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Duterte to fire 3 generals, 49 cops

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte said he “will fire 49 policemen and 3 generals this week.”

“I am on a purging spree. I’ll be firing more people in government,” Mr. Duterte said at the inauguration of the new communications, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) systems held at the Philippine Air Traffic Management (ATM) Center in CAAP compound in Pasay City on Tuesdayafternoon.

The President likewise said that he will ask his officials who have traveled more than 20 times to step down, adding that those officials sitting on delayed public works projects “should also get out immediately.”

“I am not the Ombudsman, but administratively I could hang you,” the President added.

The event was attended by Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea, Department of Transportation (DoTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, and CAAP Director General Capt. Jim C. Sydiongco.

The said project, which is also being implemented by the DoTr and the CAAP, is financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under a P10.8-billion loan agreement between the Philippine government and the Japanese government. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Sharapova and Kerber light up Aussie Open

MELBOURNE — Former champions Maria Sharapova and Angelique Kerber turned on the style to sweep into the Australian Open second round Tuesday, but it was curtains for lanky Canadian Milos Raonic.

With temperatures heating up in Melbourne, the two Grand Slam winners wasted little time on court.

Sharapova, still working her way back from a 15-month ban for taking the performance-enhancing substance meldonium, showed glimpses of the tennis that made her a five-time major winner.

The 2008 Melbourne Park champion, now ranked 48, battled past Germany’s Tatjana Maria 6-1, 6-4 and will next play either 14th seed Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia or American Varvara Lepchenko.

“I cherish these moments. I love it here,” said the Russian, who returned from her drugs ban in April last year.

“It’s been a couple of years and I wanted it to be really meaningful to me.”

“I felt like I have got a lot of things out of the way physically and emotionally and mentally last year,” said Sharapova, who only returned to Grand Slam action at the US Open, where she reached the last 16.

“(In 2017) there was a lot of firsts again for me, playing the first tournament, first Grand Slam, and just different feelings and what it would be routinely.

“But it felt pretty routine today, just really happy to be back here.”

On paper this should have been a close match. Sharapova, who is climbing her way back up the tennis ladder following her ban, is ranked 48th with her German opponent one place higher.

But the gulf in class and experience between Sharapova, who has won 36 singles titles, and the 30-year-old journeywoman yet to register a WTA title was evident from the opening exchanges.

Fellow former world number one Kerber, who won the tournament in 2016, was also impressive in dismissing Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-0, 6-4.

“2017, I have said goodbye already, I am not looking back,” she said after a forgettable last season that saw her relinquish the number one spot and slide down the rankings.

She is now on a 10-match win streak after a perfect early season.

“I’m just trying to enjoy it again on court,” said the German, who turns 30 this week.

Sixth seed Karolina Pliskova and eighth seed Caroline Garcia also progressed, in contrast to the other side of the draw that saw Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and Coco Vandeweghe crash out on Monday.

American woes continued with Madison Brengle sent packing by British ninth seed Johanna Konta.

Auckland Classic champion Fernando Verdasco was among men to make the second round, with a straight-sets win over 20th seed Roberto Bautista Agut.

But Raonic, who has made at least the last eight over the past three years in Melbourne, was bundled out by 86th-ranked Slovakian Lukas Lacko in four sets.

It was his earliest Grand Slam exit in seven years as he fights back from a wrist injury.

GOOD CHANCE
Roger Federer, rated as favorite to win his 20th Grand Slam title even at the venerable age of 36, makes his entrance in a night match on Rod Laver Arena.

The second seeded Swiss, who is coming off an extraordinary 2017, when he won a fifth Australian Open title and a record eighth at Wimbledon, faces Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene.

Twelve-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic is also in action, amid reports he is leading a push to create an independent players union to fight for even more prize money.

The Serb, returning from a long break with an elbow injury, plays American Donald Young on Margaret Court Arena. Fellow injury-plagued star Stan Wawrinka also makes his comeback from injury Tuesday.

World number one Simona Halep takes the court later as she chases a first Grand Slam title, with Wimbledon champion and third seeded Garbine Muguruza making her bow in an evening match.

Former world number one Pliskova was among those to move smoothly into the second round, with a steady 6-3, 6-4 win over Veronica Cepede Royg.

The tall tattooed Czech, who made the quarterfinal in Australia last year, was largely untroubled and is looking for a deep run at the tournament.

“I’ll take it match by match and I think I have a good chance,” she said.

Sydney-born Konta also made the last eight in 2017 and showed no signs of her recent hip injury as she dismantled Brengle 6-3, 6-1.

She can’t wait for her next match on Thursday even though temperatures are forecast to hit 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) later in the week.

“I look forward to the heat, I love it,” she said. — AFP

GSIS to charge government for military pension management

THE GOVERNMENT Service Insurance System (GSIS) will ask the national government for a fee upon managing the planned pension scheme for military personnel.

“We would do actuarial study for you, we would make it sustainable for the military, but of course we would charge a monthly fee,” said GSIS President and General Manager Jesus Clint O. Aranas in a press briefing yesterday.

Mr. Aranas said the pension for retired troops would be separate from its current group of pensioners, composed of former government workers, to sustain its actuarial life.

This comes as the government aims to make pensions for military and uniformed personnel contributory, and managed by the GSIS, instead of being funded by taxpayers.

The new contributory scheme is planned to apply only to new recruits.

Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno earlier said that a capital infusion amounting to P7 to P9 trillion is required to fund the proposed pension scheme. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

Reallocation of frequencies may require new legislation

By Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo,
Reporter

PLANS to reallocate mobile frequency may require legislation, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said, possibly prolonging the process of introducing a third player in the telecommunications industry.

“This may need a law, new legislation, and it may take a long time. We cannot take it back without due process,” DICT Officer-in-Charge and Undersecretary Eliseo M. Rio, Jr. said in a phone interview.

Mr. Rio said that a new law might be needed because if the government simply takes back the frequencies and reassigns them to another telecommunications firm, “it will go to court, before we get them [frequencies].”

Mr. Rio has said that the DICT will draft a policy seeking a “more equitable” distribution of frequencies, particularly with the upcoming entry of a third player.

Incumbents PLDT, Inc. and Globe Telecom, Inc. hold the majority of radio frequencies. The Philippine Competition Commission estimates that only 12.8% of the spectrum will be available for a potential third player.

Mr. Rio said that even in the event the department takes a “non-interference” approach, and opens up the spectrum to joint use, there is a legal process to be observed.

“We cannot take them back without any due process, it will affect public interest, and their subscribers. What you can do is take those without users, but then again, it needs quasi-judicial process,” Mr. Rio said, adding that there is the  challenge of proving that telcos are not utilizing frequencies. “The telcos will say, we have plans to use it, we’re just waiting for investors, etc.”

PLDT and Globe have said that they are using frequencies in the 700-megahertz (MHz) spectrum which they acquired from their purchase in 2016 of San Miguel Corp.’s telco assets.

While the DICT is studying how to reallocate frequencies, it has stated in its policy guidelines for the entry of a third player that the winner of the “auction” or selection process will be assigned available frequencies.

The government will choose the third player, based on the highest committed investment for the first five years. Applicants must have a congressional telco franchise, must not be an affiliate of PLDT or Globe, and have a commitment from a foreign partner if applicable.

Mr. Rio has estimated that the third player will need to spend P300 billion over five years, or P60 billion per year, in capital and operating expenses.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

Durant in command as Warriors down Cavs; Raptors beaten by Sixers

LOS ANGELES — Kevin Durant scored 32 points as the Golden State Warriors overpowered the Cleveland Cavaliers with a late rally to score a 118-108 win in a pulsating clash between the two NBA arch-rivals on Monday.

Durant added seven assists and pulled down four rebounds as the Warriors completed back-to-back wins over the Cavs following their victory in the Christmas Day meeting.

LeBron James and Cleveland had gone into the game at the Quicken Loans Arena determined to halt a three-game losing streak by beating the Warriors, who they have faced in the last three editions of the NBA Finals.

The Cavs had got off to a flying start, jumping out to a seven-point lead late in the first quarter before the Warriors clawed it back to 35-37.

The Cavaliers, however, were again on top in the second quarter, building a 64-57 lead as the halftime buzzer sounded.

But the Warriors came back with renewed vigor after the break, and with Durant and Steph Curry finding their range, were clickly back into the contest.

The Warriors outscored Cleveland by 36-27 in the third quarter, edging into a six-point lead at 91-85 when Durant sunk a 29-foot three-point jumper.

The Warriors led 93-91 heading into the fourth, and with Cleveland starting to tire, the NBA champions turned the screw.

A Draymond Green layup put the Warriors 10 points clear at 105-95 with 5 minutes, 44 seconds on the clock and the visitors duly stretched further clear when Nick Young made a 21-foot jump shot to make it 113-99.

Durant completed a fine night’s work with a sublime 26-foot three-pointer to extend the Warriors lead at 116-104.

While Durant led the scoring, Curry finished with 23 points and added eight assists with four rebounds. Draymond Green (11) and Klay Thompson (17) also made double figures.

A LITTLE UPSET
For Cleveland, James finished with 32 points, with Isaiah Thomas adding 19 and Kevin Love 17.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said an improved defensive effort in the second half had laid the foundations for the win.

“I was a little upset at halftime just because we weren’t guarding anybody, we didn’t play with much intensity,” Kerr said.

“We were going against a team we’ve played in the NBA Finals for three straight years. We should have had more intensity at the start of the game. But it wasn’t there — fortunately we got it going in the second half. We challenged shots a lot better in the second half.”

The win saw the Warriors improve to 36-9 at the top of the Western Conference Standings, the best record in the NBA.

Cleveland, meanwhile, are at 26-17, and are struggling to pull out of a slump in form which has included eight defeats in their last 10 games.

Elsewhere on Monday, a packed program to mark the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday saw the Toronto Raptors (29-13) beaten by the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers’ Ben Simmons and Toronto’s Kyle Lowry were both ejected in the closing seconds of an ill-tempered clash.

Joel Embiid starred for with 34 points and 11 rebounds as the Sixers improved to 20-20.

In Washington, Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 27 points and 20 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Wizards, 104-95.

In Atlanta, the Hawks (12-31) scored an upset over the San Antonio Spurs (29-16) to run out 102-99 victors. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 25 points for the visiting Spurs, but was outshone by Atlanta’s Dennis Schroder who topscored with 26 points.

The Oklahoma City Thunder produced the comeback of the night in their game against the Sacramento Kings, overturning a 15-point deficit to win, 95-88.

Russell Westbrook just missed out on a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists. The Thunder improved to 24-20 with the victory. — AFP

BFAR distributes fingerlings, equipment in Surigao del Norte

THE BUREAU of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Caraga regional office yesterday said it dispersed 60,000 milkfish and 70,000 carp fingerlings in Surigao del Norte to replenish the dwindling marine resources in the region.

In a statement released by the Department of Agriculture (DA), BFAR-Caraga said the dispersal at Lake Mainit last Friday, Jan. 12, is part of the agency’s Balik Sigla sa Ilog at Lawa program.

The project is also expected to preserve the specie Pijanga, which is endemic to the lake.

At the same time, the DA donated 75 units of 14-footer paddle boats and 50 units of 20-footer motorized boats for 175 fishermen, as well as other farm inputs such as coffee seedlings, vegetable seeds and animal vaccines.

The assistance extended to the province had a total value of P7.89 million.

DA Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, who visited the province last week, also oversaw the turnover of 60,000 abaca plantlets from the Philippine Fiber Development Authority, an indemnity check worth P265,568 from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC), and a P5-million loan from the Production Loan Easy Access program (PLEA).

Jabonga, a municipality in the province, also received a P5-million loan from the same program

The PLEA, managed by the Agricultural Credit Policy Council, is one of the lending programs that does not require any collateral, and is also supported by the PCIC, an attached agency of the DA.

“You may avail of P15,000 per hectare PLEA loan at 6% interest under one condition only — you must register under the Juan Magsasaka ID system so we’ll know that you really are a farmer,” Mr. Piñol said in the statement.

“No ID, no loan: that is our only requirement and of course, you have to pay what you owe [to] the government,” he added. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

Marc Pingris sees Ian Sangalang as ‘next most important big man’ of old Purefoods franchise

THROUGH the years, Purefoods, a proud team which entered the league in 1988, has produced some of the best big men who played in the PBA.

Alvin Patrimonio stood out as the best player the franchise had seen. A league Hall of Famer and member of the 40 Greatest Players in the PBA, The Captain had won five championships, captured four Most Valuable Player awards and became the ultimate Ambassador of the league after Robert Jaworski.

When Patrimonio retired, he passed the baton to Kerby Raymundo, a 6-foot-6 versatile big man who won three championships with the franchise.

Then came Marc Pingris, a defensive master who became an All-Defensive team member several times.

Mr. Pingris is not your typical star player who would get the points, but he’s willing to do the dirty job — getting the rebounds, defending the opposing team’s best players and providing boundless energy that made him endeared to fans.

But the veteran, 6-foot-5 player from Pangasinan knows he won’t have many more chances left and he has to pass the responsibility to a younger player who would become the next most important big man in the franchise.

He has found one in Ian Sangalang, a 6-foot-6 lefty from Pampanga who already won four championships with the franchise, including the last grand slam in 2014.

“Ian Sangalang is stepping up every game. I think he’ll be the next most important big men just like Alvin Patrimonio, Kerby Raymundo or myself. I know, after me and Rafi Reavis retire, he would be the most important big man of the squad,” Mr. Pingris told BusinessWorld in an interview.

As vocal as he is, Mr. Pingris made sure he’ll be every step of the way on the development of Mr. Sangalang.

“I want to make sure I’ll give him pointers. I see his improvement game by game and during practice,” added Mr. Pingris.

For Mr. Sangalang, being guided by Mr. Pingris is a pleasure and an honor, but refused to get carried over by his more illustrious teammate’s praise.

“I don’t think about that but I’m ready to step up every game. If ever there’s somebody not playing, I’m doing the best I can to fill up his absence. I need to step up, that’s all. We need to win,” said Mr. Sangalang.

“But Kuya Ping is very vocal. Inside the court, during the game or practice, he tells me a lot of things. I’m listening because he’s a veteran. It’s always a pleasure to have someone like him on my side.” — Rey Joble

Change is in the air

By Kap Maceda Aguila

THE impassioned, very personal declaration of Department of Transportation (DoTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade was but one of the highlights of particularly eventful week for the government agency. “You know where I am coming from? I lost my 11-year-old son because of asthma,” the secretary recently shared. “This country is a polluted country. That was more than 30 years ago. Imagine how more polluted this country is now. That is why I hate (smog). That is why I hate smoke belchers. We need to modernize our PUVs now. We need to save our environment now.”

An Asian Development Bank report released in December 2017, titled “Pathways to Low-Carbon Development for the Philippines,” said the country’s transport sector in 2010 generated an astounding 23.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions — accounting for a 15% share of the total. If trends continue, “annual emissions from road transport vehicles are expected to increase to 48.8 metric tons by 2030 and to 139.9 metric tons by 2050.” According to the same document, the Philippine auto industry mustered a consolidated annual average growth rate of 5.7% from 2007 to 2013. Of course, the “drastic increase vehicle population has led to a deteriorating traffic situation in the country, especially in urban centers,” aside from worsening air quality.

Secretary Tugade made his plea at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) as he scrutinized motor vehicle inspection system (MVIS) prototypes proffered by Polish suppliers. Government is set to acquire 26 mobile MVIS units as part of its public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program, rolling out this year. Over the course of three years, 15-year-old public transportation will be gradually phased out, replaced by vehicles up to code — either electric ones or Euro4-compliant, with added features such as closed-circuit television cameras, GPS system, fare collection system, cameras, and even Wi-Fi connectivity. That said, adequate MVIS deployment and coverage will ensure roadworthiness of existing transportation regardless of age — a nonnegotiable minimum. The end goal in the near future is safer, more convenient conveyance that is also environment-friendly.

A number of transport groups have been up in arms — even staging a number of crippling strikes last year — over what they insist is an anti-poor move by government, despite state financial instruments being made available — specifically through Development Bank of the Philippines-administered assistance package worth P1.5 billion for transport firms and cooperatives.

Nonetheless, government has veritably stepped on the gas pedal with a concerted drive against clunkers and smoke belchers. Last Jan. 10, the so-called “Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok” campaign spearheaded by the DoTr, in cooperation with the iACT, or the Interagency Council for Traffic, was launched to apprehend offending vehicles. The multiagency iACT is composed of the DoTr, LTO, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group.

The first day of the campaign netted more than 250 violators (mostly on EDSA). Drivers were asked to report to the LTO within 24 hours for a more detailed inspection of their vehicles. The on-road inspections were staged in various parts of the metropolis three times a day — with one occurring at night to spot vehicles with lighting issues. Improperly dressed drivers were also apprehended. Additionally, DoTr Undersecretary for Roads Thomas M. Orbos also warned smoke test inspection centers that certify offending vehicles will have their license revoked.

Meanwhile, iACT communications and administrative head Elmer Argaño told BusinessWorld that some unscrupulous drivers have tried to steer clear of inspection points by cutting trips — happening on thoroughfares such as Katipunan and Aurora Avenues. However, local government unit operatives in Marikina City were able to apprehend these offenders, he added. As of 4 p.m. on Jan. 15, iACT had been able to “flag down, ticket, issue summons, and apprehend for various road safety and road worthiness issues close to 1,000 public and private vehicles [with] 80% of the offending vehicles being public utility jeepneys mostly [having] defective or missing parts, or belching smoke.”

Mr. Argaño also revealed the iACT conducts stationary/fixed monitoring on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, then embarks on mobile operations Tuesdays and Thursdays.

DPWH prepositions equipment, sets alternate roads amid Mayon Volcano unrest

REGIONAL AND District Risk Reduction and Management Teams of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the Bicol Region are on alert status as indications of unrest and eruptive activity of Mayon Volcano intensifies. The DPWH said in a statement released yesterday that Region 5 Director Danilo E. Versola has ordered the district engineers of the three DPWH offices in Albay to closely monitor national road network and river channels in their jurisdiction that may be affected by the rapid lava flowing down the slopes of Mayon Volcano. Heavy equipment and service vehicles have been prepositioned to provide support for road clearing operations, evacuation of people, and relief distribution. The DPWH has also identified alternate routes to prevent isolation of municipalities highly vulnerable to ash plume and volcanic mudflows known as lahar. The alternate roads are:

• Tabaco-Ligao National Secondary Road for Legazpi-Sto Domingo-Tabaco Road;

• Camalig-Comun-Gapo-Peñafrancia National Secondary Road for the Camalig Section of Daang Maharlika Highway, which is south of Mayon; and

• Ligao-Tabaco Road for the Guinobatan Section of Daang Maharlika Highway

DISPLACED
As of yesterday, the number of displaced families due to Mayon’s activities increased to 5,318 families, composed 21,823 individuals, from 25 barangays in Albay, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Of the total, 4,134 families or 16,887 persons are currently staying in 18 evacuation centers while the rest are with relatives in the municipality of Daraga. DSWD officer-in-charge Emmanuel A. Leyco, in a statement, said the agency has sufficient resources that can be immediately released if necessary. The DSWD regional office has so far provided P124,605 worth of assistance to the local government of Malilipot and is awaiting the request of other local government units for augmentation support.

Mayon, the Philippines’ most active volcano, spewed lava that cascaded downslope and emitted ash that fell on nearby towns, state volcanologists said on Tuesday, prompting the provincial government to shut more schools.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded nine episodes of tremor, four of which accompanied lava fountains, and 75 lava collapse events as pressure builds up leading to lava flows and ash plumes, reiterating its warning that a hazardous eruption could happen any time.

Mount Mayon, a volcano in the coconut-growing central Bicol Region that draws tourists because of its near-perfect cone shape, has shown increased restiveness since Saturday, displacing thousands of residents.

Phivolcs said the advancing lava and pyroclastic flows had reached the six-kilometer radius no-go zone, from which some residents fled.

“Alert level 3 remains in effect over Mayon Volcano, which means that it is currently in a relatively high level of unrest as magma is at the crater and hazardous eruption is possible within weeks or even days,” it said.

Alert level 4 means an eruption is possible “within days” while level 5 is when a hazardous eruption is under way.

The Albay provincial government has expanded its class suspension order to include more towns around the 2,462-meter (8,077-foot) volcano, and advised travelers to avoid ashfall-hit villages amid poor road visibility.

Class suspensions have allowed the government to use schools as temporary shelters for displaced people. — with Reuters

US and its allies from Korean war meet on sanctions as Koreas explore detente

VANCOUVER — A meeting of states that backed South Korea in the Korean war will look at ways to better implement sanctions to push North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons, officials said, even as the North and South explore detente ahead of next month’s Winter Olympics.

Foreign ministers and senior officials from 20 nations will hold a full-day meeting in Vancouver on Tuesday, hosted by the United States and Canada, looking to increase diplomatic and financial pressure on North Korea to give up development of nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States, a program that has raised fears of a new war.

Canadian and US officials say the meeting will discuss ways to ensure implementation of wide-ranging United Nations (UN) sanctions, including steps agreed last month to further limit Pyongyang’s access to refined petroleum products, crude oil and industrial goods.

Brian Hook, the US State Department’s director of policy planning, said last week that participants, including US Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, would probe how to boost maritime security around North Korea and options to interdict ships carrying prohibited goods in violation of sanctions.

The Vancouver meeting primarily groups nations that assisted South Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War, as well as South Korea and Japan. China and Russia, which backed the North in the war but have since agreed to UN sanctions on Pyongyang, will not be attending.

South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with the North because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

TENSIONS EASING?
The meeting was announced after North Korea tested its biggest ever intercontinental ballistic missile in late November, but now comes amid signs that tensions on the Korean peninsula are easing, at least temporarily.

North and South Korea held formal talks this month for the first time in two years and Pyongyang said it would send athletes across the border to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to be held in South Korea next month.

China, North Korea’s main ally and principal trading partner, has backed successive rounds of UN sanctions, but has also urged dialogue to solve the crisis. It has reacted angrily to the Vancouver meeting as an example of “Cold War” thinking.

China’s state media said Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a phone call with US President Donald J. Trump, stressed that a hard-earned alleviation of tensions must continue.

“Maintaining international unity on the issue is extremely important,” Mr. Xi said. China was ready to work with the United States to resolve the issue in an appropriate way, state broadcaster CCTV quoted the Chinese leader as saying.

China’s state-run Global Times newspaper said earlier the Vancouver meeting reflected Washington’s desire to “highlight its dominant role in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue and cripple the clout of China and Russia.”

“But the meeting will likely accomplish little,” it said in an editorial.

Diplomats say China’s absence will limit what can be achieved, while North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has shown no sign of being willing to bow to pressure to give up weapons he sees as vital to his survival.

SANCTIONS ‘GAPS’
The White House on Friday welcomed news that China’s North Korea imports plunged in December to their lowest in dollar terms since at least the start of 2014, but Mr. Trump accused Beijing last month of allowing oil into North Korea, a charge Beijing denied.

Western European security sources told Reuters last month that Russian tankers had supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea. Russia says it observes UN sanctions.

Eric Walsh, Canada’s ambassador to South Korea, told a panel at the University of British Columbia that the uneven way sanctions were applied meant “there are a lot of gaps.”

“One of the things we want to do is look at how we can improve enforcement,” he said.

US officials say hawks in the Trump administration remain pessimistic that the North-South contacts will lead anywhere.

Even so, debate within the US administration over whether to give more active consideration to military options, such as a pre-emptive strike on a North Korean nuclear or missile site, has lost momentum ahead of the Olympics, the officials said.

Scott Snyder, director of the US-Korea policy program at Washington’s Council on Foreign Relations, said that if Pyongyang felt tougher sanctions constituted a blockade, it might interpret them as an act of war.

“If sanctions are going to be effective in achieving the objective of bringing about diplomacy, (they) have to be used not as a hammer but actually as a nutcracker or a scalpel,” he told the university panel.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who will be in Vancouver, said the international community had to stand united.

“Sanctions are biting but we need to maintain diplomatic pressure on Kim Jong Un’s regime,” he said in a statement. — Reuters

Senate asks DoE for contingency plans if ERC crisis continues

THE CHAIRMAN of the Senate energy committee has asked the Department of Energy (DoE) to identify the areas in the Philippines that will be hit by power interruptions if the “crisis” at the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) lingers for the next six months.

In a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who heads the committee, has also asked for a copy of the DoE’s contingency plan in case some areas end up without power with the ERC’s inability to approve power supply agreements (PSAs) in view of the one-year suspension of its four commissioners.

“According to the DoE earlier, there is now a surplus of supply. The problem is where is that surplus because we have to match now the location and the surplus. If the problematic areas will be in Mindanao, you cannot bring the  surplus from Luzon to Mindanao,” Mr. Gatchalian told reporters on the sidelines of the hearing.

“That’s why we are asking for the contingency measures of the DoE how they will get through the critical next six months especially [during] the summer season,” he said.

Mr. Gatchalian said the “most practical” way forward for the ERC is for the Office of the President to appoint temporary commissioners, a move which he said has legal basis under the administrative code. He said the DoE shares the same view about the legality of the appointment.

The four ERC commissioners, along with the previous ERC chairman, were ordered suspended for one year by the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the revised implementation date of the competitive selection process (CSP), which it said favored a few power supply contracts. CSP requires these contracts between power generation companies and distribution utilities to be subjected to price challenges, a process that is aimed at lowering electricity costs.

As a collegial body, the ERC needs the presence of at least three members of the commission to constitute a quorum and the majority vote of two members in a meeting is necessary. But for the approval of electricity rates, the unanimous vote of the three is required.

“If at that time that we really need to beef up the reserves for the supply we have not acted upon, then time and motion will dictate that the probability of brownout will be there,” said ERC Chair Agnes T. Devanadera.

Ms. Devanadera has told Malacañang about the possible impact of an impasse at the ERC due to its inability to perform its quasi-judicial and quasi-legislative functions.

The crippled functions include holding of hearings as notices and schedules are set by the commission; deliberations on applications for approval of power supply agreements, capital expenditure projects of the distribution utilities and the grid operator, rate adjustments, pass-on charges; and issuance or renewal of certificates of compliance or provisional authorities to operate power plants.

The suspension of the four ERC commissioners will put on hold funding for P1.588 trillion worth of energy-related projects and capital outlays that will hit millions of Filipinos, Ms. Devanadera said.

In a statement on Tuesday, the DoE said the law requires it to abide by the year-long suspension order of the Ombudsman against the four ERC commissioners.

“We have already requested for the designation of acting commissioners so that ERC can continue its functions,” it said. “We wish to assure all stakeholders that the suspension will not cause any debilitating effect to the power supply and services in the Philippines.”

The DoE also said that it had been pushing for reserve capacities for possible contingencies.

“This will ensure an uninterrupted supply at all times for power security and reliability,” it said. “Thus, we are certain that we can overcome this recent challenge to the  energy sector.” — Victor V. Saulon

Investigators probe cause of Jakarta mart walkway collapse

JAKARTA — Indonesian investigators were sifting through the rubble at Jakarta’s stock exchange complex Tuesday as they looked for clues on what caused a walkway collapse that left scores injured, including dozens of students.

A mezzanine floor at the tower in the sprawling city’s business district collapsed shortly before lunchtime Monday, injuring a total of 73 people, police said, adding that there were no deaths.

Dramatic CCTV footage showed a group of about 40 visiting students on a balcony section plunge as the floor gave way with a cascade of glass, metal and other material crashing onto the ground floor where several others were walking.

National police spokesman Setyo Wasisto said the investigation team is hoping to gather crucial evidence by the end of Tuesday, though the results of the probe will not be known for several weeks.

Officials have described the collapse as an accident and not the result of an explosion — the tower was bombed by Islamist militants in 2000.

“If they (investigators) are done today, everything can be cleaned up and the…scene can be reopened,” Mr. Wasisto told AFP.

“Some tenants are a bit cautious even though building management said it’s safe. They are also going to check the other mezzanine floor today.”

Most of the injuries were broken bones, Mr. Wasisto said, adding that none were life-threatening.

A dozen people have so far been released from the hospital.

The damaged area remained closed off Tuesday but trading carried on as usual.

After the accident, which took place in one of the two towers in the stock exchange complex, the lobby was filled with debris and toppled-over plants near a Starbucks coffee outlet. The tower was built in the mid-nineties.

Hundreds of panicked employees were evacuated from the building, which also houses the local office of the World Bank.

“I would like to reiterate, it was an accident. It has nothing to do with a bomb or terrorism,” Mr. Wasisto said.

At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured by a car bomb in the 2000 attack.

Some 200 cars were also damaged in the blast which happened in an underground parking lot. — AFP

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