Home Blog Page 10056

PCC studying valuation method for data assets in mergers

THE Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) is considering the possibility of taking into account the valuation of data assets in mergers or acquisitions.
In a phone interview, PCC Commissioner Johannes Benjamin R. Bernabe said the anti-trust body has recently dealt with mergers where the physical assets of the parties were less significant than the value of their data.
The PCC’s data valuation practices may affect the reporting threshold of merger deals — the point at which transactions need to be cleared by the commission — involving technology firms whose value is determined largely by the data they collect.
Citing the Grab acquisition of Uber’s Southeast Asian operations last year, Mr. Bernabe said the commission took note that the parties did not provide a valuation of their data in calculating their transaction’s value, which did not fall within the agency’s notification threshold.
“If you have a value of physical assets at $500,000, and in exchange you give up 27.5% of your equity when your market valuation is upwards $6 billion, what does that tell you? You are purchasing data which is not being valued properly. What is that data? It’s data of the drivers, whatever rider information is embedded in the systems that would have been transferred to Grab,” Mr. Bernabe said.
However, he noted that capturing data-driven transactions will need an adjustment to the PCC’s valuation method.
Mr. Bernabe cited an example from Germany, which factors in the transaction’s purchase price, as a viable model.
“Germany has adopted a valuation method that takes into account the purchase price because they realized that there are so many transactions going on in the members of the EU (European Union) where simply looking at the revenues generated would be misleading because the revenues may be minimal but the market valuation of these social media businesses are going through the roof. And why is it so? Because of the data that goes with the acquisition,” the PCC commissioner said.
“While we have only preliminarily discussed it, one issue that we will have to reexamine moving into the future is whether we can do what Germany did… because that would give input to the value of data that is being transferred,” he added.
Mr. Bernabe said the PCC has not come to a firm decision on the matter.
However, he said drafting the guidelines to notification rules is only a “fraction of the bigger picture” in assessing the impact of data on mergers and acquisitions.
“The more interesting exercise is really conducting an analysis on the substance of what happens once the data is in the hands of the merged entity,” he said.
He said he has been pushing other commissioners and the PCC’s Enforcement Office to analyze whether there will be substantial reduction of competition in the market not only in terms of the impact of the sharing or transfer of goods or services between companies but also at the data that will be controlled by the merged entity.
Mr. Bernabe said he first urged for the broadening of analytical scope particularly after Bayer AG’s $66 billion acquisition of Monsanto Co. in 2017.
“Maybe they’re not going to have significant share insofar as the products are concerned. But what about the research and development, information, that they have which are subject to patent? If they will not provide access to other users to these patented products, then our world will be poorer because R&d will not be facilitated,” Mr. Bernabe said.
The commissioner is also hoping to extend the post-merger review beyond the two-to-five-year period, noting that other jurisdictions have recently realized the longer timeframe that data takes to be made applicable and useful to a business.
Mr. Bernabe pointed out that for patents, for instance, the lifecycle of data that leads to the development of a patented product, including the research and development that goes with it, is much longer than the PCC’s post-merger analysis timetable.
“We have to look at how data will affect the way business will work 10 years from now. It requires more far-sighted analysis. Of course, questions arise [as to] how can you really predict how markets will evolve in 10 years but this is where… really more intensive interviews with market participants come into play,” he added.
In terms of how other commissioners are reacting to this push, Mr. Bernabe said “it’s a slow grind”, as the commissioners are from various disciplines.
However, Mr. Bernabe believes “the commission will be more compelled to face the situation sooner rather than later,” as big-data driven businesses are on the rise.
“I guess that’s the trend in new businesses coming up, based on the use of big data application of data science and data analytics. So we have to prepare for that,” he added. — Janina C. Lim

CTA partially grants mining firm’s nickel VAT refund claim

THE Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) partially granted the tax refund claim of Taganito Mining Corp. for P28.93 million in excess input value added tax (VAT) attributable to zero-rated sales for 2014, but approved only P25.95 million while finding the remainder without documentary support.
In a decision dated Dec. 6, the CTA special second division said the miner only proved its entitlement to P25.95 million as it failed to comply with some requirements.
“In fine, petitioner has sufficiently proven its entitlement to a refund in the amount of P25,946,279.40 representing its unutilized excess input VAT for the four quarters of CY (calendar year) 2014 which is attributable to its zero-rated sales/receipts for the same period,” the court said.
Taganito Mining claimed that it is entitled to excess input tax refund of P28.93 million, after it recorded P8.8 billion worth of zero-rated sales in 2014, P7-billion of which were export sales to non-resident foreign companies. The exported commodities were nickel saprolite and limonite ore. It also generated sales from other exploration activities.
According to the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) of 1997, a VAT-registered entity may claim a refund on any input tax attributable to zero-rated sales, provided that the input taxes were not applied against any output VAT liability and the claim was filed during the prescribed period.
NIRC classifies export sales paid for in an acceptable foreign currency or its equivalent goods or services accounted for in line with the regulations of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as zero-rated sales.
Exports must be supported with various proofs of sale, such as bills of lading or airway bills, as proof of shipment and any document proving the payment for goods in an acceptable foreign currency.
For sales of services, meanwhile, the service must be other than processing, manufacturing or repackaging of goods, the payment must be in an acceptable foreign currency, and the client must be doing business outside the country. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Benguet mayors seek bigger say in Greater Baguio

BENGUET mayors said they want the role of a development authority centered on Baguio City to be clearly defined to prevent overlaps with local government units (LGUs).
The mayors testified Friday at a Senate hearing in Camp John Hay, Baguio City on the proposed Baguio City, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay Development Authority (BLISTTDA).
“We do not like an authority, which is another bureaucracy over and above the LGUs, that will infringe on the autonomy and functions of the LGUs,” Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said, speaking on behalf of the mayors, during the Senate hearing.
“Instead, our suggestion is that we define the relationship of the development authority with the local government units, with the line agencies so that there will be no overlapping of functions and conflict,” he added.
Mr. Domogan also proposed for BLISTTDA to have a governing council chaired by a person elected by Benguet mayors, instead of appointment by the President as prescribed in the bill.
He also called for the proposed measure to clearly define the project funding responsibilities between the authority and LGUs. BLISTTDA should not interfere as well with the LGUs’ programs in its own jurisdictions, he added.
“Programs… of LGUs totally funded by their own funds, which does not involve other members of BLISTT, shall be the concern to be implemented by the said LGUs. The authority has no power to mingle with those programs and development which is solely for the development and programs of the LGU,” he said.
Mr. Domogan said Benguet mayors are otherwise in favor of the creation of a development authority that will monitor and coordinate policies between national government agencies and LGUs for the region.
In response, committee chair Senator Richard J. Gordon said there will be plebiscite on the creation of the development authority, with its composition and functions subject to the approval of citizens. He added that he will introduce a “proposition system” in the bill that would allow a mechanism for stakeholders to freely provide feedback on the policies of BLISTTDA.
“There will be a plebiscite. We cannot do this without a plebiscite… In the plebiscite, you can even suggest if it will be now a new board of supervisors that will handle it or the old system. There will be suggestions in the plebiscite. We will draft a law in such a way that we do this,” he said.
The Senate committee on government corporations and public enterprises, chaired by Mr. Gordon, conducted its second public hearing in Baguio City on House Bill No. 6974 and Senate Bill No. 1692, which propose to establish BLISTTDA.
The proposed body is tasked to formulate and regulate the implementation of the medium- and long-term plans and programs for the delivery of services, land use and physical infrastructure within the covered area. It will also set policies on traffic management and impose fines and penalties for all kinds of violations of traffic rules.
Under the bill filed by Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto, the BLISTTDA council serves as the policy-making body of the development authority. It will be composed of the Benguet governor, congressmen of Baguio City and Benguet, as well as the mayors of the covered areas. The council’s chairman is appointed by the President. — Camille A. Aguinaldo

Palawan power utility submits revised distribution plan

THE Department of Energy (DoE) has ordered Palawan Electric Cooperative (Paleco) to submit an updated power distribution development plan (DDP) to determine whether the government should continue looking after the provision of electricity in the area.
“We required them to submit a revised DDP,” Mario C. Marasigan, director of the DoE’s Electric Power Industry Management Bureau, told reporters last week.
“Depending on the DDP, then we may have to decide whether to continue the arrangement with the NPC (National Power Corp.) to provide services for the El Nido area in terms of the generation and wires,” he added.
DoE Undersecretary William Felix B. Fuentebella confirmed that Paleco has submitted a revised DDP, which was forwarded to Mr. Marasigan’s bureau. Mr. Marasigan said that for the rest of Palawan, the DoE is looking at enhancing the power transmission substations. He said his bureau will also review the power supply agreements.
“We have already initiated discussions with them to include in their DDP the power supply procurement program and the review,” he said.
DoE’s intervention in Palawan comes after President Rodrigo R. Duterte issued a warning to local officials to solve the energy issues in the province. He gave Paleco until the end of the year to address the frequent brownouts or he will seek a new electricity provider for Palawan.
Last month, state-run National Electrification Administration (NEA) said it intervened in the management and operation of Paleco in its bid to help resolve the power supply issues in the province.
NEA Administrator Edgardo R. Masongsong issued an office order on Dec. 10 designating engineer Nelson Lalas as project supervisor and acting general manager of Paleco “effective immediately,” the agency said in a statement.
Mr. Lalas’ designation will cease upon the appointment of a regular general manager, which is subject to NEA confirmation.
Mr. Marasigan said the problem in Palawan is related to transmission.
“The common causes of the problem in Palawan apparently are the lines and substations. It’s not insufficient power supply. In fact, it has oversupply in terms of PSAs,” he said.
He also said that some areas in Palawan were also not connected to the electric cooperative such as El Nido, Taytay and San Vicente, which are among the province’s key tourist destinations.
“But the interconnection should be completed by 2019 as programmed by NPC-SPUG (small power utilities group),” he said.
For this year, DoE expects power demand in Palawan to fall in line with expectations that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Tourism are looking “some of sort of restrictions as far as the entry to El Nido,” Mr. Marasigan said.
“There won’t be any closures but the DENR has been finding some issues. For example there is a lot of encroachment on beach areas so that means we will see a reduction in such facilities. So that’s reduction in consumption,” he said. — Victor V. Saulon

Funding sought for communities generating hydropower

A BILL providing funding for the protection, conservation, management and development of local government units (LGUs) that host hydroelectric generation facilities has been filed at the House of Representatives.
House Bill No. 8723, authored by Quirino Rep. Dakila Carlo E. Cua, proposed to grant host communities financial benefits from the sale of hydropower.
“The management of flowing water is not limited to the location of the hydroelectric generation facility. It begins at the point of origin of the waterway and includes its surrounding areas,” Mr. Cua said in the explanatory note.
If enacted, the measure will require hydro facilities to remit P0.01 per kilowatt-hour of its electricity sales directly to the LGU of the host community.
Of this share, 50% will be allocated for the protection, conservation, management and development of natural resources.
The other 25% of the collection will go to an electrification fund; while the remainder will be set aside for development and livelihood.
The bill includes host communities like provinces, cities, municipalities or barangays from where the water system begins up to the hydroelectric generation facility. In light of this, the measure provided that the collection be distributed across all covered areas.
The bill will also establish an Integrated Water System Management Committee, which shall be headed by local executives of the host communities.
“The Committee shall maintain a close working relationship with the various national government agencies to avoid replication in the protection, conservation, management, and development of related resources,” according to the bill. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Moving forward with our reason for being

It has barely been a week since the New Year and already we have seen or experienced changes. Why? Because we are living in an age of transformation.
Every single day, innovations spring forth and industries may morph in character and needs. From digital trends to shifting work cultures, norms are being rewritten in favor of faster processes, cutting-edge technologies, and highly specialized competencies. Given this evolving landscape, how do companies, firms, and employees stay afloat? Should businesses simply rely on adapting new workflows and processes to stay relevant and competitive?
These are the questions that have propelled businesses and entrepreneurs to rethink their strategies and methods of transactions over the past few years. Globalization has moved emerging markets and e-commerce into the forefront of local and regional economies, challenging traditional companies to either integrate digital products into their ecosystem, or risk getting left behind by competitors and consumers alike. Moreover, today’s business environment is able to offer an abundance of opportunities which can sway a young professional’s career goals in unexpected ways.
This is the business landscape that greets us in 2019, and the world will only move faster from here.
Although there may not be a single answer to address these issues, there is one constant that acts as a North Star amid this flurry of uncertainty and change: Purpose. This is not a foreign concept by any stretch, but there is still plenty of merit in revisiting its intrinsic worth here and now, as we prepare for another year of development and growth.
REVISITING PURPOSE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL
In French, “purpose” can translate to raison d’etre or one’s reason for being – its dictionary meaning is “the justification for existence.” On the level of the individual, purpose prescribes the underlying belief that there is a reason for every choice made and every action done. Therefore, to have a strong sense of purpose should ideally lead to productive and tireless action. However, no matter how personal it may be, purpose will usually be aligned with something greater than one’s self. It is in this pursuit of a bigger dream or goal that makes the journey to know one’s purpose important, regardless of background or circumstance.
SGV defines purpose in a similar manner — it is the aspirational reason for being that is grounded in humanity, it inspires, and calls to action. Purpose is what sets SGV’s talent pool apart, and it is what keeps both leadership and staff in constant motion towards delivering quality work.
PURPOSE IS OUR MAIN DRIVER
On the level of the business environment, purpose exists to motivate the overall vision of a company. The EY Beacon Institute conducted a global survey, sponsored by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services (HBRAS), which championed Purpose as a main driver for strategy and decision-making aimed at long-term success. The snapshot of the results show that most executives believe purpose is transformative on almost all levels – from better employee satisfaction to increasing customer loyalty.
Meanwhile, companies which have yet to develop their own purpose-driven management are now trying to create one. Why the impetus for purpose in the workplace? The answer is simple: a unified, collective, corporate purpose empowers individual members of the organization with a greater sense of fulfillment and meaning. When one person wholly understands the power of one positive action, they become more engaged, they access higher levels of creativity, and they function beyond expectations of the job.
EMBARKING ON OUR PURPOSE JOURNEY
Following the results of this survey, how does SGV articulate its purpose? What drives SGV to succeed above and beyond the call of duty? What should drive its individual members to do the same?
From the very beginning, SGV’s core values of meritocracy, fairness, integrity, and steadfast support for lifelong learning have driven generations of leaders and staff to carry a torch of excellence for over 70 years. These values are embedded in many aspects of their personal and professional life, long after their tenure in SGV. These constitute the blueprint of SGV’s reason for being — the Firm’s purpose.
SGV’s Purpose Journey is the collective ambition of a talented, dynamic, and team-based organization encapsulated in the statement: “In everything we do, we nurture leaders and enable businesses for a better Philippines.”
There is now a greater call to align one’s personal sense of purpose to the idea that even small acts at work can exponentially affect the community, and the country, in a positive way. SGV strives to help build a better Philippines that has people unafraid to take up positions of leadership and management; who live with integrity; who are engendered with the spirit of doing what is right, even when it is challenged.
In 2019, we have committed to continue to walk the path of our Purpose Journey. In recognition of the greater majority of the company’s millennial workforce, the Purpose has also been captured in a hashtag: #SGVForABetterPhilippines. This will be the unshakeable compass that will aid all of us in navigating through new trends, disruptions, and unpredictable movements in the marketplace. And may this “reason for being” inspire many to pursue greater work and success, all towards the aim of a better working world.
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. The views and opinion expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of SGV & Co.
 
J. Carlitos G. Cruz is the Chairman and Managing Partner of SGV & Co.

Analysts see BOL approval in Jan. 21 plebiscite

By Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
WITH two weeks left before the plebiscite that will decide on the proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), analysts agreed there is a possibility that it will be ratified, yet there are challenges ahead in the transition to an autonomous Bangsamoro region.
On July 26, 2018, President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed Republic Act 11054 or the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which is a product of long peace negotiations between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the national government dating back to the preceding administration of Benigno S.C. Aquino III.
Although he believes that the BOL will be passed, Ateneo Policy Center research fellow Michael Henry LI. Yusingco said that there were some “spoilers” in the passage of the BOL.
“However, siyempre (of course) obviously there will be spoilers. How would that affect the plebiscite? To be honest, I don’t know. If you just look back at the recent events, spoilers can be in a legal way, just like the petitions filed in (the) Supreme Court. In can be in (an) illegal way, such as the New Year’s eve bombing,” said Mr. Yusingco in a phone interview with BusinessWorld on Jan. 5.
On Oct. 30, 2018, Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan II sought a temporary restraining order from the high court on the BARMM.
The MILF, for its part, does not discount the New Year’s Eve bombing in South Seas Mall in Cotabato City as a factor in derailing the upcoming plebiscite on Jan. 21.
‘BUSINESS AS USUAL’
When asked if the Bangsamoro region will bring peace to Mindanao, Mr. Yusingco stated: “Yes and no. Yes, because it will provide the platform for political participation for the Bangsamoro. But no, if it will be just business as usual on the part of the central government and the regional leaders.”
According to the latest report of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance Policy Brief written by Mr. Yusingco, the “case of ‘business as usual’ will bring disastrous results for the BARMM.”
“A case of ‘business as usual’ will bring disastrous results for the BARMM. Bangsamoro politicians and voters alike must see their role in a parliamentary system. So education and training for the needed changes is absolutely necessary,” the report read. University of the Philippines-Diliman law professor Antonio G.M. La Viña said the Marawi Siege will not happen if there is a Bangsamoro state.
“Kailangan siya. ‘Yung sa Maute, hindi ‘yan nangyari kung may Bangsamoro, ‘yung siege sa Marawi,” said Mr. La Viña in a phone interview with BusinessWorld on Jan. 5. (It is necessary. Regarding the Maute incident, it could have been prevented if there is Bangsamoro, the siege in Marawi).
He added that the BOL will also help further development of the region: “It would cascade to economic development, to better education of the people, for better opportunities, more foreign investments,” Mr. La Viña said.
University of Santo Tomas (UST) political science professor Marlon M. Villarin said the transition to a Bangsamoro region will not resolve conflict in Mindanao.
“Of course, whether the Bangsamoro will win the plebiscite,…of course, literally it cannot outrightly resolve the Mindanao conflict. Because the very reason is when you speak of the Bangsamoro Organic Law you are only talking about the MILF and there’s a different thing with what (was) aspired (for) by the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front). And beyond that, there are subgroups who are also (a) seeing different thing that is acceptable to them. In fact, the BOL, for me, is doomed to fail if in case it will be carried out,” said Mr. Villarin in a phone interview with BusinessWorld on Jan. 5.
He added, “The problem is that when you look at BOL, it does not provide an effective mechanism that will manage public expectation specifically of those people living on Mindanao. It’s purely generic. It’s purely general. It does not provide specific measure as to how it will make peace a sustainable atmosphere in the region.”
DYNASTIES
Political dynasties are one prevailing issue with regards to the BOL. The bicameral conference committee did not include the Anti-Political Dynasty provision in the final version of the proposed BOL after some members “strongly opposed” it.
Mr. La Viña said: “The Bangsamoro Organic Law has a parliamentary system. Therefore, there is a better chance na walang (of no) dynasty. In a parliamentary system, at least 40 or 60% of the seats are reserved for parties. So therefore, there is a bigger chance na hindi siya mako-control ng mga families (So therefore, there is a bigger chance that it will not be controlled by the families)…Ang governor dito (The governor here) is not elected by the people but by the parties of the parliament.”
The BARMM will follow a parliamentary type of system, under which the legislative and executive bodies in the BARMM are more closely connected.
Residents in the proposed region will elect 80 members of parliament who will then elect a chief minister. The chief minister will appoint the members of the Cabinet.
UST Political Science Department chairperson Dennis C. Coronacion said the rejection of the anti-political dynasty provision is due to the strengthening of regional political parties under the BOL.
“That’s probably because the MILF leadership is confident that the BOL has provisions that indirectly control the proliferation of political dynasties in the region. For instance, it allows the strengthening of regional political parties. If political parties would be strengthened, the electorate would not see any need to elect members of political dynasties,” said Mr. Coronacion in an online interview with BusinessWorld on Jan. 5. The BOL also abolishes the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which was established in 1989 through Republic Act No. 6734. Analysts agreed that the said autonomous region was a failure.“The old ARMM is viewed by many as a failed experiment since it has failed to uplift the lives of the Muslim Filipinos,” Mr. Coronacion said.
Mr. Yusingco said, “I would say there were inherent faults in the legal framework itself. Which in a way made it difficult for the ARMM to be successful. ‘Yung law mismo (The law itself is) defective….One inherent fault in RA 9054,…the law treats the ARMM like a line agency of the central government. The law does not vest fiscal autonomy on the ARMM as contemplated in Article 10 of the 1987 Constitution.”
Mr. Villarin said: “We are repeating the same mistake again. We have to remember why rebellion happened in Mindanao is because of political, economic, historical atrocities that the Mindanaoans suffered. If you look at the contents, both of the ARMM and Bangsamoro Organic Law, they only responded to political and economic issues, but it doesn’t provide a genuine response in respect to (the) culture and history of (the) Mindanaoan people.”
Mr. La Viña said, “Constitutionally, it was bound to fail. Because I don’t think the ARMM gave real autonomy. It still allowed the President and the Manila departments to control the ARMM. But as always, even if the system was not good, but if the people are good and the current governor (Mujiv S.) Hataman has been excellent and not corrupt, so it worked very well under his leadership.” The plebiscite will be held in the ARMM, Cotabato City and the city of Isabela in Basilan. A separate plebiscite will be held on Feb. 6 in Lanao del Norte except Iligan City and in six municipalities in North Cotabato.

House rules committee to summon DPWH officials on flood control ‘scam’

THE House rules committee agreed to subpoena the top officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to its continuing investigation of alleged irregularities in the budget practices of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
“The testimonies given under oath by those subpoenaed indicate a top-level conspiracy in the multi-billion peso flood control scam that may involve ranking officials of government,” House Majority Leader Rolando G. Andaya, Jr. said in a statement on Sunday.
He named DPWH Undersecretary for Planning and Public-Private Partnership Maria Catalina E. Cabral, Senior Undersecretary for Regional Operations in Luzon Rafael C. Yabut and Project Director of Flood Control Management Cluster Patrick B. Gatan as among the officials who will be subpoenaed to the committee’s next hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
On top of this, a subpoena decus tecum for DPWH official documents and transaction records, involving flood control projects from 2017 to 2018, will also be issued.
“May nag-uutos galing sa taas na i-short cut ang proseso sa flood control projects. Hindi dumadaan ang request ng district offices sa regional offices as required by DO (Department Order) 23. Diretso ang utos sa district engineers. Para maiwasan ang paper trail, no written orders or instructions. Viber messages lang,” Mr. Andaya said. (There is an order to cut short the process relating to flood control projects. The requests coming from district offices are not being reviewed by the regional offices, as required by DO 23. It is directed to the district engineers and to avoid paper trails, there were no written orders or instructions made. Instead, orders were made through Viber messages).
“These flood control projects submitted by the district engineers are then used to come up with a list of projects for approval by Sec. (Benjamin E.) Diokno,” he said.
The Committee had earlier said that the absence of a comprehensive plan on flood mitigation made it an easy target for “parked funds.”
But while it didn’t have a master plan, the DPWH had issued Department Order No. 23 to outline the guidelines and procedures in implementing government-funded flood mitigation projects.
The committee will hold a meeting on Monday. — C.A. Tadalan

DoLE: Medical technicians from PHL sought in UAE

THE United Arab Emirates is on the lookout for qualified Filipinos to take 150 vacancies for the position of medical technician.
“Nangangailangan ang National Ambulance Company sa Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates ng mga kuwalipikadong Pilipinong aplikante upang mapuno ang kanilang bakante para sa 150 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) (The National Ambulance Company in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, needs qualified Filipino applicants to fill up vacancies for 150 EMTs),” DoLE said.
Interested applicants need to register online at http://eservices.poea.gov.ph and check the requirements stated in the website. The applicant will need to submit original copies of required documents personally at the Manpower Registry Division located at the Blas F. Ople Building, Ortigas Avenue corner EDSA, Mandaluyong. Deadline for applications is on Jan. 31.
According to data by the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), a total of 21 EMTs were deployed to the National Ambulance Company in 2018. — Gillian M. Cortez

Palace on town mayor’s killing: ‘Same fate to befall’ anyone resisting arrest in drug war

IN response to the recent killing of a former mayor allegedly involved in illegal drugs, Malacañang on Sunday said “the same fate will befall” any Filipino involved in the illegal activity, regardless of status, if they resist arrest.
“Regardless of the social and political status of persons involved and /or engaged in the illegal drug industry, the same fate will necessarily befall them if they resist arrest and shoot it out with the arresting officers,” presidential spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said in a statement.
“The law allows lawmen to use mortal violence against those who imperil their lives in the course of a legitimate police operation or arrest. The drug menace has struck and destroyed a generation of Filipinos and threatens the next one. It has been the cause of the commission of crimes against persons and properties. It made dysfunctional families of those who have been addicted to the prohibited drugs,” he added.
In a philstar.com report, former Parang, Maguindanao mayor Talib Abo, Sr. and his sibling were killed during anti-drug operations last Friday in Cotabato City. According to the local police, the raiding teams, who were searching for shabu in Mr. Abo’s house, were forced to “neutralize” the former mayor when the latter pulled out his gun and refused to cooperate.
Mr. Panelo said President Rodrigo R. Duterte will continue the government’s war against illegal drugs “pursuant to his constitutional authority to serve and protect the people.” He also reiterated that the government never initiate “drug-related killings outside the ambit of the law.”
“The government will pursue to the ends of the earth those who kill without justifying and exempting circumstances as provided by law until they are put behind bars. There will be no sacred cows in this administration,” he said.
“Those who disobey or violate the law will pay the price for their crimes or transgressions. The President will employ any means, unconventional or not but constitutionally allowed, to enforce the law. The President shall fulfill his constitutional mandate until the end of his term,” he added.
In a 2016 Philippine Star article, then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte named Mr. Abo as the head of a drug syndicate operating in Central and Southern Mindanao. Mr. Abo later denied the allegations, saying he was never linked nor charged with a drug-related offense. — C.A. Aguinaldo

Usman aftermath: Reported deaths at 126; damage, P4.25B

AS RELIEF and recovery operations continue a week after the devastation of tropical depression Usman, latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) indicate 126 reported deaths, 26 missing and 75 injured. As of the Jan. 6 NDRRMC update, more than 13,000 families composed of almost 58,000 individuals are still in evacuation centers while another 19,825 families remain displaced. A total of 675,777 people have been affected by the flooding and landslides triggered by the storm. Although Usman weakened into a low pressure area as it passed through the country, it still left major toll in four regions, namely: CALABARZON (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Quezon-Rizal), MIMAROPA (Mindoro-Marinduque-Romblon-Palawan), Bicol, and Eastern Visayas. Bicol suffered the biggest casualties. In terms of damage to infrastructure and agriculture, NDRRMC said latest field reports total P4.25 billion, with almost P949 million in farm losses and P3.3 billion in roads, bridges, public buildings, and private structures.

Multi-sector party ramps up support for BOL in Sulu, other island provinces

THE FIRST in a series of pro-Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) rallies planned in the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi was held Saturday with high-level officials making the pitch for the new law that is up for referendum on Jan. 21. “I did not expect this crowd today… I am very pleased to see everybody here,” said Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim at the gathering held at the Notre Dame of Jolo College in Sulu. The BOL is grounded on the peace deal signed by the MILF with the government in 2014. “The BOL is not a victory of the MILF but it is the victory of the entire Bangsamoro people… Inshallah, we will win in Sulu,” he said. Sulu is considered a contentious area for the plebiscite after Sulu Gov. Abdusakar A. Tan II filed a case before the Supreme Court questioning the BOL and seeking a temporary restraining order against its implementation. Other officials who spoke at the rally were Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito G. Galvez Jr.; Undersectrary Nabil A. Tan, chair of the government implementing peace panel and his MILF counterpart Mohagher Iqbal; and Adzfar Usman, who represented Moro National Liberation Front Chair Yusoph Jikiri. In a statement released Sunday, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said among the “thousands” who attended were former Sulu governor Benjamin T. Loong, former congresswoman Maryam Arbison, former and incumbent mayors, and members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission. — Tajallih S. Basman