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Villar’s historic HR carries O’s past Dodgers

LOS ANGELES — Jonathan Villar hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to help the Baltimore Orioles to a 7-3 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night.

The 443-foot shot to left, off left-hander Caleb Ferguson (1-2), was the 6,106th in the majors this season, setting a new record.

The Dodgers clinched the National League West title with a win over the Orioles in the series opener on Tuesday. But Villar ruined any hopes Los Angeles had of a three-game sweep, breaking a 2-2 tie and putting the Orioles ahead for good.

The win ended the Orioles’ six-game losing streak and gave them 47 victories for the season, tying their 2018 total. Shawn Armstrong (1-1) earned the victory thanks to 1 2/3 innings of shutout relief on his 29th birthday.

Baltimore starter John Means threw 6 1/3 strong innings but again didn’t get much offensive support and came away with a no-decision. He gave up two runs on four hits and finished with six strikeouts, often baffling the Dodgers in his first appearance against them.

The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Trey Mancini led off with a double, and Dwight Smith Jr. followed with a run-scoring double.

Means and Baltimore held the lead until the sixth. That’s when Austin Barnes doubled to start the inning, and A.J. Pollock followed with a two-run homer to center to give Los Angeles a 2-1 lead.

But the Orioles answered right back in the bottom half. New pitcher Joe Kelly walked Hanser Alberto to start the inning, and Alberto went to second on a wild pitch. Then, with two outs, Smith struck again, this time driving in the tying run on a single to right.

After Villar broke the tie with his seventh-inning blast, Pedro Severino added a two-run shot off Baltimore native Adam Kolarek in the eighth, giving the Orioles a 7-2 lead. — Reuters

Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge underway

SOME of the most promising and youngest tennis players in the local scene will battle it out in the upcoming Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge set to commence on Sept. 13, 2019, at the Makati Sports Club. Winners in the Under 14 and Under 16 Qualifying Tournament will represent the country in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Future Stars happening in China on October this year.

“Since 2016, the Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge has seen the talent of many junior tennis players, producing rising tennis stars like Alex Eala who recently made her debut at the US Open. My hope for these young girls is that they prove their mettle through this tournament and give the Philippines something to be proud of in the WTA Future Stars tourney,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO.

Competing in the 14-under category are Alexa Milliam of Bacolod City; Marielle Alexi Jarata of La Union; Tiffany Claire Nocos, and Khymberly Jhane Mckenzie of Cebu; Jufe-Ann Cocoy of Alabang, Muntinlupa; Mica Ella Emana of Manila; Angel Denopol of Lanao Del Norte; and Corazon Lambonao of Ormoc.

Battling for top spot in the 16-under category are Jenaila Rose Prulla of Bulacan; Amanda Gabrielle Zoleta, and Julia Asaliah Ignacio of Lucena City; Justine Hannah Maneja of Quezon City; Sydney Enriquez of Zamboanga Del Norte; Kristine Guia Margarette Bandolis of Lanao del Norte; Maria Judy Ann Padilla of Ozamis City; and Althea Fay Ong of Olongapo City.

The Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge is sanctioned by Unified Tennis Philippines and supported by AXA Philippines, Standard Insurance, Dunlop, and the Makati Sports Club.

Player of the Year

Rory McIlroy’s stunned reaction said it all. Invited to lunch yesterday by fellow Jupiter resident Jack Nicklaus, he found himself the target of a surprise. It was an elaborate one, with the Golden Bear accompanied by the United States Professional Golfers Association Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and a camera crew ready to record his reaction for posterity. To set up the moment, they told him they simply wanted him to receive the Byron Nelson Trophy for competing the season with the lowest adjusted scoring average. He was calm and collected, believing the ceremony to be a formality.

McIlroy was wrong. “They’ve got one other that they thought they would bring out for you today,” Nicklaus told him. “That’s the Nicklaus Trophy.” “I’ve already got two of those,” he noted, recognizing the hardware. “You’ve got three now,” the living legend deadpanned. “Really?” And the look on his face betrayed his incredulity. He had absolutely no idea he would be acknowledged as the PGA Tour Player of the Year, and not just because he wasn’t told. As with most other observers, he thought he had no chance in the face of the commanding campaign World Number One Brooks Koepka carved.

“I’ve got goosebumps,” McIlroy proclaimed amid sustained applause, his physical reaction betraying his shock over the development. Not that he didn’t put together an outstanding season that saw him making the podium thrice and finishing in the Top Ten 14 times out of 19 appearances. Notably, he claimed the Players Championship (dubbed the year’s fifth major tournament based on course conditions and strength of field), the FedEx Cup, and the Canadian Open. In short, he was the most consistent golfer in the circuit.

If there’s anything wrong with the picture, however, it’s that McIlroy wasn’t the most consistent golfer in the majors. And deeming his performances in the sport’s Grand Slam events “mediocre” may well be generous; he finished 21st at the Masters, eighth at the PGA Championship, ninth at the US Open, and, with the British Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Island (his home course), he couldn’t even make the weekend. Meanwhile, Koepka — whom he himself figured would bring home the trophy — went second, first, second, and fourth in the same events.

True, the award is for Player of the Year, not Player of Four Weeks. Then again, there have been myriad instances of winners being named so because of their showing in golf’s holy grails. The most prominent example: Padraig Harrington, who won in 2008 because of two majors, never mind that Tiger Woods also had one among four victories in merely six events through a season cut by injury. Of course, there can be no faulting an outcome based on votes from peers. Debating the results of a subjective process is useless. Besides, it’s not as if McIlroy didn’t deserve it.

Publicly, Koepka took the news in stride. As quoted by Golf Channel anchor Rich Lerner, he noted that “Rory had a great year. Congrats to him.”

For a proud competitor known to be motivated by slights, though, one thing can be etched in stone: He believes he should have won it, and he will use the turn of events to drive him even more. The battle was lost. The war is still being fought.

 

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.

Duterte hasn’t given up claim in South China Sea

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte had not agreed to ignore an arbitration court ruling that voided China’s claims to more than 80% of the South China Sea, in exchange for a joint oil and gas exploration of the disputed waterway dangled by its neighbor, his spokesman said yesterday.

“He did not say that the Philippines will drop the claim,” presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo told reporters, referring to Mr. Duterte’s discussion with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his recent visit to Beijing. What the president meant was that “the arbitral ruling is still subject to peaceful talks,” he added.

Mr. Panelo said there’s an impasse so people should let the two leaders talk about the planned joint exploration.

Mr. Duterte has said Mr. Xi had told him that if he ignored the 2016 United Nations ruling favoring the Philippines, China would agree to be the junior partner in a joint venture to develop gas deposits at the Reed Bank, which is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The tribunal in The Hague clarified maritime boundaries and the Philippines’ sovereign entitlements, and in doing so, invalidated China’s claims to almost the entire South China Sea. China has rejected the ruling.

The decision came after the Philippines under then President Benigno S.C. Aquino III sued China before the international court.

Mr. Duterte has sought to befriend Mr. Xi, hoping to secure billions of dollars of investments. He has avoided challenging China over its reclamation activities in the South China Sea, including its militarized artificial islands.

Meanwhile, Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo said ignoring the arbitral ruling is “profoundly disappointing and extremely irresponsible.”

“Entering into any agreement should not come at the expense of upholding our rights to the West Philippine Sea,” she said, referring to parts of the South China Sea that are within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Ms. Robredo said the Constitution allows the government to enter into agreements with foreign entities for exploration and development of oil and gas resources, but these should benefit the people.

“Ultimately, how the president handles the delicate issue of the West Philippine Sea will have implications, not only for the remainder of his term, but for all subsequent administrations,” the vice president said.

“We must take great care in ensuring that we are not trading away the long-term interests of our nation and our children for short-term profit,” she added.

The UN court in 2016 said the Philippines had legal rights to exploit gas deposits that China also claims at the Reed Bank, about 85 miles (140 kilometers) off the Philippine coast.

The Philippines’ only accessible gas resources at the Malampaya fields will run out by 2024. A joint project with China has been talked about for decades, but has gone nowhere due to the competing claims.

Joint activity could be deemed as legitimizing the other side’s claim, or even relinquishing sovereign rights. — V.A.C. Ferreras and A.L. Balinbin

Lawmakers uncover more jail schemes

THE SENATE has uncovered more money-making schemes at the country’s jails, including prostitution, kidnap-for-ransom and gambling.

High-profile inmates pay at least P30,000 a night to be able to bring in a prostitute in their cells, former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos told senators during a hearing yesterday.

“There’s a building there that I can’t identify where gambling takes place 24 hours a day because there’s too much money inside,” he said in Filipino.

Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires this week suspended three prison officials for allegedly allowing the illegal release of felons convicted of heinous crimes, according to separate copies of the suspension orders.

The three had allowed the release of prison convicts based on public documents and testimonies of witnesses in violation of the law, Mr. Martires said in separate orders.

The officials were charged with grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

On Monday night, 27 other prison officials were suspended in connection with the botched release of ineligible prisoners.

Also yesterday, the Justice department said convicted plunderer Janet Lim-Napoles was still in jail.

Jail officials earlier submitted a list of the almost 2,000 convicts who got freed. Ms. Napoles was reportedly on the list.

“Janet Lim-Napoles has not been released,” Justice Undersecretary Markk L. Perete said in a mobile-phone message. “She remains at the Correctional Institution for Women.”

He said that the Justice department had asked BuCor officials to explain why Ms. Napoles’s name was on the list.

BuCor data showed that 1,914 prisoners convicted of heinous crimes had been released for good conduct.

The rules on parole are now under review after irregularities came up during a Senate investigation.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte has fired Nicanor E. Faeldon as BuCor head after he allowed the early release of the ineligible prisoners. — Charmaine A. Tadalan and Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Duterte still trusts his Transportation chief

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte still believes in his Transportation chief’s ability to handle the traffic gridlock in the capital and he sees no reason for him to quit, the presidential palace said yesterday.

The announcement came after Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares urged the president to replace Arthur P. Tugade with a traffic expert.

“Maybe Senator Grace has a person in mind, why doesn’t she come out with it,” presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo told reporters.

The lawmaker told ABS-CBN News that somebody else should deal with Metro Manila’s “traffic mess.”

Mr. Duterte on Tuesday said he would not beg for emergency powers from Congress to solve the traffic gridlock on the main EDSA highway in Metro Manila.

“I didn’t ask for it,” the president said at a briefing, adding that it was his Transportation chief who was keen on getting the authority for him.

Mr. Duterte said he asked his officials not to pursue it anymore after a lady senator had said they couldn’t be trusted with more powers.

Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares, who heads the public service committee, earlier said the body is not inclined to grant the Transportation department’s renewed plea for emergency powers to solve traffic congestion in the capital.

The senator, who opposed a similar proposal in the past Congress, said Mr. Duterte could ease traffic in Metro Manila without emergency powers from Congress.

Senators during a hearing on Tuesday also cited the Transportation department’s lack of a master plan.

The Transportation department can hasten road projects including stage three of the Metro Manila Skyway project, and roll out more trains for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 or MRT-3, among other solutions, Ms. Llamanzares said.

Mr. Tugade last week renewed his call for emergency powers to solve the traffic gridlock on EDSA. During a House of Representatives hearing on his agency’s budget, Mr. Tugade said it was possible to solve the traffic problem but it would take longer without giving special powers to the president.

The government aims to open by early next year the third stage of the Metro Manila Skyway, an 18.7-kilometer toll road connecting Buendia Avenue in Makati City to Balintawak in Quezon City.

Several bills were filed in the previous Congress seeking emergency powers for Mr. Duterte to ease traffic congestion. The measures sought to give the Transportation chief “full power” to manage traffic on EDSA and control road use.

The House approved the bill but the Senate version did not progress. The bills have been re-filed in both chambers. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Philippines eyes Dutch deal for Joma arrest

THE Philippines will seek a “special arrangement” with the Dutch government for the extradition of Communist Party leader Jose Maria “Joma” Sison who has been ordered arrested by a court for murder, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Thursday.

In a statement, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said the refugee status of Mr. Sison, who is in self-exile in the Netherlands, has been invalidated by his crimes. “The grounds for the grant of such refugee status to Joma Sison no longer exist and should therefore be revoked.”

While the two countries have no extradition treaty, the Manila may seek mutual legal assistance for the Maoist leader’s arrest.

A Manila court has ordered the arrest of the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines along with his wife and 36 other members of the organization for murder.

The communist leaders were charged for the murder of 15 people in the so-called Inopacan massacre more than three decades ago.

The case stemmed from the purges in Leyte at the height of the communist insurgency in the 1980s. They were charged with murder after skeletons of alleged victims were discovered in a mass grave in Leyte province in central Philippines.

Mr. Sison has called the list of accused “utterly stupid and obviously fabricated,” and noted that he was under detention by the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos during the supposed massacre.

The Philippine National Police on Tuesday said that it will seek the help of the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol for the arrest of Mr. Sison. — Marc Wyxzel C. Dela Paz

Shares drop on profit-taking amid lack of leads

By Arra B. Francia, Senior Reporter

STOCKS DROPPED on Thursday as investors chose to take profit amid the lack of catalysts, even as most markets abroad rallied on easing trade tensions between the United States and China.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) shed 0.29% or 23.47 points to close at 7,944.43, failing to hold the previous session’s gains. The broader all shares index likewise slipped 0.1% or 5.03 points to 4,799.79.

“Profit taking amid lack of local catalysts sent the PSEi lower by 23.47 points,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. said in a market note.

The local market failed to mirror Wall Street’s movement on Wednesday as indices were boosted by US President Donald J. Trump’s announcement that he will delay the tariff increases on China.

“The index once again failed to share positive sentiment from US markets last night, as well as the latest Trade War development earlier this morning when Trump said he would delay the tariff increase on the Chinese goods,” Papa Securities Corp. Sales Associate Gabriel Jose F. Perez said in an e-mail on Thursday.

Mr. Trump said Wednesday that he will delay the next planned tariff increases on Chinese goods by two weeks as “a gesture of good will.” This involves the 25% tariff hike on $250-billion worth of Chinese goods originally scheduled for Oct. 1, which will now be implemented on Oct. 15.

Meanwhile, China also said it will exempt some US goods from the tariff hikes it plans to impose starting Sept. 17.

With this, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 0.85% or 227.61 points to close at 27,137.04. The S&P 500 index jumped 0.72% or 21.54 points to 3,000.93, while the Nasdaq Composite surged 1.06% or 85.53 points to 8,169.68.

Asian indices also ended mostly higher on the back of easing trade war tensions. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was up 0.75% or 161.85 points to 21,759.61. The Shanghai Composite firmed up 0.75% or 22.42 points to 3,031.24, while the Hang Seng index was down 0.21% or 57.57 points to 27,101.49.

Back home, four sectoral indices finished in negative territory, led by property which fell 0.8% or 32.76 points to 4,028.71. Services lost 0.69% or 11.21 points to 1,605.83; industrials shed 0.4% or 44.11 points 10,921.72; while financials went down 0.19% or 3.59 points to 1,821.34.

In contrast, mining and oil rose 0.17% or 16.08 points to 9,489.72 and holding firms added 0.14% or 11.08 points to 7,901.23.

Turnover stood at P6.73 billion after some 702 million issues switched hands, slightly lower than Wednesday’s P6.66 billion.

Decliners trumped advancers, 96 to 93, while 50 names were unchanged.

Foreign investors turned net sellers at P131.26 million, against the previous session’s net purchases worth P143.15 million.

Palace orders probe of politician’s ambush

THE presidential palace yesterday ordered an investigation of the ambush by armed men of former Pangasinan Governor and Congressman Amado T. Espino, Jr..

“We will investigate the case thoroughly,” presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo said at a briefing. Police have started the probe and will “prosecute those who are behind the attempt on the life of former Governor and Congressman Espino as well as the death of one of his bodyguards,” he said.

One of Mr. Espino’s aides had died on the spot, while he and his four other bodyguards survived and were now recovering, Malacañang said.

The attack occurred in Magtaking village in San Carlos City on Sept. 11. “We condemn this felonious act as we believe that any unjustified killing has no place in a civilized society like ours,” Mr. Panelo said.

“We guarantee that police authorities are already on top of the situation and will spare no effort in finding the perpetrators of this crime,” he added.

Peso rises as US, China grant trade concessions

THE PESO climbed as the US delayed planned hikes on tariffs on Chinese goods. — BW FILE PHOTO

THE PESO regained strength against the dollar on the back of market optimism from positive developments in US-China trade relations.

The local unit closed at P51.93 against the greenback on Thursday, appreciating by 22 centavos from its P52.15-to-a-dollar finish on Wednesday.

The peso opened at P52.06 versus the greenback. It traded in a tight range, with its weakest point recorded at P52.09, while its intraday best was at P51.91 against the greenback.

Dollars traded on Thursday dropped to $1.17 billion versus the $1.436 billion recorded on Wednesday.

“The peso appreciated from market optimism after China granted tariff exemptions on some US goods and the US delayed its scheduled tariff hikes on Chinese goods to October 15, 2019,” one trader said.

This was echoed by another trader, who believes the development will “bring relief to emerging market currencies as well as the equity market.

Reuters reported US President Donald J. Trump agreed to postpone raising tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports from Oct. 1 to Oct. 15 “as a gesture of good will.”

The peso is expected to weaken anew today following the European Central Bank’s meeting and the release of US inflation data.

The first trader sees the peso moving within the P51.90-P52.10 band against the dollar. — LWTN

Palace blames province for Chinese dredging

Malacañang on Thursday blamed the local government of Zambales for allowing illegal dredging operations by undocumented Chinese nationals in Masinloc town.

“The local government of Zambales should take responsibility for that,” presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo said at a briefing. “It’s an illegal act and therefore they should be prosecuted,” he said of the Chinese, adding that the province should have done something about it.

Immigration agents had arrested seven male Chinese nationals in Masinloc, Zambales on Sept. 11 “for working without proper visas and engaging in illegal sand dredging activities,” the Bureau of Immigration said in a statement yesterday.

​The Chinese violated immigration laws, the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and Executive Order 292, bureau Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said in the statement.

​“They are seriously threatening national security and interest by stealing our minerals and resources,” he added.

The Chinese were found to have been overstaying and working without proper visas or permits, the bureau said. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Court stops governor’s disqualification

THE Court of Appeals has stopped the Ombudsman and Department of Interior and Local Government from enforcing an order disqualifying Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio M. Umali from public office.

“Considering that he was meted the maximum penalty of dismissal from service and perpetual disqualification to re-enter the government, it becomes necessary to preserve the status quo,” the appellate court said in a three-page resolution dated Sept. 9.

The 60-day temporary restraining order is meant to protect the electorate of Nueva Ecija and Mr. Umali from any grave or irreparable injury, the court said.

The Ombudsman earlier found the governor administratively liable in connection with pork barrel scam in Congress.

In its order, the appellate court said Mr. Umali had presented novel questions of law.

The Ombudsman in 2016 indicted him for four counts of graft and three counts of malversation. One of his co-accused was convicted plunderer and businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

Mr. Umali was accused of mishandling P15 million of congressional funds when he was a congressman. The money, originally meant for fertilizers and irrigation pumps, were used for livelihood projects allegedly without bidding. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

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