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Philippines, Qatar try to salvage win in 4th window

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
BOTH fell in their respective matches in the opener of the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on Sept. 13, the Philippines and Qatar look to bounce back and salvage a win when they collide today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Philippines and Qatar lost to Group F leaders Iran and Australia, respectively, with the Filipinos bowing to the Iranians, 81-73, in Tehran while the Qataris were routed by the Aussies, 95-43, in Doha.
They now face in a closed-door match at the Big Dome set for 7:30 p.m. where they hope to book a win before the qualifiers take another break and pad their push for a spot in the FIBA World Cup in China in 2019.
Said match is to be played closed-door as part of the sanctions meted by world basketball governing body FIBA on the Philippines after the brawl that happened on July 2 in the third window with Australia in Bulacan.
Against Iran, the Philippine Basketball Association-backed Team Pilipinas stood toe-to-toe with the hosts but lost steam late in the game to bow to its second straight game in the qualifiers.
Iran opted not to play big man Hamed Haddadi for much of the contest, but it still proved itself a handful for the Philippine team, anchoring its attack on its size advantage and timely shooting from the outside.
Christian Standhardinger tried to tow the Philippines to the victory, finishing with 30 points and 12 rebounds, but after him no other Filipino player scored in double digits.
Alex Cabagnot finished with nine points and five assists with Beau Belga adding seven points, Paul Lee six and Scottie Thompson five.
“We just did not hit our shots. We normally make open shots. Haddadi did not play much, it could have been our chance to beat them,” said Team Pilipinas coach Yeng Guiao postgame, summing things up for his team against Iran.
For the game against Qatar, Mr. Guiao is expected to work with the pool of players he brought to Iran with Japeth Aguilar, Stanley Pringle, and Matthew Wright seen to play this time around.
Messrs. Aguilar and Wright sat out the Iran game as they served their one-game FIBA suspension for their role in the brawl with Australia while Mr. Pringle was shelved as the naturalized player in favor of Mr. Standhardinger.
Qatar, meanwhile, just could not get its game going against Australia, trailing the latter from wire-to-wire, to the disappointment of its supporters who trekked to the Al-Gharafa Sports Club Multipurpose Hall to watch the home team play.
The struggles of the Qataris were made evident in the third period where they only managed to score three points to Australia’s 30, which all but doomed their chances in the game.
Tanguy Alban H Ngombo led Qatar with 14 points, followed by Khaled Mohamed Abdelbaset with seven.
As things stand in the merged Group F in the second round of the tournament, Iran and Australia continue to head the pack with identical 6-1 records with the Philippines at third place with a 4-3 card.
Japan and Kazakhstan are next at 3-4 and Qatar at the bottom at 2-5.
The top three teams at the end of the second round advance to the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The Philippines-Qatar game will be shown live over ESPN5 and live stream via espn5.com.

Filipino champion Dasmariñas to face Plange in Singapore

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
ADDED his name to the roster of Filipino world boxing champions early this year, International Boxing Organization World Bantamweight champion Michael “Gloves on Fire” Dasmariñas said he cannot wait to plunge back into action now as a champion.
To take on undefeated boxer Manyo “Black Flash” Plange (17-0) of Ghana on Sept. 29 at “Roar of Singapore V – The Kings of Lion City” at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Mr. Dasmariñas (26-2) of Camarines Sur said he is preparing hard for his upcoming fight with the end game of extending his ascent in professional boxing, which has seen him go undefeated in his last 10 fights.
Mr. Dasmariñas is coming off a successful title conquest of the IBO bantamweight title in April where he defeated French fighter Karim Guerfi by way of knockout 40 seconds into the fourth round of their scheduled 12-rounder.
He now looks to build on it against Mr. Plange and fortify his standing as one of the top fighters in his division.
“I am excited to fight again, I wish the fight were tomorrow already. As a boxer, I’m training very hard for this next fight. I’m training as hard as the last time, but now I want to prove myself even more as a boxer, especially now, that I have the IBO World Bantamweight belt with me,” said Mr. Dasmariñas in the lead-up to the fight,
“To my fans, please keep on supporting me, and praying for our win. To the Filipinos, especially those in Singapore, please come and support my fight. I will make sure I would win for my country,” he added.
The Dasmariñas-Plange fight marks the first time that Ringstar Boxing and Marina Bay Sands will be co-promoting a fight, something Ringstar founder Scott Farrell is hailing with much significance.
“As I said from my very first show, Marina Bay Sands is where Ringstar boxing will be. Now we are here, going live across the world from the Marina Bay Sands, on the 29th of September. This is a gigantic leap for ‘The Roar of Singapore,’ and I am very thankful to Marina Bay Sands for co-promoting this upcoming event with us,” he said.
Apart from Dasmariñas versus Plange, Roar of Singapore V will have eight other fights, including the headliner featuring current IBO Intercontinental Featherweight champion Muhamad “The Chosen Wan” Ridhwan against Paulus “The Rock” Ambunda of Namibia for the IBO World Super Bantamweight title.

Long-running Aboitiz Football Cup goes national with Batangas event

AFTER two decades of complementing and enhancing the football scene in the Visayas, particularly Cebu, AboitizLand has decided to bring its long-running football league to the national level, holding its inaugural Luzon edition beginning next month.
Happening at the Aboitiz Pitch at The Outlets in Lipa, Batangas, the Aboitiz Football Cup (AFC)-Luzon is expected to host more than 100 teams composed of approximately 3,000 players, coaching staff, technical team, partners, and spectators from all over the region.
There will be 15 categories to join in for those who want to parade their teams from Mixed-U7 to Men’s Open.
The Cup is being staged in partnership with Luzon-based sports marketing and management agency RSA1Group (RSA Una Group, Inc.), and will kick off on Oct. 13 at The Outlets at Lipa inside the Lima Estate located in Lipa-Malvar, Batangas.
Games will be held every Saturday and Sunday and will run until mid-December.
Incidentally, the AFC in Luzon will run simultaneously with the 20th season of the Visayas leg.
MISSION AND VISION
“We’ve been based in Cebu for the last 20 years as a real estate developer and I think three years ago we’ve decided to go national, hence, the decision as well to bring the Aboitiz Football Cup to the national scene. And we’re very excited about it,” said Dudes Aboitiz, AboitizLand Commercial Business Unit Head, during the press conference for AFC Luzon on Sept. 13 at The Outlets, speaking of the decision to expand the scope of the Cup.
“When we started the Cup it was a simple project. We did not envision it to last 20 years. However, it’s in line with our mission and vision to promote holistic development as well advancing business and communities and now that we are bringing it to Luzon we want to bring that mission and vision here,” the AboitizLand official added.
Mr. Aboitiz went on to say that they are very proud of the success that the Aboitiz Football Cup has had throughout the years, including developing players who have gone on to make names for themselves in leagues in various levels, some of which are now part of the Philippine national men’s football team, or the “Azkals.”
It is also hoped, the Aboitiz group said, that with the staging of AFC Luzon it further reinforces the country’s grassroots football development, as well as in promoting continued education for football practitioners such as coaches and referees in the province and the region.
Registration for the first AFC Luzon is ongoing until Sept. 20.
For more information about the AFC Luzon tournament, e-mail aboitizcup-luzon@rsa1group.com or contact 0917-6293599. For the latest news and updates, visit the Aboitiz Football Cup official Facebook page. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Typhoon Ompong shelves weekend UAAP and NCAA basketball games

HAVING the safety of the participants and fans in mind, local collegiate basketball leagues decided to postpone scheduled matches as Typhoon Ompong wreaked havoc in the Philippines at the weekend.
With Ompong (international name: Mangkhut) packing very strong winds and gust, both the National Collegiate Athletic Association and University Athletic Association of the Philippines decided to postpone to a later date games set for Friday to Sunday.
The NCAA was the first to shelve games, postponing those set to be played on Friday, Sept. 14.
Affected matches were those between the Arellano Chiefs (4-6) and San Sebastian Stags (3-9) at 12 noon, defending champions San Beda Red Lions (11-1) against Season 94 hosts Perpetual Help Altas (5-5) at 2 p.m., and the Letran Knights (7-4) versus College of St. Benilde (7-4) at 4 p.m. Venue was the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
In a statement released on Thursday night, Francisco Gusi, Jr., NCAA management committee and event chairman, said “with the suspension of classes in all levels in the City of Manila because of Typhoon Ompong,” the NCAA decided to suspend all games on Sept. 14.
The UAAP then followed suit, with UAAP president Nilo Ocampo of host National University initially postponing games set for Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, then moving to shelve games at the FilOil Flying V Centre as well set for Sunday, Sept. 16.
“After due consultation and considering what appears to be a severe weather disturbance, the UAAP deems it best for everyone’s interests to cancel the basketball games [this weekend],” a statement by Mr. Ocampo on Friday read.
Affected UAAP games were that between the defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles against Far Eastern University Tamaraws (2 p.m.) and the Adamson Soaring Falcons (4 p.m.) on Sept. 15, and University of the East Red Warriors against NU (1 p.m.) and the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons versus University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers (4 p.m.) on Sept. 16.
TANKOUA NCAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Meanwhile, San Beda’s Donald Tankoua was named NCAA player of the week after leading his team to a gutsy win over Letran, 74-68.
Had to deal with another ferocious comeback from the Knights, Tankoua helped steady the ship for the Lions in the end and preserve the win.
The Cameroonian had 19 points and nine rebounds. He beat out for the award, given by the league press corps, Lyceum’s Jaycee Marcelino, Mapua’s Laurenz Victoria, and San Sebastian’s Michael Calisaan. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Alvarez wins by majority decision

LAS VEGAS — Mexico’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez ended Gennady Golovkin’s unbeaten reign as unified middleweight champion here Saturday, battling to victory by majority decision in a pulsating rematch.
Alvarez showed skill and durability to outlast Golovkin in another attritional contest between the two evenly-matched rivals at the T-Mobile Arena, one year after they had fought to a controversial draw at the same venue.
Alvarez inflicted the first defeat of Kazakh slugger Golovkin’s career after two judges scored it 115-113 in his favour, with another judge scoring it even at 114-114.
Golovkin, who fell to 38-1-1 after the loss, left the ring without speaking to television reporters.
Alvarez’s victory ended the 36-year-old’s dream of securing a record-breaking 21st consecutive defense of his middleweight titles.
While Golovkin was widely believed to have been unlucky not to win their first encounter last year, there was no controversy about Saturday’s outcome.
“Canelo fought a great fight, congratulations.”
Both fighters fought cagily from the outset, reluctant to trade heavy blows.
CANELO UNRUFFLED
Golovkin appeared to edge clear in the early rounds, working well behind his stiff left jab, but Alvarez remained unruffled.
The Mexican, who had been accused of “running” in the first fight, came forward relentlessly and dominated the mid part of the fight.
On all three judges cards Alvarez dominated the middle rounds from the fifth through to the eighth, building a handy lead to defend in the closing stages.
Golovkin attempted to rally, rocking Alvarez with a stinging right hand in the 10th before pinning him on the ropes with a flurry of hooks.
But Golovkin was never able to press home his advantage, and each time Alvarez was able to evade the looming danger to respond with blows of his own.
With Golovkin needing a big finish in the 12th, Alvarez again proved up to the challenge, shrugging off an early uppercut to hold on for the win.
An array of stars from the movie and sports world were amongst a crowd of 21,965 for the most anticipated fight of the year, with LeBron James rubbing shoulders with Hollywood icons such as Denzel Washington and Will Smith.
But the technical, tactical battle never quite lived up to the explosive classic which fans had hoped for.
The contest followed an acrimonious build-up which saw both camps trade insults in the wake of Alvarez’s two failed drug tests in February which forced the cancellation of an earlier May 5 rematch.
The two boxers needed to be separated at Friday’s weigh-in after Alvarez charged at Golovkin as they faced off.
Alvarez was banned for six months after testing positive for the banned performance enhancing substance Clenbuterol. The Mexican blamed the test failures on eating contaminated meat in his native Mexico.
However Golovkin had infuriated the Alvarez camp by repeatedly rubbishing his opponent’s explanation for the test results, accusing the Mexican of being a dope cheat.
The acrimony was forgotten in the aftermath of Saturday, with both men embracing. — AFP

From college to MPBL

Paul Desiderio of University of the Philippines, Arvin Tolentino of Ateneo, and Kib Montalbo of La Salle. These are some of the finest players playing their final season in the UAAP Men’s basketball tournament.
Their next destination is obviously the PBA, but they won’t be able to make it on time for the coming Rookie Draft due to the change of calendar in the UAAP, which just started its new season this month.
So where will these talented cagers end up as soon as they wrap up their final season?
The next best ideal destination for them is the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League where the likes of Ray Parks, Vince Tolentino, JJ Alejandro, and Ron Dennison, players who have expressed their intention of joining the pros, are already playing while waiting to be drafted in the PBA.
But unlike Parks, Tolentino, Alejandro, and Dennison, the graduating UAAP players cannot join the PBA Rookie Draft this season and will have to wait until next year to enter the big league.
Desiderio, Tolentino, and Montalbo will need a league to play for and the MPBL where the ex-pros, promising newcomers, talented local and homegrown players are seeing action, is definitely a logical choice.
These players can be accommodated by the league as soon as the fastest growing regional amateur basketball league comes up with a special draft, which is now being planned as of the moment.
The entry of these graduating college players in the MPBL will not only prepare them for the PBA, but they would also help teams in the league put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao and supervised by PBA legend and former league MVP Kenneth Duremdes, who is serving as commissioner, to be more competitive.
In the MPBL, these graduating players in the UAAP as well as the other collegiate leagues who wish to enter the special draft if approved, could find a sanctuary and play an in-between league.
Duremdes and the other officials of the MPBL will discuss the matter with Senator Pacquiao and will ask his approval for the implementation of a special draft.
Are these graduating players pro ready?
We can only find out and the MPBL serves as a good platform and use the league as a barometer whether they could jump into the pros immediately or hone their skills further more. These players can also be treated to different tastes of basketball — from the ones they got used to in the metropolis to a new flavor made in Visayas and Mindanao.
At least, for the time being, these players knew they have an ideal destination while they are helping their respective squads in their ongoing campaign in the UAAP.
 
Rey Joble has been covering the PBA games for more than a decade. He is a member of the PBA Press Corps and Philippine Sportswriters Association.
reyjoble09@gmail.com

Money vs Manny

Count on Floyd Mayweather to make a significant announcement on the very day the sport that made him famous in the first place was slated to feature a contest fans had been waiting for. Other living legends would have waited until the bout was done and chatter related to it had already abated, but not him. Instead, he did what he had hitherto been doing without fail and went about upstaging the Gennady Golovkin-Canelo Alvarez tiff by announcing one of his own. He knew all eyes would then be on him and his decision to come out of retirement and fight.
Certainly, Mayweather’s stunt was all about the publicity he sought to generate for the encounter, but mostly for himself. Considering that he would be going up against no less than Manny Pacquiao, and considering that their meeting in the ring was a good three months away, he could have tweeted the news at any other time and still garnered significant media mileage. Then again, he has always been about I, Me, Myself, and Mayweather, so the development came as no surprise to all and sundry.
Neither, sadly, was the acquiescence of Mayweather’s opponent. For him and for Pacquiao, the upcoming battle is a clear and present cash grab that provides no clear and present danger to them. They’ll hem and haw and dip, duck, dodge, and dance to the tune of nine-figure paydays, and when the battlesmoke clears, they’ll have made the sport the real loser. Money himself made it clear in his social media posting, repeatedly using the word “easy” in reference to the check he’s expecting. Manny, meanwhile, needs whatever remains from the pot to support his lifestyle and sideline as a supposed senator of the masses.
Because of their names alone, Mayweather and Pacquiao will get backsides in seats and pay-per-view buys that — while destined to be nowhere near the record 4.6 million their first routine in the ring managed to entice — look to be healthy all the same. So, from their vantage point, the development is win-win for them. Too bad for boxing and its faithful, not to mention an entire country that deserves a truly committed public servant, can’t say the same.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Duterte wants Army chief Bautista to head NFA

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte on Sunday offered Maj. Gen. Rolando Joselito D. Bautista, retiring Commanding General of the Philippine Army, to take over the position of outgoing National Food Authority (NFA) administrator Jason Laureano Y. Aquino.

“Mabait yan, si Rolly (is good). In the meantime na hindi kita mailagay sa (that I cannot put you in the) Central Bank, pwede ka muna sa (you can be in the) NFA siguro (perhaps) to rationalize the idiotic [structure],” the President said in his remarks during a televised Cabinet meeting on Super-Typhoon Ompong on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 16, in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

He added: “Para maplano (So we can plan it out and) make it structural. Mag retire na yan oh ([He] will retire soon).”

The President said the “problem” with the NFA is “there’s a dearth of substantial knowledge of where the rice is.”

“That’s why I need somebody I can trust at masabihan ko na (and order to) fix that…” he said.

Last week, Mr. Duterte announced that Mr. Aquino had requested to be relieved from his post. Hence, he was “scouting” for a new NFA administrator.

According to the AFP Civil Relations Service Web site, Mr. Bautista is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Sandiwa” Class of 1985, and is also a former commander of Mr. Duterte’s Presidential Security Group (PSG).

During the meeting, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Francis N. Tolentino, the President’s “conduit” for disaster response, reported: “Kalinga has one casualty. Ang maraming casualty is Cordillera. Sa area ay 24 na (There is one casualty in Kalinga [province]. Many of the casualty incidents are in the Cordillera [Administrative Region]).”

He added: “We are still searching for 13 missing individuals. Ang (The) confirmed po ngayon na nasawi sa (number of deaths in the) area ay (is) 24 na (already).”

In response, Mr. Duterte said: “I share the grief of those who lost their loved ones. Those [are what] we call the unforeseen events. In insurance, this is an act of God. I don’t know how it can be an act of God, but that is the term used by the insurance.”

The President said he “will visit Cordillera Region tomorrow,” Monday, Sept. 17.

Mr. Tolentino added that “In terms of preparedness of all agencies, talaga pong naging handa sila (they were all prepared). We are now ending search and rescue operations. By tomorrow, the rehabilitation operations should commence.”

He also requested the local government units (LGUs) affected “to declare their own state of calamity, because that will trigger the price freeze of DTI (Department of Trade and Industry).”

“When provinces declare their respective states of calamity, the price freeze will kick in,” Mr. Tolentino said.

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, for his part, said the DTI is currently “monitoring the NFA rice supply in the typhoon-hit areas.”

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said, “The price of rice is stabilizing. It’s going down because of the harvest season.” But he also noted that his department “fears” the “delayed arrival of imported rice will affect the harvest of the farmers.”

Mr. Duterte then said, “We will implement the (rice) tariffication maybe next month.”

NEW OFFICE TO OVERSEE GOV’T PROCUREMENT

Also on Sunday, Mr. Duterte said he will create an office that will oversee the purchasing activities of government agencies.

He said the “lowest-bid” rule in government procurement is “what ails the country,” and it is “really a purgatory that somehow the government must correct.”

“Well, a Swiss challenge is better than none; but how fast it can be done is the problem, so we have to perfect on that,” he added.

He said he will make it happen “next year,” because he is just “waiting for some [military] guys to retire.”

“I just want that my orders are followed, because I’m here giving the orders,” the President also said.

Mr. Duterte added that he will call it the “Office of Checks and Balances” where “all purchases of the government” should pass through.

“There has to be a system here. I think if I can just assemble about five simple men who are adept [in] accounting and auditing — it’s very important — we can survive,” he explained.

Palace confirms bombing in General Santos City

A BOMB exploded in General Santos City on Sunday morning, Sept. 16, wounding seven, according to a radio report.
Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) in this city reported on Sunday afternoon that seven persons were injured after a bomb went off at 11:45 a.m. “in front of the Bonita Lying-In Clinic” at the Crossing Makar National Highway in Barangay Apopong.
Sought for comment, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said: “We condemn in the strongest possible terms today’s explosion that hit General Santos City which left scores of people injured. This comes at an unfortunate time when the nation is reeling from the effects of (Super-Typhoon) Ompong.”
“Authorities are now conducting an investigation. We vow to bring the perpetrators of this brazen attack to justice,” he added.
In a televised interview, Eliseo Rasco, Police Regional Office (PRO)-12 director, said: “Kausap ko ‘yung ating task force commander ng Task Force GenSan, tinatanong ko sa kanya ano pa ba ang pagkukulang natin?” (I talked to the Task Force GenSan commander. I asked him where else did we go wrong.)
“Despite na ‘yung checkpoints na ginagawa natin, lahat na halos ng personnel, pinababa na namin dito, eh ano pa ba ang pagkukulang natin?” Mr. Rasco also said. (Despite the checkpoints and all the personnel that we deployed here [in GenSan], what else have we not done?)
As for the suspect, he said: “Most likely nandito lang ‘yun. Hindi naman natin syempre makuha agad ‘yung identification….” (Most likely, [the suspect] is still here. Of course, we can’t identify him right away.)
Mr. Rasco said the public should “be more vigilant” this time, especially that it is now the third bombing incident in Region 12 since last month, after two previous explosions in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.
He said: “Ang mensahe ko lang sa publiko, paulit-ulit ko nang sinasabi ito na maging vigilant tayo. Admittedly, hindi talaga ito kaya ng security forces alone. We need the help of the community. Kapag may nakita tayo, suspicious na tao, suspicious na bagay, please report to us….” (My message to the public, I have been saying this repeatedly that we have to be vigilant. Admittedly, the security forces cannot do this alone. We need the help of the community. If you see someone or something suspicious, please report to us.) — Arjay L. Balinbin

DFA offers P5,000 to OFWs disrupted by Ompong

By Camille A. Aguinaldo, Reporter
THE DEPARTMENT of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has provided P5,000 worth of cash assistance to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) whose flights were affected by Typhoon Ompong (International name: Mangkhut).
In a statement, the DFA said affected inbound and outbound OFWs can personally claim the cash aid at the DFA Assistance desks in all terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and Clark International Airport (CIA) until 10 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 17.
Requirements for the aid include passport, airline ticket showing original date of departure, reissued airline ticket showing new date of departure, employment contract, and overseas employment certificate.
Other stranded OFWs may file their claims at the Office of Migrant Workers Affairs at the DFA main office in Pasay City and in consular offices nationwide from Sept. 17 to 21.
Meanwhile, the DFA has also advised 227,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong to stay indoors and to defer any planned travels or outdoor activities as typhoon Mangkhut approaches southern China.
The typhoon has slightly weakened after barreling through Northern Philippines over the weekend. However, the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has issued the highest typhoon warning, Signal no. 10, in the region last Sunday morning.
As of Sunday morning, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported that typhoon Mangkhut packed sustained winds of 145 kilometers per hour, with gusts up to 180 kilometers per hour.
Meanwhile, Australia has pledged over $800,000 or P30 million to the Philippines, which is currently experiencing the consequences of Super-Typhoon Ompong.
In a statement on Sunday, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said “Australia is providing $800,000 of humanitarian supplies for the emergency response” for those affected by the Super-Typhoon.
The foreign affairs office added, “Australia has humanitarian experts deployed to the Philippines, including a disaster risk reduction specialist from the Australia Assists program.” — with Gillian M. Cortez

De Lima flags anew drug war to ICC, UN Human Rights Council

By Camille A. Aguinaldo, Reporter
SENATOR Leila M. De Lima has reiterated calls to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to take “urgent actions” on the human rights situation in the Philippines, citing the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.
Ms. De Lima made the statement in her message at the side events of the 39th UNHRC session in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sept. 13.
“It is imperative for the ICC and relevant UN bodies and mechanisms to work and work urgently not only to frustrate (President) Duterte’s plans but more importantly and ultimately to shrink the space for impunity in the Philippines,” she said in her Sept. 13 message.
The senator has also written a letter to the UNHRC, urging the international body to pass a resolution sending a fact-finding mission to the Philippines to look into the government’s war on drugs.
The ICC began its preliminary examination last February into the alleged crimes committed under the government’s war on drugs to determine whether there was a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation.
The Philippines can only depend on the international community and the “various instruments of global justice,” Ms. De Lima said, since the prosecution of cases linked to the war on drugs has been allegedly blocked by the authorities.
The senator also cited Mr. Duterte’s statements against UN officials, which she said was meant to “discredit and block off” international bodies to exact accountability from him and those who perpetrate human rights violations in the country.
“Where do a brutalized people go when domestic legal systems fail to provide them redress and remedy? Where can they turn to when, at home, they are turned away from the courts of justice and corridors of power?” Ms. De Lima said.
“Where do the Filipinos go now? Expectedly, we have to turn to those avenues which seem available and appear viable to us: to each other, to the international community, and to the various instruments of global justice,” she added.
The 39th session of the UNHRC convened last Sept. 10 in Geneva, Switzerland. During the three-week session, the international body will discuss the situation of human rights worldwide and will engage with 25 independent human rights experts and groups on a range of human rights issues.
Several UN member-states have already expressed concerns before the UNHRC regarding the rising number of drug-related killings in the Philippines.

A weekend of typhoon Mangkhut

Farm damage

A FARMER inspects his corn farm after it was destroyed by typhoon Mangkhut (local name: Ompong) in Callao town, Cagayan province, on Sept. 16. Mangkhut slammed into the northern Philippines, with violent winds and torrential rains.

Sunday morning

WINDS and occasional rain was still experienced in Baguio City on Sunday morning, Sept. 16, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development-CAR office, which is working round-the-clock to assist affected residents in the Cordillera region, mainly due to landslides. As of Saturday evening, only the Naguillan Road going to Baguio was open. The Marcos Highway, Kennon Road, Baguio-Bontoc, and Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya roads were closed due to debris, toppled posts and landslides.

Boats back

PASSENGERS who were stranded and moved to an evacuation center in Dumaguete City since Friday, Sept. 14, are assisted and transported back to the seaport as boat operations, including those in Cebu, resume operations on Sunday.

Southern impact

A MEMBER of the Zamboanga City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) team carries an injured man during response operations after several communities were flooded when the Pansonanca Dam breached the critical level at 76.6 meters. The city experienced torrential rains since late last week due to typhoon Mangkut (local name: Ompong) coupled by the southwest monsoon.

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