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Racasa off to good start in China chess tourney

THE Philippines’ youngest Woman Fide Master (WFM) Antonella Berthe “Tonelle” Murillo Racasa (elo 1380), had a good start in the World Cadet Chess Championships being held at the Yujing Hotel in Weifang, Shandong, China on Wednesday.

The 12-year-old genius playing under the banner of Home School Global defeated Sophia Ziyan Zhao of the United States.

“It’s a good start for Antonella Berthe, I hope she can perform well in the World Cadet Chess Championships,” said father/coach Roberto Racasa, also an International Memory champion, dubbed as the founder and father of Memory Sports in the Philippines.

Racasa’s China trip is sponsored by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) chair and CEO Andrea Domingo, D. Edgard Cabangon of ALC Group of companies, Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos and Councilor Charisse Abalos.

She was also supported by Mr. Rogelio Lim of Boni Tower and Makati Medical Center President and Chief Executive Officer Rose Montenegro as she takes on Bayasgalan Khishigbaatar of Mongolia in the second round. — Marlon Bernardino

Scrimmages

You know players are serious when they get antsy over being double-teamed during pickup games. You flick through social media, and you come across video of Devin Booker being frustrated by help defense in a match also featuring Ben Simmons, Joakim Noah, and Trey Lyles. “Hey, bro! We not doublin’ in open gym, bro. I get that s–t all season. Come on, man! Let’s work on our game, bro. Let’s work on our game,” he goes, and you laugh. It should be no big deal, you note, and certainly not enough to have one of the best scorers in the National Basketball Association sound off the way he did.

You go through your feed some more, and you‘re convinced that, to the players, it IS a big deal. “DBook speaking facts,” Trae Young chimes in. “There should be no double teaming in pick up … it’s annoying getting double teamed in that type of setting,” he argues. And, as a reflection of the gravity of the sentiment, his tweet has been shared a whopping 1,149 times and responded to by myriad other players, officials, and pundits. Even Kevin Durant, arguably the league’s single most potent offensive force, couldn’t help but weigh in. “GUARD UP! It’s pickup, if u weak defensively then work on it in the summer cuz if u need a double during the season then coach sittin u on the yine.”

Weird, you tell yourself. You wonder why All-Stars gripe about multiple coverage in open runs when they’re used to seeing it over the course of a campaign. And then the answer — or, at least, what passes off as an answer to someone from the outside looking in — dawns on you again. These types of scrimmages afford the players the opportunity to strut their stuff for all to see. And you yourself have seen a lot of late. Carmelo Anthony showing he still has the touch. Simmons displaying shooting ability and range. Even Bronny James and Zaire Wade making like their famous fathers. And the common denominator in all the visual splendor? They beat their man, one on one, off the dribble, after executing a variety of moves.

Indeed, double teaming deprives the players of the chance to, in their words, “work on our game.” But isn’t trying to solve help defense also part of it? Fair point — but to you, and not to them. Andre Iguodala recounted a time he and Draymond Green “kept doubling [Durant] the practice after all star break… he was mad s–t!!! We was tryna win fam!!” Well, evidently, fair play in scrimmages, however organized, calls for winning without the benefit of multiple coverage. Welcome to the NBA, you mutter. You shake your head, and conclude that the regular season can’t come soon enough.

 

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.

Peso inches up ahead of Powell speech

THE PESO moved sideways on Thursday following the release of minutes of the US Federal Reserve’s July meeting and as markets stayed on the sidelines ahead of the US central bank chief’s Jackson Hole speech.

The local unit closed at P52.255 against the greenback, rising by 3.5 centavos from Tuesday’s P52.29-to-a-dollar finish.

The peso opened trading stronger at P52.25 per dollar. Its strongest showing was seen at P52.17, while its lowest point was at P52.32 versus the greenback.

Volume of dollars traded grew to $1.266 billion on Thursday from $1.129 billion last Tuesday.

Local financial markets were closed on Wednesday in observance of Ninoy Aquino Day.

“The peso moved sideways [on Thursday] as market players opted to wait on the sidelines ahead of the Jackson Hole meeting [today], where US Fed chief Jerome Powell will deliver his speech,” a trader said via phone.

“The peso strengthened today after the Fed minutes disclosed the US policy makers’ discussion over a stronger 50-basis-point policy rate cut during their July meeting,” another trader said in an e-mail on Thursday.

Federal Reserve policy makers were deeply divided over whether to cut interest rates last month but were united in wanting to signal they were not on a preset path to more cuts, a message not likely to sit well with US President Donald Trump.

Minutes from the two-day meeting released on Wednesday showed policy makers’ ultimate decision to lower the central bank’s benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point drew more opposition than was reflected in the rate-setting panel’s 8-2 vote, announced after the meeting adjourned on July 31.

The depth of the debate raises the stakes for the signal that Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is set to deliver on Friday at the Fed’s annual policy retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

For today, the second trader said: “The local currency might appreciate further ahead of likely weaker US manufacturing and services reports overnight.”

The first trader expects the peso to trade within the P52.22-to-P52.50 range today, while other sees local unit moving from P52.15 to P52.35. — Mark T. Amoguis with Reuters

PSEi drops as China proposes online gambling ban

By Arra B. Francia, Senior Reporter

SHARES continued to fall on Thursday as property stocks tumbled following China’s statement against all forms of online gambling in the country.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) dropped 0.48% or 38.08 points to 7,848.83. The broader all-shares index likewise shed 0.54% or 25.93 points to 4,757.15.

“The main index ended lower today due to the massive losses in the property sector which dragged the whole market lower,” AAA Southeast Equities, Inc. Research Head Christopher John Mangun said in an e-mail on Thursday.

China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang said in a speech that he hopes “the Philippines will go further and ban all online gambling.” This comes after an earlier statement against online gambling operations in the country because of the hundreds of million of yuan supposedly illegally flowing out of its economy.

Online gambling firms, locally known as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), have been on the rise in Metro Manila since President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s warmer relations with China. POGOs have been a major driver for the country’s office sector in 2018, said to have offset the slowdown of outsourcing companies’ expansion last year.

The property counter was the biggest loser out of six sectoral indices yesterday, plunging 1.78% or 73.28 points to 4,034.69.

Megaworld Corp., Robinsons Land Corp., SM Prime Holdings, Inc., and Ayala Land, Inc. were part of the 20 most actively traded stocks of the day, losing 8.51%, 2.63%, 1.96%, and 0.71%, respectively.

Holding firms also went down 0.89% or 69.28 points to 7,713.65 while services slipped 0.03% or 0.51 point to 1,579.12.

Those in positive territory were led by the mining and oil counter, which rose 0.92% or 75.81 points to 8,270.93. Financials went up 0.63% or 11.41 points to 1,813.80, while industrials added 0.49% or 54.53 points to 10,974.80.

Some 2.10 billion issues valued at P9.92 billion switched hands, higher than Tuesday’s P5.42 billion.

Decliners outweighed advancers, 129 to 75, while 44 names were unchanged.

Net foreign outflows rose to P435.01 million from the previous session’s P351.72 million.

Overseas, Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan noted how investors looked at the minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) latest meeting.

“There were also mixed views from the FOMC minutes, and some concerns when Powell speaks later at Jackson Hole. Fed minutes showed FOMC officials argued over whether to lower rates and by how much at last month’s meeting,” Mr. Limlingan said in a mobile phone message.

Duterte told to prioritize Sea Lanes measure

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte should certify as urgent the passage of a bill that will designate areas in the South China Sea where foreign vessels can pass through, a Supreme Court magistrate said.

Justice Antonio T. Carpio said Congress should hasten the approval of the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Passage bill.

“The law can require foreign ships exercising the right to archipelagic sea lane passage to turn on their automatic identification system and for submarines to surface and show their flag,” the magistrate said. The bill, he added, has been pending in Congress for years.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a coastal state cannot require foreign vessels to have prior notification before their passage, Mr. Carpio said.

“We should make clear to our people, and to the world, that the West Philippine Sea refers to waters in the South China Sea over which the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights or jurisdiction,” he said, referring to parts of the main waterway within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

The Philippines will “shoo away” unauthorized foreign vessels including Chinese warships that pass through its waters and use military force if necessary, presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo said this week.

He said Chinese warships have repeatedly entered Philippine waters without notifying authorities, in violation of international law.

“Either we get a compliance in a friendly manner or we enforce it in an unfriendly manner,” he said earlier.

The Armed Forces has said at least five Chinese warships had passed through the Sibutu Strait in Tawi-Tawi province in southern Philippines without notice.

Mr. Panelo said Mr. Duterte must decide whether to bring up the matter to Chinese President Xi Jinping when he visits Beijing later this month.

He said earlier Mr. Duterte was planning to invoke the July 2016 ruling of a United Nations arbitral court in The Hague that voided China’s claims with Taiwan to more than 80% of the South China Sea.

China rejected the decision of the international court, which has failed to halt its island-building activities in areas also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Also yesterday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. on Thursday said countries should respect international law, including those covering the sea.

Many states refuse to recognize or carry out “judicial or arbitral awards they lost fairly and legally,” he said in a speech.

Mr. Locsin has threatened to fire off diplomatic protests against China after the military said five Chinese warships had been spotted off Sibutu Strait. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Charmaine A. Tadalan

Senators buck Sanchez release; DoJ says case still being reviewed

SENATORS on Thursday opposed the early release of former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez, a convicted rapist and murderer, and urged authorities to review his qualifications.

Senator Franklin M. Drilon, the country’s justice secretary at the time of Mr. Sanchez’s conviction, said he was shocked when he heard about the plan for the convict’s release for good conduct.

The lawmaker said he would call for an investigation into the plan, noting that the former mayor had been caught twice hiding illegal drugs while inside the national jail.

“From the records it would appear that he has not changed at all, engaging in shabu distribution 10 years after he was convicted in 1995,” Mr. Drilon said.

In 2006, Mr. Sanchez was charged with illegal possession of drugs and four years later, he was caught again with P1.5 million worth of crystal meth hidden in a statue of the Virgin Mary, he told ABS-CBN News.

“He is charged with engaging in drug trading inside the Bilibid penitentiary and on that basis alone he cannot qualify to avail himself of the benefits under the law,” Mr. Drilon said.

He said the Senate inquiry would look into the possible abuse of a law that increased the time allowance for inmates’ good conduct.

Mr. Sanchez was convicted in 1995 for the rape and murder of two University of the Philippines students in 1993.

Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra on Tuesday said the convict might be released along with thousands of other inmates for good conduct. Their release cannot be appealed, he added.

The Supreme Court in June allowed the retroactive application of time allowance for inmates’ good conduct.

Senator M. Panfilo Lacson said the controversy should prompt amendments to the 2013 law that increased the good conduct time allowance.

Some crimes such as terrorism and rape with homicide should not be covered by early release, Mr. Lacson, a former policy chief, said in a statement.

Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said Mr. Sanchez should not be released from jail since he has yet to indemnify the victims’ families. He also said this should prompt lawmakers to consider reviving the death penalty.

Senator Risa Hontiveros said Mr. Sanchez was unqualified to have his jail term reduced because his supposed good conduct remains questionable.

“Sanchez has shown no signs of remorse and displayed no effort at improving himself in behavior or character inside the penitentiary,” she said in a statement.

But Senator Ronald M. dela Rosa said Mr. Sanchez deserves a second chance, citing how the former mayor has become “a changed man.”

Also yesterday, Mr. Guevarra said the Bureau of Corrections would still evaluate whether Mr. Sanchez, who was also convicted of murder for the 1991 killing of a father and his son, qualifies for an early release.

While inmates convicted of heinous crimes are not eligible for an early release for good conduct, there is no law that defines heinous crimes, he said in a mobile-phone message. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Chief justice selection extended to Sept. 2

THE SELECTION process for the country’s chief justice has been extended through Sept. 2, Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said yesterday.

Four Supreme Court magistrates are vying for the top court position, whose application deadline was originally set for Aug. 20.

Justices Diosdado M. Peralta and Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe, who will both retire in 2022, have accepted their automatic nomination. Justices Andres B. Reyes, Jr. and Jose C. Reyes, Jr. are also vying for the post that will be opened when Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin retires on Oct. 18.

Justices Antonio T. Carpio, Marvic Mario Victor F. Leonen, and Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, on the other hand, have declined their nominations.

Mr. Carpio, appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is retiring on Oct. 18. He served for 18 years in the High Court and unsuccessfully applied for the position four times.

Mr. Leonen, an appointee of ex-President Benigno S.C. Aquino III, said his decision was the “right thing to do for myself, this court and this country.” — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Duterte lifts small-town lotto ban

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has lifted the ban on small-town lottery, with conditions, the presidential palace said on Thursday night.

Compliant franchise holders must make a three-month deposit while noncompliant ones must pay arrears, presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo said in a statement. Franchise holders cannot sue.

Mr. Duterte on July 26 ordered the closure of all gaming operations under the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office for corruption. He lifted the suspension on lotto games on July 30.

The president on has said he might create an agency under his office that will award STL franchises to prevent corruption.

He cited allegations that some retired police generals own STL franchises and have not paid the government’s revenue share. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Yasay arrested by Manila police

FORMER Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. was arrested yesterday for allegedly violating banking laws, according to a post he made in his Facebook account.

Mr. Yasay, who also served as Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, posted a photo secretly taken by his wife while he was being processed for mugshots by Manila police.

A Manila trial court ordered his arrest “for criminal  charges that were allegedly committed by officials of Banco Filipino from 2003 to 2006,” according to his post. He added that he joined the shuttered bank in 2009.

Mr. Yasay was accused of conspiring with five other officials of the shuttered bank to get an anomalous loan worth P350 million for a company, according to a copy of a police report. They allegedly failed to report the loan to the central bank.

“I am not posting bail until I am brought before the judge where I will question this abuse of process and travesty of justice,” Mr. Yasay said.

Mr. Yasay headed the Securities and Exchange Commission under then President Fidel V. Ramos. He ran for vice president in 2010 and lost.

Mr. Yasay briefly served as President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s top diplomat before lawmakers rejected his appointment in 2017. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

8 Mindanao youth making a difference chosen for New Zealand training

By Maya M. Padillo, Correspondent

A COMMUNITY worker who assists women-traders in Tawi-Tawi, a volunteer who was part of the team that evacuated some 1,700 residents trapped during the Marawi siege, and a Davao City-based rugby coach to less-privileged children — they are among the eight young leaders from Mindanao who are off to New Zealand on Aug. 23 for a four-month leadership program.

The Mindanao Young Leaders Programme (MinYLP), with a P97-million funding from the New Zealand government over five years, is managed by charity organization UnionAID with International Alert Philippines, and the Victoria University of Wellington.

The MinYLP aims to give young leaders exposure to new ideas, develop their research and evaluation skills, and contribute further to peace and sustainable development initiatives in Mindanao communities.

“Poverty is one of the main problems in Tawi-Tawi. It is very rich in natural resources, we have abundant supply of fishes as well as bananas that we can use, manufacture items that we can export. But women traders don‘t have the skills to process these items… I am helping them through the help of International Alert,” said MinYLP scholar Sharifa Ain Abdulmajid Lipae, project officer of the Lupah Sug Bangsamoro Women Association Inc.

In an interview during their send-off dinner Tuesday in Davao City, Ms. Lipae said their group helps develop the entrepreneurial and processing skills of women small-scale traders who ply maritime borders between the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

A native of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, she noted that cross-border trade is a lifeline and revenue source for conflict-affected and far-flung communities, which are not easily reached by government development programs and private investments.

Another scholar, Abubakar “Abs” De Juan Basman from Marawi City, said he plans to establish a youth early response network after he returns from the New Zealand program.

“Hopefully, the participants (of his project) will learn disaster management and conflict resolution, and also to get involved in preventing violence and conflicts,” said Mr. Basman, who was part of the White Helmets volunteer rescue group that saved some 1,700 lives by going into the battle zone during the Marawi siege in 2017.

In the aftermath of the siege, Mr. Basman helped in database management for the survivors and casualties, and continues to be engaged in the evacuation centers and temporary shelters.

“Ang problema namin sa (Our problem in the) province, not just in Marawi, but Lanao del Sur, hindi pa bukas sa isipan ng mga tao ang maging (people are not yet fully aware of being) disaster-ready,” he said.

His fellow scholar Hilton Lanuza Soberano, club manager of the Davao Durian Rugby Football Club, wants to strengthen the use of sports as a tool for grassroots development.

“Young and adults have an innate desire to play. Using sports now as a platform to involve different groups, nawawala ‘yung mga (we are able to break down) barriers and misconceptions of one tribe or religion,” he said.

Mr. Soberano said he plans to hold a Mindanao-wide caravan, especially in far-flung areas, to promote peace and economic growth by engaging people in sports.

The five other MinYLP scholars are: Alexis Yonson from Cagayan de Oro City, who works with indigenous people (IP) weavers, coffee producers, and entrepreneurs; Rohanie Ibra Amer from Marawi City, a development worker focusing on a gender-based violence project; journalist Malaya Genotiva from Davao City; ecologist and conservationist Ben Raye Marco from Pigcawayan in North Cotabato; and Sanny Priann Justo from Esperanza in Agusan del Sur, a teacher and Red Cross youth advisor.

“These are all leaders. When we did the selection process, we also wanted their commitment, that is why there is a special course in the program where they will be able to explore their particular interests in New Zealand. At the same time, they will have the opportunity to create their own proposal for the projects that they will implement here,” Diana Jean Moraleda, Senior Communications and Social Media Officer of International Alert Philippines said in an interview.

“The change projects are not compulsory, but optional when they come back and they will be provided with small grants,” she added.

Vicente T. Lao, New Zealand honorary consul to Mindanao and chair of the Mindanao Business Council, said the scholars will be able to learn best practices in New Zealand that they can adopt back home.

He noted that New Zealand itself has not been spared from terror-related incidents, citing the mosque shootings last March.

“One of the trips they will be having is a trip to Christchurch… after that (shooting) incident, there were conflict alleviation protocols that were put in place and we want our people to learn how that can be done because it might come in handy,” Mr. Lao said.

New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines David Strachan, who led the send-off ceremony for the scholars, said his country is “committed to do what it can to support peace and stability in Mindanao. We recognize the pivotal role youth will play as agents of change.”

He added, “This is historic because this is the inaugural batch of the Mindanao Youth Leadership Programme… as we speak now, this is probably the greatest opportunity to secure a peaceful and prosperous future for Mindanao.”

Storm Ineng, monsoon to bring rains in Luzon, Palawan, Mindoro

RAINS ARE expected in many parts of Luzon, including the capital Metro Manila, on Friday due to tropical storm Ineng and the southwest monsoon, according to weather bureau PAGASA. “Moderate to heavy rains may be experienced over Batanes, Cagayan (including Babuyan Group of Islands), Ilocos Norte and Apayao. Light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains may prevail over Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Cavite, Batangas, Mindoro Provinces, northern portions of Palawan (including Calamian and Cuyo Islands), and the rest of Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region and Cagayan Valley,” PAGASA said. As of the 5 p.m. Thursday bulletin, tropical cyclone wind signal #1 was up over Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Group of Islands, Isabela, Apayao, Kalinga, northern Abra and Ilocos Norte. Ineng was still unlikely to make landfall in the country, but it is forecasted to further intensify into a sever tropical storm. As of 4:00 p.m. Thursday, the storm had maximum sustained winds of up to 75 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gustiness of up to 90 km/h. Typhoon Ineng is expected to be out of the Philippine area by Sunday.

Cebu, Bohol provinces tighten watch on entry of raw and processed pork

PHILSTAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

THE GOVERNORS of neighboring provinces Bohol and Cebu have issued directives to tighten watch on the entry of pork meat and processed pork products while the Department of Agriculture (DA) is determining the cause of unusual swine mortality in backyard farms in Luzon. Bohol Gov. Arthur C. Yap, a former DA chief, issued a memo to mayors and the Provincial Veterinarian on Aug. 20 ordering them to deploy personnel who will assist in port quarantine inspections. “Considering the hog industry in Bohol affects more than 30,000 households in 21 municipalities valued at more than P6 billion, we have to be proactive in ensuring the protection and sustainability of our local hog industry,” Mr. Yap said in a statement. He also communicated with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn F. Garcia to coordinate efforts. On Aug. 21, Ms. Garcia issued an executive order directing the members of the local African Swine Fever (ASF) committee to establish a larger ASF Task Force. Cebu is a net importer of pork, consuming 63 million kilos of pork per year, 15% more than what it produces. — with a report from The Freeman

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