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Fil-Aussie, returning champions at Red Bull cliff diving series in Palawan

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE FIRST leg of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series takes place this weekend in El Nido, Palawan, boasting of 24 of the top athletes in the sport in the world, including an Australian of Filipino descent and the retuning champions.

Australian Xantheia Pennisi, Gary Hunt of Great Britain and Rhiannan Iffland of Asutralia will be among those seeing action in the cliff-diving spectacle at the Small and Big Lagoon in Miniloc Island in El Nido on Saturday, with eyes on gaining early points in the seven-stop Red Bull Series.

Filipino-Australian Pennisi, whose mother is a native of Tarlac, said she feels privileged and honored to be the first cliff diver with Filipino descent to compete in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.

“Everything happens for a reason, and this stop happened for me. I will be diving for my family and my biggest supporter, my mom,” said Ms. Pennisi heading into this weekend’s competition.

This year’s marks the second time that she will be competing in the prestigious series after making her debut last year.

She hopes to continue building on the gains she had the first time around and develop her skills as a diver.

“For me, this year is still about learning the sport of cliff diving. I have only been cliff diving for less than a year, so I am focusing on doing consistent dives and getting high scores. I don’t have the biggest dives yet, but I am working on them. My goal is to place in the top 5 at all the competitions,” said Ms. Pennisi, who began high diving as a teen and immediately established herself as a favorite among her coaches and peers.

Ms. Pennisi went on to say that for the Palawan leg of the series she has been training hard — building up her body and perfecting her execution.

RETURNING CHAMPS
Meanwhile, Mr. Hunt and Ms. Iffland, the reigning men’s and women’s champions, said they are very excited for the about-to-start series and they will try their best to come out on top anew.

“My goal is to keep the title. It was a very close race last year and it was a shaky start so I would love to get off to a very strong start and stamp my foot down on this year’s title,” said Mr. Hunt, a seven-time winner of the series.

In 2018, the British diver won the overall title with 1,010 points, 60 ahead of second-running American Steven LoBue (950). He helped his cause by topping the last four legs of the series after struggling in the first three.

For her part, Ms. Iffland, a three-time Red Bull series winner in the women’s division, said she is in awe of the sight in Palawan and looking forward to competing in it.

“I’m looking forward to taking in the atmosphere and really enjoying the hospitality from the people of Palawan because it’s not my first time diving here in El Nido. Two years ago I was on holidays, and I remember taking a boat cruise across the lagoons and thought wow this is just so picturesque, it’s the perfect place to high dive and to cliff dive,” said Ms. Iffland.

The Australian won the overall title last year with total points of 830, ahead of second place Adriana Jimenez (760) of Mexico and Lysanne Richard (690) of Canada.

Viewers in the Philippines can watch the full Red Bull event, along with the remaining six stops of the 2019 World Series, on S+A and iWant Sports (iwant.ph), 5PLUS and 5plus.com.ph, FOX Sports, FOX Sports GO, FOX+ app, and online at http://www.foxsports.ph.

Top teams Ateneo, La Salle in second-round clash

RIVALS and UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball top teams Ateneo Lady Eagles and De La Salle Lady Spikers meet up for the second time this year in a marquee match set for Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The game headlines a busy weekend for the University Athletic Association of the Philippines that would see the Final Four picture take further form after everything is said and done.

League-leading Ateneo (10-1) looks to avenge its lone loss of the season so far against La Salle (8-3) and continue its impressive run of 10 straight victories.

The Lady Eagles absorbed a four-set defeat at the hands of the Lady Spikers, 25-14, 25-17, 16-25 and 25-19, on opening weekend last February where the latter showed tremendous drive and steadiness to book the win.

Kat Tolentino finished with 16 points for the Lady Eagles but it was not enough to tow her team over La Salle, which had Des Cheng (13), May Luna (11) and rookie Jolina Dela Cruz (11) all finishing in double-digits.

After that loss, however, Ateneo has channelled the unstoppable, racking up victories after victories en route to being the first to book a spot in the UAAP Season 81 Final Four.

Tolentino continues to lead the Lady Eagles in scoring with a fourth league-best 15.1-point average.

Backstopping her are veterans Maddie Madayag (12.2 points), Ponggay Gaston (8.8) and Bea De Leon (8.5).

The latest of Ateneo’s wins was a four-sets victory over the National University Lady Bulldogs on April 7.

La Salle, for its part, has won its last three matches and is angling to fortify its hold of the second spot, if not pip Ateneo for the top seed.

Cheng leads a balanced Lady Spikers attack with 11.3 points per game, followed by Dela Cruz with 10.5 and Aduke Ogunsanya with 8.4 points.

“We hope to do a repeat on them,” said La Salle coach Ramil De Jesus, whose team is coming off a 25-15, 25-18 and 25-16 win over the Adamson Lady Falcons last Sunday.

The Ateneo-La Salle second-round match is set for 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, playing in the 2 p.m. curtain-raiser on Saturday are also-rans University of the East Lady Warriors (2-9) and Adamson (1-10).

On Sunday, April 14, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons (6-6) try to stay alive in the Final Four race when they take on NU (3-9) at 2 p.m.

In the main game at 4 p.m., the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses and Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws, at joint third place with 8-4 records, shoot for the all-important win that officially books for them a spot in the semifinals. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

ONE Championship plays Manila anew at MOA Arena; Pacio, Saruta in rematch

ONE CHAMPIONSHIP plays its Manila show anew today with its latest offering, “ONE: Roots of Honor,” at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Headlined by the world featherweight title clash between reigning champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Australia and former champ Narantungalag Jadambaa of Mongolia, Roots of Honor will be the second descent of the promotion in the country this year.

Serving as co-main event is the world strawweight title rematch of champion Yosuke Saruta of Japan and Filipino Joshua “The Passion” Pacio.

The event will be in follow-up to the successful first foray in Japan by ONE two weeks ago.

Considering what is on tap for the latest Manila show, local fight analyst Nissi Icasiano said Roots of Honor should be another exciting night for local mixed martial arts fans.

“This should be a fascinating battle between one of the promotion’s most battle-hardened veterans and one of the new generation of dynamic athletes who is still reaching his prime,” said Mr. Icasiano when asked by BusinessWorld for his thoughts on the ONE event, particularly the Nguyen-Jadambaa headlining fight.

“Nguyen made history by becoming the organization’s first two-division world champion thanks to a pair of the most spectacular one-punch knockouts ever seen in ONE. Now, he has chosen to focus on his natural weight class and put all his energy into building a legacy as a legendary ruler of the featherweight division. Jadambaa plans on upsetting those plans by completing a remarkable return to the top to become the oldest world champion in ONE history. Nguyen has youth and speed on his side, but Jadambaa has the power to reclaim the crown. It is anyone’s guess as to who will emerge with their hand raised,” he added.

Mr. Nguyen (11-3) is coming off an unsuccessful foray in bantamweight, losing to Filipino Kevin Belingon in July last year.

Forty-three-year-old Jadambaa (14-5), meanwhile, is currently on a two-fight winning streak and is angling to return to the top of the division since being crowned as champion in 2014.

For the Pacio-Saruta rematch, Mr. Icasiano said the second fight should provide some clarity following a highly disputed split decision the first time around that saw Mr. Pacio lose his title.

The analyst said the protagonists could only be expected to bring it once again and churn out a more convincing outcome.

“The first meeting between Pacio and Saruta was so close — and the verdict so widely debated — that ONE big boss Chatri Sityodtong ordered the contest to be run back immediately in a bid to produce a more definitive result. It (second fight) gives Saruta the chance to cement his position as the one true king of the strawweights. Meanwhile, it offers Pacio the opportunity to reverse the outcome of the first bout and reclaim the belt he believes he did not deserve to lose,” Mr. Icasiano said.

“Though their first clash showed both men are evenly matched, they each have ways to finish. Pacio’s creative striking is backed up by a sneaky submission game. On the other hand, Saruta packs serious power in his fists, as well as the strength to force a tap on the mat if he gets the chance,” he added.

Meanwhile, other Filipinos seeing action at Roots of Honor are Team Lakay’s Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly against South Korea’s Sung Jong Lee in a featherweight clash and Eric “The Natural” Kelly versus Korean Kwon Won Il.

Strawweight Ramon Gonzales is also on tap against Japanese Akihiro Fujisawa.

ONE: Roots of Honor will be shown live over the ONE mobile app and in the Philippines over ABS-CBN S+A, beginning at 8:30 p.m., and iWant Sports. — — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League is ideal destination of second generation players

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) logo

AFTER Ray Parks and Gab Banal, two more notable second generation players might bring their wares to the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) next season.

Matthew Aquino, the 6-foot-9 son of PBA center Marlou Aquino, and Aaron Black, son of multi-titled mentor Norman Black, might become the latest second generation additions in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League next season.

Mr. Aquino is set to play alongside his dad at the Bacoor Strikers, as the father and son tandem is out to make history in the fastest growing regional amateur basketball league in the country.

Chaye Cabal-Revilla, team owner of the Strikers, confirmed that they would make this happen even adding that they will make things interesting as soon as this takes place.

“We are even planning to invite Kuya Sonny Jaworski and his son, Dodot, the first father and son tandem playing together in mainstream local basketball league,” added Ms. Revilla.

The young Aquino last played for the National University Bulldogs and decided to join his dad, Marlou, in Bacoor and fulfill a historic task before his old man retires from active competition. He will join Banal, also a second generation player, who emerged as the team’s top gun and frontrunner in the MVP derby of the ongoing MPBL Datu Cup.

Gab is the son of multi-titled coach Joel Banal, who was part of the Bataan Risers team this season.

Black, who last played for the Ateneo Blue Eagles, had decided to forego his plans to return playing for his collegiate squad. With the PBA D-League Draft already over, the young player looked for other options and the MPBL, thru the Quezon City Capitals, could become the next destination.

His old man believes a shot in the MPBL is possible.

“We (the managing partner of the QC Capitals) live in the same village and Aaron was invited for a tryout. Aaron will be flying to the United States to train at IMPACT, then come back for his graduation. It’s possible that he would join the MPBL as Quezon City has expressed interest, but we’ll see what happens,” said the elder Black. — Rey Joble

Stunned LeBron James stands behind Lakers’ plan

LOS ANGELES — Count Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James among those who were stunned by team president Magic Johnson’s resignation on Tuesday night. But according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne on Wednesday, James still stands behind the organization and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.

ESPN also reported that head coach Luke Walton participated in exit meetings with the players on Wednesday. Walton’s job security is in jeopardy after the Lakers (37-45) missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season despite the offseason signing of James to a four-year, $154 million deal. James, 34, battled injuries and appeared in a career-low 55 games and averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game in 2018-19.

WADE’S FINAL GAME
Following his meeting with Walton, James headed to New York, where he, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony watched Dwyane Wade plays his final NBA game. The Miami Heat closed out the season against the Brooklyn Nets. After a pregame video tribute to Wade, the retiring superstar went over and hugged each of his three friends. The four have been friends for years, their bond immortalized by a photo of James, Wade and Paul riding a banana boat together while on vacation in 2015. Anthony was not in the picture but was also on vacation with the group.

SMART SIDELINED
Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart has a torn left oblique and could miss the first two rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Smart averaged 8.9 points, 4.0 assists and 2.9 rebounds this season for the Celtics, who will be the fourth seed in the East after posting a 49-33 regular-season record. Boston will open at home this weekend against the fifth-seeded Indiana Pacers. Smart, the physical guard is noted as one of the National Basketball Association’s top defenders. — Reuters

Yankees retain title of MLB’s most valuable team — Forbes

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees are Major League Baseball’s most valuable team for a 22nd consecutive year, according to the annual list published by business magazine Forbes.

The 27-time World Series champion, which has held the top spot since Forbes began tracking MLB team finances in 1998, is worth $4.6 billion, the publisher said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers ($3.3 billion), reigning World Series champion Boston Red Sox ($3.2 billion), Chicago Cubs ($3.1 billion) and San Francisco Giants ($3 billion) rounded out the top five.

The average MLB team is now worth $1.8 billion, an 8% increase from last year, due in large part to a continued escalation in the value of the sport’s media rights.

“The fact that Fox has agreed to pay almost 50% more for its national media deal with MLB beginning with the 2022 season shows that baseball content has significantly increased in value,” said Mike Ozanian, assistant managing editor at Forbes. — Reuters

Betrayal

Hoops circles are still “shook” over Magic Johnson’s abrupt resignation as the Lakers’ president of basketball operations the other day. Nobody, not even franchise owner Jeanie Buss (whom he referred to repeatedly in his impromptu press conference as his “sister”), knew that he was going to abandon the position he had occupied since February 2017. From his vantage point, he needed to hang up his suit and tie in order to “be Magic Johnson again;” he felt the National Basketball Association provisions governing executives prevented him from expressing his thoughts the way he wanted to, and exactly when he wanted to.

Not that Johnson was pressured to leave. In fact, he continued to have Buss’ implicit trust and confidence, and to the point of allowing him to decide on the fate of head coach Luke Walton despite her close ties to the latter. Never mind that his front-office record could be termed spotty at best; the Lakers’ win-loss slate during his tenure was fifth-worst in the West. More tellingly, he followed up his acquisition of LeBron James in the 2018 offseason with incongruous free-agent pickups. Forget the public pronouncements of satisfaction in sticking to plan; given his pledge to bring in the stars, he himself could not have been pleased.

Not coincidentally, Johnson said he would step down if he proved unable to lead the Lakers to glory in two years. As things turned out, he gave up after one. The development is stunning in light of the power he wielded, but likewise indicative of his predilections. By all accounts, he had too many ventures that required his attention, leading him to neglect the one for which he was most in the spotlight. And, true to form, he was sensitive to the constant barrage of criticism that reached his ears. Admittedly, the partisan, and often unfair, perspectives stood in stark contract to the beloved figure he cut as ambassador of the sport.

Still, Johnson had a responsibility to the Lakers, and suddenly abandoning it without so much as a proper by your leave cannot but be seen as a betrayal to his proclaimed family. He may well be right in saying he’s now in better position to be himself. In doing what he did, though, he likewise made the purple and gold worse off. No doubt, they’ll pick up the pieces and move on. But when? And how? Those questions aren’t his to address anymore. He doesn’t care to now, and, evidently, he didn’t care to then as well.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Peso continues to rise vs dollar

THE PESO strengthened against the dollar to hit a one-month high on Thursday following the announcement of a narrower trade deficit for February.

The local unit closed Thursday’s session at P51.835 versus the greenback, 6.5 centavos stronger than its P51.90-per-dollar finish on Wednesday. This was the peso’s best showing in more than a month or since it closed at P51.72 per dollar on March 4.

The peso opened the session at P51.90 versus the dollar. It strengthened to as high as P51.82, while its worst showing for the day stood at P51.95 per greenback.

Trading volume thinned to $690.5 million from the $990 million that changed hands the previous session.

A foreign exchange trader said the peso strengthened versus the dollar on better-than-expected domestic trade balance data.

The country’s trade deficit stood at $2.79 billion in February, narrower than $3.92 billion tallied the previous month but still wider compared with February 2018’s $2.54 billion.

However, another trader downplayed the trade data.

“It came out narrower than what was expected, but I think hindi ko masyadong binibigyan ng weight dahil sa (I don’t give it much weight due to) seasonal effects and impasse of the government budget for this year.

“Once the budget was finalized, the country’s import bill might pick up in the second half of the year,” the second trader said.

The trader added that there were dollar inflows throughout the day.

For today, both traders expect the peso to move between P51.70 and P52.10. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

PSEi slips below 8,000 as trading volume thins

By Arra B. Francia, Senior Reporter

LOCAL SHARES dropped on Thursday as investors paused following the previous session’s flight past the 8,000 level.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) failed to hold the 8,000 level yesterday as it fell 0.65% or 52.73 points to close at 7,955.80. The broader all-shares index likewise lost 0.42% or 20.96 points to finish at 4,888.92.

“The index took a breather today…after yesterday’s breakout and close above the 8,000 mark. Volume was noticeably lower at only P7.3 billion versus yesterday’s P9.8 billion,” Papa Securities Corp. Sales Associate Gabriel Jose F. Perez said in an e-mail on Thursday.

Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan noted that investors sold down after tracking geopolitical updates.

“It was a sell on news trading session with the major news items being the Brexit dateline extended and the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) minutes showing more patience needed,” Mr. Limlingan said in a mobile phone message.

The European Union had agreed to extend the United Kingdom’s membership in the bloc until Oct. 31, giving the British Parliament more time to sort out certain laws. Meanwhile, the US Federal Reserve hinted at a possible rate hike before the year ends should economic conditions improve.

“Overall, the minutes shouldn’t change policy expectations a whole lot although they do suggest more support for an average 2% inflation target,” Mr. Limlingan said.

Internationally, markets were mostly in positive territory as they digested the minutes of the FOMC meeting. The Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out gains of 0.03% or 6.58 points to close at 26,157.16. The S&P 500 index advanced 0.35% or 10.01 points to 2,888.21, while the Nasdaq Composite index increased 0.69% or 54.97 points to 7,964.24.

Asian markets, however, ended mixed as investors watched geopolitical movements such as the Brexit deadline extension.

Back home, sectoral indices were equally split between gainers and losers. The mining and oil counter led those in positive territory, jumping 1.81% or 139.31 points to close at 7,818.70. Property rose 0.7% or 29.09 points to 4,168.18, while financials added 0.19% or 3.35 points to 1,745.83.

On the other hand, holding firms slumped 1.75% or 138.22 points to 7,735.68. Industrials slipped 0.97% or 116.44 points to 11,837.20, while services shed 0.42% or 6.89 points to 1,624.09.

Turnover dropped to P7.29 billion after some 825.43 million issues switched hands, lower than the previous session’s P9.83 billion.

Net foreign inflows swelled to P1.12 billion from Wednesday’s P970.64 million.

Decliners swamped advancers, 116 to 80, while 45 names were unchanged.

2 more Duterte bets climb in March Pulse Asia poll

TWO MORE allies of President Rodrigo R. Duterte made it to the top 12 of Pulse Asia’s latest senatorial survey, with its sole opposition bet from the recent surveys dropping from the latest poll.

In its March 2019 Ulat ng Bayan Pre-Electoral Nationwide Survey, Pulse Asia Research, Inc. showed former National Police chief Ronald “Bato” M. Dela Rosa and former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Francis N. Tolentino placing 8th and 11th, respectively, jumping from their respective 15th and 18th places in Pulse Asia’s January poll.

This makes the top 12 a predominantly pro-administration list, after former senator and interior secretary Manuel A. Roxas II who has usually turned up as the sole opposition bet in the top 12 dropped from 10th place last January to 16th place in Pulse Asia’s March survey.

Both Mssrs. Dela Rosa and Tolentino are running under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago coalition, chaired by presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio.

Meanwhile, reelectionists Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares and Cynthia A. Villar maintained their positions in the first place and second place, respectively, with 72.6% and 63.7% support of registered voters.

The rest of the top 12 are Senator Juan Edgardo M. Angara (3rd), Christopher Lawrence T. Go (4th), Pia S. Cayetano (5th), Manuel M. Lapid (6th), Senator Nancy S. Binay (7th), Ramon Revilla, Jr. (9th), Imee R. Marcos (10th), and Jinggoy Estrada (12th).

The noncommissioned survey was conducted on March 23-27 among 1,800 adult respondents with a + 2.3% error margin at the 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for the geographic areas have the following error margins at the 95% confidence level: + 6.5% for Metro Manila, + 3.5% for the rest of Luzon, + 5.3% for Visayas and + 4.7% for Mindanao. — C.A.Tadalan

Senate protests resolution by US House on PHL

SENATE President Vicente C. Sotto III and two other senators filed a resolution rebuking members of the United States House of Representatives, following what they deemed to be moves by US lawmakers to interfere with the Philippine judicial process.

Philippine Senate Resolution No. 1037, dated April 10, was a response to US House Resolutions 233 and 142, which proposed the release of detained Senator Leila M. de Lima and drop the charges against Rappler Chief Executive Officer and executive editor Maria A. Ressa.

“Sen. de Lima and Ms. Ressa are but incidental to the intent of this resolution. They are entitled to fair justice and judgment by the courts handling their cases,” Senator Panfilo M. Lacson was quoted as saying in a statement, Thursday.

“But what we need to point out is that supremacism has no place in a civilized world regardless of race, color and status in wealth and power.”

Mr. Lacson and Senator Gregorio B. Honasan II are also among the authors of the resolution.

The Senators asserted that both the cases of Senator de Lima and Ms. Ressa have been filed in court and that the judicial process is underway.

It was also noted that, despite Ms. de Lima’s detention, she had been allowed, though with limitations, to function as a senator, particularly in filing bills and resolutions. She, however, has not been able to participate in the deliberation of legislative measures.

“In the case of Ms. Maria Ressa and Rappler, contrary to the statement that the filing of the cases against her are because of her being critical of the administration, the charges are filed against her for violating certain laws,” the Senate resolution read.

“She was even allowed to post bail on these cases to debunk the allegations that these were politically motivated cases.”

Ms. Ressa is currently facing charges of tax evasion and the violation of the Anti-Dummy Law, in connection with the Philippine Depository Receipts issued to Rappler partner Omidyar Network in 2015. — C.A.T.

Duterte to discuss Chinese vessels with Xi

MALACAÑANG on Thursday said President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s bilateral talks this month with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing may include the continued presence of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

Mr. Duterte is scheduled to attend the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on April 26 to 27. Last month, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said the President would also raise the Philippines’ concerns on the reported harassment of Filipino fishermen.

At a news conference at the Palace on Thursday, April 11, Mr. Panelo said this time: “I do not know if he will raise that [issue regarding the Chinese vessels]. My educated guess is since we have already raised that, they may respond to that during the bilateral talk.”

He said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has filed a “salvo of protests” against China over the issue.

“We have to wait for their response,” he added.

The last time that Mssrs. Xi and Duterte discussed the West Philippine Sea issue was during the state visit of the Chinese leader to the Philippines in November last year.

Sought for comment, University of Santo Tomas political science professor Marlon M. Villarin said via phone message: “I believe this is the best time for President Duterte and President Xi to have the issue discussed. Considering that, politically, the focus on the West Philippine Sea issue nowadays has the vantage points both from local and international politics. But I think this will only result in easing the presence of the [Chinese maritime] militia in the West Philippine Sea.”

He added: “Diplomatically, it can address issues concerning the increasing number of Chinese civilian militia vessels within the West Philippine Sea, especially those vessels [near the] Pag-asa Island. The presence of those Chinese…vessels is a clear indicator that China has a serious intention to grab the island.”

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