Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Home Blog Page 11195

San Miguel now up over Magnolia after taking Game Three

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE defending champions San Miguel Beermen are now up 2-1 in their best-of-seven PBA Philippine Cup finals series over the Magnolia Hotshots Pambasang Manok after taking Game Three, 111-87, in the resumption of Philippine Basketball Association action after the Holy Week break on Sunday night.
Showed steady form to stave off every Magnolia challenge in the first three quarters, the Beermen made a strong push to start the fourth quarter and never looked back to claim the upper hand in the series and move one step closer to completing their mission of winning four straight All-Filipino titles.
Chris Ross and Marcio Lassiter got things fast for the Beermen in the opening quarter, accounting for all their team’s points in the first four minutes and give San Miguel a five-point lead, 13-7.
The Beermen would capitalize on the early momentum thereafter, building a 29-22 cushion by the end of the first 12 minutes.
In the second quarter the two teams went back and forth, fighting to a 40-34 count, with San Miguel still on top, at the 6:07 mark.
PJ Simon though would spark a 9-3 run by the Hotshots in the next three minutes to tie the knot at 43-all.
The Beermen eventually kept their head above water, holding a slim one-point advantage by the halftime break, 50-49.
At the beginning of the third canto San Miguel would go on a 16-6 run in the opening five minutes to create further distance, 66-55, and threatened to pull away.
Magnolia was quick to stop bleeding, stringing up four straight points after to stay within striking distance.
It continued to cut into the lead of San Miguel, trimming it to just three points, 67-64, with less than three minutes remaining.
The Hotshots, however, did not go closer than that as the quarter came to a close as the Beermen finished with an 8-4 blast, with June Mar Fajardo leading, to hold a 75-68 lead heading into the final frame.
With the outcome of the match still open, the two teams jostled to establish early control in the payoff quarter.
But it was San Miguel which would explode first, racing to a 92-71 edge after six minutes.
The Hotshots tried to claw their way back thereafter only to have the door slammed on them as the Beermen were unrelenting in their attack and ran away with the victory.
Mr. Lassiter led the Beermen with 24 points, to go along with six rebounds and five steals.
Mr. Fajardo had 21 points and 17 rebounds while Mr. Ross and Arwind Santos each had 14 points.
Gabby Espinas, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and Brian Heruela came off the bench to give a big boost, allowing the San Miguel starters to have more time to rest.
Mark Barroca, meanwhile, top-scored for Magnolia with 22 points with Paul Lee adding 15 markers.
“The first half was a close game. In the second half we made sure to take control of our turnovers and just made a run. We stayed aggressive and it made a difference,” said Mr. Lassiter, named player of the game, in the postgame interview.
San Miguel will now have a chance to bury Magnolia some more in the series in Game Four on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Azkals: Creating history

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE PHILIPPINE national men’s football team created history last week when it barged into the AFC Asian Cup for the very first time.
Beating Tajikistan, 2-1, in their final Asian Cup Qualifiers group match, the Philippine Azkals assured themselves of a spot in the prestigious continental tournament by topping Group F with a record of three wins and three draws and 12 points, while at the same infusing life back to local football which of late had been thirsty for something to rally behind at.
The history-making win did not come easy for the Philippines as it had to stay calm and collected to come from behind and snatch the win after going a goal down early in the second half of the contest.
Stared at defeat when Tajikistan’s Nazarov Akhtam punched through a penalty kick in the 64th minute off a foul from Azkals’ Kevin Ingreso, the Philippines stayed the course and remained aggressive, which it was eventually rewarded for.
Mr. Ingreso made up for the goal of Tajikistan nine minutes later, heading an Iain Ramsay pass which sailed past the visiting side’s keeper Mahkamov Abduaziz to level the count and send the 4,000-plus fans at the Rizal Memorial Stadium grandstand to a frenzy.
While a draw was enough to see the Azkals through to the AFC Asian Cup, for good measure they added another goal as regulation time expired care of skipper Phil Younghusband off a penalty.
The goal was the 50th in the international career of the longtime Azkals player, which made it all the more significant.
“We made history today for Philippine football. Everyone gave their all. We are thankful for all the support that we got. I can’t describe my feelings right now. We were crying on the pitch. I think it will take a few weeks before it really sinks in what we have accomplished. I think we deserved it. We really fought hard out there,” said Mr. Ingreso, named man of the match, after their victory.
“We were still positive despite being down 0-1. We just kept pushing forward. We knew we had our chances and we did it. This is an achievement for the all Filipinos all over the world,” the 25-year-old midfielder added.

Philippine Azkals 2
Midfielder Iain Ramsay of the Philippine Azkals made a pass to teammate Kevin Ingreso to level the count of their key AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers group match versus Tajikistan on March 27. The Philippines beat Tajikistan, 2-1.

BEST TEAM IN YEARS
For the Azkals’ American coach Thomas Dooley, the team that vied for the Asian Cup spot was the best one yet during his tenure, and that he was not surprised that they were able to accomplish their mission because everybody was on the same page.
“In four years that I am here this is the best team that we have. The energy, the spirit in training was unbelievable. Everyone was positive. I did not see any one player who was in a bad mood. Everyone was laughing and energized. It was unbelievable. Everybody is helping each other and I told them if that is how they will prepare for every game you cannot lose,” the coach, whose angling for a fresh contract after his two-year deal expired at the weekend, said.
“That is what a team is all about. Everybody has to work. This is amazing. You just have to stay positive. We just followed what we had to do,” added Mr. Dooley even as emphasized the need for the team to continue spending more time together as a group to better prepare and improve.
Apart from Messrs. Ingreso, Ramsay and Younghusband, also part of the AFC Asian Cup-winning Azkals team were goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, defenders Simone Rota, Carlos De Murga, Daisuke Sato and Dennis Villanueva, forward Mike Ott, and midfielders Manny Ott and Misagh Bahadoran.
Part of the team as well were Junior Muñoz, Jhanjhan Melliza, Jeffrey Christiaens, Nick O’Donnell, Patrick Deyto, Patrick Reichelt, Pika Minegishi, Sean Patrick Kane, Javier Patino, Dylan De Bruycker, Paul Mulders and James Younghusband.
The AFC Asian Cup happens in 2019 from Jan. 5 to Feb. 1 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Philippines is part of the field that also has host UAE, Qatar, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Uzbekistan, Iran, Syria, Iraq, China, Palestine, Oman, India, Lebanon, Turkmenistan, Jordan, Bahrain, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, North Korea and Yemen.
As per tournament format, the 24 teams will be drawn into six groups of four teams each. The teams in each group play a single round robin. After the group stage, the top two teams and the four best third teams will advance to the round of 16. The winners will advance to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals. The semifinal winners will play in final.
Draw for the AFC Asian Cup is set for May 4.

Wall, Wizards book spot in playoffs; Heat halted

LOS ANGELES — John Wall made a successful return with a 15-point and 14-assist performance as the Washington Wizards defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 107-93, on Saturday to book their spot in the National Basketball Association playoffs.
All-star Wall was appearing in his first game in two months for the Wizards who clinched their fourth playoff berth in the last five seasons.
“We don’t know who we play and we really don’t care who we play. We just want to play well going into the playoffs,” coach Scott Brooks said.
Otto Porter tallied 26 points and 11 rebounds and Bradley Beal nailed six of eight shots from beyond the arc as the Wizards hit a franchise record-tying 18 three pointers.
Wall last played in January when the American had left knee surgery. His impact was immediate as he made a three-pointer on his first shot of the game and finished with 33 minutes of playing time.
“It was good to see my first shot go in,” Wall said.
Washington had lost four of the last five without Wall to drop into sixth place in the Eastern Conference, heading into the Hornets’ matchup.
Wall had averaged 19.4 points and 9.3 assists in 37 games before the injury.
“That Ferrari is pretty good,” Brooks said referring to Wall. “He got a lot of open shots for a lot of players. That’s what he does at the highest level in the league.”
The Hornets, who have now lost two straight, were led by Dwight Howard with 22 points.
“I just think turnovers killed us,” said Howard, who declined to give Wall credit. “I don’t want to say so much that it was John Wall coming back, but I think it was just turnovers.”
Washington beat Charlotte for the first time in four tries this season.
Elsewhere, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored 20 points as the Brooklyn Nets denied the Miami Heat a chance to clinch a postseason spot with a 110-109 overtime win.
Caris Levert scored with about a half-minute left in overtime to put Brooklyn up for good.
Levert finished with 19 and Brooklyn put seven players in double figures for the second straight game.
Brooklyn’s six-game overtime losing streak ended, and the Nets went 3-1 against the Heat this season.
James Johnson and Goran Dragic each scored 18 for Miami, which got 16 from Kelly Olynyk and 14 from Hassan Whiteside. Dwyane Wade had 13 for the Heat, whose magic number for clinching remained one.
In other games, Marcus Morris had 25 points and nine rebounds and the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Raptors, 110-99.
Andre Drummond narrowly missed a second straight 20-20 game with 22 points and 17 rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons beat the New York Knicks, 115-109. — AFP

Fight continues for the UST Golden Tigresses

UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 has turned out to be a rough one for the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses but the España-based spikers remained committed to their cause and vowed to continue fighting up to the end.
Currently outside of the playoff picture at 4-7 and with three games remaining in its schedule, UST still hopes to barge into the Final Four via the backdoor, riding the momentum it has built of late.
Following a 2-5 record in the first round of the women’s volleyball tournament, the Tigresses has infused some life back in their campaign, going 2-2 in its last four matches, their victories coming in their last two — against the University of the Philippines and National University (NU) in that order.
Their somewhat turnaround has them still in contention for the final semifinal spot, something the Tigresses said they are eyeing keenly for the remainder of the elimination round.
“With this win I guess we still are in the race for the Final Four. But more than the standings this is big for our confidence and self-respect which was somehow diminished during our rough start to the tournament,” said UST coach Emilio “Kungfu” Reyes in the postgame press conference of their four-set win over NU on March 25.
In said game, the Tigresses went a set down early but showed the composure and determination needed as the game progressed, while stepping up their defense as well, to win back-to-back games and improve to 4-7 in the ongoing season while sending the Lady Bulldogs (6-5) to their fourth straight defeat.
The victory and the better showing is a welcome development for UST, which has to grapple with injuries to key players, including EJ Laure who is sitting out the entire Season 80, in the season and simply could not establish a winning momentum until recently.
While the rough start they had to the season has left them ruing, the Tigresses still feel all is not lost for them and that they still have time to make up for lost ground albeit it would require them to stay the course and compete harder.
“We are dealing with what is in our hands right now. What happened in the first round is over and done with. We cannot do anything about it anymore. So we are focusing on our remaining games and we will work hard in them,” Mr. Reyes said.
“It remains to be seen if it we will go to the next round but we will continue to fight to have a positive ending to our season,” he added.
UST next plays on Wednesday, April 4, against the Ateneo Lady Eagles. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

All-Star guards Nash and Kidd headline Naismith 2018 Hall of Fame class

LOS ANGELES — Former National Basketball Association (NBA) all-stars Steve Nash of Canada and American Jason Kidd headline the 2018 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class announced on Saturday.
Other inductees include ex-players Grant Hill, Ray Allen, Maurice Cheeks, longtime college basketball coach Lefty Driesell and female players Katie Smith and Tina Thompson.
Nash, who grew up in Victoria on Vancouver Island, is third among the NBA’s all-time assist leaders.
He is one of just a dozen players to have won consecutive MVP honors, doing it in 2005 and 2006.
Born in South Africa, Nash made eight All-Star Games and was a seven-time All-NBA selection, including a first-team selection three times.
“To cap a career in this way. This is an individual recognition, but truly what makes this special is to share in my journey with so many people that go in with me,” said Nash, who led the NBA in assists five times.
Kidd is a 10-time NBA All-Star and six-time All-NBA selection player.
Like Nash, Kidd is considered one of the best passers in NBA history.
“I would like to thank the Hall of Fame for doing this. And again, this being a team sport, it’s about my teammates and coaches, so hopefully I’m representing them well here today,” Kidd said.
He finished his career second all-time in assists and steals and third all-time in triple-doubles.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 7 at the Springfield Symphony Hall in Massachusetts. — AFP

TRI-Factor Asian series now in PHL

LOCAL TRIATHLON gets further boost as top Asian multisport brand TRI-Factor holds the third leg of its Asian Championship Series in Camarines Sur in May with a slew of rising and leading triathletes in the region expected to see action.
Put up to provide multi-sport beginners, enthusiasts and veteran triathletes — even kids — a venue to hone their talent and skills in swimming, biking and running, the TRI-Factor have grown from organizing multi-sport events in Singapore to creating the premier short-course championship series across the Asian region.
It features kids triathlon (100, swim-5 km bike-1 km run), freshmen triathlon (200 m swim-10 km bike-2 km run), sprint triathlon (750 m swim-20 km bike-5 km run), standard triathlon (1.5 km-40 km bike-10 km run) and long triathlon (1.5 km swim-60 km bike-15 km run).
The Asian Championship 2018 series will kick off in Singapore on April 22 then to China on May 13 before action shifts to the Philippines on May 25-27 at Camsur Watersports Complex in Camarines Sur.
The TRI-Factor is also staged to promote an active and healthy lifestyle, particularly among the youth. Its staging in the country comes at a time when local triathlon is enjoying tremendous boom.
Founded in 2009, TRI-Factor is aimed at building a community and culture of Asian athletes racing with the region with its short distances and secured courses allowing beginners to master swimming, cycling and running and prepare them for the regular triathlon events.
Each TRI-Factor race finish gives athletes points counting toward a year-end ranking. For the Asian Championship series, each race will be assigned a Race Course index depending on the degree of difficulty where points awarded will be multiplied with the index, allowing athletes to rack up bigger points at the tougher races.

ONE carries more ‘punch’ in Manila return

ONE Championship presents its 13th live show in Manila later this month, carrying more “punch” as it debuts the highly anticipated ONE Super Series.
The Super Series is a unique martial arts league that will feature other Asian martial art forms like Muay Thai, Lethwei, Silat, Karate, Taekwondo, Sambo, Kung Fu, Sanda and Wushu.
It is hoped that through it martial artists will have another pathway to showcase what they can do on a professional level.
ONE, Asia’s largest sports media property, is angling to get added dimension from the Super Series to complement the world-class mixed martial arts offerings it has become known for since setting up shop in 2011.
The various-styled bouts of the Super Series unveils its maiden offering at “ONE: Heroes of Honor” on April 20 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
It will feature the battle between international kickboxing superstar Giorgio Petrosyan of Italy and 25-year-old “Smokin’” Jo Nattawut of Thailand.
The bout will be part of the card to be headlined by the bantamweight battle of Filipino Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon against American Andrew Leone.
Mr. Petrosyan, 32, is known as one of the finest kickboxing talents in the world. He began his professional Muay Thai career at the age of 16 competing between bantamweight and middleweight, winning multiple titles across each division.
Carrying a kickboxing record of 85-2-2, with two no contests, Mr. Petrosyan has punctuated his illustrious career with an incredible six-year, 42-bout win streak which is considered one of the most dominant reigns in middleweight history.
On the other hand, Mr. Nattawut is a kickboxing star from Atlanta, Georgia, with a professional kickboxing record of 60-11-2. Originally from Korat, Thailand, he is a former Lion Fight Super Welterweight Champion and World Muaythai Council Champion, known for his powerful elbow and knee strikes.
“In the same way that Starbucks offers many flavors of coffee and tea, we offer all martial arts. ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. We have earned that reputation over the last couple of years, and so instead of mixed martial arts, as a fight fan and as a martial arts lover, you now get to see all forms of martial arts for the very first time in history,” said Chatri Sityodtong, ONE chairman and CEO, in a recent conference call with global media whose transcript was shared to BusinessWorld.
“So you will see matches of, you know, Muay Thai versus Taekwondo, or Taekwondo versus Kung Fu, and the list goes on and on. This is a massive game-changing moment, not just for ONE Championship but also for the world of martial arts,” he added.
Also at Heroes of Honor, all bouts are expected to be held inside the new ring, including those that are officiated under ONE’s Global Rule Set.
This means that, for the first time in ONE Championship history, MMA contests will be held in the ring instead of in the cage.
Details and specifications of the new ring have yet to be released by ONE but it said it would do so in the lead-up to the April 20 event. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Gradual expansion for the MPBL

Makati, San Juan, Pasig, Laguna, and Rosario, Cavite, any of these places, or even all of them, could become part of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League’s (MPBL) expansion next conference.
Representatives from these cities had already signified their intention to join by sending a letter of intent. They’ve also attended the league’s initial meetings, which could make them part of the MPBL beginning next conference in June.
Makati will be handled by Cholo Villanueva.
He served as an assistant coach to Franz Pumaren at GlobalPort in the Philippine Basketball Association and said he plans to build a competitive and fast-paced team. Currently, the team is moving from different barangays to look for players, but just like the other teams already competing in the MPBL’s inaugural staging, the team wants to take advantage of getting five ex-pros to shore up the roster.
San Juan has tapped Francis Rodriguez, its old coach in the Metropolitan Basketball Association, and with former Senator Jinggoy Estrada bankrolling the squad, expect the Knights to relive their glory days.
Presently, several ex-pros who have tried out for a spot include Mac Cardona and EJ Feihl.
Laguna is an interesting participant and it will have the Alonte Sports Complex as its homecourt as soon as it gets on board.
Pasig was among those which showed keen interest in joining the fledgling league, whose participants could move up to 15 come next conference.
Now known as the Rios, representatives from Pasig even gave MPBL founder Manny Pacquiao and Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes a replica jersey.
Rosario was the latest to send a letter of intent and is scheduled to meet MPBL officials.
The MPBL-Anta Rajah Cup just started its playoffs and this early, teams are determined to be part of the growing family of this new regional league. By next year, expect the league to go down south and cater to teams from Visayas and Mindanao.
“We just have to carefully study the logistics and the expenses that will be needed and learn from the mistakes of the past league, MBA, which has a similar format,” said Duremdes.
To recall, The MBA got off to a great start but fell under the financial load of the expenses needed in home-and-away games, flying back and forth from north to south.
As for the MPBL, the league started is off to a good start. Slowly but surely, it will become a national league for every Filipino.
After all, the MPBL is Liga Ng Bawat Pilipino.
 
Rey Joble has been a sportswriter covering the PBA games for more than a decade. He is a member of the PBA Press Corps and Philippine Sportswriters Association, the oldest journalism group in the country.
reyjoble09@gmail.com

Wizards’ playoff push

“We don’t know who we play, and we really don’t care who we play,” head Coach Scott Brooks said when asked about the Wizards’ preferences for the first round of the postseason. The premise of the query was sound. After all, they had lost four of their last five games heading into yesterday’s homestand against the Hornets. And were the playoffs to begin today, they would be facing the dysfunctional-but-always-dangerous Cavaliers starring All-World LeBron James. Still, the bench tactician wasn’t wrong to focus on the positives. As he argued, “we just want to play well.”
In this regard, Brooks was, no doubt, buoyed by the return to action of acknowledged leader John Wall. The Wizards floundered in his two-month absence due to injury, going 15 and 12 after looking all roses at the start. Clearly, they need him to right the ship through their last six regular-season matches and into the playoffs, especially if they do wind up drawing the Cavaliers at the outset. And if his sterling showing yesterday is any indication, he’ll be able to do so.
Certainly, Brooks was pleased, describing Wall as a “Ferrari” who “got a lot of open shots for a lot of players. That’s what he does at the highest level.” Which is to say the break did him wonders. Prior to going under the knife for viscosupplementation and debridement of his troublesome left knee, he spent much of his time on the court seemingly stationary and far from his normal whirling-dervish self. Yesterday, he looked like he got back his bounce, with his spring and vision generating myriad open looks for teammates.
In the immediate term, Wall will most definitely help. The Wizards had hitherto looked listless and lost, especially against supposedly overmatched opponents; losses to the likes of the Knicks and the Pistons last week reflected their rudderless plight. Now, they’re at full strength and poised to make a run at a higher seeding in the East. A tall order with just a couple of weeks on the calendar? Perhaps. Then again, what’s most important is the effort, which, at best, sustains momentum. Again, as Brooks contended, “we just want to play well.”
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

PET set to start recount on 2016 VP race

By Dane Angelo M. Enerio
THE Supreme Court (SC), acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), begins on Monday what it calls the revision of votes between Vice-President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo and her rival in the 2016 vice-presidential contest, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.
Revision is the “process of verifying the physical count of the ballots; to recount the votes of the parties; and to record the objections or claims of the parties; to mark the ballots objected to or claimed by the parties,” according to PET spokesperson lawyer Jose Lemuel S. Arenas.
Ms. Robredo edged out Mr. Marcos in the said race with 263,473 votes, following the latter’s lead throughout Election Day. This   prompted Mr. Marcos to file an election protest.
The revision — which has been delayed twice — will only cover three provinces chosen by each party.
Mr. Marcos’s chosen provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Oriental will be the first to undergo the process.
The revision will take place at the SC and Court of Appeals’ (CA) converted gymnasium at the 5th floor of their premises in Padre Faura, Manila.
They will be conducted by revision committees (RC) composed of a head revisor hired by the PET and one revisor each from the parties of Ms. Robredo and Mr. Marcos.
Mr. Arenas said the revisors were private individuals who applied and undergone an interview, a psychological test to dispel bias, and an aptitude test.
It will run from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with short breaks in between for the RCs.
RCs will be given a time limit of five hours and 30 minutes for boxes with less than 300 ballots, 8 hours and 15 minutes for boxes with 300-699 ballots, and 11 hours for boxes with more than 700 ballots.
Mr. Arenas explained they plan to hire more head revisors as only 40 RCs will be present on Monday despite the site being able to accommodate up to 50 RCs.
He also pointed out that a total of 5,418 ballot boxes have been retrieved by PET, each representing a clustered precinct from Mr. Marcos’s chosen provinces.
Only 1,400 boxes from Camarines Sur, however, were present on-site at the SC/CA due to limited storage capabilities, he added.
The remaining boxes will be moved in once the RCs are done with the initial 1,400.
Lawyer Ma. Carina M. Cunanan, another PET representative, said the site is monitored by CCTV surveillance and a handful of security personnel, who they plan to augment in the future.
She pointed out that aside from the regular SC security, also present were personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Ms. Robredo will attend Mass on Monday morning before proceeding to the SC for the recount, according to her camp.
The Marcos camp in its latest statement called on its supporters “to remain calm and be with us in prayers.”

PDP-Laban’s Senate slate being finalized

By Camille A. Aguinaldo
SENATE PRESIDENT Aquilino L. Pimentel III said the senatorial slate of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP Laban) for the upcoming 2019 midterm elections would be finalized by September.“Definitely September, it’s final,” he said in an interview with reporters.
Mr. Pimentel, who is also PDP-Laban president, said he would reconcile the list of nominees for the lineup with the ruling party’s secretary-general House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez after the Lenten break. Both Messrs. Pimentel and Alvarez earlier bared their preferred senatorial candidates under the PDP-Laban banner, with the former taking in five reelectionist senators belonging to the Senate majority bloc.
Mr. Pimentel is seeking reelection in the midterm polls, along with majority bloc Senators Juan Edgardo M. Angara, Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay, Joseph Victor G. Ejercito, Grace Poe S. Llamanzares-Poe and Cynthia A. Villar. Senator Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV, the lone reelectionist under the Senate minority bloc, has said he would be joining the “genuine opposition” senatorial slate.
The Senate leader also noted that President Rodrigo R. Duterte, being the ruling party’s chairman, would still have the last word on the senatorial lineup.
“The Speaker and I are working on coming up with a semi-final list. And then, of course, we will finalize it with the President,” he said.
“This is because we will ask his help campaigning for his people whom he will endorse and raise hands during the campaign. He will mention their characteristics and accomplishments. The President should be confident with the PDP-Laban lineup for senators,” he added in a mix of Filipino and English.
Asked if Mr. Duterte would actively participate in the campaign trail, Mr. Pimentel said, “I think he would love to campaign for his senatorial candidates.”
Aside from consultations with the party chairman, Mr. Pimentel said they would also conduct an internal survey to determine who among the nominees would have the “political strength” to win.
He added that the party would also examine the nominees’ track record as well as their support for the political party and its chairman, Mr. Duterte. He also reiterated that candidates under the PDP-Laban banner should be not against federalism, or should at least be open to the party’s advocacy, in order to have a unified message in the upcoming elections.
“When we are in the same stage campaigning in 2019, I hope that we will not be out of tune….My prediction is that, especially if the plebiscite is conducted at the same time with the elections, it will be a campaign issue or campaign topic. I hope we have one voice when it came to federalism,” Mr. Pimentel said.

Guidelines issued on minors in entertainment

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) on Sunday, April 1, announced the amended rules on the hiring of minors in public entertainment.
The rules under newly issued Department Circular No. 2 series of 2018 are applicable to minors who are “picked or chosen as a contestant from the audience of a live television; a contestant of a singing, dance or talent contest for a television show but has not yet been selected as a semifinalist; a recipient of gift-giving activities in television; a participant in school-related performance such as play, skit, or recital; a participant in sports activities, trainings or workshops aimed at developing the child’s talent or skills.”
DoLE in a statement also said minors “who will be featured in a documentary material will no longer need to secure a work permit prior to engaging in public entertainment or information related projects.”
“In case the child in the documentary material is engaged in child labor, the producer shall refer the child to the nearest DoLE regional/provincial/field office for the necessary services needed by the child and his/her family.”
The said circular covers children and adolescents below 15 years of age who are engaged in public entertainment or information.
As for the child laborer, the producer “is enjoined not to disclose his/her identity including his or her photographs, images or video footages for the best interest of the minor pursuant to the Guide for Media Practitioners on the Reporting and Coverage of Cases Involving Children.”
“For group working permits, the DoLE Office must issue a group permit for children appearing in a single project covering those without working child permit yet.”
Also under the new rule, “in case there is a need to re-schedule the performance of the child outside the validity period indicated in the Working Child Permit, the employer shall notify in writing the DoLE regional/provincial/field office which issued the permit at least two days prior to the performance of the work.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

1...11,19411,19511,196...12,610Page 11,195 of 12,610
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube