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What’s next for Gauff as world goes Coco-crazy?

LONDON — A quick glance at Cori Gauff’s Twitter account shows what a difference a week makes in the life of a 15-year-old tennis phenomenon.

The giggling teenager, who likes to be called Coco, came to Wimbledon with a following of around 4,000 on Twitter. By the time her sensational run had ended on Monday, those numbers had risen to over 125,000 and included a number of celebrities.

Not bad for a player who is ranked 313 in the world and one who has yet to win a main-tour tournament.

But then again, there is nothing ordinary about a high school student who manages to pass a science test in the midst of qualifying for Wimbledon, then jettisons five-times champion Venus Williams in the first round before storming back from a set and two match points down to reach the second week of the most famous tennis tournament.

The tennis world had gone Coco-crazy for Gauff but when her remarkable run was finally ended by Simona Halep in the fourth round, Wimbledon’s most prolific champion had some words of advice.

“I just hope she backs off after the tournament and takes a breath,” said American great Billie Jean King, the winner of 20 titles at the All England Club across singles and doubles.

“I would say ‘remember how blessed you are to be in this position… take care of yourself and always stay humble. Right now you can get full of yourself very quickly because everyone’s around you.’

“The most important things for her now is to recalibrate and stay focused on her goals. We’re going to know her as a human being and not just a tennis player, and that’s what people are interested in.”

What fans do not want to see is a repetition of Jennifer Capriati’s sorry teenaged saga.

At 13, she was a six-million-dollar girl, showered with endorsement contracts even before she played her first professional match in March 1990.

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In 1991, she became the youngest Wimbledon semifinalist at aged 15. But within two years Capriati had tired of the game and was arrested for shoplifting and for possession of marijuana.

The support network around Gauff, which includes Roger Federer’s agent Tony Godsick, suggests she is well protected from such pitfalls or the temptation to chase every sponsorship dollar thrown her way.

“I’ve heard they’ve had over 400 (sponsorship) offers and lots more are going to come her way,” said former world number one Tracy Austin, who was also a teenage prodigy.

“It’s very important that she’s got that veteran agent to know how to deal with it all. She’s got to stay humble and be choosy because at 15, she’s got a long career ahead of her, there will be plenty of money in the future.”

Although she is expected to shoot into the world’s top 140 when the new WTA rankings are released next Monday, Gauff will need to plan the rest of her year more judiciously. A WTA rule introduced after Capriati’s downfall means that she is allowed to play only five more tournaments before her 16th birthday next March — even if she wins them all.

One of those events will almost certainly be the US Open in August because as John McEnroe commented, organizers at Flushing Meadows will be clamoring to sign her up as “she sells tickets, people love her and she’s got it all.” — Reuters

Filipino pugilists eye SEA Games gold repeat

GOLD MEDAL winners in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games, Filipino boxers John Marvin and Eumir Felix Marcial are eyeing a repeat of the feat in this year’s edition of the biennial regional games which the Philippines is hosting later this year.

Gracing the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Amelie Hotel-Manila, Marvin and Mr. Marcial, joined by men’s boxing team coach Roel Velasco and SEA Games bronze medallist Ian Clark Bautista, said they are once again going for gold more so since the Games will be held in the country just as they highlighted that they are expecting the competition to be tough.

“I’m after that gold and nothing less than that,” said Filipino-British Marvin at the forum, presented by San Miguel Corp., Braska Restaurant, Amelie Hotel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

Marvin won gold in the light heavyweight division of the 29th SEA Games in Malaysia two years ago.

He defeated Adli Hafidz Bin Mohd Pauzi of Malaysia in the finals.

Mr. Marcial seconded Marvin, saying he, too, is aiming for the gold and nothing less, and vowed to do his best in his pursuit of it.

“The field will be competitive because everybody is aiming for the gold. But I won’t be deterred by it,” he said in the vernacular.

Mr. Marcial ruled the middleweight division two years ago by beating Thai Pathomsak Kuttiya in the finals.

The gold medals of Marvin and Mr. Marcial were part of the two gold, one silver and two bronze haul of boxing in 2017 and the 24-34-63 medal total of the Philippines, good for sixth place.

Apart from the SEA Games, the Philippine boxing team is also gearing up for the World Championships in Russia in September. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Magnus Carlsen wins No. 8

Croatia Grand Chess Tour
Zagreb, Croatia
June 26-July 8, 2019

Final Standings

1. Magnus Carlsen NOR 2875, 8.0/11

2. Wesley So USA 2754, 7.0/11

3-4. Levon Aronian ARM 2752, Fabiano Caruana USA 2819, 6.0/11

5-7. Anish Giri NED 2779, Ding Liren CHN 2805, Ian Nepomniachtchi RUS 2775, 5.5/11

8. Sergey Karjakin RUS 2748, 5.0/11

9-11. Viswanathan Anand IND 2767, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov AZE 2774, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave FRA 2779, 4.5/11

12. Hikaru Nakamura USA 2754, 4.0/11

Average Rating 2782 Category 22

Time Control: 130 minutes play-to-finish with 30 second delay before the clock starts on every move

Magnus Carlsen has just won his eighth consecutive tournament with an overpowering 5-win 6-draw result in the Zagreb leg of the 2019 Grand Chess Tour. The moving spirit behind this event is former World Champion Garry Kasparov. As you may know Kasparov tried to run for President of Russia in 2008 against Vladimir Putin but failure to find a sufficiently large rental space to assemble the number of supporters that is legally required to endorse such a candidacy forced him to withdraw. Kasparov blamed “official obstruction” for the lack of available space.

Ever since then he has found it difficult to live in Russia and moved out of the country. He currently resides in New York City but travels often, especially to Zagreb since he obtained Croatian citizenship in 2014.

Zagreb with a population of 1.1 million is the largest city in Croatia by far and contains a quarter of the total population of the country. They are a chess-mad nation and literally multitudes would show up at the tournament venue to follow the games and, in old-time courtesy, applaud the players at the conclusion of their games.

This almost fanatic fervor apparently inspired Magnus Carlsen to go for the win in every game. In fact, he managed to defeat two players (Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren) from the elite who he had never managed to take down in a classical game ever before.

Carlsen’s score against Nepo before they met in Zagreb was 0 wins and 4 losses. Here is how he dealt with the former Russian and European champion in round 7.

Nepomniachtchi, Ian (2775) — Carlsen, Magnus (2875) [B30]
Croatia Grand Chess Tour Zagreb CRO (7.1), 03.07.2019

Nepomniachtchi started the tournament with three straight wins (against Anand, Caruana and Mamedyarov” but just had his momentum snapped by Ding in the previous round and fell to his first loss. This allowed Magnus and Wesley to catch up with him for the lead, but by this victory Magnus now took over 1st place.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Bc4 g6

This could not have been a surprise for Nepo, for Magnus had played this exact line against Vachier-Lagrave in last year’s Sinquefield Cup.

5.d3

The game with MVL continued 5.h4 h6 6.h5 g5 7.Nh2 Nf6 8.d3 d6 9.Nf1 Bg4 10.f3 Be6 11.Ne3 Bg7 12.Ncd5 0–0 13.c3 Rb8 14.a4 a6 15.g4 b5 16.axb5 axb5 17.Bb3 (17.Ra6!? can also be tried) 17…Ne7 18.Nxe7+ Qxe7 19.0–0 the game was headed for a draw. Vachier Lagrave, M. (2779)-Carlsen, M. (2842) Saint Louis 2018 1/2 37.

5…h6 6.h4 d6 7.h5 g5 8.Nh2

Now the game strongly resembles MVL vs Carlsen. This knight is also headed for e3, same as in that game.

8…Bg7 9.Ng4 Nge7 10.Ne3 0–0 11.Bd2 Kh8 12.g4

Closing out the kingside and now the action moves over to the queenside.

12…Rb8 13.a4 Nd4 14.Ncd5 Nxd5 15.Nxd5 Ne6 16.f3 Nf4 17.Qb1

A bit of a controversial decision. Carlsen: he went for a very ambitious plan with the queen to a2 and so on. The problem, of course, is that his king lacks shelter, so the opening of the position is always going to be good for me.

17…Be6 18.Qa2 Qd7

With the idea of …Bxg4.

19.Rg1 b6 20.Bc3

Nepo’s idea is 21.Nxd4 exd4 22.Bxg7+ Kxg7 23.Kd2 when White is the one with the better prospects.

20…Bxd5! 21.Bxd5 a6 22.Bd2 Qe7 23.Rf1 b5 24.axb5 axb5 25.Kf2 c4 26.Bxf4

[26.dxc4 bxc4 27.Bxc4 d5! opens up the position in the center, which obviously White with his exposed king does not want]

26…exf4 27.Rad1 <D>

POSITION AFTER 27.RAD1

27…f5!?

This is a bluff, Carlsen’s own words.

28.gxf5?

And Nepo blinks. The correct response is 28.exf5! Qe3+ 29.Kg2 Qe2+ 30.Kh3 how can Black continue? Try to get his rook on the 2nd rank? 30…cxd3 31.cxd3 Rbc8 but then 32.Rde1 Qd2 33.Rd1 holds.

28…g4!

Based on the body language of the players, after this move Nepo knew he was lost, and the remaining moves came quite quickly.

29.d4

[29.fxg4 Qh4+ 30.Ke2 Bd4]

29…Qh4+ 30.Ke2 Qh2+ 31.Rf2

[31.Ke1 g3 followed by …g2.]

31…gxf3+ 0–1

Nepo resigned because Kxf3 Qxh5+ drops his rook.

After drawing all seven games he had played against Ding Liren before Zagreb Magnus finally nailed him in round 8.

Ding, Liren (2805) — Carlsen, Magnus (2875) [E05]
Croatia Grand Chess Tour Zagreb CRO (8), 04.07.2019

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 b5 8.a4 b4 9.Nfd2 Nd5

The usual move here is 9…c6. As confirmed by Magnus in the post-game conference, this was opening preparation for his world championship match with Caruana last year which he didn’t get to use. Developed by one of his seconds, GM Daniil Dubov, the idea is to activate black’s two bishops. You will see later how this works.

10.Nxc4 c5 11.dxc5 Ba6!

Black’s dark-squared bishop, which is usually “bad” when its access is blocked by the e6–pawn, now has full scope.

12.Ne3 Nd7 13.Nxd5 exd5 14.c6 Rc8 15.Bf4! Nc5 16.c7 Qd7 17.Nd2

Since move 10 Ding, smelling opening preparation, was taking his time between moves while Magnus was blitzing out his. By this time the Chinese GM was already an hour behind on the clock.

17…g5! 18.Be5

He can’t take the pawn because of 18.Bxg5 b3! (Not 18…Bxg5? right away because 19.Qxc5 Bxd2 20.Rfd1 Rxc7 21.Qa5 one of the bishops will fall) 19.Qc1 Bxg5 20.Qxc5 Bxd2 21.Rfd1 Rxc7 now the white queen cannot go to a5, and so he ends up down a powerful bishop.

18…f6 19.Bd4 Rxc7 20.Qd1 Ne6 21.Nb3 Bc4 22.Na5?!

A better idea is 22.Be3! followed by Nd4.

22…Nxd4 23.Qxd4 Kg7 24.Rfc1 Bxe2 25.Rxc7 Qxc7 26.Re1?!

Taking the pawn 26.Qxd5 Rd8 27.Qe4 Bd3 is more to the point but Ding was probably afraid of losing his knight on a5

26…Bc5! 27.Qxd5 Re8! 28.Qb7?

Correct idea wrong execution. After 28.Qc6 Qxc6 29.Nxc6 Bh5 30.Rc1 White will win either the a7 or b4 pawn.

28…Qxb7 29.Nxb7 Bf8 30.Bc6

Ding misses his chance to activate his pieces with 30.Nd8! Rxd8 (30…Bh5 31.Ne6+ Kg8 32.Bc6 Re7 33.Bd5 Bf7 34.Bc4 white is at least equal) 31.Rxe2 Rd1+ 32.Bf1 Bc5 Black still has a slight edge, but nothing serious anymore.

30…Re7 31.f3 Bc4 32.Rxe7+ Bxe7

It is Carlsen’s two bishops vs Ding’s bishop+knight with both sides having three pawns on the kingside and two on the queenside. A draw, right? Carlsen gives a display of how powerful the two bishops working together can be and just overpowers Ding.

33.Kf2 f5 34.Ke3 Bg8 35.Kd3 g4!

Fixing the h2 pawn as a target.

36.Na5 Bc5! 37.Nc4

Ding is going after Black’s f5 pawn.

37…Bg1 38.Ne3 Be6 39.fxg4 fxg4 40.Ke2 h5

[40…Bxh2? 41.Kf2 Black is going to lose his bishop]

41.Bd5 Bd7 42.Bb3 Bxh2 43.Kf2 h4 44.gxh4

[44.Nf1 hxg3+]

44…Be5! 45.Nc4 g3+ 46.Kg1 Bf4 47.Bd1 Bc6 48.b3 Kh6 49.a5 Be4 50.Kf1 Kg7 51.Kg1 Kf6 52.Kf1 Ke6 53.h5 Kd5 54.a6 Kd4 55.Bg4 Kc3 56.Be6 Bc2 57.Na5 Bc7 58.Nb7 Bd3+ 59.Kg1 Bxa6 0–1

Magnus: “A win is a win, but this one obviously is special.” Indeed it is, both in terms of importance in the standings and in chess content.

 

Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant, he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.

bobby@cpamd.net

Shell-shock yet fortunate

The Thunder were not pleased. They had greeted free agency with guarded optimism, strapped as they were by the repeater tax and yet bent on coming up with solid deals to enhance their competitiveness moving forward. Despite already having the most expensive payroll in the National Basketball Association, they remained committed to investing in talent. And they did, entering into handshake deals with Alex Burks and Mike Muscala. Unfortunately, their plans were overtaken by the prospect of top scorer and erstwhile Most Valuable Player candidate Paul George leaving them. For some reason, he asked to be traded, and specifically to the Clippers.

The Thunder would know why soon enough. Apparently, George was convinced by free agent Kawhi Leonard to pressure them into coming to terms with the Clippers so the two could play together in native California. That he did so shocked them. First, he remained under contract, the terms of which he only too happily agreed to last year. In affixing his Hancock on a three-plus-one deal, he proudly pronounced that he had “unfinished business.” He could have gone for one with a shorter length, or taken meetings with other suitors as a free agent. Instead, he shunned any and all alternatives, proclaiming that “I’m here to stay.”

How George changed his mind was clear; he met with Leonard in secret and hatched the plan to force the Thunder’s hand. Why he change his mind wasn’t. Perhaps he had buyer’s remorse fresh off a second straight one-and-done stint in the playoffs, not to mention in the face of an obvious decline in the performance of fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook. All the same, his desire to leave them forced their hand. Even as they didn’t want to part ways with him, they knew they had no choice. They saw in the immediate past experience of the Pelicans with Anthony Davis just how a marquee name bent on changing addresses could disrupt chemistry. And so they engaged in negotiations with the Clippers.

Fortunately for the Thunder, general manager Sam Presti is as good as they come. He sized up the three finalists for Leonard’s services and promptly played off two against each other. The Lakers were the third and, having already broken the bank for Davis, did not have the assets to welcome George into the fold. After dangling the threat of the Raptors swooping in, they came to an agreement with the Clippers for the most sizable haul in pro hoops annals; former Italian League MVP Danilo Gallinari, future All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, four unprotected first-round picks, one protected first-round pick, and two first-round pick swaps.

In other words, the Thunder managed to move from potentially improving their position and yet remaining hard-pressed to keep pace in the ultra-crowded West to rebuilding with prime pieces already in place. In the process, they were also able to prune down their humongous tax bill. In line with their new mandate, they afforded Muscala and Burks the luxury of backing out of verbal agreements. And after the latter did so, they dealt vital cog Jerami Grant to the Nuggets for yet another first-round pick. Moving forward, the departure of Westbrook is all that‘s left for them to complete their pivot.

Outwardly, the Thunder will insist that they’re no fans of how things played out. Among themselves, though, they can’t but be pleased that the turn of events, however shocking, has allowed them to jump-start a much-needed reboot. The treasure trove of assets they received for George, who has had surgeries on both shoulders and right leg and who figures to miss the start of the 2019-20 season while in recovery, is unprecedented and should quicken the pace of their progress. Meanwhile, they’re working with Westbrook to find him a desirable landing spot; in line is yet another windfall of draft picks.

For a glimpse of the Thunder’s real sentiments on the matter, pundits need only note that they, too, kept negotiations out of the limelight. Were they truly bent on keeping the status quo, all they had to do was authorize or cause a well-placed leak and then use the ensuing ruckus as reason to keep George. Instead, they worked within Leonard’s timetable, knowing full well that the Clippers would just about hand everything over, the kitchen sink included. And, in the end, they got what they wanted — with public sympathy as a decided bonus.

If developments triggered by Leonard’s grand design wounded any quarter, it’s Westbrook. After news of the Clippers’ coup sent the NBA in a frenzy early Saturday morning, George was caught on video sporting a wide grin and declaring “We comin’ home!” In separate postings on social media, he would thank the Thunder and their fans as well as vow to oppose any position casting aspersions on the character of his former teammate. Nonetheless, there can be no discounting the fact that he made a choice, and the choice involved partnering with another All-Star.

Whether the contention that no transcendent talent wants to play alongside Westbrook is true or not depends on perspective. In any case, the answer has become irrelevant for the Thunder. They, too, are angling to part ways with him, and he with them. And if there’s anything their inevitable split will prove, it’s that loyalty has value only if assessed in support of the bottom line. He may know the business of basketball, but they’re compelled to view basketball as a business. Leonard did. George did. And they’re doing so — with no small measure of relief.

(Tomorrow: The NBA, finally boasting of parity, but for how long?)

 

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.

PHL shares end higher on Federal Reserve watch

By Denise A. Valdez, Reporter

LOCAL SHARES ended higher on Wednesday as investors remained on the lookout for hints on the next policy move of the US Federal Reserve.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) gained 0.45% or 36.17 points to close at 8,078.21 yesterday, ending the two-day losing streak it saw from the start of the week.

The broader all-shares index also rose 0.43% or 21.43 points to end at 4,922.17 — a reversal of its performance in the past two days.

“The PSEi continues to trade sideways ahead of Fed chief Powell’s testimony to Congress which will likely provide additional details to their decision by the end of this month,” Papa Securities Corp. Sales Associate Gabriel Jose F. Perez said in an e-mail Wednesday.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is scheduled to deliver his semiannual monetary policy report at the US House and Senate panel on July 10-11, leaving investors on the edge as they await the central bank’s near-term monetary policy direction.

While value turnover yesterday was low, Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan noted the buy-up at the market’s closing was driven by investors’ anticipation of a rate cut in the United States.

“Investors bought towards closing as investors speculate on the Federal Reserve’s next moves and wait for more clues on the timing of a possible rate cut,” he said in a mobile message.

Value turnover dropped to P5.36 billion yesterday from Tuesday’s P5.89 billion, with 2.38 billion shares changing hands.

The rate cut expectation, initially poised at “at least a 25 basis points cut,” is seen as a counter measure to the supposed economic slowdown from the US’ trade war with China.

Sectoral indices were divided equally between losers and gainers.

Leading those that ended in the green was the services counter, which climbed 1.58% or 26.14 points to 1,673.97. Holding firms increased 1.25% or 96.46 points to 7,795.68; and financials rose 0.12% or 2.23 points to 1,735.65.

Meanwhile, mining and oil shares lost 1.15% or 86.26 points to 7,416.84; industrials fell 0.59% or 71.72 points to 11,894.71; and property declined 0.05% or 2.5 points to 4,343.18.

Decliners outnumbered advancers, 109 to 93, while 39 names closed unchanged.

Foreign investors were buyers yesterday as net inflows were logged at P19.40 million, albeit smaller than the previous session’s net purchases worth P735.12 million.

Papa Securities’ Mr. Perez said the index “should continue to trade sideways” in the coming days due to the Fed watch.

Regina Capital’s Mr. Limlingan concurred, saying, “In the minutes, market will look for further discussion of the path of the policy rate and the growth and inflation.”

The Fed was also scheduled to release the minutes of its June 18-19 meeting yesterday.

Peso weakens vs dollar as eyes turn to Powell

THE PESO SLID against the dollar on Wednesday following dovish remarks from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno.

The local currency closed Wednesday’s session at P51.46 versus the greenback, down 15 centavos from its P51.31-per-dollar finish on Tuesday.

The peso opened the session weaker at P51.405 versus the greenback. It slipped to as low as P51.48 intraday, while its best showing stood at P51.36 against the US currency.

Dollars traded thinned to $729.69 million from the $761.92 million that switched hands the previous day.

A trader said yesterday that the peso depreciated against the dollar following Mr. Diokno’s comment of a possible cut in interest rates before any reduction to banks’ reserve requirement ratios (RRR).

“Palagay ko mauuna ‘yung interest rate cut bago mag-reserve requirement (I think an interest rate cut will precede a reserve requirement reduction),” Mr. Diokno told reporters on the sidelines of a BSP event yesterday.

The central bank reduced benchmark rates by 25 basis points (bp) on May 9 after tightening rates by 175 bps in 2018 to quell inflation. However, the BSP took a “prudent pause” at its June 20 meeting, keeping policy rates steady to observe the effects of previous adjustments, including its phased RRR cuts.

The BSP is set to end its phased reduction to banks’ reserves on July 26 to finally bring them to 16% for universal and commercial banks and 6% for thrift lenders.

“I think the market is just positioning for an event wherein a rate cut will come in the next Monetary Board meeting which is around early August,” the trader said in a phone interview.

The trader added that the decline of the local unit was capped as market participants awaited the testimony of Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell before the US Congress for clues on monetary policy in the world’s largest economy.

“The peso weakened on sustained positioning ahead of US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s congressional testimony on monetary policy,” another trader said, adding that investors also positioned ahead of the release of minutes of the June 18-19 policy meeting of the Fed.

For today, the first trader expects the peso to trade between P51.40 and P51.60 versus the dollar, while the other gave a P51.35-P51.55 range.

Emerging Asian currencies made only small moves on Wednesday, as investors waited for the congressional testimony of Mr. Powell.

There was no common trend in Asian units, with both marginal losses and gains against the dollar which firmed on higher Treasury yields before Mr. Powell’s remarks later on Wednesday.

Strong US jobs data last week doused market hopes for a large rate cut at the July 30-31 Fed meeting, but a small cut is still widely expected. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal with Reuters

Duterte sees ‘very dangerous times’ ahead

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday cited the need to boost police and military capabilities against terrorism, saying he senses “very dangerous times ahead.”

“I’d rather leave with a strong military and police equipped to challenge the enemies of the state, especially terrorism,” the president said in a speech during a farewell dinner for outgoing Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Manila.

Mr. Duterte issued the warning a week after twin bomb explosions in Sulu province in southern Philippines, where 8 people died and 12 more were injured.

“I hope that by the time I make my exit all would be in place,” said Mr. Duterte, whose six-year term ends in 2022. He added that his hands sweat just thinking of the potential for violence to spill out of Sulu and the Basilan islands in the Mindanao region.

The president noted that while he has bought valuable assets for the Armed Forces and police, much is needed to combat terrorism in the south.

The military has said the Abu Sayyaf group, an Islamic State-linked terrorist organization, could be behind the recent blasts.

The Abu Sayyaf is the most violent of the Islamic separatist groups operating in the Mindanao region and has used terror both for profit and to promote its jihadist agenda, according to the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center.

The group engages in kidnappings for ransom, bombings, assassinations and extortion.

Sought for comment, University of Santo Tomas Political Science Professor Marlon M. Villarin said it is possible that terrorist attacks may spill out of Mindanao.

“The president has made it clear that the Armed Forces is closely monitoring extremist movements,” University of Santo Tomas Political Science Professor Marlon M. Villarin said by telephone.

“If in the past their movements had been confined to Mindanao, now they are beginning to go up to the Visayas and southern part of the Tagalog region,” he added. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Dengue cases rise amid persistent rains

DENGUE cases rose 8 percent in the week ending June 22 from a year earlier amid continued rains, the Department of Health said in a statement yesterday.

Cases of the debilitating viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes rose to 3,610 during that week bringing the total this year to 98,179, according to the agency.

The Health department said 428 people have died this year, with Western Visayas reporting the highest number of cases at 11,285. Dengue causes fever and acute pains in the joints.

Other regions with the highest reported dengue cases are Calabarzon with 10,313; Central Visayas with 8,773; Soccsksargen with 8,297; Southern Mindanao with 8,289 cases.

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III asked the public to practice preventive strategies to prevent dengue. These include destroying mosquito breeding sites, wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts and using a mosquito repellent. — Gillian Cortez

Arroyo cites difficult ties with Duterte

FORMER President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday said she regretted her difficult relationship with President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

“My only regret with our relationship is that you have found me very difficult to deal with,” Ms. Arroyo, who is stepping out as House speaker on July 22, said in a speech during a farewell dinner in her honor.

“It was never my intention to be difficult with you,” she added.

Ms. Arroyo thanked the president for helping her get acquitted of plunder charges at the start of his term as president.

The outgoing House speaker said Mr. Duterte provided the atmosphere in which the Supreme court had the freedom to order her acquittal.

The president also recalled the days when Ms. Arroyo was the president he had to report to when he was still mayor of Davao City in the nation’s south.

Ms. Arroyo was acquitted in 2016 of charges that she misused P366 million of intelligence funds under the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

Legislator warns of compromised House

A SENATOR yesterday warned that the independence of the House of Representatives may have been compromised after some lawmakers asked President Rodrigo R. Duterte to endorse his bet for speaker.

The congressmen have effectively asked the president to intervene in the affairs of a co-equal branch, Senator Richard J. Gordon told reporters at a briefing.

Party members, he added, should have influenced their members to vote for someone instead of involving Mr. Duterte.

On Monday, the president endorsed Taguig City Rep. Alan Peter S. Cayetano as the next speaker under a term-sharing deal with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Q. Velasco. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

Nationwide round-up

Diokno asserts fisherfolk consented to West PHL Sea petition

FISHERFOLK FROM Palawan and Zambales consented to the petition for Writ of Kalikasan from the Supreme Court (SC) which sought the protection of the country’s territories in the West Philippine Sea, lawyer Jose Manuel I. Diokno assured. The statement came following the submission of the Office of the Solicitor General of affidavits by fishermen who withdrew from the petition. “Nagsampa ng petition for Writ of Kalikasan ang mga mangingisda ng Zambales at Palawan para protektahan sila ng gobyerno (Fisherfolk from Zambales and Palawan filed the petition for Writ of Kalikasan for them to be protected by the government). They did this with full knowledge and consent, dahil ang gusto lang naman nila eh makapangisda sa sarili nating dagat, at kumita ng sapat para mabuhay ang kanilang mga pamilya (because all they want is to fish in our own seas and earn sufficient money for their families),” he said in a statement. Mr. Diokno also claimed that the government could be behind the withdrawal of the petitioners as they have disowned it only after they talked with the legal counsel of the Philippine Navy, which he said was done covertly. “Labag din sa legal ethics ‘yan (That is against legal ethics),” he said, adding that it is similar to the case of the 22 fishermen in Recto Bank who recanted their original statement after government officials talked to them. Solicitor-General Jose C. Calida moved to submit 19 affidavits from the fisherfolk who are withdrawing their petition during the oral arguments last Tuesday, and told reporters after that both parties have agreed to dismiss the petition. SC Public Information Office Chief Brian Keith F. Hosaka, on the other hand, said the high court cannot confirm what was agreed upon by the parties. The SC suspended the oral arguments following the submission of the affidavits. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Hontiveros re-files divorce bill

SEN. RISA HONTIVEROS — SENATE PRIB/JOSEPH VIDAL

A BILL instituting absolute divorce in the Philippines, which was not tackled in the 17th Congress, has been filed anew in the Senate. Under the “Divorce Act,” Senator Risa N. Hontiveros proposes to allow the legal termination of a marriage by a court, provided there is domestic violence, psychological abuse among other grounds. Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said last week that the bill has higher chances of being tackled and passed in the 18th Congress, considering Senator Pia S. Cayetano, a member of the majority, will chair the committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality. “Wine-welcome ko nga ‘yung statement ni SP Sotto, ang sinasabi nila ‘yung fate daw ng divorce bill ay nasa kamay na nung magiging chair ng Senate committee (I welcome the comment of SP Sotto, they are saying that the fate of the divorce bill lies in the hands of the committee chair),” Ms. Hontiveros told reporters in a briefing, Wednesday. The House of Representatives in the 17th Congress was able to approve the proposed “Absolute Divorce Act” on third reading. Albay-1st District Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, who was among its authors, re-filed the same last week. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Duterte meets with Misuari after dropping federalism push

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte on Tuesday met with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Chairman Nur Misuari in Malacañang, which comes after his recent pronouncement that he will no longer push for federalism but at least an amendment in the Constitution. The meeting, their third this year, also took place after the President’s announcement that he wants Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, who was also present at the meeting, transferred to the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDa) to serve as his point person in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Other officials who joined the President were his former special assistant and now Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go, Executive Secretary Salvador S. Medialdea, and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. Messrs. Medialdea, Go, and Mr. Piñol did not immediately respond when asked to provide details regarding the meeting. Sought for comment, University of Santo Tomas Political Science Professor Marlon M. Villarin said the President’s meeting with Mr. Misuari could be his way of making the MNLF leader feel included in his plans for Mindanao. “He wants to make an idea of inclusivity… We know very well that Mr. Misuari, even before, manifested his desire to be recognized and to participate if he’s given the chance,” Mr. Villarin explained. The BARMM, created under the Bangsamoro Organic Law, is a fruit of the peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. “So I think it’s one way of pacifying the possibility of Mr. Misuari feeling bad about being excluded,” he added. — Arjay L. Balinbin

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