LONDON — It was the “super salty” blockbuster clash tennis fans around the world wanted to see and Nick Kyrgios and Rafael Nadal duly obliged on Tuesday by setting up a second round showdown at Wimbledon.
When last Friday’s men’s draw set the pair on a collision course, the only fear was that Yuichi Sugita and Jordan Thompson might gatecrash a reunion between the duo who are not exactly considered best buddies on the tour.
As it was, Nadal dispatched the Japanese 6-3 6-1 6-3, while Kyrgios, no stranger to hurling chairs across a court when things don’t go his way, was almost on his best behaviour as he secured a 7-6(4) 3-6 7-6(10) 0-6 6-1 win over his compatriot.
Considering Nadal accused Kyrgios of disrespect after losing to him in Acapulco earlier and the Australian hit back by describing the 18-time Grand Slam champion as being “super salty” in defeat, sparks could fly again when they face off for the seventh time, with their rivalry deadlocked at 3-3.
However, on Tuesday both players refused to get dragged into a war of words.
“Not sure that me and Rafa could go down to the Dog & Fox (pub) and have a beer together… we have a mutual respect but that’s about it,” said Kyrgios, who beat the Spaniard in their only previous meeting at Wimbledon.
“He’s one of the greatest tennis players of all time. I go into that match as an unbelievable underdog.”
As for Nadal, his only words on the subject were: “I’m too old for all that stuff.”
That might be the case but Nadal and his long-time ‘frenemy’ Roger Federer showed that age was no barrier when it came to winning matches.
The Swiss, chasing a record ninth Wimbledon title, was not exactly at his regal best on a day the Duchess of Cambridge had dropped in to cheer him on but that did not stop Federer handing Wimbledon debutant Lloyd Harris a 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 defeat.
BRITISH SUCCESS
The Duchess also surprised punters on the Court 14 when she turned up to watch British wildcard Harriet Dart play American Christina McHale.
Dart ended up being one of five Britons — along with Johanna Konta, Dan Evans, Cameron Norrie and Jay Clarke — to reach the second round on day two of the championships.
Victories for Kyle Edmund and Heather Watson on Monday meant seven home players advanced to the second round for the first time since 2006.
Reaching the last 64 is unlikely to be much cause for celebration for Serena Williams, though, as the American desperately wants to hoist the Venus Rosewater Dish for an eighth time to finally win a record-equalling 24th major.
But her 6-2 7-5 win over Italian qualifier Giulia Gatto-Monticone certainly put her in a good mood.
It was later confirmed that Williams will increase her workload after hooking up with Briton’s Andy Murray in the mixed doubles to form the ultimate Wimbledon super-couple — with the pair jointly owning 26 singles Grand Slam titles.
“If you guys really want it… all right, done,” Williams had teased reporters.
Murray has limited his participation at Wimbledon to the doubles competitions as he attempts to test his fitness levels after undergoing hip surgery in January.
Maria Sharapova’s Wimbledon ended in the first round for the second straight year as the 2004 champion retired with an arm injury while trailing France’s Pauline Parmentier 4-6 7-6(4) 5-0.
Another former champion, Spaniard Garbine Muguruza, was beaten 6-4 6-4 by Brazilian qualifier Beatriz Haddad Maia.
A day after Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev lost their chance to end the Nadal-Federer-Novak Djokovic stranglehold on men’s tennis, Austria’s French Open runner-up Dominic Thiem continued the Next-Gen exodus as he was humbled 6-7(4) 7-6(1) 6-3 6-0 by American Sam Querrey. — Reuters
THE rough campaign of Gilas Pilipinas Youth at the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup continued on Wednesday morning (Manila time) after it absorbed a 92-64 shellacking from Russia to finish the classification phase winless.
Struggled all game long to get it going, the Philippine national youth team bowed to the Russians to leave it sans a win and as the lowest seed heading into the Round of 16.
Gilas Youth faces Group D top seed and world number 4 Serbia in the knockout phase set for today in Heraklion, Greece.
Against Russia, the Philippines trailed 28-15 by the end of the opening quarter and saw the game slip away from its hands the rest of the way.
Aleksandr Ershov led Russia in the win, finishing with 21 points and Nikita Mikhailovski with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Anton Kvitkovskikh and Sergey Dolinin were the other players in double digits for Russia, winding up with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
For the Philippines it was Kai Sotto who led with 14 points, seven rebounds and six blocks.
Dave Ildefonso had 14 points, six rebounds and six assists. Carl Tamayo added 12 points of his own.
The loss meant the Philippines finish fourth in Group C, behind Argentina (3-0), Russia (2-1) and host Greece (1-2).
The nationals earned a date with Group D top seed Serbia (3-0), which breezed past the competition in its own grouping.
In three games to date, Ildefonso is leading Gilas Youth in its campaign with an average of 16 points to go along with 6.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Seven-footer Sotto, meanwhile, has been good for 14.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and a tournament-best five blocks per game.
The Sandy Arespacochaga-coached team has been playing undermanned since its debut in this year’s edition of the tournament after big man AJ Edu went down with a campaign-ending knee injury in their first game against Greece.
Edu, who plays for the University Toledo in the United States, injured his right knee just two minutes into their opener against the host on Sunday.
He is now on his way to the US to undergo surgery, reports said.
The winners of the Round of 16 games advance to the quarterfinals, while the losers move on to the Classification Games for Places 9-16. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
LONDON — Andy Murray wanted it, the British fans were desperate for it and the media were working themselves into a frenzy about it and on Tuesday it was confirmed that Serena Williams had said yes.
Speculation has bubbled about a Murray/Williams dream team for the Wimbledon mixed doubles since 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Williams hinted at the weekend about her availability.
After the American struggled past Italian Giulia Gatto-Monticone in the first round of the singles on Tuesday she left the British media in suspense.
“If you guys really want it… all right, done,” she teased after initially saying she was still trying to figure out the “singles part” and would “have to see.”
But shortly afterwards, Murray’s management team confirmed that they would be playing together.
It is a coup for Murray, and the tournament, with crowds set to flock to the All England Club in even greater numbers to try and catch a glimpse of the scratch pairing in action.
Twice men’s singles champion Murray, back playing doubles as he continues his recovery from career-saving hip surgery in February, had already been turned down for the mixed doubles by new world number one Ash Barty.
But Williams is not a bad consolation.
Asked at the weekend whether he wanted to play with the American great, the Scot said, with a trademark sense of understatement, the 37-year-old mum would be a “solid” partner.
TEMPTING CHALLENGE
Williams has won 16 Grand Slam doubles titles but has not played mixed doubles at a major since partnering fellow American Bob Bryan at the 2012 French Open.
She did win the 1998 mixed title at Wimbledon with Max Mirnyi, however, and the prospect of repeating that feat with a player she says she admires greatly proved too tempting.
“His work ethic is just honestly off the charts. That’s something I’ve always respected about him,” Serena told reporters when asked about the player who in 2013 became the first British man for 77 years to win Wimbledon. — Reuters
KIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato bet Ronald Nonles, a former Colegio de San Juan de Letran standout, ruled the just-concluded Big Rook Chess Festival 2019 Under 2200 section, Standard competition held at the Assumption Association, Rama IV in Phra Khanong, Bangkok, Thailand last Sunday.
Nonles collected 5.5 points on four wins and three draws in seven outings, the same output of compatriot Fide Master (FM) Jony Habla of Novaliches, Quezon City, Nonles took first place by virtue of superior tiebreak points.
Nonles brought home an elegant trophy and the 7,000 baht (about P4,000) cash prize in the seven-round Under 2200 section, Standard competition tournament which attracted 38 players. Habla, on the other hand who also scored 5.5 points took home 6,000 baht (about P3,600) cash prize and an elegant runner-up trophy.
“Again I would like to dedicate my victory to my countrymen. It’s an honor to represent our country,” said Nonles who also won the Eastern Rapid Chess Championship Tournament (Blitz competition) last June 2 in Pattaya, Thailand.
With the victory, Nonles performance boosted the nation’s morale, said National Master (NM) and Fide Instructor (FI) Winston Joseph Silva, a close confidante of Nonles, who is also Operations and Marketing Coordinator at Jirapak Chess Academy in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Once again our flag has been raised in this foreign land after knowing that our Kababayan… Ronald Nonles got another chess title again in Thailand,” he said.
Nonles scored victories over Michael Culasing of the Philippines in the first round, Nathaniel Loyaga of the Philippines in the second round, Kankawee Maneesorn of Thailand in the third round and Prin Laohawirapap of Thaiand in the seventh and final round.
He split the point with Mohamad Sacar of the Philippines in the fourth round, Woman National Master (WNM) Arvie Lozano of the Philippines in the fifth round and Pasawon Wattanarat of Thailand in the sixth round.
Mohamad Sacar of Cotabato City placed third overall with 5.0 points on three wins and four draws to receive 5,000 baht.
Also with 5.0 points are 4th placer Woman National Master (WNM) Arvie Lozano of Dasmariñas City, Cavite and 5th placer National Master (NM) Ric Portugalera of General Santos City. Lozano got 4,000 baht while Portugalera went home 3,000 baht for his effort. — Marlon Bernardino
10-18. WNM Francois Marie Magpily 1722, Rheam Arah de Guzman 1950, Jarel Renz Lacambra 1841, Queenie Mae Samarita 1709, Franchell Eds Javier 1877, Laila Camel Nadera 1661, Naton Bazza Diaz 1708, Kristine Mae Flores 1541, Alexis Anne Osena 1720, 5.5/9
No. of Participants: 66
Time Control: 90 minutes play-to-finish with 30 seconds added to your clock after every move from move 1
WIM Vic Glysen Derotas
Vic Glysen Derotas, who plays for Nazareth School of National University, is the new Philippine Junior Champion, Girls Division. Unlike the competition in the Boys Division where there was a stern battle for the gold medal which lasted till the last day and hour of the competition, here in the Girls Division Derotas scored seven wins and gave up just one draw to clinch the title one round before the end. She was awarded the title of Woman National Master by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (FIDE).
As a “subsequent event disclosure,” after a little more than a week Ms. Derotas, as our Junior Champion, represented the Philippines in the 20th ASEAN Age Group Chess Championships at the Golden Mandalay Hotel in Mandalay City, Myanmar where she won the Under-18 Girls Division and earned the outright Woman International Master title.
She is really a find. Vic Glysen, who is one of the brightest players from Cebu (Barangay Apas), is a former chess standout of the University of San Carlos-Basic Education Department. She won the Girls Kiddies title of the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship in 2012 but jumped ship to NU after she lost her scholarship in 2016.
WNM Francois Magpily plays for UST in the UAAP. She won the 2018 Secondary Girls Division of the National Capital Region (NCR) Athletic Meet. Not a pushover at all!
1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3
With White Derotas plays almost exclusively 1.c4 followed by a kingside fianchetto.
There is no saving Black. After 45.Rc8+ Kb4 (45…Kd4 46.Qd6+ followed by mate) 46.Qd6+ wins the rook and the black king cannot escape the mating net.
With Black Derotas plays 1…e6. If White starts with 1.e4 then we have a French Defense. If 1.d4 then we transpose to the Queen’s Gambit Declined. I have written extensively on crushing the French, but she handles it pretty well. Witness …
Vinuya, Ruth Joy — Derotas, Vic [C10]
2019 National Junior Chess Championship (5.7)
Ruth Vinuya is a child prodigy from Ilagan, Isabela. The daughter of a chess-playing tricycle driver, she was only 8 years old when she first represented her region (I think this is Region 2) in the 2013 Palarong Pambansa. She currently plays top board for the FEU High School girls’ squad.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4
Derotas is a stern devotee of the Rubinstein Variation.
This is not a good square for the bishop. You will see why later.
11…Rc8 12.Ne5 Qc7
This is trickier than you may realize. Black is threatening 13…cxd4 14.Qxd4 (now you see why his bishop shouldn’t be on c2) Bc5 15.Qf4 Nxe5 winning a piece, since 16.Qxe5 runs into 16…Bxf2+ 17.Kxf2 Ng4+.
White was given no chance after her opening inaccuracy.
Here in the Girls’ Division of the National Juniors we saw the strength of the National University Lady Bullpups. Last October they completely dominated the UAAP by winning all of their matches, in the majority of which via a 4-0 whitewash. Derotas, Allaney Jia Doroy, Jesca Docena and Natasja Jasmine Balabbo are all members of that team.
In fact, Allaney Jia Doroy was the prohibitive favorite to win the title. You will recall that in the 13th Asian Schools Age Group Championship 2017 held in Panjin City, China she was the most bemedaled Filipino player. Allaney Jia took part in the Under-17 competition and got gold in the standard and rapid tournaments and silver in the blitz. That’s 2 gold and 1 silver out of 3 tournaments.
She was definitely going for the gold in this tournament as well. She fought hard in every game and did not agree to any draws, winning 6 and losing 3 games. If you go over the games you will see that the losses were caused by over-reaching in the pursuit of the full point. I am sure that one day, to paraphrase one of our saints, she will still have the courage to pursue the win in every game, will acquire the serenity to accept the draw if the win is no longer there, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Black has to be prepared to give up the exchange before she decided on this.
10.Bb5
[10.exf6 Rxf6 11.Be5 (otherwise why did the bishop go to f4?) 11…Re6 12.Ng5 Rxe5+ 13.dxe5 e6 14.Qd2 (14.f4? Bxe5) 14…Nxe5 15.Be2 Nf5 Black’s pieces are very active and he has full compensation for the exchange]
Jesca did not like 16.fxe3 Qh4+ 17.g3 (17.Kd2? Bxe5 18.dxe5 Rd8+ 19.Nd4 Qg5 striking at e5, g2 and d4) 17…Qe4 18.Rh2 Bxe5 19.dxe5 Nf5 it is hard to believe that White can hold this position.
16…exf2+ 17.Rxf2 Rxf2 18.Kxf2 Nf5
Black has a nice attack with no material investment.
Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines 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.
Of all the handshake accords that went through within the first six hours of free agency in the National Basketball Association, the Warriors’ deal with the Nets (later expanded to include the Timberwolves) was, perhaps, the most mind-boggling. To be sure, they scrambled to create value out of Kevin Durant’s departure; they didn’t want their erstwhile top dog to leave without any compensation in return. Even as the decision made sense on paper, however, it came at a cost, and a not inconsiderable one that, if nothing else, formally marked the end of its dynasty.
Granted, the acquisition of D’Angelo Russell makes sense going by the numbers. He just came off a productive season that saw him nab an All-Star berth while leading the Nets to the playoffs for the first time in four years. And with returning cornerstone Klay Thompson out for the foreseeable future convalescing from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, his heady stat line of 21, four, and seven figures to serve them well. From the vantage point of the Warriors, his maturation into a positive locker room influence was likewise a factor; they appreciated his work ethic and desire to learn from missteps that compelled the Lakers to cut their ties with him just two years after choosing him with the second overall pick in 2015.
Unfortunately, Russell’s strengths on the court do not jibe with the Warriors’ pace-and-space predilections. As the Nets’ engine, he oversaw an elephant-walk offense that had him running screen-and-roll play after screen-and-roll play. Under head coach Steve Kerr, however, he will be forced to give the ball up as fast as he can, and keep reacting to the movement, alongside playmakers Steph Curry and Draymond Green. And, not coincidentally, he just so happens to have a better percentage from deep off the dribble than catching and shooting.
There is cause to argue that Russell will adapt in time. Talented players only too willing to learn tend to thrive alongside even more talented players only too willing to teach. And in Curry, Green, and Thompson, he has three of the most generous teammates in the league. That said, the counter-argument is likewise strong. In order to open up the cap space needed to welcome him to the fold, the Warriors had to trade vital cog Andre Iguodala. And in bidding farewell to 2015 Finals Most Valuable Player, they effectively closed the chapter on half a decade of dominance that earned them a place alongside the best of the best in pro hoops annals.
Was getting Russell worth the aggregate cost, a first-round pick included? Only time knows, and fans may not have to wait long for the answer to manifest itself. Depending on the timetable for Thompson’s return, not to mention on how well the Warriors do with him logging heavy minutes, he may be on the move anew. Indeed, part of his appeal as a consolation prize for Durant’s exit lies in his worth as trade bait. When he becomes eligible for transfer in December, the front office and coaching staff will, no doubt, be holding meetings to assess how he best gets them to meet set objectives.
Russell’s no fool, so he knows he’s on the clock. It’s likely why he continues to have no public reaction to his trade to the Warriors. He’s said to have been far more enamored with joining the Timberwolves, who were actively wooing him when the trade went down. Make no mistake, though; he’ll try. He understands his plight, and if he earns the right to stay, then well and good; there are far worse ways to burn rubber than for a first-class organization with three championships off a five-year streak of Finals appearances. If not, then so be it; his work is his audition, and there will be no shortage of suitors.
The final grade for the Warriors, then, has yet to be determined. What isn’t: They’re keen on rebooting without bottoming out, and the additional revenues they’ll be generating from their change of address will ease the burden of their proximity to the hard cap. They’re resolved to have their first season in the brand-spanking-new Chase Center be a winning one, and they will thus be keeping a close watch on the extent of Russell’s help in this regard.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing the 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.
THE MAIN INDEX ended mostly unchanged on Wednesday as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of the inflation report at the end of the week.
The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) slipped 0.01% or 0.92 point to close at 8,092.68, suffering losses despite strong gains in the morning session. The broader all-shares index likewise went down 0.04% or 2.08 points to 4,939.63.
“Our index ended flat today after the trade truce between US and China bolstered market sentiments for two days. Investors are probably anticipating the inflation data that is due on July 5,” Timson Securities, Inc. Equity Trader Jervin S. de Celis said in a text message on Wednesday.
The Philippine Statistics Authority will release official June inflation data this Friday.
“Market could continue in this sideways movement as the index waits on June’s inflation figure to be released on Friday,” Papa Securities Corp. Sales Associate Gabriel Jose F. Perez said in an e-mail.
A BusinessWorld poll of 12 economists yielded a 2.9% median estimate for June inflation. This is toward the higher end of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) own estimate range of 2.2-3%. If realized, this would be slower than May’s actual inflation of 3.2% and June 2018’s 5.2%.
“The inflation report might determine whether the BSP will opt to be more lenient in their policy in the next meeting,” Mr. De Celis added.
Four sectoral indices ended in negative territory, led by mining and oil which plunged 1.6% or 123.54 points to 7,566.59. Services fell 0.92% or 15.86 points to 1,698.67; financials dropped 0.38% or 6.7 points to 1,721.11; while holding firms declined 0.04% or 3.3 points to 7,814.47.
In contrast, industrials climbed 0.66% or 79.09 points to 11,921.16, while property firmed up 0.21% or 9.53 points to 4,352.
Turnover climbed to P7.62 billion after some 1.31 billion issues switched hands, versus the previous session’s P5.93 billion.
Decliners trumped advancers, 98 to 90, while 63 names were unchanged. Foreign investors turned net buyers at P273.71 million, snapping a six-day net selling streak that ended with Tuesday’s P145.25 million.
Overseas, markets had different sentiments about the truce between the United States and China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.26% or 69.25 points to 26,786.68. The S&P 500 index edged higher by 0.29% or 8.68 points to 2,973.01, while the Nasdaq Composite index was up 0.22% or 17.93 points to 8,019.09.
It was a different story for Asian indices, where investors worried about the lack of details on the supposed truce between the two nations. Japan’s Nikkei 225 slumped 0.53% or 116.11 points to 21,638.16. The Hang Seng index went down 0.25% or 71.99 points to 28,803.57, while the Shanghai Composite lost 0.94% or 28.68 points to 3,015.26.
THE PESO weakened further against the dollar on Wednesday as market participants await economic data to be released later this week.
The local currency closed Wednesday’s session at P51.16 versus the greenback, five centavos weaker than its P51.11-per-dollar finish on Tuesday.
The peso opened the session at P51.20 per dollar. It dropped to as low as P51.25, while its best showing stood at P51.12 against the greenback.
Trading volume declined slightly to $924.2 million from the $931.4 million that changed hands the previous day.
“We closed slightly weaker, but for the dollar-peso, it’s still choppy since the market is still awaiting key data later in the week,” a trader said in a phone interview.
US non-farm payrolls data, which will be released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday, is expected to have climbed to 160,000 in June, coming from a meager 75,000 jobs in May.
On the local front, inflation data for the month of June will be reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority on Friday. A BusinessWorld poll of 12 economists yielded a 2.9% estimate median, which if realized would be slower than May’s 3.2% print.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Department of Economic Research said June headline inflation likely landed within 2.2-3%.
“On some currencies, we saw a weaker dollar, but against Asian currencies, the dollar was stronger mainly on risk-off move. However, the low dollar bond yield capped any gains for the dollar-peso,” the trader said.
Meanwhile, another trader said the peso depreciated on “wavering trade optimism” following news of the US planning to impose tariffs on European goods.
The US proposed to slap on the European Union levies worth $4 billion covering 89 products such as cheese, meat, coffee, pasta and whiskey.
For today, the first trader expects the peso to trade between P51 and P51.30, while the other gave a P51.10-P51.40 range.
Most emerging Asian currencies on Wednesday were also shackled by underlying doubts about whether the United States and China could iron out their differences and strike a lasting deal to end their year-long trade war. — K.A.N. VidalwithReuters
HUGPONG NG Pagbabago (HNP), a regional party led by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, endorsed another Davao City congressman, 3rd District Rep. Isidro T. Ungab, for the House speaker race.
The party made the announcement after Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte, brother of Ms. Carpio, announced that he is considering making a bid for the top post in the House.
“We understand if President Duterte, because of delicadeza, will not accept the intent of our brother from Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (the President’s local party), Congressman Paolo Duterte, to resolve the conflict among candidates,” the group said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Therefore, we are endorsing the bid of Congressman Isidro Ungab for Speaker.”
HNP cited that Mr. Ungab, who was a banker before joining politics, is an experienced lawmaker and the only one to hold the chairmanships of the ways and means, and appropriations committees.
Mr. Ungab, in a separate statement, said he is “honored” by the endorsement and that he is “a good soldier under the command of every Filipino.”
He also committed “to support the Legislative Agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte, ensure further economic growth, lower poverty incidence and to help create more opportunities for all Filipinos.”
HNP further suggested that the other candidates for speakership can take other crucial House positions.
“We suggest that Cong. Alan Peter Cayetano take the Majority Leader position, Cong. Lord Alan Velasco to take the Appropriations Committee, and Cong. Martin Romualdez to head the Accounts Committee,” said the party.
“We earnestly hope that everyone can see the light in this option and move forward with urgency in serving our country,” it added.
Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco, a member of and has been endorsed by the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party, was previously the apparent HNP bet for speakership given his presence during the regional group’s nationwide campaign.
In at least one HNP campaign sortie, Ms. Carpio raised the hand of Mr. Velasco and introduced him as the next House speaker.
Ms. Carpio was tagged as an influential hand in the leadership shake-up in the House during her father’s third State of the Nation Address last year.
Meanwhile, another speakership hopeful, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos T. Zarate, said the endorsement of Mr. Ungab will not solve the conflict among the other aspirants who are also allied with the administration.
“Proposing Congressman Ungab as a common candidate will not solve anything. Because how will the big parties take it now, that they are being dictated by a regional party like Hugpong ng Pagbabago?” Mr. Zarate told reporters on Wednesday.
‘SERIOUS’
Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles on Wednesday said President Rodrigo R. Duterte is “serious” with his statement that he will resign once his son, Rep. Duterte, joins the speakership race.
In a media interview at the Palace, Mr. Nograles said Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go, the President’s former special assistant who now serves as his “consultant,” has already spoken on the matter.
“I think Senator Bong Go spoke about it already. If you go by the words of Senator Bong Go, him knowing the President the most, siguro (maybe), we could see that the statement of Senator Bong Go is that the President is serious,” said Mr. Nograles, who served as Davao City 1st District congressman from 2010 to 2018 before he joined the President’s Cabinet.
Mr. Nograles further said that while the President already declared that he is leaving the matter to the members of the House of Representatives as he does not want to “hurt” his friends, he might still make a choice.
“Until the President gives his final decision on the matter, everything is still up in the air, which is what is happening,” Mr. Nograles said.
“PDP-Laban is the ruling party, because it has the most number…of representatives. Because it’s a ruling party, people tend to ask, ano ba ang desisyon ng (what is the decision of the) ruling party? I think that’s where the question is really. That’s why everybody is asking the President to say what his preference is,” he explained. — withArjay L. Balinbin
A SENATE investigation on the “ghost dialysis” claims involving the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), among other concerns, has been formally sought in a resolution filed by Senator Juan Edgardo M. Angara.
Mr. Angara, who co-authored the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act contained in Republic Act No. 11223, made the proposal to ensure funding for the new law will be used for its intended purpose.
“We want to get to the bottom of all these reported scams, identify the personalities behind them, and come up with policies to prevent similar cases from taking place in the future,” Mr. Angara said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Managot ang dapat managot. Hindi natin hahayaan ang patuloy na pagwawaldas ng pera habang ang dami natin mga kababayan na namamatay dahil sa walang pera para magpagamot (Those responsible should be made liable. We will not allow the continued squandering of money while so many of our countrymen are dying due to lack of money for medical services),” he added.
Mr. Angara sponsored the passage of the tobacco excise tax increase before the 17th Congress adjourned, to ensure that the funding gap for the implementation of the UHC Law is plugged.
Senator Richard J. Gordon, who is expected to remain the blue ribbon committee chair, last week said he is already conducting a preliminary investigation on PhilHealth, including an alleged “mafia” within the agency.
The issue stemmed from private service provider WellMed Dialysis & Laboratory Center Corp.’s alleged fraudulent medical claims from PhilHealth for deceased patients as well as patients who did not receive their full weekly treatments.
This surfaced after former WellMed employee Edwin Roberto revealed that the company was able to exploit the claims because PhilHealth is simply reliant on the service provider’s reports.
The Department of Justice already indicted Mr. Roberto, fellow whistle-blower Liezel Aileen Santos-De Leon as well as WellMed owner and Vice-President Bryan Christopher W. Sy. — Charmaine A. Tadalan
THE SUPREME Court (SC) has dismissed the petition of a foundation that donated to the controversial Kapa-Community Ministry International, Inc., which is currently under probe for allegedly running an investment scam.
SC Public Information Chief Brian Keith F. Hosaka on Tuesday confirmed in a text message that the court, in its en banc session, junked the June 21 petition of Rhema Int’l Livelihood Foundation, Inc., which also goes by the name of its project Cirfund.
Rhema was asking to be removed from the list of unregistered investment entities as issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and P3 billion in compensatory damages.
The petitioner also asked the SC to allow Kapa to resume its operations and for President Rodrigo R. Duterte and SEC Chariman Emilio B. Aquino to pay the compensatory damages.
It also asked that the President be subjected to impeachment proceedings for violation of Article II Section 6 (separation of church and state) and Article III (Bill of Rights) of the Constitution.
Cirfund, described as a project of Rhema, said that “it is in fear of being treated like the KAPA Ministry.” The petitioner also claimed that the President committed grave abuse of discretion by circumventing the judiciary’s power and “took lightly” of citizens’ rights under the Constitution.
Rhema also said the SEC committed grave abuse of discretion “amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction and enjoyment of a right of office” with its issuance of the unregistered investment entities list.
The SEC issued a cease and desist order against Kapa last February and revoked its certificate of registration in April. It also secured a freeze order from the Court of Appeals on Kapa’s several accounts and assets last month.
Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 16 on Monday issued a precautionary hold departure order against eight members of Kapa while the preliminary investigation over their complaint is ongoing. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas
THE ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday assured that state security forces do not have any plan of staging a coup d’ etat soon. AFP Spokesperson BGen. Edgard A. Arevalo said the President’s statement on Tuesday before a Philippine Air Force (PAF) event on Tuesday evening was just a random remark. “We have, time and again assured him, as we reassure him today, that we in the AFP shall constantly and will remain loyal to the flag, to the constitution, and to the Filipino people whom we swore to protect with our lives,” said Mr. Arevalo in a statement. For his part, PNP chief Gen. Oscar D. Albayalde said: “I can assure the President, I can assure the public na wala pong planong ganyan ang PNP (PNP does not have any plan like that).” President Rodrigo R. Duterte, during his speech at the PAF 72nd anniversary celebration, called on the AFP and the PNP to refrain from staging a coup d’etat during his term. Meanwhile, exiled communist leader Jose Maria C. Sison reacted that Mr. Duterte is now afraid that security forces would turn their backs on him anytime. “Duterte is having coup jitters. He is feeling the heat and is getting wet in his pants. He anticipates that the people can rise in gigantic mass actions against his traitorous, tyrannical, brutal and corrupt regime and the military and police can turn against him as they did against Marcos and Estrada,” said Mr. Sison in a statement. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
CoA questions Army on funds for soldiers who served in Marawi siege
THE COMMISSION on Audit (CoA) has flagged the Philippine Army for P47.64 million worth of unused cash donations intended as financial assistance to 1,465 wounded-in-action (WIA) personnel during the Marawi siege in 2017. “Review of accounting records and other pertinent documents showed that the cash donations received by the Headquarters Philippine Army from GHQ (General Headquarters) and various private donors totaled P235,027,155.32. The status of these donations as of 31 December 2018 disclosed unutilized amount for WIA PA (Philippine Army) personnel of P47,643,153.00 or 20 percent of the total,” said the CoA report. Moreover, CoA noted that the Philippine Army exceeded by P9.98 million the financial assistance distributed to 118 killed-in-action beneficiaries. “Audit of the disbursement vouchers and documents supporting this utilization showed that the PA exceeded by P9,980,000.00 the financial assistance granted to 118 certified KIA beneficiaries,” said the state auditors. CoA recommended that the Army formulate specific guidelines for the receipt, utilization, and liquidation of the donated Marawi funds to justify the overpayment to KIA beneficiaries.—Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
CoA takes PCOO to task on P10M budget for federalism campaign
THE COMMISSION on Audit (CoA) has called out the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) for its non-submission of monthly progress reports to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), particularly on projects relating to the federalism campaign. “The DILG was tasked as the lead agency to undertake a nationwide information campaign on federalism. On September 10, 2018, a total of P10,000,000.00 was transferred to the PCOO to be used for the development and production of multi-media materials covered by a MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) dated August 23, 2018,” said the report. However, no monthly reports were submitted by PCOO “to show the progress of work projects undertaken… The bulk of the activities should have been completed as early as first quarter-end of 2019 considering that the effectivity of the MOA will be until May 31, 2019,” said CoA. The DILG, in it’s comment in the report, said it already sent a letter to PCOO on January 16 requesting the submission of their monthly progress reports. The state auditors said another demand letter was sent by DILG to PCOO last April 30. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
Citizen’s Complaint Hotline 8888 to have TV version
MALACAÑANG announced on Wednesday that President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s Citizen’s Complaint Hotline 8888 will have its own TV program to be dubbed as the “Digong 8888 Hotline” on PTV and its affiliate provincial stations every Thursday. In a phone message to BusinessWorld, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said he has “heard” that he will be hosting the program. In a statement he said: “As the government seeks to bring its services closer to Filipinos, the Palace is pleased to announce that a new TV program which focuses on the works of the Citizens’ Complaint Hotline 8888 and the Presidential Complaint Center (PCC) is set to be launched this month.” He added, “Dubbed as the ‘Digong 8888 Hotline,’ this one-hour program aims to bridge the gap between government agencies and the people through segments that will directly address the ordinary Filipino’s concerns on various government services.” The program, which will be aired from 2 to 3 p.m. every Thursday, will feature “one government agency per week and shall talk about their daily work from the lens of the viewers,” the President’s spokesman noted. — Arjay L. Balinbin
