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Cat-calling bill up for House plenary approval

THE SENATE on Monday approved on third and final reading the bill penalizing cat-calling and other forms of street-based sexual harassment.
Senate Bill No. 1558, the Safe Streets, Workplaces, and Public Spaces Act, was approved with 21 affirmative votes, no negative vote, and no abstention.
It was authored and sponsored by Senator Risa N. Hontiveros-Baraquel, the chairman of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality.
The bill imposes penalties against unwanted comments, gestures, and actions forced on a person due to his or her gender in a public space, without their consent. Violators may face a fine ranging from P1,000 to P10,000, imprisonment from 30 days to six months, and community service, depending on the gravity of the offense.
Specific acts include, but are not limited to, unwanted cursing, wolf-whistling, cat-calling, leering, sexist, persistent requests for someone’s name, number or destination after clear refusal, persistent telling of sexual jokes, use of sexual names, comments and demands, following, flashing, public masturbation, groping, and stalking. — Camille A. Aguinaldo

Nationwide round-up

Chinese envoy ‘concerned’ over US naval exercises with Xi’s Manila visit


MALACAÑANG ON Tuesday said the People’s Republic of China “has expressed concern” about the scheduled naval exercise that the United States will be conducting in the South China Sea during President Xi Jingping’s visit to Manila this November.
In a press briefing at the Palace on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua had a courtesy call with the President Monday afternoon, where they discussed Mr. Xi’s visit.
He said, “The President and Ambassador Zhao discussed the upcoming visit of President Xi to the country this November, which both agreed would further cement the already strong relations between the Philippines and China. China of course expressed concern over a naval, a military exercise that the United States will be conducting in the area at about the same time that the Chinese President will be in the Philippines; the President said that we will not take part in that military exercise.”
Mr. Roque said both leaders “agreed that joint exploration in the disputed West Philippine Sea would be to each other’s interest… and China reiterated that they do not desire any military confrontation as a result of the West Philippine Sea, either with any of the claimant states or with any other powers because China is the biggest user of the West Philippine Sea, and any military confrontation in the West Philippine Sea will have dire consequences as far as Chinese commerce is concerned.”
Meanwhile, the Department of National Defense (DND) announced yesterday that the Philippines and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be joining China in a maritime exercise later this month in the disputed South China Sea.
The exercises is set Oct. 22 to 29 in Zhanjiang, China, DND Public Affairs head Arsenio R. Andolong told reporters in a text message on Oct. 8.
Mr. Andolong said China proposed not to hold the drills in the disputed areas, and the participating countries agreed to Zhanjiang as venue.
He added that the maritime drill will focus on the improvement of sea protocols.
Mr. Andolong said nations are hoping for “deepening understanding” of China and “we are also exploring the possibilities of finding ways to improve the unexpected encounters (and our) sea protocols.”
China continues to assert its claim in the entire South China Sea, parts of which are claimed by the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei, all members of the ASEAN. — Arjay L. Balinbin and Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

Carpio warns withdrawal from ICC leaves PHL with no legal deterrent vs China

THE PHILIPPINES is giving up a “legal deterrent” against an invasion of China in the Scarborough Shoal with the country’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio said.
Mr. Carpi, speaking in the oral arguments during his interpellation of Solicitor-General Jose C. Calida yesterday, said the ICC is the only international tribunal that can decide on territorial disputes unless both camps voluntarily submit the case to arbitration.
“This is the only treaty in the world that holds military and political leaders of a state that commits crime of aggression that will hold these political and military leaders individually accountable before an international tribunal. No other,” he said.
“We will be giving up this legal deterrent if we withdraw from the ICC we cannot bring President Xi Jinping to the ICC if he invades Pag-asa or builds a military base in Scarborough shoal. We will lose that defense,” he added.
Mr. Carpio emphasized the recent amendment in the Rome Statue on July 17, 2018 states that political and military leaders who commit aggression through invasion and occupation of the territory of another state will be held responsible and can be brought to the ICC.
The Philippines did not ratify this amendment as it already sent the notice of withdrawal to the United Nations Secretary General in March.
“I mean we could not take advantage of this legal defense anymore because we are withdrawing from the Rome Statute and we have to take advantage of this new crime, we must remain with the ICC and we must ratify the Kampala amendment, the fourth crime under ICC. But we will not be doing this because we are withdrawing, correct?” he asked Mr. Calida.
The solicitor general replied that there might be other international treaties that can be used even after the ICC withdrawal.
Mr. Carpio asked him if he knew any, but Mr. Calida was not able to name one.
Mr. Calida asserted before the interpellation that the Court cannot exercise its power of judicial review over the cases as this authority “is limited to the determination of actual cases and controversies.”
“No actual case or controversy has been presented by the petitioners for the court to exercise its power of judicial review. The absence of an actual case or controversy is fatal. It means that the court has nothing to resolve. As a rule, courts will desist from taking cognizance of speculative or hypothetical cases,” he said, adding that it did not cause direct injury to the petitioners.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte initiated the withdrawal from ICC following the court’s preliminary examination against him over the government’s war on illegal drugs.
Opposition senators filed a petition before the Supreme Court last May and sought to declare ththe withdrawal as invalid, claiming that the President cannot unilaterally withdraw from a treaty.
The Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court also sought to invalidate the withdrawal.
Both parties were asked to submit their respective memoranda after 30 days. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

2 SC associate justice applicants up for JBC interview on Oct. 18

THE JUDICIAL and Bar Council (JBC) has set the public panel interview for two of the 13 applicants for the Supreme Court associate justice position vacated by Chief Justice Teresita J. Leonardo-Castro on Oct. 18.
The two applicants to be interviewed from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. are Sandiganbayan Justice Alex D.L. Quiroz and lawyer Rita Linda V. Jimeno.
Eleven other candidates whose previous public interviews are still valid are: Courts of Appeals Justices Oscar V. Badelles, Manuel M. Barrios, Apolinario D. Bruselas, Jr., Rosmari D. Carandang, Stephen C. Cruz, Edgardo L. Delos Santos, Japar B. Dimaampao, Ramon D.R. Garcia, Ramon Paul L. Hernando, and Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, and former Ateneo Law Dean Cesar L. Villanueva.
Ms. De Castro vacated the position when she was appointed as top magistrate on Aug. 25.
Furthermore, the JBC has opened the application or nomination for SC associate justice, replacing Associate Justice Noel G. Tijam, who will retire on Jan 5, 2019. The deadline for the submission of application and requirements is Nov. 5.
The JBC has earlier opened the application for chief justice and set the deadline on Oct. 15. Ms. De Castro is retiring on Oct. 10. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Roque, gearing up to campaign, may not run for Senate after all

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON Harry L. Roque, Jr. said on Tuesday that the previous pronouncement of President Rodrigo R. Duterte regarding his Senate bid “was a game changer.”
In a public speech last week, Mr. Duterte said he does not believe Mr. Roque will win in the 2019 senatorial race and that he will instead offer Mr. Roque another position for him stay in the administration.
“For the past five or six months, he’s been calling me senator; for all intents and purposes, endorsing my bid for the Senate. So I was taken aback with his statement also with the PMA (Philippine Military Alumni) alumni. So, it was a game changer so to speak. It was a change in tone. But I think there was an agreement on what I would be doing ahead of time,” Mr. Roque said in a press briefing at the Palace on Tuesday, Oct. 9.
Mr. Roque also confirmed that he shot a campaign advertisement over the weekend.
“Well, the truth is, I shot it because it’s been paid for. And, you know, I mean, we’ve had plans. Whatever has happened in the last few days were really major deviation from plans that even the President knew about,” he said.
As for his final plans, he said, “As I said, I’m discussing with the President and I’d rather that the President and I agree on a course of action.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

Andaya says SALN complaint ‘an ongoing hatchet’ job

THE TRUTH & Justice Coalition on Tuesday filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against House Majority Leader Rolando G. Andaya Jr. and his wife over alleged dishonesty in their Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN). Advocacy group President Greco Antonious B. Belgica said the complaint stemmed from the 2016 and 2017 SALNs of Mr. Andaya, who represents the 1st district of Camarines Sur, and wife Marissa Lourdes Andaya. “An analysis of the two SALNs readily reveal that these documents are exactly the same, save for the year when the SALN was dated,” said Mr. Belgica, who is also Commissioner Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission. In response, Mr. Andaya dismissed the complaint as “an ongoing hatchet” against him over his plans to run as Camarines Sur governor. “In a bid to keep their stranglehold on the province, my enemies are resorting to tactics most foul, because the most recent surveys show that I will beat their candidate, despite the private and public resources at their disposal,” Mr. Andaya said in a statement. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Swine-raising learning center opens in lechon capital

LOCAL BREEDER Exelsior Farms, Inc. (EFI), along with four industry partners, opened a swine-raising learning center in Cebu City, the first such institution in the country. EFI, which operates a 20-hectare pig farm in Pinamungajan town in Cebu province, has partnered with Big Dutchman, a global market leader in pig production; Animal feed supplier Cargill; and London-based Pig Improvement Company (PIC) to establish the Swinenovation Learning Center in Mabolo, Cebu City, which is considered as the “Lechon Capital of the Philippines.” EFI Chairman and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Alvin S. Hing, said the opening of the free learning center was prompted by the industry’s bid to uplift the standard of farming in the Philippines, particular in swine breeding and pork production. The center offers modules on farm management and production from breeding to harvest, genetic technology, facility design, operation maintenance, feeds, and feeding, animal health, and biosecurity. “The center will act as the catch-basin or landing-pad for all latest technologies in pig production in the Philippines — hopefully in Asia,” said Patrick Ty, BD Agriculture (Philippines) Inc., the local distributor of Big Dutchman products. — The Freeman
>> See full story on https://goo.gl/PkUFK3

International Banana Conference opens today as PBGEA reiterates call for lower tariffs

THE INTERNATIONAL Banana Conference, organized by the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport)-Region XI Chapter, starts today as the major industry players reiterated their call on government to negotiate for lower tariffs in export destination nations. Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association, Inc. (PBGEA) Executive Director Stephen A. Antig, in an interview, expressed frustration over government’s slow action on their appeals. Philippine banana exports are slapped an 8% tariff in Japan during summer and 18% during winter when it is harvest time for their fruits. A 30% tariff is being imposed by South Korea. “We still pay very high tariffs for our banana exports to Japan and Korea,” Mr. Antig said, noting that the country’s banana industry, which is mostly based in Mindanao, provides direct employment to more than 340,000 people with an estimated P51 billion salary per annum and a tax contribution to the government of P7 billion per year. One of the objectives of the three-day conference, to be held in Davao City, is to “enhance the country’s position in establishing market harmony with trading partners via reduction if not elimination of tariffs and regulatory impositions on said agricultural product,” according to Philexport. — Carmencita A. Carillo

Davao City passes law allowing Muslim women to wear head, face covers

Bai Halila Y. Sudagar, indigenous peoples representative in the Davao City council, is a member of the Kagan Tribe and also a Muslim. — BW FILE PHOTO/CACARILLO

THE MUSLIM community in Davao City welcomed the passage of an ordinance that respects their tradition of wearing head and face covers for women. “We welcome this initiative because it shows that the city government encourages its people to respect one another,” Aleem Mahmod M. Adilao of the Bishop Ulama Conference said. The city council approved last week the ordinance that protects Muslim women from discrimination if they wear head and face covers as a symbol of their faith, either in schools, workplaces, or business establishments. Halila Y. Sudagar, representative of the indigenous peoples to the city council who pushed for the law, said it is significant to have such a rule considering that some foreign countries ban this tradition. Under the ordinance, Muslim women can wear hijab, which covers the head and the chest; niqab, a face and head cover that only shows the eyes; or, burqa, which covers the entire body and leaves only a mesh screen for the eyes. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Nation at a Glance — (10/10/18)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Final 4-bound Letran wins anew, beats San Sebastian

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE LETRAN KNIGHTS sustained their strong finish in the wind-up of the elimination round of Season 94 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as they won their fifth straight game with a 79-61 victory over the San Sebastian Stags on Tuesday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
Came out in their element right from the get-go, the Knights dominated their rivals and never allowed the Stags to gain much headway in their fight-back attempts to book their fifth win in a row and improve to 12-4, still with a shot at a top-two finish in the eliminations that could merit them a twice-to-beat edge in the Final Four.
Letran opened the proceedings with a 6-0 blast and never looked back the rest of the first quarter to go on top 19-10.
The Stags tried to claw their way back in the second period but Bonbon Batiller and Larry Muyang would not allow the Knights to skip a beat, helping their team to a 29-15 lead midway into the frame.
Letran went on to lord it over San Sebastian after to take a commanding 42-25 advantage at the halftime break.
Despite the continued fending off of them by the Knights, the Stags remained resilient.
Behind RK Ilagan, Jesse Sumoda, and Michael Calisaan, San Sebastian managed to recover some ground in the third period.
When the quarter ended, the Stags were just seven points down, 59-52.
Sensing that they gave San Sebastian much real estate in the third canto, Letran came out with more purpose and aggressiveness to start the final frame.
Muyang and JP Calvo propelled the attack of the Knights that had them stretching their lead to 18 points, 72-54, with five minutes left in the game.
From there the Knights sped some more all the way to the win.
Muyang led Letran with 15 points and 13 rebounds as he was named player of the game.
Batiller also had 15 points while Nico Galvelo and Christian Fajarito had 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Calisaan paced San Sebastian (4-12) with 16 points with Ilagan finishing with 13 and Sumoda 12.
“This is a big win for us because we are now assured of a Final Four spot. But this is not where we want to be and we know we still have to work hard to go even deeper,” said Letran coach Jeff Napa following their victory.
“As far as the top two, we will let fate take its course if we are to notch it or not. From our end we will just be ready for whoever we face in the Final Four and where we end up,” he added as he spoke of their chances of finishing in the top two.
The Knights currently trail the defending champions San Beda Red Lions (14-1) and Lyceum Pirates (14-2) in the race to the top.

On-fire teams Blackwater, Magnolia lock horns today

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
TOP-FLIGHT teams Blackwater Elite and Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok test each other today in their 7 p.m. Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup tussle at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
Both right smack of a winning run that has them flying high in the season-ending PBA tournament, the second-running Elite (6-1) and currently third Hotshots (5-1) gun for the victory to keep their respective streaks going and fortify their spot in the top four that will have them a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
Preceding the main game today is the battle between the Phoenix Fuel Masters (5-2) and NLEX Road Warriors (4-3) at 4:30 p.m.
Blackwater has won in two in a row after absorbing its first defeat of the season.
Its last victory was over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 99-93, on Oct. 7, that had the Elite proving tough in the end en route to bagging the win.
The Elite showcased a balanced attack versus the Elasto Painters with five players finishing in double figures, led by Mike DiGregorio with 17 points and Nards Pinto adding 16.
Import Henry Walker had a triple-double of 14 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. Allein Maliksi and Paul Zamar were the two other Elite players in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
While they padded their push for the playoffs with the victory, Blackwater coach Bong Ramos said they are not thinking of the next round just yet and taking it a game at a time.
“We’re not thinking of the playoffs yet. For us it’s one game at a time and continue improving our game,” he said following their victory.
Their 6-1 start is the best for the Elite in franchise history.
ROLLING HOTSHOTS
The Hotshots, meanwhile, have racked three straight victories and have been steady of late.
They are off a 113-95 victory over the Columbian Dyip on Oct. 3 as they dominated from wire-to-wire.
Import Romeo Travis had a near triple-double of 32 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists to lead Magnolia to its third win in a row.
Mark Barroca finished with 16 while Paul Lee and Ian Sangalang had 13 and 11 points, respectively.
“We need to finish (the elimination round) strong. This (win over Columbian) is a testament to our defensive mindset. We need to have that best effort regardless of who we face. I’m proud of my players because they were able to do that for the entire 48 minutes in this game,” said Magnolia coach Chito Victolero following their win over winless Columbian (0-8).

Maroons seek to finish first round with winning record

THE UNIVERSITY of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, winners of their last two matches, look to finish the first round of the eliminations of UAAP Season 81 with a winning record when they take on the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in the opener today at 2 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Lost three straight at one point early in the ongoing University Athletic Association of the Philippines season, the Maroons (3-3) have regained their footing and are angling to go past the .500 mark and have something to build on heading into the next round.
UP is coming off a squeaker of a win over National University Bulldogs, 89-88, on Oct. 7, a game that the Maroons had control of for much of the time but nearly lost it in the end.
Down by just a point, 89-88, with seven seconds to go, after fighting their way back in the fourth period, the Bulldogs had a chance to win the game when guard JV Gallego managed to weave through the Maroon defense from the backcourt off a rebound.
But Gallego opted not to take the shot and instead pass the ball to a teammate at the last moment as time expired, preserving in the process the win for the Maroons.
Bright Akhuetie led the way for UP with 21 points and 20 rebounds while brothers Juan and Javi Gomez de Liano added 20 and 19 points, respectively.
Post-game, Maroons coach Bo Perasol admitted that they were lucky to have escaped with the win even as he said they were disappointed to have allowed NU to come back and have a shot at snatching the victory.
“A positive way at looking at this is we learned while winning, which is better than learning and losing. We still have a lot to learn obviously but we take this,” said Mr. Perasol.
Channeling his focus on today’s game, the UP coach said it is very important to beat UST to boost their chances moving forward although was quick to say that it would be easier said than done since the Tigers have a lot of fight in them.
“We have to finish the first half of the season by getting that win over UST and boosting our chances in the tournament. Like NU, UST is a difficult team to face because it just does not give up. So we have to find a way to take their motivation to win as well,” he said.
BACK-TO-BACK WINS
UST (2-4), for its part, is gunning for back-to-back wins in today’s matchup after emerging victorious in its last game against the University of the East Red Warriors, 80-66, on Oct. 6.
The Tigers rode on their hot shooting from beyond the arc to feast on the Warriors and halt a three-game losing streak.
UST drained 16 triples in said game which proved to be too much for UE to handle.
Renzo Subido led the Tigers with 22 points, 15 coming from three-point land, while rookie CJ Cansino had all-around numbers of 17 points, 17 rebounds and four assists.
Immediately following the UP-UST game is the match between defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles (5-1) and Far Eastern University Tamaraws (4-2) at 4 p.m.
The Eagles are now flying high, winning five straight after opening their season with a loss, while the Tamaraws enter the match fresh from their conquest of erstwhile undefeated Adamson Soaring Falcons in their last game.
Meanwhile, FEU’s Wendell Comboy was named UAAP player of the week by the league press corps after playing huge for the Tamaraws in their back-to-back wins over NU and Adamson last week.
Comboy was all around in their twin wins, averaging 15.5 points and doing a lot of intangibles on both ends.
In winning the award, the FEU player beat out UST’s Cansino, Ateneo’s Angelo Kouame, and UP’s Akhuetie. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

PHL loses ground in Para Games medal race

AFTER placing fifth early in the medal race of the ongoing 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Philippines lost some ground but nonetheless added another gold medal in its total haul.
As of 12 noon on Tuesday, the Team Philippines was at 12th place in the third staging of the Para Games with two gold, two silver and two bronze medals to show for.
Bowler Kim Ian Chi provided the latest gold hardware for the Philippines after topping the mixed singles TPB10 event on Monday at the Jaya Ancol Bowling Centre in Jakarta.
Mr. Chi, 39, produced an average score of 231.30 to rule his event, ahead of silver medal winner Wonju Hong (229.80) of South Korea and bronze winners Raiwin Phisitthanakul of Thailand and Swang Hee Tan of Singapore with identical scores of 221.70.
Bowler Chi’s gold was in addition to that won by swimmer Erwin Gawilan on Oct. 7 where he topped the men’s 200m individual medley SM7.
Gawilan of Davao City, who was born with no legs and an underdeveloped left limb, registered the best time in the event of 2:52.43. He beat out Chinese-Taipei’s Chen Liang Da (2:55.90) and India’s Jadhav Suyash Narayan (2:56.51).
He also won a silver in the men’s 50m freestyle S7 on Oct. 7 with a time of 31.93 seconds behind gold medallist Wei Soong Toh (29.01s).
Other medal winners so far for Team Philippines are Achelle Guion (silver) in the women’s -45kg in powerlifting, Gary Bejino (bronze) in men’s 100m backstroke S6 in swimming, and Arthus Bucay (bronze) in men’s time trial C5 in cycling.
China sits on top of the leader board with 44 gold, 18 silver and 18 bronze medals followed by South Korea (16-10-5), Uzbekistan (13-5-3), Japan (11-20-19), and Iran (10-9-12).
Rounding out the top 10 are Indonesia (5-10-14), India (4-6-11), Vietnam (4-1-6), Thailand (3-8-11), and Hong Kong (3-2-6).
In the last Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014, the Philippines finished at 24th place with five silver and five bronze medals. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Predictions (2)

Last week this space started throwing its take on the upcoming 2018-19 season of the National Basketball Association, which is seemingly heading to another interesting run following landscape-altering moves across varying levels in the offseason.
This writer began with who thinks would make it to the top eight in the Eastern Conference and this time around it is time for the Western side.
Like in the past years, the Western Conference is once again loaded and going to be competitive but the two-time defending NBA champions Golden State Warriors should continue ruling the bracket.
Their four All-Stars of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are back to help their team go for a rare three-peat and they are bringing along another star in big man DeMarcus Cousins along with them.
Now, five All-Stars in one team, backstopped by a champion supporting cast, it is hard not to like their chances, right?
Houston comes in second on the strength of continuity with its core pretty much intact.
The Rockets have added firepower in Carmelo Anthony which should lessen some of the workload off league most valuable player James Harden while giving point guard Chris Paul another good target to set up play for.
The loss of Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute though should take some toll early in the season by I see the team adjusting as the season progresses and be a handful for the rest of the league.
Utah continues to improve this season and figures in at number three.
Roster depth is a key for the Jazz, led by last year’s breakthrough star Donovan Mitchell, who exploded in his rookie season to help his team fast-track its journey back to league respectability.
The Jazz have steady play on both ends of the court, allowing them to put up a sustained fight even in such a tough conference.
San Antonio, meanwhile, has undergone much change in the offseason but I still see it figuring in the mix come the postseason as the fourth seed.
The Spurs undoubtedly would have their struggles in the early goings of the season as new additions like DeMar DeRozan figure their way.
Eventually though San Antonio and coach Gregg Popovich’s system would take hold and steady the ship.
Denver missed the playoffs last year on the final play date of the regular season but should have no problem making it this year.
Their young crew, led by potential All-Star Nikola Jokic, is a season older and more determined to prove their worth, which is not a bad motor to start the season with. The Nuggets have veteran players as well who can make things happen for the team.
After missing the postseason in the last few years, the Los Angeles Lakers would return to the playoffs thanks to LeBron James who have decided to bring his talent to the Western Conference.
With someone like “The King” leading them now, the Lakers, who boast of a mix of young players and veterans, should start making waves anew and be good for sixth, or even higher if a potential deal for All-Star Jimmy Butler pushes through.
Coming in at seventh are the Oklahoma City Thunder who are welcoming back Paul George to play in tandem with long-time resident star Russell Westbrook.
The team has added some good pieces to help their Big Two but Westbrook is expected to miss some time at the beginning of the season because of knee surgery and the Thunder might lose some ground because of that.
At eighth spot this space is in a quandary among the Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New Orleans Pelicans.
I would give the seed though to the Blazers for the better collective “stability” they present on the lead of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
Minnesota with the Butler issue may have a hard time taking flight at the onset. The Timberwolves are better served resolving it the soonest but not necessarily letting go of the All-Star guard with little in return.
The Pelicans, for their part, lost some valuable pieces in Cousins and Rajon Rondo in the offseason and while they have gotten some serviceable pieces here and there I do not see them being enough to help All-Star Anthony Davis carry New Orleans to another playoff appearance this season.
The new-look Los Angeles Clippers, rebuilding Dallas Mavericks, regrouping Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings I see filling the remaining slots in the Western Conference in that order.
To be continued next week
 
Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.
msmurillo@bworldonline.com

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