How PSEi member stocks performed — February 22, 2019
Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Friday, February 22, 2019.
Philippine Stock Exchange’s most active stocks by value turnover — February 22, 2019.
US clarifies drug war stand as claimed by Palace
By Arjay L. Balinbin
Reporter
THE government of the United States remains concerned about the human rights situation in the Philippines amid President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s drug war, a US Embassy press attache said over the weekend when sought for comment.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo announced in a press briefing last week that US Ambassador Sung Y. Kim and the US-Philippines Society, a bilateral organization based in Washington, D.C., had met with Mr. Duterte at Malacañang on Feb. 20.
The meeting, according to Mr. Panelo, centered on the administration’s drug war. “The US Ambassador said that the US government supports the fight against drugs,” he said.
Asked for more details about the meeting, Trude Raizen, acting press attache at the US Embassy in Manila, said via e-mail on Saturday, Feb. 23: “We have privately discussed our concerns with the prosecution of the drug war directly with the Philippine government, and we will continue to do so. We remain committed to human rights protection around the world.”
She added that both parties “discussed a range of bilateral, regional, and international issues of concern to the United States and the Philippines.”
The US, she also said, “faces its own challenge with illicit drugs, and we want to work together to end drug trafficking and support those with substance use disorders in accordance with international human rights standards.”
“We remain dedicated to working with the Philippine government to strengthen the criminal justice system, counter transnational crime, improve respect for human rights, and reduce drug demand through prevention, treatment, and recovery programs,” she explained.
Ms. Raizen said further that the US government supports the efforts of the Philippine government “to counter the harmful effects of illicit drug trafficking through our assistance programs with police, prosecutors, and judges to prevent, investigate, and successfully prosecute transnational crimes.”
Mr. Duterte instructed the police last week to step up its operations against drug trafficking in the country. “I’m declaring war and I’ve raised it to the level of a national security [threat],” he said in a media interview on Feb. 20. “Destroy my country and I will kill you,” he added.
“I’m just reiterating my warning here that this drug problem is a national security threat. Meaning to say it can destroy the Philippines. And the order is: destroy the enemy.”
In a statement on Feb. 22, Commission on Human Rights Spokesperson Jacqueline C. de Guia said: “Since the start of the campaign against illegal drugs, the Commission has expressed its support for it but repeatedly denounced the methods used. We recognize the need to address the drug problem and if the methods need to be harsh, we will not question it for as long as it is in accordance with the rule of law and does not result to loss of lives.”
“While the President’s ‘harsher drug war’ remark might be intended to forewarn those who are into the business of doing drugs, threatening to kill can be interpreted as a directive and embolden state agents to dismiss due process,” she also said.
De Lima marks 2nd year in detention
SUNDAY, Feb. 24, marked opposition Senator Leila M. De Lima’s second year in detention, a situation flagged by her allies as well as international groups as a highlight of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s administration. In her statement, Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo said in part, “my prayers and best wishes go to my friend and fellow Bicolana, Leila….I have no doubt, the day will come soon, when you will walk under free skies, head held high in vindication, to the thanks of all those you sacrificed your own freedom for.”
Duterte on Chinese illegals: ‘Let them work here’
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte will not order the deportation of Chinese nationals who are illegally working in the country, saying there are also at least 300,000 undocumented Filipino workers in China. “Iyong mga Chinese dito hayaan mo ‘yan na dito magtrabaho. Hayaan mo. Bakit? We have 300,000 Filipinos in China. Kaya hindi ako maka — sabihin, o umalis kayo dito, deport ka doon. Eh kung bigla paalisin ‘yun doon 300 of them?” Mr. Duterte said in his speech at a campaign rally by the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in Laguna. (Allow the Chinese to work here. Why? We have 300,000 Filipinos in China, and that is why I cannot tell them to leave or have them deported. What if they deport the 300,000 [Filipinos working China]?). — Arjay L. Balinbin
Reds slam gov’t petition to delist disappearance cases in UN
THE Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in a statement on Saturday slammed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for its call on the United Nations (UN) to delist disappearance cases filed before that body. “The AFP is shameless for wanting to revise historical records that trace the bloody trail of military abuses,” the CPP said in its statement. “The part played by military officials and soldiers in hundreds of abductions since the 1970s is indubitable. In fact, Gen. Jovito Palparan was convicted a few months ago for the abduction, illegal detention, torture and disappearance of activists Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan in 2006.” The government has asked the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances to delist 625 cases from 1975 to 2012. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
Laguna bank shuttered
THE Monetary Board has shuttered the Rural Bank of Mabitac in Laguna, the second lender to fold this year. A circular last Thursday by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) ordered the bank, which operates 14 extension offices across Southern Luzon, to stop its operations. The bank also ran two branches in Candelaria and Infanta, Quezon. As of end-2018, it held P367.1 million in deposits across 45,807 accounts, of which P288.3 million or 78.52% are insured. Individual depositors with balances of up to P100,000 can seek early payments if they do not have outstanding obligations to the bank, while corporate clients and account owners with bigger positions must file claims with the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. The Mabitac bank joins the Bagong Bangko Rural ng Malabang in Lanao del Sur as the second bank to be closed by the BSP this year. BSP shuttered 12 banks last year. — Melissa Luz T. Lopez
Measles cases rise to 688
By Emme Rose Santiagudo
Correspondent
THE number of suspected measles cases in Region 6 increased to 688 as of February 22, 2019, according to the Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DoH-CHD)-6.
So far, 33 cases were already confirmed, including a 4-day-old female infant from Bacolod City.
According to Mary Jane R. Juanico, Medical Officer III and Child Health team leader of DoH-CHD 6, the infant is so far the youngest confirmed and documented measles case.
“The youngest patient documented and confirmed positive was a 4-day-old infant from Bacolod City and the oldest was 64 year-old male from Hinigaran,” she said.
The infant was possibly infected by her mother who, according to Dr. Juanico, was diagnosed with fever and rashes.
“We are still waiting for the official report of the mother but the infant is safe and she has already been discharged from the Corazon Montelibano Locsin Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City,” the physician said.
Based on DOH-6 data, Negros Occidental still has the highest number of cases with 253, followed by Antique (161), Bacolod City (97), Iloilo Province (76), Aklan (40), Capiz (24), and Iloilo City (26).
The number of deaths remains at three.
Dr. Juanico said 75 percent of the suspected measles patients are unimmunized.
DoH-6 said it continues to step up immunization efforts, particularly the priority targets.
Based on the same DoH data, 2,607 children belonging to the age group of 6-59 months have already been vaccinated, including 1,238 health workers.
“For a child to be protected by at least 95%, they should get at least two doses of measles vaccine,” Dr. Juanico said.
Renilyn R. Reyes, DoH-6 medical officer IV, said, “If our immunization coverage is successful, for sure the cases will decrease,” she said.
“Out of the three deaths, two deaths are under five so they are more prone for complication and death. The efforts of DoH-6 and local government unit should be vaccinating all children under five,” she added.
This should be followed by targeting the second priority age groups, Dr. Reyes said. “These are children grade 1-7 children, nga na-immunize na naton (who were already immunized) last year supposedly but because of the different factors we need to do catch-up immunization. After health workers, those nga may (those who have) close contact, then adults. If there are still sufficient vaccines, then amo na pag-vaccinate sa (then we vaccinate) outside the priority areas.”
Health workers and local government units (LGUs) have started door-to-door immunization on measles, targeting unvaccinated children aged six to 59 months old to prevent the further spread of the virus.
Dr. Juanico said their goal is to provide technical assistance and to assess compliance with the set recommendations of DoH-6 like the kind of strategies they are employing so that they can vaccinate more children, and to check if the hospitals have their measles fast lanes and provision of isolation areas.
She also said nurses under the DoH’s Nurse Deployment Program will also provide vaccination services in public schools targeting unvaccinated learners in Grades 1 and 7 starting next week.
DoH-6 Regional Director Marlyn W. Convocar said for her part, “It’s possible that we increase the number of cases because of the awareness generated. That would be a good thing for us because mothers came out into the open. They brought their children to the health centers.”
Police recover 34 blocks of suspected cocaine
THIRTY-four blocks of suspected cocaine were found drifting ashore by two fishermen at Bungtod village in Tandag City on early Sunday. The provincial crime laboratory, in its examination, found that the bricks had dollar signs similar to those recovered at Dinagat Island on Feb. 12. The reported contraband will be further examined by the local drug enforcement agency. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
Remittance office given green light for expansion
THE Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) Inc.’s authorization as a remittance agent will allow it to expand its services, an official of the microfinance non-government organization said over the weekend. “We are happy because this initiative is a good start for us to provide affordable, fast, and easy remittance services to our clients,” said Jocelyn D. Dequito, CARD Inc. executive director, adding that the approval will allow it to replicate the remittance services of its sister companies as they are part of the Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI). CARD Sulit Padala — which includes CARD Bank, CARD SME Bank and CARD MRI Rizal Bank — imposes a one percent remittance fee on the amount sent. Ms. Dequito said CARD Inc. will roll out its services across 79 provinces. “With our extensive operation nationwide, this service will make the remittance activity of our clients more convenient,” she said. — Carmelito Q. Francisco
Ateneo comes back to defeat FEU in five sets
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE Ateneo Lady Eagles overcame a sluggish start to come back and beat the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws in five sets, 14-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-18 and 15-12, in their University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 81 encounter on Sunday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
Came out flat in the early goings of the contest, the Lady Eagles (2-1) dug deep to overcome being two sets down to pull the rug from under the Lady Tamraws to win their second straight game while sending FEU (1-2) to back-to-back losses.
Earlier in the day, the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses got back on the winning track and dealt the University of the Philippines Lady Fighting Maroons their first defeat of the season, 21-25, 25-22, 25-16 and 25-20.
The Lady Tamaraws had a hot start with contributions coming from different directions. They also capitalized on the eight errors of the Lady Eagles to sprint to a 25-14 count at the end of the first set.
In the second set Ateneo came out on a firmer footing with Kat Tolentino leading the charge.
But Celine Domingo and the Lady Tamaraws would not relent as they edged their way to an 8-6 lead by the first technical timeout.
Ateneo angled to come back only to find Heather Guino-o and rookie Lycha Ebon helping FEU to stay in control, 16-11, midway.
The Lady Eagles continued to show some fight at the homestretch of the second frame but they could not stop the Lady Tamaraws from going up two sets to none.
In the third set, Maddie Madayag spurred Ateneo to a strong start, with the team ahead in the first technical break, 8-5.
The two teams slugged it out after, fighting to a 16-15 count at the halfway point, with the Lady Eagles narrowly on top.
The Lady Eagles got some headway, 19-16, thereafter but the Lady Tamaraws fought back to within one point, 20-19.
FEU was not to come any closer as Ponggay Gaston and Bea De Leon pulled Ateneo to the set win and narrow the gap, 2-1.
Ateneo picked up where they it left off in the third set, blazing to a 16-9 advantage by the second technical timeout.
It will use it to pound on the Lady Tamaraws to force a deciding fifth set.
In the fifth, FEU regained some bearing to take command early, 8-6.
Ateneo levelled the score at 8-all after which a ferocious jostle followed.
The score was knotted at 12-all before the Lady Eagles steadied and soared for the next three points to secure the win.
Tolentino led Ateneo with 19 points in the win.
UST STOPS UP
Meanwhile in the first game, UST proved to be the steadier team as it sent erstwhile undefeated UP to its first loss of Season 81 in four sets.
It was a competitive start for UP and UST with the two teams spitting the first two sets following a spirited back-and-forth.
The Tigresses picked up their defense to start the third set, racing to a 4-1 lead which they would use to establish an 8-5 cushion by the first technical timeout.
UST continued to dictate the pace after, led by captain Sisi Rondina and Minela Alessandrini, on its way to an ever bigger lead of 16-8 midway into the frame.
The gallop of the Tigresses would not be stopped by the Lady Maroons as the former went for the set closeout, 25-16, to take a 2-1 series lead.
It was a tight one at the start of the fourth set but UP would beat UST at the first technical break, 8-6, with Isa Molde getting more involved in the contest.
UST though was undaunted, going on a 6-0 run to overtake UP, 12-8, thereafter, and then take a 16-10 lead by the second technical timeout.
Tots Carlos tried to rally the Lady Maroons back, towing her team to within two points, 17-15, before Rondina and the Tigresses killed the UP run with a 5-1 comeback to extend their lead to 22-16.
From there UST would stay the course on its way to the victory.
Allesandrini led the Tigresses (2-1) with 22 points, 19 coming from attacks and three from blocks.
Rookie Eya Laure added 18 points for UST while veteran spiker Rondina finished with 17.
“It was another unpredictable game for us but we were able to step up and address our errors as the game progressed and we got the win,” said UST coach Kung-fu Reyes after.
For UP (2-1) it was Carlos who top-scored with 20 points with Molde adding 13 and Justine Dorog 10.
Incidentally, UP setter Ayel Estranero was a late scratch from the match after suffering what was ruled a food poisoning that had her being sent to the hospital to be treated. She was able to come back and support her team from the stands.
Pelicans defeat Lakers sans star center Davis
LOS ANGELES — The New Orleans Pelicans got off to a hot start even without star center Anthony Davis and cruised to a 128-115 victory against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
The Pelicans scored 42 points in the opening quarter, the most in any quarter this season, as Anthony Davis rested after playing Friday night at the Indiana Pacers.
Jrue Holiday had 27 points and seven assists for New Orleans, and Julius Randle scored 24 points against Los Angeles, the team that drafted him in the first round five years ago, but wouldn’t re-sign him last summer.
Cheick Diallo matched his season high with 18 points off the bench, his sixth game in double figures this month after previously having three games in double digits this season. Ian Clark scored 17 off the bench and Elfrid Payton finished with 14 points and nine assists for New Orleans.
Brandon Ingram scored 29 points to lead the Lakers after he was limited to six points in six first-half minutes because of foul trouble. LeBron James had 27 points, 12 assists and four steals, and Kyle Kuzma finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers, who committed 23 turnovers.
The Lakers made their first seven shots and both teams shot better than 66 percent from the floor in the first quarter, but it was the Pelicans who scored the final seven points to take a 42-35 lead into the second.
New Orleans, which led by 20 points in the first half Friday night at the Pacers before losing 126-111, took its first double-figure lead two minutes into the second quarter. The Pelicans closed the quarter strong again, outscoring the Lakers 12-3 over the final four minutes to take a 69-57 lead into the break, and Los Angeles never got back within single digits.
The Pelicans expanded their lead to as many as 17 points in the third quarter before taking a 100-84 lead into the fourth.
ROCKETS STUN WARRIORS WITHOUT HARDEN
Eric Gordon led five players in double figures with 25 points Saturday night as the Houston Rockets, playing without star James Harden, used superior depth to stun the Golden State Warriors 118-112 in Oakland, Calif.
The win was the Rockets’ third in three meetings with the two-time defending champions this season after Golden State won a seven-game showdown last May in the Western Conference Finals.
This victory was accomplished without Harden, who has scored 30 or more points in 32 consecutive games, the second-longest run in NBA history.
After having been bothered by a sore neck in Thursday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Harden was listed as questionable for the game even before waking up Saturday morning with what was labeled as flu-like symptoms.
The absence was just his fourth of the season. The Rockets had suffered defeats while he sat out two of his first three times.
With Chris Paul (23 points, 17 assists), Kenneth Faried (20 points, 10 rebounds) and P.J. Tucker (18 points, 10 rebounds) all contributing double-doubles, the Rockets ran off to a 20-point lead in the first half and retained a 110-96 advantage after a Clint Capela hoop with 5:42 remaining.
But the Warriors, who lost Draymond Green to a sprained ankle in the fourth quarter, used 3-pointers by Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry to get within 116-112 with still 30.4 seconds to play.
Golden State had to foul, however, and Tucker iced the win with two free throws with 18.1 seconds left.
Gordon, Paul and Tucker hit four 3-pointers apiece for the Rockets, who outscored Golden State 48-42 from beyond the arc en route to snapping a two-game losing streak.
Gerald Green added 10 points for Houston, while Capela had a game-high 15 rebounds to complement eight points.
Durant had 29 points, Curry 25 and Thompson 20 for the Warriors, who lost for just the third time in their last 20 games.
Cousins finished with a 13-point, 14-rebound double-double for Golden State, which had a five-game home winning streak snapped.
The Rockets wasted no time taking charge, scoring the game’s first 15 points. Gordon contributed a pair of 3-pointers and a layup to the crowd-silencing start.
The Warriors went 4:15 without a point, starting the game 0-for-3 on 3-pointers, 0-for-2 on two-pointers and 0-for-2 on free throws, mixing in three turnovers along the way.
A Thompson 3-pointer finally got the Warriors on the scoreboard, but that didn’t derail the Rockets, who went onto lead by as many as 16 in the first quarter and 20 in the second.
The Warriors rallied within 61-54 at halftime, then opened the second half with a 10-2 burst to take their first lead of the game at 64-63 in the third minute of the third period. Durant and Cousins had 3-pointers in the early run.
But again the Rockets responded, this time to go up by as many as nine before period’s end.
MIDDLETON, ANTETOKOUNMPO HELP BUCKS OUTLAST WOLVES
Khris Middleton scored 28 points, and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists on Saturday night as the Milwaukee Bucks won for the 16th time in their last 18 games, beating the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves 140-128.
The Bucks got off to a fast start en route to reaching 140 points for the fourth time this season. Antetokounmpo drove the lane for a dunk 14 seconds into the game and had 11 points in the opening 3:09.
Milwaukee went on to its fourth consecutive victory and second in a row since the All-Star break.
Derrick Rose scored 23 points, and Taj Gibson added 20 for the Timberwolves, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
Minnesota was playing without All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns for the second consecutive game after the All-Star was in a car accident Thursday that left him with a concussion. Towns is day-to-day in advance of Monday’s home game against the Sacramento Kings.
In a game where the offense flowed, the Bucks took a 35-32 lead after one quarter, but the Timberwolves worked their way back to take a 70-69 lead at halftime on a floating jumper in the lane by Rose in the final seconds before the buzzer.
Minnesota stayed aggressive on offense, carrying a 109-107 lead into the final period in a game where both teams scored at least 32 points in each of the first three quarters.
It wasn’t until early in the fourth quarter that the Bucks took control. They grabbed the lead for good at with a 9-0 run early in the final period, eventually extending the run to 18-2 for a 129-115 advantage.
Andrew Wiggins scored 18 points and Anthony Tolliver had 17 for Minnesota, going 5 of 7 from 3-point range. Tolliver also had a monstrous block of an Antetokounmpo dunk attempt. Josh Okogie had 14 points.
Brook Lopez had 19 points, and Nikola Mirotic added 17 in his second game with the Bucks after coming over in a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans. Malcolm Brogdon and Eric Bledsoe each had 16 for Milwaukee.
George Hill played just three minutes for the Bucks and did not return after the first quarter because of a left adductor strain.
The Bucks play eight of the next 10 games on the road. They are 20-9 away from home this season. — Reuters
Jeremy Miado falls to Thai opponent in ONE rematch
FILIPINO mixed martial arts fighter Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado failed to exact his dominance over Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke of Thailand as he bowed by way of technical knockout (strikes) in the second round of their rematch at ONE Championship’s “Call to Greatness” event on Friday in Singapore.
Won their first encounter in March last year with an impressive first-round knockout, strawweight Miado did not get the same result the second time around to bow to his fourth defeat in his last six fights.
The match against Dejdamrong, the former ONE Strawweight World Champion, got to an exciting opening round with the two trading ferocious combinations.
In the second round though, it was all Dejdamrong as the Thai legend stuffed a takedown from Mr. Miado and proceeded to unload a barrage of unanswered knees to earn the stoppage victory.
The loss dropped Mr. Miado to a record of 8-4 while Dejdamrong improved to 10-4, winning his last two.
Meanwhile in the main event, Thailand’s Stamp Fairtex became a two-sport ONE world champion as she became the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai champion with a unanimous decision victory over Janet Todd of the United States.
The win was in addition to her Kickboxing World Championship in the promotion.
Next for ONE Championship in “Reign of Valor” in Myanmar on March 8 which will feature the welterweight world title fight between champion Zebastian Kadestam and challenger Georgiy Kichigin. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo