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Close call

Absent any information on and about the Sixers’ homestand yesterday, National Basketball Association habitues can be forgiven for making assumptions in support of the final score. That the hosts had a close call against the otherwise-stumbling Cavaliers gave rise to speculation that All-Star Joel Embiid was again sidelined, and that visiting counterpart Kevin Love, meanwhile, had a monster outing. In truth, it was the opposite, the former managed to burn rubber for 34 minutes, while the latter stuck to schedule and rested.
To be sure, the Sixers didn’t have their full complement; starter Jimmy Butler was likewise held out. Still, there can be no excusing their effort, or, to be more precise, relative lack thereof; they blitzed the Cavaliers early as expected, but then fell prey to careless mistakes and allowed the supposed patsies to keep close the rest of the way. A whopping 21 turnovers and just 85 field goal attempts all told against one of the league’s most porous defenses helped tell the tale. And, significantly, Embiid himself proved far from his best; in a performance he described as “trash,” he canned only six of 16 stabs at the basket on aggregate.
In the end, though, the Sixers were simply too talented to lose, even on an evident off day. They held the Cavaliers to under 40% shooting and grabbed 60 rebounds, 19 by Embiid. And, significantly, he was solid in the clutch; with the red, white, and blue up by just one in the final minute, he came up with an offensive rebound, a dunk, a block, and four straight free throws to ensure victory. If nothing else, it provided even more evidence of his importance to the cause of the Finals hopefuls.
Perhaps the Sixers are already looking ahead to the postseason. They likely figured the Cavaliers, on the second day of a back-to-back set, would be fodder at the Wells Fargo Center, and so acted accordingly. In keeping Butler off-duty, though, they failed to account for highly motivated opponents fresh from an emphatic triumph versus the powerhouse Raptors. Their gamble ultimately paid off despite their foibles, but because of Embiid, and not without a scare. In any case, he’s not worried. “By playoff time, we’ll be back to normal,” he said. Needless to say, fans have their fingers crossed he’s right.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Rebel-turned-peacemaker: Ghazali Jaafar, 75

FLAGS were flown half-mast at the Bangsamoro People’s Compound in Cotabato City in honor of Ghazali Jaafar, one of the most prominent leaders of the Moro armed struggle and later negotiator for peace.
Mr. Jaafar, 75, succumbed to a lingering illness at around 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13, at Metro Davao Medical Research Center Hospital in Davao City.
“Itong latest na nangyari dito sa ospital sa Davao, ang findings sa kanya ng mga doktor ay nag-malfunction ang kanyang kidneys at meron siyang parang asthma,” said professor Raby B. Angkal, chief of staff of the Office of the Chairman of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) and aide of Mr. Jaafar, in a phone interview on Wednesday, March 13. (The latest that happened in the hospital in Davao, the doctors found out that his kidneys had malfunctioned and he had asthma).
Mr. Angkal said Mr. Jaafar was hospitalized in Manila last year after the bicameral meeting on the proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
“Nu’ng after bicam, nagkaroon na siya ng panghihina. Nu’ng sinuri siya sa St. Luke’s [Medical Center], may diperensya siya sa puso, then tinakbo siya sa [Philippine] Heart Center, nagkaroon muna po siya ng masusing gamutan ng puso…gumaling pa siya diyan,” said Mr. Angkal. (After the bicam, he was already getting weak. When he was brought to St. Luke’s, he had a heart problem, then he was rushed to Heart Center, he had a thorough heart medication,…his condition improved).
But after the BOL was ratified early this year, Mr. Angkal said Mr. Jaafar became weaker.
“Pero after ratification ng BOL, lalo siyang humina. Ito na nga three days before, napasok na siya sa ospital sa Davao at kaninang gabi nga po ay napasok sa ICU [Intensive Care Unit], at ‘yun na po hindi na naka-recover,” said Mr. Angkal. (He got weaker after the ratification of BOL. Three days before, he was rushed to the hospital in Davao and last night he was brought to the ICU and he was not able to recover).
Mr. Jaafar was first vice -chairperson of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), witnessing the beginnings of his rebel group’s transition into the mainstream and the Bangsamoro region into an official autonomous region.
He was chairman of the BTC, which drafted what would become the Bangasamoro Organic Law following the peace deal between the MILF and the government.
BTA Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim said the passing of his comrade in the MILF, who was among those who started their movement in the 1960s, is “a big loss to the leadership of the BARMM and the MILF.” He described Mr. Jaafar as “someone who dedicated most of his life to the Bangsamoro struggle.”
Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito G. Galvez Jr., said in a statement, “We will never forget that despite his health condition, Jaafar went the extra mile to join several campaign rallies to push for the realization of the Moro people’s aspiration for a genuine and meaningful autonomy.”
“Jaafar selflessly dedicated and devoted his life for others. Truly, he is a man of peace,” Mr. Galvez said.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador L. Panelo said in a statement, “Mr. Jaafar was a warrior of peace…. The Palace takes this opportunity to send our heartfelt condolences to the family members and friends of Mr. Jaafar. He has fought many battles for peace and may Allah grant him a place in Jannah (Paradise).”
Armed Forces of the Philippines Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgard A. Arevalo said Mr. Jaafar “has been instrumental to the quest for peace in Mindanao as AFP’s dependable partner in that elusive aspiration. His insights and dedication as a person and as a peace advocate will be his enduring legacy— not only to the Bangsamoro people but to the entire nation as well.”
Lt. Gen. Arnel B. Dela Vega, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, said Mr. Jaafar’s “legacy as a peace stalwart and devoted leader shall live on. His contribution to the peace efforts of the government and the security forces shall forever be remembered.”
In its statement, the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy said in part, “His passing is a big loss to the MILF and the newly created Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BARMM). Jaafar has served as the first chairman of MILF panel when peace negotiations started in 1997 which resulted (in) a cease-fire agreement with the government.”
“While, he might not have lived to see the inaugural session of the BARMM his contributions will long be remembered and treasured.” — Tajallih S. Basman and Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

PHL to EU: Stop funding Red fronts

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
THE PHILIPPINE government has asked the European Union (EU) to stop funding “communist front organizations” in the Philippines.
In a press briefing at the Palace on Wednesday, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations Brigadier General Antonio Parlade, Jr. said the Philippine delegation to the EU asked the foreign organization last month to stop funding identified communist “terrorist” front organizations in the country.
He also said a legal group under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Insurgency is currently “consolidating” the government’s evidence against its identified “communist front organizations” allegedly being funded by the EU.
The formal complaint will be filed before the EU “maybe next month,” Mr. Parlade said.
“The earlier the better…. They (the EU) wanted us to move fast also because the next tranche of funds could be released anytime soon. So they wanted to make sure that they have these documents before they release the succeeding tranche of [funds],” he said.
‘A LOT OF FUNDS’
“Sa ating pagre-research, nakita natin na ang dami po nung funding na nakukuha nitong mga organizations na ito (In our research, we saw that these organizations have been receiving a lot of funds), specifically from the European Union. Ang nakita natin na (What we saw that was) very clear [was] the release of some 622,000 euros para doon sa (for the) Rural Missionaries of the Philippines and they are proudly displaying the logo of the European Union without [them] knowing na ito pala ay mga (that these are communist) front organizations,” Mr. Parlade said further.
He added that the government has also engaged with the Ambassador of EU in Manila “and we found out that the EU is also planning to release another 1.3 million euros [for the] succeeding projects…being undertaken by the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines.”
The Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, according to its website, is an “inter-congregational” organization of religious men and women, priests, and lay people.
‘FRONTS’
Mr. Parlade said there are “seven” existing Belgian organizations in Manila. Under these Belgian organizations, he said, are “front organizations” of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
“I’m not at liberty to divulge to you right now itong mga…pangalan nitong mga organizations na ito (the names of these organizations). But ang very clear doon na nasa (on the) front page ng ano [of the CPP website] are these IBON and KARAPATAN,” he said.
IBON Foundation is a non-profit research organization while KARAPATAN describes itself as “an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense of people’s rights and civil liberties.”
Mr. Parlade said the government has already identified “around 30” front organizations in Mindanao being funded by the EU.
“Sa Mindanao pa lang iyon. Mayroon pang Visayas, mayroong Luzon…so I don’t know. Maybe aabot sa daan ang organization na pinopondohan nito (That is in Mindanao alone. There are also organizations in the Visayas and Luzon. So I don’t know. Maybe the number of EU-funded organizations will reach hundreds),” he said.

Catholic Church steps up effort to stop charging of services

GUIDELINES are being set up for the gradual removal in the Catholic Church of the arancel system, or the Church “practice of giving stipends to priests for specific church services,” the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said.
Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan scrapped the system of charging fixed rates for sacraments and sacramentals in his archdiocese as early as 2015, the CBCP, citing that example, said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Bishops take everything into consideration because their parishes have varying realities,” the statement noted.
In Manila, the country’s largest archdiocese, some parishes have already started ‘to calibrate their finances’ towards the removal of arancel.
Fr. Roy Bellen of the Manila archdiocese’s communications office said the target is to end the arancel system by 2021, the fifth centenary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines.
“This hopefully can be a gauge of the faithful of their change of paradigm in support the Church rather than thinking of ‘buying the sacraments’ from the Church,” he said.
Saying that sacraments are gifts from God, Pope Francis has repeatedly urged churches to give services freely, the statement noted.
“The latest to follow suit is Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga who ordered the removal of fees for funeral masses and blessings in his diocese,” the statement said.
“Financial obligations from the perspective of the Church are not of prime importance and must not be a burden to them,” Bishop Santos wrote in a circular on Tuesday. He also ordered that no fees for masses must be required by priests even for those in funeral parlors and memorial chapels.
“We should not obliged them either for the arancel, but we can be open for their free will to give or donate for the Church.”
Bishop Santos said their next plan is to start removing arancel on baptism, weddings, confirmation and Masses in the few years to come.

DENR issues reminder that Mt. Sto Tomas still closed to tourism, other activities

THE MOUNT Sto. Tomas Forest Reserve in Tuba, Benguet remains closed to all activities, including tourism and anthropological pursuits, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reminded the public. In a notice released on March 12, DENR-Cordillera Administrative Region Director Ralph C. Pablo reiterated that Mt Sto. Tomas is still under the restrictions of a Writ of Kalikasan, Permanent Environment Protection Order, and continuing mandamus issued by the Court of Appeals. “With this status, activities such as earth moving, cutting of trees, construction of houses and other buildings, illegal mining, expansion of vegetable gardens and other anthropological activities, which includes tourism-related activities are prohibited,” Mr. Pablo said. The notice explained that the current status of the mountain “was issued to secure for the present and future generation of the surrounding communities of Baguio City and Tuba, Benguet, a protected major source of potable water supply.” Mr. Pablo also stressed that “all requests in violation of the prohibitions to enter” will “automatically denied.”

Former Kris Aquino business partner indicted

THE TAGUIG City prosecutor’s office indicted for estafa and fraudulent use of access device Nicardo M. Falcis III, a former business partner of television personality Kristina Bernadette “Kris” C. Aquino.
In a 10-page resolution dated Feb. 11, Assistant State Prosecutor Claire Eufracia P. Pagayanan found probable cause and recommended the filing of charges against Mr. Falcis for estafa through misappropriation and conversion and violation of Section 9(j) of Republic Act No. 8484 or Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998.
Ms. Aquino filed the complaint accusing Mr. Falcis of making unauthorized purchases amounting to P62,784.32 for his personal benefit using the corporate credit card of Kristina C. Aquino (KCAP), where he was the managing director.
The complaint of qualified theft, meanwhile, was dismissed as the evidence presented by Ms. Aquino “failed to establish the existence” of all the elements of crime of qualified theft which include “taking of personal property.”
The Divina Law firm, in a statement posted on Ms. Aquino’s social media account, said: “The truth has finally come out and we are hopeful that all other cases filed against Nicko Falcis will reach the courts and he will be accountable for his crimes.”
On the other hand, Mr. Falcis, in a statement posted on the social media account of his brother Jesus M. Falcis, said the prosecutor’s decision is “absurd and ridiculous when compared to the logic and findings of the Office of the City Prosecutors of Makati and Pasig, who we are grateful for not having buckled under the pressure of an Aquino.”
Ms. Aquino is the daughter of the late President Corazon C. Aquino and sister to former President Benigno S.C. Aquino III.
“The prosecutors of the two cities have emphasized that there was no violation of R.A. 8484 because the credit card I used was in my name and was not stolen, lost, expired, revoked, canceled, suspended, or obtained with intent to defraud. The Taguig prosecutors seem to be lawyering for Kris Aquino…” he said. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

PECO gets 20-day TRO vs MORE Power

THE MANDALUYONG Regional Trial Court Branch 209 approved on March 13 Panay Electric Company, Inc.’s (PECO) petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against More Electric and Power Co. (MORE Power), effective for 20 days. The court said sections 10 and 17 of Republic Act 11212, which grants MORE Power the franchise to distribute power in Iloilo City, violates PECO’s rights to due process. “Sections 10 and 17 violate PECO’s right to due process because it allows MORE to seize PECO’s private property under the guise of eminent domain. In essence, it directs the turnover of PECO’s business to MORE as the new franchise holder and authorizes MORE to usurp all the distribution assets that PECO has built, developed, and invested in over the years,” the court decision reads. The TRO also covers the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) and provisional authority to operate. PECO Administrative Manager Marcelo U. Cacho, in an interview, said their next move would be to seek the granting of their application for preliminary injunction against MORE Power. “The law naman is on our side,” he said. MORE Power Chief Executive Officer and President Roel Z. Castro, meanwhile, said, “As we are always saying, we will respect the decision of the court. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

Megaworld gets Iloilo City council nod on transport hub proposal

THE ILOILO City council has approved Megaworld Corp.’s proposal to build and operate a transport hub within its 72-hectare Iloilo Business Park in the Mandurriao district. In an ordinance approved last March 5, the Sanguniang Panlungsod said the transport hub shall be used exclusively for vans and shuttle buses with franchises issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). “The transport hub shall be used exclusively and limitedly only to UV Express, Tourist and Chartered Vans and Bus and Shuttle Buses with a valid and existing franchise issued by LTFRB,” Councilor Plaridel C. Nava, chairman of the council’s transportation committee, said. Public utility jeepneys that cover the city loop route and taxis, meanwhile, shall be allowed to pick up and deliver passengers at the parking space within the transport hub without a fee from Megaworld. Mr. Nava added that the “Megaworld Transport Hub” will serve as the pilot terminal for the modern e-jeepneys in the city. “It is part of the city government’s effort to serve as pilot terminal for the modernized jeepneys,” he said. During the public hearing prior to the project approval, Mr. Nava said Megaworld representatives stressed the need to provide transportation service for business processes outsourcing (BPO) employees within the Iloilo Business Park. “According to Megaworld, there are about 25,000 BPO employees from the nearby municipalities and provinces that need transportation round the clock, excluding other workers within the vicinity of the Iloilo Business Park that may reach up to 30,000,” Mr. Nava said. Iloilo City’s Public Safety and Transportation Management Office head Jeck Conlu, in a separate interview, said the planned transport hub is a welcome development for the city. “The proposal is economically beneficial because we can provide means of transportation (for the BPO workers)… Finally we can also boast a modern terminal like Manila” Mr. Conlu said. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

Dry spell destroys almost 25MT of rice in Iloilo

ILOILO province, the fifth largest producer of rice in the country and the top in the Visayas, has lost 24,692 metric tons (MT) of the crop due to the prevailing dry spell brought about by the El Niño phenomenon. Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Elias V. Sandig, in an interview Tuesday, March 12, said their monitoring and validation as of Feb. 28 puts the damage at P401 million, with almost 13,630 rice farmers from the 32 towns in the province affected. “Based on our report , 11,000 hectares are affected. Out of the total number, 1,575 hectares were totally damaged while 9,518 hectares were partially damaged,” he said. The affected towns were mostly “highly vulnerable areas” in the southern part of the province where the rainy season is only four to six months a year, Mr. Sandig added. The provincial board is already studying the declaration of a state of calamity to allow the use of emergency funds to help farmers. In the Western Visayas as a whole, Department of Agriculture Regional Executive Director Remelyn R. Recoter said they are now assessing the conduct of cloud seeding, taking into consideration high-value crops that are vulnerable to rain. “Before cloud seeding, we need to validate the standing crops since we need to consider the standing crops that are not favorable to rain,” she said in a phone interview. Ms. Recoter also assured that they already prepositioned assets for the rehabilitation of affected areas, particularly the buffer stocks of seeds for the next cropping. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

IBP-Cebu offers legal help to family of teen rape-murder victim

THE CEBU chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has offered legal assistance to the family of the 16-year-old girl who was brutally killed and believed to have been raped in Lapu-Lapu City. “We as a society must at all times be vigilant against all dangers to our children, the Chapter for its part given the chance will provide legal service aid in the prosecution of the culprits to the vicious crime when caught,” IBP-Cebu chapter said in a statement. The body of a 16-year-old girl was found in a vacant lot in Barangay Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu last March 11. The lawyers’ group also said it condemns all violent and abusive acts against women and children in particular. “The brutal killing of the teenage girl in Lapu-Lapu is an act of pure evil and we call upon our authorities to catch the monster/s responsible. We also call upon witnesses to come out and speak for the early resolution of this dastardly act,” it said. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas
>> See related story on The Freeman https://goo.gl/WjMP1D

New Kibawe-Kalilangan road in Bukidnon to cut travel time by half

THE 53.4-kilometer Kibawe-Kadingilan-Kalilangan (KKK) Road in Bukidnon, which is expected to cut travel time by half to one hour between the towns of Kibawe and Kalilangan, is almost complete, the Department of Public Works and Highways-Northern Mindanao (DPWH-10) announced yesterday. “With the completion of KKK Road, we expect to increase not just the economic activity in Region 10 but also to provide unhampered access to the thousands of motorists traversing the network,” DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar said in a statement. The project is also seen to provide a better link between Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental. Under the 2018 national budget, P101 million was allocated for the last phase of the road project, which covers road paving and stone masonry of a 2.287-kilometer road section along the national road that will improve the Cagayan de Oro-Bukidnon link. Eight bridges along the entire road length were also included, namely: Malatipay, Manubiray, Kiorayag, Mig-asa, Kidangin, Ukitan, Mulita, and Apolang.

DENR orders relocation of gold ore mills in Compostela Valley

DAVAO CITY — BALL MILL facilities for gold ore extracted from Mt. Diwalwal in Compostela Valley have been given until this weekend to move out and transfer to a government-designated site as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is set to rehabilitate the Naboc River.
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Chamberlain J. Babiera, in a statement on Monday, said the ball mill operators agreed last month to the issuance of a cease and desist order (CDO) effective March 15.
“We will not be stopping their livelihood; we just want them to continue their operation at the Mabatas area,” he said, where government agencies can more closely monitor their operations.
The operators sought an extension of their stay in Mt. Diwalwal, but the Program Monitoring and Coordination Committee of the National Task Force Diwalwal declined the request, noting that they were already ordered to leave the area more than 15 years ago.
In 2003, then President now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Executive Order No. 217, which, among others ordered the transfer of the ball mills to Mabatas as these were polluting the Naboc River with chemicals such as mercury.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) said there are about 300 ball mills in the area.
Mr. Babiera said they will strictly implement the transfer and continue to monitor the area to ensure that the CDO is complied with.
“There has to be periodic monitoring on all plants issued with CDO as they might reopen after the issuance,” he said.
He added that the Department of Social Welfare and Development will also assist those who will be affected.
Patrick Kim Evangelio, the provincial government’s trade and industry specialist, earlier said that while gold production has been one of the main sources of livelihood in Compostela Valley, the local government has not been getting the appropriate revenues from the industry.
“Most of the mining activities in the province are small-scale and are not covered with permits. So, aside from not being able to pay their appropriate taxes, stakeholders do not even sell their produce to the legitimate buyer (the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas),” said Mr. Evangelio.
Most of the gold produced by small-scale miners are usually sold in the black market., he added.
A 1998 report by the MGB regional office placed Compostela Valley’s gold deposits at 36, 328,699 metric tons, one of the biggest in the world. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

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