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WBA welterweight supremacy at stake in Pacquiao-Thurman fight

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THIS WEEKEND Filipino boxing superstar Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and American champion Keith “One Time” Thurman collide for World Boxing Association supremacy in welterweight.

Happening at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas on Sunday (Manila time), Mr. Pacquiao (61-7-2), boxing’s only eight-division champion, try to seize the WBA welterweight title from Mr. Thurman (29-0-1) in his first fight in the United States in two years.

Both fighters have expressed confidence in winning the fight over the other and claim the top spot in the WBA order in the welterweight division, which is arguably one of the most talented divisions in all of boxing.

In more than two decades, Filipino legend Pacquiao has seen it all in a Hall-of-Fame boxing career but many are expecting him to have his hands full against Mr. Thurman, who has a lot of advantages going his way, including being the younger and bigger fighter of the two.

One of those is local fight analyst Nissi Icasiano, who, while leaning towards a close decision win for Mr. Pacquiao over the American, said Mr. Thurman would not be easy pickings in Sunday’s title fight.

“From the very start, I always believed that this fight against Thurman is the best option for Pacquiao, especially how the American boxer performed against Josesito Lopez in his comeback fight,” said Mr. Icasiano in an interview with BusinessWorld as he set up what should be expected come fight day.

“If the Thurman that beat Shawn Porter turns up, we could easily see him overwhelm Pacquiao but he needs to leverage his youth and power. He needs to gain his respect early and his movement will be crucial to unsettling Pacquiao and disrupting his balance but as this is likely to go 12 rounds, he needs to fight intelligently,” the analyst added.

Mr. Icasiano, however, said as much as Mr. Thurman is a tough opponent, he expects Mr. Pacquiao digging deep and making the necessary adjustments.

“Pacquiao has too much class and experience to get caught and if Thurman telegraphs his power punches, he will viciously counter as a southpaw,” Mr. Icasiano said.

The analyst said the outcome of the match could well decide what is in store for 40-year-old Pacquiao, who is also a sitting senator of the republic, moving forward.

“A loss for Pacquiao, depending on the nature of the defeat, could spark the end of his career. A KO loss, especially one that sees him take substantial damage, will likely have his legions of fans wishing for him to retire,” he said.

Adding, “I don’t think anyone wants to see another legend of the sport remain in the game too long to take unnecessary punches. If Pacquiao drops a decision, there are a number of ways things could go.”

The Pacquiao-Thurman fight can be seen on ABS-CBN’s broadcast and digital platforms.

It will be aired on ABS-CBN Ch.2 at 10 a.m. with immediate replay on ABS-CBN S+A (Sports and Action) at 3 p.m.

Pacquiao camp denies Khan claims over Saudi Arabia bout

LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao has not signed a contract to take on Amir Khan in Saudi Arabia later this year despite claims that a deal has been agreed for the bout, the Filipino’s publicist has said.

Khan, who beat Australia’s Billy Dib in Jeddah on July 13 to win the WBC international welterweight title, said on Tuesday that he had agreed a deal to fight Pacquiao in Riyadh on Nov. 8.

The Briton told British media the clash with Pacquiao would happen even if the 40-year-old were to lose to American Keith Thurman in Las Vegas on Saturday.

“Manny has not signed any contract. As far as I know it has not even been discussed,” Pacquiao’s publicist Fred Sternberg told the BBC.

“He has been in training camp for the past eight weeks, four in the Philippines and four in the United States, and he hasn’t met with Amir Khan during that time.”

Sternberg said he did not know what prompted Khan to make the claims.

“That’s a question you need to ask Amir Khan,” he said.

Khan had been slated to fight eight-division world champion Pacquiao two years ago in the United Arab Emirates but no agreement could be reached.

Pacquiao, one of the sport’s most decorated fighters, has a record of 61 victories, seven defeats and two draws in a career spanning 24 years.

Khan has 34 wins and five defeats. — Reuters

Padres’ Chris Paddack nearly no-hits Marlins

LOS ANGELES — Padres rookie right-hander Chris Paddack had a no-hitter through seven innings before giving up a home run in San Diego’s 3-2 win over the host Miami Marlins on Wednesday.

Starlin Castro homered to lead off the eighth for Miami’s first hit.

Paddack, 23, allowed the one hit over 7 2/3 innings. He issued one walk and had eight strikeouts in the win. Paddack (6-4) threw 94 pitches in his 16th major league start.

Paddack, who was originally drafted by the Marlins, was working on a perfect game before Cesar Puello reached base to open the sixth inning on a throwing error by shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. Puello was eliminated on a double play, but pinch hitter Yadiel Rivera drew a two-out walk. Paddack got out of the frame with a groundout.

INDIANS 7, TIGERS 2
Mike Clevinger matched a career high with 12 strikeouts, and rookie Oscar Mercado and Greg Allen each drove in a pair of runs as host Cleveland defeated Detroit.

Francisco Lindor belted a homer to ignite a four-run eighth inning for the Indians, who have won 10 of their last 12 to move within four games of the American League Central-leading Twins.

Nicholas Castellanos launched a solo homer and Jeimer Candelario had an RBI single for the Tigers, who have lost 11 of their past 13 contests overall and 11 of 12 against Cleveland this season.

ATHLETICS 10, MARINERS 2
Mark Canha and Jurickson Profar each hit two home runs and Homer Bailey pitched six solid innings in his debut as host Oakland defeated Seattle Mariners.

Chad Pinder and Ramon Laureano also homered for the A’s, who scored all of their runs via the long ball. Oakland swept the two-game series and has won six in a row overall, outscoring its opponents 47-13.

Bailey (8-6), a veteran right-hander, was acquired Sunday in a trade with Kansas City. He allowed two runs on seven hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

CUBS 5, REDS 2
Kris Bryant and Addison Russell hit solo home runs, and Yu Darvish snapped his drought at Wrigley Field with six scoreless innings in Chicago’s win over visiting Cincinnati.

Darvish (3-4) turned in his second straight outing of two-hit ball over six scoreless innings. He struck out seven and got his first career win at Wrigley after 13 starts without one as a member of the Cubs. He had never before pitched in a win at Wrigley, including a loss with the Texas Rangers in 2016.

Darvish also earned his first win this season since April 27 after 12 no-decisions and a loss.

CARDINALS 6, PIRATES 5
Paul Goldschmidt hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning as host St. Louis beat Pittsburgh. The Cardinals took two of three from the Pirates.

The Pirates carried a 4-3 lead into the seventh, and Francisco Liriano (4-2) retired the first batter he faced, Harrison Bader, before giving up a single to Tommy Edman and issuing a walk to Jose Martinez. Goldschmidt then greeted Michael Feliz by homering to left-center field on a 2-2 pitch.

The rally made a winner out of John Brebbia (3-3), who threw two perfect innings of relief. Andrew Miller tossed a 1-2-3 eighth before Carlos Martinez earned his sixth save.

GIANTS 11, ROCKIES 8
Donovan Solano led off the sixth inning with a go-ahead home run as San Francisco completed its first four-game sweep at Colorado since 2011.

The win was the Giants’ fifth straight and sixth in seven games on a just-completed road trip that began at Milwaukee. They passed the Rockies in the standings, having won eight of nine and 12 of 14 overall.

Left-hander Derek Holland (2-4), the second Giants pitcher, was credited with the win after throwing 1 2/3 innings of hitless, scoreless ball.

BREWERS 5, BRAVES 4
Christian Yelich homered for the third time in four days, one of two struck by Milwaukee hitters, to help the Brewers defeat visiting Atlanta. The win gave the Brewers their first series win over a team other than Pittsburgh since mid-May.

Yelich hit a solo homer in the sixth inning against Atlanta starter Dallas Keuchel (3-3) to ignite a three-run outburst that allowed Milwaukee to put the game away and ensure a series victory. It was the 34th homer for Yelich, two shy of his career-high total from 2018, when he was the NL Most Valuable Player.

Chase Anderson (5-2) pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed one hit and three walks, striking out three. It was Anderson’s fifth straight start in which he has allowed two or fewer runs. He improved to 3-0 with a 3.37 ERA in six career starts against Atlanta.

METS 14, TWINS 4
Dominic Smith belted a three-run homer as a pinch hitter, Amed Rosario had four hits and New York routed host Minnesota.

With the Mets down 3-2 in the seventh, Smith batted for left fielder J.D. Davis and swatted an 0-2 curveball for his ninth homer. He finished 2-for-3 off the bench, adding a run-scoring single in the eighth to give him a career-high four RBIs.

Rosario went 4-for-4 with a homer, triple, four runs and three RBIs. Adeiny Hechavarria had three hits, including two doubles, and scored twice. — Reuters

Philippine Azkals begin qualifying bid at home in September

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE Philippine national men’s football team begins its qualifying bid for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and the AFC Asian Cup in China in 2023 here at home in September.

Following the official draw ceremony at the Asian Football Confederation House in Malaysia on Wednesday, it was known that the Philippine Azkals will begin their campaign in Group A along with China, Syria, Maldives and Guam and their first game a home match set for Sept. 5.

The Azkals will face Syria in their first game of a scheduled home-and-away campaign that will last until June 2020.

China is the highest-ranked team in Group A in the latest world rankings at 77th, followed by Syria (85th), the Philippines (126th), Maldives (152nd) and Guam (190th).

Tournament format calls for the winners in the eight groups and the four runners-up with the best record advancing to the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Finals and the final round of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

However, should Qatar win their group, the seven other group winners and five best second-placed sides will advance to the final round of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

World Cup host Qatar (55) is in Group E along with Oman (86), India (101), Afghanistan (149) and Bangladesh (183).

The other groupings have Australia (43), Jordan (98), Chinese Taipei (125), Kuwait (156) and Nepal (165) in Group B; Iran (20), Iraq (77), Bahrain (110), Hong Kong (141) and Cambodia (169) in Group C; Saudi Arabia (69), Uzbekistan (82), Palestine (100), Yemen (144) and Singapore (162) in Group D; Japan (28), Kyrgyzstan (95), Tajikistan (120), Myanmar (138) and Mongolia (187) in Group F; United Arab Emirates (67), Vietnam (96), Thailand (116), Malaysia (159) and Indonesia (160) in Group G; and South Korea (37), Lebanon (86), North Korea (122), Turkmenistan (135) and Sri Lanka (201) in Group H.

The Philippines played in its first-ever Asian Cup early this year in Dubai where it was lumped in Group C, dubbed as the “Group of Death,” along with South Korea, China and Kyrgyzstan.

The Azkals, then coached by World Cup campaigner Sven-Goran Eriksson, showed spirited effort against South Korea, losing, 1-0, and challenged China before bowing down, 3-0. In their final game versus Kyrgyzstan they lost, 3-1, to exit winless.

Despite failing to go through, the Azkals were still grateful for the chance to test themselves and compete in a tournament like the Asian Cup while vowing to work harder and come back stronger.

PBA: Meralco and Alaska dispute Commish Cup’s last quarterfinal berth

THE ELIMINATION round of the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup goes into overdrive today as the Meralco Bolts and Alaska Aces play off for the right to earn the last quarterfinal spot available in the midseason tournament.

Set for 7 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena, the Bolts and Aces, sporting identical 4-7 records at the end of the eliminations, make one last go at advancing to the next round of the Commissioner’s Cup with a victory over the other.

Meralco put itself in such a position after taking down the San Miguel Beermen, 95-91, last Wednesday to force a three-way tie for eighth place with Alaska and the Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters.

Having a superior quotient over the Fuel Masters though, the Bolts edged the former for the playoff match with the Aces.

Import Delroy James led and willed Meralco to the big victory over San Miguel, which dropped to seventh place in the standings with the loss and now faces a twice-to-win disadvantage in the quarterfinals.

Mr. James scored the last four points of the Bolts in said game to tow his team to the victory.

He led the way for Meralco with 34 points to go along with six assists, four steals and two blocks. Chris Newsome had 20 points while Raymond Almazan had 15.

“It was a game we had to have to stay alive. The players really stepped up both offensively and defensively. So we lived to fight another day,” said Meralco coach Norman Black after the win.

“Fighting Alaska will be a tough game for us, but we will take our chances,” he added.

The win also stopped for the Bolts a five-game losing streak.

Alaska, meanwhile, has been struggling, losing five games straight of their own.

The skid has effectively derailed their thrust of advancing to the next round and they hope salvage their season against Meralco.

The most recent of the defeats of the Aces came at the hands of the Blackwater Elite, 112-104, on July 14.

Alaska competed hard against Blackwater but just could not keep in step with the latter down the stretch to slump to the defeat.

Import Diamon Simpson had a near triple double of 24 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists for the Aces, with big men Sonny Thoss and Vic Manuel adding 15 points apiece.

The winner between Meralco and Alaska meets up with top seeds TNT KaTropa in the quarterfinals where it will have a twice-to-win disadvantage.

The rest of the quarterfinal pairings will have third seeds Blackwater taking on number six Rain or Elasto Painters in a best-of-three quarters and the fourth seeds and defending champions Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings battling number five Magnolia Hotshots Ang Pambansang Manok in a “Manila Clasico” best of three.

Quarterfinal action in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup begins on Saturday, July 20. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

NCAA: Altas, Pirates angle for bounce-back wins

ABSORBED their first defeats in National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 95 previously, the Perpetual Help Altas and Lyceum Pirates try to bounce-back when they take on separate opponents in league action today at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.

Both fell to 1-1 after the defeats they were dealt with in their last matches, the Altas and Pirates look to get back on the winning track against the Letran Knights and Mapua Cardinals, respectively.

Perpetual battles Letran in the 12 noon seniors play opener while Lyceum takes on Mapua at 2 p.m.

Winless teams Arellano Chiefs and Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers. Meanwhile, collide in the final game of the scheduled triple-header at 4 p.m.

The Altas dropped their last game against the College of Saint Benilde Blazers, 75-63, on July 16 in a game that had them starting solidly only to falter as the game progressed on their way to the defeat.

AJ Razon led Perpetual Help with 15 points, followed by Kim Aurin with 12 and Edgar Charcos and Rey Peralta adding eight points apiece.

They, however, could not prevent the Blazers from taking the win.

Looking to pin the Altas further are the Knights (2-1), who are on a two-game winning roll after starting Season 95 with a loss.

Lyceum, meanwhile, was edged out by the surprising Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 84-82, on July 12.

The Pirates struggled in said game but managed to make things happen late in the contest to have a shot at winning it.

EAC, however, would douse cold water on the rally of the Pirates in the end to escape with the victory.

Jaycee Marcelino had another solid outing for Lyceum with 23 points, with Reymar Caduyac adding 17 and Jayson David nine points.

The Pirates try to avert falling back-to-back for the season against the Cardinals, who are still in search for their win after losing their first two games of the season. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

RC Cola makers throw support behind esports

ARC REFRESHMENTS Corp., makers of soda drinks RC Cola and Juicy Lemon in the country, recently dipped its hands in esports with the successful staging of the first-ever “Juicy Legends Tournament.”

Partnering with ULVL Gaming, ARC Refreshments said it has been its goal to give its support to esports, and sports in general, seeing it as a good platform to develop character and personality, especially among the youth.

“We really wanted to do esports and we were looking for a good partner to tie up with Juicy Lemon. We figured this tournament would be a good fit. Esport now is gaining attraction. We wanted to encourage that and to promote sports of different types. Esports promote teamwork, sportsmanship, and resilience. I think the younger generation has different ways of understanding, doing and showing these values. Playing sports and esports would be some of the effective ways to hone them more,” said James Loverio, ARC Refreshments’ Head of Marketing.

ARC Refreshments is also the group behind the RC Cola Liga ng Bayan 3×3 Basketball Tournament.

The Juicy Legends Tournament was a two-month event that saw some of the top gamers in the country compete over the popular mobile game — Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

Bren Limitless took over the Pro Division category of the tournament and bagged consecutive wins in a best-of-five game against competitor Aether. The team won the coveted trophy and P100,000 cash prize for winning in the Grand Finals.

Dream High Gaming, meanwhile, topped the Amateur Division and took home P50,000.

Esports in the country has seen steady growth and acceptance in recent years and is slated to be part for the first time of the Southeast Asian Games which the country is hosting later this year. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Oklahoma City Thunder to keep acquired guard Chris Paul for now

LOS ANGELES — The Thunder’s discussions to trade newly acquired Chris Paul have stalled, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday, increasing the odds that the point guard begins the season in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder have been working with Paul’s agent on a suitable trade since acquiring him from the Houston Rockets last week in a deal for Russell Westbrook and two first-round picks, but Wojnarowski reports nothing is materializing. The report adds that Oklahoma City believes trade talks could improve after Dec. 15 — when players signed this offseason can be included in deals — or after the 2019-20 season.

The Miami Heat have been widely reported as a potential suitor for Paul, but the sides have been unable to agree on compensation.

The Miami Herald reports the Heat are only willing to take on Paul’s burdensome contract — which has three years and $124 million remaining, including a $44.2 million player option in 2021-22 — if they also receive their own 2021 and 2023 first-round picks, which the Thunder acquired via other trades. — Reuters

James-Russell tandem

It was evident from the outset that the Rockets didn’t simply want to claim another marquee name when they spread the welcome mat for Russell Westbrook last week. Even as speculation on their interest rose as soon as it became clear that he was on the trading block, their penchant for chasing superstars wasn’t the sole driving force for his arrival. In fact, the benefit of more information and hindsight figures to definitively prove that, above all else, they were angling for addition by subtraction. Erstwhile starter Chris Paul needed to be unloaded after their disappointing showing in the 2019 Playoffs highlighted a deteriorating relationship with top dog James Harden.

Considering the Rockets’ isolation-heavy system and the efficiency with which Harden put up numbers as its primary beneficiary, Paul’s fundamental opposition to it sealed his fate. By all indications, the fact that he voiced his opinions in his typically forceful manner also didn’t help; while it may have been tolerated at best when he was in his prime, it became unacceptable given his status as a poor second in the pecking order. The clincher was, of course, his contract, which had him on the books for $124 million through 2022, by which time he would have been an old and rickety 36.

As a result, the Rockets were only too glad to give up draft picks and swaps for the opportunity to send Paul packing. That Westbrook just so happened to be available was perfect for them. Never mind that his ball-dominant ways seemed to clash with Harden’s, and that his deal figures to be even more of an albatross, with all the aforesaid figures plus another year at a whopping $47 million. Needless to say, they got the imprimatur of their acknowledged leader, whose long relationship with their new acquisition dates back to when “I was, like, 10 years old … It’s going to be a lot of fun this year. I guarantee you that. Believe it.”

Even Rockets fans may want to see the new team-up first before expressing the same level of confidence. Still, there can be no denying that Westbrook represents an upgrade, the apparent erosion in his play over the last two years notwithstanding. Because of his mediocre shooting stats from beyond the three-point arc, he appears to be better positioned as a distributor, with Harden benefiting from his dynamism. Unfortunately, the modification of the setup that twice got them close to defeating the vaunted Warriors requires a drastic change in mindset, not to mention a leap of faith.

Perhaps head coach Mike D’Antoni can get both Harden and Westbrook to subscribe to collective objectives enough for them to willingly sacrifice personal gains. So far, they look ready to try. And, under the circumstances, it’s all the Rockets can hope for. It’s another season and another experiment, and they’re crossing their fingers the wide-open race to the top will finally yield them the outcome they desire.

 

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 rebounds vs dollar

THE PESO climbed anew as the market awaits drivers for the dollar.

THE PESO recovered against the dollar on Thursday as the market consolidated due to a lack of fresh leads.

The local unit closed yesterday’s session at P50.97 versus the greenback, up 16 centavos from its P51.13 finish on Wednesday.

The peso opened the session at P51.085 per dollar. It slipped to as low as P51.10, while its intraday high stood at P50.94.

Trading volume climbed to $1.22 billion from the $1.208 billion that changed hands the previous day.

A trader said yesterday the peso resumed its strengthening trend against the dollar following its slump on Wednesday.

“The slump was due to the bounce in the dollar, so the market caught short. There was panic that’s why it went really (low),” the trader said in a phone interview.

“(On Thursday,) we saw a continuation of the (peso’s strengthening) trend given that there are no key drivers for the dollar for the rest of the week,” the trader added.

Another trader said the peso consolidated against the dollar as market players await clues as to where the pair is headed.

“The market is kind of iffy at this point if (the peso) will continue to recover given the optimism a few days ago and then the peso got short squeezed (on Wednesday),” the trader said. “Let’s see what the next move will be as we await for clues as to where the next direction will be.”

A third trader attributed the peso’s strengthening to the release of weaker US housing data, reinforcing bets of a policy rate cut from the US Federal Reserve.

For today, the first trader expects the peso to move between P50.90 and P51.10, while the second trader gave a P50.90-P51.20 range. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

PSE index inches up on mixed earnings results

By Arra B. Francia, Senior Reporter

SHARES FIRMED UP on Thursday, defying the weakness in markets abroad as investors were cautious about prospects on the US-China trade war.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) climbed 0.29% or 24.57 points to close at 8,258.05 yesterday, recovering from a two-day decline. The broader all-shares index likewise rose 0.14% or 7.44 points to 5,008.98.

“Investors bought cautiously into the market, digesting mixed earnings results and economic data, while the lack of progress on the trade dispute with China remained a concern also,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Luis A. Limlingan said in a text message.

US President Donald J. Trump earlier said he can impose additional tariffs on $325 billion worth of Chinese goods if they wanted to, despite his agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping to hold off on new trade penalties during the G20 Summit last month.

Meanwhile, China remains on a wait-and-see mode on how the US will relax restrictions on Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. before committing to a new deal.

AAA Southeast Equities, Inc. Research Head Christopher John Mangun noted how the PSEi bested other markets that also looked to developments on the trade war for cues.

“The PSEi outperformed most of its Asian peers as markets ended lower mirroring the performance of western markets in the last trading session on premature signs that the US-China trade war could hurt corporate earnings, which pushed for some demand for US Treasuries,” Mr. Mangun said in an e-mail.

Most Southeast Asian stock markets traded in a tight range on Thursday, as the US Federal Reserve’s bright domestic economic outlook curbed expectations of extensive policy easing and renewed tariff war fears soured risk appetite.

Meanwhile, Wall Street’s indices were mostly down, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.42% or 115.78 points to 27,219.85. The S&P 500 index lost 0.65% or 19.62 points to 2,984.42, while the Nasdaq Composite index retreated 0.46% or 37.59 points to 8,185.21.

Back home, four sectoral indices ended in positive territory, led by mining and oil which jumped 1.46% or 114.78 points to 7,950.72. Financials surged 1.04% or 19.38 points to 1,871.02; services added 0.32% or 5.42 points to 1,682.12, while holding firms went up 0.28% or 22.65 points to 7,934.25.

Meanwhile, industrials dropped 0.42% or 50.18 points to 11,756.98 and property slipped 0.1% or 4.67 points to 4,412.36.

Some 975.57 million issues valued at P5.60 billion switched hands, improving from the previous session’s P5.31 billion.

Advancers outpaced decliners, 116 to 79, while 52 names were unchanged.

Foreign investors were net buyers for the fifth straight session at P540.72 million, higher than Wednesday’s P384.07 million. — with Reuters

Election court defers action in Marcos protest

THE SUPREME Court declined to investigate alleged vote rigging in three Mindanao provinces for the vice presidential race in 2016 until it has finished its recount in three other places where losing bet Ferdinand “Bongbong” E. Marcos. Jr. claims massive cheating occurred.

In an eight-page ruling dated July 2 but released only yesterday, the court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal said it was premature to probe alleged cheating in Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Maguindanao provinces since it has not finished validating the votes in Mr. Marcos’s pilot provinces — Camarines Sur, Negros Oriental and Iloilo. It deferred action on the Marcos plea.

Mr. Marcos is challenging the results of the May 2016 vice presidential election that he narrowly lost to Maria Leonor G. Robredo. He had sought a probe of alleged cheating in the three Mindanao provinces, which Ms. Robredo opposed.

“Practical and logistical considerations also restrict the tribunal in proceeding with the technical examination due to its limited resources and manpower,” the high court said.

The court also rejected Ms. Robredo’s plea to resolve all pending incidents after the recount in Mr. Marcos’s pilot provinces, saying this was premature as well. Figures submitted by Ms. Robredo to prove her victory “are merely speculative,’’ the court said.

“She should stop misleading the public with her impetuous pronouncements,” Marcos lawyer and spokesman Victor D. Rodriguez said in a statement. “Politics is perception. All these delaying tactics, spread of false information and fake news by Mrs. Robredo and her cabal only prove how desperate they are.”

Ma. Bernadette Sardillo, Ms. Robredo’s lawyer, in a statement said they sought the early resolution of the election case “to prevent Marcos’s camp from spreading misinformation and propaganda.” “In the end, we are confident that Vice President Robredo will be vindicated and her victory confirmed,” she added.

In its July 2 ruling, the tribunal also gave election officials 10 days to explain the absence of ballot images in certain precincts in Camarines Sur.

Mr. Marcos, 61, is the son of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, under whose government 3,000 people died and thousands more were tortured after he suspended elections and declared martial law in the 1970s. The younger Mr. Marcos won 14.1 million votes in 2016, higher than any candidate aside from President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Ms. Robredo. — Vann Marlo Villegas

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