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Three more PHL cue artists in World Pool KO stage

By Ted Lerner
WPA Media Officer
DOHA, QATAR — Judgement day at the 2018 World 9-ball Championship came and went in a flash, with just two sessions on the losers side of each of the 16 groups. And while there were the usual jangling nerves rattling throughout the cavernous Al Arabi Sports Club, one thing that was definitely missing from this year’s final day of the group stages was the complete lack of upsets.
This means that the 64 players left in the competition, who begin a single elimination, race to 11 format on Monday at 10 a.m. Doha time (GMT +3), comprise the absolute best of the very best in professional pool. Over the next several days these greats of the game will duel it out for the most prestigious prize in the sport and a $40,000 top prize.
The Taiwanese lead the way with nearly 15% of the players left, 9 to be exact. Next up might be a surprise to some fans but not to those who follow the sport intimately: six players from Poland qualified.
The Philippines, Japan, and China come in next with five players each. The Philippines is an interesting story because many Pinoy players stayed away from this year’s championship to play in boxer Manny Pacquiao’s event in his home town in the southern Philippines. If you are hard core fan that is no doubt a disappointing development. But the five Pinoy’s left, including defending champion Carlo Biado, all have a shot at going far.
The Japanese have put in their best showing in years, while the Chinese players have also looked strong. A Chinese player has never won a World 9-ball Championship.
One of the most watched matches of the day came between the Philippines Roland Garcia, a runner up here last year, and American Billy Thorpe. The two stayed close throughout the first half of the match, splitting the first 8 racks. But Garcia pounced on several mistakes by Thorpe and then piled on the racks, winning 9-5. Garcia breathed a massive sigh of relief afterward because he had lost his very first match in Doha and had to win two straight to qualify.
In a battle of two former world champions, Germany’s Thorsten Hohmann took on China’s Wu Jiaqing. Wu jumped out to a big early lead, 6-2, before the German mounted a brief fight back. But Hohmann admittedly let the match slip away with too many unforced errors, as Wu advanced 9-6.
It was a proud day for the Kuwaitis who once again showed their prowess as a pool playing nation. Bader Alawadhi pulled off what could be the day’s biggest surprise when he shocked Spain’s David Alcaide, 9-7. Omar Alshaheen also booked his spot in the knockout rounds with a handy 9-6 win over Bosnia’s Sanjin Pehlivanovic.
It was also a good day for Finland. Petri Makkonen advanced with his second straight win, after taking down the always strong Chang Yu Leung, 9-6. Casper Matikainen put a halt to Filipino Marlon Manalo’s comeback with an easy 9-2 victory.
Austria’s former world champion Albin Ouschan struggled early but qualified with a 9–5 win over Myanmar’s Aung Moe Thu. Fellow Austrian Maximilian Lechner put an end to the hopes of South African Jason Theron, winning 9-5 after an early struggle.
Lebanon doesn’t often feature in the business end of things here, but Mazen Berjaoui held his nerve with a break and runout in the final frame to eliminate the USA’s Hunter Lombardo, 9-8.
Canada’s John Morra looked very strong in his 9-3 win over American Tommy Tokoph. Venezuela’s Jalal Al Sarisi (formerly Yousef), who went all the way to the quarterfinals last year, also qualified after handily beating the Netherland’s Ivar Saris, 9-6.
Monday’s action will be comprised of three sessions, with both the rounds of 64 and 32 being completed. The tournament will have a day off on December 18th due to it being the National Day of Qatar. The round of 16 and the quarterfinals will be held on December 19th, while the semis and final will take place on December 20th.

BVR December Open 2018: Gervacio-Tan, Abdilla-Lopez tandems finally win gold

BANKO-Perlas 1’s Dzi Gervacio and Bea Tan pulled off a dominant 21-8, 21-18 victory over National University-Boysen’s Roma Doromal and Kly Orillaneda to claim the women’s championship of the Beach Volleyball Republic On Tour December Open 2018: A Christmas Rally late Sunday at the Sands SM By The Bay.
Air Force finally captured a men’s title, as Ranran Abdilla and Jessie Lopez bested Cignal’s Fauzi Ismail and Edmar Bonono, 21-17, 21-18.
The spotlight also went to phenoms Alyssa Valdez and Kiefer Ravena, who came from behind to defeat beach volleyball poster girl Charo Soriano and fan favorite John Vic de Guzman, 23-21, in the highly-entertaining celebrity match whose proceeds will go to Mindanao State University-Marawi College of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation Academy.
Team Idol, composed of Philippine beach volleyball legends Rhovyl Verayo, Jasper Jimenez, Jun Gallo, and guest player Mike Shavrak hurdled Team Lodi’s Ravena, De Guzman, Sue Roces, and Philip Bagalay, 21-17, in another exhibition match to spice up the final day of competitions.
Undefeated in five matches, Gervacio and Tan ended the Cinderella run of Doromal and Orillaneda, who needed two do-or-die matches to make it to the Finals.
University of Santo Tomas-Maynilad’s Babylove Barbon and Gen Eslapor rallied from a set down to beat Creamline’s Fille Cayetano and Kyla Atienza, Creamline, 17-21, 21-12, 15-8, to bag third place, duplicating their achievement in Dumaguete City last month.
Tiger Winx’s KR Guzman and Krung Arbasto outlasted UST-Maynilad’s Rancel Varga and Efraim Dimaculangan, 21-14, 21-12, UST-Maynilad, 21-17, 19-21, 15-11, to clinch the bronze medal.

Student MMA battle goes front and center on Dec. 22

YOUNG local mixed martial arts fighters take center stage this weekend with the staging of Forza Underground II.
Billed as the biggest student MMA battle in the Philippines, Forza Underground II is to happen on Dec. 22 at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.
The event will feature some of the top collegiate fighters in the country, divided into two groups — Black Team and Red Team.
Headlining Forza Underground II is the light heavyweight championship match between Kashmir Yap from Ateneo de Manila University (Black Team) and Kevin Guevara from Philippine Women’s University (Red Team).
Also part of the card is the welterweight title match between Kit Santos and Jovymel Villanueva and the flyweight title clash of Mark Itaas of the Technological Institute of the Philippines and Gabriel Tolentino of Informatics College Manila.
The three headlining fights are part of the 19-fight card set for the event.
Forza Underground II is organized by athletic wear brand Forza, part of the Kamiseta Group of Companies, and follows up on the first edition of the event last October, which was attended by some 3,000 spectators.
Tickets for the event are available for P350 and P850 and can be purchased over www.forzaph.com. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Asian Chess Championship

17th Asian Continental Chess Championship
(2nd Manny Pacquiao Cup)
Open Division
Tiara Oriental Hotel, Makati City, Philippines
Dec. 10-18, 2018

Current Top Standings (7 of 9 rounds)
1-2. Grandmaster (GM) Surya Shekhar Ganguly IND 2621, GM M. Amin Tabatabaei IRI 2587, 5.5/7
3-8. GM Wei Yi CHN 2728, GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov UZB 2546, GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son VIE 2641, GM Parham Maghsoodloo IRI 2688, GM Le Quang Liem VIE 2714, GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi IND 2701, 5.0/7
9-17. GM Susanto Megaranto INA 2512, GM SP Sethuraman IND 2664, GM Alireza Firouzja IRI 2607, GM Lalith Babu MR IND 2529, GM Rinat Jumabayev KAZ 2602, GM Baskaran Adhiban IND 2695, GM Wen Yang CHN 2604, GM Wang Hao CHN 2730,GM Rustam Khusnutdinov KAZ 2470, 4.5/7
18-26. GM Ni Hua CHN 2683, IM Xu Yi CHN 2536, IM Nodirbek Yakubboev UZB 2556, GM Abhijit Kunte IND 2469, IM Ricardo de Guzman PHI 2357, IM Nguyen Anh Khoi VIE 2480, IM Liu Yan CHN 2495, GM John Paul Gomez PHI 2450, GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami IRI 2537, 4.0/7
Total of 64 participants
Time Control: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game with 30 seconds added after every move starting move 1.
The 17th Asian Continental Chess Championships started Monday last week in the Tiara Oriental Hotel in Malugay Street, Makati City. This was sort of a rush affair – the hosting of the event was just awarded to the Philippines some time in late October and the organizers had to scramble to put it together, what with it being Christmas with most hotels and function rooms unavailable for a straight 2-week booking.
At the last minute everything fell into place and when Senator Manny Pacquiao came through with his sponsorship to top up the support of the Philippine Sports Commission the event was finally green-lit. I should commend GM Jayson Gonzales for the great job in getting this very prestigious event off the ground considering the very short notice.
This tournament is a World Cup Qualifier and the top 5 here will be seeded directly into that 2019 World Cup to be held in Khanty Mansiysk, Russia, from Sept. 9-Oct. 2, 2019. As BW readers know the World Cup is a very cash-rich event — even the first round losers go home with $6,000 in their pocket to console themselves with. And this is on top of having the top 2 placers proceed to the Candidates tournament which will determine the challenger to Magnus Carlsen for the 2020 world championship match.
In view of the high returns involved the Chinese came to compete with a strong delegation headed by International Grandmasters Wang Hao (2730), Wei Yi (2728) Ni Hua (2683), the 2014 World Junior champion Lu Shanglei (2636) and several others. Even former World Women’s Champion GM Tan Zhongyi (2508) came. The very pretty Ms. Tan is not one of the favorites to finish among the top 5 but, having already achieved the highest title in women’s chess, she is now trying her hand at the men’s competitions, and she is no pushover in either category.
The top Vietnamese (GMs Le Quang Liem 2714 and Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son 2641) and Iranians (reigning World Junior Champion Parham Maghsoodloo 2688, GMs Alireza Firouzja 2607, M. Amin Tabatabaei 2587 and Ehsan Ghaem Maghami 2537) both came in force as well.
Unfortunately, the tournament schedule clashed with India’s national championship which, in addition to the prestige of the event, also featured good prizes (1st place is Rs 500,000, the equivalent of around P370,000) and one automatic slot to the World Cup. The Indian players were split on which competition to join but finally a very strong delegation came to the Philippines headed by GMs Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (2701), Baskaran Adhiban (2695), SP Sethuraman (2664) and Surya Shekhar Ganguly (2621), Abhimanyu Puranik (2544), Lalith Babu MR (2529), Shardul Gagare (2504) and Abhijit Kunte (2469).
Now, of course, highly-rated players like Vidit are used to having their hotel room and board underwritten by the tournament organizers, but this is an official FIDE competition in the world championship cycle and the rules stipulated that the organizers only give complimentary accommodation to one official representative of each country. Vidit, being a last-minute entry, was not the official representative of India. Perhaps that might have been what led to the brouhaha on the eve of the tournament.
Vidit took to the social media late on Sunday evening to vent out his frustration at the “exorbitant” rates being charged by the hotel. “Players are charged five times more and forced to stay in this place where basic necessities like cleanliness, proper food and water are not provided,” Vidit wrote in his post.
I quote from Chessbase India: Vidit continues, “After paying $150, there is no internet in the room. Food provided is awful. There is even no drinking water in the room(!!).” He continues “Me and my colleagues Abhijit Kunte and Lalith Babu went outside to buy water, but then the most unexpected incident happened. We were attacked by local goons who possessed weapons. We were cornered and then attacked. We tried to flee but we were chased and finally marginally escaped. We are still trying to recover from this horrible incident. The saddest part is that upon informing this to organizers they remained aloof and ignored the seriousness of the issue.”
“What kind of an event is this? Players are charged five times more and forced to stay in this place, where basic necessities like cleanliness, proper food and water are not provided. This is sheer exploitation of players. I am writing this post so that FIDE and the authorities will take the rightful action.”
Lalith Babu to the Times of India: “We had gone out to get SIM cards to contact our families when two miscreants cornered us. They seemed to be armed and we somehow freed ourselves from their clutches. We ran as fast as we could and just about managed to escape.”
Abhijit Kunte: “We had a visit by the commissioner and our statements were recorded. It’s somehow a distraction from the daily routine we follow in the tournaments. It’s very uneasy to be confined to the hotel room, but hopefully things will improve. Our focus has changed from preparation (for the tournament) to getting the basic amenities in place, and this incident (of attack) has affected a lot.”
This terrible occurrence was published in leading chess websites around the world including the no. 1 site “Chessbase.” The First Secretary of the Indian Embassy in Manila even reached out to the players to check what happened and what it can do to prevent any further incident. Chessbase India even complained to Emil Sutovsky of FIDE and he responded that “The event is under the auspices of Asian Continental Federation, however as it is a part of World Championship Cycle, FIDE will not stay aside. I already inquired the organizers, and I look forward to hearing their side of the story. However, no explanation for 300-400% surcharge is valid. And FIDE will look into the measures to remedy the situation ASAP — not limiting ourselves to just agreeing [that] it is not OK. But before making any strong statements, we will need to hear from the organizers.”
It would have been a truly shameful occurrence, that is, if it were true.
The Tiara Oriental Hotel where the players were billeted was within walking distance of a police station and the area is secure. In fact, the Precinct Head visited the organizers and players involved and invited them back to the station to review closed-circuit TV feed of the streets at the time of the incident.
It turned out that the three players went out and passed by a group of children (not armed goons) and two of the kids (who were half the size of the players) asked them if they could spare some change. The players ignored the beggars and went back to the hotel. Nobody was “cornered and attacked by armed goons.”
This was at the eve of the tournament and all the other concerns about basic necessities were addressed immediately by the organizers the very next day. Vidit did not need to go to social media for this — he merely had to voice his concerns to the organizers on their shortcomings and they would have fixed whatever was wrong. That’s part of who we are — that’s Filipino hospitality.
As to the over-charging of room rates, they were comparing the rate of a stripped-down room rate with no amenities at all with that of a single room with breakfast, lunch and dinner and function room. Most players took the option of a double room which is $85 per person. No chess organizer here in the Philippines would stoop to milking visitors from foreign shores by marking up hotel rates. Maybe this is done in other countries, but not in the Philippines.
Messrs. Vidit, Lalith, and Kunte, this is not a game. You have done much harm to the image of the Philippines, and all Filipino players are affected by this. Please keep in mind that you are here as representatives of India and as guests of the Philippines. I will say nothing more.
It is time to get to the chess.
If you look at the table above you will see that the top places are occupied by foreigners and the highest-ranked Filipino players are balikbayan IM Ricardo de Guzman and GM John Paul Gomez, both tied for 18th place. All of the locals are out of the running for any of the coveted top-5 places.
One bright spot is Paulo Bersamina’s beautiful takedown of 3rd seed Le Quang Liem.

Le Quang, Liem (2714) — Bersamina, Paulo (2444) [C50]
17th Asian Continental Chess Champions Makati City (1.3), 10.12.2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.h3
Usually White plays here 5.c3 so that Black cannot push his d-pawn to d5: 5…d5 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.Qb3 Black may need to give up his f7 pawn.
5…h6
Bersamina opts not to continue 5…d5 though.
6.Nbd2 a6 7.c3 d6 8.Bb3 Be6 9.Bc2 Ba7 10.Nf1 d5 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Ng3 Qd7
It looks to me like White’s set-up is too slow and Black is at least equal.
13.0–0 0–0–0 14.Re1 Nf4 15.Bxf4 exf4 16.Nh5 Bxh3! 17.Nxf4 Bg4! 18.d4 Qd6 19.Nd3 f6 20.Re4 h5 21.Qe2 Bf5 22.Re3 Bg4 23.Re4 Bf5 24.Re3 Bg4 25.Qf1 Ne7 26.Nd2 c6 27.Nc4 Qc7³ 28.Nc5 Nd5! 29.Re4 Kb8 30.Rae1 Ka8 31.Ne3! Nf4 32.Qc4 Bb8 33.Nf1 h4 34.Re7? <D>
POSITION AFTER 34.RE7
Correct is 34.Nxa6 Qd6 (34…bxa6 35.Rxf4! it is now White who is winning. Black cannot take the rook because of 35…Qxf4 36.Qxa6+ Ba7 37.Qxc6+ Kb8 38.Be4) 35.Qa4 It is still anybody’s game, but White thought that after the text move he is winning…
34…h3! 35.Rxc7
[35.g3 h2+ 36.Nxh2 Rxh2 37.Kxh2 Rh8+ 38.Kg1 Bf3 the end]
35…hxg2
Threatening Rh1 mate.
36.Nh2 Bf3! 37.a3 Nh3# 0–1
Beautiful!
We will continue our coverage of the Asian Continental Chess Championship on Thursday.
 
Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), 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

Better days lie ahead

Will Trevor Ariza give the Wizards exactly what they need? It’s a big question mark that they’re confident he will answer in the positive — confident enough, at least, to give up two rotation players in Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers for him. Never mind that he’s a $15-million rental and, based on the little time that he toiled for the Suns, seemingly showing his age. As far as they’re concerned, he’s still capable of making at 33 as much of the on- and off-court impact that he did at 28, when he last played for them.
To be sure, the Wizards are driven by the need to institute change, and fast. With close to two-fifths of their 2018-19 campaign already done, they’re wallowing in 11th, closer to the bottom of East standings than to a top-four seed, where preseason projections had them pegged. Needless to say, they have positive thoughts of the two seasons Ariza burned rubber for them. And, from their vantage point, taking on a variable they already have a good gauge of is far better than any other option on the table.
Which, for all intents, was why the Wizards soldiered on despite the monumental misstep they made in closing their initial deal for Ariza. Acting as conduits for the Suns, they thought they succeeded in claiming Dillon Brooks from the Grizzlies. As it turns out, the latter actually peddled MarShon Brooks. Naturally, the arrangement was scuttled, compelling them to restart talks amid a social-media backlash that painted them as fools.
For the Wizards, though, all’s well that ends well — and to the point where they’re afforded a much rosier outlook. And so upbeat were they that they went on to school the surging Lakers yesterday despite their depleted lineup. It didn’t matter that Ariza had not yet been cleared, Oubre and Rivers were listed as “trade pending,” Otto Porter Jr. rested a bruised knee, and Markieff Morris suffered from a neck strain after the second quarter. Featuring an inspired John Wall and ample support from Bradley Beal, Jeff Green, Tomas Satoransky, and Sam Dekker, they wrested the lead after the first minute of the match and built on it with such purpose that the outcome QA effectively decided by halftime.
That the impending arrival of an aging wingman would spur the Wizards, who had hitherto lost their last four outings, into action speaks volumes of the systemic nature of their infirmities. On the other hand, they deserve praise for doing something — anything, really — in order to improve their plight. Did they give up too much? Is it too little too late? Only time will tell, but if yesterday is any indication, better days lie ahead.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Peso declines to 1-month trough

THE PESO declined to a fresh one-month low against the dollar on Monday as it breached the P53 level intraday due to risk-off sentiment over economic concerns abroad.
The local unit ended the session at P52.98 versus the greenback yesterday, 10 centavos weaker than the P52.88-per-dollar finish last Friday.
The peso traded weaker the whole day, opening the session at P53.05 against the greenback. It reached an intraday low of P53.08, while its best showing was at P52.95 versus the dollar.
Trading volume rose to $685.95 million from $677.75 million last Friday.
Two traders attributed the continued weakness of the peso to safe-haven demand for the dollar propelled by political and economic concerns offshore such as weak China data, with one saying the local unit slid as it “mimicked” the dollar’s strength before the weekend.
China’s November industrial production grew 5.4% from a year ago. In addition to this, retail sales rose 8.1% last month, also below the 8.8% expected.
“The local currency depreciated further on safe-haven demand for the greenback as weaker economic data from China and downward growth outlook from the European Central Bank last week heightened fears of a near-term global growth slowdown next year,” one trader said.
For today, the first trader expects the peso to trade between P52.85 and P53.05, while the other gave a P52.90-P53.10 range. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

Stocks move in narrow range on lack of catalysts

STOCKS moved sideways on Monday amid a lack of local catalysts and ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s policy meeting.
The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) went down by 0.05% or 3.97 points to close at 7,520.40 on Monday. The broader all-shares index, meanwhile, climbed 0.08% or 3.60 points to 4,510.10.
“We lack fresh catalysts in the local scene and I think investors are waiting for the US Fed’s outlook for the US economy as well as the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) policy meeting decision which will be held in the middle of the week,” Jervin S. de Celis, equity trader at Timson Securities, Inc., said in a text message.
“Foreigners remain net sellers today as they anticipate a 25-basis-point hike in the US. The probability of a rate hike increased from 72% last weekend to 77.5% today,” he said on Monday.
Net foreign selling was logged at P822.25 million on Monday, widening from last Friday’s net outflow worth P691.23 million.
The US central bank is holding its two-day policy review on Dec. 18-19, where it is widely expected to hike rates anew and give signals on its future tightening path amid fears of an economic slowdown.
For Luis A. Limlingan, managing director of Regina Capital Development Corp., the slight downward movement was due to an easing in US-China trade tensions and soft US economic data.
“US-China trade tensions abated marginally this week as China made the first order of US soybeans after the G20 meeting and announced it would suspend additional tariffs on US-made autos and auto parts for three months from Jan 1, 2019,” he said.
“US industrial production increased by 0.6% in November, three tenths above consensus expectations. Business inventories rose 0.6% in October, in line with expectations. Here at home, remittance numbers were rather encouraging as the latest data from October showed that money sent by our Filipino relative grew 8.7% to $2.474 billion based on cash remittances,” Mr. Limlingan added.
Sub-indices were split. Gainers were led by services, which went up by 1.09% or 15.62 points to close at 1,446.69. Property also climbed 0.54% or 19.95 points to close at 3,661.12 and industrials gained 0.14% or 15.85 points to 10,978.85.
On the other hand, losing counters were led by mining and oil, which was down by 2.35% or 193.17 points to close at 8,005.38. Financials fell 0.69% or 12.39 points to 1,773.16 and holding firms slipped 0.54% or 40.29 points to finish at 7,389.82.
Some 1.05 billion shares valued at P5.94 billion switched hands on Monday, down from Friday’s P6.85-billion turnover.
Decliners narrowly beat advancers, 98 to 93, while 45 names remained unchanged.
Timson Securities’ Mr. De Celis said the market will continue moving sideways this week. “However, end of year window dressing next week may push our index a little higher.” — VMPG

Localized peace talks a good road — analysts

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
THE DUTERTE administration’s move towards stronger localized peace talks with communist guerrillas is an “innovation worth pursuing,” but the 2019 target to quash the insurgency is not very realistic, analysts say.
“Setting a specific deadline, i.e. 2019, does not exactly offer any assurance because this administration has a very poor track record when it comes to meeting their self-imposed deadlines. It would be more helpful if the administration presents to the public a detailed plan with realizable milestones,” Ateneo Policy Center research fellow Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco said in an e-mail to BusinessWorld on Monday, Dec. 17.
“Just making a blanket promise, quite frankly, is simply being dishonest to the Filipino people… But the ‘localized’ approach is an innovation worth pursuing,” he added.
Armed Forces of the Philippines Spokesperson Edgard A. Arevalo told BusinessWorld in a phone interview on Dec. 10 that the government targets to end the communist armed conflict in 2019 through its “whole-of-nation approach” in localized peace talks as contained in Executive Order (EO) No. 70, which President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed on Dec. 4.
Last September, the President said in his remarks at the Camp Melchor F. Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela that the 50-year old communist armed conflict will be over by next year.
“I think that kung maawa ang Panginoong Diyos (with God’s mercy), this will be over by about the second quarter of next year. Ang rami na kasi nagsu-surrender (Many are surrendering),” he said on Sept. 18.
Mr. Arevalo also said this new directive practically cuts out the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Communist Party of the Philippines in the peace process.
The planned localized peace talks would give bigger involvement among local government units and members of the New People’s Army (NPA), the CPP’s armed units spread in different parts of the country.
However, Mr. Yusingco said the government would eventually still need to reach out to the mother organizations.
“Negotiating a peace agreement with the NDFP is still necessary to end the communist insurgency with finality…. Ensuring all relevant parties are in the negotiating table will always be a positive boost in arriving at a viable peace agreement.”
University of Santo Tomas (UST) political science professor Marlon M. Villarin, in a phone interview on Monday, opined that the administration’s 2019 target should not be taken “literally but seriously.”
“I think what he meant by ending it by 2019 is ending the impossibility of finally thinking that it’s possible for the government to find better solutions to this insurgency,” he said.
Mr. Villarin also stressed that “it is really difficult to say that the communist insurgency will end during the Duterte administration.”
“For the 2019, we will see more chances for the peace talks to resume because the way I look at where the government is embarking is more on the progressive way of resolving the issue. We cannot take the President’s declaration literally, but seriously. We don’t take it literally because we know that the problem is deeply rooted on social inequality, and therefore you don’t expect the government to really pin down the problem of communism within his term, but what the President is trying to communicate is that the government will make sure that starting next year, they will be able to, little by little, show this administration’s interest to really resolve the problem,” Mr. Villarin explained.
For his part, Ateneo School of Government professor Edmund S. Tayao said in a phone interview that it is difficult to give a deadline for determining whether the localized approach will work or not.
“All the presidents we had after the end of the dictatorship, all the presidents were engaged in peace negotiations with the Reds, and you know already what happened. Nothing,” he said.
He stressed, however, that “as long as there is openness or willingness on the part of both parties to continue talking, there’s always hope for finally achieving some resolution as far as the peace negotiations with the Reds are concerned.”
Mr. Villarin also said that the approach is worth trying. “This is what you call a community-based solution on the part of the Duterte administration,” he said.
LESSONS FROM THE MORO PEACE TALKS
In a phone message, social science assistant professor Marlon B. Lopez of the Mindanao State University-Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography said: “I think it’s quite difficult to end it by next year because local NPA leaders have various objectives as of now.”
Mr. Lopez did say that he believes that the exiled founding leader of CPP, Jose Maria C. Sison, and his close associates “don’t have control over these units” anymore.
Mr. Lopez also noted that Mr. Duterte’s creation of a task force to end local communist armed conflict “is very similar to the response of the Marcos administration when it formed the Integrated Civilian Home Defense Forces (ICHDF) through PD (Presidential Decree) No. 1016 to address local insurgency.”
The only difference this time, he added, is that the Duterte administration’s approach “is focused against the NPA.”
“What we need to learn from our experience in the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front)/MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) talks is that you have to negotiate with somebody who has a control over the forces on the ground. When (Hashim) Salamat factioned away from (Nur) Misuari, the Tripoli Agreement didn’t do much significance aside from the ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) formation. But peace remains elusive due to MILF, which we have negotiated by now with BOL (Bangsamoro Organic Law),” Mr. Lopez explained.
As for the communist rebels, he said: “Who is really in control of the forces on the ground should be negotiated with, and I doubt if it is the NDFP. Not even the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines).”
Mr. Tayao said this new approach is actually “consistent with what has been taking place from the very start.”
“You must remember that when he started his presidency, he had members of his Cabinet from the militant groups. It suggested that the President was really serious in making the Reds feel that he was sincere in partnering with them in terms of resetting the direction for his government. But you know already what happened after… that even if there were negotiations before, in the previous administrations, violence and operations continued as far as Reds are concerned,” he explained.
But the dynamics of the insurgency has evolved, Mr. Tayao said.
“The current dynamic, meaning that before, Joma Sison and (NDFP leader Luis) Jalandoni used to hold a really significant sway as far as the operations of the Reds are concerned. But it showed recently that this is no longer the case. Hence, the need to expand the participation in the negotiating table,” he said.
“Instead of continuing the usual negotiations with the leaders of the Reds, this time he is bringing it to the doorstep of the operatives themselves.”

Disqualification, CONA cases delay release of May poll candidates list

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) has given assurance that the printing of official ballots will be completed in time for the May midterm poll despite a delay in releasing the final list of candidates due to pending cases.
In a media briefing on Monday, Comelec Spokesperson James B. Jimenez said the Comelec is expected to settle all cases by the end of this week.
The final list of candidates was supposed to be issued on Dec. 15.
“There are several issues pending, hindi sila comfortable maglabas ng list na meron (they are not comfortable in releasing a list while there are) unresolved issues. We expect by Thursday or Friday, matatapos lahat ‘yan (it would all be settled),” he said.
“We expect to start printing towards the end of this year or first week of January,” he added.
Mr. Jimenez noted that some of the cases are more complex than in previous elections, involving not just petitions for disqualification but also the validity of a party-list candidate’s Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA).
Meanwhile, the Comelec official said the software for the Election Management Systems (EMS) was already completed last week while the Trusted Build for the Vote counting machines (VCM) and Consolidation and Canvassing System (CCS) are expected to be finished in early January. — Gillian M. Cortez

DoJ seeks fraud charges against Japan casino mogul Okada

THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DOJ) has recommended the filing of charges against Japanese pachinko billionaire Kazuo Okada for allegedly misappropriating over $3 million from the operator of the Okada Manila casino.
The DOJ, in a resolution dated Dec. 7 and made public on Monday, said it found cause to indict Mr. Okada for three counts of swindling after he acquired “through mistake or fraud” $3.15 million in salary and consultancy fees during his tenure as chief executive of Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment, Inc. (TRLEI).
The DoJ resolution, based on a complaint filed by TRLEI, reversed a May 11 ruling of Parañaque’s Office of the City Prosecutor, which dismissed the three counts of estafa against Mr. Okada.
In its decision, the DoJ said the amounts given to Mr. Okada, facilitated by Okada Manila’s former chief operating officer and president, Takahiro Usui, was not released properly according to the by-laws of TRLEI which states that “officers shall receive such remuneration as the Board of Directors may determine.”
“Such actions on the part of both Respondents (Messrs. Okada and Usui), in violation of Complainant’s by-laws, is enough probable cause to conclude that the release of amounts were irregular and done to the prejudice of the Complainant,” the DoJ resolution read.
Tiger Resort previously said the payments were facilitated by its former president and were not authorised by its board. On Monday, the company said it has not received the resolution and so declined to comment.
Rean Balisi, Okada’s legal counsel, said he will file a motion for reconsideration at the DoJ.
Mr. Okada has previously referred to the dispute as an internal matter.
He was ousted last year as chairman of Tiger Resort’s parent, the Japanese gaming group Universal Entertainment Corp 6425.T, after Universal’s board accused him of misappropriating $20 million. Mr. Okada denied wrongdoing.
He was arrested in Hong Kong in August in relation to multiple corruption-related charges and is currently on bail. — Reuters with Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Lapeña not included for possible drug smuggling charges in Senate committee report

THE SENATE Blue Ribbon committee has recommended further probe by the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman on personalities involved in the shipment of P11 billion worth of illegal drugs last June for possible administrative and criminal liabilities.
The committee did not mention any liability on the part of now Technical Education and Skill Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Isidro S. Lapeña, who was head of the Bureau of Customs (BoC) when the shipment of shabu (methamphetamine) was smuggled into the country.
The committee submitted on Dec. 13 its report, numbered 544, into its findings on the shipment that slipped past the BoC, and was released to reporters on Monday.
“So far, this report has reached and implicated public officers up to the Deputy Director General in PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) and Deputy Commissioner in the Bureau of Customs. This is not to say that those involved cannot go any higher,” it stated.
“We dread to think that it might; we fear for the country and for its citizens, and thus the need to investigate more in order to determine with certainty all the people responsible for these abhorrent acts,” it added.
The committee recommended the filing of charges for the following individuals: former police officer Eduardo Acierto, former PDEA deputy director general for administration Ismael G. Fajardo, former Customs officer Jimmy S. Guban, SMYD trading consignee Marina Signapan, Customs broker Katrina Grace Cuasay, Customs employees Joseph Dimayuga and Gorgonio Necessario, SMYD trading owner Meg Santos, x-ray examiner Noli Martinez, appraiser Girlie Umali, and examiner Jenaline Garcia.
Also included are Chinese nationals KC Chan, Hsu Chung-Chun, Zhang Quan, Lin Tien Yi, Lou Tian Yi, Chen Minxuan, a certain Fung, and Ping Cheung James.
The committee report noted that the personalities involved were in violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and direct bribery under the Revised Penal Code, among others.
Last Dec. 13, PDEA charged 44 people, including Messrs. Fajardo and Guban, in connection with the smuggling incident.
The Senate committee report noted that Mr. Acierto was the “linchpin” in the illegal drug smuggling based on the committee’s investigation. It cited that it was Mr. Acierto who gave the instructions to Mr. Guban in facilitating the release of the magnetic lifters.
“It stands to reason that Acierto, indeed, was the main man,” it stated.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
Among the committee’s recommendations was for the conduct of lifestyle checks and an investigation by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for the personalities involved in the illegal drug smuggling.
The committee report also recommended amendments in the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) for shipments to be declared abandoned within a period of three days from the present 30 days.
It also urged the AMLC and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate the alleged use of fictitious names and fake Alien Certificates of Registration (ACR) in the opening of bank accounts and business registration for criminal acts.
It also called for the elimination of consignees for hire, the coordination between the BoC, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the registration and accreditation of consignees, the creation of of a Customs Academy, and diplomatic efforts by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) with neighboring countries to eradicate illegal drug smuggling.
The Senate investigation was prompted by the raids conducted by PDEA and BoC at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) and at a warehouse in General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite.
PDEA found magnetic lifters in MICP that contained illegal drugs inside, but similar lifters in Cavite were shown to have already been drilled and its contents, believed to be shabu, removed.
Aside from Mr. Gordon, Committee Report No. 544 was signed by 10 members and three ex-officio members.
The signatories were: Senators Juan Edgardo M. Angara, Joseph Victor G. Ejercito, Gregorio B. Honasan II, Panfilo M. Lacson, Loren B. Legarda, Emmanual D. Pacquiao, Cynthia A. Villar, Sherwin T. Gatchalian, Aquilino L. Pimentel III, Nancy S. Binay-Angeles, Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, and Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto. — Camille A. Aguinaldo

Gasoline resumes decline this week

AFTER LAST week’s price increase, oil companies this week will resume the reduction of gasoline prices that started in the third week of October. Gasoline prices will be down by P0.15 per liter (/L), with companies such as Seaoil Philippines, Inc. implementing a reduction since Saturday. For diesel prices, companies advised varied reduction amounts, with Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. and Seaoil reducing the cost by P0.30/L. Eastern Petroleum Corp. cut its diesel price by P0.35, while others reduced prices by P0.25. Seaoil cut its kerosene prices by P0.30/L. The oil majors have yet to issue an advisory on their price adjustment moves as of 6:00 p.m. Monday. This week’s adjustment is diesel and kerosene prices’ 10th straight week of price decline. — Victor V. Saulon

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