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Carlsen wins Tata Masters

81st Tata Steel Masters
Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands
Jan. 22-31, 2019

Final Standings (all GMs)

1. Magnus Carlsen NOR 2835, 9.0/13

2. Anish Giri NED 2783, 8.5/13

3-5. Ian Nepomniachtchi RUS 2763, Ding Liren CHN 2813, Viswanathan Anand IND 2773, 7.5/13

6. Vidit Santosh Gujrathi IND 2695, 7.0/13

7-9. Teimour Radjabov AZE 2757, Samuel Shankland USA 2725, Richard Rapport HUN 2731, 6.5/13

10. Jan-Krzysztof Duda POL 2738, 5.5/13

11-12. Vladimir Fedoseev RUS 2724, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov AZE 2817, 5.0/13

13-14. Jorden Van Foreest NED 2612, Vladimir Kramnik RUS 2777, 4.5/13

Ave Rating 2753 Category 21
Time Control: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 50 minutes for the next 20 moves, followed by 15 minutes for the rest of the game with 30 seconds added to your time after every move starting move 1
World Champion Magnus Carlsen won the Tata Steel Masters tournament for the 7th time (this is a record, Viswanathan Anand is the only other player to have won it for five or more times) with a final score of 9/13 composed of five wins and eigth draws.
You will recall that last year he skipped the Chess Olympiad and instead participated in the European Club Championships, where, after a round 2 win over GM Vladimir Potkin he finished with five straight draws. After that Carlsen defended his world title vs the American Fabiano Caruana. That was a historic match in a negative sense — for the first time all 12 games of the match were drawn. Carlsen retained his title by winning the rapid tie-breaks.
This inability to win continued through the first four rounds in Wijk aan Zee and finally in round 5 he beat Dutch GM Jorden van Foreest with the black pieces to end the “draw streak” at 21 games.
Having broken the slump he finished the tournament with four wins and four draws. They say Magnus Carlsen can squeeze water from stone – the following game is a very good example.

Carlsen, Magnus (2835) — Rapport, Richard (2731) [B80]
Tata Steel Masters 2019 Wijk aan Zee (8.1), 20.01.2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.g3
The Fianchetto Variation of the Sicilian Taimanov. Rather than go all-out to wipe Black off the board, the first player aims for a small positional edge and to keep Black’s counterplay to a minimum.
6…a6 7.Bg2 Nf6 8.0–0 d6
Usually in this line Black goes 8…Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Bc5 10.Bf4 d6 11.Qd2 with white concentrating on putting pressure down the d-file.
And oh yes, here is a trap you should be aware of 8…Be7 9.Re1 Nxd4? is a serious mistake, he should have castled or played d7–d6. Here is why: 10.e5! Nb5 (10…Ng8 11.Qxd4 White is clearly better with no material investment; 10…Nc6 11.exf6 Bxf6 12.Nd5 Qd8 13.Be3 White has the very strong threat of Bb6, and it is not sure how Black can meet it) 11.exf6 gxf6 (11…Bxf6 12.Nd5 Qd8 13.Be3 White is winning) 12.Nd5! exd5 13.Bxd5 Black could not survive his opponent’s assault. De La Riva,O-Plaskett, J Mondariz Zonal, Spain 2000 1–0 22.
9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Na4 Rb8 11.c4 c5 12.b3 Be7 13.Bb2 0–0 14.Qe1!
A new move, and a strong one. Carlsen leaves the d1–square free for his rook and prepares a later Bb2–c3–a5 incursion. It also doubly protects the e4–square in anticipation of …Bb7.
14…Nd7
Now 14…Bb7 15.e5! Ng4 (15…dxe5 loses a pawn to 16.Bxe5 Bd6 17.Bxd6 Qxd6 18.Rd1 Qe7 19.Bxb7 Rxb7 20.Qa5) 16.exd6 Bxd6 17.Bxb7 Rxb7 18.Qe4 breaks Black’s pawn formatrion on the queenside. We get the sort of position which is ideal for Magnus Carlsen — he will squeeze and squeeze Black until the hapless foe capitulates 100 moves later.
15.Rd1 Bb7 16.Qc3 Bf6 17.Qd2 Be7
Not 17…Bxb2? 18.Nxb2 the d6–pawn falls
18.Qc3 Bf6 19.Qd2 Be7 20.f4
Threatening e4–e5.
20…e5 21.Bc3!
We go back to squeezing water out of stones. Rather than the obvious 21.Nc3, Magnus improves the position of his pieces first.
21…Bc6 22.Ba5 Qb7 23.Nc3 exf4 24.gxf4 Rfe8 25.e5!
No let-up.
25…Bxg2 26.Qxg2 dxe5
The queen trade 26…Qxg2+ 27.Kxg2 loses the d6–pawn.
27.Nd5 e4 28.Bc3 f6 29.Kh1!
Shifting to a direct kingside assault.
29…Kh8 30.Rg1 Bf8 <D>
[30…g6 31.f5!]
POSITION AFTER 30…BF8
31.Ne3!
I thought this was a mistake at first but now I am very impressed. You see, White could win a pawn with 31.Nxf6 as the threat of mate on g8 stops Black capturing twice on f6. Come to think of it though, I realize that White did not sacrifice a pawn just so that he can win it back a few moves later! As the website Chess24 points out, Carlsen went for the deadly maneuver of 31.Ne3! followed by Rd5–h5, when there was no way to defend the black king.
31…Qc6 32.Rd5 Qe6! 33.Rh5 Qf7 34.Qh3 g6 35.Rh4 Rb6 36.f5! Ne5
There is no defense:
36…g5 37.Rxg5; or
36…gxf5 37.Nxf5 Ne5 38.Ng7! Qxg7 (38…Bxg7 39.Rxh7+ Kg8 40.Rh8#) 39.Rxg7 Bxg7 40.Bxe5 fxe5 (40…Rxe5 41.Qc8+) 41.Rxh7+ Kg8 42.Rh5 with a winning game.
37.Nd5 Rd6 38.fxg6 Nxg6 39.Bxf6+! Rxf6 40.Rxh7+ [and Black resigns because of Because of the fork after 40.Rxh7+ Qxh7 41.Qxh7+ Kxh7 42.Nxf6+] 1–0
“Overpowering” is the adjective which comes to mind.
Don’t feel so bad for Rapport. The Hungarian tactical genius also got a few licks in. This early I daresay that his 37th move against the Polish GM Duda is an early favorite for “Move of the Year.”

Duda,Jan-Krzysztof (2738) — Rapport, Richard (2731) [D00]
Tata Steel Masters 2019 Wijk aan Zee (10.1), 23.01.2019

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 d5 3.Bxf6 exf6 4.e3
Believe it or not 4.c4? is a mistake. After 4…dxc4 5.e3 (5.e4 Nc6 6.d5 Ne5 7.Bxc4 Nxc4 8.Qa4+ Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bd6 10.Ne2 0–0 11.0–0 f5 Black is doing very well. Yanovskaya, O (2004)-Korchagina, V (2173) Vladimir 2007 0–1 (40)) 5…Be6 6.Nc3 c6 Black holds on to the extra pawn with the superior game. The move Ne5 to recover the pawn on c4 is no longer available to White Juettner,A (2105)-Miezis,N (2553) Schwaebisch Gmuend 2008 0–1 30.
4…Be6 5.Nd2 c6 6.Ngf3 b5 7.a4 b4 8.a5 Bd6 9.c4 bxc3 10.bxc3 0–0 11.Be2 f5 12.0–0 Nd7 13.Qa4 c5 14.c4 Nf6 15.Nb3 Ne4 16.Nxc5 Bxc5 17.dxc5 Rc8 18.c6 Nc3 19.Qc2 Nxe2+ 20.Qxe2 Rxc6 21.cxd5 Bxd5 22.Nd4 Rc5 23.Qd2 Qg5 24.f3 Rfc8 25.Rfc1 g6 26.Rxc5 Rxc5 27.Rb1 h5 28.Rb8+ Kh7 29.Re8 Qf6 30.Rb8 Qa6 31.Nb3 Bxb3 32.Qd8?!
Correct was 32.Qb2 which wins back the piece after 32…Rc8 33.Rxc8 Qxc8 34.Qxb3 with the likelihood of a draw. Duda wants more than a draw though and really goes for the neck. We should thank him for this, for now we really get to see some fireworks.
32…Rc1+ 33.Kf2 Qf1+ 34.Kg3
It looks like Black’s king is in danger of being mated. Black has a nice counter though.
34…f4+! 35.Kxf4
[35.exf4 Qe1+ 36.Kh3 Be6+ 37.g4 hxg4+ 38.fxg4 Rc3+ 39.Kg2 Qe2+ followed by mate]
35…Rc4+ 36.Kg3
There is no salvation:
36.e4 g5+! 37.Ke5 (37.Kg3 Qe1+ 38.Kh3 Qh4#; 37.Qxg5 Qc1+ 38.Kf5 Rc5+ 39.e5 Rxe5+) 37…Qa1+ 38.Kd6 Rd4+;
36.Ke5 Qa1+ 37.Kd6 Qa3+ 38.Ke5 f6+ 39.Kxf6 Qb2+ 40.Ke6 Rc5+ 41.Rxb3 Qxb3+ 42.Kd7 Qd5+ and wins.
36…Qe1+ 37.Kh3
Now for the “move of the year”.
37…Rc8!! 38.Rxc8
[38.Qxc8 Be6+]
38…Be6+ 39.g4 hxg4+! 40.fxg4 Qxe3+ 41.Kh4
[41.Kg2 Qe2+ 42.Kg1 Qxg4+ 43.Kf2 Bxc8]
41…Qf2+ 0–1
Mate will follow: 41…Qf2+ 42.Kg5 (42.Kh3 Qf3+ 43.Kh4 Qxg4#) 42…Bxc8 43.Qxc8 f6#
A lot of exciting chess was played in Wijk aan Zee. We will continue our coverage in the next column.
 
Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.
bobby@cpamd.net

No one-man team

The Pelicans could have simply folded yesterday. They certainly had a variety of excuses to do so. They were down by double digits early on the road against the highly regarded Rockets, with a match at home against the equally formidable Nuggets awaiting them on a back-to-back stint. More importantly, they had just come off three days between stops in which the only news they got was the worst possible one: Perennial Most Valuable Player candidate Anthony Davis wants out, and has asked management to explode trade possibilities with a contender. Considering that they were already third to last in the West with him at his finest, the outlook could very easily have demoralized them.
Instead, the Pelicans hung tough. Precisely because the perception was that they would be only too ready to tank in the face of the negative development, they set out to do the opposite. Under pressure yesterday, they strove to prove to all and sundry — and, yes, to themselves — that they had the wherewithal to stay competitive even in Davis’ absence. For all his contributions to the cause, they were not a one-man team, and they wanted to show it.
And so the Pelicans gnawed at the deficit, gunning for efficiency on offense while staying focused at the other end of the court. They cut it down to seven by the end of the second quarter, turned it into a lead after the third, and actually built on their advantage enough to hold on even as the Rockets tried to rally late. Needless to say, former All-Star Jrue Holiday was instrumental in the crunch, scoring eight points in the last 5:04, including two off free throws with 3.9 seconds left in the set-to to preserve the outcome. He had been holding the fort since Davis was sidelined due to a left index finger sprain.
That said, it’s fair to contend that the Pelicans have become more balanced and less reliant on one do-it-all stalwart. Holiday has naturally stepped up to be first in the pecking order sans Davis, but he’s getting lots of help. Yesterday, nine players got to see action for at least 11 minutes, as much an indication as any of head coach Alvin Gentry’s mindset to have the slack picked up by committee. And of the four logging 30 and above, Jahlil Okafor’s contributions were significant; the seeming bust signed to extremely friendly terms in the offseason once again put up huge numbers.
How the Pelicans will look like as and after they sort out their future is subject to speculation. They could go all in on a rebuilding project and trade everyone with value. They could try to stay relevant by asking for acknowledged talents even at pennies to the dollar. They could aim for something in between by likewise insisting on draft picks. In any case, this much is clear: No matter their composition, they will spare no effort fighting. Gentry will make sure they compete from opening tip to final buzzer, regardless of circumstance. It has been that way with Davis. It will be that way without him.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Shares fall ahead of US-China talks, Fed review

By Arra B. Francia, Reporter
LOCAL EQUITIES fell on Wednesday as investors chose to pocket profits ahead of trade talks between the United States and China, as well as the upcoming decision of the US Federal Reserve.
The 30-member Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) stumbled 0.88% or 70.87 points to close at 7,979.95 yesterday. The broader all-shares index likewise dropped 0.66% or 32.19 points to 4,824.53.
“The lack of fresh catalysts in the local market prompted the investors to take profit today. I believe the market is still in a wait-and-see mode as they await the updates in the US-China trade talks which will resume [Wednesday] until Thursday,” Unicapital Securities, Inc. technical analyst Cristopher Adrian T. San Pedro said via text.
US officials will be meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on Wednesday and Thursday as both parties try to arrive at a deal before the March 1 deadline of their 90-day truce. This comes amid the charges filed against Chinese tech giant Huawei and its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou.
Investors were also seen to be on the sidelines before the Federal Open Market Committee concludes its two-day policy meeting. Analysts see the body keeping rates unchanged.
“With the index finally showing weakness today and failing to close above the 8,000 mark, initial support is in the 7,800 area. Look out for how US markets move tonight especially with the upcoming Fed decision — consensus expects rates to remain steady,” Papa Securities Corp. sales associate Gabriel Jose F. Perez said in an e-mail on Wednesday.
Wall Street indices ended mixed ahead of the Fed’s decision. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.21% or 51.74 points to 24,579.96. The S&P 500 index declined 0.15% or 3.85 points to 2,640, while the Nasdaq Composite index edged lower by 0.81% or 57.40 points to 7,028.29.
Despite the market’s weakness back home, foreign investors remained net buyers at P843.95 million, versus Tuesday’s net purchases worth P795.76 million.
All sectoral indices moved to negative territory, led by services which plunged 2.15% or 34.72 points to 1,577.12. Financials shed 1.15% or 21.33 points to 1,823.08; industrials dropped 0.86% or 101.98 points to 11,636.93; mining and oil slipped 0.37% or 32 points to 8,469.24; property went down 0.23% or 9.28 points to 3,944.25; while holding firms dipped 0.22% or 18.05 points to 7,893.07.
Some 2.38 billion issues switched hands valued at P9.62 billion, higher than the previous session’s P8.21 billion.
Decliners outpaced advancers, 117 to 84, while 47 names were unchanged.
“In the short term, I expect the index to range between 7,818 support and 8,143 resistance with the possibility of testing 7,700 if the bearish momentum continues,” Unicapital’s Mr. San Pedro said.

Peso strengthens further

peso dollar bills
THE PESO rose on Wednesday ahead of the conclusion of the US Federal Reserve’s policy review.

THE PESO strengthened further against the dollar on Wednesday as investors continued to price in expectations of a dovish US Federal Reserve as its latest policy review concludes.
The local unit ended the session at P52.345 versus the greenback yesterday, 8.5 centavos stronger than the P52.43-per-dollar finish last Tuesday.
The peso opened the session at its intraday low of P52.43 versus the dollar. Meanwhile, its best showing for the day stood at P52.31 per US currency.
Dollars traded slid slightly to $933.32 million from the $939.03 million that switched hands the previous day.
A foreign exchange trader said the peso traded stronger as the dollar remained weak for most of the day.
“The overall tone in the market is to sell dollars. Offshore, we also saw heavy selling in favor of the peso,” the trader said in a phone interview.
However, the trader noted that the peso traded mostly between P52.34 and P52.36 versus the dollar, suspecting that there was an “intervention” as agent banks were buying within the tight range.
Meanwhile, another trader said the peso strengthened as the Fed held its first policy meeting of the year.
The central bank is expected to keep its benchmark rates steady during the two-day meeting of its policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee.
The Fed previously hinted that it will tighten its interest rates by two times this year. However, some officials said the central bank will take its time in raising borrowing costs as it will gauge the economy’s performance.
For today, the traders expect the peso to trade between P52.25 and P52.45.
“So far, we’re seeing offshore selling. If this persists overnight, we can expect the peso to open the session stronger [today],” the first trader noted. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

2 dead in grenade attack at Zamboanga mosque

ANOTHER BLAST rocked southern Philippines in the early morning of Jan. 30, this time at a mosque in Zamboanga City in mainland Mindanao, killing two people and wounding at least four others.
A grenade was thrown by still unidentified perpetrators inside the Kamahaldikaan Mosque in Sitio Logoy Diutay, Barangay Talon-Talon after midnight, according to a report from the military’s Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom), which is headquartered in the city.
The two fatalities were identified as Haj Sattal Bato and Rex Habil, both 46 years old.
The wounded were also brought to the Zamboanga City Medical Center, where many of the victims of Sunday’s twin bombing at a Catholic church in Jolo island are also being treated.
The Zamboanga victims are from neighboring Basilan province and members of Tabligh, a non-political global Sunni Islamic missionary movement.
The incident followed three days after the twin blasts in Jolo, amid a still ongoing plebiscite on the proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law.
Apart from these incidents, another bombing was reported on Monday at a road in Barangay Poblacion, Magpet town, North Cotabato. Authorities, however, blamed communist rebels for this incident in which a policeman was killed and seven others were wounded.
Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar immediately called for “sobriety and vigilance” among the public as she called on authorities to investigate the case.
“We call on the people to remain sober but vigilant and let us not allow terrorists to divide the good relationship between Muslims and Christians because we remain united, practice tolerance and live together in peace,” Ms. Salazar said.
The mayor also called for a meeting yesterday of the city’s Technical Working Group on Countering Violent Extremism and Terrorism.
Colonel Leonel M. Nicolas, commander of Joint Task Force Zamboanga, said the investigation is underway, but they have yet to identify a suspect.
Meanwhile, Gov. Mujiv S. Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), to which Basilan belongs, said the grenade attack victims were “on a religious retreat.”
“There is no redeeming such blasphemous murder. It is the highest form of cowardice and obscenity to attack people who are at prayer,” Mr. Hataman said.
“The goal of terrorism is to sow fear and confusion. We should not allow this to happen. We call on all people of faith — whatever their chosen faith is — to come together in prayer for peace. We must stand united against the terrorists who would divide us and, thus, destroy all that we are working to build and establish in our communities,” he added.
Mr. Hataman was in Zamboanga City earlier this week to visit the bombing survivors from Jolo in Sulu, which is also part of the ARMM.
In Patikul, Sulu, the WestMinCom reported that a member of the kidnap-for-ransom Abu Sayyaf group was killed in a gun battle as troops were pursuing the Ajang-Ajang group, which is suspected to be behind Sunday’s bombing.
The Ajang-Ajang group, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, is composed mainly of children of Abu Sayyaf members.
WestMinCom said Ommal Usop was slain in the combined operations of military and police forces at the residence of Kamah, a member of the Ajang-Ajang group, in Barangay Latih late afternoon of Jan. 29.
As of Wednesday noon, troops were still pursuing Kamah, identified as the logistics officer of the Abu Sayyaf and the main suspect behind the bomb attacks on the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo.
“Military forces are on pursuit to capture Kamah and the rest of the militants, who are now hiding from the government troops. Expect that, with the pronouncement of the Commander-in-Chief, we will intensify our focused military operations to pound down the remaining terrorists and penetrate strongholds of the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu,” said Lt. Gen. Arnel B. Dela Vega, WestMinCom commander.
For his part, Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana said he sees no connection so far between the attack on the Zamboanga mosque and the Jolo bombing last Sunday.
“Wala naman kaming makitang connection kasi dahil even in the past na binobomba ‘yung mga churches natin sa Davao, Cotabato o diyan sa ano [Zamboanga], wala namang naggagantihan retaliation after that,” said the Defense chief. (We cannot see the connection because the churches in Davao, Cotabato, or there in [Zamboanga] were being attacked in the past, [and] there were no retaliation after that.)
WestMinCom, for its part, identified four persons of interest in the Jolo bombings as Alshaber J. Arbi, Gerry Isnajil, Alsimar M. Albi, and Julius A. Albi.
Messrs. Arbi and Mr. Isnajil were the two identified from the CCTV footage released on Tuesday.
Brig. Gen. Divino Rey Pabayo, commander of Joint Task Force Sulu, said that if the surrenderees are cleared, they will continue their manhunt operations.
“Yup, considered naman natin sila na (if they are considered as) POIs [persons of interests] lang, not suspects, if they come out clean then good enough, tuloy pa din manhunt natin sa mga salarin (our manhunt on the suspects will continue),” Mr. Pabayo said in a message to reporters on Wednesday.
Also on Wednesday, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Spokesperson James Jimenez said his agency will beef up security for the Feb. 6 Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite scheduled next in Lanao Del Norte and North Cotobato.
A total of 28 barangays from 7 municipalities will take part in the coming BOL plebiscite in North Cotobato.
“Kung kailangan natin kumilos ng mas aktibo at definitive sa areas (na) kailangan ng halalan, gagawin namin ‘yan (if we need to move actively and [be] definitive in [the] areas needed for the plebiscite, we will do it),” Mr. Jimenez said. — Tajallih S. Basman, with Vince Angelo C. Ferreras and Gillian M. Cortez

Revilla, others sought to settle P124.5-M PDAF liability

By Charmaine A. Tadalan, Reporter
PROSECUTORS of the Office of the Ombudsman have filed a motion asking the Sandiganbayan to execute its decision that former senator Ramon B. Revilla, Jr. should “jointly” pay P124.5 million with co-accused Richard A. Cambe and Janet Lim-Napoles, in connection with their plunder case.
Mr. Revilla was ordered to pay that amount despite being cleared from that case.
In a 17-page Motion for Execution of Judgment filed at the Sandiganbayan Special First Division, the Ombudsman Special Prosecutor’s office argued there is basis in imposing the civil liability despite the court’s decision to acquit Mr. Revilla.
The motion is based on the Dec. 7 decision of the anti-graft court, in which it ruled the accused, referring to Mr. Revilla, Mr. Cambe and Ms. Napoles, shall return the said P124.5 million to the National Treasury.
“As regards Revilla, while he was acquitted, the same was based merely on reasonable doubt and not due to the absolute failure of the prosecution to prove his guilt,” the prosecutors stated in the motion, dated Jan. 28.
“This is why the judgment did not declare him to be without civil liability.”
The confusion stemmed from the court’s decision to acquit Mr. Revilla and convict only Mr. Cambe and Ms. Napoles.
The plunder charges against them are in connection with their involvement in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.
The prosecutors explained that while the court failed to establish Mr. Revilla’s hand in the “pork-barrel” scam, he should be liable for his “lack of concern and gross and inexcusable negligence,” which allowed Mr. Cambe and Ms. Napoles to conspire.
They further explained that if Mr. Revilla was indeed not civilly liable, the court would have explicitly stated such or would not have used the term “accused” without exception or distinction.
The said motion will be up for the consideration of the Sandiganbayan special first division on Thursday morning.

NEDA submits to Duterte report on sexual harassment complaint

THE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Wednesday said its report on the sexual harassment complaint filed against one of its officials has been transmitted to President Rodrigo R. Duterte for his action.
NEDA said it transmitted the report, as recommended by its Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI).
The agency also said the subject of the complaint is a third-level official appointed by Mr. Duterte.
To recall, journalist Rina Jimenez-David reported in her column on the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Jan. 2 that a “veteran” NEDA official whose “authority… covers ‘big ticket’ projects” under the current administration was allegedly involved in an incident of sexual harassment.
Ms. David’s column said the official “has worked under practically all NEDA directors-general.”
In a statement on Jan. 3, NEDA said it “acted swiftly” on the complaint.
The agency added that it conducted an investigation, “in accordance with applicable civil service rules and will be submitting its findings following the prescribed timelines.”
“As a primary advocate of the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710), NEDA champions the protection of women’s rights and expects its officials and employees to conduct themselves to the highest standards of ethics and integrity. NEDA firmly believes that every person, regardless of gender or social status, must be treated with dignity,” the agency said. — Arjay L. Balinbin

NDFP peace talks consultant shot dead

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace talks consultant Felix Randy P. Malayao, Jr. was shot dead inside a bus at the CCQ Bus Terminal in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya early morning on Jan. 30. According to the police report, the 49-year-old Malayao stayed inside the bus when it made a stop at around 2:10 a.m., while the rest of the passengers got off for the travel break. One of the two suspects then boarded the bus and fired two successive shots, killing Mr. Malayao on the spot. The suspects immediately fled towards the south on board a motorcycle. Mr. Malayao participated in the formal peace talks of the NDFP, a communist organization, and the national government. He earned his degree on fisheries at the UP Visayas campus in Miag-ao, Iloilo and was a previous official of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines. Mr. Malayao was also a political prisoner during the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

Illegal factory of toxic insecticides in Pampanga busted


A SUPPOSED warehouse inside the Global Aseana Business Park in San Simon, Pampanga was raided last Friday and confirmed to be a clandestine factory for fake and toxic insecticides, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) reported on Thursday. Director Felimon L. Ruiz of the BoC-Enforcement and Security Service Enforcement Group said the machines and chemical used in the manufacture of aerosol insecticides were imported from China. The owner, a certain Andy Go, was not present during the BoC’s inspection-raid. Workers at the warehouse failed to present a Certificate of Payment for the imported machines and raw materials nor a business permit for the insecticide production. Ten sets of machines were discovered, forming two production lines for labeling the aerosol insecticide products with the brand name Baolliai. The BoC operatives also seized about 50 drums filled with chemicals, particularly cypermethrin and polyaluminum chloride, various packaging materials and labels bearing the same brand name, and at least 2,000 boxes containing finished products. Products with an almost similar brand name, Baolilai, had been banned by the Food and Drug Administration in the past years for containing cypermethrin, a chemical with neurotoxic effects on rodents, aquatic organisms, mammals, and humans.

Jobs fair set for displaced Hanjin workers

A JOBS fair for at least 3,000 affected workers of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Corp. Philippines (HHIC-Phil), which has declared a debt default, will be held on Feb. 9 at the Subic Gymnasium. The jobs caravan “is the government’s immediate response for the would-be affected workers of the HHIC-Phil,” said Build, Build, Build (BBB) Committee Chairperson Anna Mae Y. Lamentillo of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Wednesday at a press briefing in Malacañang. The caravan will be participated in by “the BBB Team, which is composed of Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management, Bases Conversion and Development Authority, DPWH, Department of Transportation, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of National Defense, and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority,” she said. Ms. Lamentillo noted that the government portal currently lists 17,000 jobs, and “we expect that at least 75 contractors will be participating” at the fair. Based on a profiling by the Labor department, most of the displaced HHIC-Phil workers are skilled carpenters, welders, and those with computer-related jobs. Ms. Lamentillo also said that the jobs caravan is open to the general public. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Urban development takes its toll on Cebu City’s rivers and creeks

SOME DOWNSTREAM parts of Cebu City’s rivers are already considered dead, while several are already too polluted to sustain a healthy ecosystem, according to the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO). “Non-tolerable na (already)… There is too much coliform contamination” said CCENRO head Ma. Nida C. Cabrera, citing results from tests undertaken in the last quarter of 2018. She said the culprits are untreated wastewater discharge from establishments and houses along water systems. The Environment Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) — Region 7 also classified two rivers in the city, Lahug and Bulacao, as class D rivers, which means pollutants there make the rivers uninhabitable for water creatures. The other water systems considered dead are the Mahiga Creek; Lahug River’s T3 — Tejero Creek, Tinago Creek, and T. Padilla Creek; Guadalupe River; and Bulacao River. These rivers are the most exposed to pollutants that can be traced to urban development with the encroachment of business establishments and houses along the easement of the water systems. Ms. Cabrera said the state of the city’s water systems is alarming and stressed the need to implement a rehabilitation plan. The CCENRO has been given a directive by the DENR national office to prioritize the clean-up of all river system this year. The 11-kilometer Bulacao River has been chosen as pilot area for the clean-up that will start in Feb. — The Freeman

Mayor calls for ‘no backpack’ policy in Davao City’s places of worship

A “NO backpack” policy in all places of worship has been ordered in Davao City to help security forces monitor more easily potential terror threats following Sunday’s bombing of a Catholic church in Jolo, Sulu. “The city mayor has instructed us that churchgoers should no longer bring backpacks in going inside their places of worship for security reasons,” Ret. Gen. Benito T. de Leon, head of the Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) head said in a statement. In cases where backpacks or big bags need to be brought by churchgoers, the PSSCC asked for the public’s cooperation to submit themselves to inspection. Mr. De Leon also said that they have coordinated with church leaders in Davao to include this call in their announcements. Joint forces of the Davao City Police Office, Task Force Davao, and the Davao police auxiliaries will be deployed to churches.

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