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Cryptocurrency may be getting quietly channeled to N. Korea university as Pyongyang’s financial lifeline

SEOUL — A cybersecurity company said it has found software that appears to install code for mining cryptocurrency and sends any mined coins to a server at a North Korean university, the latest sign that North Korea may be searching for new ways to infuse its economy with cash.

The application, which was created on Dec. 24, uses host computers to mine a cryptocurrency called Monero. It then sends any coins to Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang, said cybersecurity firm AlienVault, which examined the program.

“Cryptocurrencies may provide a financial lifeline to a country hit hard by sanctions, and as a result universities in Pyongyang have shown a clear interest in cryptocurrencies,” the California-based security firm said in a release, adding that the software “may be the most recent product of their endeavors.”

The company added a caveat that a North Korean server used in the code does not appear to be connected to the wider internet, which could mean its inclusion is meant to trick observers into making a North Korean connection. Kim Il Sung University, however, plays host to foreign students and lecturers, not just North Koreans.

Kim Il Sung University did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Government officials representing North Korea at the United Nations were not immediately available for comment.

Others have flagged increasing signs of North Korean interest in cryptocurrencies and underlying blockchain technology.

“With economic sanctions in place, cryptocurrencies are currently the best way to earn foreign currency in North Korea’s situation. It is hard to trace and can be laundered several times,” said Mun Chong-hyun, chief analyst at South Korean cybersecurity firm ESTsecurity.

Cryptocurrency watchers say technical details of Monero, the 13th-largest crypto asset in the world, according to www.coinmarketcap.com, with a total value of more than $7 billion, make it more appealing than bitcoin to those who value secrecy.

Monero funds go to an unlinkable, one-time address generated with random numbers every time a payment is issued. That makes it less traceable than bitcoin, where transactions can be linked to specific, albeit anonymous, private addresses, cybersecurity experts said.

South Korea-based Bithumb, the world’s busiest cryptocurrency exchange, is also the largest Monero trading exchange in the world, with about 24% of trading volume. The next largest were Europe-based exchange HitBTC and Hong Kong-based Bitfinex, as of Monday.

Marshal Swatt, an expert in blockchain technology and financial exchange, said cryptocurrencies’ independence from government regulation — and sanctions — made them logical choices for covert transactions.

“They don’t by themselves discriminate between good and bad actors,” he said. “This makes it extremely compelling for countries like North Korea, Venezuela, Iran, Russia and others to exploit these non-governmental blockchain currencies for their own self-interest.”

Cybersecurity firm FireEye cited in a November blog post a series of North Korean activities against South Korean cryptocurrency targets such as exchanges. Analyst Luke McNamara wrote that “it should be no surprise that cryptocurrencies, as an emerging asset class, are becoming a target of interest by a regime that operates in many ways like a criminal enterprise.”

In early November, Federico Tenga, the Italian co-founder of bitcoin start-up Chainside, posted on his Twitter account pictures and comments on his visit to lecture on bitcoin and blockchain technology at the Western-funded Pyongyang University of Science and Technology.

“The lectures were at a quite basic level to give a general understanding of blockchain technologies, which are also very relevant to trade, supply chains and other e-business,” a spokesman for the university said.

“We believe this teaching can give the next generation of North Korean professionals additional concepts that may be valuable as they seek to develop their country,” the spokesman added. “We’re acutely aware of issues around sanctions, which we keep under regular review and take care to avoid any sensitive or proscribed areas.”

Mr. Tenga said his lectures were geared toward explaining the underlying technology of cryptocurrencies.

“The focus of the lectures was to make the students understand what the blockchain is, how it works (special focus on proof of work) and what are the main use cases. My aim was simply to spread technical knowledge, not suggesting them how to use it,” Mr. Tenga told Reuters in a series of messages.

AlienVault’s report said one North Korean IP address, 175.45.178.19, has been active on bitcoin trading sites. That is the same address used to control compromised web servers in 2014-15 cyberattacks on South Korean energy, traffic, telecommunications, broadcasting, financial and political institutions, according to security firm AhnLab.

The report also observed that North Korean IP addresses have downloaded several episodes of the automotive TV series Top Gear and documentaries by the show’s former presenter James May. — Reuters

Changes under DoLE’s revised rules on inspections

Consistent with the efforts of the Duterte administration to stop endo and promote regulation, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) recently promulgated Department Order No. 183, Series of 2017, known as the Revised Rules on the Administration and Enforcement of Labor Laws Pursuant to Article 128 of the Labor Code, as Renumbered (DO 183). The new DO superseded Department Order No. 131-B and with stricter guidelines, DO 183 aims to ensure a higher level of compliance of labor laws and standards in the workplace.

Under DO 183, establishments may be subjected to a Routine Inspection, Complaint Inspection or Occupational Safety and Health Standards Investigation, which shall be conducted by Labor Inspectors, formerly called Labor Law Compliance Officers (LLCOs).

ROUTINE INSPECTION
Routine Inspection is the process of evaluating a private establishment’s compliance with labor laws and social legislation through a prescribed Inspection Checklist. Previously, this process was called a Joint Assessment, and establishments with valid Certificates of Compliance (CoC) or Tripartite Certificate of Compliance with Labor Standards (TCCLS) were exempt from inspection. However, since the new rules eliminated provisions on Certificates of Compliance, even compliant establishments may be subjected to routine inspections and random validations by the appropriate Regional Office.

For routine inspections, the DoLE prioritizes establishments engaged in hazardous work; employing children; engaged in contracting or subcontracting arrangements; employing 10 or more employees; and such other establishments or industries as may be determined by the Labor secretary as priority. Philippine registered ships or vessels engaged in domestic shipping and public utility bus transport are no longer considered as priority establishments for routine inspections under DO 183.

The new rules also shortened the period for establishments to correct their violations on general labor standards and contracting and subcontracting rules. DO 183 mandates that after the receipt of Notice of Results, establishments must institute their corrective actions within a non-extendible period of ten (10) days, instead of twenty (20) days as provided under the previous DO.

COMPLAINT INSPECTION
Another amendment found under DO 183 is the Complaint Inspection. It differs from the former Compliance Visit since the new rules limit the conduct of a Complaint Inspection to instances where there is a Single Entry Approach (SEnA) referral, or a request in conciliation-meditation proceedings at the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) to validate or verify violation of labor standards. If anonymous complaints are received, DO 183 also allows surprise visits to be conducted to validate the reported violation of labor laws.

OTHER SALIENT POINTS
Under the old rules, the Labor secretary had the authority to issue work stoppage orders when non-compliance with occupational safety and health standards poses imminent danger to the health and safety of employees.

Under DO 183, the Labor Secretary acquires an expanded authority to issue industry-wide work stoppage orders, under exceptional circumstances.

DO 183 also exacts cooperation among employers by imposing stricter rules whenever a person refuses access to records and/or premises of the establishment during an inspection. Under the previous rules, the refusal to access must have been committed at least twice in the course of a joint assessment or compliance visit before the responsible person becomes liable.

Under the new rules, the refusal of access to records or premises, even at the first instance, shall subject the responsible person to a criminal action already. In fact, the new rules even deleted the provision on undergoing a mandatory conference prior to the filing of the criminal case.

Finally, it must be noted that if a compliance order for regularization is issued, and there is a pending appeal on such order, employers are prohibited from terminating the workers ordered to be regularized.

It is apparent that the new rules impose grave consequences for employers who do not comply. It reinforces strict implementation of labor laws and standards and addresses the intensifying campaign of the current administration to accelerate the regularization of workers in the country. While this direction aims to safeguard the rights of our workers, rushing or forcing the regularization of laborers may have adverse effects upon employers who are also struggling to make ends meet. Lest it be ignored, when businesses suffer, ultimately, it is the workers who are the first to bear the most painful blow.

 

Aylene Marie C. Sarmiento is an associate at the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW).

830-8000

acsarmiento@accralaw.co.

London play charts real-life stories in French ‘jungle’ migrant camp

LONDON — A boy is found dead and smoke fills the air ahead of a police raid: traumatic memories from France’s “jungle” migrant camp are being recreated on a London stage.

More than a year has passed since police swept through the squalid camp near the port of Calais, clearing out an estimated 7,000 migrants. Now, the ordeal is captured vividly in The Jungle playing to sell-out crowds at the Young Vic theater.

The play is the creation of two writers who set up their own theatre amid the chaos in Calais, with casts including migrant actors.

“We ended up wanting to chart the creation of that society and then the destruction, or downfall, of that society,” playwright Joe Murphy told AFP.

Murphy and fellow writer Joe Robertson, both 27, set up the Good Chance Theatre in September 2015 at the heart of the Jungle, their actors performing under a second-hand geodesic dome tent.

Three of the migrants who acted in Calais are now performing in The Jungle, which lays bare the precarious and dangerous times faced by those searching desperately for a passage to Britain.

Episodes in which characters race off to try their luck — seeking their “good chance” in jungle lingo — on the roads towards the port bring tears to patrons’ eyes.

A total of 33 migrants died in the Calais area in 2015 and 2016, mostly being hit by vehicles as they tried to climb into lorries, or by trains about to pass through the Channel Tunnel.

The camp was widely seen as a result of a controversial 2003 accord that effectively moved Britain’s border with France to the French side of the Channel, creating a magnet for migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

DESPAIR, MUSIC, LAUGHTER
The play’s scenes of despair are punctuated by music and laughter, as different nationalities try to live together and naive British volunteers turn up with breakfast cereal and good intentions.

“We have tried to be as honest as possible about the role we played and the role that the volunteers played in Calais,” Robertson said.

“We’ve tried to be really critical at times of the impact individuals have when they try and help.”

The play’s narrator is Ammar Haj Ahmad, a refugee from Syria, who did not pass through Calais and sees his role as creating empathy.

“It’s my task to invite people to strip with me, to really be vulnerable, whether we cry or we don’t cry, to look people in the eye and say, ‘now you know,’” he said.

‘DANGEROUSLY EXPLORATIVE’
The desire to understand what happened across the Channel is a main draw of the show, which closes on Tuesday, before the playwrights move on to their next project.

Later this month Good Chance Paris will open in the northern Porte de la Chapelle area, bringing the dome tent used in Calais to the French capital.

“We will be a theater that welcomes people of all backgrounds, who’ve been in the city and were born there and lived there all their lives, and those that arrived there the day before,” Murphy said.

Under the stewardship of Good Chance’s French executive producer Claire Bejanin and in collaboration with the charity Emmaus Solidarite, the creative arts space will have an initial 10-week run.

Murphy said he wanted to bring together people from a wide political spectrum — “people who are very sceptical, or angry, or scared, or feel very strongly about the issue.”

Although the Calais camp has long since closed, its legacy is expected to last, and the playwrights plan to take their theatre to Athens, whose government continues to grapple with a relentless migrant crisis.

For Murphy, art is the ideal means to stimulate dialogue between sometimes very different groups of people.

“Art is disarming, it’s generous, it’s gentle, but it’s kind of dangerously explorative at the same time. And that’s the context and the theatre that we want to create.” — AFP

PEZA seeking to make SMEs ‘indirect exporters’

A NEW SCHEME targeting small and medium enterprises (SME) in the manufacturing industry is in the works, with the intention of bringing such companies into the supply chains of larger firms registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

The plan is to co-locate SMEs in existing manufacturing zones for exporters, where they can work with and possibly supply larger firms.

PEZA Director-General Charito B. Plaza said in an interview that the strategy will first turn the SMEs into “indirect exporters” until these companies are big enough to become direct exporters themselves.

“We’re in a hurry actually because the SMEs are enthusiastic [since] if they are in the zone, the parameters are clear and… they will also enjoy the incentives,” she added.

“This will [also] put in order the construction of industries in the locality, and their CLUP (Comprehensive Land Use Plan) so now we are encouraging the local government units to use the ecozone concept, [to] convert their lands into different types of ecozones.”

So far, PEZA has only accredited one cooperative to receive fiscal and non-fiscal incentives despite the absence of a firm agreement on specific incentives with the Department of Finance.

“PEZA is recommending the incentives [where] they will only pay 5% of their gross income but will have a cap. We recommended 10 to 15 years that they will only pay 5% of their gross income so they will also enjoy… non-fiscal incentives but these are still all on the table,” Ms. Plaza said.

Ms. Plaza said the scheme is designed to bring many small firms out of the underground economy, thereby broadening the tax base, among other benefits. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

Dashboard (01/10/18)

Aston Martin DB11

Aston Martin 2017 sales its best yet

ASTON Martin announced it sold 5,117 cars in 2017, citing “sell-out demand” for its DB11, Vanquish Zagato and Vantage GT8 as factors for the result.

Company President and Chief Executive Andy Palmer said the brand’s performance is “ahead of expectations, both in terms of financial performance and in meeting our targets for the DB11 and special vehicles.”

“This strong sales performance shows that our Second Century transformation plan is building momentum. Phase Two of the program will be largely completed in 2018 with the introduction of the Vanquish replacement and production of the new Vantage, contributing to continued sustainable profitability at Aston Martin,” Mr. Palmer said.

The company noted it achieved its highest full-year sales volumes in nine years, driven by rising demand in North America, the UK and China. It added that part of its Second Century Plan is to expand its UK manufacturing footprint.

Isuzu introduces Airwash tech

Isuzu Airwash

A NEW device for cleaning the air-conditioning systems of the Isuzu Mu-X SUV and D-Max pickup has been introduced by Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC).

The company said the Isuzu Airwash will make the models’ air-conditioning units cleaner, cooler and better breathing. IPC added one of the advantages of Airwash is its specially formulated washing liquid, which has been “proven to deliver thorough cleaning.” The Airwash machine also has a camera that can go inside parts of the air-conditioning system, showing the progress of the cleaning process.

Airwash cleaning services are available at Isuzu dealerships in Alabang, Makati, Pasig, Batangas, Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Cavite, Isabela, Naga, Pampanga, San Pablo, Tuguegarao, Bacolod, Bohol, Cebu City, Iloilo, Mandaue, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Dipolog and General Santos. Prices for the service are set at P3,400 for the D-Max and P6,515 for the Mu-X.

SEC urges caution when investing in initial coin offerings

THE COUNTRY’S corporate regulator is asking the public to be cautious against initial coin offerings (ICO), noting the virtual currencies involved in such transactions are not guaranteed by any central bank nor backed by any commodity.

In an advisory posted Monday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) told the public to be vigilant when investing in ICOs.

“If a promoter, issuer, broker, or salesman guarantees returns, if a potential investment sounds too good to be true, or if you are pressured to act hastily, please exercise utmost caution and diligence and be wary of the risk that your investment might be lost,” the SEC said.

ICOs are typically used by start-ups to raise capital. Here, the company issues a percentage of the virtual currency it holds to interested buyers in exchange for fiat currency, another virtual currency, or another asset or security.

Virtual currencies, meanwhile, are described by the SEC as a “digital representation of value issued and controlled by its developers and used and accepted among the members of a specific community of users.”

Popular virtual currencies include bitcoin, valued at $15,056 by Tuesday afternoon, ethereum ($1,211), and ripple ($2.39).

The SEC said virtual currencies transacted in ICOs have a “strong possibility” to fall under its jurisdiction, as per Section 3.1 of the Securities Regulation Code (SRC) which defines what items are considered as securities.

With this, companies undergoing an ICO should register with the SEC and file the necessary disclosures to protect the interests of the investing public.

“Where the scheme involves the sale of securities to the public, the SRC requires that the said securities offered are duly registered and that the appropriate license and/or permit to sell securities to the public are issued to the corporation and/or its agents, pursuant to the provisions of Section 8 and 28 of the SRC,” the commission said.

Aside from the company, entities acting as salesman, brokers dealers, or agents of the ICO must likewise register with the commission.

The advisory comes after the SEC said that it will be probing the ICO of KROPS, an online marketplace for farm produce headed by Joseph H. Calata, chairman of now delisted agribusiness firm Calata Corp. The ongoing ICO for KROPS has so far sold 37% or 2.35 million of the total 6.4 million tokens to be issued.

In 2017, Mr. Calata gave stockholders of Calata the option to trade their shares for virtual currencies as an alternative once it is delisted by the PSE. Some shareholders, however, opposed this shift, demanding instead to either replace Calata’s board of directors or for the company to buyback its shares from investors. — Arra B. Francia

AboitizPower subsidiary streamlines ownership in two Bataan projects

ABOITIZ POWER Corp. is transferring the ownership of two power generation projects from offshore units to a subsidiary that houses the company’s coal-fired plants, the listed company told the stock exchange on Tuesday.

It said Therma Power, Inc. (TPI) is streamlining its share ownership structure in GNPower Mariveles Coal Plant Ltd. Co. and GNPower Dinginin Ltd. Co., the project companies behind two big power projects in Bataan.

“The restructuring involves the transfer of direct ownership of GNPower-Mariveles and GNPower-Dinginin from the offshore subsidiaries of TPI to TPI and the eventual dissolution and liquidation of the offshore intermediary subsidiaries that own the GNPower-Mariveles and GNPower-Dinginin shares,” it said.

“As a result TPI will directly own 66.01% partnership interest in GNPower-Mariveles and 50% partnership interest in GNPower-Dinginin,” it added.

GNPower-Mariveles is a partnership among Therma Mariveles Holdings, Inc., and Therma Mariveles Camaya B.V., both AboitizPower subsidiaries, with Mariveles Coal Project GP Corp., Power Partners Ltd. Co., and AC Energy Holdings, Inc.’s affiliates Arlington Mariveles Philippines GP Corporation, and Arlington Mariveles Netherlands Holdings B.V.

GNPower-Mariveles owns a subcritical coal-fired power plant, including associated and auxiliary assets. The plant has two units each with a capacity of 345 megawatts (MW).

The unit is one of two plants acquired by TPI in late 2016 in line with AboitizPower’s target to increase its “attributable” capacity — or its corresponding share in the power facilities it built with partner companies — to 4,000 MW by 2020.

The other acquired plant, GNPower-Dinginin, is developing supercritical coal-fired power plant with two identical units each with a net capacity of 668 MW. It is expected to start commercial operations in 2019.

On Tuesday, shares in AboitizPower slipped by 1.32% to P41 each. — Victor V. Saulon

Stocks soar to 8,900 level on positive sentiment

STOCKS soared on Tuesday, pushing the main index to another all-time high as it tracked the gains of international markets.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) jumped 2.04% or 178.60 points to finish at 8,923.72, bouncing back from its decline in the previous trading day.

Yesterday’s close is the PSEi’s fourth all-time high for 2018, just five trading days into the new year.

The broader all-shares index also climbed 1.43% or 72.86 points to 5,138.63.

“After a mild sell-off yesterday (Monday), Philippine markets retained the upward trajectory with a new record level once again,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Managing Director Luis A. Limlingan said on Tuesday.

“I think the local stock market is just following the global equities’ record close following higher global growth,” IB Gimenez Securities, Inc. Head of Research Joylin F. Telagen said in a text message.

Wall Street logged record highs in previous days before taking a pause on Monday as it gave up 0.05% or 12.87 points to 25,283. The S&P 500 index and Nasdaq Composite index continued their climb, closing 0.17% or 4.56 points higher to 2,747.71 and 0.29% or 20.83 points up to 7,157.39, respectively.

Most Southeast Asian stock markets also rose on Tuesday, tracking broader Asian peers, with Singapore extending gains to touch a 32-month high.

Japanese markets, which were closed on Monday for a national holiday, were up, with the Nikkei share average hitting a 26-year high.

Singapore added 0.50%, its highest since April 2015, on broad-based gains.

Thai shares rose as much as 0.30%, with materials and financials pushing the index higher, before paring gains.

Indonesia fell marginally, snapping three straight sessions of gains. An index of the country’s 45 most liquid stocks fell 0.30%.

Vietnam climbed as much as 1%, its highest since November 2007, while Malaysia fell 0.10%.

IB Gimenez’ Ms. Telagen added that the government’s tax reform and infrastructure programs continued to boost investor sentiment.

All sectoral indices moved to positive territory, with property leading the charge with a 2.4% or 96.97-point increase to 4,137.94; financials followed with a gain of 2.24% or 50.32 points to 2,292.52; holding firms climbed 1.72% or 154.98 points to 9,130.42; industrials added 1.17% or 135.14 points to 11,664.14; mining and oil gained 1.01% or 116.55 points; while services increased 0.82% or 13.18 points to 1,613.91.

Value turnover was recorded at P8.36 billion on Tuesday, higher than Monday’s P7.07 billion, which 709.37 million issues changing hands.

The market saw 118 names advance versus 93 that declined, while 47 remained unchanged.

Foreign investors continued to place their funds in the country, as net foreign inflows climbed to P1.42 billion from P1.2 billion logged on Monday. — Arra B. Francia with Reuters

Tiger Resort sues former chiefs for perjury, estafa

By Minde Nyl R. Dela Cruz

TIGER Resort, Leisure and Entertainment, Inc. (TRLEI), the company behind Okada Manila, has filed separate perjury and estafa complaints against Japanese gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada.

The complaint filed Dec. 6, 2017, by Hajime Tokuda, director and chief operating officer (COO) of Universal Entertainment Corporation (UEC), alleged that Mr. Okada illegally disbursed company funds amounting to $3 million, supposedly for his consultancy fees and salaries as chief executive officer (CEO) of the company, through Takahiro Usui, then TRLEI president and COO, who was also named respondent in the complaint.

TRLEI said there was no Board resolution approving the disbursement of funds.

The company said: “Mr. Okada, taking advantage of his power and influence, as then most senior officer of TRLEI, fraudulently received TRLEI’s corporate funds (of at least $3,158,835.62) as supposed salaries and consultancy fee, which were not authorized, much less approved, by TRLEI’s Board of Directors. As said corporate funds were wrongfully received or acquired by Mr. Okada without authority and through fraud, he holds the $3,158,835.62, by operation of law, in trust for, and thus, under legal obligation to return the same to, TRLEI.”

TRLEI stated that Messrs. Okada and Usui “upon demand, failed to account for and return the $3,158,835.62.”

“When property is delivered even by mistake, the recipient has the obligation to return it. If he refuses to do so despite demand, he is guilty of estafa (by embezzlement),” TRLEI stated.

A second estafa case involved a $7 million contract awarded to Azure Philippines Manufacturing, Inc. (APMI) to supply LED fixtures to Okada Manila.

Mr. Okada, who owns APMI, and former TRLEI chief technology officer (CTO) Kengo Takeda allegedly conspired and insisted that TRLEI give the contract to APMI.

However, the LED fixtures were found to be defective and it was found that APMI was not authorized to manufacture lighting materials.

“The influence and intercession of Mr. Okada and Mr. Takeda pushed Complainant TRLEI to engage Respondent APMI’s services,” the complaint stated, adding that “any gains and benefits derived by APMI redounded to Mr. Okada’s personal benefit and advantage.”

In the perjury complaint, on the other hand, TRLEI alleged that Messrs. Okada and Usui made false statements under oath.

In questioning their ouster from Okada Manila, the two respondents claimed that TRLEI did not submit an updated General Information Sheet for 2017 before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and that the company implemented a mass layoff.

However, TRLEI countered such claims, saying it submitted the documents to the SEC on July 3, 2017, and that there was no mass layoff. As opposed to Messrs. Okada and Usui’s statements, TRLEI said it is hiring more workers and not forcing shops at Okada Manila to close.

TRLEI added that as Messrs. Okada and Usui were both removed from office on June 2017, they have “no personal knowledge” of the resort’s operations.

“Respondents [Okada and Usui] have had no personal involvement in the management of Okada Manila since their removal, and thus, have no personal knowledge about Okada Manila’s present operations. Yet, Respondents willfully and deliberately made the foregoing false statements, fully aware that they have no personal knowledge thereof or supporting documents therefore, as, indeed, these statements are completely perjurious,” the complaint noted.

EU raises concerns with Suu Kyi over detention of Reuters reporters

YANGON — The European Union’s (EU) envoy to Myanmar has raised concerns about the arrest of two Reuters journalists in a letter to the country’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, describing the situation as “serious intimidation” and calling for their immediate release.

The Reuters journalists, Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, were detained on Dec. 12. They are being investigated on suspicion of breaching the Official Secrets Act, a little-used law that dates from the days of British colonial rule.

They had worked on coverage of a crisis in the western state of Rakhine, where a military crackdown that followed militant attacks on security forces in August led to an exodus of more than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims to refugee camps in Bangladesh.

The two are due to appear in court on Wednesday. It will be their second appearance in court and the prosecutor could request that charges are filed against them.

“This situation amounts to a serious intimidation against journalists in general and from Reuters in particular,” said Kristian Schmidt, representative in Yangon of the EU’s 28 states, said in the letter dated Jan. 8.

“Journalists should … be able to work in a free and enabling environment without fear of intimidation or undue arrest or prosecution,” he said.

“We therefore call on your government to provide the necessary legal protection for these two journalists, to ensure the full respect of their fundamental rights and to release them immediately.”

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were detained after they were invited to meet police for dinner in Yangon.

The Ministry of Information has cited the police as saying they were “arrested for possessing important and secret government documents related to Rakhine State and security forces.” It said they had “illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media.”

Government officials from some of the world’s major nations, including the US, Britain and Canada, as well as top UN officials, have called for their release.

Reuters President and Editor-In-Chief Stephen J. Adler has called for the immediate release of the two.

“As they near their hearing date, it remains entirely clear that they are innocent of any wrongdoing,” Mr. Adler said in a statement on Monday.

Authorities have blocked access to media seeking to cover the military crackdown in the north of Rakhine State. — Reuters

Mababaw ang kaligayahan

Mababaw ang kaligayahan loosely means easy to please. The recent Pulse Asia performance and trust ratings of President Rodrigo Duterte, which remain impressively high, are an example of this. But rather than cast doubt on the intelligence of the survey respondents or the integrity of the public opinion polls (which poor losers usually do when ratings are not to their liking), I think credit should be given to Duterte for his uncanny ability to titillate and please his constituents.

In this regard, Duterte is certainly superior to US President Donald Trump who has had to constantly pat himself on the back to satisfy his starvation for praise. Trump’s latest self-praise was his description of himself as a political genius. Said one sarcastic CNN commentator: “Trump has to call himself a genius, since nobody else will.”

But to go back to Duterte’s high performance and trust ratings, it certainly would have given us a better appreciation of the value of the Pulse Asia survey if the questionnaire used had also been published along with the results. That would have given us an idea of how in-depth the study was and how incisive have been the conclusions.

At any rate, let’s assume that Pulse Asia did try to get a better-than-superficial reading of the perceptions and attitudes of the Filipino populace.

The results also do say something about our people’s remarkable ability to make do with what they are served, to see the positive in it, and, in the words of a wise man, “to make lemonade when life gives them lemons.”

Of course, this doesn’t say much about our people’s NACH or “need for achievement,” a term that human resource specialists use to describe a person’s aspirations and upward strivings.

At any rate, if one were to appraise Duterte’s first year in office, based on the survey ratings, one would be inclined to say that he is arguably the best president that this country has ever had and that the Philippines has never had it so good.

In fact, a friend of mine who is a Duterte supporter, to drive home this point, e-mailed me the comparative ratings of Duterte and our immediate past chief executive, Benigno S. C. Aquino III. Needless to say, the latter suffered by comparison.

But then, that comparison with Aquino inevitably begged for a further comparison of our country with our neighbors in Asia, to get a better view of how well the Philippines has fared under Duterte.

Along with the news about the Pulse Asia ratings, Duterte’s Communications Secretary, Martin Andanar, declared in a media interview that out of five presidential campaign promises that Duterte had made, the president has already fulfilled four, leaving only his promise to effect a change to federalism unfulfilled.

The four “fulfilled” promises, according to Andanar, were solving the problems of crime and illegal drugs, government corruption, poverty and peace and order.

In the context of “mababaw ang kaligayahan,” Andanar’s claim would be reason for rejoicing for the Filipino people.

Unfortunately for Andanar, unlike the responses in the Pulse Asia survey, the facts do not confirm his claim. For one thing, most of the thousands of extrajudicial and vigilante killings committed during Duterte’s first year in office remain unsolved and the drug problem continues to plague the country, including Duterte’s bailiwick of Davao.

Secondly, Andanar’s claim of lowered poverty incidence was based on 2015 data, before Duterte’s incumbency (the 2017 figures are still being tallied). Furthermore, recent surveys, specifically one conducted by SWS, also indicate increased poverty among our people.

Thirdly, only someone who is deaf, dumb and blind will believe that the problem of government corruption has been solved. And, with respect to peace and order, the threat posed by the NPA, the Muslim secessionists and ISIS, not to mention China’s encroachment on Philippine territory, still hang over our collective heads.

But what is even more revealing is how the Philippines compares with our neighbors in Asia in terms of economic development, foreign direct investments, unemployment, per capita income and poverty, infrastructure, bureaucratic competence, and corruption. And, oh yes, that other claim that “It’s more fun in the Philippines.”

It’s pretty much like comparing our year-long basketball tournaments in the Philippines with those of the NBA in the US. With due respect to our Filipino players, they are pretty good. But to say that they are a match for the stratospheric ball handlers in the US would be a stretch.

It would be rubbing it in if we were to quote the numbers put out by international and regional bodies tracking the indices of good governance and national progress.

Ironically, even with such indicators as corruption, where Thailand beats the Philippines hands down, our country also bites Thai dust in terms of tourist revenues, economic development and foreign investments.

A further irony is the fact that for a country as rich in tourist attractions, history and culture, coupled with some of the most beautiful people in the world, we are absolutely no match to Singapore, an island nation whose tourist offerings are mostly man-made (such as gigantic musical trees).

But then, perhaps, surveys conducted by Pulse Asia and SWS don’t dare to touch on these issues in an incisive manner for fear of opening a Pandora’s box of unflattering insights.

After all, what’s the point in comparing the Philippines with Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Hong Kong when most Filipinos are happy enough with their blissful ignorance. Mababaw ang kaligayahan.

It’s so much safer to ask them what they think of the quality of governance of Philippine officials — mostly in a vacuum, with no comparisons or points of reference — and passing off the responses as proof of high performance and trust.

There’s a saying that comes to mind: In the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king.

 

Greg B. Macabenta is an advertising and communications man shuttling between San Francisco and Manila and providing unique insights on issues from both perspectives.

gregmacabenta@hotmail.com

Duterte orders suspension of logging concessions

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has “ordered the suspension of several logging concessions in Zamboanga Peninsula,” Presidential Spokesperson Herminio Harry L. Roque, Jr. announced in a press briefing on Tuesday, Jan. 9. “This after he was apprised of concerns of indigenous populations that they have been displaced by logging operations of some companies. And he also observed that it is widespread logging that is responsible for the flash floods that Mindanao experienced only this month of December with two typhoons,” Mr. Roque said. The President issued the order at the Cabinet meeting in the Palace on Monday. — A.L. Balinbin

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