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2 SC justices back in House to tackle charges vs Sereno

THE HOUSE impeachment committee resumes its inquiry today, Jan. 29, to hear the charges raised against Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes P.A. Sereno, with two of her colleagues in the Supreme Court (SC) as well as associate justices of the Sandiganbayan scheduled to take part in the proceedings.

Oriental Mindoro Representative Reynaldo V. Umali, committee chairman, said the committee is set to “close” its deliberation on the creation of the Regional Court Administration Office in Region 7 (RCAO-7), one of several points of contention in the allegations raised against Ms. Sereno.

Associate Justice Teresita J. Leonardo-De Castro, Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez, and former Clerk of Court Enriqueta E. Vidal are expected to shed light on that matter, as is Sandiganbayan first division Associate Justice Geraldine Faith A. Econg.

The procurement of the 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser, on the other hand, will be discussed with Associate Justice Mariano C. del Castillo, Clerk of Court Felipa B. Anama, audit team leader Meriam U. Ansama, and Michael B. Ocampo of the Office of the Chief Justice and Ma. Lourdes E.B. Oliveros, who heads Ms. Sereno’s staff. Also scheduled to take part in that discussion is Sandiganbayan seventh division Associate Justice Zaldy V. Trespeses.

The same resource persons are also expected to touch on the subject of hiring Helen P. Macasaet, the information-technology consultant who was allegedly given excessive compensation for her services. Also scheduled to take part in that discussion are Deputy Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva, Assistant Court Administrator Regina M. Ignacio, Management Information Systems Office (MISO) acting chief Carlos N. Garay, and Ms. Macasaet, who had been invited to Monday’s proceedings.

Other topics for discussion include allegations of manipulation in the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC); temporary restraining order being questioned in connection with a case between the Senior Citizens party-list and the Commission on Elections; Ms. Sereno’s financial statements; and her allegedly luxurious travels.

Mr. Umali said his committee can finish its deliberations by the end of February. “We think we will make it… Kasi konti na lang naman ’yung (Because there are only few) matters that we need to study,” he said in a phone interview.

As for the criminal case filed by impeachment complainant Lorenzo G. Gadon against Ms. Sereno last Friday, Jan. 26, Mr. Umali said: “That’s a separate issue… Sa ’min wala naman ’yon kasi (This has no bearing on our work because) whether or not mag-file ng kaso (a case is filed), at least an investigation on the matter can be conducted officially. Kasi kami naman (Because on our part), we’re just building the case and we’re not doing any investigation, big, on that. Kaya ’yung amin, allegation lang kaso, hindi siya sumasagot. Baka dito mapwersa na siyang sumagot (So what we are just tackling are allegations, but she is not answering. Maybe this time she will be compelled to answer).” — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz

Roque cries ‘fake news’ on remarks on Benham Rise

By Arjay L. Balinbin

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON Herminio Harry L. Roque, Jr. on Sunday said recent statements attributed to him regarding sovereignty issues over Benham Rise are “fake news.”

“Finake news po ako (I’m a victim of fake news),” Mr. Roque told reporters in a televised press conference in Iloilo City on Jan. 28, when asked to clarify his previous remarks regarding the underwater shelf northeast of the Philippine archipelago.

“Alam mo masama ang loob ko kasi mga prestigious daw sila, pero alam mo in journalism ang unang unang tenet po talaga ay dedication to the truth, so pinost ko na po ang video para kayo na ang maghusga. Nagpepyesta lang sila dahil marami pong nagpapapansin lalo na yung mga academic na mga mediocre,” the spokesman added.

(You know I feel bad because they said they are prestigious [news organizations]. But, you know, the first tenet in journalism is dedication to the truth, so I posted the video [of the press briefing] on Facebook for you to judge. They are feasting on it, especially those mediocre academicians who only want public attention.)

“Earlier, I responded, and I quote, ‘Because only China has qualified so far. There are other applicants, unfortunately they did not qualify according to fixed guidelines already set by the government.’ It is obvious that my statement pertains to China and not the Philippines,” he said.

On the other hand, there were reports that said Mr. Roque was referring to Filipinos.

“May dalawa po kasing tanong kung bakit binigyan ng license ang China para magconduct ng scientific study. ’Yun po ang sinagot ko kung bakit binigyan ng lisensya ang Tsina, kasi ang mga dayuhan kailangan ng lisensya dahil ang Benham Rise po ay kaparte ng continental shelf at tanging ang mga Pilipino lang ang may karapatan na mangalap ng tanging yaman at magconduct ng mga scientific researches. So ang sinabi ko ang mga Pilipino ay di kailangan ng lisensya, ang sinabi ko ang Pilipino di kailangan ng lisenya dahil meron po tayong sovereign right,” Mr. Roque explained.

(There were two questions as to why China was given a license to conduct scientific research in the area, and I answered why China was given a license. Foreigners need a license on Benham Rise because it is part of the Philippines’ continental shelf. Only Filipinos have the right to explore and conduct scientific studies in the area. What I said was that Filipinos do not need a license because we have sovereign rights over Benham Rise.)

In a Facebook post, University of the Philippines’ (UP) Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea director Jay L. Batongbacal said: “Pres. Spox Roque’s claim that Filipinos cannot afford to explore Benham Rise, that “no one can do it,” that the Philippines “needs China” to do it, and “only China qualifies” is completely wrong, based on ignorance, a serious disservice to Filipino scientists in particular and the Filipino people in general, and an over-exaggeration of China’s potential role in Philippine ocean sciences.”

NEDA seeks more info on Bulacan airport plans

THE PROPOSED AIRPORT in Bulacan could be “viable,” but the proponent San Miguel Corp.’s assumptions for its development will determine the project’s ultimate rate of return, the government’s chief economic planner said.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said that the P700-billion unsolicited proposal for a 2,500-hectare airport development has yet to be fully reviewed ahead of its presentation to the Cabinet-level Investment Coordination Committee (ICC).

“There are questions on the financial internal rate of return, what is the basis — does it include only the income of the airport, or also extra income outside the airport. Because that area is a large area… I think the owner is intending to make that not only an airport, but also an aerotropolis, a city with an airport,” Mr. Pernia told reporters on Friday.

“It seems viable. The economic rate of return is possible, although not by much. Just barely,” he added.

Mr. Pernia said that although the project has already gone through an ICC technical evaluation, NEDA would require “more definite information” on the developer’s assumptions for Cabinet-level deliberation.

“The main criteria for economic evaluation, is that it passes the hurdle rate. But we don’t just look at the economic rate of return, but we look at the financial rate of return because this is unsolicited,” he said.

When approved by the Cabinet Committee, the proposal will be submitted to the NEDA Board for the President’s approval.

The project will then be subject to a Swiss challenge, under which other parties submit rival bids to top the original proposal. San Miguel Corp. is then entitled to match any bid.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III has said that Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) will remain the main international gateway even if the San Miguel airport goes ahead.

“At this point there are no plans to shut NAIA down,” he said.

San Miguel Corp. has expressed plans to replace NAIA as the country’s main airport, but Mr. Dominguez said: “that was the original idea, but it seems that they have withdrawn that particular condition.”

“A lot of big cities have more than one airport around it,” he added.

The National Economic and Development Authority’s (NEDA) Cabinet Committee ICC approved on Friday the Subic-Clark railway, along with a larger budget for the Mega Manila Subway.

“The ICC approved today the Subic-Clark railway project that will be implemented by DoTr (Department of Transportation). The cost is roughly P50 billion. And that will be part of the railway network connected, hopefully when it’s all completed, all the ports will be connected by railway. From Batangas to Subic to Metro Manila,” Mr. Dominguez said.

“The second one is they approved also the increase in the estimated cost of the MM subway project, they feel that there will be a P1.3 billion additional cost that have not been originally estimated and this should cover any potential damage to underground wiring,” Mr. Dominguez said.

The Subic-Clark railway is funded by Chinese Official Development Assistance (ODA) while the Mega Manila Subway is bankrolled by the Japanese.

Mr. Dominguez also said that he suggested that the Department of Transportation — the implementing agency for the subway — consider a business model where stations located on government property can lease out retail space.

“I also suggested to the DoTr that they give us a map of where the underground stations will be. [If] they are government property, we can develop underground malls,” he said.

The subway will run from Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City to NAIA. Mr. Dominguez said that government-owned sites along the line could include the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Social Security System headquarters in Quezon City, as well as the Department of Energy in Taguig City.

“I don’t know frankly if it will pass there, but those are the properties that we were thinking if it passes underneath, those they will be potential for additional government revenue for joint venture development.” — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

Brazilian Souza extends dominance over American Brunson at UFC Charlotte

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

TWICE they have met in a mixed martial arts fight and two times Brazilian Jacaré Souza emerged on top of American Derek Brunson after the former won quick at the Ultimate Fighting Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, yesterday.

UFC logo

Facing anew after six years since their first encounter, Mr. Souza repeated over Mr. Brunson, concluding the fight at the 3:50 mark of the opening round with a technical knockout on a solid head kick and punches after.

The two fighters went back and forth early with both of them landing some solid hits.

Mr. Souza though would change the direction of the match after he connected on a high right head kick that immediately sent Mr. Brunson down the mat.

The Brazilian wasted no time thereafter to go for the closeout, unleashing a barrage of punches on his opponent before the referee stopped the fight.

The win was reminiscent of the fast victory of Mr. Souza over Mr. Brunson in their August 2012 fight over at Strikeforce where he stopped the American by knockout (punches) just 41 seconds into the first round.

“I feel great. It’s nice to be back to winning and into the game. Four months ago I was in the hospital and now I here,” said Mr. Souza, who improved to 25-5 after the win.

Mr. Brunson, meanwhile, dropped to six losses with 18 wins.

In other fights at “UFC on Fox: Jacare vs. Brunson 2, featherweight Andre Fili won over Dennis Bermudez by split decision (29-28, 27-30 and 29-28), lightweight Gregor Gillespie beat Jordan Rinaldi by technical knockout (punches) in the first round, and welterweight Drew Dober defeated Frank Camacho by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 and 30-27).

Next for the UFC is “UFC Fight Night 125” on Feb. 4 (Manila time) in Belem, Brazil that will be headlined by the middleweight match between Lyoto Machida and Eryk Anders.

In the Philippines, Cignal TV, the country’s foremost direct-to-home (DTH) company, is the home of the UFC after the two groups agreed to an extensive deal that will see the UFC beamed on various platforms.

Hometown bet Team Lakay bounces back

AFTER having a rough ending to 2017, Team Lakay of Baguio City got its 2018 campaign in ONE Championship to a rousing start, going 3-1 in the promotion’s Manila event last Friday, highlighted by another title falling into its hands.

Fielding in four fighters at “ONE: Global Superheroes” at the Mall of Asia Arena, ONE’s first event in the country for the new year, Team Lakay had three of them winning, with flyweight Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio latching on to the interim ONE flyweight title by way of a convincing unanimous decision victory over former champion Kairat Akhmetov of Kazakhstan.

The team outcome was an improvement to the 3-2 that Team Lakay had in ONE’s last event in the Philippines in November that saw veteran Eduard “Landslide” Folayang lose his lightweight title to now-two division champion Martin Nguyen of Australia and Danny “The King” Kingad losing in his title shot for the flyweight belt against champion Adriano Moraes of Brazil.

Bouncing back that way they did to start 2018, Team Lakay coach Mark Sangiao said they are very happy and satisfied for it showed the “reassessment” they did following the tough ending to last year bore fruit.

“Despite the success we had for much of last year, I just felt that we lost grip on some things and we just went back to the basics and work on our weaknesses. And that effort showed tonight,” said Mr. Sangiao in the post-event press conference.

Apart from Mr. Eustaquio, also victorious from the Baguio team were strawweight Joshua “The Passion” Pacio and Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly.

Falling on the raw side, however, was women’s atomweight April Osenio.

In winning the interim flyweight title, 28-year-old Eustaquio (10-6) showed superior striking that rendered the wrestling abilities of Mr. Akhmetov a non-factor throughout the five-round joust.

Joshua Pacio
Strawweight Joshua Pacio (in red) was one of three fighters from Team Lakay that won at “ONE: Global Superheroes.” — ALVIN S. GO

Landing crisp and clean combinations, Mr. Eustaquio left hardly any doubt who the winner was as all three judges went his way in the end.

The win was a payback to the split decision loss the Filipino absorbed from the Kazakh previously while setting him up for a unification fight with reigning champion Moraes possibly within the year.

“The feeling is unbelievable. Kuya Eduard had this. [Then featherweight] Honorio [Banario] had it. We are proud and I’m happy. I cannot explain the feeling. We have another title here in the Philippines,” said Mr. Eustaquio after his well-earned victory.

“This belt is not mine to take, it’s ours… I am proud to represent this flag all throughout the world. Here is your world champion from the Philippines. Adriano [Moraes] I know you’re there. I got a belt! Give me one more try and I hope to give you a better challenge this time,” he added.

Mr. Pacio (11-2), meanwhile, made it back-to-back victories in ONE after making short work of China’s Lan Ming Qiang with a first-round submission win by way of rear-naked choke.

On the part of Mr. Kelly (10-4), he devastatingly sent Cambodian Meas Meul crashing, knocking out the latter in the opening round with a quick three-punch combination and a solid high kick.

Ms. Osenio (2-4), meanwhile, saw her slide continue, losing her third straight fight after being knocked out by compatriot Jomary Torres in the first round.

Next event for ONE Championship is “Quest for Gold” in Myanmar on Feb. 26. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Rain adds danger to continuing Mayon Volcano eruption

ANOTHER MAYON Volcano eruption was recorded at 10:33 a.m. yesterday as mudflows make their way into some roads in surrounding areas amid rains over the weekend. The perfect-shaped volcano, which has been highly active in the past two weeks, has slowed down since Friday, allowing for the reopening of the nearby airport in Legazpi City, but with authorities still warning pilots to observe “extreme caution” against the ash. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) also maintains an alert level 4 out of 5 and a nine-kilometer radius no-go zone.

EVACUEES
As of Saturday morning, Jan. 27, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has recorded 21,701 families or 84,449 persons from 59 barangays in Albay affected by the eruption. Of this number, 67,741 people are taking temporary shelter in 94 evacuation centers set up by local government units while the rest are with relatives in other parts of the province.

MUDLFOW
Millions of tons of ash and rock from Mayon could bury nearby communities due to heavy rain, authorities said Saturday. Rainwater could combine with the volcanic ash and rock to form deadly, fast-moving mudflows — called “lahars” — that could sweep away entire settlements, Phivolcs said. “The important thing is to move out in case of heavy rains… this is a precautionary measure,” Phivolcs Director Renato U. Solidum told AFP. Phivolcs earlier said that 25 million cubic metres of ash and other volcanic material had recently been emitted by Mayon, settling on its slopes and elsewhere nearby. Weather bureau PAGASA, in its weekly outlook issued yesterday, forecasts daily rains in Legazpi City until Thursday, Feb. 1. — with a report from AFP

The Zen of decluttering

WE DON’T want the dystopian vision of Wall-E to be right. If we keep going on the path of continuous, wanton acquisition of objects, in a matter of years we will all be buried under a pile of stuff. Like all things, the process begins at home.

Marie Kondo, an organizing consultant from Japan has become some sort of modern-day prophet. While the prophets of yore have preached about what was coming, Ms. Kondo preaches about what is already there, and what we should do with it. Specifically, our stuff. Ms. Kondo has written a bible of sorts with her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Like any effective prophet, Ms. Kondo has disciples all over the world, teaching people the KonMari method, a process of cleaning one’s personal space. It could be interpreted as a facet of Buddhist teaching that reminds one to remove desire from oneself as well as the attachment to the temporal, beginning with the things in our closets.

One of her converts was blogger Christine Dychiao. The mother of three just so happens to have a desk that was always full of clutter, and after learning that one of her messier friends found a snake in her own clutter, well, Ms. Dychiao went on to study the KonMari method via Ms. Kondo’s book. After being urged by her friends to do so, she went on to be certified as a KonMari consultant in New York.

Ms. Dychiao held a tidying seminar in Estancia’s Pottery Barn branch last week, to an audience eager to clean up their spaces, and in a way, their own lives.

The advice is deceptively simple: pile all your stuff on the floor, choose the items you love, and throw out the rest. But like any spiritual exercise or ritual, achieving this state of well-being takes many steps. Ms. Dychiao, spouting the teachings of Ms. Kondo, begins by saying that one should visualize the destination: not heaven, but what you want to do with your space. After that, go all in: devote a significant amount of time for cleaning up, even encouraging a meditative experience without music or background noise, or even people.

Focus on your mess; clear your space, and by extension, clear your head.

One of the catchphrases of Ms. Kondo’s movement is, “Does it spark joy?” This is a question to ask yourself when deciding whether to throw a thing out or not. If unsure, according to Ms. Dychiao, touch it.

Pottery Barn towels
A basket filled with Pottery Barn towels folded in the KonMari style. — ALICIA A. HERRERA

As well, designate a place for each object to stay in, for, according to her, clutter comes from not having a place to store things in.

Of course, other spiritual and psychological reasons for clutter are a fear of the future (hoarding); an attachment to perceived value, whether financial, sentimental or otherwise (hoarding); and an attachment to the past (still hoarding!). Ms. Dychiao also advised the use of baskets and drawers for this task.

Finally, Ms. Dychiao also advised not to dump your stuff on others: friends or family. Instead, donate your discarded things to organizations such as the Tzu Chi Foundation or the Ortigas Foundation Library.

On matters of practicality, Ms. Dychiao, using the rituals devised by cleaning and clearing High Priestess Ms. Kondo, taught the audience how to fold clothes to save space: for socks, fold twice, then roll. For underwear, fold the legs up, then fold to the back to create a square. For shirts, fold the sleeves inwards, as if it’s hugging itself, then fold twice from the bottom to make another square. For pants, fold the crotch inward to create a straight line, after which, one folds it to create yet another square. To demonstrate this miracle, Ms. Dychiao put each folded item side by side, and showed them standing upright by themselves, like books on a shelf.

“You have to let go of the stuff that you don’t want, that you don’t love, so you can recognize what gives you joy. In the end, what stays are the things you love — the things that will make you happy,” she said during the seminar. “Holding on to something is always keeping you from what you want, the life that you want to live.”

Like some mysterious Zen Koan, in response to a question about what things should stay, she said: “At the end of the day, you ask yourself. It’s really [about] communing with yourself.” — Joseph L. Garcia

P170-M project planned to address perennial flooding in Tacloban

THE DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is now preparing for a P170-million flood control project for Tacloban City, the most urbanized city among those devastated by supertyphoon Haiyan (local name: Yolanda) in 2013 and continues to suffer from perennial flooding. DPWH-Region 8 Director Edgar B. Tabacon, in a statement, said planning and design engineers have been ordered to assess the major waterways and drainage and prepare a flood control master plan for the city. “This long-term solution to solve perennial flooding will be tailored fit with the Study conducted by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the Waterways Master Plan in Tacloban City,” Mr. Tabacon said. The project will be funded by the national government under the 2018 budget.

New Mactan airport terminal to open in June

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said the construction of the new Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) terminal is 89% complete, and is set to open in June.

Godess Libiran, director of public information at DoTr, told reporters in a message that the agency and its private partner, the consortium of Megawide Construction Corp. and GMR Infrastructure Ltd., plan to open Terminal 2 in June.

The new terminal building in MCIA will have a capacity of about 13 million passengers annually, and will serve domestic and international operations.

Megawide-GMR won in 2014 the 25-year public private partnership (PPP) contract to build, operate and maintain the new MCIA terminal for some P17.52 billion.

In June 2017, the Megawide-GMR consortium submitted a P208-billion unsolicited proposal for the 50-year development of MCIA.

The consortium also bagged the contract for the construction of the Clark International Airport (CIA) new terminal project. — Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo

Stepping up its game

HEALTH AND fitness aficionados in the country who are on the lookout for more smartwatch capabilities to accompany their journeys have another one to consider as Fitbit recently launched locally a new version of the Fitbit Ionic.

Building on its health and fitness expertise that has allowed it to become the leading global wearables brand, Fitbit has stepped up its game with the Ionic that features innovations which company officials said could provide new dimensions to the needs of those who want to go deeper in the “health performance space.”

Equipped with a new relative SpO2 sensor, the Ionic makes it possible to track deeper health metrics, including estimating blood oxygen levels.

This is on top of its extensive and industry-leading GPS and improved heart rate tracking which one can use while running and doing gym work, as well as on-device dynamic workouts that adapt to each user’s needs.

It is also water resistant to 50 meters.

Other features include on-board music, smart notifications, and a variety of popular apps and clock faces, something company officials said they would add to as the year progresses.

The Ionic also boasts of Fitbit staples like long battery life (five days), automatic activity and sleep tracking, and cross-platform compatibility.

Design-wise, the Fitbit Ionic makes use of new processes and materials that improve weight, fit, durability, breathability, and daily wear, resulting in an extremely lightweight, ergonomic design which makes it comfortable to wear all day long.

RELEVANT TO THE MARKET
In the formal launch of the Ionic last week, Louis Lye, Fitbit regional lead for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, said they are expecting the Ionic to do well in the country considering the Philippines has been a good market for their products.

“We first launched in the country in November of 2015, so it has been a journey of two and a half years for us. And I would say we have been doing well here as we have seen a year-on-year growth of 36%. It shows that we have products that are relevant to the market,” said Mr. Lye in an interview with BusinessWorld at the sidelines of the Ionic launch.

“It’s our first smart watch and we believe it’s a game-changer with the many new features that have been put in it. People who are entering the performance space and those who are already in it can you use the Ionic. If they want to check everything and they want to have all those fitness trackers, this has it and more,” he added.

Mr. Lye went on to say that among the new features they are pushing to introduce in the country via the Ionic is Fitbit Pay, which would allow for effortless payment for items through one’s device wherever contactless payments are accepted.

Expansion of its roster of apps is also planned which would also involve local developers.

“Fitbit Pay is one thing we are pushing for here and we have to sit down with Philippine banks for that and increase our level of partnership. We have yet to initiate any talks but we are planning to soon. We also want to engage Filipino developers for other apps to be featured on the Ionic,” Mr. Lye said.

The Fitbic Ionic is now available at major retailers across the Philippines, including Digital Walker and Beyond the Box stores, for P15,690.

It is available in three color combinations: a silver gray tracker and clasp with a blue-gray band, a smoke gray tracker and clasp with a charcoal band, and a burnt orange tracker and clasp with a slate blue band.

Also to be made available soon are Fitbit’s wireless headphones, the Fitbit Flyer, and the Fitbit Aria 2 Wi-Fi Smart Scale, which will be sold for P6,790 and P7,690, respectively. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Navotas spoils Muntinlupa; Batangas survives Valenzuela

EXPECTING a tough outing against host Muntinlupa, Navotas relied on the hot shooting of Yves Sazon, who hit 24 points to steer the Navotas Clutch to an exciting 82-76 triumph over the Muntinlupa Cagers in the resumption of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Anta Rajah Cup at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex.

The dead shot swingman from Philippine Christian University became the scourge on the Cagers as he hit timely baskets, including a long jumper inside the final minute, allowing the Clutch to survive the match.

Mr. Sazon hit six three-point as the Cagers were clueless that he could torched the hoops.

“He is licensed to shoot. He’s been doing that for our team before and we expect him to do it here in MPBL,” said Navotas coach Elvis Tolentino. “We expected a grind out game because we’re the visitors, but I’m confident we’re going to win.”

Nearly overshadowed by Navotas’ win was Batangas Athletics-Tanduay’s 73-65 victory.

Former PBA champions Val Acuña and Lester Alvarez conspired in a big Batangas run early before they outlasted the Chris Gavina-mentored Valenzuela Classic.

Rarely given opportunity to play in the PBA, Messrs. Acuña and Alvarez were part of San Mig Coffee’s championship teams.

Traded by the Coffee Mixers at the height of their grand slam campaign, Mr. Acuña has found himself bouncing in and out of different leagues.

His role with the Athletics is different as he is one of the team’s go-to-guys and he proved it last Saturday.

The 6-foot-3 Acuña scored 18 points, hitting four triples, to lead his squad’s production.

“We treat everybody equally, no seniority. Whoever is playing good out there, gets to play,” said Mr. Acuña.

His long-time teammate, Alvarez, a member of the grand slam squad of San Mig Coffee in 2014, was fortunate to find a spot in the MPBL.

“It’s good that we were able to share our experience to our new teammates, experience we learned in the PBA,” added Mr. Alvarez. “We pushed ourselves hard during practice and tried to be in good condition because we know we’re gonna be relied on more.”

Batangas raced to a 38-19 lead at the half, but was outscored, 29-18, in the third period, Valenzuela simply ran out of time. — Rey Joble

Cebu provincial government steps in as traffic woes hound Metro Cebu area

Cebu traffic 2

THE CEBU provincial government is stepping in to help address the growing traffic congestion not just in Cebu City, but in most of the Metro Cebu area that is composed of seven cities and six municipalities. “I will be meeting again sa tanan na nga mga (with all of the) traffic managers sa LGUs (local government units), especially sa Metro Cebu where traffic is very bad, all the stakeholders para we can come up with a unified traffic system to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and on how to address accidents roads,” Governor Hilario P. Davide III said in a statement. Earlier this month, Mr. Davide met with traffic officials of Talisay City and Minglanilla, both part of Metro Cebu, to discuss possible solutions to traffic congestion. In the same statement, Mr. Davide expressed support to Mayor Tomas R. Osmeña of the independent city of Cebu on his proposed stricter penalties for drivers who worsen traffic gridlock by counter-flowing. The governor also said that there should be more tow trucks that can immediately respond to vehicular accidents as well as traffic enforcers who are trained to work fast in resolving accidents so as not to cause further traffic buildup.

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