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CHR to boost inquiry on human rights violations in drug war, Mindanao martial law

THE COMMISSION on Human Rights (CHR) aims to strengthen its investigation on human rights violation cases in relation to President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s nationwide war on drugs in 2019.
“Right now, we are still investigating approximately 1,400 cases, involving approximately 1,700 victims. We aim to strengthen our investigation services next year,” CHR Spokesperson Jacqueline C. de Guia said in a phone interview with BusinessWorld on Dec. 21.
“We have also looked into allegations of human rights violations in Mindanao amid the continuation of martial law. Right now, we are investigating and verifying 155 cases in Mindanao,” she added.
Ms. de Guia noted that the lack of cooperation from the Philippine National Police (PNP) is the main challenge in CHR’s investigations.
She said the police stance stems “from a directive from the Executive… to prohibit their units from providing [CHR] with copies of reports of police investigations.”
“That definitely hindered our investigations,” Ms. de Guia said. “Apart from that, of course, there was a continuing climate of fear that was very much apparent in the communities where we investigated these cases.”
As for the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs), she said: “We have noted that 55 cases have been filed…. The Kian delos Santos case [was] a small victory which we hope will be followed by more cases filed.”
“It is an opportunity for the Philippine government to demonstrate that it is willing and able to investigate all of these [EJKs] cases,” she added.
If the government takes advantage of this opportunity, she continued, the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is looking into complaints filed against Mr. Duterte in relation to the drug campaign, “will have a reason not to go to the next stage” of the probe.
“So that was our call all along, during the previous months, that the government should take advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate its willingness and ability to file more charges,” she said.
The CHR spokesperson also said that another challenge that the commission faced in 2018 “was the vilifying of human rights defenders.”
She said being a “human rights defender” nowadays has “a negative connotation, particularly because of the attacks made by the government” against them.
Mr. Duterte has repeatedly lambasted individuals, mostly human rights activists, who have been critical of his controversial anti-drug campaign.
In his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July, Mr. Duterte told his critics: “Your concern is human rights, mine is human lives.”
“Also one of the challenges faced by the human rights community was the red-tagging, labelling human rights defenders as terrorists, which made it very difficult for us to carry out our work…. There were also acts carried out against journalists, against the media…curtailing press freedom, including their right to assembly,” Ms. de Guia said.
MIGRANT WORKERS
In another concern, the CHR will conduct an inquiry on the conditions of Filipino migrant workers next year.
Ms. De Guia said the commission is “hoping to already start next year a national inquiry on migrant workers” to look into their plight and the challenges they face.
“Hopefully, we will be able to come up with recommendations on polices that will alleviate their condition,” she said.
During the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Singapore last April, President Rodrigo R. Duterte pushed for the protection of migrant workers by promoting the further implementation of the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Manila subway to break ground mid-Jan.

THE DEPARTMENT of Transportation (DoTr) said the groundbreaking for the Japan-funded Metro Manila Subway project has been moved to January due to conflicts in schedule with Japanese representatives. Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade told reporters on Friday the start of construction for the subway has also been moved a month later from the planned Dec. 19 schedule. “For the groundbreaking of the subway I really wanted that on the 19th (of December), but what was the issue? The availability of the people, of those coming from Japan. Because you know, it’s the holidays… So they asked on both sides if it could be rescheduled somewhere mid-Jan.,” he said in Filipino. The Philippine government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed in March a 104.53-billion yen (P50.12-billion) loan for the Metro Manila Subway project. The P356.96-billion, 25-kilometer railway will run from Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City, and is scheduled to start partial operations in May 2022. This will cover the opening of the first three stations, namely: Mindanao Avenue-Quirino Highway, Tandang Sora and North Avenue. Full operations of the train line is targeted by 2025 and is seen to accommodate around 370,000 passengers daily. Mr. Tugade said he wants the Manila subway to be integrated with the 10-kilometer Makati City Subway Project of the Makati City government and Philippine Infradev Holdings, Inc. (formerly IRC Properties, Inc.) when it finishes construction in 2025. — Denise A. Valdez

21 Chinese illegal workers arrested in Baclaran

THE BUREAU of Immigration (BI) arrested 21 Chinese nationals last Dec. 18 in Baclaran, Pasay City for illegally working in retail stores in the country. BI Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said the arrested foreigners were caught in the act of selling retail goods without working permits in two shopping malls. “They will be deported for violating the conditions of their stay in the country and for engaging in gainful activity without the necessary permits,” the BI chief said. BI acting intelligence Chief Fortunato S. Manahan, Jr. said most of those arrested entered the country as tourists while some could not present their travel documents and seemed to be “taking advantage of the holiday rush.” Mr. Morente also noted that the foreigners continued working in the malls despite BI operations conducted in the same establishment over a month ago against several illegal foreigners. “These illegal aliens are brazenly working out in the open, violating immigration laws and steal jobs from Filipinos. We will not stop hunting them down and sending them out,” he said. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Davao Oriental revenue collection up 26%

THE DAVAO Oriental provincial government collected over P255 million in revenues as of Oct. this year, 26% higher than the P203 million full-year income in 2017, based on a report from the Provincial Treasurer’s Office. In a statement, the provincial government said the treasurer’s office is also anticipating a boost in collection in the last two months of the year given the economic activities and the arrivals of tourists during the Christmas and New Year holidays. The province’s four local revenue sources are real property tax, business tax, fees and charges, and economic enterprises. Acting Provincial Treasurer Ma. Victoria Rodriguez, who assumed office in January 2018, said the higher collection could be attributed to new strategies implemented this year such as building a strong network with component local government units through the Davao Oriental Local Treasury Association (DOLTRA), organizational development for treasury personnel, capacitating field collection officers, and the deployment of “Tax Boosters” in all towns to facilitate the collection of real property tax and intensify local tax information campaign. In the coming year, the treasury office is planning to streamline treasury and assessment operations through improved electronic transactions. “The province is looking into the possibility of installing uniform real property tax administration systems in the provincial and municipal treasury and assessment offices, as this would not only optimize office performance and promote efficiency in government service delivery but would also enable interoperability between LGUs (local government units), which has been one of the main bottlenecks in treasury and assessment operations,” Ms. Rodriguez said. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Davao City’s contractual workers to get above P10,000 salary in 2019

CONTRACTUAL workers of the Davao City government, currently receiving an average of P7,400 a month, are getting a salary increase in 2019 with the approval of next year’s P8.8 billion budget. “All employees under job orders and contracts of service under the 2019 budget will no longer receive a salary below P10,000,” Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said. Most of these employees are under the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO), City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), the Public Safety and Security Command Center and Central 911. Not included in the P10,000 minimum salary are the Bantay Dagat and Bantay Bukid volunteers who receive an allowance, not salary, of P2,000 a month. The volunteers will, however, receive a P500 increase in their monthly allowance. The 2019 budget is higher by P1.2 billion compared to the 2018 budget of P7.8 billion. Councilor Danilo C. Dayanghirang, chairperson of the committee on finance, ways and means, and appropriations, said more than half of next year’s budget will be sourced from the Internal Revenue Allotment amounting to P4.9 billion. The local budget source of P3.9 billion will come from local taxes, fees, permits, and licenses income, service income, business income, market receipts, slaughterhouse, Sta. Ana Port, Davao City Recreational Center, cemeteries, and Pasalubong Center. — Carmencita A. Carillo

Nation at a Glance — (12/27/18)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.
Nation at a Glance — (12/27/18)

PFF excited for 2019 across various fronts

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter
LOCAL FOOTBALL scored some and got hit in the about-to-end year but all should lead to an exciting 2019, this, according to Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta.
Gracing the “The Football Connection” program on Radyo Pilipinas last week, Mr. Araneta shared that 2018 bore “positive things and not so good ones.” The PFF president nonetheless said that 2019 should be an exciting year with much to look forward to.
“There were some positive changes and not so good things that happened. Positive is our men’s team qualified for the Asian Cup for the first time and our women’s team qualified for the second round of the Olympic qualifier. There were also positive results in the age groups in women’s. Overall I would say football in the country is improving,” said Mr. Araneta.
He went on to say that futsal is also advancing especially at the grassroots level with various tournaments staged in the country.
Mr. Araneta also hailed the opening of the PFF facility in Carmona, Cavite, which is now being used by the National Collegiate Athletic Association among other leagues. The PFF president added that they are hoping to start construction of the new headquarters of the federation in the facility and doing some improvement as well from the funds they are set to receive from international football bodies like FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation.
Channeling his attention to the Philippine men’s national football team which recently competed at the AFF Suzuki Cup and wound up in the semifinals after losing to eventual champion Vietnam, Mr. Araneta said the Azkals still had a good showing even as he said they will continue to try to improve all in the hopes of finally winning the tournament.
“Unfortunately we lost to the champion team in the semifinals [of the Suzuki Cup]. That was still good enough for us considering some of our players were called back to play in Europe which we understand because they have to earn a living,” he said.
“Maybe in the future we will need more of our local players which I think the coaching staff is already preparing for. We are hopeful our national team will improve,” he added.
Next stop for the Azkals is the AFC Asian Cup in January which Mr. Araneta said the team is really preparing for, including playing a friendly with Suzuki Cup champion Vietnam in Doha, Qatar, on Dec. 31.
In the Asian Cup the Philippines is bracketed in Group C along with South Korea, China and Kyrgyzstan. It begins its campaign on Jan. 7.
Mr. Araneta also spoke of the Philippines Football League which has now been rebranded as the Philippine Premier League.
He said they are bullish that the local league will pick up anew notwithstanding a number of teams having pulled out, the most recent of which was Davao Aguilas FC.
“The PFL is now known as Philippine Premier League with a new group tasked to manage and market the league. The group of (PPL commissioner] Bernie Sumayao has been involved in the Thai league and is now coming here to help the local league. We have now five teams but we are hoping to increase it to seven to eight teams,” Mr. Araneta said.
As to what happened to the PFL in just two years of running, Mr. Araneta said it was a combination of things, including expenses becoming a tough issue to overcome.
“Expenses for the clubs became an issue because we wanted to make it nationwide. But this time I think most of the games will be held here in Metro Manila unless we get sponsorship to help the clubs stage matches outside of it. The clubs already know that,” the PFF president said.
Mr. Araneta then asked for continued patience from the stakeholders, especially the fans, saying they are doing their best to really develop the sport in the country through the league.
“Be patient. We are trying to put up a professional league. And it’s no joke. We are not there for our own selfish interest and we want to help grow and develop Philippine football,” he said.

Irving, Celtics top Sixers in overtime

KYRIE IRVING scored 40 points, including two three-pointers in the final two minutes of overtime, and the Boston Celtics overcame a five-point deficit in the extra session to defeat the visiting Philadelphia 76ers, 121-114, on Tuesday.
Irving, who added 10 rebounds, sent the game into overtime by sinking a difficult jumper with 20.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The guard’s performance helped overcome 34 points and 16 rebounds by Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid.
Jayson Tatum added 23 points and 10 rebounds for Boston. Marcus Morris also scored 23.
Jimmy Butler added 24 points for Philadelphia, JJ Redick had 17 points, and Ben Simmons contributed 11 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Redick missed a shot that would have won the game at the end of regulation.
LAKERS 127, WARRIORS 101
Kyle Kuzma scored 19 points and the visiting Los Angeles ended a seven-game losing streak against Golden State.
Ivica Zubac had 18 points and 11 rebounds and LeBron James had 17 points and 13 rebounds before leaving with a groin injury in the third quarter. Reports afterward indicated that James avoided serious injury.
Rajon Rondo had 15 points and 10 assists off the bench, Brandon Ingram scored 14 points, Josh Hart had 12 points and fellow reserve Lance Stephenson finished with 11 points for the Lakers. Andre Iguodala scored a season-high 23 points for Golden State.
ROCKETS 113, THUNDER 109
James Harden recorded his seventh consecutive 30-plus-point game, but when he needed scoring help down the stretch, he got it as Houston rallied for a win over visiting Oklahoma City.
However, a crucial stretch came with Harden either on the bench or facilitating, as the Rockets flipped an 88-86 deficit entering the fourth quarter into a 102-95 lead before Harden scored more than halfway through the final period.
Clint Capela (16 points, 23 rebounds) threw down a pair of dunks before Eric Gordon (17 points) converted a driving layup that extended the Houston lead to seven points. Austin Rivers, one day after signing with the Rockets, subsequently drilled a pair of three-pointers to keep the Thunder at bay. Oklahoma City got 28 points and 14 rebounds from Paul George plus 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists from Russell Westbrook.
JAZZ 117, TRAIL BLAZERS 96
Donovan Mitchell scored 19 points to lead seven players in double figures as Utah breezed to victory over visiting Portland for the second time in four days.
Rudy Gobert collected 18 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocked shots as Joe Ingles and Dante Exum scored 15 points apiece for Utah, who went 13 of 29 from three-point range.
Damian Lillard scored 20 points for the Blazers, who shot 39.3% from the field. Lillard scored only four points after intermission. Portland’s next-highest scorer was Evan Turner, who came off the bench for 12 points.
BUCKS 109, KNICKS 95
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 11 of his 30 points in the third quarter as Milwaukee seized control and recorded a victory at New York.
Antetokounmpo recorded his 13th 30-point game of the season and added 14 rebounds for his 22nd double-double, but it was his performance in the third that helped the Bucks get a win in their first appearance on Christmas since facing the Kansas City Kings in 1977. He also became the first Milwaukee player to score 30 on Christmas Day since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972.
Milwaukee, which got 20 points from Brook Lopez, won for the fifth time in six games overall. Rookie Kevin Knox scored 21 points for the Knicks. — Reuters

Hidilyn Diaz eyes building on ‘roller coaster’ year

OLYMPIC and Asian Games medallist Hidilyn Diaz. — ASIAN GAMES WEBSITE

HAD it “roller coaster” in 2018, Olympic and Asian Games weightlifting medallist Hidilyn Diaz said the about-to-end year has thought her a lot and is looking to build on it as she moves on with her already-solid career.
Spruced up her impressive resume with a first-ever gold medal in the Asian Games in Indonesia in August, in addition to her silver medal in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, the 27-year-old Diaz said she has become all the more determined to make another go at that elusive gold medal in the Olympics in Tokyo 2020.
But she admitted that 2018 was not all highs as she had to deal with setbacks as well, needing for her to really dig deep and make her way back up.
“For me, 2018 was a roller-coaster ride. There were times when I am was in my peak of my career and then suddenly I dropped from the highest of levels. The standout moment was when I won the first gold medal in the Asian Games. I dreamt about it and set my goals for it and was able to reach it. With guidance from God and with help from the HD Tokyo 2020 core team I was able to achieve it,” said Ms. Diaz in an e-mail correspondence with BusinessWorld as she described how 2018 was for her.
She went on to say that with the way the about-to-end year has panned out for her it would greatly affect how she charts her career from here on.
“The Asian Games is one of the biggest sports events in the world so the expectations are high. For my journey to Tokyo 2020, I will be competing in numerous competitions next year in order for me to qualify for the Olympics. If I was able to make it to the Asian Games then I know I can do it in the Olympics. I am willing to do everything and anything it takes to qualify and win,” said Ms. Diaz, who is a business management student at the College of St. Benilde.
In the Asian Games, Ms. Diaz led a good showing by Filipino women athletes, who accounted for 13 of the country’s 21 total medal haul, including all four gold medals.
Apart from her, also winning gold for the Philippines win the Asian Games were the Philippines women’s golf team and golfer Yuka Saso as well as skateboarder Margielyn Didal.
Other women medallists were Agatha Wong and Divine Wally (wushu), the women’s taekwondo poomsae team, Meggie Ochoa (jiujitsu), Bianca Pagdanganan (golf), Cherry Mae Regalado (pencak silat), Junna Tsukii (karate), Kiyomi Watanabe (judo), and Pauline Lopez (taekwondo). — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

ONE Championship names Hata head of Japan office

SINGAPORE — ONE Championship has just announced the latest addition to its executive leadership team, naming Hideyuki “Andy” Hata as president of ONE Championship, Japan.
As president, Mr. Hata will be responsible for overseeing operations in Japan, driving development and growth across all key metrics.
Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “I am thrilled to welcome Andy Hata to our leadership team at ONE Championship. Andy is a world-class business leader with a deep passion for sports and a desire to make a big impact on the world. He brings strong startup and global leadership experience, hands-on intellectual firepower, and a proven championship track record of commercial performance.”
For his part, Mr. Hata said he is excited and honored to be part of ONE Championship, which has steadily grown its business and reach throughout the year.
“I am excited and honored to be a part of a billion dollar global property like ONE Championship that is focused on and committed to celebrating Asian values on a global stage. I look forward to expanding the opportunities ONE Championship has in a market rich in the tradition of martial arts, as well as bringing ONE Championship’s brand of world-class entertainment to Japanese fans across the country.”
Mr. Hata is currently the President of Nielsen Sports, North Asia, where he is responsible for all of Nielsen Sports’ business activities in Japan, South Korea, and Mainland China. Prior to joining Nielsen Sports, Andy led a number of global projects with Sony Corp. and was part of Sony’s global partnership team with FIFA where he spearheaded their global activation strategy for all FIFA tournaments, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
ONE Championship is set to enter the Japanese market in 2019 with its first event “ONE: A New Era” taking place on March 31 at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.

Agent optimistic about client Markelle Fultz’s status

THE PHILADELPHIA 76ers do not know when Markelle Fultz might be ready to return to action, but Fultz’s agent is optimistic that the second-year guard will play for Philadelphia again this season.
Agent Raymond Brothers told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Tuesday that Fultz, 20, is seeing improved strength and mobility in his right shoulder.
Earlier this month, after visiting a number of doctors, Fultz was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), which causes compression or irritation of the nerves or blood vessels in the area between the lower neck and upper chest.
Fultz, who played only 14 games in his rookie season due to a right shoulder ailment, has played in 19 games this season, averaging 8.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 41.9 percent. Last season, he averaged 7.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists, and he shot 40.5%. — Reuters

Perspective by Peter Long

 

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

FINAL STANDINGS
1-3 GM Wei Yi CHN 2728, GM M.Amin Tabatabaei IRI 2587, GM Le Quang Liem VIE 2714, 6.5/9
4-11 GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly IND 2621, GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son VIE 2641, GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov UZB 2546, GM Parham Maghsoodloo IRI 2688, GM Lalith Babu MR IND 2529, GM SP Sethuraman IND 2664, GM Baskaran Adhiban IND 2695, GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi IND 2701, 6.0/9
12-19 GM Susanto Megaranto INA 2512, GM Ni Hua CHN 2683, GM Abhijit Kunte IND 2469, GM Rinat Jumabayev KAZ 2602, GM Alireza Firouzja IRI 2607, GM Wang Hao CHN 2730, IM Nguyen Anh Khoi VIE 2480, GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami IRI 2537, 5.5/9
Total of 64 participants
Time Control: 90 minutes for the 1st 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game with 30 seconds added after every move starting move 1.
Recently we had to go through the unpleasantness of one of the top players in the region, GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, complaining about the tournament conditions during the Asian Continental Chess Championships. His complaints about being threatened by armed goons outside the hotel has been proven to be false, but there was some truth to his grumblings about the hotel room not being of a sufficiently high quality for such a prestigious event.
One of my friends in the region, Peter Long, is an experienced organizer who has served as an International Arbiter in many events. I asked him to comment on the tournament conditions for the players during the tournament and this is what he wrote:
PERSPECTIVE BY PETER LONG
My life in chess really began when in 1980, as the Malaysian Junior Champion, I participated in the Asian Junior Championships held in Baguio, Philippines.
The contrast could not be greater for one coming from a national schools championship held during term breaks where we slept on desks in classrooms and played in the school hall and where the only open tournament in the country was held on evenings in a school library.
Some might be old enough to remember the Philippines as I experienced it then as the most advanced country in Asia!
In chess terms, undisputed No. 1 in Asia, boasting Asia’s first Grandmaster and a candidate for the World Championship in Eugene Torre in a time when there were few International Masters and getting a FIDE rating was an achievement by itself!
What did the Philippines do right then in organizing?
First, the players had the stage, left, right and center. They and their games were the focus and the public, corporate sponsors, government and the chess community all saw this.
Second, perfect conditions, be it the high-profile playing venue or the hotel where all stayed and where meals were five-star, and with no expense spared with hospitality.
All this came together at the highest level and in the best possible way at the Manila World Chess Olympiad which is till today, if not ranked the best ever, certainly in everyone’s top three.
But what about the prize fund you might ask? Of course there has to be reasonable attractive prizes but look around the region you will see that the big successes like the Bangkok Chess Club Open and JAPFA Chess Festival have adopted exactly this formula without a big prize fund a major factor!
Perhaps if anything is to be added to a proven winning formula, it is essential today to have high-speed Internet access and for the games to be broadcast live.
SELF-ASSESSMENT
From my talks with Mr. Long It appears that the hotel accommodations and food for the participants in the tournament were OK but nothing special. One important item though that was overlooked was that no provisions were made for special dietary needs for vegetarians and those unable to eat pork or beef for religious reasons.
High-speed Internet access was available to some but not all. There was no live broadcast of games, and, to me the most important of all, the tournament was not open to the public.
In short the tournament organizers just provided the bare minimum but they could have done much more. Contrast this with the events of the Philippine Chess Society in the early 2000s where the players would be housed in a nearby serviced apartment with excellent conditions and shuttle cars to transport the players from hotel to playing hall to shopping malls, where the tournament would be held in the giant SSS Auditorium with seating arrangements for the public, with sensory boards where the moves of the players are immediately flashed on giant screens so the public can follow the moves, with separate press rooms and analysis rooms and even a parallel open tournament to entice the best players in the country to come and play, spectate and comment on the games.
In fact, the tournaments were so legendary that organizers from other countries would come and watch what we were doing!
We have got to bring those days back when tournaments were really events for the players and the public. Where chessplayers would all congregate to celebrate the game that we all love.
Then and only then will the Philippines get back our glory days in chess.
All this criticism is of course meant to be constructive, the road we should take going forward, for the 2018 Asian Continental Chess Championship was a rush job and the organizers barely had a month to put the whole thing together. We cannot be too harsh on them.
On the chess side of the equation too we have to do some self-assessment. Take a look at this game from the first round.

Pascua, Haridas (2442) —
Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi (2701) [D74]
17th Asian Continental-ch Open 2018
Makati City (1.4), 10.12.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Nf3 0–0 7.0–0 Nc6 8.Nc3 Rb8 9.e3 Nxc3 10.bxc3 b6 11.Qe2 Bb7 12.Rd1 Qd7 13.e4 Na5 14.Bf4 Rbc8 15.Rac1 e6 16.h4 h6 17.e5 c5 18.dxc5 Qa4 19.cxb6 axb6 20.Nh2 Bxg2 21.Kxg2 h5 22.Nf3 Qc4 23.Qe3 Qxa2 24.Bh6
[24.Qxb6? needlessly complicates the position after 24…Nb3 25.Rb1 Rxc3]
24…Nc4 25.Qf4 Bxh6 26.Qxh6 Qa8 27.Qf4 Rc5 28.Kg1 Qb8?
Taking his eye away from the f3–knight. This is a mistake because after …
29.Qh6
The threat of Ng5 forces Black to give up material.
29…Rxe5 30.Nxe5 Qxe5 31.Rd4 Qc7 32.Rcd1 Nb2
33.R1d2
For some strange reason Haridas goes for a repetition. If he was looking for a win then it is not so hard to see that 33.Rd7! is very strong:
33…Qxc3? 34.R1d4 picks up an important tempo for White. For example, there is now a threat of 35.Rxf7! Kxf7 (35…Rxf7?? 36.Rd8+ Rf8 37.Rxf8#) 36.Rf4+ Ke7 37.Qxf8+ Kd7 38.Rf7+ and wins Black’s queen next move;
33…Qc8 (34.R1d4 Nc4 (Once again 34…Qxc3?? is met by 35.Rxf7) 35.Qg5 (now the threat is Rd8) 35…e5 and now White can go for either 36.Rd8 or 36.R4d5.
33…Nc4 34.Rd1 Nb2 35.R1d2 Nc4 ½–½
Haridas is playing a superGM, someone rated 259 points higher. Statistically, that means that if they play a 100-game match Vidit is expected to win 82 games against Haridas’ 18. He cannot be faulted then for aiming for a draw in the first round against such a strong GM. However, if he ever wants to become a GM, Haridas must take his chances as they come, and going for a win in a position where he was the exchange up and virtually no chances to lose is mandatory. If he wants to progress to the next step and become a Grandmaster.
As you can see from the table above there were no Filipino players in the top 19. On no. 23 is balikbayan IM Ricardo de Guzman, someone who achieved the International Master title in 1982, 36 years ago!
If the cream of Philippine chess is playing in the Asian Ctontinental Championship and the highest-placed is a 57-year old IM, it does say something about the current state of Philippine chess. Having said that, Kiriks is really a very strong player and the following win is reminiscent of his best days — playing over the entire board, all his forces advancing and the opponent’s retreating, and a nice finish.

Bai, Adelard (2100) —
de Guzman, Ricardo (2357) [E15]
17th Asian Continental-ch Open
2018 Makati City (2.31), 11.12.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qc2 c5 6.Bg2 Bb7 7.e3
More topical is to sacrifice a pawn with 7.d5 exd5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.0–0, a very dangerous weapon wielded by Levon Aronian and also used by the famous artificial intelligence chess engine AlphaZero which used it to defeat Stockfish in their famous 2017 match. White prefers a more conservative approach though.
7…Be7 8.0–0 Qc8 9.dxc5 Qxc5 10.b3 Qc7 11.Bb2 d6 12.Nc3 a6 13.Rac1 Nbd7 14.Rfd1 0–0 15.e4 Rac8 16.Nd4 Qb8 17.Qe2 Rfe8 18.h4 g6 19.g4 h6 20.Rc2 Bf8 21.Rcd2 d5! 22.Nc2 Qf4 23.Bc1
Not 23.f3? Bc5+ 24.Kh1 dxe4 25.Nxe4 Bxe4 26.fxe4 Nxg4 (threatening mate on h2) 27.Bh3 Nf2+ with a winning position.
23…Nxg4 24.Rd3 Qh2+ 25.Kf1 Ndf6 26.Rg3
The best move here is 26.Rh3 but White had a trick in mind.
26…Qxh4 27.Rh3
“Trapping” the Black queen but Kiriks had seen farther.
27…Qxf2+ 28.Qxf2 Nxf2 29.Kxf2 dxe4
Black has four pawns for the knight, 5 passed pawns on the kingside and the queens are off so he can just win by advancing his pawns down the board. Easier said than done but IM de Guzman’s skill in piece and pawn coordination is legendary.
30.Ke2 g5 31.Na4 b5 32.Nb6 Rc7 33.Bb2 Ng4 34.Ne3 Nxe3 35.Rxe3 f5 36.Be5 Rf7 37.Nd7 Bg7 38.Bxg7 Kxg7 39.Ne5 Rc7 40.Rd7+ Rxd7 41.Nxd7 Rc8 42.Rc3 Rc7 43.Nb6 h5 44.Ke3 f4+ 45.Kd4 f3 46.Bf1 b4 47.Rc2 Kf6 48.Ke3 g4 49.c5 g3 50.Bh3 Rg7 51.Rc1 g2 52.Rg1 Rg3 53.Nd7+ Ke7 54.Ne5 Rxh3 55.c6 Bc8 56.Kf2 Rh1 57.Nc4 Kd8 58.Nd2 e3+! 0–1
 
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 (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.
bobby@cpamd.net

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