early Thursday. “This is another major success in our fight against terrorist groups in the Sahel,” Macron said, without giving the location or details of the operation. Defence Minister Florence Parly Manila said Sahrawi died following a strike by Standard TODAY

France’s Barkhane force, which battles jihadists in the Sahel. “It is a decisive blow against this terrorist group,” she tweeted. “Our fight continues.” Manila ORIENTAL MINDORO The jihadist leader was behind the ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. Standard (O R M E C O, Inc.) TODAY killing of French aid workers in 2020 ✉Brgy. Sta. Isabel, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro and was also wanted by the United ☎043.288.7801 / 288.7802 / 288.7803 Fax No. 043.288.7804 States over a deadlyE-mail: 2017ormeco_coop@yahoo.com attack on US Website: www.ormeco-inc.com troops in Niger. INVITATION TO BID Sahrawi in 2015 formed Islamic State 1. ORIENTAL MINDORO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (ORMECO, INC.), through its BIDS in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), which is AND AWARDS COMMITTEE (BAC), hereby intends to apply the sum of Fourteen Million Two Hundred Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty-Seven Pesos and Thirty Cents Only blamed for mostNinety-One of the jihadist attacks (₱14,291,757.30) funded under PNB Loan and Ten Million Nine Hundred Eighteen Thousand in Mali, Niger and Burkina Nine Hundred Fifty Pesos Faso. Only (₱10,918,950.00) funded by 5% Reinvestment Fund inclusive of all applicable taxes and fees, being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC), for the The flashpoint is procurement, “tri-border” supply, and deliveryarea of materials/supplies/equipment for the Technical Services Department; frequently targeted by ISGS and ORMECO, INC. now calls for Group the submission the2. Al-Qaeda-affiliated for of Letter of Intent by interested bidders thru email NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION at ormeco.bac.official@gmail.com. The list of the ORMECO, INC. Eligibility Requirements the Support of Islam and Muslimshttps://web.facebook.com/OrmecoOGMOfficial, may be viewed at www.ormeco-inc.com, and may be requested through email ormeco_coop@yahoo.com, including the numbers listed (GSIM). above. An amount of two hundred fifty pesos (₱ 250.00) is required as Accreditation Fee; Notice is hereby given that during the duly constituted ISGS has carried out deadly atmeeting held electronically through a zoom conference 3. ORMECO, INC. now invites suppliers for the following: on May 11, 2021, the Board of Directors of DyZUM tacks targeting civilians and solDISTILLERY INC. (the “CORPORATION”) approved ABC COST OF BID FUNDING diers inLOTthe region.ITEM DESCRIPTION (INCLUSIVE DOCUMENTS the dissolution of the Corporation in accordance with SOURCE OF VAT) (NONSection 136 of the Revised Corporation Code of the The United States had offered a Philippines. For this purpose, a special meeting of the Supply of Streetfor Light (LED) 60 watts with photo $5 million reward information Stockholders was likewise held on even date and took switch sensor – (30 set), Bulb spiral 60 watts (CFL) on the whereabouts of(120 Sahrawi, action on the above resolution. – (120 pcs), Photo switch pcs), Fuse Links 2/3/5/6/8/10/12/15/25/30 amp – (600 who was wanted over an October pcs each), 100 amp – (130 pcs), Clamp hot line I attack in Niger that killed ₱ 1,786,605.00 ₱ 5,000.00 4, 2017 #2 - #4/0 ACSR Main to #2 - #4/0 – ( 175 pcs), JOSEPHINE G. BAUTISTA Service clevisForces #6 – (2,000 pcs), Insulatorfour spool 1 Corporate Secretary four US Special and 3/8 – (2,000 pcs), Bolt Machine 5/8x10x6” thread Bank Loan Niger troops. AFP – (300 pcs), Copper Wire Thhn #22 – (100 mtrs),

SINGULAR DEMOCRACY.

CYAN M CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Artists A NEW climate change report out participate in the Thursday shows that limiting global celebration of warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will the Bicentennial of the be impossible without immediate, Independence large-scale emissions cuts, the UN of Costa Rica chief said. from the Spanish The United in Science 2021 report, empire at the published by a range of UN agencies national stadium CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW and scientific partnersBLACK just weeks bein San José. AFP

(MS-SEPT. 10 & 13, 2021)

(MS-SEPT. 3,10 & 17, 2021)

Copper Wire Thhn #8 – (200 mtrs)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT Republic of theJUDICIAL Philippines NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION Department ofQUEZONCITY Transportation BRANCH 223,

TOLL REGULATORY BOARD

IN RE: PETITION TO USE THE SURNAME OF THE FATHER OF SAMARITA 5th RENAN Floor The Columbia Tower Ortigas Avenue, Barangay wack-Wack, Mandaluyong City 1555, Philippines RENAN SAMARITA (minor) a.k.a. RENAN SAMARITA NALING. Represented by: NELIA SAMARITA NALING (mother) and RAMONITO N. NALING(father). Petitioner, -versusSpecial Proc. Case No. 19-04518-SP For: USE OF FATHER’S SURNAME

Putin: ‘Several dozens’ in his circle COVID positive

Supply of Magnetic wire heavy formex type # 19 - (1,249 kls) Magnetic wire heavy formex type # 18 - (938 kls) Magnetic wire heavy formex type # 15 - (675 kls) Magnetic wire heavy formex type # 14 - (202 kls) RUSSIAN Magnetic wire heavy formex type # 12 - (150 kls)

₱ 2,505,152.30

₱ 5,000.00

President Vladimir Putin said dozens of people in his entou5% before NOTICE OF TOLL RATE ADJUSTMENT IMPLEMENTATION rage tested positive for the coronavirus III ₱ 7,657,650.00 ₱ 10,000.00 Reinvestment (VAT lnclusive) Insulation Resistance Testerhe 15kVwent – (1 unit), into self-isolation earlier this week. Fund Transformer Loss Tester VARIAC Digital – (1 unit), (R-1 Expressway) Di-electric Oil Tester – (1 unit) The Russian leader, who announced in March Supply of Boom Truck - he five (5)had section been boom, Bank Loan & 5% THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OFQUEZON CITY, vaccinated, started self-isolating Conformably with the Consolidated Resolution dated 19 August METRO MANILA,THE ADMINISTRATOR AND CIVIL IV lineman’s basket and with pole carrier – (2 units), ₱ 13,261,300.00 ₱ 25,000.00 Reinvestment 2021 issued by the Toll Regulatory Board ("TRB") covering the 2011 and REGISTRAR GENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINE onwith canopy Tuesday a coronaUtility Vehicle – drop side body – (3 units) after being identified as Fund STATISTICS OFFICE (PSA) Formerly National Statistics 2014 Petitions for Approval of Toll Rate With Application for Provisional Office (NSO) and ALL OTHER PERSONS WHO HAVE virus 4. Due to COVID-19, in compliance withcontact. the Community Quarantine (CQ), Online/Virtual Bidding Relief OR forCLAIM R-1 Expressway of the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway INTEREST TO THIS INSTANT PETITION. Conferences will be conducted. Stable internet connection is required to all prospective bidders “You I had cancel Respondents. during the not know be liable that in anyunfortunately unexpected disruption due to to poor/ Project (MCTEP) filed by Philippine Reclamation Authority andconferences. UEM- BAC shall x---------------------------------------------------------------------x unstable signal which may cause loss of connection and inability of Bidders to engross with my visit to Dushanbe at the last moment,” Putin MARA Philippines ORDER Corporation (UMPC, now Cavitex lnfrastructure the conferences. This is a verified Amended Petition to Use the Surname of the Father of Additional info please guided in the following: (please refer to Online Bidding procedures) Corporation, CIC), the following toll rate adjustmentsForfor the use of be said during remarks to a meeting of the Renan Samarita dated October 16, 2020, file by petitioners Nelia Samarita a. Payment of bidding documents shall be deposited to BAC bank account (to be email Mosby Naling and Ramonito Naling, which of was the received by the Court on October the R-1 Expressway MCTEP are approved and allowed to be BAC secretariat). 22, 2020. Security Treaty Organizab. Prospective bidders mustcow-led submit to theCollective BAC via email the scanned copy of validated bank implemented immediately, inclusive of Value Added Tax: The petitioner alleges that, he was born on 25 July 2002, to Ramonito deposit slip / screenshot tion of successful electronic fund transfer as capital proof of payment. (CSTO), hosted in the of Tajikistan. Naling and Nelia Samarita Naling; that his parents were admittedly not married c. Scanned copy of Bidding Documents will be sent by the BAC secretariat upon validation that at the time or Renan’s birth; that it was only on 13 July 2009 that his parents the payments are credited to the coop’s bank account. “I am very sorry, but this is due to the fact got married: that although admittedly, when he was born, his mother Nelia Vehicle Class R-1 Expressway (Seaside to Zapote), 6.475 kms. d. ID number or link of the Online/Virtual conference will be provided by BAC secretariat Samarita Naling was still married to his first husband, Zosimo Furto Sadicon, the latter passed away on 08 August 2006; that while Ramonito Naling was not married when he was born; that at the time he was born, his father Ramonito Naling duly acknowledge his paternal filiation as it appears on the second page of his birth certificate: that his parents, Ramonito Naling and Nelia Samarita Naling duly subscribed the Affidavit of Acknowledgment/Admission of Paternity as reflected in his Live Birth from the Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City, Metro Manila; that moreover, he had been using the surname Naling, with the acknowledge and consent of his father Ramonito Naling, since he was young; that thus, he used the name Renan Naling in all his transactions and dealings, as it appeared in his school records, baptismal certificate and other documents; that the following are some of the documents where the Petitioner’s name is reflected. Certificate of Baptism issued on 17 July 2018, Form 137-A, and School Identification Cards; and that the petitioner’s seek the indulgence of this Honorable Court to grant the Petition and correspondingly issue an Order allowing Petitioner Renan to use the surname of his father and correction of entry as to his middle name. Petitioners prayed to this Honorable Court to issue an Order granting this amended petition and to issue an Order allowing him to use the surname of his father, to the end that he be allowed to use the name of Renan Samarita Naling.

Class 1 Class 2 Class 3

Php 31.00 Php 62.00 Php 93.00

SO ORDERED

By Authority of the Board:

Supply of TransformerThursday Turns Ratio TTRthat 3Ph Digital – (1 unit),

that, as you know, cases of the coronavirus were detected in my inner circle,” he said, speaking via video link. “Not just one or two but several dozen people,” he added. The 68-year-old Russian leader specified in late June that he had been vaccinated with Russia’s homegrown Sputnik V after months of secrecy around the issue, but the Kremlin did not show images of the inoculation. Putin in recent months has resumed his work trips and face-to-face meetings, but many of his contacts are still required to spend two weeks in quarantine. AFP

fore the COP26 climate summit, said climate change and its impacts were accelerating. And a temporary reduction in carbon emissions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had done nothing to slow the relentless warming, it found. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, struck at the COP21 summit, called for capping global warming at well below 2 C above the pre-industrial level, and ideally closer to 1.5 C. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the report’s findings were “an alarming appraisal of just how far off course we are” in meeting the Paris goals. “This year has seen fossil fuel emissions bounce back, greenhouse gas concentrations continuing to rise and severe human-enhanced weather events that have affected health, lives and livelihoods on every continent,” he wrote in the report’s foreword. “Unless there are immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warming to 1.5 C will be impossible, with catastrophic consequences for people and the planet.” AFP

Malaysian holiday island opens as domestic tourism restarts

5. Online Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the NEA Memorandum NO. 2017-019: Revised Procurement Guidelines and Simplified Bidding Procedures for Electric Cooperatives, IRRRA 10531 (2017); All video conferences shall be recorded in CD/DVD for reference and other purposes. 6. The schedule of bidding activities is as follows:

ACTIVITIES Release of Invitation to Bid Submission of Letter of Intent thru email / Availability of Bidding

(Sgd.) ATTY. ALVIN A. CARULLO Documents Executive Director/Hearing Officer

VISITORS flocked to the Malaysian island of LangSCHEDULE kawi Thursday as it became the country’s first holi10 September 2021 (Friday) day hotspot to reopen after a coronavirus lockdown 11-17hammered September 2021the Office Hours, at ORMECO, INC. Office that has vital tourism industry. (ormeco.bac.official@gmail.com) Restrictions on local travel had been in place for months and international 9:00 borders am for Lotremain I largely closed2021 as (Monday) Malaysia 11:00its amworst for Lot II CO20 September at battles ORMECO, INC. Board Room VID-19 wave. 1:00 pm for Lot III But with the outbreak gradually 3:00 pm for Loteasing, IV Langkawi, one of tropical Malaysia’s premier 9:00 am for Lot I

WHEREFORE, finding the verified amended petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the same is re-set for hearing on September 20, 2021 at 2:00 in the afternoon. Session Hall of Branch 223 of this Court, at which date and time, petitioner and counsel are directed to appear to substantiate Date of Second Publication: SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 Dateallegations of First Publication: 2021 and for any interested persons may the of theSEPTEMBER amended 10, petition appear and show cause why the amended petition should not be granted.

Online/Virtual Pre-Bid Conference

Let a copy of this Order be published at the expense of the petitioners in a newspaper of daily circulation to be selected by raffle pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 1079, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks prior to the date of hearing.

Deadline of Bid Submission (ormeco. bac.official@gmail.com), Opening and Evaluation of Bids (Online/Virtual)

Let a copy of this Order be furnished the Office of the Solicitor General, Office of the City Prosecutor, the Civil Registrar of Quezon City, and the Registrar General, Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly National Statistics

1.5°C warming limit without major action impossible: UN

5 October 2021 (Tuesday) at ORMECO, INC. Board Room

6 October 2021 (Wednesday) at ORMECO, INC. Board Room

1:00 pm for Lot II 9:00 am for Lot III 1:00 pm for Lot IV

holiday destinations, has been chosen for a pilot project to reopen the sector to domestic tourists. The island began welcoming visitors Thursday, with water cannons firing over the first plane to land at its airport. “We’re very excited because we haven’t been anywhere since February 2020,” Andrea Manason, an Australian woman based in Kuala Lumpur travelling with her family of six, told AFP. “It’s really exciting for us to be here, and to

actually have the kids leave the house.” Under the initiative, hotels and businesses have been allowed to reopen while activities on the island’s palm-fringed beaches are resuming. Tourists must be fully vaccinated to visit and have to take a virus test before departure. Alexander Issac, head of a yacht charter firm, said he was delighted at the reopening as the island’s tourism sector had been “badly impacted” by virus curbs. AFP

Business

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Philip Morris clinches takeover of inhaler maker

LANGKAWI REOPENS. A ground staff member helps a woman in a wheelchair after she disembarked from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 738 aircraft in Langkawi that flew in from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on September 16, 2021, as the holiday island reopened to domestic tourists following closures due to restrictions to halt the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. AFP

Market rallies to snap 3-day slump; Globe, Emperador up

HE stock market rose Thursday on bargain hunting and the strong performance of Wall Street overnight to snap a three-day slump. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index climbed 88.23 points, or 1.3 percent, to 6,968.43 on a value turnover of P7.4 billion. Gainers beat losers, 103 to 90, with 47 issues unchanged. Emperador Inc., the biggest liquor maker and owned by tycoon Andrew Tan, surged 6.2 percent to P18.02, while Aboitiz Power Corp. of the Aboitiz Group increased 4.3 percent to P31.60. Globe Telecom Inc. of the Ayala Group, the second-largest mobile phone firm, advanced 5.3 percent to P3,200, while sister unit AC Energy Corp. gained 3.8 percent at P10.48. The rest of Asian markets struggled Thursday to recover from the previous day’s sell-off, with Hong Kong dragged by further losses in casinos as well as tech firms following government crackdowns on the sectors. Wall Street’s robust perfor-

mance was not enough to spur buying in the region, where concerns about the spreading Delta coronavirus variant and its impact on the economic rebound are draining confidence. Traders are also keeping tabs on developments in China, where one of its biggest property developers, Evergrande, is drowning in a sea of debt that could see it crash into a bankruptcy observers fear could have a severe impact on the world’s number-two economy and beyond. Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, Wellington, Jakarta and Taipei also fell, though Sydney, Singapore, Mumbai and Jakarta edged higher. Hong Kong led losses, extending its streak to a fourth straight day, with Macau casinos back in the spotlight after Wednesday’s crash fueled by city authorities’ plans to tighten its control of the industry. With AFP

LONDON, United Kingdom— US cigarette firm Philip Morris International on Thursday clinched a controversial takeover of British breathing inhaler manufacturer Vectura, despite fierce opposition from health campaigners and medical groups. The Marlboro-maker agreed in July to pay £1.0 billion ($1.4 billion, 1.2 billion euros) as part of a broader push into healthcare. Philip Morris International on Thursday said it had since won the necessary support from investors and secured regulatory approvals. The acquisition is part of PMI’s plans to expand beyond tobacco and nicotine and into a broader healthcare company. “We have reached an important milestone in our acquisition of Vectura,” PMI chief executive Jacek Olczak said in a statement. The group has identified respi-

ratory drug delivery as a key focus, under broader plans to generate at least $1.0 billion in annual net revenues from nicotine-free products by 2025. “We are very excited about the critical role Vectura will play in our Beyond Nicotine strategy and look forward to working with Vectura’s scientists and providing them with the resources and expertise to grow their business to help us achieve our goal,” added Olczak. Since 2008, the cigarette giant has invested more than $8.0 billion in smoke-free products, such as vaping, which it says is less harmful than smoking. However, the Vectura takeover has faced heavy criticism from charities and medical groups. More than 20 organizations, including anti-smoking charities and public health groups, together wrote to Vectura manage-

ment urging it to reconsider the takeover on ethical and practical grounds. Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of both Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, accused Vectura of seeking a quick profit. “Vectura has sold out millions of people with lung disease, and instead prioritized short-term financial gain over the long-term viability of Vectura as a business,” she said. “Vectura is now owned by a tobacco company, and this could cause considerable problems, such as the firm being excluded from research and clinical networks.” She added that it “creates perverse incentives for Philip Morris International to sell more of its harmful products so they might then profit again through treating smoking-related diseases.” AFP

Manila

Standard

TODAY

CIRCULAR

SUBJECT I.

All Heads of Departments, Bureaus, Offices, Agencies and Instrumentalities of the National Government, Heads of the Local Government Units, Managing Heads of Government-Owned and/ or Controlled Corporations, Chiefs of Financial and Management Services, Chief Accountants, Cashiers, Disbursing Officers, and Budget Officers; Assistant Commissioners, Directors and State Auditors of the Commission on Audit (COA); and All Others Concerned

All government entities that elect to use and/or implement a system using digital signature or other types of electronic signature on electronic documents under this Circular shall issue internal rules in the adoption of the same, including sanction for unauthorized and illegal use of digital certificates or electronic signatures, subject to existing laws and regulations such as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, as well as to rules of the DICT. They shall submit a Management Representation or Policy Statement on the use of signature on electronic documents in their operations to their respective Auditors, together with the approved internal rules. A sample form of the Management Representation is attached as Annex A.

To secure the electronic records with signatures, the government entity shall: a. Designate a focal person for all matters pertaining to electronic signing implementation of the government entity; b. Develop, maintain, and update accordingly the system documentation used for creating electronic records with signatures; c. Develop, maintain and implement standard operating procedures for the creation, utilization, storage, security, and management of electronic records that contain signatures, to ensure that the records are protected from unauthorized alteration or destruction; d. Implement a security awareness program such as training the employees on the acceptable use of signature on electronic documents; and e. Develop and implement policy and guidelines on the following:

Guidelines on the use of Electronic Documents, Electronic Signatures, and Digital Signatures in Government Transactions

RATIONALE

The Philippine Constitution provides that the State recognizes the vital role of communication and information in nation-building. It shall regulate the transfer and promote the adaptation of technology for the national benefit.

Republic Act No. 8792 or the Electronic Commerce Act of 20001 provides for the legal recognition of electronic signatures and imposes strict requirements before an electronic signature qualifies as a handwritten signature. The same law allows electronic transactions in government and allows appropriate government entities to adopt and promulgate rules, regulations, or guidelines to specify the use of an electronic signature, the type of electronic signature required, the manner the electronic signature shall be affixed to the electronic data message or electronic document, and the control processes and procedures as appropriate to ensure adequate integrity, security and confidentiality of electronic data messages or electronic documents or records of payments.

The same rule gives disputable presumption to electronic signature in favor of its validity after its authentication. To promote the growth and wide use of e-government services and address the authentication, integrity and non-repudiation concerns, Executive Order No. 810 was issued in 2009 to institutionalize the National Certification Scheme for Digital Signatures in the country and designate the National Computer Center (NCC) under the Commission on Information and Communications Technology, now Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), as the Government Certificate Authority to provide the necessary services in implementing the scheme. This paved the way for DICT’s Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) [DICT-PNPKI] service which enables the widespread use of digital signatures nationwide. The DICT-PNPKI makes use of the PKI framework – a robust system that uses paired keys to provide security and authentication for electronic information transfers. Relative thereto, COA Memorandum 2009-073 dated July 23, 2009 was issued to require state auditors to ensure that their audited agencies providing electronic services to their clients are/ will be implementing the use of digital signature in their respective e-government services.

Specific Guidelines on the use of Digital Signatures

All officials and employees designated/authorized to sign documents using digital signature shall apply for their individual certificates with the DICT as the Government Certificate Authority through its PNPKI service where they shall undergo a process of identity verification and be oriented on the proper and sound use of digital certificates as prescribed under the DICT-PNPKI Digital Certificate Subscriber Agreement. Alternatively, they may apply for their individual certificates from any other CA accredited or recognized by the Department of Trade and Industry – Philippine Accreditation Bureau (DTI-PAB) to issue digital certificates to be used in government transactions.9

At a minimum, the implementation of digital signatures shall bear the following characteristics: a. Authentication – linking the signatory to the information; b. Integrity – assuring that the document has not been altered during transmission; and c. Non-repudiation – ensuring that the signer of the electronic document cannot at a later time deny having signed it.

The Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) in its Resolution No. 16-2019 allowed and approved the use of digital signature in all GPPB issuances and in procurement related documents. Similarly, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 29-2021 which allows the use of electronic signatures on BIR Forms 2304, 2306, 2307 and 2316. The Anti-Red Tape Authority intensifies its drive to streamline the processes in all government entities and take advantage of technology, especially in the event of a disaster or any state of emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic as it allows government officials to approve transactions and make payments without necessarily being physically present. Furthermore, COA Circular No. 2004-006 dated September 9, 2004 implies admissibility of digitally-signed documents in audit.

Government entities shall have the duty to inform COA Auditors, in case of revocation or expiration (without renewal) of the digital certificate. They shall keep updated records of Certificate Revocation List, which contains list of certificates that would have been compromised or are expired so that the government entity knows which digital certificates are no longer valid or have been revoked by the CA.

To ensure verifiability of digitally-signed documents, the same shall be maintained in its original form and submitted electronically. For this purpose, print-out of documents are considered duplicates or secondary copies and shall have a notation (footer) or disclosure “The original of this document is in digital format” or other similar language.

10. In signing an electronic document, a government official or the designated signatory shall express in unequivocal terms his/her intent or purpose for signing through a notation close to his/her signature or through a footnote. However, such notation or footnote is not required when the intent is clear as appearing in the document. 11. When using digital signature, electronic document is preferred to be in Portable Document Format (pdf), Microsoft Excel Document (xlsx), or combination of both. Any other compatible format may also be used, provided it allows secure implementation of digital signature. For digitally signed e-mails, it is recommended that a government domain email be used (e.g. name@agency.gov.ph)

Lastly, the enactment of the Data Privacy Act of 20122 and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 20123 requires that government agencies establish and implement controls and secure means of providing electronic services to the public. Digital signatures, by design, contribute significantly to these control requirements.

12. When a digital certificate is to be used to sign a document, the same should be valid, unexpired, and unrevoked at the time of signing.

Therefore, this Circular shall prescribe guidance on the use of electronic signatures for accountability purposes to resolve doubts over the reliability of information to be used as audit evidence.

13. The following details in a human-readable form, shall accompany the digital signatures:

SCOPE AND COVERAGE

a. Full name of the signatory; and b. An image of the signatory’s handwritten signature;

This Circular shall apply when the audited agency submits electronic documents to the auditor in lieu of paper documents, where the signature of an authorized signatory is required. Nothing in the Circular shall be construed as prohibiting an audited agency from submitting paper documents, or a combination of paper and electronic documents. III.

Scope of the employee’s authority to use signature on electronic documents Security measures for the protection of digital certificate, if any Sanctions for misuse or abuse of signatures.

The Supreme Court also recognizes the use of electronic signatures in its Rules on Electronic Evidences which provides that an electronic signature or digital signature authenticated in the manner prescribed is admissible in evidence as the functional equivalent of the signature of a person on a written document.

II.

Management Responsibility in using Electronic Documents

4. No. : 2021-006 Date: September 6, 2021 :

Private parties involved in transactions with government, in the absence of a digital certificate, may use other types of electronic signature, subject to the controls implemented by the transacting government entity.

For guidance, an example of a properly formatted digital signature is shown below:

However, other formats shall be acceptable so long as they clearly display items a and b above.

DEFINITION OF TERMS a. Asymmetric or public cryptosystem, more commonly referred to as public key infrastructure, means a system capable of generating a secure key pair, consisting of a private key for creating a digital signature, and a public key for verifying the digital signature.4 b. Certificate Authority (CA) refers to a trusted entity that manages and issues security certificates and public keys that are used for secure communication in a public network or the internet. The DICT is the authorized Certificate Authority in the government.

14. It is the duty of every certificate subscriber to give notification to the designated focal person mentioned in Item 5 and to the concerned auditor for revocation when he/she suspects that his/her certificate has been compromised.

c. Digital Certificate is a file issued by a CA or the DICT-PNPKI containing the user’s personal information just like an ordinary ID, only in this case, it is digital. It is used to encrypt, authenticate or digitally sign an email and document.

FUEL AID. Tankers carrying Iranian fuel arrive at al-Ain in Hermel in

east Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley on September 16, 2021. Dozens of tankers carrying Iranian fuel and transported by the Shiite Hezbollah movement arrived from Syria in Lebanon, in the grip of severe fuel shortages. AFP

whether the transformation was created using the private key that corresponds to the signer’s public key; and

ii.

whether the initial electronic document had been altered after the transformation was made.5

Bumpy road as aging Japan gambles on self-driving cars

Electronic Document refers to information or the representation of information, data, figures, symbols or other modes of written expression, described or however represented, by which a right is established or an obligation extinguished, or by which a fact may be proved and affirmed, which is received, recorded, transmitted, stored, processed, retrieved or produced electronically.6

By Etienne Balmer TOKYO, Japan—With an ageing population in need of transport, Japan is betting on autonomous cars, but an accident involving a self-driving showcase at the Paralympics illustrates the challenges ahead. Japan is far from the only place with autonomous vehicles on the roads, but its government has set acceleration of the technology as a key priority. Last year, it became the first country in the world to allow a vehicle capable of taking full control in certain situations to operate on public roads. The Honda car has “Level 3” autonomy, meaning it can take certain decisions alone, though a driver has to be ready to take the wheel in emergencies. The government has changed the law to pave the way for increasingly advanced autonomous vehicles, and the ministry of economy, trade and industry (METI) has plans for 40

autonomous taxi test sites nationwide by 2025. It’s a policy driven by a serious problem: Japan’s population is the oldest in the world, and the country is plagued by persistent labor shortages. “In the cargo and transport sectors, drivers have become older and the shortage of human resources has become serious,” a recent METI report said. It also warned of “terrible traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers making operational errors.” With demand clear, local automakers have lined up to develop technologies. Top-selling Toyota plans to run its e-Palette self-driving buses along dedicated roads in the smart city it is building at the foot of Mount Fuji. The buses ran in the athletes’ village during the Tokyo 2020 Games, but the project was briefly suspended after a vehicle hit and lightly injured a visually impaired Paralympian. AFP

15. The document should be protected after all signatories had affixed their digital and other types of electronic signatures to ensure that the document will not be altered thereafter.

d. Digital Signature refers to a secure type of electronic signature consisting of a transformation of an electronic document or an electronic data message using an asymmetric or public cryptosystem such that a person having the initial untransformed electronic document and the signer’s public key can accurately determine:

f. Electronic Signature refers to any distinctive mark, characteristic and/or sound in electronic form, secured and non-secured, representing the identity of a person and attached to or logically associated with the electronic data message or electronic document or any methodology or procedures employed or adopted by a person and executed or adopted by such person with the intention of authenticating or approving an electronic data message or electronic document.7 For purposes of this Circular, electronic signature refers not only to the handwritten signatures, but the whole process adopted in approving an electronic data message or electronic document. Examples of electronic signatures include: a scanned image of the person’s ink signature, a mouse squiggle on a screen or a hand-signature created on a tablet using the person’s finger or stylus, a signature at the bottom of the email, a typed name, a biometric hand-signature signed on a specialized signing hardware device, a video signature, a voice signature, etc.8 g. Key Pair refers to the two mathematically related keys, the public and private keys. Whatever is encrypted with a Public Key may only be decrypted by its corresponding Private Key and vice versa. Public and private keys are paired for secure communication, such as email. h. Private Key is a bit of code that is paired with a public key to set off algorithms for text encryption and decryption. It is created as part of public key cryptography during asymmetric-key encryption and used to decrypt and transform a message to a readable format. A private key is also known as a secret key.

16. When the officer opts to use an electronic signature other than a digital signature on an electronic document, the signed electronic document may be validly accepted provided the agency is able to establish that: a. the electronic signature is that of the person to whom it correlates; b. the electronic signature was affixed by that person with the intention of authenticating or approving the electronic document to which it is related or to indicate such person’s consent to the transaction embodied therein; c. the methods or processes utilized to affix or verify the electronic signature, if any, operated without error or fault; and d. the person whose e-signature was affixed, takes responsibility and assumed accountability that the document remained unchanged until it was submitted to the auditor. V.

SAVING CLAUSE

Cases not covered in this Circular shall be referred to the Systems and Technical Services Sector, this Commission, for resolution. VI.

SUPPLETORY APPLICATION OF THE RULES OF COURT AND OTHER LAWS

This Circular shall primarily govern the use of digital and other types of electronic signatures in government transactions under the audit jurisdiction of COA, in accordance with the E-Commerce Act. The provisions of the Rules of Court, Rules on Electronic Evidence, and other relevant rules and regulations under the Anti Wire-tapping Act and the Bank Secrecy Law shall apply in a suppletory character to this Circular. VII.

EFFECTIVITY This Circular shall take effect immediately upon publication.

i. Public Key is also a bit of code used to encrypt data. The key is provided by the CA and is made available to everyone through a directory or email.

MICHAEL G. AGUINALDO Chairperson

j. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is an infrastructure that secures communications among individuals and government entities. This way, the government’s delivery of services to citizens and businesses becomes safer, faster and more efficient. IV.

ROLAND C. PONDOC Commissioner

GUIDELINES A.

General Principles and Guidelines

Submission of electronic documents with electronic signatures (including digital signatures) following the rules in this Circular, shall mean sufficient compliance to the requirement of submission of duly signed document as any other duly signed paper document used in government transactions.

When under existing rules a document requires a signature, the use of electronic signature (including digital signature) on the electronic document shall be an accepted alternative and shall be equivalent to the signature of a person on a written document such as, but not limited to, procurement-related documents, Disbursement Vouchers, Requisition and Issuance Slips, Purchase Orders, Contracts, and Memoranda among others.

Specific Guidelines on the use of Electronic Signature (other than Digital Signature)

Note: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9

Annex A of the Circular may be accessed in the COA website @ www.coa.gov.ph

An Act Providing for the Recognition and Use of Electronic Commercial and Non-Commercial Transactions and Documents, Penalties for Unlawful Use Thereof and for Other Purposes. An Act Protecting Individual Personal Information in Information and Communications Systems in the Government and the Private Sector, Creating for this Purpose a National Privacy Commission, and for Other Purposes, Republic Act No. 10173, August 15, 2012. An Act Defining Cybercrime, Providing for the Prevention, Investigation, Suppression and the Imposition of Penalties Therefor and for Other Purposes, Republic Act No. 10175, September 12, 2012. Rules on Electronic Evidence, A.M. No. 01-7-01-SC, July 17, 2001, Rule 2, Section 1(a). Rules on Electronic Evidence, Rule 2, Section 1(e). Rules on Electronic Evidence, Rule 2, Section 1(h). Rules on Electronic Evidence, Rule 2, Section 1(j). Dave Venance, What is an e-Signature? Part I, available at https://www.4point.com/blog/2017/06/what_is_an_e-signatu.html (last accessed: June 20, 2020). Executive Order No. 810, June 15, 2009, Section 3(d). (MS-SEPT. 17, 2021)

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

B4 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

Emperador seeks secondary listing in Singapore bourse By Jenniffer B. Austria LIQUOR maker Emperador Inc. said Thursday it filed an application for a secondary listing on the main board of the Singapore Exchange. Emperador, controlled by billionaire Andrew Tan, said the application is subject to review and approval of the SGX. The company did not disclose other details of the planned dual listing. “This is a significant momentous event for Emperador. Singapore, one of the world’s major financial hubs, will provide a broader audience and greater access to international investors,” Emperador chief executive Winston Co said. “The eventual listing in Asia’s leading exchange will also provide a platform to showcase Emperador as a global spirits company,” Co said. Emperador earlier said it would continue to maintain its primary listing in the Philippine Stock Exchange. PSE chairman Jose Pardo said Emperador’s planned dual listing would be a good way to promote the company’s global brands and products in an important, growing consumer market. “This dual listing bodes well, and is in fact timely, since SGX and PSE have started to work on a joint initiative to establish a PSE-SGX Connect whereby index stocks of PSE can be traded in SGX and vice versa,” Pardo said. Emperador’s manufactured distilled spirits and other alcoholic beverages are available in 55 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and South America. The company acquired Whyte and Mackay and Bodegas Fundador in 2014 and 2015 as part of its overseas expansion plan. Emperador chalked up a net income of P5.08 billion in the first half, up 53 percent from P3.32 billion recorded in the same period last year. First-half revenues jumped 18 percent to P25.3 billion, fueled by strong sales from international markets. Sales of brandy products, which accounted for 65 percent of total firsthalf sales, went up by 10 percent to P16.3 billion. Revenues from Scotch Whisky, which accounted for the remaining 35 percent of total sales, jumped 35 percent to P9 billion.

SMC Global issues $150m in securities to fund cycle plant SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. said Thursday it issued $150 million in senior perpetual capital securities to finance the construction of a 1,313.1-megawatt combined cycle power plant in Batangas province. The amount is higher than the $100 million in additional senior perpetual capital securities issuance earlier approved by the board. “We advise that on Sept. 15, 2021, the corporation issued US$150,000,000 senior perpetual capital securities, with an initial rate of distribution of 5.45 percent per annum,” the company said in a disclosure to Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. SMC Global said it obtained an approval in-principle from Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Ltd. for the listing and quotation of the additional securities. The additional securities are expected to be accepted to the official list of the SGX-ST on Sept. 16. “The net proceeds of the additional securities will be used and applied by the corporation primarily for investments in the 1,313.1-MW Batangas combined cycle power plant and related assets or for general corporate purposes,” the company said. SMC Global engaged Standard Chartered Bank and Mizuho Securities Asia Ltd. as joint lead managers; DB Trustees (Hong Kong) Limited as trustee and Deutsche Bank AG, Hong Kong Branch as paying agent; and Latham & Watkins as listing agent for the issuance of the additional Securities. SMC Global said its board approved on Sept. 8 the issuance of securities of at least $100 million or such other amount determined by management, subject to prevailing market conditions as may be advantageous to the corporation. Alena Mae S. Flores

Business PH banks asked to switch from LIBOR rate reference B By Julito G. Rada

ANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno on Thursday asked banks to proactively transition their transactions to alternative reference rates ahead of the termination of the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, as a benchmark rate.

Diokno said in an online briefing that LIBOR, an interest rate benchmark used in a wide range of financial transactions, would enter a phased process of cessation beginning Jan. 1, 2022. “As the discontinuation of LIBOR as reference rate approaches, the BSP will continue to engage the industry and individual banks to facilitate a smooth transition,” he said. He said the transition away from LIBOR, initially announced in 2017, reached a crucial stage with the March 2021 announcement by the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority of the formal timeline for the discontinuation of the benchmark. Diokno said without the implementation of an orderly transition plan, the ending of LIBOR could give rise to sig-

nificant operational risks for banks. The BSP issued Memorandum No. M-2020-083 dated Nov. 17, 2020 on the transition from the LIBOR and reporting requirements on LIBOR-related exposures. The memorandum highlights the BSP’s expectation for supervised entities to implement viable transition plans to ensure that the expected end of LIBOR would not disrupt their operations and the efficient provision of services to clients and other market counterparties. “Banks must ensure overall operational readiness for the adoption of alternative reference rates by putting necessary systems and infrastructure in place, and establishing appropriate contractual arrangements,” Diokno said.

The BSP also required all universal and commercial banks and their subsidiary banks to submit quarterly reports on their LIBOR-related exposures. Diokno said the reporting requirement was intended to facilitate the identification of transactions referenced to the benchmark. The report will also help the BSP in monitoring banks’ progress in actively winding down their LIBOR exposures. Meanwhile, Diokno said the BSP received a 700,000-euro (equivalent to around P41 million) grant from the Agence Française de Développement to further strengthen its capacity to foster financial inclusion in the country. “The grant from the French Development Agency is expected to enhance the BSP’s initiatives to empower marginalized sectors in the Philippines by providing them access to financial products and services,” he said. The grant will fund a technical assistance program to support the BSP’s efforts to leverage on technology for the effective regulation of digital finance, promote digital financial literacy of rural and women-owned businesses, and contribute to public policy dialogue on agricultural insurance.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, September 16, 2021 88.23 PTS. 6,968.43

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,068,546,144 95,455 7,373,012,351.93 103 90 47

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

49.8560

Japan

Yen

0.009145

0.4559

Pound

1.384600

69.0306

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128505

6.4067

Switzerland

Franc

1.087193

54.2031

Canada

Dollar

0.792079

39.4899

Singapore

Dollar

0.745823

37.1838

Australia

Dollar

0.733100

36.5494

Bahrain

Dinar

2.654139

132.3248

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

13.2946

Brunei

Dollar

0.743052

37.0456

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.030423

1.5168

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.5744

Euro

1.181800

58.9198

Korea

Won

0.000857

0.0427

China

Yuan

0.155448

7.7500

India

Rupee

0.013617

0.6789

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.240558

11.9933

New Zealand

Dollar

0.711000

35.4476

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036215

1.8055 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF DMCI launching new tower in QC

DMCI Homes, the residential development unit of DMCI Holdings, is set to launch a new condominium tower in Quezon City. DMIC Homes said in a statement Thursday the project called the Erin Heights would rise on Commonwealth Ave. in Tandang Sora, Quezon City. The project will be launched before the end of the year to capitalize on the strong demand for residential spaces in the city. The property developer said the project was expected to attract homebuyers and investors because of the property’s proximity to the Tandang Sora Station of the Metro Rail Transit System Line 7 project, top universities and lifestyle-focused places of interest in the area. DMCI Homes president Alfredo Austria said the company’s integration of in-house design, engineering and construction in its business process helped the company launch and deliver projects despite the limitations brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. “Even before the pandemic, our approach has served our company well, allowing us to be more agile in optimizing our product offerings according to market requirements,” Austria said. Jenniffer B. Austria

LGUs asked to invite waste-to-energy firms SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian asked local government units to start talks with investors to put up waste-to-energy facilities. The Department of Energy recently came out with a draft circular on WTE, consistent with Gatchalian’s proposed Waste-To-Energy Act (Senate Bill No. 1789) that seeks to establish a regulatory framework for facilities utilizing WTE technologies for proper waste management. “The development of WTE technology should send a signal to local government units to begin entertaining investors and explore the feasibility of having WTE facilities in their localities,” said Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate committee on energy. Gatchalian said with clear backing from the government, the adoption of WTE technology would address garbage disposal and provide a renewable energy source. Alena Mae S. Flores

MERALCO-DTI PARTNERSHIP. Manila Electric Co. and the Department of Trade and Industry renew their commitment

to support micro, small and medium enterprises amid the pandemic. The virtual signing ceremony is led by (from left) Meralco Biz Partners Group head Joy Mendoza, Meralco senior vice president and head of networks Ronnie Aperocho, Meralco first vice president and chief commercial officer Ferdinand Geluz, Trade Undersecretary Blesila Lantayona and DTI-Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprises Development director Jerry Clavesillas.

AC Energy signs deal to sell diesel power barges to SPC By Alena Mae S. Flores AC Energy Corp., a unit of Ayala Corp., said Thursday it signed an agreement to sell Power Barges 102 and 103 to SPC Island Power Corp. “Closing of the sale is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to satisfaction of agreed conditions precedent, which include the applicable regulatory approvals,” AC Energy said in a disclosure to the stock exchange. PB 102 and PB 103 are both 32-megawatt oil-fired diesel barges and non-operating. PB 102 is located in Barangay Obrero, Iloilo City, while

PB 103 lies in Barangay Poblacion, Lapu-lapu City. AC Energy said it decided in August to sell the power barge assets to SPC Power and Prime Strategic Holdings Inc. AC Energy announced it would focus on renewable energy projects with a goal of reaching 5,000 megawatts of capacity by 2025. The company recently approved the joint venture with ib vogt Singapore Pte. Ltd. to develop solar projects in the Philippines with an initial target of 300 MW of generating capacity. Its partner, ib vogt Singapore, is an affiliate of ib vogt GmbH, a German company focused on developing and

delivering high-quality large-scale turnkey photovoltaic plants worldwide. AC Energy is also pursuing a 288MW solar project in Buguey and Lal-lo, Cagayan and the 275-MW expansion of the Gigasol Palauig Solar Project in Zambales. AC Energy is the listed energy platform of the Ayala Group. It has about 2,600 MW of attributable capacity in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, India and Australia. The company’s renewable share of capacity is at 80 percent, among the highest in the region. It aims to be the largest listed renewables platform in Southeast Asia.

Xendit to sustain expansion in PH INDONESIA-BASED financial technology firm Xendit, the fastest-growing payments infrastructure in Southeast Asia, plans to continue its growth momentum in the Philippines, almost a year after it entered the domestic market in December 2020. Yang Yang Zhang, chief executive and managing director of Xendit Philippines, said in an online briefing several factors were encouraging the company to expand its operations in the country. “The regulators [such as Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas] are open to innovation and the Philippine economy is on the verge of a hyper growth,” Zhang said. “The potential of the Philippine economy is great,” Zhang said. He said Xendit considers the Philippines a core market outside Indonesia. Christian Reyes, chief operating officer of Xendit Philippines, said the firm would “focus on small and medium enterprises, which serve as the backbone of the economy.” Zhang said the targeted goals for each sector of the new digital economy would include building long-term strategic partnerships to co-build innovative payment solutions; facilitating access to capital; and developing features and programs that cater directly to SMEs. Julito G. Rada

PLDT, Meralco team up to uplift digital network By Darwin G. Amojelar PLDT Inc. said Thursday it teamed up with the Meralco Group to further uplift digital and power infrastructure in the country, as the Philippines gets into the radar of global hyperscalers as the next prospective destination in Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific region. Jovy Hernandez, president and chief executive of ePLDT, said the hypercollaboration among industry enablers such as PLDT and Meralco would be vital to ensure the elevated standards sought by the hyperscalers are met and complied with. “PLDT continues to work with Meralco for the power grid design and renewable energy requirements of our data centers. These enhancements allow us to anticipate the specifications fit for hyperscaler, such as multiple grid terminations for redundancy and sustainable design,” Hernandez said.

Taking into consideration the hyper-growth that comes with the influx of global cloud and content players, ePLDT set out a clear roadmap for its VITRO data centers that includes fortifying its data center design and facilities, diversifying network infrastructure and bringing sustainability at the core of its operations. The company is also teaming up with the energy sector to help drive the renewable energy thrust of hyperscalers. “We continue to incorporate green innovations and practices into our ways of doing and partner with relevant organizations to harness renewable energy that will soon power our data center facilities and ultimately, the hyperscaler market,” Hernandez said. He said that as a technology enabler, the group recognizes its obligation to ensure the Philippines’ competitiveness to help attract the right investments to the country.

MAYNILAD-DOT CAMPAIGN. The Department of Tourism, represented by assistant secretary for branding and marketing communications Howard Lance Uyking, and Maynilad Water Services Inc. advocacy and marketing head Abigail Ho-Torres sign the memorandum of understanding on ‘Maynilad Kubeta PH X It’s More Fun in the Philippines’, a wastewater management campaign to help raise public awareness about environmental protection and sustainable tourism. Under the partnership, the DOT and Maynilad will award the Seal of Good Toilet-keeping to 24 tourist destinations such as parks, historical sites and restaurants, within the Maynilad service area.

Sports

Athletes push for removal of face masks in Baguio training MEMBERS of the national athletics’ team need to train outdoors without wearing face masks. This is why officials of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association are seeking special permits from the local government unit of Baguio City. The authorization is for long-distance and middle-distance runners, so they can run and jog around the National Teacher’s Camp without any light respiratory gear covering their faces. For now, wearing face masks is a must when in a public and outdoor setting anywhere in the country for protection from the COVID-19 infection. PATAFA marketing and communications chief Edward Kho said this on Thursday as he explained why national athletes need to drop their face masks when they go into bubble training. Kho and national long-distance coach Eduardo Buenavista discussed the situation involving the resumption of the training of national athletes on Zoom during the weekly People Sports Conversations Program on Facebook Live, hosted by the Philippine Sports Commission. “Kapag nag-start ito, kailangan namin ng special permit because our long-distance runners can’t run with face masks on. Kasi mahirap tumakbo,” said Kho, who added that only recreational runners should be wearing face masks during lockdowns in areas that are under strict quarantine restrictions. “For high-level athletes, the turnover of your breathing and oxygen level is different,” explained Kho. The PATAFA, through its president Philip Ella Juico, is working with the PSC so that Baguio City will finally allow its athletes to get ready for the Southeast Asian Games and the Asian Games next year. Kho said they plan to send athletes to Baguio City for their bubble training this October. “Ikinakasa na iyung training period for the SEA Games. There are preliminary talks, particularly in Baguio City. But, it’s not yet cast in stone,” said Kho. For now, long-distance runners like Jeson Agravante, Jerald Zabala, Christine Hallasgo, Sonny Wagdos, Joida Jagnao, Richard Salano and Jonel Gobotia are training in their homes and in their respective provinces. Peter Atencio

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

Meralco’s Raymond Almazan and Terrafirma’s Aldrech Ramos fight for the rebound in a PBA game won by the Bolts, 95-83.

Meralco whips Terrafirma, fuels playoff hopes in PBA By Peter Atencio

HE Meralco Bolts hardly felt the absence of two key plays and got a push from Anjo Caram and Reynel Hugnatan to hold off Terrafirma, 95-83, Thursday in the 2021 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the DHVSU Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

Caram and Hugnatan took charge in the fourth quarter and carried the Bolts to their sixth win in eight games. Now in second spot, the Bolts stayed in hot pursuit of a playoff slot.

Back from a two-week absence following an enforced break, the Bolts were rusty but still drew big plays from Caram and Hugnatan as they pulled away from a 75-all deadlock in the last period.

Caram, coming off the bench with 13 points, struck with two triples in the fourth canto, the last one finding its mark in the remaining 4:12 and putting the Bolts up by 12 points. “We were off for two weeks. When that happened, you have no idea how your team is gonna play and come back. We were rusty,” said Bolts coach Norman Black. Hugnatan drilled only 10 points, but he struck hard in the remaining 10:23 of the fourth, sinking a threepoint play and a putback that lifted the Bolts out of 75-all tie and into an 81-75 edge.

Lipa workshop charts PH volleyball’s short-term plan

National women’s coach Odjie Mamon, PNVF Secretary General Don Caringal, national men’s coach Dante Alinsunurin, PNVF President Ramon “Tats” Suzara, Brazilian consultant coch Jorge Edson Souza de Brito, National Team Commission Chairperson Tonyboy Liao, national men’s coach Dong dela Cruz, Deputy Secretary General for International Affairs Ricky Palou and national women’s team manager Fe Moran pose right after the meeting/workshop at the Aquamarine Events Center last Saturday. PNVF Photo

THE calendars for the end-quarter of 2021 and 2022 were forged in a fruitful meeting/workshop among concerned Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) officials and national team coaches on Saturday (September 11) at the Aquamarine Events Center in Lipa City, Batangas. Brazilian consultant-coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito and national coaches Odjie Mamon (women), Dante Alinsunurin (men) and Dong dela Cruz (men) took part in the proceedings that set in motion the future of the national team program. PNVF President Ramon “Tats” Suzara presided over the workshop that also had in attendance PNVF Secretary General Don Caringal, Deputy Secretary General for International Affairs Ricky Palou and National Team Commission chairman Tonyboy Liao. With a busy next two years, Souza de Brito unveiled an action plan for 2022 and 2023 to develop and improve the quality of the country’s volleyball teams. In view of the pandemic situation and

taking into account the country’s current talent depth, Souza de Brito proposed an action plan that emcompasses physical, technical, tactical, psychological and structure of the national team program. “Physical - To focus on the development of taller and younger athletes and preferably who are available to serve the national team with the main objective of representing the country in international competitions and improving their performance for the service of the team, volleyball and country. Develop physical work so they can support a progressive workload,” Souza de Brito told the coaches and PNVF officials. “Technical - Search for quality training that can be replicated in the smaller categories and that is in accordance with what has been carried out in the national teams both in the Asian continent and abroad. Use parameters of international championships and measure the domestic and regional championships on behalf of the PNVF, in order to form a database and use it as a basis in the search for the performance of our teams.”

Casimero leads PSA list of August achievers REIGNING World Boxing Organization bantamweight king John Riel Casimero was the toast of local sports for the month of August, with promising unbeaten featherweight Mark ‘Magnifico’ Magsayo not too far behind. Nicknamed ‘Cuadro Alas,’ Casimero hogged the spotlight last Aug. 15 (Aug. 14 in the US), banking on his aggressiveness in fashioning a split decision win over crafty and elusive Cuban challenger Guillermo Rigondeaux at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson City, California to retain his crown. The Ormoc City pride was foiled in landing a knockout punch as the two-time Olympic boxing gold medalist danced away from him, connecting on counterpunches to keep the dull bout close bout, much to the dismay of fans who expected fireworks. Posting his 31st win, 21 by knockout,

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

against four losses, Casimero made a successful second defense of the title he wrested from South African Solani Tete with a thirdround stoppage last Dec. 11, 2019 at the Birmingham Arena in Birmingham, England. Rigondeaux was unapologetic of his drab boxing style in absorbing his only second loss in 22 matches. Casimero leads the Philippine Sportswriters Association monthly achievers for August, joining the likes of first Philippine Olympic gold medal winner Hidilyn Diaz, and Olympiad medalists Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, and Eumir Marcial, along with US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso, national record breaker pole vaulter EJ Obiena, French Open doubles girls champion Alex Eala, among other previous athletes included in the list culled by the country’s oldest media organization.

John Riel Casimero Casimero made a successful second defense of his WBO bantamweight title.

“We did not do a good job with the ball in the first. But in the second half, we were getting our shots in,” added Black. Allain Maliksi and Raymund Almazan added 12 and 11 points for the Bolts, while Bong Quinto hit 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a steal. Aldrech Ramos topscored for the Dyip with 15 points. The Bolts returned to action with key plays Chris Newsome and Chris Hodge indisposed as the two observed the league’s health and safety protocols.

WNBL, NBL resume Saturday in Pampanga THE WNBL and the NBL are scheduled to restart with their respective seasons on Saturday at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga. The Pia Cayetano WNBL Season 2021 resumes play with the unbeaten Glutagence Glow Boosters facing the Quezon Lady SparTAN at 11:15 a.m. Then, the Chooks-to-Go NBL Chairman’s Cup 2021 restarts with a tripleheader starting at 1:15 p.m. with the Sulong Stan Spartan going up against the Muntinlupa Water Warriors. The Laguna Pistons will also play in the restart as they take on the Quezon Barons on Saturday at 4 p.m., while the Mindoro Tamaraws go up against the Pampanga Delta in the nightcap at 6 p.m. Games will continue on Sunday with the Pacific Water Queens going up against the Quezon Lady SparTAN at 11:15 a.m. in the WNBL still at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center. NBL action is also set on Sunday with the Quezon Barons and Sulong Stan Spartan colliding at 1:15 p.m., the Pampanga Delta clashing with the Laguna Pistons at 4 p.m., and the La Union PAOwer battling the Bulacan DF Republicans. The two leagues suspended play last August following the implementation of a stricter community quarantine in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. NBL/WNBL will be conducting strict protocols during gamedays with testing before entry at the venue and the wearing of PPEs. To also ensure safety among the participants at the venue, the leagues have installed a penalty box for protocol violators, with repeat offenders facing expulsion at the venue. The Glow Boosters eye to win their third win in as many outings and retain solo position of first place in their clash with the SparTAN.

Sports

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

Next generation of taekwondo champs in PSC web series YOUNG and promising women and girls’ taekwondo practitioners of the country will headline the coming webisode of Rise Up Shape Up this coming Saturday. RUSU is a weekly web series of the Philippine Sports Commission under the Women in Sports program. It highlights the inspiring stories of women and girls, who demonstrated excellence in the field and provides equal opportunity and exposure for them. In the latest webisode, PSC-RUSU will feature 45 taekwondo rising stars who shone in the recent 7th Women’s Martial Arts Festival. “Courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and an indomitable spirit—these are the five tenets of taekwondo that any practitioner or athlete knows by heart. These are also the same characteristics manifested by these 45 young taekwondo champions,” said PSC Women in Sports Commissioner oversight Celia H. Kiram. The brief history of taekwondo will also be discussed during the 10:30 a.m. web program, which will be explained further by Commissioner Kiram in the “K-Isport: Kwentong Isport” segment. “This project echoes the agency’s commitment to supporting and nurturing women in the field of sports,” said the lady PSC commissioner. In the previous webisodes, PSC’s Rise Up, Shape Up also featured different martial arts presented in the 7th Women’s Martial Arts Festival such as karatedo, judo, arnis, muay thai, wrestling, among others.

Nadal ready for‘difficult’ recovery from foot injury

Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (center) fights for the ball during the UEFA Champions League Group A football match Club Brugge against Paris Saint-Germain at Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges. AFP

Messi first start yields 1-1 PSG-Brugge draw P

ARIS—Lionel Messi made his first Paris SaintGermain start in a 1-1 draw at Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday, while last season’s runners-up Manchester City and Liverpool won high-scoring thrillers. Real Madrid, the record 13-time European champions, left it late to beat Inter Milan at the San Siro in a section topped by Moldovan debutants Sheriff Tiraspol after the first round of group stage matches. Argentine star Messi lined up with both Neymar and Kylian Mbappe for the first time, after being limited to just 24 minutes in a PSG shirt since his shock exit from Barcelona. Ander Herrera, who scored twice in the weekend win over Clermont, gave PSG the lead by steering in Mbappe’s cross on 15 minutes, but Brugge soon levelled through Hans Vanaken. Messi curled against the bar from the corner of the area but PSG then

lost Mbappe to injury and had to settle for a point against a team viewed as makeweights in a demanding Group A. “We need time for them to get to know each other,” PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino said of his all-star attack. “We have to improve and find the right balance, I said that before, but we must stay calm. I’m happy with how Messi played, his desire and his attitude, and the way he’s adjusting.” Pep Guardiola’s City, beaten 1-0 by Chelsea in May’s final in Porto, overcame a hat-trick from Christopher Nkunku to beat RB Leipzig 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium.

Nathan Ake headed City ahead from a corner and Nordi Mukiele’s own goal doubled their advantage, but Nkunku nodded in to get Leipzig back in the game. Riyad Mahrez added a third with a penalty before half-time only for Nkunku to head in again early in the second period. Jack Grealish notched his first Champions League goal following his British record £100 million ($136 million) signing, with Nkunku completing his treble before Joao Cancelo and Gabriel Jesus strikes wrapped up a wild victory for City. Leipzig finished with 10 men after former City player Angelino was sent off for a second booking. “I loved it. I’ve been waiting a while. The past few weeks, I couldn’t wait for this game. It’s a great night,” Grealish told BT Sport. “It was one of those games. It had absolutely everything.” AFP

MADRID—Rafael Nadal admitted on Wednesday he faces a “difficult” and “painful” recovery from the foot injury that forced the 20-time Grand Slam champion to miss Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open. Nadal ended his season in August due to injury and has said his foot is still a “little sore” in a presentation of a documentary about his tennis academy. The 35-year-old said he is “looking forward to improving and facing a process that will be difficult in some ways and painful in others but that I have to go through to fight for what I want again.” Nadal published a photo of himself on Instagram on Saturday holding crutches with his left foot bandaged. He announced he had been in Barcelona “to receive treatment on my foot that will require a few days rest and a few weeks off the court.” After playing his last match of the year in Washington at the start of August, when he lost to South African Lloyd Harris, Nadal then pulled out of Wimbledon, Tokyo 2020 and the US Open. The Spaniard holds the joint record for Grand Slam victories in the men’s game, tied on 20 with both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who lost in the US Open final on Sunday to Daniil Medvedev. “Over the years, things get more and more complicated because you have to be realistic, time doesn’t stop for anyone, but I am still excited,” Nadal concluded in the presentation of the documentary, which premieres worldwide on Friday. AFP

Saruta: I will break Pacio’s fighting spirit FORMER strawweight titleholder Yosuke “The Ninja” Saruta is full of confidence ahead of his highly anticipated rubber match with reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio. The Japanese standout takes on the Team Lakay ace in one of three world title bouts scheduled at ONE: REVOLUTION, which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, September 24. It’s the third and perhaps final fight between the two strawweight dynamos, with each man having one win apiece. Both Saruta and Pacio are looking to settle the score once and for all in this trilogy. Ranked the #1 contender at strawweight, Saruta knows what to expect against Pacio, and says the Filipino star will be as dangerous as ever. However, Saruta is also confident he will emerge the victor when all is said and done, and walk out of the arena the undisputed

strawweight champion. “I will break Pacio’s fighting spirit, break his will, and finish him between rounds four and five. That’s my prediction. Whether I knock him out or submit him, I am coming for the finish,” a fired-up Saruta said. Saruta first locked horns with Pacio in 2019, when he surprised Pacio by winning a close split decision to wrest the strawweight belt from the Filipino’s grasp. The two figured in an immediate rematch shortly after, but Pacio was able to even up the score and reclaim his title via a thrilling head kick knockout victory. “The Ninja” feels this third fight between them could be a departure from their first two encounters in the Circle, since both men have improved immensely from the last time they were locked in a cage together. “I’ve fought against Pacio twice already, but it was a long time ago. It’s

been two-and-a-half years since we met in the Circle. To be honest, I cannot imagine how much Pacio has improved. I know he’s a better fighter now, but we don’t know how much he has changed since we haven’t seen him fight in a while,” Saruta said. “If anything, I just want to focus on myself in this match. I’d like to say that I’ve been training very hard and trying to become a better fighter overall. I really want to showcase my skill set, techniques, and fighting style, things that I haven’t shown before.” At the end of the day, Saruta is extremely confident he will upend Pacio once more and end the night as the victor. Of course, no one will know for sure until that cage door closes. But regardless of the outcome, Saruta says he’s sure the fans watching will enjoy the epic conclusion to their storied rivalry. “This fight will be very explosive and exciting from the first round. We

Yosuke Saruta (right) takes on Joshua Pacio in one of three world title bouts scheduled at ONE: REVOLUTION, which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on September 24. are both aggressive fighters who like to push the pace. The fans will be shaking in their seats. They are going to think to themselves, ‘Can these guys continue like this for five rounds?’” Saruta said. “This matchup has ‘Fight of the Year’ written all over it. Fans will not be disappointed.”

ONE: REVOLUTION broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, September 24. In the main event, reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee defends his World Title against #3-ranked lightweight contender Ok Rae Yoon.

US gymnasts slam FBI, sports execs over Nassar abuse

US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles embraces gymnast Kaylee Lorincz after testifying during a Senate Judiciary hearing about the Inspector General’s report on the FBI handling of the Larry Nassar investigation of sexual abuse of U.S. gymnasts, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. AFP

WASHINGTON—Olympic champion Simone Biles and other top American gymnasts excoriated US sports officials and the FBI in powerful Senate testimony on Wednesday for failing to act promptly on complaints about Larry Nassar, the former team doctor convicted of serial sexual abuse. “We have been failed and we deserve answers,” said the 24-year-old Biles, a seven-time Olympic medalist and the most decorated gymnast in world championships history. “To be clear, I blame Larry Nassar but I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse,” she told an emotional hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Nassar, 58, was sentenced to life in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting women and girls while working as a team doctor at USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University (MSU). USA

Gymnastics reported Nassar to the FBI in July 2015, but he continued to work at MSU and sexually abused at least 70 more women until a newspaper exposed him in September 2016 Biles and the three other gymnasts -- McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols -- testified that they were let down by the FBI, the leadership of USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). “We suffered and continue to suffer because no one at the FBI, USAG or USOPC did what was necessary to protect us,” said Biles, who had to halt her testimony at several points to compose herself and wipe away tears. Maroney, who won a team gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, said she reported the abuse by Nassar in a threehour telephone interview with a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent in 2015 but it was “minimized and disregarded.”

“Not only did the FBI not report my abuse,” Maroney said, “but when they eventually documented my report 17 months later, they made entirely false claims about what I said.” “They allowed a child molester to go free for more than a year,” the 25-year-old Maroney said. “They had legal, legitimate evidence of child abuse and did nothing.” - ‘On a silver platter’ Hundreds of women -- including Olympians and collegiate athletes -- have accused Nassar of sexually abusing them over the course of his more than two-decade career in sports medicine. The Justice Department’s Inspector General published a scathing report in July about the mishandling of the accusations against Nassar by the FBI’s field office in Indianapolis, where USA Gymnastics has its headquarters. FBI agents failed to take the allegations seriously and investigate them right away, the report said. AFP

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

Lovi writes love note for GMA; finds new home in ABS-CBN

Lovi Poe is now a Kapamilya.

By Nickie Wang MOVING from GMA Network to ABS-CBN was not an easy decision for Lovi Poe. After all, she was a Kapuso for 15 years. The singer and award-winning actress was welcomed by the press in a virtual junket following her contract signing ceremony with ABS-CBN executives yesterday, Sept.16. Speaking to Manila Standard Entertainment, Lovi admitted that she had to consider a few things before saying yes to Kapamilya. She's glad that ABS-CBN has welcomed her with open arms but she’s also grateful to her former mother network for nurturing her career. “I’m going to miss everything…my routine, the people I had worked with, my friends. Everyone from my bosses to the staff and crew became my friends and I will always be grateful to them

Clint Eastwood back in the saddle at 91 for 'Cry Macho' AT THE age of 91, Clint Eastwood is not just directing but also climbing back in the saddle, and even throwing a punch for his new Western Cry Macho. The legendarily prolific Hollywood star has never shown much interest in retiring and appears on-screen in the movie, out Friday, as a former rodeo champion tasked with one last job. Mike Milo (Eastwood) must travel to Mexico and retrieve his former boss's son Rafo, teaching him to ride horses in the process. "This picture came along about 40 years ago," recalls Eastwood in the film's production notes. "I'm too young for this part, why don't I direct it and we'll get Robert Mitchum?" he told a producer at the time. But with his career now well into its seventh decade, Eastwood decided to take on the role himself -- to the delight of longtime collaborator and producer Tim Moore. "The thing that everybody loves to

Clint Eastwood, 91, appears on-screen in a new movie as a former rodeo champion tasked with one last job.

see is Clint in a cowboy hat and on a horse," Moore told the recent CinemaCon gathering in Las Vegas. "He hasn't been on a horse since Unforgiven," he said, referring to the 1992 Oscar-winning film. "The first day that we filmed the scene of him up on the horse, the crew were just all so excited. It was a special moment." Eastwood, a multiple Oscar-winner born in 1930, first came to global stardom as an actor in seminal Westerns A Fistful of Dollars,For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. His output as a director since 1971's Play Misty for Me has been prolific and diverse, and he has spoken in interviews of his desire to keep working as long as he finds projects that are "worth studying." AFP, read full story on manilastandard.net

Champion triathlete wears Philippine sash at Miss Aura International in Turkey PAGEANT CONCEPT ETON CONCEPCION THE Philippines is participating in the Miss Aura International pageant for the first time since its founding in 2006. The country is betting on Alexandra Faith Garcia who is set to fly to Antalya, Turkey to vie for the crown with some 30 countries and autonomous territories participating. The pageant will kick off its activities on Sept. 20 with coronation happening on Oct. 5. Garcia won the right to represent the Philippines after she was chosen in a special process conducted by the Miss Aura International Philippines Organization, headed by Kathleen Katniss Griffiths (CEO/National Director) with Jovita Laureola, Managing Director, with support of reigning Mrs. Elite International Philippines 2020, businesswoman and philanthropist Michelle Vitug Encarnacion, and Ferdinand Abejon, Overall Pageant Coordinator & PR Director. Garcia, a 27-year-old B.S. Tourism Graduate from Olongapo City, works as Operations Head of RED Sports PH, a sporting-event company, being a former champion triathlete. The

because I wouldn’t be here without them,” she started. “These people have been good to me that I believe that they are also happy for me. Now I’m just looking forward to exciting things and making new friends like I always say,” she carried on adding that Liza Soberano, Anne Curtis, Kim Chiu, Coco Martin, and Paulo Avelino are among the ABS-CBN stars whom she would love to work with. The actress marked her first day as a Kapamilya by setting foot in the ABS-CBN compound, where she had a red carpet welcome led by ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo Katigbak, COO of broadcast Cory Vidanes, group CFO Rick Tan, and Dreamscape Entertainment head Deo Endrinal. Lovi’s talent manager Leo Dominguez also joined the contract signing ceremony. Soon, Lovi is set to do her first Kapamilya drama series with ultimate heartthrob Piolo Pascual. It is Lovi’s

businesswoman-beauty queen actively supports Dialysis PH, an NGO-support group for kidney disease patients by helping raise funds for the organization. She has been training with the Kagandahang Flores Training Camp, under ‘beauty queen-maker’ CEO/ Founder Rodin Gilbert Flores, since her joining Bb. Pilipinas in 2016 and 2020. “Faith has never been more confident in herself and her abilities, I would say she’s 100% prepared for this competition. We just level up on Q&A, personality development and her ‘pasarela’ skills,” said mentor Flores. Garcia will bring her national costume designed by Jorick Lopez Limpag, the same designer who created her “Dove Warrior-ULO ng APO” costume she wore in the recent Bb. Pilipinas pageant, while her evening gown is by Cathy MoraCapistrano. “It's an honor to raise our flag, mahal kong Pilipinas. Thank you everyone who has been supporting and praying for me in my Miss Aura International journey,” Garcia posted on Instagram. The 16th edition of the Turkey-based Miss Aura International will be held at Rixos Sungate Resorts in Antalya City. Preliminary competitions for the special awards include Miss Talent, Miss National Costume, Miss Bikini, Miss Annex, Miss Rixos Sungate and Miss Roberto Bravo. Andreia Correia of Portugal will crown her successor at the end of the coronation event. Read full story on manilastandard.net

Alexandra Faith Garcia is the country's bet at the 2021 Miss Aura International.

ITNESS the much-awaited first leg of the one-a-kind online musical journey Limitless, A Musical Trilogy” headlined by Asia’s Limitless Star Julie Anne San Jose.

Dubbed “Breathe,” the first of the three-part online musical journey sees the singer exploring the hidden gems of Mindanao and in the process, sharing her own experience as well as her discoveries about herself. “In Limitless, I'm sharing a piece of my heart,” shares Julie. “I don't think I've ever been this vulnerable and open to people through a show. You always see me through my work or TV show but I feel like for the first time, you will see me as 'me' in Limitless.” Discovering more is what makes the homegrown Kapuso singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and multi-instrumentalist feel limitless. “Every day is a learning experience for me and I always have a hunger for learning and for honing my talents,” she adds. In ‘Breathe,’ Julie meets with the locals of various locations in Mindanao, learning more about their culture and values. “What really made an impact to me was the connection we had with the locals in Mindanao. They would tell us how grateful they were that of all places we could have gone to, we went to theirs,” says the Asia’s Limitless Star. Julie also collaborates with Kapuso homegrown talents and local artists for Limitless. For the Sept. 17 leg, Julie is joined by Christian Bautista and The Clash alumnus Jong Madaliday. In 'Breathe,' Julie also collaborates with Myke Salomon, the musical director behind the hit musicals “Huling El Bimbo” and “Rak of Aegis,” and JC Gellidon as the director of photography. Ticket buyers have options to purchase ticket specific for each leg or avail of the ticket bundle for the three legs. Tickets are priced at P599 (General Admission); P1,499 (Synergy Pass GA); P1,199 (VIP); and P3,299 (Synergy Pass VIP). A special merchandise awaits ticket buyers who will purchase the VIP and Synergy Pass VIP. “Limitless, A Musical Trilogy” is under the creative direction of Paolo

second ABS-CBN project overall, after she starred in the 2020 iWantTFC original movie Malaya, for which she clinched a Gawad Urian Best Actress nomination. A rare and precious gem in showbiz, Lovi’s timeless charm and versatility as an artist have enabled her to take on diverse projects, from acting in film and TV to being a successful recording artist and style icon. ABS-CBN provides a perfect fit for Lovi’s talents, with many opportunities for her to shine on its multiple media platforms and ecosystems. As she enters the next phase of her career as a Kapamilya, Lovi is tackling more international projects and pursuing her passions in Hollywood. This year, Lovi launched her recording career in the US by releasing original songs such as “Candy,” “Lost,” and “Under” under the Los Angeles-based VIM Entertainment. She is also working on an EP with American producers Bob

Robinson, KrisKeyz, and Grammy winner Omen that will be released soon. Lovi is also set to star in her first Hollywood movie alongside British stars Alex Pettyfer and Poppy Delevingne, the biopic The Chelsea Cowboy, where she is playing English singer and icon Dana Gillespie. Meanwhile, prior to signing with ABS-CBN, Lovi thanked her former network via a heartwarming post on Instagram. “Hindi po biro ang 15 years. I would like to thank GMA for taking a chance on this unknown dreamer; for believing in me and supporting me all these years. I have utmost respect and gratitude to the network that has given me my roots and a heart full of memories,” she said in her caption. “Thank you for planting my dreams. Thank you for giving it time, love and effort to water it,” and concluded her post with a heart emoji.

Julie Anne’s trilogy concert kicks off with ‘Breathe’

'Breathe,' which sees Julie Anne San Jose exploring the hidden gems of Mindanao, is the first installment of her 'Limitless' musical journey.

Valenciano. This one-of-a-kind event is produced by GMA Synergy — the same team behind the Philippines’ first-ever virtual reality concert, Alden’s Reality: The Virtual Reality Concert, the TV airing of which is a finalist at the 2021 New York Festivals Awards. Limitless is made possible with the help of the following partners: Cream Silk Ultimate Reborn with Tri Oleo;

Globe Prepaid; Jollibee Chickenjoy; Department of Health – Center for Health and Development Ilocos; Cropking Chemicals, Inc.; RDL Pharmaceutical Laboratory, Inc.; and Professional Organizers Unlimited, Inc. Catch ‘Breathe,’ the first leg of Limitless, A Musical Trilogy tonight. Get your tickets now via www. GMANetwork.com/synergy.

Globe takes subscribers to GifLand AMIDST the ongoing global health crisis, Globe endeavors to bring joy to its customers via better connectivity and innovations that uplift the lives of the Filipino people. Through its annual 917 Day celebration, Globe continues to reinvent ways to share compassion and care, and provide customers with #SariSaringRewardingExperiences. GIFLand is a virtual amusement park featuring the new offerings, treats and activities that are in store for Globe customers, which they can access right at their fingertips. The festival highlights the many ways Globe values its customers, to play a more meaningful part in their everyday lives. Chief Commercial Officer Issa Guevarra-Cabreira shared in the Globe Innovation Fest (GIF), “The core of what we do is to provide a richer, fuller, more rewarding experience to our customers. We continuously strive to deliver innovations across our products and services -- with our customers at front and center of why we do it.” Sept. 17 or 917 is the time of the year when Globe shows its appreciation to its loyal customers. It is inspired by the company’s original and longstanding 917 prefix. A GDay to share rewarding experiences Bianca Wong, Head of the Feel Valued Tribe at Globe, showed how people could enjoy GDay Everyday with the sarisaring rewarding experiences at GIFLand, encouraging the audience to multiply good vibes through sharing. What makes the 917 celebration really special this year is that customers can share their rewards with communities needing help. An example of this is Globe’s G Legends Cup, an amateur mobile gaming tournament that lets winners share their prize with their beneficiary of choice. Other exciting activities include

G Chance the Raffle, the G Super Sale, G Business Summit, and G Music Fest where customers’ participation in each program contributes to collective support to Globe’s partner beneficiaries. “Our bayanihan spirit is playing a crucial role in helping our fellow Filipinos face our current challenges. And, we want to give our customers the opportunity to further ignite this bayanihan spirit. Which is why with GDay Everyday, we reward our customers and at the same time, empower them to support the wider community through Globe’s 15 partner beneficiaries,” she said. Customers can also use their Globe Rewards points to donate to sustainability partners that support education, environment, health and well-being, poverty reduction, and disaster relief. Read full story on manilastandard.net

Globe's President and CEO Ernest Cu at the recent launch of GifLand.

Life

Bernadette Lunas, Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE

TRAVEL AND LEISURE

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

AN ENCHANTING ISLAND BECKONS POSH AND PRIVATE. Dubbed the most expensive resort in the world, Banwa Private Island in Palawan sits within a marine protected area and offers guests world-class amenities and exquisite personalized service.

FIRST heard the words “banwa” and “banwaanon” during my childhood years, when my siblings and I would spend our summer vacations in my father’s hometown in Dumanjug, Cebu.

The powdery white sand beach of Banwa Private Island beckons.

Each of the six luxurious villas has its own infinity pool.

Outdoor dining by design can easily be arranged for guests.

quarantine restrictions ease up. She told me about this luxury destination in Palawan which recently reopened. Its name alone made me want to fly there immediately because it flashed in my mind attractive images of a magical world. I pored over some information on the island to share them with you in case you also want to jump into a relaxing holiday once domestic travel has less requirements. Banwa Private Island is a 6.5-hectare property located in northeastern Palawan and nestled in Sulu Sea. This glistening island of lush, verdant landscaping and pristine white sand is the ultimate in luxury and exclusivity. This all-villa holiday destination for sophisticated guests is within a After dinner, our grandmother would tell us fascinating stories about marine protected area and has an abundance of rare flora and fauna. It has six magnificent beachfront villas, each with its own infinity these mythical beings who would cast an enchanting spell on people and bring them to a place where they see and experience everything beautiful. pool and world-class amenities. Its facilities include a well-structured Because of those stories from Lola Magna, I grew up always feel- open-kitchen restaurant, a terrace bar, and a spa pavilion which has a tennis court, gym, massage suite, Pilates/ ing some kind of mesmerizing enchantyoga studio, and juice bar. The island propment every time I come face-to-face with erty also has a dive center and a golf course. a beautiful tourist destination or any of YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE This new luxurious destination was renature’s breathtaking scenery. In fact, HUSBAND: I want to divorce my wife! cently voted “Private Island of the Year” in I found myself sitting for hours on end LAWYER: On what grounds? the popular Destination Deluxe Awards beon the windy patio of a hotel I stayed at, HUSBAND: She’s out all night, every night, cause its sought-after exclusivity is timely and bedazzled by the panoramic view of the going from bar to bar. very important in these days of the pandemic. caldera in Santorini; on the balcony of my LAWYER: Do you mean she’s an alcoholic or Guests can choose any of the six luxuriously favorite corner room at Taal Vista Hotel, she’s cheating on you? equipped villas, or if they belong to a large directly facing the volcano and lake; and HUSBAND: No, she’s looking for me. group or clan, they may rent the entire island on that solitary bench located at the faron an “exclusively yours” basis. thest end of the garden at The Manor at How does one get to the island? It is Camp John Hay because it provides a conveniently accessible directly from Manila on a one-hour-forty-fivespectacular view of the surrounding mountains and pine trees. Somehow, any visually awesome experience takes me back to minute scenic flight on board an 8-seater seaplane of Ascent Flights those enchanting banwas and banwa-anons of my grandmother’s Global. This airline company also provides direct helicopter service engrossing fairy tales, bewitched, but definitely not bothered nor from The Peninsula Manila’s helipad and larger capacity fixed-wing aircraft directly from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). bewildered, recalling the late Ella Fitzgerald’s signature song. Those who prefer to take commercial flights can fly to Puerto The other day, a friend and I were talking about exciting new places because I plan to fly off to a much-deserved getaway once these Princesa, then take a short helicopter ride over the beautiful Sulu Sea and land on the island’s own heli-lawn. Or they can drive from Puerto Princesa and take a short boat ride to the island. Peter Nilsson, chief executive officer of Banwa Private Island, declares his team’s commitment to deliver exceptional, personalized, and pleasantly memorable experiences to their guests. He is aware that personal safety and hand-crafted travel experiences have become very important in the luxury travel landscape these days. More information on this enchanting new domestic destination is available at www.banwaprivateisland.com. You may select your mode of transportation to the island at www.ascent.flights or by emailing banwa@ascent.flights. The enticing pictures of the island’s facilities and offerings, shown on this page, remind me of the very first enchanting island I came across in my lifetime. That one beckoned through a song: “Bali Ha’i will whisper on the wind of the sea Here am I, your special island Come to me, come to me…” Leisurely communing with nature in the front yard of one of the villas.

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

Weekend food event serves special takeaway menus IN SUPPORT of independent food establishments hard hit by the ongoing pandemic, music events organizer UNKNWN launches a dining experience featuring special takeaway menus. Happening on Sept. 17-19, “HAIN: Takeaway, Together” features 13 restaurants in Metro Manila. As the event is named after the Filipino word that means “to set the table”, “to serve”, participating restaurants have prepared takeaway menus exclusively for HAIN. The organizers started accepting orders on Sept. 9 and will be continuing until the 19th. “One of the main goals of HAIN is to boost the morale of our community during these trying times. It’s really nice seeing everyone joining forces, from restaurateurs and chefs to diners and even our creative friends, to make this initiative possible,” says HAIN coorganizer Ash Rye. Participating restaurants include Angel’s Kitchen, The Bowery NYC Comfort Food, Lampara, OTO, Borough, Nic’s Park Terraces, Hai Shin Lou, Futur:st, Square One Hospitality, Cheech & Chang Hong Kong Roasts, TETSUO, Mijo Comfort Food, and The

13 restaurants, including OTO (in photo), are serving specially made takeaway set meals for the weekend food event HAIN.

Bistro by Element Boutique Hotel. “We also want to show that these struggling but surviving restaurants are endlessly creating and adapting, and that ensuring our industry’s place in the future would require a collective effort,” added co-organizer and Futur:st cofounder Samantha Nicole. The set meals are available at www. hain-mnl.shop for P1,500 each. Fifteen percent of the sales from the event will go to Rise Against Hunger PH. Event partner indoor farm Future Fresh will be providing the participat-

ing restaurants with hydroponically grown and pesticide-free greens. HAIN is also working with IFEX Philippines and Sustainability Solutions Expo to provide sustainable food packaging throughout the weekend. Each HAIN kit will also come with a complimentary Singleton of Dufftown 12 Year Old Pocket Single Malt Scotch together with custom cocktail recipes concocted by each partner restaurant. The meal kit also comes with a videoon-demand highlighting the offerings of each establishment.

From left: Cheech & Chang Hong Kong Roasts, The Bowery NYC Comfort Food, and Square One Hospitality join the first edition of ‘HAIN: Takeaway, Together’.

This year’s 917 day, themed ‘GDay’, treats Globe and TM customers to fun activities and prizes while giving them the opportunity to help those in need.

Telco celebrates ‘917 day’ with prizes, surprises GLOBE has lined up a series of virtual events and surprises for this year’s monthlong 917 celebration – based on its original 0917 prefix. The event, dubbed GDay (as in Good Day), is anchored on giving back to customers and uplifting those in need. Customers have the opportunity to help non-government organizations, charitable institutions, and foundations while engaging in fun activities like games and music. “Every year, we try to make our customers and partners feel appreciated in more meaningful ways. And as the times have become even more challenging for our fellow countrymen, we want to respond by leveraging Globe Rewards as a means to energize our customers while creating platforms to give back and support communities as well,” said Bianca Wong, head of Globe’s Feel Valued Tribe.

Festivities kicked off in August with the opening of G Legends Cup, an amateur mobile gaming tournament where players can win for themselves and for their communities. Surprises will be unveiled throughout the whole month of September. During the highly anticipated G Chance the Raffle, Globe and TM customers have a chance to win exciting prizes everyday and the P1 million GCash credits grand prize on the grand draw. G Super Sale treats customers to sulit deals from Lazada and GLife in the GCash app. Global industry experts will grace this year’s G Summit virtual stage to share relevant tips and insights with micro, small, and medium enterprise owners. G Music Fest continues the tradition of showcasing the best of local talent and guest international artists to bring joy and hope through music, albeit virtually.