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Higher pay for tax collectors

With the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) earning a net of P14,000 in the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will receive a little more this month, but with a higher revenue collection goal of P2.039 trillion for the year.

After police officers received a pay hike and more administrative reforms being implemented to complement and support the comprehensive tax reform of the Duterte administration, it may now be argued that our tax collectors need a higher pay.

There are two compelling reasons to do this now.

First, if we want to attract more competent professionals — lawyers and CPAs — to join the BIR, the government needs to offer a competitive package on a par with the private sector.

Second, if we really want to stop corruption in BIR, then aside from fully implementing the Attrition Law, the government must help protect the integrity of its personnel by providing competitive compensation and benefits.

This is owing to the fact that BIR collects almost 80% of the total government funds with less than 3,000 examiners conducting audit and investigation nationwide while operating with more or less 10,000 vacancies.

How can we hire the best and the brightest in the so-called “most corrupt” government agency if we will not invest in hiring the right people who can provide good and honest public service?

A genuine tax reform must address all issues of inequity, injustice, and inefficiency. If we want a simpler, fairer and more efficient tax system, we cannot leave our tax collectors behind.

Up to this day, we hear stories of examiners harassing or accepting bribes to settle BIR audit.

This, despite the campaign of Commissioner Caesar “Billy” Dulay in promoting integrity and honesty in the BIR and in paying taxes in our country through the Seal of Honesty (SoH) Certification Program.

We can keep increasing our taxes but unless we collect the right taxes from honest or at least compliant and conscientious taxpayers, it will still not be enough to fund the “Build, Build, Build” program of the government.

To stop corruption in the BIR seems impossible but there’s a slight chance we can achieve it.

We need to bring on board more honest and competent professionals to institutionalize reform in the Bureau while we incentivize and encourage more honest and compliant taxpayers.

If all things fail, we may have to privatize and automate the entire tax administration to increase its less than P8-billion budget to collect more than P2 trillion to fund the government.

In the meantime, let’s all do our fair share to help each other pay the right taxes to help build a better Philippines. To know more about the Seal of Honesty Certification Program, visit www.sealofhonesty.ph or call (+632) 622-7720.

The article reflects the personal opinion of the author and does not reflect the official stand of the Management Association of the Philippines or the MAP.

 

Popularly known as the Philippine Tax Whiz, the author is one of the 2016 Outstanding Persons of the World, one of the 2015 The Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines (TOYM), and founder of the Abrea Consulting Group and Center for Strategic Reforms of the Philippines (CSR Philippines). He currently serves as Adviser to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue of the Philippine government on tax administration reform in promoting inclusive growth.

Follow Raymond A. Abrea on Twitter @askthetaxwhiz

https://www.facebook.com/askthetaxwhiz

consult@acg.ph

map@map.org.ph

Mandalay Entertainment and Golden State Warriors exec Peter Guber coming to Manila

MANDALAY Entertainment chairman and CEO and Golden State Warriors (GSW) executive chairman and co-owner, Peter Guber, will be coming to the Philippines on March 20 as the featured speaker in ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel’s Leadership Series at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.

The media and sports mogul will talk in front of the country’s business executives, sports and entertainment industry leaders, and members of the academe about his experiences as an executive and entrepreneur in various industries.

Prior to founding Mandalay Entertainment, Guber was chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, chairman and CEO of Polygram Entertainment, Co- Founder of Casablanca Record & Filmworks and President of Columbia Pictures. Guber produced or executive produced (personally or through his companies) films that garnered five Best Picture Academy Award nominations (winning for Rain Man) and box office hits that include The Color Purple, Midnight Express, Batman, Flashdance, The Kids Are All Right and Soul Surfer.

In addition to his ownership of the Golden State Warriors, Guber is an owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and an owner and executive chairman of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC). He is chairman of the Strategic Advisory Board and an investor in NextVR. Guber is an owner and co-executive Chairman of the new esports ownership group, aXiomatic, which purchased the controlling interest in Team Liquid, one of the most successful global esports franchises. Guber is also a member of the University of California Board of Regents and has been a professor at UCLA for 40 years.

Guber, the #1 New York Times’ best-selling author of the business book “Tell to Win,” is the third featured speaker in the ANC Leadership Series. In 2016, ANC brought Virgin Group founder Richard Branson in the Philippines, followed by former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright in 2017.

The ANC Leadership Series is part of the country’s premier all-English cable news channel’s efforts to raise the level of discourse on global affairs and business issues in the country by bringing renowned international speakers for a one-day speaking engagement.

Watch and learn from Media Mogul and Sports Owner, Peter Guber as he talks about “Telling Stories, Winning Games” at the ANC Leadership Series, moderated by ABS-CBN news and sports anchor TJ Manotoc, on March 20, 2 pm, at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.  Tickets are priced at Php 20,000, and Php 10,000. For inquiries and reservations, visit www.ktx.com.ph or call TicketWorld at 8919999 or log-on to its website at ticketworld.com.ph.

Samsung Group heir Lee walks free as South Korea court suspends jail term

SEOUL — A South Korean appeals court on Monday suspended a jail sentence handed down to Samsung Group heir Jay Y. Lee, setting him free after a year’s detention amid a corruption scandal that brought down the former president.

Seoul High Court jailed Lee for two and a half years, reducing the original term by half, and suspended the sentence for charges including bribery and embezzlement for four years, meaning he does not have to serve time as long as he behaves.

Lee, 49, heir to one of the world’s biggest corporate empires, had been detained since last February.

Emerging from Seoul Detention Center, Lee said his time in jail had been useful.

“Again, I feel sorry to everyone for not showing my best side. And it has been a really precious time for a year reflecting on myself,” Lee told reporters.

He added he needed to visit his ailing father, Samsung Group patriarch Lee Kun-hee, who suffered a heart attack in 2014.

“It’s a positive thing that the owner is returning,” said Greg Roh, a stock analyst at HMC Investment & Securities. “…it could be good that the owner returns to set standards in such a rapidly changing time.”

Shares in flagship Samsung Electronics, of which Lee is vice-chairman, reversed earlier losses and closed up 0.5% compared to a 1.3% fall in the wider market.

President Park Geun-hye was dismissed in March after being impeached in a case that brought scrutiny to the cosy ties between South Korea’s chaebols — big family-owned corporate groups — and its political leaders.

Park, who denies wrongdoing, is standing trial accused of bribery, abuse of power and coercion.

A lower court in August convicted Lee of bribing Park, by supporting the equestrian career of the daughter of a friend of Park, in return for help in strengthening his control of Samsung Electronics, the crown jewel of the country’s largest conglomerate and one of the world’s biggest technology companies. He was also convicted of embezzlement and other charges.

But the appeals court said Lee did not solicit any such help. It also said just 3.6 billion won ($3.31 million) was paid as a bribe, not 7.2 billion as the lower court had said.

Presiding senior judge Cheong Hyung-sik also called the nature of Lee’s involvement in Samsung’s support for Park’s friend “passive compliance to political power.”

“Park threatened Samsung Electronics executives,” the judge said. “The defendant provided a bribe, knowing it was bribery to support (the friend’s daughter), but was unable to refuse.”

Prosecutors did not have an immediate comment. Lee’s lawyer, Lee In-jae, said the defense will appeal to the Supreme Court to try to overturn the convictions.

Lee, wearing a dark suit and white shirt and looking noticeably worn, did not show any emotion when the ruling was announced.

Prosecutors had sought a 12-year jail term for Lee.

Chung Sun-sup, CEO of research firm Chaebul.com, said he was disappointed with the ruling.

“It’s repeating the same old history, being lenient to the chaebol owners,” he said. “I think Lee has to show that he reassure to the public he can change the corporate culture.”

With the end of his year-long detention, which according to local media he adjusted to with physical workouts and reading books, Lee could continue with his existing roles, including as director of Samsung Electronics.

“Samsung Electronics needs to recover the lost global network, global investments and M&A drive which was Lee’s main role. Although Lee is not expected to make waves right away, this is something that needs to be done,” said Park Ju-gun, head of research firm CEO Score.

“Samsung also could become active in supporting public works such as the current administration’s drive to increase jobs, and work to strengthen the power of the board of directors,” Park added.

Although Lee was set free, the stigma may stick, some lawyers say, even as South Korea ties to put the scandal behind it days before it hosts the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

“Public opinion will get riled up and people will keep thinking there was some quid pro quo between Samsung’s Lee and the president,” Lee Jung-jae, a lawyer at law firm Jung, said. — Reuters

Spanish cinema stars demand more women in film at Goyas

MADRID — Stars of Spanish cinema have lashed out at the lack of women in the film industry at the country’s equivalent of the Oscars. “We need directors, screenwriters, directors of photography, scripts, technicians, composers — equal in number to men,” said actress Nora Navas, a vice-president of the Spanish Film Academy, during the Goyas in Madrid on Saturday. Carla Simon, one of Spain’s top directors whose film Summer 1993 bagged three awards at the ceremony, said the country “needs more women to make films.” Only 27% of the nominees for the Goyas were women and female attendees at the ceremony carried bright red fans sporting #MáSMUJERES (more women) slogans. Meanwhile, director Isabel Coixet, 57, also scored three prizes for The Bookshop — best picture, director and adapted screenplay — dedicating the awards to “all those who still buy books, open bookshops and love the cinema.” The night’s other big winner was the film Handia — an historic drama set in the Basque Country which took home 10 awards. — AFP

Jumanji claws its way back to top of North American box office

LOS ANGELES — Sony’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle managed the rare feat this weekend of regaining the No. 1 spot in North American box offices in its seventh week out, according to industry estimates. Taking in $11 million for the three-day weekend — as competition with football’s Super Bowl depressed ticket sales — Jumanji became the first film since Titanic, in 1998, to win a February weekend after a nationwide release in December, HollywoodReporter.com reported. Its domestic cumulative take of just over $350 million makes it only the third Sony film to reach that mark. Rounding out the top 10 were: Maze Runner: The Death Cure ($10.2 million); Winchester ($9.3 million); The Greatest Showman ($7.8 million); Hostiles ($5.5 million); The Post ($5.2 million); 12 Strong ($4.7 million); Den of Thieves ($4.7 million); The Shape of Water ($4.3 million); Paddington 2 ($3.1 million). — AFP

Lower taxes via more mineral exports

Countries that impose zero income taxes on their nationals are dependent on extracting and exporting their natural resources such as oil and natural gas. Qatar, Bahrain, Brunei, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates are examples of such countries.

Instead of minimizing the extraction of these fossil fuels (and keeping them in the ground, as advocated by environmentalist groups), these countries extract these resources big time, export them to the rest of the world, and sustain their governments’ economic and social programs without creating or imposing any income tax.

This is a lesson for the Philippines with an estimated $1 trillion worth of mineral reserves.

On the graph are data from the US Geological Survey (USGS)which indicates that worldwide, the Philippines has the 5th largest estimated reserves in nickel and 4th largest reserves in cobalt. Cobalt is largely used to produce batteries for electric vehicles.

The reserves/production (R/P) ratio is computed here, the ratio represents estimated number of years before the reserves are depleted on the assumption that both R and P numbers will not change, which is unlikely because modern and evolving technology through time will continue to discover bigger reserves, or improve the utilization of existing reserves (see table).

Nickel Cobalt

The Philippines’ R/P ratio of 21 years for nickel is short compared to global average of 35 years but longer than Indonesia’s 11 years. There is a need to continue exploration of other nickel deposits in the Philippines as well as optimize the recovery of this and other metals per ton of metal ores extracted.

Our R/P ratio of 70 years for cobalt is good, higher than the global average of 64.5 years.

As more countries demand more electric vehicles (cars, motorcycles, buses, trucks), the global appetite for cobalt will rise quickly. China is currently the biggest importer and consumer of cobalt as it aims to produce more electric vehicles in the medium to long term.

The rising demand for cobalt relative to supply is shown in its rising prices, currently at $36/pound, the highest since some 15 years ago except for 2008-2009 global financial turmoil where cobalt prices peaked at around $53/pound.

Nickel prices have declined to around $4/ton in 2015-2016, now recovering upwards at current prices of around $6+/pound.

So there are big potential for more investments, more jobs, more government tax revenues, from nickel and cobalt alone.

Then there are big potentials for copper and gold mining in this country — if the Tampakan and Silangan projects would push through. Tampakan, estimated to cost $5.9B in project development, will be the single biggest foreign direct investment in the Philippines. For its part, Silangan is worth about $2 billion.

In 2015, the Philippines produced an estimated 83.8 tons of copper metal content, and 20.6 tons of gold metal content. These are small amounts compared to the big global producers of copper: Chile 5,764 tons, China 1,710 tons, Peru 1,700 tons, US 1,380 tons.

Also in that year, the big gold producers were China with 450 tons, Australia with 278 tons, Russia with 252 tons, and the US with 214 tons.

The uncertainties in the mining sector continue to linger even after the Commission on Appointments has rejected former DENR secretary Gina Lopez in May 2017. The new Secretary Roy Cimatu has not yet formally lifted the closure orders for some mining firms and the debate on open pit mining still continues.

The big mining potentials of the Philippines on four metals alone — nickel, cobalt, copper and gold — when realized by removing the endless uncertainties and by relaxing the various anti-mining policies, will allow the country to significantly reduce income tax rates.

Government should have no “right” to confiscate plenty of resources from the pockets and savings of people and private enterprises, especially where there are plenty of private provisions of infrastructure via integrated PPP, private education, private health care, private housing, private security and peace and order.

Bigger mining revenues and mining taxes through lesser anti-mining policy uncertainties will be a key measure toward lowering income taxes, both personal and corporate, in the medium to long term.

 

Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is President of Minimal Government Thinkers, a member-institute of Economic Freedom Network (EFN) Asia.

minimalgovernment@gmail.com.

MPBL: QC Capitals eye share of lead vs Imus Bandera

HOST Quezon City tries to join co-leaders Navotas and Batangas City on top of the standings when it battles Imus in the main game of the MPBL-Anta Rajah Cup at the JCSGO in Cubao, Quezon City.

Game time is 9 p.m. with the Royal Manila-backed Capitals hoping for a fitting follow up win they had last week against the Bataan Defenders in Bulacan.

Muntinlupa and Caloocan collide in the other game at 7 p.m. as the Cagers, who are supported by Angelis Resort, look to win their second straight game and put more pressure on the Supremos, one of the two remaining winless teams in the tournament.

The Supremos, backed by Longrich, lost both their away and home games to fall into a tie with the BaiShipping-supported Defenders.

Andoy Estrella, who posted the league’s first ever triple-double performance on his way to become the Player of the Week, will keep a hold of the Capitals’ tempo against a crack Bandera team that loves to play a highly physical game anchored on Jessie Saitanan and Jeff Tajonera.

“He’s been with me ever since he’s in high school so he knows my system,” said Quezon City coach Vis Valencia. “He’s no stranger to my system and he knows how to run the pace of this squad.”

The match between the Cagers and the Supremos will be an interesting one.

Allan Mangahas, one of the few ex-pros playing for Muntinlupa, is expected to lead the team anew and likely to get a lot of help from fellow former PBA player Chito Jaime, forward Pari Llagas and Dave Moralde among others.

For the Supremos, tonight’s game will be an opportunity to crack the win column after two hard-fought losses, including the one they lost at home against the Valenzuela Classic-Yulz when Dawn Ochea gave up an ill-advised foul in the closing seconds of the game.

Caloocan will be led by guard Mar Villahermosa and ex-La Salle stalwart James Mangahas. — Rey Joble

Concepcion Industrial’s bottom line rises 8%

THE SALE of over a million consumer appliances in 2017 boosted Concepcion Industrial Corp. (CIC)’s bottom line, the company said on Monday.

In a statement, the listed firm said profit after tax and minority interest (PATAMI) rose 8% year on year to P980 million in 2017. This follows a 12% increase in sales to P13.9 billion during the same period.

For the October to December period, CIC said it saw a faster top-line growth at 15%, while PATAMI rose by 3%.

The company attributed its fourth quarter performance to its focus on costs and operational efficiencies, which offset the impact of higher commodity prices and fluctuating foreign exchange rates.

“Our performance reflects continued strong demand brought about by consistently strong economic fundamentals, rising income levels and strong private sector confidence in the economy,” CIC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Raul Joseph A. Concepcion said in a statement.

CIC supplies air-conditioners, air-conditioning solutions, and refrigerators under the brands Carrier, Toshiba, Condura, and Kelvinator, wherein Mr. Concepcion said the company was able to sell more than a million units in a span of a year.

“CIC continues to invest in capabilities in its production facilities to serve growing consumer demand as well as improving efficient processes within the organization… In our commercial segments, we continue to grow our order book in support of new development across the country,” Mr. Concepcion added.

Meanwhile, CIC Chief Finance Officer Victoria A. Betita said that the company will continue to face the risk of rising commodity prices and foreign exchange rates.

“The situation of rising commodity prices and currencies is a short-term challenge we will have to overcome through solid operating performance and execution,” Ms. Betita said.

Incorporated in 1997, CIC serves as a holding firm for its four subsidiaries, namely Concepcion-Carrier Air Conditioning Company, Concepcion Durables, Inc., Concepcion Otis Philippines, Inc., and Conception Business Services, Inc., as well as its affiliate, Concepcion Midea, Inc. — Arra B. Francia

InterAksyon likely to be moved to PhilStar group

NEWS WEB SITE InterAksyon.com will likely be moved under the Philippine Star group, the president of MediaQuest Holdings said.

MediaQuest President Ray C. Espinosa told reporters that the news Web site’s branding will remain the same.

“InterAksyon will most likely move to Philippine Star. Obviously they’re looking at the manpower… We want it to draw strength and synergy from the larger print organization,” he said.

However, there are no final details yet on the number of InterAksyon employees to be retained.

“I don’t know how many would be retained. But definitely we want it to be kept alive,” Mr. Espinosa said.

InterAksyon editor-in-chief Roby Alampay previously said the Web site has 20 regular employees. The Web site also let go of contractual employees last year.

Mr. Espinosa said the company wants “a decision or any transition” to happen within the first quarter of the year.

He added the synergy of the news Web sites would allow for targeting wider audiences.

“That’s the beauty of online. You can address so many segments, versus the print, with the costs, you can’t have many platforms,” he said.

InterAksyon.com is the online platform of PLDT, Inc.’s television network TV5 Network, Inc.

TV President Vincent “Chot” P. Reyes told reporters last week the company aims to reduce losses by 50% this year, having reduced losses by 43% last year. It targets to break even by 2019.

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

Games from Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands

80th Tata Steel Masters
Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands
Jan. 12-28, 2018

Final Standings

1-2. Magnus Carlsen NOR 2834, Anish Giri NED 2752, 9.0/13

3-4. Vladimir Kramnik RUS 2787, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov AZE 2804, 8.5/13

5-6. Viswanathan Anand IND 2767, Wesley So USA 2792, 8.0/13

7. Sergey Karjakin RUS 2753, 7.5/13

8. Peter Svidler RUS 2768, 6.0/13

9. Wei Yi CHN 2743, 5.5/13

10-12. Gawain Jones ENG 2640, Fabiano Caruana USA 2811, Maxim Matlakov RUS 2718, 5.0/13

13. Baskaran Adhiban IND 2655, 3.5/13

14. Hou Yifan CHN 2680, 2.5/13

Ave Rating 2750 Category 20

Time Control: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves followed by 50 minutes for the next 20 moves then 15 minutes play-to-finish with 30 seconds added to your clock after every move starting move 1.

The pride of the Netherlands Anish Giri didn’t do too badly in the 80th Tata Steel Masters SuperGM tournament held in Wijk aan Zee. Of course it was World Champion Magnus Carlsen who was declared the winner of the event after the first place tie with Giri and then winning the blitz tie-break match 1.5-0.5. However, as I mentioned last week the prize money was split equally and the match was simply to determine who gets bragging rights as the winner of Tata Steel.

This need to have a solo champion was just introduced last year — before that the two would have been declared co-winners. And even after they decided to have a solo champion they could have used the usual mathematical tie-breaks to declare the winner without the need to call the players back to play. What are the usual methods of breaking ties?

The most common first criteria is to use the result of the direct encounter between the two players. If they had, this wouldn’t have worked either for Carlsen vs Giri from round 4 was a draw.

After that they usually apply the Sonneborn-Berger system, which means adding the sum of the conventional scores of the players he has defeated to half the sum of the conventional scores of those he has drawn against. If they had used this then Anish Giri would have won since his victims included Kramnik and Mamedyarov who are tied for 3rd place. The highest ranked player Carlsen beat is Wesley So, tied for 5th.

Department of useless trivia: using the name Sonneborn-Berger to describe the system is a huge misnomer. Hermann Neustadtl was the one who proposed this system in 1882. William Sonneborn and Johann Berger were actually strong critics of the system — problem is they wrote about their objections so much that their names were forever associated with the system.

Number of Black games. On the assumption that it is harder to win or draw with Black than with White, the player with more games as Black is declared winner. This would not have worked either as both protagonists had 6 games with that color.

Anyway, despite the disappointment of not being champion Giri still has much to be happy for — he was undefeated with 5 wins (against Kramnik, Mamedyarov, Matlakov, Adhiban and Hou Yifan), gained 24.7 ratings points and rejoined the world top 10 list.

It is not general knowledge but Anish Giri is not a native of Holland. He was born in St. Petersburg, Russia to a Russian mother (Olga Giri) and a Nepalese father (Sanjay Giri) in 1994. The Giri family then moved to Sapporo, Japan from 2002 to 2008 and after that settled in the Netherlands. His first chess steps were at the age of 6 when he joined a local youth sports club in St. Petersburg. He continued playing in Japan but it was in Holland where he made his quantum leap from a promising junior to a 2672 world beater.

Some quarters have suggested that Giri’s recent resurgence in form could be because he returned to his old coach Vladimir Chuchelov. This Muscovite-turned-Belgian International Grandmaster is well known as one of the world’s top trainers — Aside from Anish he has coached Van Wely, Radjabov and Fabiano Caruana.

Around three years ago Giri started working with another famous coach — Vladimir Tukmakov. No doubt the Giri-Tukmakov tandem had some successes, but in Wijk aan Zee the Dutchman showed up with GM Chuchelov once again. And his result here was inspiring.

Here is my favorite Giri game from Wijk aan Zee.

Giri, Anish (2752) — Adhiban, Baskaran (2655) [A40]
80th Tata Steel Masters Wijk aan Zee NED (12.2), 27.01.2018

GM Baskaran Adhiban qualified for last year’s Tata Steel main event by winning the previous year’s Challengers. He was the lowest rated player then (2653) and was expected to get a horrible spanking, and indeed started with two draws and two losses in the first four rounds. However, in the 5th round he decided to forget that his opponents were the best players in the world and just attacked them. It worked like a dream — he crushed Sergey Karjakin in the 5th round in only 31 moves and he went on to win three more times with 5 draws. He even trotted out the King’s Gambit against Wesley So!

Adhiban played exciting chess and for that he was invited again to this year’s event, but it didn’t go so well. His opponents had adjusted their mind-set by expecting offbeat openings and played accordingly. Here is one example.

1.c4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.e4 e6 6.Bd3 exd5 7.cxd5 Bg4

The idea behind this move is to follow-up with …Nd7, then …Bxf3 and …Ne5.

8.Nbd2

In the post-game interview Giri said that he did not play the opening in the best way and this is probably it. A strong move is 8.Qa4+ Nd7 9.Nfd2 and suddenly Black’s bishop is in danger of being trapped from what I see the only way to save the piece is 9…Kf8 (in Zhao Xue vs Elina Danielian from 2012 Beijing Black really did lose the piece after 9…a6 10.h3 b5 11.Qc2 c4 12.Bf1 Bh5 13.g4 Black could only drag out the game until move 46) 10.h3 Ne5 11.Qb3 Bd7 but even then Black’s opening is obviously not a success.]

8…Nf6 9.0–0 0–0 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Nxf3 c4!

Anish Giri: “I realized I am suddenly not better. I was afraid I will not pose him any problems.”

12.Bxc4 Nxe4 13.Re1 Re8 14.Qc2 Nf6 15.Rxe8+ Nxe8 16.Bg5 Nf6

According to Giri this is a mistake. Better was 16…Bf6 and after 17.h4 Nd7 (Perhaps 17…a6 was better, preventing White’s next move) 18.Bb5! Giri’s light-squared bishop did not have much scope and he wanted to exchange it.

17.Nd4

There is a hidden trap here. 17…Nbd7 is met by 18.Ne6!

17…Qb6 18.Be3 Ng4

Black is still having problems developing his pieces. He still cannot play 18…Nbd7 because of the aforementioned 19.Ne6.

19.Qe4! Nf6

Giri explained that 19…Nxe3 is met by 20.Qe8+ Bf8 21.fxe3 Qc7 22.Ne6! fxe6 23.dxe6 Qe7 24.Qc8 “when Black is completely paralyzed and helpless.”

20.Qe7 Nbd7 21.Nb5

Winning at least a pawn.

21…Bf8 22.Bxb6 Bxe7 23.Bxa7 Ne5 24.b3 Nxc4 25.bxc4 Rc8 26.Re1 Bf8 27.Bd4 Nd7 28.Rc1 Ra8 29.Rc2 Ra6 <D>

POSITION AFTER 29…RA6

Now Anish Giri hits upon the winning idea.

30.Re2! Ra4 31.Re8 Rxc4 32.Rd8 Ne5 33.f4 Nd3

Where else can the knight go?

34.Bf6!

Now Be7 is curtains.

34…Re4 35.Nxd6 Re1+ 36.Kh2 Nf2 37.Bg5

Making its way towards h6.

37…h5

[37…Kg7 does not work: 38.Ne8+ Kg8 39.Nf6+ Kg7 40.d6 h6 41.Bh4 Re2 42.d7 Rd2 43.Re8]

38.Bh6 h4

Just in case White falls for …Rh1 mate.

39.g4 Kh7 40.Rxf8 Nd3

[40…Kxh6 41.Rxf7 followed by g4–g5+ and Rh7 mate]

41.Rxf7+ Kh8 42.Rf8+ 1–0

Adhiban never survived the opening.

* * * * *

On another matter, the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) had its national convention and election last Jan. 30th at the Golden Bay Fresh Seafood Restaurant, Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, Pasay City.

The new Board of Directors of NCFP to serve for the next four years are:

Cong. Prospero Pichay, Jr.

Cong. Abraham Tolentino

Atty. Ruel Canobas

Atty. Neri Javier Colmenares

Atty. Cliburn Anthony Orbe

Judge Gonzalo Mapili

Atty. Edmundo Legaspi

Cong. Jesulito Manalo

Atty. Tonisito Umali

Louie Ramos

Erwin Bollozos

Waldo Geli

Jonathan Amon

Cesar Tan, Jr.

Binky Gaticales

Congressman Pichay (Surigao del Sur) was reelected as NCFP chairman/president while Cavite Representative Abraham Tolentino remained the secretary general. Atty. Cliburn Anthony Orbe became the new treasurer of the federation.

Congratulations to all!

 

Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.

bobby@cpamd.net

Lady Gaga cancels tour dates

WASHINGTON — US pop star Lady Gaga Saturday announced she had canceled the last 10 shows of the European leg of her world tour due to “severe pain.” In a statement posted on Twitter, the Grammy award-winning singer told fans she was “devastated” but said the decision to cancel the dates on her Joanne World Tour — her fifth headlining tour — was “beyond her control.” Shows affected include dates in London, Paris and Berlin, as well as Stockholm, Zurich and Copenhagen. Dates in Cologne, Germany and Manchester, England were also halted. It comes after the singer canceled another show in Rio de Janeiro in September after being hospitalized, also due to severe pain. Lady Gaga has previously revealed she suffers from the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia. — AFP

Gordon and Faeldon in power play

Senator Richard Gordon and Former Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon engaged in power play during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on alleged corruption in the Bureau of Customs.

Committee Chairman Gordon opened the hearing with a long enumeration of the privileges accorded Faeldon during his detention in the Senate, among them Faeldon being allowed to hold parties attended by his father and relatives. When Gordon asked if Faeldon agreed with what he said, Faeldon said: “I do not agree with the rest.” Faeldon said his father has long been dead and that what he had was not a party but Christmas dinner with his family.

“You are exaggerating,” said Faeldon. The arrogance with which Faeldon said it riled Gordon, setting off a heated exchange between the two. When Senator Bam Aquino, the only other senator in attendance, asked Gordon for permission to address Faeldon, Gordon waved him off and said, “No, you may not.”

When the former Customs chief said that he had told Gordon back in September that he was ready to answer questions from the senators through an affidavit but had gotten no response from them, Gordon tried to cut him off. But Faeldon continued to outtalk Gordon and told him, “You’ve been monologuing and lecturing,” prompting Gordon to turn off the microphone.

At one point, Faeldon held up a piece of paper on which was written “CR”, stood up, and left the session hall without Gordon’s permission.

Gordon said hours after the hearing and after he had met with senators that they “unanimously” decided to continue to hold Faeldon “charged with contempt” and decided to send him to jail.

Arrogant and defiant indeed was Faeldon but overbearing, moralizing, and unreasonable was Gordon. On the whole it was a display of power by both men. Not power of their own as each has very little power, if any, but power derived from their common patron — President Rodrigo Duterte.

Gordon may be the political kingpin in Olongapo City, but beyond the boundaries of that small city, he wields very little influence. While Gordon had been prominent (in the sense of being high profile rather than being eminent and illustrious) in the Senate from 2004 to 2010, he got only a little over 500,000 votes or 1.39% of the voting population when he ran for president in 2010.

He ran again for the Senate in 2016, placing No. 5 among the winners, the son of an evangelist, Joel Villanueva, and that Iskul Bukol character Tito Sotto garnering more votes than him. As he ran as an independent, he was not given a place in the Senate hierarchy by the new majority party. But when Senate Justice Committee chair Leila de Lima’s assiduous investigation of the alleged extrajudicial killings in Davao City during Mr. Duterte’s terms as mayor drew the ire of President Duterte, De Lima was ousted as chair and Gordon named as the new chair.

After attacking the credibility of Edgar Matobato’s testimony against Mr. Duterte and dismissing Arthur Lascañas’ corroboration of Matobato’s testimony, Gordon abruptly terminated the investigation of the Davao killings. During the Senate investigation on the ₱6.4-billion drug smuggling case, Senator Antonio Trillanes accused Gordon of lawyering for President Duterte’s son Paolo and son-in-law Manases Carpio, calling the investigation panel that Gordon heads as “Committee de Absuelto.”

Political pundits now refer to Gordon as the Papa Bear in the Senate because he seems to get whatever he wants.

As regards Marine Captain Faeldon, he joined the military service as a 3rd Class Trainee of the Naval Combat Engineering Brigade in 1989. He was commissioned an officer of the Philippine Marine Corps in 1992. As he is not a “mistah” or a Philippine Military Academy graduate, he does not enjoy the sympathy, much less the support, of high ranking officers in the Armed Forces unlike former rebel officers Gregorio Honasan and Antonio Trillanes, both “mistahs,” did and still do.

While his gallantry in military campaigns in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao earned him many medals, Faeldon drew national attention only on July 27, 2003, when he, Trillanes, and other commissioned officers led a group of 321 men of various branches of the Armed Forces to lay siege to the Oakwood serviced apartments in Makati City as an expression of their indignation at the corruption and politicization in the military.

When the rebel soldiers failed to get the support of the public and other units of the Armed Forces, they surrendered peacefully. All participants, including Faeldon, were charged in a general court martial.

Faeldon escaped in December 2005, but was recaptured the following month. He escaped again in November 2007 when the detained Oakwood mutineers walked out of their trial and seized the second floor of the Manila Peninsula Hotel.

On May 31, 2016, it was announced, to the bafflement of the Filipino people, that Faeldon would be joining the administration of president-elect Duterte as commissioner of the Bureau of Customs. He was sworn into office on June 30, 2016, the first day of Mr. Duterte as president. Among his subordinates in the Bureau were retired military officers who were senior in rank in the military establishment.

Whatever reasons the President had, and only he knows what they are, for appointing a fugitive as the chief of the very vital but controversial Bureau, they must be strong.

In May last year Faeldon was implicated in the P6.4-billion shabu shipment that slipped past Customs, causing him to resign but President Duterte rejected his resignation. He had tendered his resignation three times before Duterte accepted it. The President said of Faeldon, “I really believe he is an honest man.”

In August last year Senator Panfilo Lacson accused Faeldon of receiving P100 million as welcome gift when he was appointed as Customs chief.

The PDEA filed a violation of importation of illegal drugs complaint against Faeldon and several other Customs officials over the multibillion-peso shabu case. However, the National Prosecution Service dismissed the complaint. Subsequently, the President, in a show of trust and confidence in Faeldon, appointed him deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense. It is that faith the President in Faeldon that gives the former Marine captain the audacity to exchange harsh words with the imperious Gordon.

How the contempt charge against Faeldon is treated — whether Faeldon is released from jail or is detained indefinitely — will determine who is more “malakas” with the President — Richard Gordon or Nicanor Faeldon. We should know soon enough.

 

Oscar P. Lagman, Jr. is a member of Manindigan! a cause-oriented group of businessmen, professionals, and academics.

oplagman@yahoo.com

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