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Boomers send Gilas crashing in Melbourne

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

AUSTRALIA kept its unblemished record in group play of the FIBA Asian World Cup Qualifiers yesterday, defeating Gilas Pilipinas, 84-68, in their battle of unbeaten teams at the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne.

Greatly challenged in the opening half, the Boomers proved themselves steady in the second fold of the match and out-sprinted Gilas to notch the victory, their third in as many games in Group B of the qualifiers, while sending the Philippines (2-1) to its first defeat in the tournament.

Australia got the scoring going early, outscoring the Philippines, 5-0, in the first two minutes of the opening quarter.

Gilas though would retaliate with five straight points after with Matthew Wright and Gabe Norwood conspiring.

The two teams went back and forth the rest of the way, making runs and counter-runs, finishing the frame leveled at 19-all.

In the second period it was Gilas’ turn to jump-start things, with June Mar Fajardo getting it going.

The Philippines held a five-point cushion, 30-25, at the 5:03 mark of the period.

But Australia did not stay down for long as it began to make its move back.

It retook the lead, 31-30, with 3:26 remaining on a basket by forward Mitchell Creek before outgunning the Philippines for the remainder of the half, 6-2, to build a 37-32 advantage by the halftime break.

Action picked up to start the third canto as both teams had their guns firing.

They fought to a 42-39 count with Australia on top with 7:48 on the clock.

Gilas’ offense, however, tapered off which the home team capitalized on as it built a 10-point gap, 54-44, at the 3:11 mark of the quarter.

Mr. Fajardo scored back-to-back baskets to pull the Philippines to within six points, 54-48.

It was the closest Gilas would come at that point as the Boomers pushed the gas as the frame wound up to extend their lead to 14 points, 63-49, heading into the final 10 minutes of the contest.

Sensing that the momentum was now on their side, the Boomers went for the kill to begin the fourth, going on a 7-0 run to establish their biggest lead of 21 points, 70-49, with over eight minutes remaining.

Gilas continued to fight amid the onslaught of Australia, coming within 14 points twice, 77-63 and 79-65.

The Boomers though would stay steady thereafter and went on to roll to the victory.

Cameron Gliddon led Australia with 16 points followed by Mr. Creek and naturalized player Kevin Lisch with 12 points apiece.

Mr. Fajardo, meanwhile, paced Gilas with 15 points with Mr. Wright adding nine.

Andray Blatche had a strong first half but fizzled out in the second to finish with eight points and seven rebounds.

Despite the loss, the Philippine still remains in second place in the standings in Group B behind Australia.

Japan and Chinese Taipei, which were to battle also yesterday, remained winless in the group.

In the Asian Qualifiers, 16 teams have been divided into four groups to determine the top seven teams joining World Cup host China as representatives of Asia/Oceania at the 32-field Basketball World Cup happening in August 2019.

Gilas Pilipinas next plays on Sunday against Japan at the Mall of Asia Arena at 7 p.m.

Alaska Aces aim to enter quarterfinals on high note

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

WHILE the consecutive losses they absorbed in their last two games in the PBA Philippine Cup dealt a huge blow to their chances of securing a top two finish at the end of the elimination round, and notch the twice-to-beat incentive that goes with it in the next phase, still the Alaska Aces are not being down on themselves and are instead determined to finish on a high note.

To take on the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the 7 p.m. main game today of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the Aces (6-4) play their final game in the classification round with the hope of coming out on top and fortifying their place in the quarterfinals.

Currently tied at fourth place, Alaska is outside looking in for the top two but is already assured of a top six finish which would allow it to play in a best-of-three series in the next round.

As per tournament format, only the top eight teams at the end of the elimination round move on to the next phase with the top two enjoying a twice-to-beat edge over the two lowest teams while the middle teams battle in a best-of-three series — #3 vs. #6 and #4 vs. #5.

The Aces come in to their game against third-running Rain or Shine (5-3) off a loss to the league-leading San Miguel Beermen, 109-96, in an out-of-town game in Batangas City last Saturday.

It was their second in as many games after dropping their previous match against the NLEX Road Warriors.

Alaska gave everything they got against the Beermen but just could not complete the win as the latter showed the composure and step-up abilities, anchored by their starters, to withstand the Aces’ challenge.

JVee Casio paced Alaska with 20 points as Sonny Thoss added 15 and Vic Manuel and Kevin Racal had 13 points apiece.

The loss set the Aces back in their push for the top where they were at earlier in the tournament after racking up six consecutive victories midway into.

Despite the slippage, the Aces are not losing focus on their end goal and looking to regroup heading into the higher rounds and go as deep as possible in the conference.

“Our goal is to win the championship at the end of every conference and not to be number one at the end of the elimination round. It remains that way. We want to keep bettering ourselves and learn each time moving forward,” said Alaska coach Alex Compton after their game against San Miguel.

He went on to say that they will try to claim the win over Rain or Shine, which is on a three-game winning streak and off a near two-week break, to have something to build on come the quarterfinals wherever they made end up.

“They (E-Painters) have been playing well. They beat Magnolia in their last game. They are well-rested and will be ready. So we really have to prepare for them,” the Alaska coach said.

Meanwhile, in the first game at 4:30 p.m., San Miguel (7-2) goes for a spot in the top two when they take on also-rans Kia Picanto (1-9).

Nietes pits skills on HBO’s Superfly 2 card

THE Philippines’ longest-reigning boxing world champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes returns to the ring after a nearly a one-year break, pitting his skills on HBO Boxing After Dark’s Superfly 2 card this weekend.

Mr. Nietes, 35, will defend his International Boxing Federation flyweight title, which he won last time around, against Argentine challenger Juan Carlos Reveco in the Superfly 2 card at The Forum in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, Feb. 25 (Manila time).

While the fight is not his first time to show his wares in mainland United States, having headlined some fights for ALA Boxing, it is, however, his debut with HBO, and is expected to introduce him to a wider audience that could well take an already successful professional career to another plane.

Considering what is at stake, Mr. Nietes (40-1-4) and his team said they are viewing the fight with much significance and coming in prepared against Mr. Reveco (39-3-0) to create the biggest splash in the event as possible.

In his last fight in April, Mr. Nietes hacked out a unanimous decision victory over Thai Komgrich Nantapech that allowed him joined the likes of Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire, Jr. as multi-division Filipino world champions.

This is apart from having the distinction as the longest-reigning Filipino champion, a top dog as a light flyweight for more than a decade, beating the record of seven years previously held by legendary fighter Gabriel “Flash” Elorde.

BIGGEST MOMENT
For local fight analyst Nissi Icasiano, Mr. Nietes’ upcoming foray in the United States is undoubtedly a major one notwithstanding his outstanding track record in the boxing ring.

“If you’re going to look at his curriculum vitae in this sport, it is hard to deny Donnie Nietes’ place in boxing history. Although he is the longest-reigning Filipino boxing world champion for 10 years and 8 months and counting, he has yet to prove himself or raise his stock on the other side of the planet. Let’s take note that this is only his third fight on United States soil, but I will say that this is the biggest at the moment,” said Mr. Icasiano when asked by BusinessWorld for his thoughts on the Nietes fight.

“Nietes has long craved for that career-defining bout that will showcase him in front of the captious American boxing audience, and this fight against Juan Carlos Reveco will be a step in the right direction,” he added.

Mr. Icasiano said that Murcia, Negros Occidental native Nietes is very deserving of a spot in the Superfly series.

“Nietes will be on a card that is stacked with outstanding talents such as Srisaket Sur Rungvisai, Juan Francisco Estrada and Carlos Cuadras. Aside from that, the event will be broadcast by HBO. Nietes is about to get his own share of the spotlight in the United States,” he said.

Adding, “He has been competing in lower weight classes which has not been given prime-time attention by most television networks in the United States. However, there was a sudden surge of interest in the lower weight divisions after the success of ‘Super Fly’ in September 2017. The 35-year-old pugilist from Bacolod City, Negros Occidental is really in a great position being part of the HBO’s “Super Fly 2” card.”

As for Mr. Nietes’ opponent, Mr. Reveco, the analyst believes he is good challenge to the Filipino champ but may eventually fall to the latter.

“Reveco is a boxer with good hand speed and lateral movement. He is essentially a boxer, one who works behind a left jab-overhand right combination. Although he also has a championship experience as he held the WBA title before, Reveco has never shared a ring with a pugilist of Nietes’ caliber,” he said.

“Reveco is susceptible to the counter right as he tends to get lazy with the left jab as he moves in. With that being said, it is expected for Nietes to notice what I’ve mentioned and exploit it,” Mr. Icasiano added.

Also seeing action on Superfly 2 is Filipino-American Brian “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria, who will be fighting for the vacant World Boxing Association flyweight world championship against Ukraine’s Artem Dalakian. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Cheerleading competition will air live on ESPN5

THE National Cheerleading Competition (NCC) has found a string partner in ESPN5, making the event available for international audience.

ESPN5, the collaboration between TV5 and ESPN, will present the exclusive live coverage of the event on Feb. 27 and March 1-2 at the Mall of Asia Arena, but making the biggest cheer and dance competition more significant is the fact that it will be covered live.

This year’s event is also tipped as the biggest as it will be held in three phases.

The Cheer Camps non-competition events, the Regional Qualifiers in Bicol, Visayas, Mindanao and the National Capital Region and the Nationals final round.

The NCC serves as a platform for all schools competing in the cheer and dance competition where competing colleges and universities from the UAAP and the NCAA as well as other institutions from the metropolis and nearby provinces will get a chance to showcase their wares.

Last year, 150 schools consisting of over 3,500 athletes competed in the NCC’s Dance, Cheer, and Drumline competitions. This year promises to have a similar or even bigger number of participants in what promises to be a more exciting competition up ahead.

As part of its coverage, ESPN5 will have a live coverage of the National Dance and National Drumline Championships on Feb. 27 as well as the All-Girl Cheerleading Championships scheduled for March 1 and the Co-Ed Cheerleading Championships on March 2.

All three events will be live streamed on ESPN5.com while the March 1 and 2 events will start airing on Aksyon TV while there will also be a two-hour highlights episode on TV5 on March 3 from 2 to 4PM.

Vincent “Chot” Reyes, President and CEO of TV5 noted that the extensive coverage of the National Cheerleading Competition is part of ESPN5’s efforts to give sports fans the broadest array of Philippine sports content.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the National Cheerleading Championships to bring the sport of cheerleading to larger audience in the Philippines. Aligned with our thrust of super-serving the Filipino sports fan is the goal of providing all sports with a platform to help them reach and grow their audience. What better way to showcase the best our country has to offer than by showing local talent on ESPN5,” Mr. Reyes said.

Carlos Valdes III, president of the National Cheerleading Competition expresses a similar sentiment and said, “We’re excited about this partnership with ESPN5, particularly now that cheerleading is recognized by the Olympics as a sport. Since we started in 2006, the Philippine cheer community has grown by leaps and bounds and is now considered one of the top teams in the world, and with this partnership, we continue to aim to develop our community and continue to compete with best in the world — and maybe even an eventual Olympic medal.”

“I’d like to thank the ESPN5 management for recognizing and supporting cheerleading. The broad coverage plan and media platforms of the ESPN5 network will provide our growing community with an unprecedented opportunity to enjoy the sport as it was meant to be. We hope to continue this partnership in the coming years,” Mr. Valdes enthused. — Rey Joble

ONE Championship creates Super Series league

IN LINE with its vision to continue bringing forward one of Asia’s greatest cultural treasures — martial arts — and the core values of integrity, honor, respect, humility, discipline, courage and compassion that go with it, ONE Championship recently announced the creation of a Super Series designed to complement and enhance what it has charted as an organization.

The Super Series is a unique martial arts league that will feature other Asian martial art forms like Muay Thai, Lethwei, Silat, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Sambo, Kung Fu, Sanda and Wushu.

ONE, Asia’s largest sports media property, hopes that through the league it can provide another pathway for martial artists to showcase what they can do on a professional level apart from the mixed martial arts offerings it has become known for since setting up shop in 2011.

“In the same way that Starbucks offers many flavors of coffee and tea, we offer all martial arts. ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. We have earned that reputation over the last couple of years, and so instead of mixed martial arts, as a fight fan and as a martial arts lover, you now get to see all forms of martial arts for the very first time in history,” said Chatri Sityodtong, ONE chairman and CEO, in a recent conference call with global media whose transcript was shared to BusinessWorld.

“So you will see matches of, you know, Muay Thai versus Tae Kwon Do, or Tae Kwon Do versus Kung Fu, and the list goes on and on. This is a massive game-changing moment, not just for ONE Championship but also for the world of martial arts,” he added.

ONE said that early on the Super Series will be part of its MMA live events but eventually would be an event all its own once it gets its footing among the fans and other stakeholders.

The ONE Super Series is set to debut on April 20 here in Manila at the “ONE: Heroes of Honour” show at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“April 20 is our first ring event. Basically it will be half mixed martial arts and half striking. You’ll see the initial glimpse of what ONE Super Series is all about. But we envision ONE Super Series as a standalone event. This year we plan to do 24 events, but next year we plan to do 36 events and so a big portion of those 36 events will be ONE Super Series standalone events in a ring, or in a cage, depending on the athletes competing. That’s the flexibility we’re offering. Again, it’s a wider platform of martial arts. This is what ONE Championship is all about as the home of martial arts,” Mr. Sityodtong said.

Meanwhile, ONE Championship will have an event today in Myanmar dubbed “Quest for Gold” and will feature the light heavyweight title clash between hometown bet Aung La N Sang and Brazilian challenger Alexandre Machado.

Also competing in the event are Filipinos Roel Rosauro (featherweight) and Krisna Limbaga (women’s atomweight). — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Duremdes says MPBL games more unpredictable in home and away format

TO SEE visiting teams winning more games than the home squads certainly make the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL)-Anta Rajah Cup more unpredictable as exciting games are likewise in store halfway the tournament.

Prior to the Muntinlupa Cagers-Angelis Resort home victory over the Quezon City Capitals-Royal Manila last Tuesday, the ratio of teams winning on the road is six-out-of-10.

MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes has an explanation to this.

“Maybe because home teams are feeling the pressure more,” Mr. Duremdes told BusinessWorld. “They’re pressed to perform and play better in front of their hometown crowd, including their friends and their relatives.”

The Cagers dealt the Capitals their first loss in the tournament and picked up their first victory at home. Curiously, Muntinlupa was the first team to lose a game at home and before its latest win, four teams won on consecutive games on the road.

Batangas City, the only undefeated team in the tournament, visited Navotas a few days ago and the Tanduay-backed Athletics outlasted the Big J Sports-sponsored Clutch, 80-71.

Three other visiting squads also denied home teams victories at their own turf — the Capitals, who won over the Parañaque Patriots, 64-54; the Caloocan Supremos-Longrich, who nipped the BaiShipping-bankrolled Bataan Defenders, 76-69 and the Athletics, who denied host Imus Bandera-GLC Truck and Equipment, 74-56.

The Valenzuela Classic-Yulz was another visiting team which was able to snatch a road win after edging the Supremos, 79-78, last Feb. 1.

So the home court advantage isn’t much of a factor in the tournament, but coaches in the league would prefer playing in front of their hometown cheering crowd, which serves as the sixth man of the squad.

Lito Alvarez, team owner of the Muntinlupa Cagers-Angelis Resort, sees this as one of the reasons why the league has become successful.

“This format is good in terms of drawing the crowd to the venue,” added Mr. Alvarez, who experienced similar situation when he served as team manager of the Laguna Lakers in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association, the precursor of the MPBL.

Mac Tan, head coach of the Athletics, said he would love to play in front of their home court if given the chance.

“The shower of support we’re receiving is something this team needs,” said Mr. Tan. “We know we’re the target of all the teams now, so we’ll be counting on our home town crowd to support us.”

Even Senator Manny Pacquiao, the founder of the MPBL, didn’t give additional reward to teams making the playoffs except giving home court advantage to the top teams. — Rey Joble

Southwoods guns for Interclub history in Bacolod with ‘4-Peat’

MANILA Southwoods knows exactly what it is chasing when regular Men’s Championship division action in the PAL Interclub tees off in two courses in Bacolod on March 8.

“It has never been done before, that’s why the boys are so motivated,” non-playing skipper Thirdy Escaño said as the Carmona-based parbusters gun for an unprecedented fourth straight triumph in the country’s unofficial team golf championship.

“The players have started practicing weeks before and some have even gone to Bacolod to sample the layouts,” Escaño said, knowing well that Marapara and Binitin are courses that vary very much in character compared to the layouts his young squad is used to playing.

Canlubang ang defunct Aguinaldo are the only other teams that have won this event three straight years, with Escaño part of that Agui team together with Bong Lopez and several others more than two decades ago.

And just when they had the chance to go for four, the team was suddenly disbanded.

Reedy Japanese teener Yuto Katsuragawa will spearhead Southwoods in its “Four-Peat” drive, with the former club champion planing in this week after completing academic requirements back home.

The veteran Jun Jun Plana will again be the steadying presence in the squad made up of mostly teenagers, acting the same role he had in Baguio when Southwoods completed a sweep of the Fil-Am Invitational.

Spurs sans Leonard

Of the countless surprises the National Basketball Association has churned out this season, perhaps one of the most understated has been the Spurs’ continued competitiveness in the wild, wild West. In large measure, it’s due to the culture of continuity and consistency that has engulfed the silver and black in the Gregg Popovich dispensation. Still, few projected them to be third in the conference despite losing key players — and especially top dog Kawhi Leonard — due to injury.

Needless to say, the Spurs’ capacity to contend is attributable to Popovich’s brilliance in the sidelines. All the man-hours lost have taken their toll, to be sure, but his confident handling of the obstacles coming his way has, well, spurred his charges no end. Leonard’s protracted convalescence from right quadriceps tendinopathy, for instance, would have compelled quite a few others to tank; given his importance to the cause on both ends of the court, thy wouldn’t have been faulted for deeming themselves better served angling for the draft lottery. Instead, they tweaked their sets on offense, as well as KM defense, to rely more on seemingly forgotten LaMarcus Aldridge.

Yesterday, Popovich cautioned against the idea that Leonard would be returning to make the Spurs even better; if anything, he implied that the two-time All-Star is done for the 2017-2018 campaign, with the possibility of his return to the hardwood tempered by the lack of time to adjust. “We only have X number of games left in the season, and he’s still not ready to go,” the bench tactician said. “If by some chance he is, it’s gonna be pretty late into the season.”

Do the Spurs want Leonard back? Of course. The roster Popovich is forced to work with could certainly use a Finals Lost Valuable Player, even at far less than full strength. On the other hand, the short-term effects cannot be underestimated; reintegration can and will take time. In the nine games he was able to suit up for through the turn of the year, his team went a pedestrian five and four. Which is why the brain trust would rather deal with what they know they have. Meanwhile, he seems to have decided against returning this season, never mind that team doctors have medically cleared him for action; if scuttlebutt is to be believed, a second opinion on his condition has him shutting himself down for the foreseeable future.

In this regard, Popovich is right. The Spurs “have a job to do. We have to do that with or without him. We’re going to have to prepare to make a run with or without him… We still feel like we’re a superior team.” And, under his tutelage, they are — maybe not on paper, but definitely in practice.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.

A matter of rights

(The following constitutes part of the notes of my talk at the US Embassy on Thursday, February 2018, on The Nature of Rights and International Human Rights Enforcement.)

Perhaps best to start with an axiom: we have rights because we have responsibilities.

That is a paraphrase of Cardinal John Henry Newman’s letter to William Gladstone. He was actually talking about “rights of conscience” but it serves our purpose: we have rights because corollary to those rights are duties. They go together.

“A” has the right to live healthily and peacefully, while simultaneously having the duty not to kill or harm “B.” In essence, “A” has his rights and also the duty not to violate that of “B’s.”

Sounds simple enough. Which leads us to the puzzle as to why, from the current administration and its supporters, to progressives of the secular Left, that either a profoundly mistrustful or confusingly bloated view of rights prevails?

One possible way of addressing that question is to determine the source of and, thereafter, identifying rights’ contents. For now, let’s set aside the latter and focus on the former.

I invite the reader to former chief justice (and now head of the Consultative Constitutional Committee) Reynato Puno’s spectacularly learned Separate Opinion in the case of Republic vs. Sandiganbayan, where he traced (more cogently than the majority opinion) the history and basis of rights.

It starts with the natural law.

In his opinion, CJ Puno traces its lineage: from Sophocles to Aristotle to Cicero to Aquinas, and then the trinity of political thought: Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau.

Of Cicero, he is widely recognized for establishing the view that “right is based, not upon men’s opinions, but upon Nature.” And his dialogue De legibus is significant for providing insight on Cicero’s views regarding what we could fairly refer to as the natural law.

Of Locke, CJ Puno was quite succinct: “That Locke’s modern natural law and rights theory was influential to those who framed and ratified the United States constitution and served as its theoretical foundation is undeniable.”

Such views of rights made their way to our 1935 Constitution, which has clearly embedded within it the natural law framework. Remember that, although the 1935 Constitution contained traces of the Malolos Constitution, the Spanish Constitution, the German Constitution, the Mexican Constitution, the Constitutions of several South American countries, and the English unwritten constitution, it was the US Constitution that had the heaviest influence.

And, to reiterate, this is material because natural law ideas have been credited with having influenced the American revolution itself, as well as having sowed the seeds of constitutionalism in America.

In fact, it has been repeatedly pointed out by scholars that the American Declaration of Independence itself embodies natural law thinking: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

But obviously it is not only the Americans from which the Philippines could be said to have culled its present understanding of rights. Jorge Coquia, in 1976, pointed out the “influence of natural law is more significant in the Philippines with the introduction of Christianity by the Spanish clergy and with the teaching of scholastic natural law of Thomas Aquinas.”

Interestingly, Coquia also mentioned: “It is understood that the civil and political rights now provided for in the 1973 constitution, as they were in the original constitution, are based on natural law.”

Finally, the international law system, which the Philippines is part of and its norms we incorporate, considers natural law as basis for determining whether other international law norms (such as treaties) are valid, a fact constantly recognized by our previous Supreme Courts.

Worth pointing out are the contributions of one man to The United Nations Declaration of Universal Human Rights: natural law thinker Jacques Maritain.

This is because the UDHR puts his ideas on natural law and human rights together in a single document: “In contributing to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, Maritain recognized the need for the world to achieve agreement about universal moral standards. He believed that the horrors of the Second World War called for a notion of natural law that was more precise in its practical implications.” (“Jacques Maritain and Alasdair MacIntyre: The Person, the Common Good, and Human Rights”; Deborah Wallace, 1999)

The problem then, if one must put it in simplified form, is dilution.

Human rights have become diluted, to the point sometimes of weightlessness or incoherence, due to the need to satisfy political correctness brought about by societal adherence to an overly individualistic sense of freedom.

We have rights (and duties) because of our inherent human dignity as rational creatures. That human “nature,” the basis of human rights, is immutable.

Human nature also requires that we be part of a community, hence our obligation to seek the “common good” of each one of us, allowing each of us the opportunity for his individual flourishing.

Unfortunately, “rights” talk today seeks to forget that.

 

Jemy Gatdula is a Senior Fellow of the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations and a Philippine Judicial Academy law lecturer for constitutional philosophy and jurisprudence.

jemygatdula@yahoo.com

www.jemygatdula.blogspot.com

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Twitter @jemygatdula

No better time than never

Former chief justice Reynato Puno says this is the “better time” to shift to a federal form of government. He didn’t say what he was comparing today with (a better time than when?). But he did claim that it’s because there’s enough public support to realize it.

Puno didn’t say this because the public opinion polls say so. No survey on what people think of federalism has so far established if there is indeed widespread support for it. The former chief justice instead based this assessment on the results of the 2016 presidential elections, which Rodrigo Duterte won with 16 million votes.

Since Duterte the candidate made the shift to a federal government from the present unitary form one of the planks of what passed for his campaign platform, Puno concludes that his victory indicates popular support for federalism.

That conclusion assumes that the electorate chooses officials on the basis of what they stand for rather than how they speak and act in public, how well they sing and dance, or pander to popular prejudices. If Puno is correct, one could conclude as well that there’s popular support for the country’s parting ways with the United States, or even for socialism. Mr. Duterte did promise the first, and after all described himself, though falsely, as partial to the second.

The more likely reason why Mr. Duterte won is because there’s a substantial number of voters who think cursing and incoherence in the English language are presidential virtues, and that killing a hundred thousand drug addicts and pushers is the solution to the country’s supposedly huge drug problem. Few of Mr. Duterte’s supporters are likely to have even weighed the advantages and disadvantages of a federal form of government compared to a unitary one, or can even tell what each means and what the difference is between them.

But Puno’s belief that they support federalism is understandable.

Puno, whom Mr. Duterte appointed last January to head the consultative committee to review the 1987 Constitution, obviously favors it — which, however, raises the question of whether his committee intends to find out whether federalism is what the people want, or if it simply assumes that there is, indeed, a “clamor” for the change, as other Duterte regime partisans have been saying.

In any case, the question remains: is this at all the best, or even the “better” time to shift to federalism? Should Filipinos even be considering it?

Puno’s argument for the change is two-fold. He believes that the Philippines is a failed democracy because of the unitary form of government, which supposedly concentrates power in the hands of the central administration.

During the Feb. 17 pro-federalism demonstration in Quezon City, he also mentioned the Bangsamoro demand for autonomy as a compelling reason for making the shift.

Regional autonomy, however, can be realized through such special legislation as the Bangsamoro Basic Law, and without dividing the country into separate, autonomous states, with the powers of the federal government being limited only to the conduct of foreign relations and national defense. And it’s not the unitary form of government that has made a mockery of democracy; it’s the people who have been running it.

Nevertheless, a federal form of government’s enabling its constituent-states to raise and utilize their own resources, and to pass their own laws appropriate to their needs and problems, are compelling arguments. But whether that form of government, in the current Philippine context, will result in further dividing an already fragmented country by encouraging the more affluent states to shut their borders and keep their advantages for themselves is certainly something to consider. Of even more urgency is the possibility of federalism’s further strengthening the political dynasties that control entire provinces and even regions.

One indication of the latter is the demand by the League of Provinces of the Philippines to convert each of the country’s 81 provinces into an independent state under a federal form of government. The idea is apparently for the dynasties to retain and even strengthen their hold on power.

One of the Puno committee’s members has brushed aside that demand, on the argument that in a federal form of government, provinces have to be grouped into states precisely to curb dynastic power and encourage economic development. But the reality is that, as the cacique leadership of the House of Representatives pointedly declared last January when the Puno committee was constituted, that body is “only consultative.”

The final decisions on the manner through which the shift to federalism will be achieved, as well as on the specific amendments to the Constitution, will be made by the constituent assembly into which the current members of Congress will convene themselves. Puno’s own view that amendments to the Constitution should be through a constitutional convention is from the beginning already in conflict with the House “supermajority’s” insistence that it be done through a constituent assembly.

That fact alone contradicts Puno’s “better time” argument. It’s an indication of the House and its dynastic membership’s focus on preserving their power at the local level, where it really matters to them.

Under a federal form of government, the dynasties in control of the states — and their number can be whatever suits the constituent assembly of self-serving dynasts — can after all raise their own taxes, pass their own laws, and pretty much do what they please in concealment and without being checked.

There is of course the press, the mandate of which is to monitor government and hold it to account. But the bad news is that the states under the control of local tyrants can pass laws to restrict and silence the press consistent with the proposal of the current House majority to emasculate Article III Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution, which protects free expression and press freedom as well as freedom of assembly. The crypto-fascists dominant in Congress will make a mockery of those rights by inserting the phrase “the responsible exercise of” in that particular provision. (It would then read thus: “No law shall be passed abridging the responsible exercise of the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.”)

Journalists are already being killed, mostly in the rural communities. Four were slain during the 19 months of the Duterte regime. In at least 61 of the 156 cases of journalists killed since 1986 for reporting and commenting on corruption, criminal syndicates, the despoliation of the environment and other issues, local and provincial officials including governors and mayors have been tagged as the masterminds.

This is specially apparent in the Nov. 23, 2009 Ampatuan Massacre — the worst incident of its kind in history — in which 58 men and women including 32 journalists and media workers were brutally murdered. Several members of the powerful Ampatuan political clan are accused of masterminding the massacre, and of using the military, paramilitary and police personnel under their pay and currently being tried with them to do the killings.

Imagine a situation in which warlords are in control of states that they can run as their exclusive feudal domains with even more powers. Imagine how their command over the police, paramilitary groups and even military units will enable them to violate human rights even more, and to curtail press freedom.

If only because of that even more horrific certainty, this is not the “better time” to shift to a federal form of government. And there can never be even a good enough time to do it as long as the political dynasties are in control of government and the provincial and local fiefdoms that inflicted them on this sorry land.

 

Luis V. Teodoro is on Facebook and Twitter (@luisteodoro). The views expressed in Vantage Point are his own and do not represent the views of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility.

www.luisteodoro.com

Form

In the material world, form is everything. Substance is only incidental. The packaging of a product or a person is more important than quality.

In this context, media-genic individuals are “influencers.” They can project their ideas and trend that change the taste, habits, and lifestyles of people.

The gurus of stylish living have evolved. There was guru Martha Stewart who blazed the way for years. Ladies of leisure, with disposable income, were her avid disciples. They followed with great zeal and zest, the template for good living as shown in her TV show, books, and magazines.

The lifestyle goddess was a marketing phenomenon who created a cult and an empire. All the media hype generated excitement. The consumer magic trickled down to mid-market consumers. Style fanatics copied her formulas for weddings, home décor, flowers and food settings.

The Italians call it “la bella figura” or beautiful form.

It paints a picture of the perfect figure clad in vogue-ish fashion and jewelry, riding a luxury sedan or a flashy sports car, playing golf at the most exclusive club dining at the best restaurants, traveling in style, living la dolce vita. It makes other envious of such sheen and polished perfection.

Stewart’s star faded when allegations about ImClone’s insider trading haunted the domestic diva. She was investigated and put in a country club jail. From there, she continued to influence people.

Oprah is another diva who has influenced millions. Her style and approach to life are more down-to-earth, folksy, and wise. She is so popular that people speculate that she could run for the US presidency.

In the local scene, the trendy social set and the aspiring mountaineers are obsessed with becoming the new style setters. No matter the cost.

At the periphery of the chic circles, the wannabes are in a frenzy to attend as many social events in a season. They go to fashion shows, charity balls, food festivals, polo games (even if they don’t understand the sport), restaurant and boutique openings, receptions and celebrity wakes. Some dare to gate crash the exclusive events such as weddings and birthday parties.

They invite important people to their designer homes to impress others with their possessions — antiques, paintings, crystal chandeliers and imported kitchen cabinets and appliances, The guest list consists of collectibles — prominent personalities like trophies they can show off.

It is the deep-rooted desire to see and be seen, and to belong. By sheer proximity to power, and through osmosis, they hope to imbibe the aura of class and acquire social cachet.

Some lucky aspirants, by virtue of well-matched marriage, spectacular business, political success, or timely association with the right people, are successfully integrated. Others will remain aspirants — on the brink, but not quite there.

Money, hype, and packaging cannot buy everything.

At an exclusive high rise condo, la bella figura is taken to extremes. Observing the residents is an eye-opening experience. Many expatriate tenants assume pretentious airs of superiority and superciliousness. With their dollar expense account, trophy wives or recycled partners, they strut about like grand peacocks and speak in loud hi-fallutin’ tones. They have flashy sedans and SUVs, some bearing diplomatic tax-exempt plates.

It must be the air of luxury that inflates the egos and makes them feel so self-important. Living in luxury, pampered by household helpers, they never had it so good, not in their own countries.

In the mornings, the lobby area looks like an eerie scene from the not so distant colonial past. A foreign or local mast giving orders to the servants who jump to open the door and bow as he passes by.

He keeps other residents waiting at the driveway entrance as he gives detailed instructions to the obsequious chauffeur in uniform.

The security guards and doormen, intimidated by the imperious master, freeze in awe or fear.

The spouses provide interesting contrasts. Many ladies are proper, friendly, and low-key.

However, a few women should enroll in a crash course for good manners — how to dress and behave properly. The pseudo-prima donnas’ grandstanding affectations reveal a serious lack of breeding and taste.

One vain woman walks with her chiseled nose in the air, with her raised hand (and crooked pinky) waiting to be kissed. She wears a diamond tiara, grand chandelier earrings with a fur-trimmed gown to a ball. The outfit does not match the tropical weather. On other occasions, she attracts attention by being loud. She brings her own photographer. The husband meekly follows his trophy wife with kids in tow.

Restraint is not in the vocabulary. Pretense and vacuous living are.

A slinky woman (married to a foreigner) wears sparkling jewelry with her cleavage defining skintight gym outfits. The “I have arrived” look. She tells her driver to run ahead and hold open the elevator. The she airily walks with the kids and pet dog through the lobby.

Her haughty manner and fake accent are typical of a local girl who marries up — for the green card and expat perks. The classic case of a fly on top of a carabao.

Without substance, a shallow person is like a hot air balloon that flies high. Soaring above the ground is a heady feeling. He/loses perspective among the clouds. Everything looks small, trivial, in comparison.

At a certain point, the steam runs out. The air cools and becomes heavy. The balloon drops like a rock to the ground.

Reality sets in. What then?

 

Maria Victoria Rufino is an artist, writer and businesswoman. She is president and executive producer of Maverick Productions.

mavrufino@gmail.com

Dealing with difficult people

It is not always clear when there are undeclared feuds in the office whether it’s the fraught situation causing short tempers to flare up, or simply a case of clashing personalities.

Sometimes, bosses and subordinates do not get along. When the boss cannot specify why he finds a subordinate difficult to work with, he becomes vague — “she’s got an attitude problem.” This sweeping assessment is dropped like a stealth bomb — nobody knows where it came from or where it seems to be headed. It doesn’t show up in the radar screen and does its damage without a trace.

When required to give specifics in terms of goals missed or metrics failed, the performance-rater is hazy. He unleashes a flurry of qualitative jabs. She is temperamental. She is very negative and doesn’t seem to have the right spirit. She’s not a team player. She never attends unscheduled meetings called at the last minute. And in a moment of inspiration, the employee with an attitude problem is dismissed as a “Prima Donna,” even when she has no operatic ambitions.

Can someone characterized as a “difficult person” bloom as a high performer when re-potted and made to report to somebody else? Is attitude sickness merely a case of a superior preventing a particular subordinate to shine? Does the difficulty lie with the subordinate or her boss?

One of the lessons I learned from a former boss and friend is his dictum that a good CEO must be able to manage difficult people. He himself hones this skill by recruiting a number of highly paid bulls-in-a-China-shop types, as if to prove his point. These bulls or bullies bring their own china shop to break just for practice. That nobody else in the team can work with these Visigoths seems only to hearten their recruiter, as if to prove that only he can make them do a tap dance. Eventually, the CEO recruiter himself gives up and dismisses the tea-cup-breaker as not being able to meet his targets because he lacks “people skills.”

The X-factor that judges of talent contests are looking for is summarized as “attitude.” This can be an aggressive way of performing or out-of-the-box responses to routine questions. Sassy is cool. And many a rising star hoping to extend a career beyond showing tattoos in unusual places will give provocative reactions to baiting judges — you should learn Tagalog or quit. Talk show hosts welcome some feistiness in interviewees for ratings. The subject comes across not as a dumb sexpot, but a working girl with scripted smart ass replies, making her more interesting than she probably is.

An attitude problem actually helps a career in entertainment. (I will expose the secrets of your family.) By affecting cheekiness, a bold star past her prime can end up as a talk show host previously known for refreshingly frank observations bordering on the vulgar. Her stint as interviewer using the same irreverence works as it discombobulates guests with her what’s-the-real-score approach on answers prepared by spin masters. (We’re just friends and we see other people.) Her open skepticism at pat answers keeps her hosting unpredictable and interesting — but you’re now living together, right?

Difficult people can get away with arrogant posturing if they are indispensable. Thus autocratic bosses (I don’t get ulcers, I give them) are forgiven their dysfunctional behavior if they own the company or induce market hysteria whenever they launch new products. Opposition is cowed and unwilling to take on such a corporate force.

Attitude issues are generally associated with Prima Donnas. Operatic appeal is given some leeway for obnoxious demands. Huge talent combined with box office appeal (or managing the rising market cap of a listed company) allows an attitude problem to be accepted as an almost lovable quirk — he is a demanding boss who requires excellence in each presentation. (Translation: he makes subordinates pee in their pants.)

The “Callas Effect,” named after the temperamental diva known for throwing tantrums and being difficult, but continuing to captivate Greek billionaire/tycoon Aristotle Onassis, has an expiry date too. How can you trump a former iconic first lady?

When talent and appeal fade, the rules shift. The adulation (or sufferance) so reluctantly offered and always demanded can simply vanish — she was insufferable. Yes, you can say it out loud now.

From there, it is a short journey to oblivion and the all too quick dismissal of the once unassailable talent: she simply lost her voice.

 

A. R. Samson is chair and CEO of Touch DDB.

ar.samson@yahoo.com

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