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Assessment, realization as PHL ends last in World Cup

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE Philippine men’s national basketball team ended its FIBA Basketball World Cup campaign on Sunday, a bid that turned out to be a whole rougher than what was expected by the team, eventually seeing itself finishing dead last in the competition.

In the aftermath, stakeholders found themselves in much realization and assessment over what happened and what needed to be done moving forward.

Gilas Pilipinas played a total of five games in this latest iteration of the global basketball spectacle, which hit the quarterfinal phase beginning yesterday, and all lost by an average margin of 29.8 points.

It had a chance to book a win against Angola in its final game in group play on Sept. 4 but could not complete it, losing a heartbreaker, 84-81, in overtime.

In the classification round, the Philippines tried its best to salvage what was left of its campaign but did not get the winning break it wanted, bowing to Tunisia and Iran, in that order.

The Philippines wound up with the worst point differential in the 32-team tournament at minus-147.

Ivory Coast (minus-74) was in 29th place with Senegal (minus-102) 30th, and Japan (minus-130) at 31st place.

Bowed out in a manner the way they did, Gilas Pilipinas coach Yeng Guiao said the World Cup was truly an eye-opener, something to take cue from for the country as it regroups and recalibrates its basketball program for future competitions.

“We’ve been playing Asian level basketball, but of course, the world level is different — several notches different. The expectations are different. When you get to the World Cup — or maybe the Olympics — the competition is just different. Totally different than the Asian level,” Mr. Guiao was quoted as saying by the official FIBA Website.

“We need certain types of players, and we need more exposure to this level of play. These are the things that I guess we need to work on, but it’s always long-term. I don’t think there’s any short-term solution to that,” he added.

In the World Cup, naturalized player Andray Blatche led the way for the Philippines, finishing with averages of 15.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.4 steals, albeit admittedly these were below the norms he set in the World Cup in 2014.

CJ Perez was a revelation in the tournament, posting numbers of 12.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists. For a while, he was the leading scorer of the squad.

As a team it shot just 38.3%, 29th in the tournament, and 25.2% from three-point land (31st). It committed 15 turnovers per game, third worst, and averaged 13.2 assists (29th).

But despite the heartbreaking campaign, Gilas is still grateful for the chance to have been able to play on such a stage even as it expressed hope that the hard lessons of it would be taken to heart by all concerned and used as motivation and inspiration to be better.

“Wasn’t the outcome we expected or wanted, but the lessons learned will help move Philippine basketball forward. Proud to carry the flag and go to battle with this group! I look forward to the changes that will be made to prepare the 2023 edition of Gilas!” Gabe Norwood, the longest-tenured Gilas player who saw action in the World Cup, wrote on Twitter after their campaign ended.

The Philippines, along with Indonesia and Japan, will host the 2023 edition of the World Cup.

Meanwhile, the knockout quarterfinals of the World Cup began yesterday with one bracket pitting Argentina against Serbia and the other having Spain versus Poland.

The other pairings have the United States of America against France and Australia versus the Czech Republic.

USA eases past Brazil as Australia edges France

BEIJING — Holders United States romped into the basketball World Cup knockout rounds with an 89-73 win over Brazil and booked a quarterfinal clash with France, who were edged by Australia 100-98 in a thriller on Monday.

The US win over Brazil also sent the Czechs through to the last eight despite their 84-77 defeat by Greece but they now face a daunting clash with the Australians, who stretched their perfect record to five successive wins.

Those two quarterfinals will be played on Wednesday while Serbia take on Argentina and Spain will start as strong favorites against Poland in Tuesday’s action.

Monday’s results also mean that the United States and Argentina qualified for next year’s Olympic Games in Japan as the two top-ranked teams from the Americas in the 32-nation tournament in China.

They joined Australia, who earlier booked their berth by advancing into the second group stage as Oceania’s best-placed team with New Zealand dropping into the 17-32nd place playoffs.

The top two teams from Europe will also qualify as well as one each from Africa and Asia.

Brazil held their own against the more athletic Americans in the opening half and were level 23-23 at the end of the first quarter before the champions engineered a 43-38 halftime lead.

A barrage of fast breaks coupled by Marcus Smart’s audacious three-pointer on the buzzer gave the US a 68-57 lead at the end of the third quarter and the Brazilians ran out of steam in the final 10 minutes.

Guard Kemba Walker and centre Myles Turner netted 16 points each for the US, who dished out 21 assists to Brazil’s 12 and racked up 11 steals.

Australia, who reached the 2016 Olympics last four, appear set to at least emulate the achievement after they garnished another impressive performance with a dramatic win in the last few seconds of a rip-roaring contest against the French.

The lead changed hands throughout with both teams trigger-happy from three-point range before Matthew Dellavedova and Mitch Creek sank a free throw each in the final few seconds to seal Australia’s win as France threw away their last possession.

San Antonio Spurs playmaker Patty Mills shone with 30 points for Australia, Joe Ingles added 23 and Aaron Baynes chipped in with 21 as the Boomers’ ironclad backbone carried them again.

Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier nailed a game-high 31 points for France and Nando De Colo added 26 but the French will rue spilling a 70-61 lead in the third quarter when they appeared to be in the driving seat.

Greece needed to beat the Czechs by at least 12 points in the day’s opening fixture and hope that the US beat Brazil in order to advance, but came up short although they were 65-53 ahead early in the fourth quarter. — Reuters

Azkals bounce back, beat Guam, 4-1

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE Philippine men’s national football team bounced back from a previous loss in the second round of joint qualification for FIFA World Cup 2022 and Asian Cup 2023, beating Guam, 4-1, in Group A action on Tuesday in Dededo.

Wound up at the raw end of a 5-2 game against Syria in the opener of the second round of the qualifiers on Sept. 5, the Philippine Azkals made sure not to fall a second straight time by fashioning out a steady attack right from the start all the way to the end against the home side to get the win and the full three points that pushed them to third place, as of this writing, in their grouping with a one win and one loss record.

Angel Guirado got the Philippines on the board in the seventh minute off a header.

After five minutes. Patrick Reichelt made it 2-0 for the visitors.

The Azkals tried to add up to their lead for the remainder of the opening half but no more goals would be scored as the contest reached the halfway point.

In the second half, Guam came out with more fire on its home field.

It would manage to cut its deficit into half, 2-1, in the 67th minute as Marcus Lopez converted on a penalty kick.

But the Philippines nipped the rally in the bud, with Stephan Schrock handing the Azkals a two-point cushion anew in the 71st minute.

John Patrick Strauss put the game away for the Philippines when he struck in the 82nd minute to make it a 4-1 count.

With the loss, Guam dropped to two losses, currently at the bottom of Group A.

In the second round of qualification, the Philippines hopes to finish on top of the grouping, or at a least have one of the best four runner-up records among the eight groups, to advance to the next round of the World Cup qualifiers.

The Azkals return to action on Oct. 10 in an away match against China.

Lyceum stops losing skid, downs Arellano

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE Lyceum Pirates opened the second round of the eliminations of National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 95 on a winning note, beating the Arellano Chiefs, 93-90, on Tuesday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

Lyceum turned to a spirited run in the fourth quarter to extricate itself in a tight match before hanging tough in the end to get the win and in the process stop a two-game losing streak.

Earlier in the day, the defending champions San Beda Red Lions improved to 10-0 for the season dominating the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 98-66.

It was tight at the beginning of the match between the Pirates and Chief before the former made a late push late in the opening quarter to go on top, 23-16.

Arellano came out of the second frame firing on the lead of veteran guard Kent Salado.

The Chiefs outscored the Pirates, 14-6 in the first four minutes to seize the lead, 30-29.

They built on that run after and maintained control, 48-41, by the halftime break.

In the third quarter it was Lyceum’s turn to make a run, going on an 11-5 run to come within a point, 53-52, by the 5:36 mark.

The two teams went back and forth after, fighting to a 67-all affair heading into the final canto.

With the outcome of the match still open, the teams jockeyed for position to begin the fourth quarter.

Mike Nzeusseu and Jayson David towed the Pirates to an early 10-4 run to go on top, 77-71, with six minutes to go.

But Archie Concepcion kept Arellano within striking distance, 81-79, at the four-minute mark with long bombs from the outside.

Jaycee and Jayvee Marcelino, however, instigated a 9-2 Lyceum run in the next two minutes to go on top, 90-81.

Salado tried to rally the Chiefs back, with Arellano coming to within two points, 92-90, with 20 seconds left on the clock.

Arellano still had an opportunity to send the game to overtime as a split from Lyceum’s Reymar Caduyac after opened the door for the Chiefs, 93-90.

But Salado’s desperation triple as time expired failed to connect, handing the win to the Pirates.

Nzeusseu led Lyceum with 23 points and nine rebounds with Jaycee and Jayvee Marcelino adding 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Salado, meanwhile, paced the Chiefs with 21 points and seven assists.

Concepcion and Dariel Bayla backstopped him with 12 markers each.

“We take the win even if it’s not a pretty one. It’s not going to be easy for us moving forward but we just have to keep improving and getting better,” said Lyceum coach Topex Robinson after the match.

SAN BEDA NOW AT 10 WINS
In the first game, San Beda raced to its 10th straight win by doubling up on EAC this season.

The Lions struggled early in the contest, up by only two points, 16-14, but picked up their game from the second quarter forward to leave the Generals behind and never looked back.

Evan Nelle, Donald Tankoua and Clint Doliguez led the balanced attack by San Beda with 13 points apiece.

AC Soberano and Calvin Oftana, meanwhile, added 12 points each for the Lions.

For the Generals (1-9) it was Marwin Taywan who top-scored with 19 points followed by JP Maguliano with 17.

“We still have to stay consistent and hungry. The goal right now is to get the top two and assure ourselves of a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four,” said San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez after their win.

Ateneo vs UST in battle of unbeaten UAAP teams

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

EARLY LEADERS in Season 82 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines collide today as defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles face off with the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in league action today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Set for 10:30 a.m., Ateneo and UST, both sporting 2-0 records, stake their unbeaten cards against one another with an eye as well at extending their solid start to the new UAAP season.

Also playing today are the De La Salle Green Archers (0-1) and National University Bulldogs (0-1) at 12 noon and the Adamson Soaring Falcons (1-1) against the University of the East Red Warriors (0-2) at 4 p.m.

The Eagles enter today’s game fresh from its 80-69 triumph over rival La Salle on Sept. 8. Prior to it, Ateneo beat Adamson, 70-52, on opening day on Sept. 4.

Against the Archers, seniors Mike and Matt Nieto were instrumental in giving Ateneo a big enough cushion in the second quarter from which La Salle could not recover from.

The Blue Eagles, on the strength of a 28-point explosion in the second frame, took a 51-29 halftime lead.

Mike led Ateneo with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while twin brother Matt added 15 points and three boards for Ateneo.

Gian Mamuyac also made his presence felt late, fending off La Salle after it got to within eight in the payoff period, burying timely buckets in the last three minutes before finishing with a career-best 14 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

While they are showing solid form early in their title defense, the Eagles understand that they have to stay on guard, especially against a team like UST.

“I love the way they play basketball. I really do. I mean, they just throw their heads back and go full steam. If they’re hitting shots, good luck. I don’t think you’ll beat them if they’re hitting shots. I think you gotta play unbelievable defense against their pace,” said Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin when asked for his thoughts on their game against the Tigers.

“Certainly we have to make some systemic adjustments before we play them. So obviously I’m expecting a really tough game … They (UST) buy into the system, the discipline is outstanding so I don’t expect anything easy on Wednesday,” he added.

Over at UST, it is coming off an upset of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 85-69, on Sept. 7 in follow up to its victory against UE, 95-82, previously.

Mark Nonoy led the Tigers’ rampage as the super rookie unloaded 16 points, five rebounds, and two assists to steer his side to the win.

Beninese big man Soulemane Chabi Yo also did his part inside as he posted 18 points, 18 rebounds, two steals, one assist, and one block to help UST deliver a statement against last season’s runner-up.

“I just told the players to play as a team. Man-for-man UP has the advantage over us so we just prepared hard and stuck to our game plan. We made mistakes along the way but they gave their best and it worked for us,” said UST coach Aldin Ayo after their win.

Turning his attention to Ateneo, Mr. Ayo said they have their work cut out for them but they will try to win.

“Well, obviously they are the best collegiate team. We will try to stay close to them as possible and take it from there. This is a competition. Every time you compete, every time you play, of course, you always aim to win. And you are going to do your best, you are going to squeeze everything just to win. We’re going to do our best and hopefully the result is favorable to us,” he said.

Yanks oust Red Sox from division title hopes

BOSTON — Austin Romine and Gio Urshela homered, James Paxton threw 6 2/3 shutout innings and the New York Yankees blanked the host Boston Red Sox 5-0 in the finale of a four-game series Monday.

Paxton (13-6) won his eighth straight start, giving up four hits and three walks and striking out seven. The victory was the Yankees’ 14th in 19 meetings with the Red Sox this season, their most over Boston in a single year in the expansion era (since 1961).

New York won for the 12th time in its last 16 games, while Boston lost its third straight. The defeat officially eliminated the Red Sox from American League East division title contention.

The highlight of the night came before the game for Boston as beloved slugger David Ortiz threw out the first pitch in his first trip to Fenway Park since being shot in the Dominican Republic in June. Former teammate Jason Varitek caught the offering from Ortiz, and the local icon delivered a speech to fans thanking them for their support while he recovered.

Once the contest got underway, Eduardo Rodriguez matched zeroes with Paxton over the first four innings before Romine went yard with one out in the fifth to snap the scoreless tie. The blast was Romine’s seventh of the season.

Rodriguez (17-6) lost for just the second time in his last 17 starts, with both coming against New York. He allowed one run on five hits and a walk over six innings with nine strikeouts.

Urshela, making his first start since being activated from the injured list (groin) Sunday, led off the seventh against Darwinzon Hernandez with his 19th homer, and the Yankees added two more in the inning on a DJ LeMahieu RBI single and Gleyber Torres sacrifice fly.

Luke Voit’s RBI single in the ninth completed the scoring for New York.

Earlier Monday, the Red Sox announced they parted ways with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. The team won the AL East from 2016-18 under his guide, including a 2018 World Series title, but is all but eliminated from the postseason this year. — Reuters

Barty reclaims no. 1 spot, Andreescu climbs to fifth

NEW YORK — Australia’s Ash Barty has reclaimed the number one spot in the WTA rankings less than a month after losing it while US Open champion Bianca Andreescu moved up to a career-high fifth after her maiden Grand Slam win in New York.

Andreescu beat Serena Williams 6-3 7-5 in Saturday’s final to maintain a 13-match unbeaten run, where she also won the Canadian Open, to break into the top 10 for the first time in her career.

“I don’t want to take anything for granted. These are the moments you live for and I’m just beyond blessed,” Andreescu, who moved up 10 places, told Reuters.

After taking the first set and leading 5-1 in the second, Andreescu was broken twice by 23-times Grand Slam winner Williams before eventually breaking back and winning the contest to become the first Canadian to win a major in the professional era.

“It definitely wasn’t easy in the final against Serena Williams,” the 19-year-old added. “I think I’m most proud of how I’m able to get into my zone and I was able to block out the crowd too because they were really, really loud.

“If I didn’t do that, I’m sure Serena would have won that second set so I’m really glad with how I handled everything.”

French Open champion Barty exited the tournament in the last 16 but regained the number one spot after last year’s champion Naomi Osaka was also knocked out at the same stage.

The Japanese, who also beat Williams in last year’s final, slipped to fourth in the rankings with Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova and Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina leapfrogging her to move up to second and third respectively.

Wimbledon champion Simona Halep fell two places down to sixth while Williams fell one spot to ninth despite her run to the final.

In the ATP rankings, there was no change in the top three with Novak Djokovic leading men’s champion Rafa Nadal, who won his 19th Grand Slam on Sunday, and Roger Federer but this year’s runner-up Daniil Medvedev moved up to a career-high fourth.

Medvedev has had a stellar record since a third-round exit at Wimbledon, reaching the finals of his last four tournaments, winning the Cincinnati Masters last month. — Reuters

Nadal motivated by love of game, not Grand Slam record

NEW YORK — Rafa Nadal moved within one Grand Slam title of tying Roger Federer’s all-time mark of 20 on Sunday but even after adding a fourth US Open to his collection the Spaniard said it was his love of the game, not records, that motivates him.

Nadal fended off a late comeback from Daniil Medvedev to win a five-set classic at Flushing Meadows, winning a 19th slam that also took him three clear of Novak Djokovic’s 16 titles.

“I am playing tennis because I love to play tennis,” Nadal told reporters.

“I can’t just think about Grand Slams. Tennis is more than Grand Slams. I need to think about the rest of the things.

“I play to be happy. Of course, the victory of today makes me super happy.”

It is anyone’s guess who among the ‘Big Three’ will finish their career with the most slams.

At 33, Nadal may have the edge on Federer, the 38-year-old Swiss crashing out of the US Open in the quarterfinals and failing to add to his Grand Slam titles since winning the 2018 Australian Open.

If nowhere else, Nadal will be a hot favorite at the French Open, where he has won a record 12 titles including the last three.

He said that while he was honoured to be part of the battle to be crowned the greatest of all time, and thrilled if it attracted more fans to the game, he would still sleep well if he comes up short.

“You can’t be all day looking next to you about if one having more or one having little bit less because you will be frustrated,” he said.

“All the things that I achieved in my career are much more than what I ever thought and what I ever dream.

“I would love to be the one who have more. But I really believe that I will not be happier or less happy if that happens or not happen,” he said.

“What gives you the happiness is the personal satisfaction that you gave your best.

“In that way I am very, very calm, very pleased with myself.” — Reuters

More to keep an eye on

Opening week of Season 82 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines proved to be an eventful one, highlighted by competitive matches and impressive individual performances.

It also provided a peek at the players to watch out for, expanded further by new faces who did not waste much time introducing themselves to the UAAP-dom.

Be they rookies, “one and dones” or transferees from other leagues, these newbies are having the UAAP excited over what they can do in Season 82.

The University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers (2-0) are of one of the early tournament leaders in the new season of the UAAP and there is no denying that the solid play of their new additions has been a boon.

Rhenz Abando, Soulemane Chabi Yo and Mark Nonoy are some of the new Tigers making their presence felt for Aldin Ayo’s team.

Abando, a transferee from the Philippine College of Science and Technology in Pangasinan, has been a steady two-way player for UST.

In two games to date, Abando has been averaging 17 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists, enough for him to become the first recipient of the UAAP player of the week honors.

Apart from the numbers, Abando is going about his thing without much fanfare, allowing his game to speak for himself with much effectivity.

Beninese forward Chabi Yo, meanwhile, has been a catalyst for the frontcourt of the Tigers.

He has been a double-double machine with numbers of 18.5 points and 15 rebounds per ball game, allowing UST to have leverage to keep in step with big frontlines of the other teams.

Nonoy only had three points in his UAAP seniors debut but came back strong in his second game, exploding for 16 markers against the University of the Philippines.

He showed tremendous speed and good decision making, prompting comparisons to Philippine Basketball Association star Jayson Castro, something I am sure UST is taking positive cue from for he could well run the show for the team in the coming years.

This space has also been impressed with the University of the East duo of Rey Suerte and Alex Diakhite.

The Red Warriors (0-2) are still winless in two games so far but not for lacking trying, particular from these two.

A former Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) most valuable player while playing for the University of the Visayas, Suerte is making things happen from his end for UE, averaging 20 points and nine rebounds a contest.

He has proven so far that he can stand toe to toe with the top players here in Manila with his upside still there.

Diakhite of Senegal has been a tower of power for UE, posting 20.5 points and 18 rebounds. With him in the team, the Red Warriors have a truly imposing presence in the middle, something they have not had since Charles Mammie half a decade ago.

Unfortunately for UE, reports have it that Diakhite could be missing some time because of suspected dengue. As of this writing there has been no official update yet on his status.

Adamson (1-1), too, have two new players who can play a key part in its push to go deeper in the tournament in one-and-done player Val Chauca and new foreign player Lenda Dounga.

Chauca graduated from the University of California in Berkeley and is taking a Master of Business Administration in Adamson’s Graduate School.

He was brought in to shore up the team’s guard rotation with his skills and smarts, something he has been showing in their first two games with a scoring average of 15 points.

Dounga of Congo had it rough in his debut for Adamson but came back stronger in their second game, draining the game-winning triple in overtime to beat National University, 84-83, last weekend in a game where he finished with 26 points and 19 rebounds.

He was reportedly selected over long-time Adamson foreign player Papi Sarr for this year, a telling move considering how proven a player Sarr is with the Falcons.

Then there is forward Jamie Orme-Malonzo of the De La Salle Green Archers.

One of the one-and-dones of the team, Orme-Malonzo played impressively in his team’s debut against rivals Ateneo Blue Eagles, finishing with 18 points and 10 boards.

While they lost in said game, the Portland State alumnus still made a strong claim to be one of the key cogs of the Archers who can get it done especially offensively, both inside and out.

With these new players doing their thing and proving themselves worthy, we, UAAP fans, have another reason to stay glued and follow UAAP Season 82. Exciting times it is.

 

Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.

msmurillo@bworldonline.com

James motivation

LeBron James is three months short of 35 years old. He has been toiling at the sport’s highest level since being drafted first overall in 2003, in the process accumulating mileage topped only by a handful of legends. His numbers indicate both his longevity and the downward trajectory of his career: 16 years, 1,437 games, 56,284 minutes. And, moving forward, he figures to be viewed from the perspective of critical quarters only too cognizant of the dichotomy. He has delivered the goods too often to be doubted, but ultimately isn’t immune to the single most significant factor even the best of the best cannot overcome: time.

Indeed, James has had his unique physique and skill set going for him. At the same time, he just went through a season in which he was sidelined for a protracted period due to injury. It may have been a first, but it nonetheless sent alarm bells pundits’ way — so much so that they promptly undervalued his 27.4-8.5-8.3 stat line and all but forgot his virtuoso performance in the 2018 Playoffs. And, given the demands of pro hoops, asking “What have you done for me lately?” isn’t just understandable, but justified and even necessary.

Nonetheless, there can be no denying James’ continued influence over the league. Off the court, he was instrumental in paving the way for fellow All-Star Anthony Davis’ transfer to the Lakers. Conversely, he was likewise a factor in Finals Most Valuable Player Kawhi Leonard’s decision to spurn their entreaties and instead move to the Clippers. Meanwhile, he shone the light on such relevant discussions as pay for college players and safety issues concerning ninja-style headgear. The latter was particularly informative of his unparalleled sway; it was already disapproved from use as early as May, and yet still became the subject of spirited back and forth in social media and, more importantly, in a meeting by the competition committee earlier this week — after video of him practicing with it made waves.

James himself is mum about his readiness, out of character in the face of his willingness — or, to be more precise, desire — to speak out when he can and as often as he can. No doubt, it’s because he wants his playing to do the talking for him. And, in this regard, he’s putting in the time as he has always been. Those close to him deem his 2019-20 campaign a surefire bounceback. He has a much better, more complementary roster around him. Most critically, he’s motivated to prove naysayers wrong. Whether his exertions will lead to a title remains to be seen. What won’t be in question, however, is his drive. He owes it to Davis. He owes it to the Lakers. He owes it to himself.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Dying delicadeza

One of many Filipino values that is sadly disappearing, or has been forgotten these days, is delicadeza. It is one of the traits long held dear by our forebears as a mark of breeding, and of civilized, ethical, and responsible behavior. Recently there seem to be more and more displays of brazenness among our public officials, whether executive, legislative, or judiciary.

The descent into shamelessness is accelerated by the tolerance for breeches in propriety, or even unethical and illegal behavior at high levels of government.

We have a solicitor general who on the side provides paid security services to government agencies he is supposed to represent or prosecute in courts of law. Despite revelations of conflicts of interest and criticism in media, Solicitor General Jose Calida, reputedly an old friend of President Rodrigo Duterte, has stayed in his job, while continuing to provide those paid services, with fees running into millions of pesos, taken no less from taxpayers’ money. (Calida said that he had resigned his position as President of Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency, Inc., when he became OSG, though he was succeeded by his wife and that other key executive positions in the firm are occupied by his children.)

Secretary Salvador Panelo, Presidential legal counsel and spokesman, no less, is behaving righteously about his referral letter on Office of the President letterhead, no less, to the Board of Pardons and Parole on behalf of a former client whose family requested his help with their petition for the early release of rape and murder convict Antonio Sanchez. No, Panelo insists, he did not endorse, he merely referred. If he valued delicadeza, he would have ignored the request, or assigned the referral task to an underling who had no history of representing the convict as a lawyer, and who need not use such an intimidating letterhead.

It certainly does not help that the President, no less, excused his legal counsel’s “carelessness” as understandable since, he said, after all, Panelo had to make a living as a lawyer. What did this mean? So, carelessness, if that is what it was, is allowed for a Cabinet member?

Recently dismissed Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Nicanor Faeldon — who was fired from Customs following a scandal involving millions of pesos worth of shabu which escaped the Customs Bureau scrutiny — admitted in a Senate hearing that he was not aware of the corruption in the BuCor in the processing of release orders for convicts, mostly in violation of the law. No, he did not sign a release order, just a memorandum of release? Faeldon was contradicted by BuCor Director Ma. Fe Marquez who said the memorandum was a release order. After firing Faeldon from his BuCor job due to the loud public outcry, President Duterte had the temerity to state publicly that Faeldon was an upright (“tarong” in Visayan) man. So, it looks like Faeldon might yet get another government post?

The Sandiganbayan justices who acquitted now Senator Bong Revilla in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) case of plunder, but convicted his Chief of Staff, stretched credibility when they at the same time ordered Revilla to return P124.5 million found in his personal bank account to the government coffers where it properly belongs. Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales once stated that the evidence on the Bong Revilla plunder case was among their strongest. Well, Senator Revilla declared righteously during his campaign that he had committed no crime against the Filipino people.

The sedition case filed against Vice-President Leni Robredo and several opposition personalities based on testimony provided by the ridiculous witness named Bikoy Advincula, who had earlier claimed to have evidence that the President and his family were the real narcopoliticians, is pushing it too far. It is easy to surmise that the incredible witness turned around under pressure. The filing of the case with the cooperation of the Solicitor General is what one might call “forcing through.”

The President’s publicly admitted order to transfer several long-term convict/witnesses against detained Senator Leila de Lima from congested Bilibid to the cozier Marine Detention Center is as brazen as can be. Why did he do it? He says it is to protect them from possible harm in Bilibid from supporters of detained Senator De Lima. The President’s order is actually in violation of the law that requires such orders to come from judicial Courts. Why did the President do it? Because he can.

Now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, who continues to act for and in behalf of the President as if he never left his job as Presidential Adviser, recently delivered his maiden privilege speech as a Senator. Half of his speech was devoted to denigrating the physical appearance of the brilliant and hardworking Congressman Edsel Lagman of Catanduanes. It was a shameful example of ill breeding to use the privilege speech to denigrate the physical appearance of a public servant, rather than to cite the substance of the man’s work.

Our descent into acceptance of these shameful and even illegal public behaviors is something we cannot take for granted. It is frightening that it is becoming the norm rather than the exception. The longer this kind of behavior is tolerated, the more it will become ingrained in our culture. We must raise more awareness of the fine lines of ethical behavior that are more and more frequently being violated. The more violators “get away with it,” the more this behavior will be taken for granted.

 

Teresa S. Abesamis is a former professor at the Asian Institute of Management and Fellow of the Development Academy of the Philippines.

tsabesamis0114@yahoo.com

Not just a $23-Billion solution

A wide-ranging value chain analysis on the Philippine economy leads us to try new strategies, which can eventually jumpstart “real” development. The fact remains that our country is the fifth most mineralized country in the world; the issue of effective resource management in order to unleash the potentials of this “underground” wealth is a good strategic approach as this can finance development and activate key industries in the process.

Economic endeavors that involve the extraction of mineral resources entail serious environmental considerations. The study of Dr. CP David, Convenor of Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship under the Albert Del Rosario Institute for Strategic Studies, entitled “Advancing Sound Resource Management as a Requisite for Sustainable Development,” emphasizes the need to strike a balance between mining and ecosystem integrity.

Government seems to be ineffective in enforcing environmental regulations for mining, forestry, fisheries, and solid waste management. This may be the reason for the cyclical and systemic nature of our environmental problems. Balanced environmental governance is the key to realizing and unlocking the transformative potentials of sound resource management and sustainable mining activities.

In a 2017 Stratbase ADRI special paper, Dr. Carlo A. Arcilla, then Director the University of Philippines National Institute of Geological Sciences, demystified a much propagated perception by anti-mining groups that 40% of our land area is being mined or has been opened to mining. Worse, the industry is being charged as the culprit for the destruction of our forest cover. According to his study, however, mining in our country only occupies a minute space that is less than 0.3% of our total land area, debunking the demonizing claims against large-scale mining. The large-scale mining operations are recognized by no less than the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as the leading industry when it comes to reforestation because they are mandated to do so under their licenses to operate.

With regard to agriculture, mining could not directly interfere because lands rich in metallic minerals are not suitable for growing crops and existing mining laws do not allow mining in agricultural lands.

Dr. David also noted that the inability or deliberate non-compliance of thousands of small-scale mining operations to comply with the environmental regulations, and the regulator’s limitations in enforcing these, are causing the environmental damage that unfairly reflects on the whole mining industry. Small-scale mining activities are highly unregulated both from an environmental and fiscal perspective and need to be approached as a separate challenge with its own set of eco-political complications.

The developed countries of the world have for centuries realized the value of harnessing their mineral resources as a fuel for industrialization, resources that they exploited to achieve the level of prosperity, that high standard of living, that their citizens now enjoy. The journey was by no means environmentally friendly, but eventually evolved to what is now widely practiced as responsible mining. We now have the advantage of new technologies and tested regulatory models that we can easily integrate to the local environment.

Shifting the government’s regulatory approach from a restrictive to a developmental policy regime of environmental stewardship and responsible mining will awaken the full potential of the Philippine mining industry.

For instance, the Chamber of Mines estimates that the lifting of the ban on new mining permits as enforced by Executive Order 79, will prompt the influx of $23 billion in long-pending direct foreign investments for 11 pending mining projects. These investments equate to massive job creation and livelihood opportunities for millions of Filipinos in undeveloped areas of the country.

Without legislating new taxes, operations of new mining projects will translate to billions in new revenue that will help both the national government and local host communities build new infrastructure and improve public services.

As more mining operations start production, opportunities will open up for downstream industries in manufacturing and services, further enhancing the multiplier effect generated by legitimate mining operations.

All these benefits can only happen when predicated by an industry that strictly adheres by the standards of responsible mining. Recognizing the importance of earning a “social license to operate,” the Chamber of Mines has adopted the mandatory participation of its members in the TSM (Towards Sustainable Mining) Initiative enforced in Canada, one of the most successful mining economies of the world.

Aligned with the DENR’s policy, the Chamber of Mines has been strictly implementing progressive rehabilitation as a standard practice of its member companies. Notable examples of successfully rehabilitated open pit mines are Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp.’s in Bataraza, Palawan, Philex Mining Corp.’s Bulawan and Sibutad Projects in Negros Occidental and Zamboanga del Norte, Taganito Mining Corp.’s mine in Claver, Surigao del Norte, and TVI Resource Development’s Canatuan Mine in Zamboanga del Norte.

The government must overcome the stereotypical biases against mining and open its eyes to hard data that verifies the viability and long-term sustainability of a responsible mining industry. If this happens, this will not just be a $23-billion solution; it will be a legacy that will outlive not only political cycles, but many grateful generations.

 

Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” C. Manhit is the President of Stratbase ADR Institute

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